Patent GB-737329-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes
IPC: A24C5/47
Filed: 1953-03-30
Abstract: 737,329. Cigarette making machines. MOLINS, D. W., RUAU, F. F., and MOLINS MACHINE CO., Ltd. March 19, 1954 [March 30, 1953], No. 8737/53. Class 130. In a portion of composite cigarette-mouthpiece material consisting of a paper tube containing two spaced stubs 30, Fig. 3, in opposite ends of the tube, a hollow tubular part 31 is provided between the stubs, the portion being adapted for sub-division to form two individual mouthpiece portions each consisting of a hollow tube which is open at one end and contains a stub at the other; the invention also comprises a method of manufacturing mouthpiece cigarettes wherein tobacco is fed into the space between one double-length mouthpiece-portion and the next and united thereto to form a cigarette rod which is severed to provide individual cigarettes with open hollowended mouthpieces. Apparatus for making a rod of composite mouthpiece-material.-A web 1, Fig. 1A, of stiff paper is guided through a trough 3 before passing on to a belt 6, the web being fed with stubs, such as filters, from two identical devices 7, each comprising a disc 9 provided with nine equally spaced pushers 10; above each disc is a fluted drum 11 that receives the stubs from a feeding mechanism which is the same as that disclosed in Specification 664,690. Each pusher 10 projects through a slot in the disc 9 and is moved backwards, after it has traversed the lowermost flute of the drum 11 and caused a stub to be deposited upon the web 1, to avoid displacing the stubs; for this purpose each pusher is mounted upon a pivoted lever, not shown, inside the disc and swinging movement is imparted to the levers by a cam. The stubs from one device 7 are fed into the spaces between the stubs supplied from the other device, and a timing apparatus is used to ensure correct spacing of the stubs, which apparatus consists of a member 13 with three projections which are separated by a distance equal to the desired spacing of the stubs on the web 1, the member 13 moving in the elliptal path shown in dotted lines. Member 13 is mounted on a rod 14 pivoted on both a rotatable disc 15 and a swinging arm 16, the member 13 being connected to an extension 17 pivotally mounted at 18 on the rod 14 and attached to the latter by a friction disc 21 so that an obstacle, such as an accumulation of stubs on the web 1, causes the member 13 to yield and swing upwardly about the pivot 18. After passing the timing apparatus the belt 6 runs through folders 24, 25 which fold the web about the stubs and forms a seam; the web which is precoated with a heat sealing or sticking adhesive then traverses two electrical heaters which press on the seam to seal it as well as transferring enough heat to the web to cause it to stick to the stubs so forming a rod of composite mouthpiece material which then slides over a metal shoe to cool the rod before the latter passes to a cut-off mechanism. The rod is severed either into sextuple lengths M-M, Fig. 3, and subsequently into double lengths D-D or directly into double lengths. Mouthpiece-rod severing and feeding-mechanism.-The sextuple lengths of mouthpiece rod are cut into double lengths and supplied to a fluted drum by apparatus which is almost identical with that disclosed in Specification 664,690; the present apparatus, however incorporates a narrow extension slot 51, Fig. 7, in each groove 45 in the support 46 and a cooperating part 52 on each pusher element 48, 49 and 50. This arrangement ensures that each element engages with the stubs and the end of the paper tube so that in the event of imperfect adhesion the stubs will not be thrust further into the tube. Cigarette-making apparatus.-A stream of unwrapped tobacco is cut into lengths, each of which is placed between two double lengths of mouthpiece rod, then wrapped and cut as disclosed in Specification 709,197. In a modification, the tobacco is supplied in wrapped double-lengths and joined to the mouthpieces with a band of cork material, for example, by means of apparatus such as that disclosed in Specification 430,742. The Provisional Specification describes an embodiment in which the web of mouthpiece paper has adhesive applied thereto by rollers.