Patent ID: 8353810

Claim:
A method of arranging groups of filter segments in a continuous endwise manner when producing multi-segment filters used in tobacco industry for cigarettes, comprising the steps of: preparing filter segments in at least two similar, corresponding modules; each module having a cutting drum with a horizontal axis and flutes spaced on the circumferential surface, the flutes having axes parallel to the axis of the drum, an inlet connecting the drum to a container of filter rods having a length which is n-multiples of a segment length, circular knives cooperating with the drum to cut filter rods in to sets of filter segments, a guiding channel receiving filter rods cut into sets of filter segments drawn out of the flutes; a closed-loop chain having a plurality of dogs, the chain having a trajectory generally parallel to the axis of a flute in the area of the sets of filter segments drawn out of flutes; a separator which separates single filter segments from a stream of the set of filter segments; a transferring element which collects the separated segments and places them onto an exit path; a movable guiding element cooperating in synchronism with the cutting drum, situated by the cutting drum, and forming a wall closing the guiding channel for sets of filter segments drawn out of the flutes of the cutting drum; a pushing together drum positioned over the guiding channel, for passing the filter segments for separation, the drum having a worm surface for receiving the set of filter segments led through the channel by a dog of chain; the pitch of the worm surface becoming diminished in direction of movement of the filter segments down to a value corresponding to the length of a set of the filter segments; and a separator for the segment situated at the end of the channel comprising a disc cam having a rotation axis generally parallel to the axis of the filter segment passed for separating, the disc cam pushing the segment out in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the filter segment passed for separating onto the rotary mounted transferring element between two radially spaced, neighbouring drivers on the periphery of the transferring element passing filter segments from corresponding modules to the transferring element which deposits the filter segments onto an exit path; in each module, passing identical filter segments of a corresponding type at a uniform rate to the transferring element; displacing each filter segment separately onto the exit path using radially spaced drivers on periphery of the transferring element; positioning individual filter segments of each type in a repeating pattern in segment groups on the exit path by delaying collection of the individual filter segments with the transferring element in each module.