Manufacture of cigarette assemblies having a pre-formed tubular band and a pre-formed tobacco rod
First Claim
1. An apparatus for assembling a preformed tubular band of filter cover material onto a preformed tobacco-bearing component which comprises a filter fixed end-to-end with a tobacco rod, said apparatus comprising:
- a first guide to receive said tubular band;
a second guide to receive said tobacco rod;
an assembly cylinder positioned between and in axial alignment with said first and second guides, said assembly cylinder having at a first end thereof adjacent said first guide an entry bushing which has a bore of a length and diameter corresponding to that of the filter cover, and at a second end an introducer bushing that has a bore substantially corresponding to the outer diameter of said tobacco rod, and between said entry bushing and said introducer bushing a sizing disc having a bore that tapers in the direction towards said entry bushing adjacent which it has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of said entry bushing bore;
said apparatus including a first movable member that is engageable with said tubular band to advance it along said first guide towards and into the assembly cylinder, and a second member that is engageable with said tobacco bearing component to advance the latter along said second guide towards and into said assembly cylinder.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Self-made cigarettes, i.e. tobacco products that are supplied in unsmokable condition in the form of a tobacco-bearing component (12) comprising a tobacco rod (14) attached to a porous filter (16) at least part of the surface of which is highly permeable, and an impervious tubular band (10) carried on the component and slidable along it to cover the permeable region. The tubular band can be applied by compressing the tobacco-bearing component to enable the preformed tubular band to be slid onto it. Tubular bands (10) are automatically assembled onto tobacco bearing components by an apparatus that includes a rotary drum (30) around the periphery of which are distributed sets of assembly tools (62) each of which sets comprises a pair of opposed rods (90, 106) which are employed to Introduce the tubular band and the tobacco bearing component into opposite ends of an assembly cylinder (44) wherein the band is slid onto the tobacco component, the assembled product subsequently being ejected. The components are fed into the successive assembly tool sets as the latter are rotated on the drum past a feed point, actuation of the rods being effected by means of stationary cams (100, 118) past which the rods are moved by rotation of the drum.
12 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for assembling a preformed tubular band of filter cover material onto a preformed tobacco-bearing component which comprises a filter fixed end-to-end with a tobacco rod, said apparatus comprising:
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a first guide to receive said tubular band;
a second guide to receive said tobacco rod;
an assembly cylinder positioned between and in axial alignment with said first and second guides, said assembly cylinder having at a first end thereof adjacent said first guide an entry bushing which has a bore of a length and diameter corresponding to that of the filter cover, and at a second end an introducer bushing that has a bore substantially corresponding to the outer diameter of said tobacco rod, and between said entry bushing and said introducer bushing a sizing disc having a bore that tapers in the direction towards said entry bushing adjacent which it has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of said entry bushing bore;
said apparatus including a first movable member that is engageable with said tubular band to advance it along said first guide towards and into the assembly cylinder, and a second member that is engageable with said tobacco bearing component to advance the latter along said second guide towards and into said assembly cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for assembling a preformed tubular band of filter cover material onto a preformed tobacco bearing component forming a smoking product which comprises a filter fixed end-to-end with a tobacco rod, the latter being enclosed in a tube of cigarette paper, the peripheral surface of the filter being porous thus rendering the product unsmokable, said tubular band being sized to provide a close sliding fit with the exterior of said tobacco rod, said method comprising:
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arranging said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component in axial alignment, and effecting relative axial movement towards one another of said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component to bring these into engagement while effecting a slight compression of said tobacco rod to ease entry thereof into the interior of the tubular band to a desired location in the length of said tobacco rod;
wherein said tobacco rod is inserted into said tubular band by being passed through a sizing disc positioned adjacent said tubular band and that has a bore which tapers towards said tubular band, said sizing disc adjacent said tubular band having a diameter that is slightly less than said tubular band, passage of said tobacco rod through said sizing disc effecting a slight localised compression of said tobacco rod thus easing its entry into said tubular band.
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11. A method for assembling a preformed tubular band of filter cover material onto a preformed tobacco bearing component which comprises a filter fixed end-to-end with a tobacco rod, the latter being enclosed in a tube of cigarette paper, the peripheral surface of the filter being porous thus rendering the product unsmokable, said tubular band being sized to provide a close sliding fit with the exterior of said tobacco rod, said method comprising:
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arranging said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component in axial alignment, and effecting relative axial movement towards one another of said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component to bring these into engagement while effecting a slight compression of said tobacco rod to ease entry thereof into the interior of the tubular band to a desired location in the length of said tobacco rod;
wherein relative axial movement of said tubular band and said tobacco rod is effected by an arrangement of cam-operated rods.
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12. A method for assembling a preformed tubular band of filter cover material onto a preformed tobacco bearing component which comprises a filter fixed end-to-end with a tobacco rod, the latter being enclosed in a tube of cigarette paper, the peripheral surface of the filter being porous thus rendering the product unsmokable, said tubular band being sized to provide a close sliding fit with the exterior of said tobacco rod, said method comprising:
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arranging said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component in axial alignment, and effecting relative axial movement towards one another of said tubular band and said tobacco-bearing component to bring these into engagement while effecting a slight compression of said tobacco rod to ease entry thereof into the interior of the tubular band to a desired location in the length of said tobacco rod;
wherein during assembly the end of said tubular band that is initially closest to the tobacco rod is subjected to an expanding action to maximize the interior diameter of the band at that end. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification