MACHINE FOR APPLYING A WRAPPER TO A CIGAR

Abstract: A machine for applying wrappers to cigars, having a curved suction surface (3) rotating around a first rotary axle (w>1<), moving in a direction (x) parallel to the cigra axis, rotating around a second rotary axle (w>2<), transversal to the first rotary axis as well as to the x direction, and all of this simultaneously while the wrapper is being applied to the cigar.

Description: Machine for applying a wrapper to a cigar. The invention relates to a machine for applying a wrapper to a cigar, the machine comprising a device for conveying the wrappers, a rolling furrow and a wrapper- applying device capable of picking up the wrapper from the conveying device, moving it to a position above the rolling furrow and applying the wrapper-leaf to an inner part present on the rolling furrow, the wrapper-applying device comprising a suction device with a suction surface. This machine is also referred to as a "wrapping roller". The wrapping roller is used to roll a wrapper-leaf around a bunch. The bunch is, in effect, a rough cigar (referred to in the first paragraph as an "inner part") and is comprised of the tobacco filler held together by means of a binder. The next stage in the processing of this bunch into an actual cigar will consist in applying a wrapper, or outer leaf, to the bunch. The term "cigar", for the purposes of the present application, refers to all cigars, irrespective of their type and size. The wrapper is, in general, obtained from cutting a broad tobacco leaf down the middle and consists in the left or right side of the tobacco leaf. It is applied to the bunch by means of the machine mentioned in the first paragraph. A wrapper can also be made of homogenised tobacco leaf, a sort of artificial wrapper-leaf. Wrappers can be delivered on a roll/bobbin, or can be obtained by direct machine- cutting of a tobacco leaf. In the first case, when the wrappers are delivered on rolls/bobbins, the wrapper conveying mechanism refers to the part of the machine containing the roll or bobbin inside the factory, in which case the wrapper is picked from the roll inside the factory. Alternatively, the wrapper conveying mechanism refers to the part of the machine where the tobacco leaf is cut, in which case the wrapper has to be picked from this part and is then applied to the bunch. The bunch can either be delivered on a moving belt or be processed by a machine that is directly coupled with the wrapping roller. The bunch is placed on the rolling furrow, for example by means of a gripper. The rolling furrow is a mechanism involving rolling cylinders by means of which the wrapper is guided and rolled around the bunch. This is where the cigar acquires its final shape. In existing wrapping machines, the wrapper application device is equipped with a suction plate which picks up the wrapper and is then moved into position right above the rolling furrow. The edge of the wrapper is then fed into the rolling furrow by means of a feeder. The rotating movement of the cylinders causes the wrapper to be pulled into the rolling furrow, whilst more precise positioning is achieved by adjusting the x-y position and angle of the suction plate in relation to the rolling furrow. The tightness of the wrapper can be adjusted by increasing or reducing the suction force of the suction device. Once the wrapper has been applied and the cigar is shaped, the suction device returns to its initial position, where it picks up a new wrapper for the next cycle. A second gripper then comes into play to pick up the cigar from the rolling furrow and take it to the following processing stage. Meanwhile, the first gripper places a new bunch on to the rolling furrow. Existing wrapping machines operate on the principle of a main axle to which a number of sheaves are connected, which are responsible for all the separate movements. The use of such sheaves makes the existing wrapping machine rather inflexible, in other words, it can only handle a single cigar format at a time. Because of their mechanical drives, existing wrapping machines furthermore have the added inconvenience of slow production speeds. In short, wrapping rollers, in their current form, are proving problematic in many areas. Right now, it is impossible to switch from one format to another without changing sheaves and other parts of the mechanism. The sheaves involved in the movement of the suction plate above the rolling furrow constitute a particularly complex mechanism, and their replacement can be very time-consuming. The suction plate moves both lengthways in relation to the cigar's axis (hereinafter referred to as the "x-axis") and perpendicularly to the x-axis (the y-axis), not to mention the fact that the angle of the suction plate in relation to the rolling furrow is variable. Besides, the development of a new format is also very time consuming given the complexity of the cogwheel system involved. All these factors imply that the existing wrapping machines are, in most cases, exclusively used for the wrapping of single cigar formats. In addition, the fact that a wrapper-leaf is cut down its middle into a left and right half currently implies the need for separate left-hand and right-hand machines, because the tobacco leafs two halves are not identical. This means that the machines cannot work to full capacity when handling small volumes. Meanwhile, there is a growing trend to produce an ever increasing range of cigar formats and to respond to the customers' wishes and requirements within ever- shorter deadlines, which implies the need, in the short term, to produce smaller volumes of a whole range of different formats. One of the aims of the invention is to provide a machine which enables to increase existing performance levels by avoiding and/or reducing one or more of the aforementioned problems. To this effect, the suction surface is curved around a first rotary axle, and the machine comprises a mechanism for simultaneously, during the course of the wrapping, rotate the suction surface around the first rotary axle, move in a direction parallel to the cigar axis and rotate around a second rotary axle transversal to the translational direction and the first rotary axle. The breakthrough lies in the fact that at the same time as the wrapper is fed into the rolling furrow, the curved suction surface rotates around the first axle, makes a translational movement, parallel to the cigar axis, and rotates around a second axle, transversal to the direction of the translation movement and the first axle. The flat suction plate used in existing wrapping rollers is replaced with a curved, preferably barrel-shaped suction surface rotating around a first rotary axle. This reduces the overall mass and dimensions (length, width) of the suction device. Smaller masses in motion will allow the wrapping roller to operate faster and/or to produce at a lower energy cost. Besides, the movement of the curved suction device is smoother and simpler than that of the existing flat suction plate. Instead of a complex movement of the suction plate in the x-y plane combined with an adjustment of the angle of the flat suction plate in relation to the rolling furrow, we now have a straightforward x- movement combined with the rotation of the suction device. The tightness of the wrapper around the bunch depends on the speed of rotation around the first axle. The rotational speed can be adjusted more accurately than the suction force. As a result, the tightness of the wrapper can be adjusted more accurately, which means less defects (namely cracks) and less waste. This is particularly useful for wrapping machines integrated into a production line (machine handling the whole cigar-making process). The suction surface is preferably barrel-shaped (in other words, it forms a full circle), a thoroughly simple and mechanically stable design. The design of the drive mechanisms can also more easily be modified according to new production requirements. Whereas movements in existing cigar wrapping machines are fully dependent upon sheaves and shafts, they can now be servo- assisted. The new servo-assisted controls allow to programme and adjust the movements at will. This increases the machine's versatility as format changes can be processed more swiftly. The software allows to select the required format within a matter of minutes. Only a few format-related parts need to be changed which, with spanners and special tools, does not take more than a few extra minutes. The other ground-breaking feature of the wrapping roller of the invention is that it can apply both "left-hand" and "right-hand" wrappers. This has been made possible thanks to the flexible suction device which can be positioned in a variety of different ways above the rolling furrow. Most preferably, the machine is equipped with a device to measure the length of the wrapper and a device to make the movement dependent upon the measured length of the wrapper. This would allow wrappers which are too short, and which would previously have led to the cigar being discarded, to be measured and used without any problem (within set limits). This is owed to the fact that the length of the wrapper is measured and that the movements are variable, namely the rotation around the second axle. This implies that fixed-length volumes can also be handled. The invention also relates to a suction device designed to be used as part of a machine for applying a wrapper to a cigar or wrapping roller. The invention also relates to a cigar-making machine incorporating a machine for applying a wrapper to a cigar (also called * wrapping rolles') Wrapping rollers can be used separately from the wrapper-punching machines or the bunch-making machines, but they can also form an integral part of a cigar-making machine, a machine comprised of various components such as wrapper-punching machines, bunch-making machines or even packaging machines. The aforementioned attributes of the invention, and in particular the speed of format modification are all the more important within the context of such integrated cigar-making machines. The fact that the speed with which wrappers are applied to the cigars can be increased (thanks to reduced masses in motion) will also have an influence on related machines which deliver bunches and/or wrappers, as well as on the components of related machines used in the further processing of the cigar, for example packaging. The invention also relates to a cigar-manufacturing process, which includes a manufacturing stage in which a wrapper is applied to the cigar. These and other aspects of the invention are outlined below and illustrated by means of a drawing: The drawing shows: Figure 1 : cross-section schema of a standard wrapping roller. Figure 2: schema of the various components of the wrapping roller of the invention. Figure 3: schema of the suction device used in the wrapping roller of the invention. Figure 4: schema and details of suggested design for the wrapping roller of the invention. Figure 5: schema of the operating procedures of the wrapping roller of the invention and additional machines (optional). These illustrations are not drawn to scale, identical parts are identified by means of identical reference numbers. Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-section of a standard wrapping roller. A bunch is positioned in the rolling furrow 1 while the wrapping takes place. The suction device 2 features a flat suction surface 3. The suction device 2 picks up (not shown in illustration) a wrapper from the source and moves it towards the rolling furrow 1. At the same time as the wrapper is applied, the flat suction surface 3 moves simultaneously in the x-direction (alongside the cigar) as well as in the y- direction. This complex movement in the x-y area is guided by the movements of sheaves A and B. The suction device occupies a relatively large space, is relatively bulky and the sheaves have to be changed each time a change in format is required, which is time-consuming and expensive. Figure 2 provides a schematic view of the various components of the wrapping roller of the invention. The wrappers 22 are delivered on a roll 21. The suction device 2 features a curved "barrel-shaped" suction surface 3. The suction device will also be referred to in short as "suction barrel". The suction barrel intervenes in the application of a the wrapper-leaf to the cigar. The suction barrel picks up a wrapper 22 from the bobbin/roll 21 and brings it into position above the rolling furrow 1. The exact positioning and speed of rotation of the suction barrel is, preferably, servo-controlled and adjustable. In this example, there are two suction devices which can both move in the y-axis direction, one of which can also move in the y-axis direction along a rail 43, by means of a cylinder 46 (also see figure 4). The suction barrel, in this case, features an outer shell dotted with tiny holes. Beneath this outer layer is the actual barrel which produces suction force through the little holes by means of a system of suction chambers and channels. The wrapper is thus sucked on to the suction barrel, secured and then released according to the required specifications. The suction barrel is servo-controlled, which regulates both the positioning as well as the rotational and translation speeds of the suction barrel. The operating procedure is illustrated in figure 5. The wrapping roller is equipped with a device O to measure the length of the wrapper. In this example, the measuring device consists of an optical detection device O, which itself consists in a row of optical detectors coupled with a row of optical emission sources, i.e. laser clusters. A wrapper-leaf is submitted to laser exposure: the amount or intensity of light reflected or let through the area covered by the wrapper-leaf will be different from that where there is no leaf. This difference is detected by the row of optical detectors and the beginning, end, as well as the length and a number of other characteristics of the wrapper can be determined (width, presence of cracks etc.). A signal specifying the length of the wrapper is sent to a central control unit (see figure 5). Adjusting the positioning of the suction barrel allows us to precisely determine the place from which each wrapper has to picked up. And thanks to the length- measuring device, the exact position of the closing end of the wrapper on the barrel is also known. This is particularly important to ensure that the closing edge of the wrapper is glued on properly and that the wrapper is always fed into the rolling furrow correctly. This furthermore allows the pitch of the wrapping to be adjusted according to the length of the wrapper, and the mouthpiece to be properly shaped even when slightly shorter than normal wrapper-leaves are used. The suction barrel is equipped with a mechanism allowing the suction surface to rotate around an axle w 1 ( furthermore around another axle w 2 , and in a direction corresponding to the cigar axis (x-direction). During the unwinding of the wrapper, the suction barrel rotates around rotary axle Wi and moves (translational movement) in the x-direction. This allows the wrapper to unwind from the suction barrel. The simultaneous rotation around rotary axle w 2 ensures that the wrapper is applied without cracks or coiling up. The tightness of the wrapper is precisely regulated (and adjustable on a per-format basis, if necessary) by the speed of rotation around axle \N^. The innovation consisting in the use of a curved suction surface, barrel-shaped in this suggested design, has led to a number of improvements in the rolling process. Firstly, it reduces the inertia of the mobile parts which implies that faster movements and thus higher rolling speeds can be achieved. This is particularly useful when the application of the wrappers takes place as part of a continuous process, in other words when the wrapping roller constitutes a part of an integrated cigar-making machine. Secondly, the movements are simplified, which in turn reduces the time required to develop a new format. Certain format-related components still remain and need to be changed when the format is changed, but the more complex format-related components have been eliminated. Thirdly, the suction device referred to as part of the invention, i.e. barrel- shaped suction device or "suction-barrel", can be applied to all cigar formats, and can be used to apply both "left-hand" and "right-hand" wrappers. Which makes the new rolling wrapper simpler as well as more cost-effective. And finally, the use of a suction-barrel allows to adjust the tightness of the wrapper around the bunch without any additional components required to this effect. The whole rolling process is therefore simplified and the quality of the cigar improved. The use of a barrel-shaped suction device is preferred because, on the one hand, a curved suction surface is easier to fabricate and is more mechanically stable, and on the other, it occupies relatively less space for a given length of wrapper. Other designs could, for example, include half-circle suction barrels. Figure 3 shows a suction barrel 2 in more detail. The suction barrel has an outer shell 23 dotted with tiny holes. A preferred embodiment of the suction device comprises a separate suction portion , specifically designed for the beginning of a wrapper. This separate suction portion is shown in figure 3 under reference no. 24. It is important that the beginning of a wrapper be particularly well secured by the suction device. It is for this reason that preferably the suction device comprise a separate suction portion with holes by which a suction force can be achieved that is stronger than an average suction force. The suction barrel rotates around axle Wi, driven by a belt 25 which is itself driven by a drive axle 26 connected to a servo-motor 27. The suction barrel further rotates around another axle w 2 , driven by a separate servo-motor 28. The suction barrel as a whole is movable in the x-direction (corresponding to the axis of the cigar). To this effect, (see figure 4), the suction device is fixed to a rail 41 , 42, along which it is moved, for example, by means of a servo-motor 45. This figure further outlines how a movement in the y-direction along a rail 43, featured as part of a suggested design (see figure 4) could optimise the process. Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the wrapping roller is equipped with two suction devices. The first suction device 2 moves in the x-direction along a rail 41 and the second suction device 2' moves in the x- direction along a rail 42 as well as in the y-direction along a transversal rail. If the machine is only equipped with one suction device, the wrapping cannot take place simultaneously with the picking of a wrapper-leaf from the source. This naturally slows down the wrapper-rolling operation. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in figure 4, the machine is equipped with one suction device which moves from the rolling furrow to the wrapper conveying device and vice-versa, and another suction device for the application of the wrapper to the bunch which moves from the rolling furrow to the wrapper conveying device and vice-versa. The two suction devices move in an alternating sequence, whereby the first suction device is situated at the wrapper conveying device when the second suction device is situated above the rolling furrow and conversely. This accelerates the wrapper-rolling speed. Figure 5 outlines the operating procedure of a wrapping roller and/or of a cigar- making machine. The machine is equipped with a central control unit 50. The control unit receives signals "I" from the length-measuring devices, with the possibility of further adjusting it for receiving a signal "t" corresponding to the cigar format or type to be produced and/or for receiving manually entered data. The latter is particularly useful for developing new formats. The signals can originate either directly from the length- measuring devices or via manual input, however it is also possible that the signals, namely type-specific signals, are sent from a computer. The signals thus entered correspond to specific command signals which regulate the movement in either the x or y direction as well as the rotational movements around rotary axles w and w 2 . This is achieved by means of signals sent to servo-motors 45, 46, 27 and 28 respectively. Signals can also be sent to machines which carry out processes following the rolling, e.g. packaging, as well as to machines carrying out manufacturing processes preceding the wrapper-rolling stage. Depending on the type, this could, for example, be useful for adjusting the packaging speed. In short the invention can be described as follows: the suction device features a curved suction surface curved around a first rotary axle (w^, and that, during the course of the cigar being wrapped, this suction surface simultaneously rotates around the first rotary axle (w^, moves in a direction (x) parallel to the cigar axis, and rotates around a second rotary axle (w 2 ) in a direction that is transversal to the translational movement (x) and the first rotary axle (wi). Obviously, many different variations will be possible within the framework of the invention and the invention is far from limited to the examples mentioned herein above.

Claims: Claims: 1. A machine for applying a wrapper to a cigar, the machine comprising a device (21) for conveying the wrappers (22), a rolling furrow (1) and a wrapper-applying device (2) capable of picking up the wrapper (22) from the conveying device (21), moving it to a position above the rolling furrow (1) and applying the wrapper-leaf to an inner part present on the rolling furrow (1), the wrapper-applying device comprising a suction device with a suction surface (3), characterised in that the suction surface is curved around a first rotary axle (wi), and the machine comprises a mechanism for simultaneously, during the course of the wrapping, rotating the suction surface around the first rotary axle (wi), moving in a direction (x) parallel to the cigar axis and rotating around a second rotary axle (w 2 ) transversal to the translational direction (x) and the first rotary axle (w^. 2. Machine according to claim 1 , characterised in that the suction surface is barrel- shaped. 3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in its suction device comprises a separate suction portion (23) for picking up and securing the beginning of a wrapper. 4. Machine according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterised in that the machine comprises a device (O) for measuring the length of the wrapper as well as a device which makes the movement dependent upon the length of the wrapper, as measured by the length-measuring device. 5. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the machine comprises with two separate suction devices capable of moving from the rolling furrow to the wrapper conveying device and vice-versa in an alternate sequence whereby the first suction device is situated at the wrapper-conveying end while the other suction device is situated above the rolling furrow and conversely. 6. Suction device for use in a machine according to any one of the above claims. 7. Cigar-making machine comprising a machine for applying wrappers to cigars, in accordance with one of the above claims 1 , 2, 3, 4 or 5. 8. Method for production of cigars, comprising a manufacturing stage in which a wrapper is applied to a cigar, during which manufacturing stage a wrapper is picked up by a suction device and positioned above a rolling furrow, where it is then rolled around a bunch, characterised in that the suction device has a curved suction surface curved around a first rotary axle (ωι) and that, during the course of the wrapping, this suction surface simultaneously rotates around the first rotary axle (wi), moves in a direction (x) parallel to the cigar axis and rotates around a second rotary axle (w 2 ) transversal to the translational direction (x) and the first rotary axle (Wi).

Inventors: VAN DEN ENDEN EDUARDUS ADRIANU, VAN DEN ENDEN, EDUARDUS, ADRIANUS, CORNELUS, GISLAIN
Applicants: LAREKA MACHINES B V, VAN DEN ENDEN EDUARDUS ADRIANU, LAREKA MACHINES B.V, VAN DEN ENDEN, EDUARDUS, ADRIANUS, CORNELUS, GISLAIN
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A24C1
IPC codes: A24C1