LEDGER FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE CUT-OFF

Abstract: This invention is concerned with improvements to a ledger for a rod-making machine of the type comprising a rod supporting part (14, 16) which is pivotally mounted on two linear motion devices (10; 12) each comprising a fixed gear (A), a first orbiting gear (B) which is preferably smaller than the fixed gear, and a pair of connected coaxial gears (C and D) of different diameter which also orbit about the axis of the fixed gear and which mesh respectively with the fixed gear and first orbiting gear (B), such that the effective gear ratio between the fixed gear (A) and the first orbiting gear (B) via the other two gears is 2:1, the rod supporting part being pivotally connected to the first orbiting gear (B) or to a crank connected thereto. According to the main improvement, an assembly including gears (B, C and D) and parts carrying them at appropriate positions is arranged to be readily replaceable to achieve a rod length change.

Description: l Ledger for Cigarette Making Machine Cut-Off 2 3 Cigarette making machi nes commonly operate by forming a continuous rod which is then cut into discrete lengths by a cut-off device 5 while the rod is being supported by what is commonly termed a "ledger". 6 Such ledgers commonly have an oscillating motion and contact the rod 7 only at a top-dead-centre position of the ledger, but refinements have β been proposed whereby the part of the ledger which supports the rod 9 moves with a more nearly linear oscillating motion. Oscillating ledgers, ιo however, tend to be noisy. With a view to reducing the noise there have π been proposals involving purely rotary motions whereby the part of the i2 ledger which supports the rod during cutting is momentarily in contact i3 with the rod ; this has a disadvantage in that the rod-supporting part I* cannot be tubular, but must instead be U-shaped so as to be able to is move towards and away from the rod. i6 Another possibility is described in our British patent No. 2108820, i7 i n whi c h F ig u r e 1 s h ows a l ed g er wh e re by li n e ar m ot io n of a is rod-supporting part is produced by pivotally connecting opposite ends of i that part to two devices each consisting of an internal gear within which 20 orbits an external gear which is half the diameter of the internal gear. 2i This arrangement has a number of practical disadvantages, amongst 2 2 which is the fact that it does not lend itself to rod length adjustment. 23 The above-mentioned patent also shows, in Figure 3, a ledger 2 comprising mainly rotary parts but which nevertheless produce linear 25 motion of the rod-supporting part, and allows for changes in the rod 26 length. 27 in general terms such a ledger (the reference letters being as 2β used in this specification) comprises a rod-supporting part which is 29 pivotally mounted on two linear motion devices each comprising a fixed 30 gear (A), a second gear (B) which is preferably smaller than the fixed 3i gear and which orbits about the axis of the fixed gear, and a pair of 32 connected coaxial gears (C) and (D) of different diameter which also 3 3 orbit about the axis of the fixed gear and which mesh respectively with 34 the fixed gear and first orbiting gear (B), such that the effective gear ratio 35 between the fixed gear (A) and the first orbiting gear (B) via the other two 36 gears is 2:1 , the rod supporting part being pivotally connected to the first 37 orbiting gear (B) or to a crank connected thereto. The present invention 8 is concerned with various improvements to such a ledger. i The distance between the axis (Ac) of the fixed gear and the axis 2 (Be) of the first orbiting gear should be equal to the distance between 3 the axis (Be) of the first orbiting gear and the pivot axis (P) by which the * rod supporting part is pivotally connected to the first orbiting gear. 5 These distances can be changed in order to change the rod length. The 6 rod length (i.e. the intervals between successive cuts of the continuous 7 rod) is related to the distance AcBc and BcP as follows: a AcBc = BcP = Rod Length divided by 4π 9 The rod length referred to is twice the length of the tobacco-filled ιo rod of each cigarette; double iength portions are usually cut by the u cut-off of the cigarette making machine, and are subsequently cut into ι 2 two equal portions m the associated filter attachment machine. For π example, for a rod Iength ot 140mm (for average-length cigarettes having i a 70mm tobacco rod) the distance AcBc and BcP would each be i5 1 1 .14mm. i6 The distances AcBc and BcP may in theory be made adjustable, i7 as described in our above-mentioned patent, but only with difficulty, is Instead, according to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly i9 comprising the parts determining those distances is designed to be 2o interchangeable. Those parts which need to be changed in order to 2i achieve a different rod Iength are described below in the specific 22 description with reference to the drawings. 23 According to another aspect of the present invention , the 2 rod-supporting part comprises two members having adjacent ends 25 pivotally connected to one another and being pivotally connected at their 26 other ends to the respective linear motion devices. The two members 27 are preferably substantially identical, being mirror images of one another, 28 each having a tube-like portion through which the cigarette rod is 2 arranged to pass and by which the rod is supported, the cut-off knife 30 being arranged to pass between the two tube-like portions during each 3i cutting operation. 32 This aspect of the invention avoids the generation of excessive 33 bending stresses in the rod supporting part which can occur if the rod 3 supporting part is in one piece. 35 Other aspects of this invention include, for example, the provision 36 described below for setting up each linear motion device by means of a 37 jig following the introduction of change parts in order to change the rod 38 Iength. i An example of a ledger including all aspects of this invention is 2 shown in the accompanying drawings. 3 In these drawings Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a known gear arrangement for 5 producing a linear motion; 6 Figure 2 shows a modified form of the gear arrangement of Figure 7 1 using entirely external gears; s Figure 2A is a view from the left of Figure 2; 9 Figure 3A shows diagrammatically a gear arrangement according ιo to the present invention in one position; a Figure 3B shows the same gear arrangement as in Figure 3A, but i2 in a different position, i3 Figure 4 is a front view of a ledger for a cigarette making machine i including two gear arrangements in the form shown in Figure 3A; i5 Figure 5 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through one of the i6 linear-motion gear arrangements; and i7 Figure 6 is an enlargement of part of Figure 5. is Figures 1 to 3 illustrate the principal upon which a ledger i9 according to the present invention is based. Each of the arrangements 20 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is basically disclosed in our patent GB 2108820. 2i As shown in Figure 1 , linear motion of a point P on a gear B is 2 2 produced when the gear B orbits around the inside of an internal gear A. 2 3 The centre Ac of the gear A is in a fixed position, while the centre Be of 24 the gear B moves along a circular path around centre Ac. Figure 1 2 5 shows the gear B in solid outline at the position at which P and Ac 26 coincide (ie at the midpoint of the stroke of P along a line L) and in chain 27 dotted outline at one end of the stroke of point P. 28 Figure 2 shows an arrangement which achieves the same result, 29 but with external gears Again there is a fixed gear A and an orbiting 30 gear B on which a point P moves with linear motion along line L This is 3i achieved by means of a planetary gear G which is carried by a crank 32 (not shown) rotating about Ac and arranged to carry also the gear B. 3 Gear G can be of any size, but the ratio A:B must be equal to 2:1. As in 3 Figure 1 , the gears B and G are shown in solid outline in positions at 35 which the point P coincides with Ac, and in chain dotted outline in 36 positions at which the point P is at one end of its linear stroke. 37 Figures 3A and 3B show different positions of a linear-motion 38 device comprising again a fixed gear A, a first orbiting gear B on which a point P moves with linear motion, and a pair of additional orbiting gears 2 C and D which are connected coaxiaily together and mesh respectively 3 with the gears A and B. The gears B, C and D orbit about the axis Ac by 4 virtue of being carried by a member (not shown) which rotates about the 5 axis Ac. The distance of Be (the centre of gear B) from Ac must be equal 6 to the distance of point P from Be. Moreover, in order to achieve a 2: 1 7 gear ratio between the gears A and B, the gears C and D must have an s appropriate ratio. For example, the number of gear teeth on the gears A 9 to D may be respectively 40,28,42 and 30. Thus the effective gear ratio ιo of A:B is equal to 40 ÷ 28 X 42 ÷ 30 = 2. ιι Figure 3A shows the gears in the positions at which the point P is i2 at one end of its linear motion stroke along the line L, while Figure 3B i shows the gears at the position at which the point P coincides with Ac: i4 that is to say, is at the midpoint of its stroke. is In the example shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the Iength of the i6 stroke of point P, and hence the rod Iength which this device can be i7 used to cut, can be changed by increasing or decreasing the distance is AcBc and similarly the distance BcP. When that is done, in order to i9 achieve the required meshing between the gears, the shape of the 20 triangle represented by the points Ac, Be and CDc (the centre of gears C 2i and D) must be changed. According to one aspect of the present 22 invention, that is achieved by changing the members carrying the axes 23 of the gears B,C and D, and also a crank connected to the gear B and 24 arranged to carry a pivot pin centred on the new point P. This is shown 25 in Figures 5 and 6 which are described below. 26 Figu re 4 shows the two linear motio n devices 1 0 and 1 2 27 (henceforth referred to as "tu rrets") , and a rod-supporting part 28 comprising members 14 and 16 pivoted respectively to the turrets 10 29 and 12 and pivotally connected to one another by a pivot pin 18. The 30 axis of the pin 18 lies directly below a gap between two tubular parts 20 3i and 22 carried respectively by the members 14 and 16. Figure 4 also 32 shows diagrammatically a rotary cut-off head 24 carrying a knife which, 33 in the position shown, is in the process of passing between the adjacent 34 ends of the tubular members 20 and 22 so as to cut a cigarette rod 26. 35 While cutting the rod, the knife (in a well-known manner) moves in the 36 direction of the rod as well as transversely through the rod. 37 The members 14 and 16 are also connected by an anti-backlash 38 spring 28. This feature is an important aspect of this invention in its own i right. It helps to ensure that the position of the ledger during rod cutting 2 is precisely located and is not subject to variation on account of backlash 3 in the gears. This is important because it is desirable to make the gap between the tubular members 20,22 supporting the rod as small as 5 reasonably possible in order to achieve good, precise cuts. For 6 example, the gap may be about 1 mm. 7 The ledger is sh own in the positi on at whi ch the linearly β reciprocating rod supporting parts 20 and 22 are at the mid-point of their 9 stroke. In this particular example, this occurs when the axis of centre Be ιo of the gear B of turret 10 is directly above the axis Ac1 of turret 10, while ιι the axis Bc2 of the corresponding gear B in turret 12 is directly below the i2 axis Ac2 of the gear A in turret 12. The reason for this is that the turrets i rotate in opposite directions, which is preferred as it improves the i dynamic balance of the ledger. If, instead, the turrets were to rotate in is the same direction, then at the midpoint of the stroke of the ledger Be i6 and Bc2 would both be either directly above or directly below the axes i7 Ac1 and Ac2. is Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the turret 10. It also i shows that, for use in a twin-track cigarette making machine, each of the 20 rod-supporting members 14 and 16 carries a pair of tubular members 20 2i or 22 for supporting a pair of cigarette rods 26 during cutting. 22 Like Figure 4, Figure 5 shows the turret 1 0 in the position 23 corresponding to the midpoint of the stroke of the ledger. Thus, the axis 2 4 Be of the orbiting gear B appears to be aligned with that of the fixed gear 2 A; it is in fact directly above the axis Ac1 , as shown in Figure 4. Gears C 2 6 and D meshing respectively with the gears A and B (as described with 27 reference to Figures 3A and 3B) are mounted on and keyed to a shaft 28 30. The gear B is mounted on and keyed to a shaft 32 which rotates in 29 bearings 34 and 36 located respectively in circular plates 38 and 40 lying • JO within a generally cylindrical housing 42. The housing 42 rotates with i the plates 38 and 40, being mounted in bearings 44 and 46 within a fixed 32 casing 48. 3 The plates 38 and 40 also carry bearings 50 and 52 (see Figure 6) 34 supporting the ends of the shaft 30 on which the gears C and D are 35 mounted. A central shaft 54 which carries the gear A is normally fixed in 36 position by a releasable locking device 56 by which the shaft is locked 37 with respect to a fixed end plate 58 which extends across both turrets. A 38 further bearing 60 is located between the shaft 54 and an intermediate 1 portion of the rotatable casing 42. 2 A crank 62 is mounted on one end of the shaft 32 carrying the gear B, and this crank in turn carries a stub shaft 64 (Figure 6) on which 4 one end of the corresponding rod supporting member 14 is pivotally 5 mounted via bearings as shown. In other words, the axis of the shaft 64 6 represents the point P in Figures 3A and 3B. For the purpose of illustration, the axis of the stub shaft 64 (point P β in Figure 3B) is shown to the left of the axis of the gear A and shaft 54, 9 but in practice the axis of shaft 64 would at this stage coincide with that ιo of gear A and shaft 54. ιι For the purpose of balancing, a portion 62A (Figure 6) of the i2 crank extends in a direction away from a portion carrying the stub shaft i3 64. Furthermore, a member 66 connected between the plates 38 and 40 i4 (on the side opposite to the shaft 30 carrying the gears C and D) is is provided for further balancing of the mechanism. i6 A drive to the rotating parts of the turret 10 is provided by a gear i7 68 which meshes with a similar gear 70 in the turret 12. An external drive is (not shown) via bevel gears is provided to the gear 70, which in turn i9 drives the gear 68 in the opposite direction. 20 When a rod Iength change is required, this is achieved (after 2i removing the rod supporting member 14 from the stub shafts 64 of both 22 turrets) by replacing the gear assembly comprising the plates 38 and 40, 23 the shafts 30 and 32, the gears B,C and D on these shafts, and the crank 2 4 62, together with the stub shaft 64. This assembly is replaced by a 25 similar assembly including identical gears differently positioned so as to 26 provide a different distance BcP and AcBc, these distances again being 27 equal. The different balance requirements called for by the new gear 2β assembly are also taken into account in that the crank 62 is appropriately 29 shaped, and a different balance weight 66 (larger and/or differently so positioned) is incorporated. i While in theory it is possible to change the rod Iength by means of 32 manual adjustments, in practice that would be very difficult to achieve 33 that satisfactorily. Moreover, the provision according to the present 34 invention whereby the entire gear assembly can be changed to produce 35 a different rod Iength also allows for automatic compensation to be made 36 to satisfy the new balancing requirements. Thus all that is needed to 37 achieve a different rod Iength is the replacement of the gear assembly, 38 followed by an aligning procedure which would be necessary in any 1 case. This aligning procedure is achieved for each of the turrets 10 and 2 12 by locking the crank 62 to the plate 40 by means of a removable pin 3 68 (shown in chain-dotted outline in Figure 6), releasing the device 56 by which the shaft 54 is clamped in position, and releasing a series of 5 circumferentially spaced screws 70 by which the plate 40 is normally 6 locked with respect to the housing 42. The central assembly of the turret 7 is then rotated until the parts are in the positions appropriate to the β mid-stroke position of the ledger, as determined for convenience by 9 means of a suitable jig. The other turret is treated similarly. Once this ιo phasing adjustment has been made, the locking pin 68 is removed, the π screws 70 are tightened, and the shaft clamping device 56 is operated to i2 clamp in position the shaft 54. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Claims: Claims 3 1. A ledger for supporting a cigarette rod during cutting in a 4 cigarette making machine, comprising a rod-supporting part (14, 16) 5 which is pivotally mounted on two linear motion devices (10; 12) each 6 comprising a fixed gear (A), a first orbiting gear (B) which is arranged to 7 orbit about the axis (Ac) of the fixed gear (A), and a pair of connected β coaxial gears (C, D), preferably of different diameter, which also orbit 9 about the axis (Ac) of the fixed gear (A) and which mesh respectively ιo with the fixed gear (A) and first orbiting gear (B), such that the effective ιι gear ratio between the fixed gear (A) and the first orbiting gear (B) via the i2 other two gears is 2:1 , the rod supporting part (14, 16) being pivotally i connected to the first orbiting gear, or to a crank (62) connected thereto, i4 of each linear motion device (10; 12), characterised in that the parts (B, is C, D, 30, 32, 38, 40, 62) in each linear motion device (10; 12) which i6 determine the cigarette rod Iength for which the ledger can operate form i7 a removable assembly which can be replaced by a different assembly is providing a different rod Iength configuration. 19 2o 2. A ledger according to claim 1 , in which each removable 2i assembly includes balance parts (62, 66) by which the assembly is 22 balanced for operating to produce the rod Iength for which the assembly 23 is designed. 24 25 3. A ledger according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which each 26 removable assembly includes a pair of plates (38, 40) arranged to 27 support shafts carrying the gears (B, C, D) of the assembly in relative 28 positions appropriate for the corresponding rod Iength. 29 30 4. A ledger according to claim 3, in which one of the plates 3i (40) of each linear motion device (10; 12) is releasably clamped to a 32 cylindrical housing (42) which forms a rotatable part of the linear motion 33 device. 34 35 5. A ledger according to claim 4, in which each linear motion 6 device is driven via a gear (68 ; 70) formed or mounted on the 3 corresponding cylindrical housing (42). 38 ι 6. A ledger according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which 2 each assembly includes a crank (62) carrying a stub shaft (64) by which one end of the rod-supporting part (14) is pivotally connected to the 4 linear motion device at a position appropriate for the corresponding rod 5 Iength. 6 7 7. A ledger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the s orbiting parts of the two linear motion devices are arranged to rotate in 9 opposite directions about the axes of the respective fixed gears (A). 10 li 8. A ledger according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the i2 rod-supporting part (1 4, 16) comprises two similar portions (1 4 and 16) i3 which are pivotally connected together. 14 is 9. A ledger according to claim 8, in which the two portions of i6 the rod-supporting part (14; 16) are also connected together by a spring i7 (28) arranged to have an anti-backlash action. 18 i9 10. A ledger for supporting a cigarette rod during cutting in a 20 cigarette making machine, comprising a rod-supporting part (1 4, 16) 2i which is pivotally mounted on two linear motion devices (10; 12) each 22 comprising a fixed gear (A), a first orbiting gear (B) which is arranged to 23 orbit about the axis (Ac) of the fixed gear (A), and a pair of connected 2 coaxial gears (C, D), preferably of different diameter, which also orbit 25 about the axis (Ac) of the fixed gear (A) and which mesh respectively 26 with the fixed gear (A) and first orbiting gear (B), such that the effective 2 gear ratio between the fixed gear (A) and the first orbiting gear (B) via 28 the other two gears is 2:1 , the rod supporting part (14, 16) being pivotally 29 connected to the first orbiting gear, or to a crank (62) connected thereto, 30 of each l in ear motio n d evice ( 1 0 ; 1 2) , characterised in that the 3i rod-supporting part (1 4; 1 6) comprises two parts (14 and 1 6) having 32 adjacent ends pivotally connected to one another (pivot 18) and their far 33 ends pivotably connected to the respective linear motion devices (10; 34 12) . 35 36 1 1 . A ledger according to claim 10, in which the two parts (1 4; 37 16) of the rod-supporting members are also connected by a spring (28). 38 12. A ledger according to claim 11 , in which the spring (28) is arranged to provide an anti-backlash action.

Inventors: SMITH MICHAEL NORMAN, SMITH, MICHAEL, NORMAN
Applicants: MOLINS PLC, SMITH MICHAEL NORMAN, SMITH, MICHAEL, NORMAN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A24C5
IPC codes: A24C5