Abstract:
A pusher/cutter drum arrangement for use in the tobacco-processing industry for longitudinal-axial positioning and cutting of rod-shaped objects includes a rotating trough drum containing receiving troughs for receiving, respectively, the rod-shaped objects in a staggered formation. Alignment contacts extend in the receiving troughs and are adapted for aligning the rod-shaped objects with one another in a transverse direction. A rotating cutting means extends through the receiving troughs for making a transverse cut of the aligned rod-shaped objects.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Priority is claimed with respect to German Application No. 198 58 600.0 filed in Germany on Dec. 18, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     The subject matter of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/457,863 filed Dec. 10, 1999 is related to the disclosure of this application and is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device used in the tobacco-processing industry for the longitudinal-axial positioning of rod-shaped objects in receiving troughs of a rotating trough drum. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Devices of the type mentioned at the outset are customarily employed within the course of finishing filter cigarettes, wherein filter rod components of various standard lengths are prepared for being combined with tobacco rod components in a so-called transverse process, i.e. by being divided, staggered and lined up behind each other, all of which takes place on a conveying path constituted by a plurality of drums. In the course of this processing and handling procedure, a defined longitudinal-axial positioning, or respectively the mutual alignment of the filter rod components in their receiving troughs, which in particular is required for a cutting of filter rod components following each other, is of importance for the number of troughs defining the length of the conveying path. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to achieve the work steps required for the correct preparation of the filter rod components with a reduced outlay of conveying drums. 
     The above and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the invention by the provision of a pusher/cutter drum arrangement for use in the tobacco-processing industry for longitudinal-axial positioning and cutting of rod-shaped objects, comprising: a rotating trough drum containing receiving troughs for receiving, respectively, the rod-shaped objects in a staggered formation; alignment contacts extending in the receiving troughs and arranged for aligning the rod-shaped objects with one another in a transverse direction; and a rotating cutting means extending through the receiving troughs for making a transverse cut of the aligned rod-shaped objects. 
     Accordingly, in accordance with the invention, the trough drum for receiving the rod-shaped objects is embodied as a combined pusher/cutter drum, which has alignment contacts extending in the receiving troughs, as well as associated rotating cutting means. 
     Such a pusher/cutter drum is preferably used in connection with filter rod components, which have already been previously taken from stock at various standard lengths and divided. For further cutting of these divided filter rod components, it is necessary to again put them into a transverse-axial line formation. For this purpose, the pusher/cutter drum is preferably designed for putting the objects into a transverse-axial cutting formation by means of the longitudinal-axial displacement of the objects which follow each other in a staggered manner. 
     To achieve such a cutting alignment rapidly and over the shortest possible conveying path, it is provided according to a further feature of the invention that the alignment contacts acting on one front end of the objects can be longitudinally displaced in relation to the receiving troughs. In this way the filter rod components, which previously rested at one side against the respective alignment contacts, are allowed to yield during a cutting operation. 
     In order to exactly match the sequential alignment and yielding movements of the alignment means, the alignment contacts are equipped with actuating drive means, which move the alignment contacts forward into a defined contact position outside of the effective range of the cutting means, which may comprise circular cutters, whereas in the effective range of the cutting means the actuating drive means pulls the alignment contacts back out of the contact position. 
     The actuating drive means preferably comprise wobble plates, which rotate at the front face with the trough drum. 
     For assuring a defined longitudinal-axial and transverse-axial alignment of the objects, or respectively the row of objects, by simple means, it is furthermore provided that in the area of their contact surface, the alignment contacts are provided with a recess so as to form a roof area over the trough bottom of the receiving troughs, and the trough drum includes suction conduits which terminate in the roofed area and which operate together with the alignment contacts. 
     An assured aspirating effect is provided in accordance with an additional feature of the invention in that the suction conduits can be activated in an alignment zone, which is defined by a circumferential cover of the trough drum. 
     In order to make possible, or respectively to allow the selection, of a respective positioning of the objects in accordance with the requirements, in particular in connection with the cooperation of the pusher/cutter drum with subsequent drums, it is furthermore provided that the actuating drive means of the alignment contacts dipping into the receiving trough are arranged on at least one front face of the trough drum, or are alternatively arranged on both front faces of the trough drum. 
     The advantage achieved by the invention resides in the fact that two work steps, which normally would be in conflict with each other, can be performed on a single conveying drum, so that two follow-up drums can be omitted. As a result, the size, or respectively the structural height, of the machine unit, which as a whole is determined by the vertical and horizontal shaft distances between the conveying drums, is reduced. 
     The invention will be explained in what follows by means of exemplary embodiments in the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic drum plan with associated work steps for uniting two filter rod components with tobacco rod components. 
     FIGS. 2 a  to  2   d  are radial sections of the pusher/cutter drum showing various work positions of the pusher/cutter drum in relation to the associated cutting and alignment means. 
     FIGS. 2 e  and  2   f  are partial front face cross sections at the input and output sides of the drum, respectively. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are developed views of the circumference of a conveying drum with alternative arrangements of the alignment means. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a drum arrangement for a production machine for filter cigarettes in which filter rods  2  of a first component (for example made of charcoal) which are, for example, six times the standard (final) length of the filter plug, are taken from a magazine  3  by means of a cutting drum  1  and are divided into three filter rods  6  of twice the standard length by means of two circular cutters  4 . The filter rods  6  are transferred to a staggering drum  7  and are changed by the latter into a staggered formation  8 . From the staggering drum  7 , the staggered filter rods  6  reach a pusher/cutter drum  9  on which they are changed into a line formation  11  and are divided again into standard length filter plugs  13  by a circular cutter  12 . 
     The filter plugs  13  are placed into a spread formation  16  by means of a spreader drum  14 , wherein a greater front end distance is provided between two filter plugs  13  of a pair, and thereafter they are transferred in this formation to an acceleration drum  17 , on which the filter plugs  13  are brought into a transversely-axially increased spaced formation  18 . 
     The longitudinally-axially and transversely-axially spaced-apart filter plugs  13  are inserted by an acceleration drum  17  in accordance with the insertion position  21  on an assembly drum  19  directly into a gap  28   a  between two tobacco rods  22 . Tobacco rods  22  are supplied in twice the standard length from a drum  23 , are cut in the center on a cutter drum  24  in accordance with the cut position  26 , are longitudinally-axially pulled apart in accordance with the spread position  28  on a spreader drum  27  and supplied to assembly drum  19  in the spread position. 
     Filter rods  31  of a second component of, for example, twelve times standard length are taken from a magazine  32  by a cutter drum  29 , are divided into three filter plugs  34  of four times the standard length by two circular cutters  33 , are transferred to a staggering drum  36  and changed into a staggered formation  37  on the latter. From the staggering drum  36 , the staggered filter rods  34  reach a pusher/cutter drum  38 , on which they are changed into a line formation  39  and are again divided into filter rods  42  of twice the standard (i.e. final filter plug length) size by a circular cutter  41 . The cut filter plugs  42  are again brought into a staggered formation  44  on a staggering drum  43  and, on a pusher drum  46 , are placed into a line formation  47 , in which they are returned to the staggering drum  43 . The transversely-axially spaced-apart filter rods  42  are inserted in accordance with the insertion position  50  into the center in the gap between the two filter plugs  13  on an assembly drum  49  by means of an acceleration drum  48 . 
     The tobacco-filter combination  13 ,  22 ,  42  of twice the standard length created in the insertion position  50  is thereafter finished into individual filter cigarettes in a known manner by a cut through the center of the filter rod  42  of twice the standard length to achieve the final filter plug length of filter plugs cut from the original filter rods  31 . 
     The structure and function of the pusher/cutter drums  9  and  38  in accordance with the invention, which are identical to a large degree, will be explained in greater detail in what follows by way of referring to pusher/cutter drum  9 , represented, or respectively altered, in FIGS. 2 to  4 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 to  4 , rod-shaped alignment contacts  52  extend, either from both sides of drum  9  in accordance with FIG. 3, or from one side of the drum in accordance with FIG. 4, in receiving troughs  51  of pusher/cutter drum  9 , which cooperates on the input side with staggering drum  7 . 
     During rotation of drum  9 , the alignment contacts  52  are guided, longitudinally movable, in the receiving troughs  51  by an actuating drive device  53  in the form of, for example, a wobble disk  54 , which rotates around an inclined axis synchronously with pusher/cutter drum  9 . 
     The alignment rods  52  have a recess  57  in the area of their front face contact surface  56 , forming a roofed over area covering an area of the trough bottom  51   a  of receiving trough  51  and in which covered area suction conduits  58  terminate. Suction conduits  58  are activated in an activation area of the pusher/cutter drum  9  which is defined by a circumferential cover  59  as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     At the input side of pusher/cutter drum  9  (see FIG. 2 e ), a suction applied to air bores  61  in the bottom of the troughs  51  in pusher/cutter drum  9  facilitates transfer of the filter rods  6  from the staggering drum  7  to pusher/cutter drum  9 . On the outlet side (see FIG. 2 f ), the pusher/cutter drum  9  cooperates with spreader drum  14  for transferring the cut filter plugs thereto. 
     The function of the pusher/cutter drum  9  in relation to the alignment contacts  52  is as follows: 
     The filter rods are transferred from staggering drum  7  in accordance with FIGS. 2 a  and  2   e  in the staggered formation  8 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, to the pusher/cutter drum  9 . In the area of the circumferential cover  59 , the filter rods are drawn by the activated suction conduits  58  against the alignment contacts  52 , which have been moved in accordance with FIG. 2 b  into their maximum insertion position inside the receiving trough  51 . In this process, the filter rods are displaced longitudinally-axially into the line formation  11  in accordance with FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 . 
     When passing the circular cutter  12 , the wobble disk  54  retracts the respective alignment contacts  52  in accordance with FIG. 2 c  by a slight amount in the respective receiving troughs  51 , so that, when the circular cutter  12  enters into the filter rods  6 , their cut off filter plugs  13  can yield longitudinally-axially, thus preventing the filter plugs from being squeezed and/or deformed. 
     As a function of a different length or desired position, or respectively alignment, of the filter plugs  13  on the pusher/cutter drum  9 , actuating drive member  53  can be provided in accordance with FIG. 3 at both faces  62  of the pusher/cutter drum  9  or, in accordance with FIG. 4, at one face  62  of the pusher/cutter drum  9 . 
     The invention has been described in detail with respect to referred embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art, that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and the invention, therefore, as defined in the appended claims, is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.