Apparatus for assembling elements of a smoking article
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorsGerhard Hensgen, Wolfgang Steiniger, Werner Hinz, Erwin Oesterling, Siegfried Schlisio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for making smoking articles is described. The preferred apparatus comprises structure to form a passage axially through a jacketed rod of tobacco, at one end of which there is a tubular sleeve of non-combustible material, and to insert an aerosol generating cartridge containing an aerosol forming substance, at one end of which there is a fuel element, into the passage so that the aerosol forming substance is within the passage in the rod of tobacco and the fuel element is within the sleeve of non-combustible material.
Claims74
Apparatus for making aerosol generating modules for smoking articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable drum;
- a plurality of stations mounted on the drum, each station comprising jacket holding means for receiving and holding at least one jacket segment and cartridge holding means for receiving and holding at least one aerosol generating cartridge;
- and means for inserting the cartridges into the jacket segments.
Apparatus for making aerosol generating segments for smoking articles, said apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable drum;
- a plurality of stations located on the drum, each station comprising:
- jacket holding means for receiving and holding jacket segments;
- cartridge holding means for receiving and holding aerosol generating cartridges;
- and means for inserting the cartridges into the jacket segments, thereby forming aerosol generating modules;
- jacket supply means for supplying jacket segments and cartridge supply means for supplying aerosol generating cartridges to each of the stations in seriatim;
- and
- means for removing the aerosol generating modules from each station, in seriatim.
Apparatus for assembling components of a smoking article, the apparatus comprising a rotatable drum containing a plurality of peripheral movably mounted supports for receiving first and second components in alignment;
- means associated with the drum and operable as the drum is rotated to form an axial passage in one component and impale the first component on the second component to produce a composite structure.
Apparatus for assembling components of a smoking article, the apparatus comprising a support member having contoured cam surfaces;
- and a rotatable drum mounted on the support member and having a plurality of movably mounted assembly stations arranged in tandem around the periphery of the drum, each station comprising a slidably mounted carriage having aligned sets of recesses for receiving a plurality of first and second components of the smoking article, a slidably mounted clamp associated with the carriage for enclosing the first components on the carriage, a slidable abutment member aligned with each set of recesses for constraining axial movement of a second component, and means responsive to cam surfaces on the support member to move the clamp relative to the carriage and abutment members to enclose the first components on the carriage, to move the abutment members from a retracted position to an engaged position for constraining axial movement of the second components on the carriage, to move the carriage and clamp toward the abutment members to insert the second components in the first components, to move the carriage relative to the clamp to release the assembled first and second components, and to move the abutment members from their engaged position to their retracted position.
Apparatus for assembling components of a smoking article, comprising a rotatable drum, a plurality of assembly stations mounted on the drum, each station comprising a spindle, means supporting the spindle for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a slidable abutment member, means supporting the abutment member in axially-spaced alignment with the axis of the spindle, a transport means comprising a reciprocal carriage having aligned recesses for receiving first and second components of the smoking article and a clamp movable in unison with the carriage relative to the spindle and the abutment member and movable relative to the carriage, the clamp being operable by movement relative to the carriage and abutment member to enclose a first component in the recess on the carriage for movement with the carriage in a direction toward the spindle into engagement with the spindle to pierce the first component and thereafter in an opposite direction toward the abutment member, initially in unison with the carriage to withdraw the pierced first component, from the spindle and impale it on the second component, and then relative to the carriage to release the composite structure comprising the first component with the second component contained therein, the abutment member being movable from a retracted position while the carriage is moving toward the spindle to an engaged position to restrain the second component while the carriage is moving away from the spindle and the first component is being impaled on the second component.
Apparatus for the manufacture of a smoking article, the apparatus comprising a rotatable drum, a plurality of stations mounted on the drum, each station comprising a spindle;
- an abutment member disposed in spaced alignment with the spindle;
- a carriage structured to support a first component comprising a jacketed rod of tobacco, at one end of which there is a sleeve of non-combustible material formed around a support member, in alignment with the spindle and the abutment member;
- and means for effecting movement of the carriage in a direction toward the spindle to pierce the jacketed rod of tobacco;
- means for supporting a second component comprising an aerosol generating cartridge, at one end of which there is a fuel element, on the carriage between the first component and the abutment members, for constraining movement of the second component relative to the carriage;
- and means for moving the carriage in a direction away from the spindle to withdraw the fist components from the spindle, impale it on the second component and expel the support member.
Apparatus for making smoking articles, the apparatus comprising a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, a series of spindles mounted on the drum for rotation about horizontal axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, a drive shaft supported by the drum for rotation about a horizontal axis parallel with the axes of the spindles;
- a train of gears operable by rotation of the drive shaft to effect rotation of the spindles;
- means for effecting rotation of the drive shaft by rotation of the drum;
- an abutment member mounted on the drum in axially-spaced alignment with each spindle;
- a carriage structured to support first and second components positioned between and in alignment with a corresponding number of spindles and abutment members, the carriage being mounted on the drum for reciprocal movement relative to and parallel to the axes of the spindle and the abutment member;
- and means operable by rotation of the drum to effect reciprocal movement of the carriage to move the carriage in a direction to impale first components on the spindles and in the opposite direction toward the abutment member to withdraw the first components from the spindles and move them toward the abutment members to impale the pierced first components on second components supported by the carriage and constrained by abutment members.
Apparatus for making smoking articles, the apparatus comprising a support frame;
- a drum disposed on the frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;
- a spindle mounted to the drum for rotation therewith about a horizontal axis spaced from and parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum;
- spindle rotating means operable by rotation of the drum relative to the frame to effect rotation of the spindle;
- an abutment member mounted to the drum in axially-spaced alignment with the spindle;
- a carriage movably mounted to the drum between the spindle and the abutment member and in alignment therewith;
- carriage movement means on the frame and drum cooperable by rotation of the drum relative to the frame to effect movement of the carriage to move a component supported by the carriage onto the spindle to pierce the same and to withdraw the pierced component from the spindle and impale it on a second component supported by the carriage between the first component and the abutment member.
Apparatus for making smoking articles comprising a first component comprising a rod of tobacco, at one end of which there is a sleeve of non-combustible material and a second component comprising an aerosol generating cartridge, the apparatus comprising a frame;
- a drum disposed on the frame for rotation about a horizontal axis;
- circumferentially-spaced spindles mounted to the drum about the axis of rotation of the drum;
- means operable by rotation of the drum relative to the frame to effect rotation of the spindles;
- an abutment member mounted to the drum in axial alignment with each spindle;
- carriages slidably mounted to the drum between the spindles and abutment members structured to receive the components in alignment with a spindle and an abutment member;
- and means for effecting axial movement of each carriage relative to the aligned spindle and abutment member to move the first component onto the spindle to pierce the same and then from the spindle and onto the second component to dispose the first component on the second component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.