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US 4,103,692 AGranted
Cigar wrapping machine and method
AssigneeGulf & Western Corporation
InventorsRobert J. Baier, Vern Anderson, William S. Aseltine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine and method for continuously applying wrappers to a stream of bound cigar bunches.
Claims37
A machine for spirally applying wrappers to cigar bunches said machine including means for supplying bunches having fire ends and tapered mouth ends;
- means for supplying elongated wrappers having flag ends;
- a continuously moving bunch carrier;
- a continuously moving wrapper carrier;
- means for applying bunches to the bunch carrier spaced apart in the direction of movement of the bunch carrier and with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to said direction of movement;
- means for applying wrappers to the wrapper carrier spaced apart in the direction of movement of the wrapper carrier, with their longitudinal axes at the same acute angle to the direction of travel of the wrapper carrier and with the tip of each wrapper foremost;
- each of said carriers having a different predetermined path of travel;
- the paths of travel of said bunch carrier and of said wrapper carrier having common portions that are coextensive;
- the paths of travel of said bunch carrier and of said wrapper carrier approaching each other as they approach the coextensive common portions and the tip of each wrapper reaching the common portion before the balance of such wrapper;
- the tip of each wrapper being brought into contact with the fire end of an associated bunch as the bunch and wrapper reach the common portions;
- means to apply paste to the tip of each wrapper before the wrapper reaches the common portions so that said tip will adhere to the bunch when the tip is applied to the bunch;
- means to spin the bunches as they traverse the common portions while the bunches are bodily moving through the common portions in a direction perpendicular to their lengths;
- means to move each wrapper relative to its associated bunch at such a speed that the wrapper is spirally applied to the spinning bunch;
- suction means to hold the wrapper to the wrapper carrier as it is being applied;
- flag carriers on the wrapper carrier, each flag carrier being disposed to receive the flag end of a different wrapper supported on the wrapper carrier;
- and means to move the flag carrier relative to the wrapper carrier in a fore and aft direction and in an inboard/outboard direction, and to angularly rotate the flag carrier to apply the flag to the tapered mouth end of the associated bunch being wrapped in such a manner as nicely to apply the flag to the mouth end of the bunch in conformance with the configuration of said end, whereby the flag-ended wrappers are spirally wrapped about the bunches while moving the bunches and wrappers continuously from a point of application of the bunches and wrappers to their respective carriers to a point of delivery spaced from the point of application.
12 more elements
A method of spirally applying wrappers to cigar bunches including supplying cigar bunches having fire ends and tapered mouth ends;
- supplying elongated cigar wrappers having flag ends;
- continuously moving the bunches along a predetermined path of travel, with the bunches spaced apart in their direction of movement and with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to said direction of movement;
- continuously moving the wrappers along a predetermined path of travel, with the wrappers spaced apart in their direction of movement and with their longitudinal axes at the same acute angle to said direction of movement and with the tip of each wrapper foremost;
- said predetermined paths of travel including common coextensive portions;
- the paths of travel of the bunches and of the wrappers approaching each other as they approach the coextensive common portion, and the tip of each wrapper reaching the common portion before the balance of each wrapper;
- bringing the tip of each wrapper into contact with the fire end of an associated bunch as the bunch and wrapper reach the common portions;
- applying paste to the tip of each wrapper before the wrapper reaches the common portions so that the said tip will adhere to the bunch when the tip is applied to the bunch;
- spinning the bunches as they traverse the common portions while the bunches are bodily moving through the common portions in a direction perpendicular to their lengths;
- moving each wrapper relative to its associated bunch at such a speed that the wrapper is spirally applied to the spinning bunch;
- holding flags on flag carriers as they are moved;
- imposing motion on the flag carriers relative to the movement of the wrappers, the imposed motion being in a fore and aft direction, in an inboard/outboard direction and rotatably about an axis perpendicular to the flag and located within the flag so as nicely to apply the flag to the mouth end of the bunch in conformance with the configuration of said end whereby the flagended wrappers are spirally wrapped about the bunches while moving the bunches and wrappers continuously from a point of application of the bunches and wrappers to their respective carriers to a point of delivery spaced from the point of application.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.