Replenishing device, an apparatus for manufacturing multi-segment rods and a method for manufacturing multi-segment rods

An apparatus for manufacturing multi-segment rods, the apparatus comprising:

• a feeding unit comprising feeding modules, each module having a replenishing device comprising
• a transporter comprising multiple flutes located transversally with respect to a transporting direction and adapted to transport rod-like elements;
• a feeding duct for feeding the rod-like element;
• a rotary replenishing element having an axis of rotation, comprising at least one transferring seat for receiving the rod-like element from the feeding duct in a receiving zone and for transferring the rod-like element to the flute of the transporter in a transferring zone, wherein the rotary replenishing element is adapted to repeatedly pass the same rod-like element through the transferring zone before transferring that rod-like element to the flute of the transporter upon detection of an empty flute by a rod-like element electronic sensor;
• and
• a transferring mechanism for effecting the transfer of the rod-like element from the transferring seat to the flute of the transporter;
• a garniture unit comprising a garniture device and a cutting head;
• a transferring device located between the feeding unit and the garniture unit adapted to transfer the rod-like element towards the flute of the transporter with a force supplemental to gravitational force and centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the rotatory rotary replenishing element.

A method for manufacturing multi-segment rods, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying at least two types of rod-like elements to separate feeding modules of a manufacturing machine;
• placing the rod-like elements in a reservoir of the feeding module of the manufacturing machine;
• placing the rod-like elements, accumulated in the reservoir, into flutes of a transporter in a transporting path of the feeding module;
• cutting the rod-like elements into segments while the rod-like elements are transported on the transporter;
• forming a train of segments comprising a plurality of segments supplied by the transporting paths from individual reservoirs of the feeding modules;
• wrapping the formed train of plurality of segments by a wrapper to form a continuous rod;
• cutting the formed continuous rod into individual multi-segment rods,
• delivering a rod-like element to a rotary replenishing element of a replenishing device located above the transporter;
• maintaining the replenishing device in a state that is ready to transfer the rod-like element to the transporter, wherein the rod-like element maintains a rotary motion;
• upon detection of an empty flute by a rod-like element electronic sensor, replenishing the empty flute with the rod-like element from the reservoir in the flute of the transporter;
• and
• rejecting the multi-segment rods comprising segments of the rod-like element that was transferred to the empty flute.