Method and apparatus for producing an elongated wrapped rod from fibers, especially tobacco shreds
AssigneeHauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG
InventorJoachim Reuland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The making of an elongated tobacco stream which is to be densified, wrapped and severed for conversion into discrete cigarettes is controlled in dependence on the resistance of the stream to the flow of a gaseous fluid thereacross prior to removal of the surplus of tobacco. The signal which is generated to effect the control may be influenced by a parameter, such as the height of the stream prior or subsequent to removal of the surplus, and such signal determines the distance between the plane in which the equalizer removes the surplus from the stream and a conveyor which advances the stream lengthwise. Such signal may be formed as a function of several parameters.
Claims30
A method of making an elongated rod-like filler from fibers, especially tobacco shreds, comprising the steps of continuously forming from the fibers an elongated stream which contains a surplus of fibers and advancing the stream lengthwise;
- equalizing the advancing stream including removing the surplus of fibers;
- densifying and wrapping the equalized stream to convert the stream into the filler;
- conveying a current of a gaseous fluid transversely across the advancing stream prior to said equalizing step;
- generating a first signal in dependence on the resistance of the stream to the flow of said fluid;
- generating a second signal denoting the height of the equalized stream prior to said densifying step;
- correcting said first signal in accordance with a function which is indicative of a desired rigidity of the filler and represents a predetermined relationship between said first and second signals;
- and controlling said equalizing step in dependence on the corrected first signal to maintain the rigidity of the filler at a constant value.
Apparatus for making an elongated rod-like filler from fibers, especially tobacco shreds, comprising a conveyor;
- means for continuously supplying to said conveyor fibers to form an elongated stream which contains a surplus of fibers and advances with said conveyor lengthwise;
- means for equalizing the advancing stream, including means for removing the surplus of fibers from the stream;
- means for densifying and wrapping the equalized stream to thereby convert the stream into said filler;
- means for generating first signals denoting the resistance which the stream offers to the flow of a gaseous fluid thereacross upstream of said equalizing means;
- means for generating second signals denoting the height of the equalized stream upstream of said densifying means;
- a function generator connected to both said signal generating means and arranged to transmit third signals in correspondence with a function which represents, for a desired rigidity of the filler, a predetermined relationship between said first and second signals;
- and means for controlling the distance between the location of said equalizing means and said conveyor in dependence on said third signals to thereby determine the height of the equalized stream upstream of said densifying means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.