Cutting and arranging rods for tobacco industry products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11744280-B2
Application number	US-201716098148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 19, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus and associated methods for cutting and arranging rods for use in a tobacco industry product assembly machine, the apparatus including a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods where each double-length rod has respective remote ends, a positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tobacco industry product assembly machine comprising an apparatus for cutting and arranging rods, the apparatus comprising:
a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods, each double-length rod having respective remote ends,
a positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a turning mechanism configured to rotate said first double-length rod relative to said second double length rod, and into alignment with said second double-length rod so that the first and second double-length rods are arranged in the second configuration, wherein said second double length-rod is not rotated by the turning mechanism whilst the turning mechanism rotates said first double-length rod into alignment with said second double-length rod, and
the tobacco industry product assembly machine further comprising a second cutting mechanism downstream of the first cutting mechanism for cutting said first and second double-length rods in the second configuration into single-length rods, wherein said positioning mechanism comprises a positioning drum that is adapted to transfer the first and second double-length rods directly or indirectly to a cutting drum of the second cutting mechanism.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said turning mechanism comprises at least one pivoting arm for rotating said first double-length tobacco rod into alignment with said second double-length tobacco rod so that the first and second double-length rods are arranged the second configuration.

3. The machine according claim 1 , wherein said first cutting mechanism comprises a cutting drum.

4. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is configured to provide said first and second double-length tobacco rods, each having a longitudinal length in the range of 60-100 millimetres.

5. The tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a rod making station disposed upstream of the first cutting mechanism and configured to produce said four-length rods to be provided to the first cutting mechanism.

6. The tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 5 , comprising a transfer station disposed between said rod making station and said first cutting mechanism and configured to convey said four-length rods from said rod making station towards said first cutting mechanism.

7. The tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiving station upstream of the first cutting mechanism and configured to transfer said four-length rods to the first cutting mechanism, and wherein the receiving station comprises a receiving drum.

8. The tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 7 , further comprising a tipping station downstream of a second cutting station, configured to join at least one further component of said tobacco industry product to said single-length tobacco rods with a tipping paper so as to form tobacco industry product assemblies.

9. The tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 8 , further comprising a third cutting station downstream of the tipping station, configured to cut the tobacco industry product assemblies at a mid-point of the at least one further component so as to form tobacco industry products.

10. A method of assembling a tobacco industry product using the tobacco industry product assembly machine according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing a four-length rod;
cutting said four-length rod into first and second double-length rods, each double-length rod having respective remote ends;
positioning said first and second double-length tobacco rods by moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods from a first configuration in which they are axially aligned, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other;
cutting said first and second double-length rods into single-length rods; and,
joining at least one further component of tobacco industry product manufacture to said single-length rods so as to form tobacco industry product assemblies.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein positioning said first and second double-length rods adjacent to each other comprises rotating said first double-length rod into alignment with said second double-length rod so that the first and second double-length rods are arranged the second configuration.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein rotating said first double-length rod comprises using at least one pivoting arm for rotating said first double-length rod into alignment with said second double-length rod so that the first and second double-length rods are arranged the second configuration.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein rotating said first double-length rod comprises rotating said first double-length rod by an angle of about 180 degrees around an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said second double-length rod.

14. The method according to claim 10 , comprising providing said first and second double-length rods having a longitudinal length in the range of 60-100 millimetres.

15. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising cutting the tobacco industry product assemblies at a mid-point of the at least one further component so as to form tobacco industry products.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the four-length rod comprises remote ends,
wherein the method comprises cutting said four-length rod into first and second double-length rods, each double-length rod having respective first and second remote ends, wherein the first remote end of each double-length rod corresponds to a respective remote end of the four-length rod,
and wherein in the second configuration the first remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other.

17. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one further component of tobacco industry product manufacture is located between single-length rods.

Assignees

• British American Tobacco Investments Ltd

Inventors

• Bray Andrew Jonathan
• Le Roux Gerhard
• Fallon Gary

Classifications

• A24C5/471

  by means of a connecting band · CPC title

• A24C5/475

  adapted for composite filters · CPC title

• A24D3/0254

  Cutting means · CPC title

• A24C5/336 Primary

  Turning means · CPC title

• A24C5/28 Primary

  Cutting-off the tobacco rod · CPC title