Continuous rod-making machines

A machine for producing rod-like articles comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including means for supporting a rod during cutting, drive means for the ledger assembly, said drive means including a plurality of gears, and resilient means for applying pressure between at least one pair of interengaging gear teeth of said gears to reduce or eliminate undesired relative movement between the gears, the ledger assembly comprising a rotatable housing carrying at least one supporting means, said drive means including means for rotating the housing, and said housing comprising at least one sun gear and at least one planetary gear, further including means for maintaining the sun gear stationary, and an intermediate gear engaged with said sun gear and said planetary gear, wherein the intermediate and sun gears each comprise first and second substantially coaxial portions which are rotatable relative to each other, and wherein said resilient means is arranged to exert a torque tending to take up undesired free play between interengaged gear teeth of said gears by urging said coaxial portions in opposite rotational directions.

A machine for producing rod-like articles comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including means for supporting a rod during cutting, drive means for the ledger assembly, said drive means including a plurality of gears, and resilient means for applying pressure between at least one pair of interengaging gear teeth of said gears to reduce or eliminate undesired relative movement between the gears, the ledger assembly comprising a rotatable housing carrying at least one supporting means, said drive means including means for rotating the housing, and said housing comprising at least one sun gear and at least one planetary gear, wherein said sun gear has first and second substantially coaxial portions, one of said portions being rigidly fixed and the other being rotatable relative to said one portion and subject to a predetermined torque applied by said resilient means.

A machine for producing rod-like articles comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including means for supporting a rod during cutting, drive means for the ledger assembly, said drive means including a plurality of gears, and resilient means for applying pressure between at least one pair of interengaging gear teeth of said gears to reduce or eliminate undesired relative movement between the gears, the ledger assembly comprising a rotatable housing carrying at least one supporting means, said drive means including means for rotating the housing, and said housing comprising at least one sun gear and at least one planetary gear, including two symmetrically-disposed supporting means, first and second substantially coaxial sun gear portions, first and second planetary gears connected to said supporting means, and first and second intermediate gears, each of said intermediate gears comprising substantially coaxial relatively rotatable gear portions and engaged, on the one hand, with a planetary gear and, on the other hand, respectively with one of the sun gear portions.

A machine for producing rod-like articles, comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including a rotary housing rotatable about a first axis, at least one shaft extending through a wall of said housing and being rotatably supported for rotation about a second axis by a bearing in or adjacent said wall, means for lubricating said bearing including lubricant supply means in said housing and means for receiving lubricant which has passed through said bearing in a direction from the interior of said housing, said receiving means including means for sealing round said shaft, and collection means for collecting lubricant from said receiving means and for returning it to the interior of said housing, said collection means including a chamber communicating with said receiving means and said interior adjacent said bearing and arranged so as to collect lubricant by action or centrifugal force as said housing rotates.

A machine for producing rod-like articles, comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including a rotary housing rotatable about a first axis, at least one rod support means carried by said housing and including at least one shaft extending through a wall of said housing and being rotatable relative thereto about a second axis which is spaced from said first axis, drive means within the housing, and means for supplying lubricant to said drive means, including lubricant sealing means around said shaft in the vicinity of said wall, said sealing means comprising a resilient sealing member sealingly surrounding said shaft and having a sealing surface pressed against and rotatable relative to said wall, first and second spaced annular members surrounding said shaft and defining therebetween a passage for lubricant, and collection means for collecting lubricant by action of centrifugal force in the vicinity of said shaft and for directing it from said passage for movement away from said wall and towards the interior of said housing.

A machine for producing rod-like articles comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including means for supporting a rod during cutting, drive means for the ledger assembly, said drive means including a plurality of gears, and resilient means for applying pressure between at least one pair of interengaging gear teeth of said gears to reduce or eliminate undesired relative movement between the gears, wherein at least one of said gears has first and second substantially coaxial gear portions, said portions being relatively rotatable and subject to a predetermined torque applied by said resilient means for causing limited relative rotation of said gear portions, and wherein each of said coaxial gear portions is engaged with a common further gear of said drive means.

A machine for producing rod-like articles comprising a continuous rod cut-off device and a ledger assembly, said assembly including means for supporting a rod during cutting, drive means for the ledger assembly, said drive means including a plurality of gears, and resilient means for applying pressure between at least one pair of interengaging gear teeth of said gears to reduce or eliminate undesired relative movement between the gears, wherein at least one of said gear has first and second substantially coaxial gear portions, said portions being relatively rotatable and subject to a predetermined torque applied by said resilient means for causing limited relative rotation of said gear portions, and wherein said resilient means comprises a torsion spring in the form of a flat strip twistable about its longitudinal axis, said axis being substantially coaxial with said gear portions.