Transfer assembly for tobacco rods

Abstract: A transfer apparatus transfers double length formed tobacco rods from a rod maker to a filter tipper. Formed tobacco rods are delivered to tapered flutes (38) of a receiving drum (34) from a kicker (32) where they are retrieved and held by a series of suction holes (47) in the drum. The rods are transferred to a cutting drum (46) via an intermediate drum (44) and several rods are then separated on a separating drum (48). Filters are inserted between the separated rods on a filter drum (50).

Description: This invention relates to an assembly for transferring formed tobacco rods to a tipping station for attachment of filters. It is particularly concerned with an assembly for transferring double length rods which will be formed into two filter cigarettes. In the manufacture of filter cigarettes, the tobacco rod is made on a first machine and transferred to a tipper which applies a filter. The operation is performed at high speed with the entire assembly producing many thousand cigarettes per minute. Figure 1 shows schematically a typical prior art transfer mechanism 10 intended to transfer finished rods from a Mark 9 rod maker made by Molins Limited of The United Kingdom to a Max-S tipper made by Hauni-Korber AG of Germany. In this assembly, single length tobacco rods are produced at speeds of up to 5000 cpm (cigarettes per minute) and transferred by a kicker wheel assembly (not shown) mounted on the rod maker into a receiving drum 12. The receiving drum has 36 flutes into which the rods are received. The tobacco rods then pass from the receiving drum onto grading and then filter drums 14,16 after which the rod passes on through the tipper. The receiving, grading and filter drums are all fluted and contained in a transfer housing. The finished rod is transferred from the vee-rail of the rod maker by a kicker. This is a well-known device that accelerates each of the tobacco rods from the vee-rail into a respective flute of the receiving drum. To avoid damage to the rod and to keep the rod in position in the flute, vacuum porting is used first to brake the rods as it passes down the flute and then to stop it and hold it against a stop. The stops are staggered around the receiving drum. Each flute has several vacuum ports proximate the stop. The rods are thus held in the flutes until they are picked out by the grading drum. A clear plastic cover surrounds an arc of about 90° of the outside of the receiving drum to create an air flow channel to facilitate rod braking and retention. The Max-S tipper may be used with a variety of rod making machines including the Molins Mk 9 at speeds of up to 8,000 cpm provided that the transfer link will deal with this speed. Another known tipper is the Hauni Max-80 which only connects with the same company's high speed rod maker. This connection is through a transfer assembly which uses a spider to take a double length tobacco rod onto a plain receiving drum. The transfer drums are shown schematically in Figure 2 in which the receiving drum 20 receives double length rods from the spider and transfers them to the cutting drum 22 which cuts the double rod into single length rods. The rods are then passed to a separating drum 24 which separates the cut rods from one another for insertion of a filter at the next drum 26 between the rods for subsequent attachment to the rods and cutting into two finished cigarettes. The four drums are contained within an L-shaped housing (not shown). The kicker wheel used in the Max-S transfer apparatus picks rods off the wheel and presents them to the receiving drum from a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. The spider by contrast rotates about an axis at right angles to that of the drum. The transfer assembly used to transfer rods from the Hauni maker to the Max-80 tipper cannot be used with the Molins Mark 9 rod maker as the transfer takes place at a higher level on the Hauni-Hauni combination partly due to the use of the spider which has been found to be very complex. We have appreciated that the Molins Mark 9 rod maker may be upgraded to produce double length rods of speeds of up to 4000 cpm, equivalent to 8000 single length rods. The Max-S tipper is not suitable as it only handles single length rods. However the Max 80 tipper, which can handle double length rods, is not suitable for use with a Molins Mk 9. There is, therefore, a need to produce a transfer assembly to transfer double length rods from a higher speed Molins Mark 9 rod maker to a Hauni Max tipper. The invention aims to provide such a transfer apparatus. In essence, the invention resides in the provision of a drum transfer mechanism including a receiving drum, an intermediate drum, a cutting drum, a separating drum and a filter drum. The invention also resides in a receiving drum which has a plurality of flutes each of which has an extended tapered portion with a wide open end for receiving rods and a narrow rod holding portion. A row of vacuum holes extends along the length of rod holding and tapered positions to retain the rods on delivery and to hold them in the flutes. More specifically, there is provided a transfer apparatus for transferring double length tobacco rods from a rod maker to a filter tipper, comprising: a kicker for accelerating double length rods from the rod maker; a receiving drum having a plurality of tapered flutes for receiving double length rods from the kicker; a cutting drum for cutting the double length rods into two single length rods; an intermediate drum arranged between the receiving drum and the cutting drum, the intermediate drum being fluted for transferring double length rods from the receiving drum to the cutting drum; a separating drum receiving the cut single length rods from the cutting drum for separating the two cut rods of each double length rod; and a filter assembly drum receiving the cut and separated rods from the separating drum for insertion of a filter between the separated rods. The kicker delivers rods to the receiving drum along a path parallel to the axis of the receiving drum. Preferably; each flute of the receiving drum has a tapered portion having a wide end proximate the kicker and a rod holding portion of sufficient length to slow and hold a double length rod. Preferably, each flute of the receiving drum has a row of vacuum holes for retarding the travel of the rods received from the kicker and for holding the rods in the flute, the row of vacuum holes extending along the rod holding portions into the tapered portions. Preferably, the vacuum holes extend along both the rod holding and tapered portions of the flutes to the flute mouths. Preferably, the vacuum holes are arranged along the centre axis of the flutes. Preferably, the drums are all arranged on a transfer housing which is mounted to the tipper base. Preferably, the receiving drum has 18 flutes. The other drums may also have 18 flutes with the exception of the intermediate drum which has 14 flutes. The preferred arrangement has the advantage that double length rods may successfully be transferred at speeds of up to 4000 double length rods per minute enabling production speeds of 8000 cigarettes per minute or greater to be achieved. The preferred arrangement may be used to transfer rods at 4000 double length rods per minute from a Molins Mk 9 rod maker adapted to produce double length rods, to a Hauni Max tipper. The invention also resides in a receiving drum for a transfer apparatus for transferring formed double length tobacco rods from a rod maker to a filter tipper, the receiving drum comprising: a plurality of tapered flutes arranged around the periphery of the drum for receiving double length tobacco rods from a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, the flutes each having a rod holding portion of sufficient length to hold a double length rod, and a tapered portion, the tapered portion having a wide end at one end of the flute for receiving tobacco rods, and tapering to the rod holding portion; and a plurality of suction holes arranged along the tapered portion and the rod holding portion to retard the rod on delivery from the rod maker and to hold the rod in the rod holding portion. Preferably, the receiving drum further comprises a suction housing arranged between a suction supply and the periphery of the drum, the suction housing comprising a plurality of ports for communication between the suction supply and the suction holes. Preferably the suction housing comprises four ports, the ports being arranged over a length of the suction housing approximately equal to the length of the receiving drum periphery over which the suction holes extend. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a schematic view of the drums of a known transfer apparatus for transferring between a Molins Mark 9 rod maker and a Hauni Max S tipper and described previously; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the drums of a known transfer apparatus for transferring between a Hauni double length rod maker and a Hauni Max 80 tipper, as described previously; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the drum assembly of the transfer apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a transfer apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of figure 4; Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of a transfer apparatus embodying the present invention with the cover removed; Figure 7 is a front view of the embodiment of Figure 4, with the kicker removed; Figure 8 is an exploded view of parts of the transfer apparatus embodying the present invention; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the receiving drum embodying an aspect of the invention; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the suction housing of the receiving drum; Figure 11 is a plan of the kicker assembly; Figure 12 is a front view of the kicker assembly of figure 11; Figure 13 is a plan of the kicker wheel of the assembly of figure 11 and 12; Figure 14 is a side view of the kicker wheel of figure 13; Figure 15 is a section on the line A-A in figure 14; Figure 16 is a plan of the suction housing for the kicker wheel of figures 12 to 14; Figure 17 is a front view of the housing of figure 16; and Figure 18 is a rear view of the housing of figure 16. Referring to Figures 3 to 8, a double length formed tobacco rod is transferred from the vee-rail 30 of the rod maker (not shown) by an in-line kicker 32 shown as a straight kicker. For avoidance of doubt, the term double length rod means a wrapped rod of tobacco which will be cut to form two cigarettes. The kicker arranged in-line with rods on the vee-rail, is conventional and has a series of vacuum ports to pick rods off the vee-rail and accelerate them to the receiving drum 34. Rods are introduced onto the receiving drum from a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. Alternatively, a helical kicker could be used which would transfer rods in the same direction. The receiving drum is a fluted drum having 18 tapered flutes 36 around its periphery, each of which receives an individual rod from the kicker 32. The outer sleeve of the receiving drum is shown in Figure 9. A conventional receiving drum has 36 flutes. The 18 flutes of the drum 34 have mouths which are wider than conventional flutes facilitating transfer from the kicker at high speeds. It will be appreciated that to operate at 8000 cpm, the receiving drum must rotate at 222.2 rpm giving a capacity of 4000 double length rods per minute. Each of the flutes has a tapered receiving end 38 which assists in guiding the rod into position. It will be appreciated that the angle of the taper may be selected to provide the best transfer within the constraint of having 18 wide flute mouths 40 around the periphery of the drum. Thus, the flutes are formed of two portions, a rod braking and holding portion 41 which is narrow and sufficiently long to hold a double length rod and a tapered portion 43 which is shorter than the rod holding portion and tapers from the mouth 40, at which it is several times the width of the narrow portion, to the rod holding portion. The rods arrive at the drum from the kicker at high speed. The flutes include a row of vacuum holes 47 through which air is sucked to brake the rods and to hold them in position in the drum. Preferably, the vacuum holes extend along the length of the rod holding portion into the tapered portion of the flute along the centre longitudinal axis 49 of the flute. This gives the operator maximum control of the rod and allows the rod to be controlled as soon as it enters the flute. The drum sleeve illustrated in Figure 9 is shown with the rod stops removed. The rod stops are fixed in place by screws held in screw holes 51 and their position is variable. The row of suction holes extends as far as the stop, the final hole 53 being enlarged. At the far end of the row of holes 49, each of the rows terminates in an elongated slot 55. The holes in the flutes, with the exception of the end holes 53, are threaded so that they can be blocked off to tune the flutes. It may be necessary, for example to reduce the suction for a less dense cigarette rod. The flutes are of equal length and width. To receive a double rod, the flutes may need to be longer than those of a standard receiving drum. The portion of the drum which transfers rods is protected by a suction cover assembly 45 (Figure 8) which assists in retaining the incoming rods in the flutes by creating an air flow channel between the flute and the cover 42. Preferably, the cover 42 is transparent. Cover assemblies are well known in the art and the present assembly differs from the prior art in that it is longer to cover the longer flutes and in that it is provided with a series of holes 61. These holes 61 can be seen from figures 4 and 5. The stops at the end of the rod holding portions are positioned such that rods are aligned with their centres on the centre line of the transfer apparatus. At the front of the drum is an internal rib 59 extending around the inner surface and having holes 61 for attachment to a front plate. The outer sleeve of the receiving drum is mounted over the suction housing which is illustrated in figure 10. The suction housing has an air outlet 90 which is connected to a suction pump (not shown) and four ports 92 which communicate with the suction holes in the flutes of the outer sleeve enabling air to be drawn by the pump through the suction holes and extracted through the air outlet 90, thereby providing the necessary suction to retard and hold tobacco rods in the flutes. The suction ports 92 are arranged around the suction housing to ensure that adequate air can be drawn through the suction holes in the flutes along the entire length of the flutes. For that reason, the position of the ports 92 is staggered on the suction housing. Rods from the receiving drum are transferred onto an intermediate drum 44. This drum also retains rods in 14 flutes by suction. The drum rotates at 285.7 rpm to achieve 4000 double rods/minute operating speeds. The flutes of the intermediate drum are sufficiently long to retain a double length rod. But, in contrast to the receiving drum, the entire rod length is not held in the flutes of the intermediate drum. Only a centre portion is held with the ends overhanging a cutaway at either end of the flutes. Thus, the flutes of the intermediate drum are considerably shorter than the rod holding portions of the receiving drum as can be seen from figures 4 and 5. Rods are transferred between the receiving drum and the intermediate drum and then the other drums using vacuum transfer techniques. This method is well known in the art and involves the suction holding a rod in the flute of a first drum to be released enabling the rod to move under the rotational force of the drum into a flute of the next drum where the suction in that flute retains the rod in position. From the intermediate drum 44, the rods are transferred to a cutting drum 46 where the double length rods are cut at their medial point into two single lengths. The rods are then separated on a separating drum 48 and passed to a filter assembly drum 50. While on the filter assembly drum, a double length filter rod is inserted from the tipper between the spaced apart rod lengths. In the tipper, this filter is attached to the two rods and then cut to produce two finished cigarettes. The cutting and separating drums are standard drums as used, for example on the Hauni Max-80 transfer apparatus. The filter drum may be a standard drum as used, for example on the Hauni Max-S transfer drum. No further description of these items is necessary. It will be appreciated from Figure 3 that the receiving drum rotates in a clockwise direction. The intermediate drum picks out the rods from the receiving drum and is required to obtain the correct flow direction of the tobacco rod. The five drums are mounted in a transfer housing 52 which, in use, is attached at its one end to the tipper, for example at mounting point 53. A support bracket assembly 54 is also provided to support the weight of the drums. The bracket additionally is attached to the tipper. Referring now to Figure 8, there are shown only the major components of the transfer apparatus with many standard components omitted. The drums are driven from a single drive motor through top-hat shaped gear 56 attached to the drive shaft 58 of the receiving drum. A housing 60 is arranged over the drive shaft 58 both of which are inside a suction housing 62. The suction housing is retained in the receiving drum by a series of bearings and rings 62 and a bearing and seal retainer ring 64 to which the receiving drum is attached. An end plate 65 is attached to the end of the drum. It will be seen from Figure 8 that the gear 56 is a top-hat gear and that the inside mating surface around aperture 65 in the transfer housing which receives the drive shaft and the show housing has a spot face recess 66. The gearing and the spot face recess allow conventional components to be used with minimal modification. The housing 52 is sealed by a removable cover 68. A back cutting plate 70, having apertures 72,74,76 is arranged on the front of the housing 52 so that upper aperture 72 and central aperture 74 overlie corresponding apertures 78,80 in the housing for the intermediate and cutting drums respectively. The back cutting plate is positioned between the housing and the intermediate and cutting drums. All of the drums include suction housings to enable the rods to be held in their flutes. Suction housing 82 for the intermediate drum 44 is received in location aperture 78 in the transfer housing 52 and the intermediate drum is arranged on the suction drum. A location ring 86 is provided to enable a conventional Max 80 receiving drum mounting to be used with the intermediate drum. The location ring is necessary as the Max 80 receiving drum is intended to be used with a variable height spider, as a result of which the drum mounting plate, here the back cutting plate 70, is designed to pivot about the cutting drum. That plate is now fixed ensuring constant centres. Suction housing 83 for the separation drum locates in location aperture 84 in the housing. The drive for the receiving drum and the suction for all the drums are conventional and are not described here. The arrangement of the flutes in the various drums is such that the rods pass along the centre line of the transfer point. The use of chamfered or tapered flute leads of twice the normal width, and the accompanying reduction in the number of flutes, together with the increased length of the receiving drum and the use of vacuum holes along the entire length of the flutes results in a transfer apparatus that can reliably transfer double length rods using a kicker rather than a spider. The arrangement is particularly suitable for transferring rods from a Molins Mark 9 maker modified to make double length rods to a Hauni Max tipper. The kicker assembly is shown in figure 11 to 18 and comprises a kicker wheel 100 arranged on a fixed suction housing 102 about which it rotates, driven by a shaft 104. The shaft 104 is driven from a main shaft 106 by a belt drive 107 arranged in a housing 108. The belt housing 108 is pivotable about the main shaft 106 to enable correct positioning of the kicker wheel above the vee-belt. The main shaft is in turn driven from the main drive of the rod maker through a further belt and shaft (not shown). The assembly is mounted on the rod maker, the main shaft 106 being arranged at an end 109 of a housing 110. The kicker wheel has a peripheral flange 112 which has a circumferential groove 114 which carries a series of holes 116. The kicker wheel is mounted on the housing and the housing is positioned on the rod maker such that the groove overlies the centre line of rods on the vee-rail of the maker with a small clearance between the rod and the groove. The groove does not extend around the entire periphery of the flange but is divided into two sections by a pair of flats 118 which have no holes. The centre of the kicker wheel 100 has a collar 120 to assist mounting on the drive shaft 104. The suction housing comprises a flange 102 which fits inside the peripheral flange 112 of the kicker wheel and has a central aperture 122 which fits over the collar 120. The flange has a sleeve 124 which is fixed to the belt housing 108. An air passageway 123 is formed in the peripheral wall of the flange which extends through the flange into a reservoir 126 formed in the rear of the flange. This reservoir is connected to a suction supply. In operation the kicker assembly is positioned just above finished cigarette rods with the groove in the peripheral flange positioned in line with the centre of the rods on the vee-rail. Suction applied to the holes picks up rods onto the kicker wheel which then accelerates the rods to the receiving drum. The reservoir 126 ensures that a constant suction is maintained. Referring now to figure 5, it will be seen that the kicker wheel is positioned very close to the receiving drum. It is important to ensure that the rod is released from the wheel exactly parallel to the drum. If the wheel holds on to the rod for too long the leading end of the rod may hit the cover of the receiving drum and damage the rod. To ensure that the rod is released at the correct altitude a second port 130 is included in the suction flange 102. This port is connected to an air supply which blows air through the hole to break any residual suction and to release the rod from the kicker wheel. As can be seen from figures 17 and 18 the rod release part 130 is arranged in front of the suction part 123 in the direction of travel of rods. The addition of the rod release port enables the kicker to be used with double length rods without the risk of damage to rods. The rod release port could also be incorporated into a helical kicker as an alternative to the straight kicker described.

Claims: A transfer apparatus (45) for transferring double length tobacco rods from a rod maker to a filter tipper, comprising: a kicker (32) for accelerating double length rods from the rod maker; a receiving drum (34) having a plurality of tapered flutes (36) for receiving double length rods from the kicker; a cutting drum (46) for cutting the double length rods into two single length rods; an intermediate drum (44) arranged between the receiving drum and the cutting drum, the intermediate drum being fluted for transferring double length rods from the receiving drum to the cutting drum; a separating drum (48) receiving the cut single length rods from the cutting drum for separating the two cut rods of each double length rod; and a filter drum (50) receiving the cut and separated rods from the separating drum for insertion of a filter between the separated rods. A transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each flute of the receiving drum has a tapered portion having a wide end proximate the kicker and a rod holding portion of sufficient length to hold a double length rod. A transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each flute of the receiving drum has a row of vacuum holes for retarding the travel of the rods received from the kicker and for holding the rods in the flute, the row of vacuum holes extending along the rod holding portions into the tapered portions. A transfer apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the kicker is arranged in line with the rods on the rod maker. A transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the kicker is a straight kicker. A transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the kicker is a helical kicker. A transfer apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising a transfer housing on which are mounted the receiving drum, the intermediate drum, the cutting drum, the separating drum and the filter drum. A transfer apparatus according to claim 7, comprising a back cutting plate arranged between the housing and the intermediate drum and the cutting drum. A transfer apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the housing includes a location hole for the intermediate drum and a location ring to fix the centre of the intermediate drum. A transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transfer housing includes an aperture for locating the receiving drum, the aperture having a recess. A transfer apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the receiving drum has 18 flutes. A transfer apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the flutes of the intermediate drum are sufficiently long to receive a double Length tobacco rod. A transfer apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the intermediate drum includes a suction housing. A transfer apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the suction housing comprises a plurality of ports for communication between a suction supply and the suction holes of the receiving drum, the suction ports being arranged over a length of the suction housing approximately equal to the length of the length of the receiving drum over which the suction holes extend. A transfer apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the intermediate drum has 14 flutes. A receiving drum (34) or a transfer apparatus (45) for transferring formed double length tobacco rods from a rod maker to a filter tipper, the receiving drum comprising: a plurality of tapered flutes (36) arranged around the periphery of the drum for receiving double length tobacco rods from a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, the flutes each having a rod holding portion (41) of sufficient length to hold a double length rod, and a tapered portion (43) the tapered portion having a wide end at one end of the flute for receiving tobacco rods, and tapering to the rod holding portion; and a plurality of suction holes (47) arranged along the tapered portion and the rod holding portion to retard the rod on delivery from the rod maker and to hold the rod in the rod holding portion. A receiving drum according to claim 15, comprising a suction housing arranged within the drum to provide for suction of air through the suction holes.

Inventors: CADGE KEITH JOHN, GRANT CHRISTOPHER JOHN, TANNER KEVIN RICHARD, CADGE, KEITH JOHN, GRANT, CHRISTOPHER JOHN, TANNER, KEVIN RICHARD
Applicants: PHILIP MORRIS PROD, PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS INC.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A24C5
IPC codes: A24C5