A machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods

Abstract

A machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R), comprising: a first feeding unit (200, 200') configured to feed a first semi-finished product in the form of a filling material (F) along a first movement path (T1); a second feeding unit (500) configured to feed a second semi-finished product in the form of a wrapper tape (W) along a second movement path (T2); a forming unit (400) comprising a garniture belt (402) configured to wrap the first semi-finished product (F) with the second semi-finished product (W) thereby forming a third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR) along a third movement path (T3); an adhesive application unit comprising: a first adhesive nozzle (409) at the forming unit (400) configured to form a first adhesive line (C1) on the surface of the second semi-finished product (W) to form an adhesive seam for closing the continuous rod (CR); and a second adhesive nozzle (410) at the second movement path (T2) configured to form a second adhesive line (G1) on the surface of the second semi-finished product (W) for immobilizing the first semi- finished product (F) relative to the second semi-finished product (W); a cutting unit (700) configured to cut the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR) into individual rods (R); and guide elements (417, 430, 405, 601, 705) configured to guide the semi-finished product (W, CR) during movement through the machine; wherein the guide element (417, 430, 405, 601, 705) configured to guide the semi-finished product (W, CR) comprises a contact surface (421, 422, 423; 431, 432, 433; 440, 602, 707) arranged to contact the semi-finished product (W, CR) exclusively in the area of the semi-finished product (W, CR) located outside the zone where the adhesive is placed.

Description

[0001] A MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING TOBACCO INDUSTRY RODS

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Tobacco industry products, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, and filter rods, which may be made of a single material or may be segmented filter rods, are generally manufactured by wrapping a filling material, such as tobacco, tobaccobased material, or a filter material, in a wrapper tape, for example, cigarette paper, with the edges of the wrapper glued together. The wrapper tape may be made of cellulose fibers or other organic or inorganic fibers. Modem technologies enable the production of very thin but durable wrapper materials. When using very thin materials, a significant challenge is selecting an appropriate adhesive for both bonding the wrapper edges and fixing the filling material relative to the wrapper. In both cases, uncontrolled adhesive seepage outside the wrapper may occur during production. Such seepage may contaminate the guide elements for the semi-finished and finished products. Adhesive may accumulate and dry on these guide elements, reducing the quality of the manufactured products. Adhesive may also build up on the garniture belt that transports the semi-finished products.

[0006] A machine for manufacturing rod-like articles is known from patent application EP2695533A2, in which the forming device for producing a continuous rod is provided with scrapers for cleaning adhesive contamination from the garniture belt and from the roller that guides the garniture belt. This solution allows cleaning of the moving belt and roller but does not prevent adhesive build-up.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Due to the increased use of thin wrapper materials, there is a need for solutions that reduce interruptions for cleaning all components that guide semifinished products in tobacco industry machines where adhesive may accumulate. In one aspect, the invention relates to a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods, comprising: a first feeding unit configured to feed a first semi-finished product in the form of a filling material along a first movement path; a second feeding unit configured to feed a second semi-finished product in the form of a wrapper tape along a second movement path; a forming unit comprising a garniture belt configured to wrap the first semi-finished product with the second semi-finished product thereby forming a third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod along a third movement path. The machine also comprises an adhesive application unit comprising: a first adhesive nozzle at the forming unit configured to form a first adhesive line on the surface of the second semi-finished product to form an adhesive seam for closing the continuous rod; and a second adhesive nozzle at the second movement path configured to form a second adhesive line on the surface of the second semi-finished product for immobilizing the first semi-finished product relative to the second semi-finished product. Further, the machine comprises a cutting unit configured to cut the third semifinished product in the form of a continuous rod into individual rods; and guide elements configured to guide the semi-finished product during movement through the machine. The guide element configured to guide the semi-finished product comprises a contact surface arranged to contact the semi-finished product exclusively in the area of the semi-finished product located outside the zone where the adhesive is placed. By using guide elements with contact surfaces only in areas outside the adhesive lines, the risk of adhesive contamination of these elements is reduced. This leads to increased machine reliability and improved quality of the rods produced, as undesirable contact between the adhesive and the guide elements is avoided.

[0009] The adhesive application unit may further comprise a third adhesive nozzle at the second movement path, configured to form a third adhesive line on the surface of the second semi-finished product. The use of this third adhesive nozzle enables precise formation of an additional adhesive line, which allows the first semi-finished product to be better immobilized relative to the second. In the zone where the adhesive from this third adhesive line is located, there is also no contact between the semi-finished product and the guide elements.

[0010] The adhesive application unit may further comprise a fourth adhesive nozzle configured to form a fourth adhesive line on the surface of the second semi-finished product to form an additional adhesive seam for closing the continuous rod. The fourth adhesive nozzle allows an additional adhesive seam to be formed, which increases the structural integrity of the continuous rod and allows the strength of the rods to be increased. In the zone where the adhesive from this fourth adhesive line is located, there is also no contact between the semi-finished product and the guide elements.

[0011] At least one of the guide elements may be a roller that has a contact surface with the wrapper tape comprising cylindrical surfaces for supporting the wrapper tape outside the zone of the adhesive line on the wrapper tape. The cylindrical surfaces in contact with the wrapper tape ensure stable guidance of the material, with no risk of the roller becoming contaminated with adhesive.

[0012] Between the cylindrical surfaces of the roller there may be grooves having a width greater than the width of the corresponding zone of the second, third or fourth adhesive line. Such grooves enable effective separation of zones with adhesive from areas without adhesive, providing a margin of safety to eliminate the risk of contact with any adhesive zones that may extend beyond the main path of the adhesive line.

[0013] At least one of the guide elements may be formed by rollers having a contact surface with the wrapper tape, which comprises cylindrical surfaces spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the width of the second, third or fourth adhesive line, respectively. This distance allows for effective separation of zones with adhesive from areas without adhesive, ensuring a margin of safety to eliminate the risk of contact with any adhesive zones that may extend beyond the main path of the adhesive line.

[0014] In the forming unit, the guide duct, being a guide element for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod, may have contact surfaces and at least one recess in the form of a groove along the guide duct, adapted so that the contact surfaces support the semi-finished product outside the zone of the adhesive lines on the lateral surface of the formed continuous rod. Such a duct allows for stable guidance of the continuous rod without contact with zones containing adhesive, which may still remain unfixed, i.e. , not dried on the surface of the continuous rod, as it has not settled on the previous guide elements and may still tend to settle on the surfaces of elements in contact with it. In the measuring unit, the guide duct, being a guide element, may have contact surfaces for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod, separated by at least one recess in the form of a groove along the guide duct, adapted so that the contact surfaces support the continuous rod outside the zone of the adhesive lines on the lateral surface of the formed continuous rod. Such a duct allows for stable guidance of the continuous rod without contact with zones containing adhesive, which may still remain unfixed, i.e. , not dried on the surface of the continuous rod, as it has not settled on the previous guide elements and may still tend to settle on the surfaces of elements in contact with it.

[0015] In the cutting unit, the guide duct, being a guide element, may have contact surfaces for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod, separated by at least one recess in the form of a groove along the guide duct, adapted so that the contact surfaces support the continuous rod outside the zone of the adhesive lines. Such a duct allows for stable guidance of the continuous rod without contact with zones containing adhesive, which may still remain unfixed, i.e., not dried on the surface of the continuous rod, as it has not settled on the previous guide elements and may still tend to settle on the surfaces of the elements in contact with it.

[0016] The term “zone where the adhesive is located” used in this description is meant to refer to the zone formed as a result of applying adhesive from adhesive nozzles. This zone includes both the surface of the semi-finished product onto which the adhesive is applied from the adhesive nozzle and the opposite surface onto which the adhesive seeps through the semi-finished product. The guide elements are usually in contact with the said opposite surface. This zone is understood as a set of sub-zones that do not necessarily adjoin each other. For example, the zones where the first adhesive line C1 is formed is usually offset from the zone where the second adhesive line G1 is formed, so that there is an adhesive-free area between them with which the guide element may come into contact. In addition, the zone where the adhesive is located may vary along the length of the semi-finished product if the adhesive nozzles are spaced apart along the path of movement. For example, on the wrapper in front of the first adhesive nozzle, no area of the semi-finished product is covered with adhesive; behind the first nozzle, the first sub-zone is covered with adhesive; and behind the second adhesive nozzle, two sub-zones are covered, etc. The width of each of these subzones may vary along the semi-finished product, for example, due to the possibility of the adhesive spreading on the surface during the movement of the semi-finished product.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The subject of the invention is described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

[0019] Fig. 1 shows a machine for manufacturing segmented filter rods,

[0020] Fig. 2 shows a machine for manufacturing filter rods,

[0021] Fig. 3 shows the forming unit as viewed from the front of the machine,

[0022] Fig. 4 shows the forming unit as viewed from above,

[0023] Fig. 5 shows a view of the garniture belt and the wrapper tape,

[0024] Fig. 6 shows a view of the wrapper tape and the winding roller in the first embodiment,

[0025] Fig. 7 shows a view of the wrapper tape and the winding roller in the second embodiment,

[0026] Fig. 8 shows a view of the wrapper tape and the winding roller in the third embodiment,

[0027] Fig. 9 shows a cross-section through the garniture bar,

[0028] Fig. 10 shows a cross-section through the wrappers,

[0029] Fig. 11 shows a cross-section through the measuring unit,

[0030] Fig. 12 shows the cutting unit,

[0031] Fig. 13 shows the cutting sleeve of the cutting unit in the first embodiment in perspective view,

[0032] Fig. 14 shows the cutting sleeve of the cutting unit in the first embodiment in front view, and

[0033] Fig. 15 shows the cutting sleeve of the cutting unit in the second embodiment.

[0034] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Fig. 1 shows a tobacco industry machine 100 for manufacturing segmented rods R from a continuous segment rod CR, which will be referred to as a continuous rod CR in the following description. The machine 100 comprises a feeding part 200 for feeding segments A, B, C and a forming part 300 for forming the continuous rod CR from the segments. The segments A, B, C are formed by cutting rods S-A, S-B, S-C from various types of materials, the segments A, B, C are arranged one after the other in a predetermined order and constitute the filling material F (hereinafter also referred to as the first semi-finished product). In the forming part 300, the filling material F is wrapped in the forming unit 400 with a wrapper tape W (hereinafter also referred to as the second semi-finished product) fed from the feeding unit 500. By wrapping the first semi-finished product F in the second semi-finished product W, a continuous rod CR is formed (hereinafter also referred to as the third semi-finished product). The resulting continuous rod CR passes through the measuring unit 600 and is fed to the cutting unit 700, where it is cut into individual segmented rods R.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows a machine 100' for manufacturing filter rods for the tobacco industry, which comprises a feeding section 200' and a forming section 300' for manufacturing rods R from a continuous rod CR containing filling material F, which is a filtering material unwound from a bale 201 or from a reel. The filtering material F can be based on acetate, cellulose or other materials used in the tobacco industry, generally of organic or inorganic origin. In the forming unit 300', the filling material F is wrapped in the forming unit 400 with a wrapper tape W. In the tobacco industry, cigarette machines are commonly used in which the continuous rod CR can be filled with tobacco or tobacco-based material.

[0037] In both the machine of the first embodiment of Fig. 1 and the machine of the second embodiment of Fig. 2, the first semi-finished product F is fed along the first movement path T1 , the second semi-finished product W is fed along the second movement path T2, and the third semi-finished product CR is moved along the third movement path T3.

[0038] The forming unit 400 (Fig. 3, Fig. 4) comprises a garniture bar 401 , a garniture belt 402 for transferring the wrapper tape W together with the filling material F and the continuously formed rod CR, and wrappers 403, 404 for wrapping the wrapper tape W around the filling material F. The wrapper tape W is fed from a reel in the feeding unit 500. The garniture belt 402 moves along the forming duct 405, which is in the form of a groove in the garniture bar 401 , then along the wrappers 403, 404 and the heating or cooling unit 406. The heating or cooling unit 406 is used to fix the adhesive seam depending on the adhesive used. The forming unit 400 includes an adhesive apparatus 407 provided with a reservoir 408 and a first adhesive nozzle 409 for feeding adhesive to the edge of the wrapper tape W. The adhesive nozzle 409 is located above the garniture bar 401 and is configured to form the first adhesive line C1 , which will become the adhesive seam C1 of the continuous rod CR connecting the edges of the wrapper W. The adhesive application unit comprises the first nozzle 409. In addition to the first adhesive nozzle 409, the adhesive application unit can be provided with a second nozzle 410 and / or a third nozzle 411 for forming a second adhesive line G1 and a third adhesive line G2, which serve to immobilize the filling material F relative to the wrapper W (adhesive reservoirs for these nozzles are not shown). The second nozzle 410 and the third nozzle 411 are located at the second movement path T2 of the second semi-finished product W. The first adhesive nozzle 409, the second adhesive nozzle 410, the third adhesive nozzle 411 and the fourth adhesive nozzle 419 discussed below are part of the adhesive application unit.

[0039] The garniture belt 402 of the forming unit 400 is driven by the drive wheel 412. The garniture belt 402 is wound around the inlet roller 413 and the outlet roller 414 and the winding rollers 415, 416, whereby the garniture belt 402 passes along the garniture duct 405, transferring the wrapper W, the filling material F and the formed continuous rod CR. The wrapper W fed from the feeding unit 500 moves along the second path T2 around a roller 417 and further along the third path T3 together with the filling material F. Fig. 5 shows a simplified view of a section of the garniture belt 402 and the wrapper W, in the H view marked in Fig. 3. G1 and G2 denote the lines of the adhesive applied by the second nozzle 410 and the third nozzle 411 onto the wrapper W, and D1 and D2 denote the contamination tracks on the garniture belt 402, i.e. the tracks along which the adhesive that seeps through the wrapper W accumulates and deposits. Contamination on the garniture belt 402 can be removed with scrapers. Fig. 5 shows the first adhesive line C1 along which adhesive will be applied from the first nozzle 409 in the forming unit 400 to form an adhesive seam for closing the wrapper W. The fourth adhesive line C2 is also shown, which will become the second adhesive seam C2 located next to the first adhesive seam C1 . The fourth adhesive line C2 for closing the continuous rod CR is formed by the fourth nozzle 419 in the case two adhesive seams C1 and C2 are required to close the continuous rod CR. For example, cold adhesive is supplied through the fourth nozzle 419 and hot adhesive is supplied through the first nozzle 409.

[0040] Fig. 6 shows the roller 417, which is a guide element used to wind the wrapper tape W, and a section of the wrapper tape W. The contact surfaces 421 , 422 and 423 support the wrapper tape W in the area of the wrapper W where no adhesive will be applied from the second nozzle 410 or the third nozzle 411 , i.e. outside the zone of the second adhesive line G1 or the third adhesive line G2. The contact surfaces 421 , 422, 423 of roller 417 are cylindrical surfaces and form the contact surface with the wrapper tape W. The wrapper tape W wraps around the contact surfaces 421 , 422, 423. In the embodiment shown, roller 417 has two grooves 412. If only one adhesive line is applied, namely the second adhesive line G1 or the third adhesive line G2, roller 417 may have one groove 412. The groove 412 has a width d adapted to the width e of the adhesive line, the actual width e of the adhesive line depending on the degree of spreading of the adhesive over the wrapper tape W. The contact surfaces 420, 421 , 422 are spaced apart by a distance d such that they support the wrapper tape W outside the zone of the adhesive lines G1 , G2. The groove 412 has a depth g, for example in the range of 0.1 to 2 mm, and the edges of the groove 412 may be rounded or chamfered as shown in Fig. 7.

[0041] Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which a fourth adhesive line C2 and a second adhesive line G2 are formed. Contact surfaces in the form of cylindrical surfaces 431 , 432, 433 of the guide element 430 are used. In the embodiment shown, the contact surfaces may be the circumferential surfaces of three separate rollers 430A, 430B, 430C with a common axis of rotation k.

[0042] Fig. 9 shows a section A-A (marked in Fig. 4) through the forming unit 400 at the point where the third semi-finished product is formed in the form of a continuous rod CR from the semi-finished product in the form of wrapper W and filling material F. Fig. 10 shows a section B-B through the forming unit 400 at the point where the forming process of the third semi-finished product CR is nearing completion. The guide duct 405 is a guide element and serves to guide and support the second semi-finished product W and the third semi-finished product CR. The guide duct 405 has contact surfaces 440 which support and guide the formed semi-finished product CR indirectly via the garniture belt 402. The guide duct 405 has recesses in the form of grooves 441 , 442 along the guide duct 405, on both sides of this duct, adapted so that the contact surfaces 440 support the continuous rod CR in the area outside the adhesive lines G1 , G2.

[0043] Fig. 11 shows a C-C section (marked in Fig. 1 ) through the measuring unit 600 for measuring the parameters of the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod CR. In the measuring unit 600, the guide duct 601 serves as a guide element. The guide duct 601 has contact surfaces 602 for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod CR, separated by at least one recess. The guide duct 601 has a recess in the form of at least one groove 603, 604, 605 along the guide duct 601 . The grooves 603, 604, 605 are arranged such that the contact surface 602 supports the continuous rod CR outside the zone of the adhesive lines G1 , G2, C1 , C2 on the lateral surface of the formed continuous rod CR. The measuring unit 600 contains sensors (not shown in the cross-section) located in the body 610 and directed transversely to the axis of the continuous rod CR.

[0044] Fig. 12 shows the cutting unit 700 for cutting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod CR. The cutting unit 700 comprises a rotatable cutting head 701 with knives 702 which, when the cutting head 701 rotates, pass between cutting tubes 703, 704 and cut the continuous rod CR into individual rods R. The sleeve 703, shown in Fig. 13, is a guide element for the continuous rod CR, which moves along the guide duct 705, which has contact surfaces 707 that serve to guide the continuous rod CR. The guide duct 705 has a center line 706, and the contact surfaces 707 are cylindrical surfaces. The guide duct 705 has a recess in the form of at least one groove 709, 710, 711 along the guide duct 705. The grooves 709, 710, 711 are arranged such that the contact surface 707 supports the continuous rod CR outside the adhesive lines C1 , C2, G1 , G2, as shown in view J in Fig. 14. Fig. 15 shows another embodiment of the cutting sleeve 703'. The cutting sleeve 703' is open at the top and provided only with side grooves 709, 710.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R), comprising:- a first feeding unit (200, 200’) configured to feed a first semi-finished product in the form of a filling material (F) along a first movement path (T1 );- a second feeding unit (500) configured to feed a second semi-finished product in the form of a wrapper tape (W) along a second movement path (T2);- a forming unit (400) comprising a garniture belt (402) configured to wrap the first semi-finished product (F) with the second semi-finished product (W) thereby forming a third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR) along a third movement path (T3);- an adhesive application unit comprising:- a first adhesive nozzle (409) at the forming unit (400) configured to form a first adhesive line (C1 ) on the surface of the second semi-finished product (W) to form an adhesive seam for closing the continuous rod (CR); and- a second adhesive nozzle (410) at the second movement path (T2) configured to form a second adhesive line (G1 ) on the surface of the second semi-finished product (W) for immobilizing the first semi-finished product (F) relative to the second semi-finished product (W);- a cutting unit (700) configured to cut the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR) into individual rods (R); and- guide elements (417, 430, 405, 601 , 705) configured to guide the semifinished product (W, CR) during movement through the machine; wherein- the guide element (417, 430, 405, 601 , 705) configured to guide the semifinished product (W, CR) comprises a contact surface (421 , 422, 423; 431 , 432, 433; 440, 602, 707) arranged to contact the semi-finished product (W, CR) exclusively in the area of the semi-finished product (W, CR) located outside the zone where the adhesive is placed.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive application unit further comprises a third adhesive nozzle (411 ) at the second movement path (T2), configured to form a third adhesive line (G2) on the surface of the second semifinished product (W).

3. The machine according to any of previous claims, wherein the adhesive application unit further comprises a fourth adhesive nozzle (419) configured to form a fourth adhesive line (C2) on the surface of the second semi-finished product (W) to form an adhesive seam for closing the continuous rod (CR).

4. The machine according to any of previous claims, wherein a roller (417) being the guide element has a contact surface with the wrapper tape (W) comprising cylindrical surfaces (421 , 422, 423) for supporting the wrapper tape (W) outside the zone of the adhesive line (G1 , G2, C2) on the wrapper tape (W).

5. The machine according to claim 4, wherein between the cylindrical surfaces (420, 421 , 422) of the roller (417) there are grooves having a width (d) greater than the width (e) of the corresponding zone of the second, third or fourth adhesive line (G1 , G2, C2).

6. The machine according to claim 4, wherein the guide element is formed together by rollers (430A, 430B, 430C) having a contact surface with the wrapper tape (W), the contact surface comprising cylindrical surfaces (431 , 432, 433) spaced apart from each other by a distance (d) greater than the width (e) of the zone of the second, third or fourth adhesive line (G1 , G2, C2), respectively.

7. The machine according to any of previous claims, wherein in the forming unit (400), the guide duct (405) being a guide element for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR), has contact surfaces (440) and at least one recess (441 , 442) in the form of a groove along the guide duct (405), adapted so that the contact surfaces (440) support the semifinished product (W, CR) outside the zone of the adhesive lines (G1 , G2) on the lateral surface of the formed continuous rod (CR).

8. The machine according to any of previous claims, wherein in the measuring unit (600), the guide duct (601 ), being a guide element, has contact surfaces (602) for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR), separated by at least one recess in the form of a groove(603, 604, 605) along the guide duct (601 ), adapted so that the contact surfaces (602) support the continuous rod (CR) outside the zone of the adhesive lines (G1 , G2, C1 , C2) on the lateral surface of the formed continuous rod (CR).

9. The machine according to any of previous claims, wherein in the cutting unit (700), the guide duct (706), being a guide element, has contact surfaces (707) for guiding and supporting the third semi-finished product in the form of a continuous rod (CR), separated by at least one recess in the form of a groove (709, 710, 711 ) along the guide duct (706), adapted so that the contact surfaces (707) support the continuous rod (CR) outside the zone of the adhesive lines (G1 , G2, C1 , C2).

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