Cigarette filter-rod manufacturing device

• US 5,466,209 A
• Filed: 10/21/1993
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokota, Hiromu, Kotani, Motoharu, Takegawa, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder, Jack W.
• Application Number:
  US08/140,212
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 493/4, 493/44, 493/45, 493/47, 493/49, 493/24, 493/29, 493/39
• US Class Current: 493/4
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/0295 Process control means

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a low-priced automatized weight control device for filter-rods, able to be easily installed in present manufacturing facilities and to be operated easily without any need of special equipment or special operating qualifications.

The automatized weight-control device is comprised of a tension gauge measuring the tension in the tow in the first processing step of the tow manufacturing process, and a weight control system to regulate the second processing step to keep the tension in the tow at the specified constant value by increasing the speed of the pretension rollers through the microcomputer by applying the signals transmitted from the tension gauge.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing cigarette filters, incorporating an improved automatic weigh control device;

and having a tow processing device, a pair of pretension rollers, a pair of feed rollers, a pair of delivery rollers, a guide arm located above a tow bale, and which performs a first processing step including drawing tow into said tow processing device from said pretension rollers through said guide arm and stretching said tow between said pretension rollers and said feed rollers, and a second processing step including relaxing said tow between said feed rollers and said delivery rollers;

said improved automatic weight control device of said apparatus comprising;

a microcomputer;

a tension gauge for measuring tension of said tow in said first processing step; and

a tow tension control means for regulating the tension of said tow at a predetermined constant level in said first processing step by increasing the speed of the said pretension rollers based on signals generated by said tension gauge so that the tension in said tow is maintained substantially constant and said signals are converted to electrical signals and automatically processed by said microcomputer for controlling the tow stretching in said first processing step; and

said tow tension control means being provided with a load cell for transforming strains measured by said tension gauge to electric signals;

an A-D converter converting said electric signals of said load cell to digital signals; and

said microcomputer having a predetermined control program; and

a pulse motor and a pulse motor controller operated by said microcomputer, and a speed changer for increasing rotational speed of said pair of pretension rollers, said speed changer being driven through the pulse motor controller activated by said microcomputer, said pulse motor being driven by signals received from said pulse motor controller;

and a speed reduction gear, electromagnetic clutch, and connecting gear, said speed reduction gear being connected between said clutch and connecting gear;

whereby substantially all cigarette filter-rods made by said apparatus have a uniform specified weight.

2. The automatic weight control device as claimed in claim 1, further including a switch in said tow tension control means for changing to a manual operational mode.

3. The automatic weight control device as claimed in claim 2, including a hand-operated speed changing knob directly coupled to said connecting gear for manually adjusting said tow tension control means.