Device for manufacturing a mouthpiece and attaching mouthpieces to cigarette tobacco columns

A device for attaching two axially aligned cigarette tobacco columns to an intermediately disposed double length rigid mouthpiece, hereinafter referred to as a cigarette group, by wrapping a sheet of tipping material around the double length rigid mouthpiece and a portion of each tobacco column adjacent to each end of the double length mouthpiece. The device comprises a stationary rolling block located in spaced relationship to the periphery of a cigarette group feed drum. The feed drum carries a plurality of cigarette groups at spaced apart intervals on its' periphery with a sheet of tipping material adhesively attached at the leading edge thereof to each of the cigarette groups. As a cigarette group passes beneath the rolling block, the cigarette group is caused to roll in a counter direction to the rotational direction of the feed drum along the peripheral surface of the feed drum causing the sheet of tipping material to wrap around the double length rigid mouthpiece and portion of each tobacco column immediately adjacent to the double length mouthpiece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to the manufacture of cigarettes having a 
rigid mouthpiece attached at one end, and more particularly to a device 
for attaching two coaxially aligned cigarette tobacco columns to an 
intermediately disposed double length rigid mouthpiece as an interim step 
in the manufacture of a finished cigarette having a rigid mouthpiece 
attached at one end. 
2. Description of the Present Art 
It is known to attach two coaxially aligned cigarette tobacco columns to an 
intermediate double length filter rod by wrapping a tipping material about 
the double length filter rod and a portion of each tobacco column adjacent 
to the filter rod to produce a filter rod-tobacco column group. After the 
tobacco columns are thus attached to the double length filter rod, the 
double length filter rod is cut at the transverse centerline thereby 
providing two individual filtered cigarettes. 
Various devices are known for performing the task described above. Examples 
of heretofore known devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,486 issued on 
July 18, 1939, to W. F. M. Edwards; U.S. Pat. No. 2,194,378 issued on Mar. 
19, 1940, to Adolf Bernd; U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,472 issued on Mar. 26, 1957, 
to Richard Gruezburg; U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,640 issued on Oct. 15, 1957, to 
Henry A. Oldenkamp; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,528 issued on Sept. 26, 1961, 
to B. Schubert. 
Generally, the heretofore known devices frictionally engage the periphery 
of the intermediately disposed filter rod and tobacco columns causing the 
filter rod-tobacco column group to roll, thus, wrapping the tipping 
material around the double length filter rod and portions of the tobacco 
columns adjacent to the ends of the double length filter rod. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
While the heretofore known devices of the type described above may be 
satisfactory to connect filter rods to tobacco columns, a two-fold problem 
arises when attaching a rigid mouthpiece to the tobacco columns. Filter 
rods are fabricated of relatively soft, resilient fibrous or foamed 
materials such as, for example, cellulose acetate which presents a 
peripheral surface of relatively high coefficient of friction to the 
contact surface of the rolling device. However, rigid mouthpieces are 
typically fabricated of a smooth, hard plastic material which has a 
relatively low coefficient of friction. For this reason, when using a 
heretofore known rolling device to roll the double length 
mouthpiece-tobacco column group, it occurs that the double length 
mouthpiece-tobacco column group will slide rather than roll through the 
rolling device and the tipping material will, therefore, not be wrapped 
around the rigid double length mouthpiece and portions of the tobacco 
columns adjacent to the ends of the mouthpiece. Increasing the normally 
directed force exerted by the rolling device against the double length 
mouthpiece will increase the functional force between the rolling device 
and mouthpiece, however, the rigid material of the mouthpiece will crack 
if the normal force exerted against it is too great. 
The present invention recognizes this dilemna, and provides a solution 
thereto. 
More particularly, in one embodiment the present invention provides a 
device for applying two paper rings around the circumference of a double 
length cigarette mouthpiece spaced apart from each other to opposite 
longitudinal sides of the transverse centerline of the double length 
mouthpiece, comprising a rotatable drum at least as wide as the length of 
the double length mouthpiece, the rotatable drum having a plurality of 
double length mouthpiece receiving notches formed in its periphery at 
spaced apart intervals therearound, the notches being oriented with their 
longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the axis of revolution of the 
drum, and a stationary wrapping block having an arcuate contact surface 
concavely facing the periphery of the drum, the arcuate contact surface of 
the wrapper block corresponding to the curvature of the peripheral surface 
of the drum and being spaced from the peripheral surface of the drum by a 
preselected distance less than the diameter of the double length 
mouthpiece, and two spaced apart contact zones spaced apart to opposite 
sides of the longitudinal centerline of the wrapping block adapted to 
contact longitudinally spaced apart portions of the double length 
mouthpiece, the contact zones being of a relatively high coefficient of 
friction with the mouthpiece. 
In a further embodiment the present invention provides a device for 
attaching two cylindrical tobacco columns to an intermediately disposed 
double length mouthpiece by wrapping a sheet of tipping material around 
the double length mouthpiece and a portion of each tobacco column 
immediately adjacent to each end of the double length mouthpiece to form a 
cigarette group comprising a rotatable drum at least as wide as the 
combined lengths of the two tobacco columns and intermediate double length 
mouthpiece, the rotatable drum having a plurality of cigarette group 
receiving notches formed in its periphery at spaced apart intervals 
therearound, the notches being oriented with their longitudinal axes 
substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the drum, and a 
stationary rolling block having an arcuate contact surface concavely 
facing the periphery of the drum, the arcuate contact surface of the 
rolling block corresponding to the curvature of the peripheral surface of 
the drum and being spaced from the peripheral surface of the drum by a 
preselected distance less than the diameter of the double length 
mouthpiece, at least the middle zone of the contact surface being adapted 
to contact the intermediately disposed double length mouthpiece of the 
cigarette group on the peripheral surface of the drum between adjacent 
notches formed in the drum being of relatively soft, resilient material 
having a relatively high coefficient of friction with the mouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
First, with reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a cigarette group, 
generally denoted as the number 10, consisting of two axially aligned 
tobacco columns 12 and 14 and an intermediate double length rigid 
mouthpiece 16. In the manufacture of cigarettes, the tobacco columns 12 
and 14 are attached to opposite ends of the intermediate double length 
rigid mouthpiece 16 by a sheet of tipping material 18 which is wrapped 
around the double length rigid mouthpiece 16 and a portion of each tobacco 
column 12 and 14 adjacent to each end of the mouthpiece and adhesively 
attached thereto by rolling pressure. For example, if the double length 
mouthpiece 16 is 52 mm long, the tipping material 18 would be 57 mm wide 
so that it overlaps the end of each tobacco column 12 and 14 adjacent to 
the mouthpiece 16 by approximately 21/2 mm. After the tobacco columns 12 
and 14 have been attached to the double length mouthpiece 16 producing a 
cigarette group 10, the double length mouthpiece 16 is severed at its 
transverse centerline which results in two individual cigarettes each 
having a rigid mouthpiece at one end. 
In order to assure that the tipping material 18 adheres to the rigid 
mouthpiece, a paper ring 20 is optionally wrapped about the mouthpiece 
underlaying the tipping material, as can best be seen in FIG. 2, wherein 
the tipping material 18 is partially unwound to more clearly show details. 
In the above discussed manufacturing process, it is necessary to wrap two 
paper rings 20 about the double length mouthpiece 16 spaced apart from 
each other longitudinally of the double length mouthpiece 16 to opposite 
sides of the transverse centerline of the double length mouthpiece 16. 
FIG. 3 illustrates an apparatus, generally denoted as the numeral 22 for 
winding the two rings 20 around the double length mouthpiece 16. The 
apparatus 22 consists of a rotatably mounted double length mouthpiece feed 
drum 24 and a stationary ring wrapping block 26 located in adjacent, 
spaced relationship to an arcuate portion of the periphery of the 
mouthpiece feed drum 24. 
The mouthpiece feed drum 24 includes a plurality of open notches 28 formed 
in its' peripheral surface at substantially equally spaced intervals 
therearound. Each notch 28 is oriented with its longitudinal axis 
substantially parallel with the axes of rotation of the mouthpiece feed 
drum 24 and is adapted to receive therein a double length mouthpiece 16. 
Preferably, the mouthpiece feed drum 24 is at least as wide as the length 
of a double length mouthpiece 16, and the depth of each notch 28 is 
approximately 1/3 mouthpiece diameters so that a majority of the double 
length mouthpiece 16 remains outside of a notch 28. As depicted at the 
area "A" in FIG. 3, before a double length mouthpiece 16 is deposited in a 
mouthpiece receiving notch 28, two parallel, spaced apart strips 20A of 
paper, which will be wound about the double length mouthpiece 16 to form 
the rings 20, are deposited over the mouthpiece receiving notch 28 to 
either side of the transverse centerline of the notch 28. The strips 20A 
are each deposited with its leading edge over the notch 28 so that the 
leading edge of the strip 20A will be adhesively attached to the double 
length mouthpiece 16 to be received in the notch 28 with the rest of the 
strips 20A trailing out over the periphery of the mouthpiece feed drum 24 
between adjacent notches 28 behind the double length mouthpiece 16 
deposited in the notch 28 and to which its leading edge is attached. 
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the stationary wrapping block 26 is formed with 
an arcuate surface 30 spaced from and concavely facing the peripheral 
surface of the mouthpiece feed drum 24. The curvature of the arcuate 
surface 30 of the wrapping block 26 corresponds to the curvature of the 
periphery of the mouthpiece feed drum 24 so that the space between them is 
uniform along the length of the wrapping block 26. The arcuate surface 30 
of the wrapping block 26 includes two parallel, spaced apart elongated 
mouthpiece contact zones 30A and 30B equally located to either side of the 
longitudinal centerline of the arcuate surface 30 and extending 
substantially the full length of the arcuate surface 30. Further, each 
contact zones 30A and 30B is about as wide as the width of a paper strip 
20A and is in alignment with a different one of the strips 20A. The 
distance between contact surfaces 30A and 30B and the peripheral surface 
of the drum 24 corresponds to the amount by which the double length 
mouthpiece projects out of the notches 28 beyond the periphery of the feed 
drum 24. The contact surfaces 30A and 30B are fabricated of a relatively 
soft, resilient material having a relatively high coefficient of rolling 
friction with the material of the double length mouthpiece, for example, 
on the order of at least 0.2. A suitable material is a low density foam 
rubber. One such material which has been successfully used is a product 
sold by Scholl, Inc. of Memphis, Tenn. under the trademark "MOLEFORM". 
In operation, as the mouthpiece feed drum 24 rotates, it sequentially 
delivers double length mouthpieces 16 to the entrance or upstream end of 
the stationary rinf wrapping block 26. As the double length mouthpiece 16 
enters the space between the wrapping block 26 and feed drum 24, the 
contact zones 30A and 30B contact the double length mouthpiece 16 in a 
notch 28 of the drum 24 causing the contacted double length mouthpiece 16 
to roll counter to the rotation of the feed drum 24 and out of the notch 
28 onto the peripheral surface of the drum 24. The double length 
mouthpiece 16 on the peripheral surface of the drum 24 remains in contact 
with the resilient zones 30A and 30B of the wrapping block 26 causing the 
double length mouthpiece 16 to roll counter to the rotational direction of 
the wrapping drum 24 on the peripheral surface of the drum 24 between 
adjacent notches 28 thereby wrapping each of the strips 20A around the 
perimeter of the double length mouthpiece 16 forming the two spaced apart 
rings 20 around the double length mouthpiece 16 spaced apart from each 
other to opposite sides of the transverse centerline of the double length 
mouthpiece 16. 
Now with reference to FIG. 5, there is shown an apparatus generally denoted 
as the number 32, for attaching the two axially aligned tobacco columns 12 
and 14 to the intermediately disposed double length mouthpiece 16 by 
wrapping the sheet of tipping material 18 around the mouthpiece 16 and a 
portion of each tobacco column immediately adjacent to each end of the 
double length mouthpiece 16. The apparatus 32 consists of a rotatably 
mounted cigarette group feed drum 34 and a stationary rolling block 36 
located in adjacent, spaced relationship to an arcuate portion of the 
periphery of the feed drum 34. 
The feed drum 34 includes a plurality of open notches 38 formed in its' 
peripheral surface at substantially equally spaced apart intervals 
therearound. Each notch 38 is oriented with its longitudinal axis 
substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the feed drum 34 and 
is adapted to receive therein a cigarette group 10. Preferably, the 
cigarette group feed drum is at least as wide as the length of a cigarette 
group 10, and the depth of each notch is approximately 1/3 tobacco column 
diameters so that a majority of the cigarette group 10 remains outside of 
the notch 38. As depicted at area "A" in FIG. 5, before a cigarette group 
10 is received in a notch 38, a sheet of tipping material 18 is deposited 
over the notch 38 so that the leading edge of the sheet of tipping 
material 18 will be adhesively attached to the double length mouthpiece 16 
and end portions of the tobacco columns 12 and 14 to be received in the 
notch 38 with the rest of the tipping material trailing out over the 
periphery of the feed drum 34 between adjacent notches 38 behind the 
cigarette group 10 to which it is attached. 
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the stationary rolling block 36 is formed with 
an arcuate cigarette group contact surface 40 spaced from and concavely 
facing the peripheral surface of the feed drum 34. The rolling block 36 is 
located downstream of the location whereat the cigarette group 10 is 
deposited in the notches 38. The curvature of the arcuate surface 40 
corresponds to the curvature of the periphery of the feed drum 34 so that 
the space between them is uniform along the length of the rolling block 
36. The space between the contact surface 40 of the rolling block 36 and 
peripheral surface of the feed drum 34 is smaller than the diameter of the 
cigarette group 10. The overall width of the contact surface 40 is 
generally equal to the width of the feed drum 34 and is divided into three 
longitudinally extending contact zones, a middle zone 40A straddled by two 
virtually identical side zones 40B and 40C. The width "W" of the middle 
zone 40A is substantially equal to the width of the tipping material 18, 
with the longitudinal centerline 42 of the middle contact zone 40A being 
in-line with the transverse centerline of the double length rigid 
mouthpiece of a cigarette group 10 carried by the notches 38 so that the 
middle contact zone 40A makes contact only with the double length rigid 
mouthpiece 16 and a small portion of each tobacco column 12 and 14 
immediately adjacent to the ends of the mouthpiece 16 about which the 
tipping material 18 is to be rolled as the feed drum moves a cigarette 
group 10 beneath the rolling block 36. Each of the side zones 40B and 40C 
contacts a different one of the tobacco columns 12 and 14 extending from 
the opposite ends of the double length mouthpiece 16 contacted by the 
middle zone 40A. The middle contact zone 40A and side contact zones 40B 
and 40C are mutually coextensive. The middle contact zone 40A is 
fabricated of a relatively soft, resilient material having a relatively 
high coefficient of rolling friction on the order of 0.2 or higher, such 
as for example, a low density foam rubber, and the like. A suitable 
commercially available material has been found to be a product sold by 
Scholl, Inc. of Memphis, Tenn. under the trademark "MOLEFORM". The side 
contact zones 40B and 40C are, preferably, a polished metal. 
The rolling block 36 also can include at least one breaker bar 44 at the 
entering end of the rolling block 36. The breaker bar 44 is generally as 
long as the combined lengths of the tobacco columns 12 and 14 and 
intermediate double length mouthpiece 16 of the cigarette group 10, and is 
substantially parallel to the cigarette group 10 in a notch 38 passing 
beneath it. In addition, breaker bar 44 projects toward the peripheral 
surface of the feed drum 34 beyond the arcuate contact surface 40 of the 
rolling block 36. As can be best seen in FIG. 5, if the distance between 
adjacent notches 38 of the drum 34 is less than the length of the arcuate 
contact surface 40, it may be desirable to provide at least a second 
breaker bar, generally denoted as the number 46 projecting toward the 
peripheral surface of the drum 34, parallel to the breaker bar 44 and 
spaced therefrom by a distance generally corresponding to the distance 
between adjacent notches 38. The second breaker bar 46 is illustrated in 
FIG. 6 as consisting of two longitudinally aligned breaker bar halves 46A 
and 46B. As shown, the breaker bar half 46A projects from the side contact 
zone and the other breaker bar half 46B projects from the other side 
contact zone 40C toward the peripheral surface of the drum 34. 
In operation, as the feed drum 34 rotates, it sequentially delivers 
cigarette group 10 to the entrance or upstream end of the rolling block 
36. As a cigarette group 10 enters the space between the rolling block 36 
and feed drum 34, the breaker bar 44 engages the entire length of the 
cigarette group 10 disposed in the notch 38 passing beneath it interfering 
with the movement of the engaged cigarette group 10 with the feed drum 34 
causing the engaged cigarette group 10 to roll counter to the rotation of 
the feed drum and out of the notch 38 onto the peripheral surface of the 
drum 34. Immediately after passing beneath the breaker bar 44, the double 
length mouthpiece 16 of the cigarette group 10 on the peripheral surface 
of the drum 34 is contacted by the resilient middle contact zone 40A of 
the rolling block contact surface and the two tobacco columns 12 and 14 
extending from opposite ends of the double length mouthpiece 16 are 
contacted by different ones of the side contact zones 40B and 40C causing 
the cigarette group 10 to roll counter to the rotational direction of the 
drum 34 on the peripheral surface of the drum 34 between adjacent notches 
38 thereby wrapping the tipping material 18 around the double length 
mouthpiece 16 and end portions of the tobacco columns 12 and 14 adjacent 
to the opposite ends of the double length mouthpiece 16 before the 
cigarette group 10 drops into the next succeeding notch 38. It sometimes 
is preferable to re-roll the cigarette group 10 at least once after the 
tipping material 18 has been initially wrapped around the cigarette group 
to assure proper adhesion of the tipping material to the tobacco columns 
and mouthpiece. Toward this end, the rolling block 36 is longer than the 
circumference of the cigarette group 10 so that the cigarette group will 
make more than one revolution, for example, two and one-half revolutions 
beneath the rolling block 36. In this situation, the second breaker bar 46 
is provided to engage just the tobacco columns 12 and 14. Each breaker bar 
half 46A and 46B of the second breaker bar 46 engages a different one of 
the tobacco columns 12 and 14 of the cigarette group 10 to either side of 
the intermediate rigid double length mouthpiece 16 to roll the cigarette 
group 10 out of the succeeding notch 38 and back onto the peripheral 
surface of the drum 34. With the cigarette group 10 again on the 
peripheral surface of the drum 34, the resilient middle contact zone 40A 
engages the tipping material around the rigid mouthpiece 16 and the side 
contact zones 40B and 40C engage different ones of the attached tobacco 
columns 12 and 14 causing the cigarette group 10 to again roll counter to 
the rotational direction of the drum on the peripheral surface between 
adjacent notches thereby re-rolling the tipping material 18 before the 
cigarette group 10 drops into the next succeeding notch 38. The rolling 
block 34 can be made to any desired length to cause the cigarette group 10 
to be successively re-rolled any number of times. However, additional 
breaker bars similar to the second breaker bar 46 may have to be provided 
at intervals therealong generally corresponding to the distance between 
adjacent notches 38 in the feed drum 34 to cause the cigarette groups to 
roll out of the notches 38 and onto the peripheral surface of the drum 34. 
The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of 
understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood 
therefrom for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the 
art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from 
the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.