Rotary conveyor drum for use in tobacco industry machines, method and apparatus for transporting rod-like elements using such drum and machine for manufacturing multi-element rods

An apparatus for transporting a stream of rod-like elements in tobacco industry machines, in which the rod-like elements are transported successively one by one, comprising:

• at least two transfer wheels arranged so that the rod-like elements are conveyed from one wheel to the other, each of the transfer wheels having peripheries configured to convey the rod-like elements arranged one after another,
• a rotary conveyor drum having a first front base, a second front base, a lateral surface onto which the rod-like elements are delivered successively one by one and an axis of rotation, the axis being slanted in relation to an axis of rotation of a neighboring transfer wheel,
• the lateral surface being provided with spacer projections forming channels of a constant width therebetween, the channels being configured to receive and convey successive rod-like elements, the drum being equipped with a guiding means forcing the rod-like elements to travel in the channels during the rotation of the drum, the wheel and the drum are arranged in such a way that during their rotation in opposite directions around their axes, the drum receives the successive rod-like elements from the periphery of the wheel into the successive channels of its lateral surface, the rod-like elements being oriented substantially transversally to the spacer projections while being conveyed along these channels during the rotation of the drum,
• the thickness of the spacer projections varying along the channels, and
• wherein the thickness of the spacer projections decreases substantially to zero in the direction of the travel of the rod-like elements in the channels.

An apparatus for transporting a stream of rod-like elements in tobacco industry machines, in which the rod-like elements are transported successively one by one, comprising:

• at least two transfer wheels arranged so that the rod-like elements are conveyed from one wheel to the other, each of the transfer wheels having peripheries configured to convey the rod-like elements arranged one after another,
• a rotary conveyor drum having a first front base, a second front base, a lateral surface onto which the rod-like elements are delivered successively one by one and an axis of rotation, the axis being slanted in relation to an axis of rotation of a neighboring transfer wheel,
• the lateral surface being provided with spacer projections forming channels of a constant width therebetween, the channels being configured to receive and convey successive rod-like elements, the drum being equipped with a guiding means forcing the rod-like elements to travel in the channels during the rotation of the drum, the wheel and the drum are arranged in such a way that during their rotation in opposite directions around their axes, the drum receives the successive rod-like elements from the periphery of the wheel into the successive channels of its lateral surface, the rod-like elements being oriented substantially transversally to the spacer projections while being conveyed along these channels during the rotation of the drum,
• the thickness of the spacer projections varying along the channels, and
• wherein the height of the spacer projections decreases substantially to zero in the direction of the travel of the rod-like elements in the channels.

An apparatus for transporting a stream of rod-like elements in tobacco industry machines, in which the rod-like elements are transported successively one by one, comprising:

• at least two transfer wheels arranged so that the rod-like elements are conveyed from one wheel to the other, each of the transfer wheels having peripheries configured to convey the rod-like elements arranged one after another,
• a rotary conveyor drum having a first front base, a second front base, a lateral surface onto which the rod-like elements are delivered successively one by one and an axis of rotation, the axis being slanted in relation to an axis of rotation of a neighboring transfer wheel,
• the lateral surface being provided with spacer projections forming channels of a constant width therebetween, the channels being configured to receive and convey successive rod-like elements, the drum being equipped with a guiding means forcing the rod-like elements to travel in the channels during the rotation of the drum, the wheel and the drum are arranged in such a way that during their rotation in opposite directions around their axes, the drum receives the successive rod-like elements from the periphery of the wheel into the successive channels of its lateral surface, the rod-like elements being oriented substantially transversally to the spacer projections while being conveyed along these channels during the rotation of the drum,
• the thickness of the spacer projections varying along the channels, and
• wherein the thickness of the spacer projections increases in the direction of the travel of the rod-like elements in the channels.