Cigarette maker

Abstract

In a cigarette maker, shredded tobacco is directed by a conveyor into a riser and ascends as a flow of distinct particles toward an aspirating belt, placed at the top outlet end of the riser, by which the particles are attracted and gathered progressively to form a stream of tobacco filler. The riser is made up of a lower first portion in receipt of the tobacco from the conveyor, and an upper second portion enclosed by the aspirating belt; the first portion is embodied separately from the second portion, and the two portions are inter-connected by the revolving surface of a toothed suction roller designed to transfer a uniform layer of tobacco from the first portion to the second.

1 ) A cigarette making machine, comprising: 
 at least one ascent channel through which to direct at least one flow of tobacco particles;    conveyor means by which tobacco is supplied to a lower first portion of the ascent channel;    at least one aspirating belt enclosing and set in motion adjacent to the outlet of an upper second portion of the ascent channel, on which the flow of particles is formed into a corresponding stream of tobacco;    means, interposed between the first portion and the second portion of the ascent channel, by which to convey a predetermined quantity of tobacco from the first portion to the second portion.    
     
     
         2 ) A cigarette making machine, comprising: 
 a descent channel;    feed means by which shredded tobacco is supplied to the descent channel;    a unit by which the tobacco is taken up from the descent channel;    at least one ascent channel through which to direct at least one flow of tobacco particles, comprising a lower first portion and an upper second portion embodied separately one from the other;    conveyor means by which the tobacco is transferred from the take-up unit to the first portion of the ascent channel;    at least one aspirating belt enclosing and set in motion adjacent to the outlet of the upper second portion of the ascent channel, on which the flow of particles is formed into a corresponding stream of tobacco and the stream then directed to the entry point of a station where it is formed into a continuous cigarette rod;    means, interposed between the first portion and the second portion of the ascent channel, by which to convey a predetermined quantity of tobacco from the first portion to the second portion.    
     
     
         3 ) A machine as in  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the length of the first portion, as measured along the direction of movement of the aspirating belt, is identical to the corresponding length of the second portion, whereas the width of the first portion, measured transversely to the selfsame direction, is greater than that of the second portion.  
     
     
         4 ) A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor means are capable of movement along an endless path including a first sector adjacent to an outlet presented by the first portion of the ascent channel, on which a layer of tobacco is formed, and at least one second sector, adjacent to an inlet presented by the second portion of the ascent channel, from which the particles constituting the layer of tobacco are released.  
     
     
         5 ) A machine as in  claim 4 , comprising means by which to level the layer of tobacco, operating in conjunction with a third sector of the conveyor means interposed between the first and second sectors.  
     
     
         6 ) A machine as in  claim 2 , wherein feed means comprise a carding roller rotatable about a relative axis, and conveyor means comprise a toothed roller able to generate suction and rotatable about a respective axis disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the carding roller.  
     
     
         7 ) A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein conveyor means comprise a toothed roller able to generate suction and rotatable about a respective axis disposed substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the aspirating belt.  
     
     
         8 ) A machine as in  claim 5 , wherein leveling means consist in a roller occupying a position substantially tangential to the toothed roller.  
     
     
         9 ) A machine as in  claim 5 , wherein leveling means consist in a roller occupying a position substantially tangential to the toothed roller.  
     
     
         10 ) A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor means comprise at least one vibrating tray.  
     
     
         11 ) A machine as in  claim 2 , wherein the conveyor means used to transfer the tobacco comprise at least one vibrating tray.  
     
     
         12 ) A machine as in  claim 2 , comprising feed means equipped with a carding roller rotatable about a respective axis, two ascent channels through which to direct respective flows of tobacco particles, and two aspirating belts placed at the outlets of the ascent channel, on which the flows are formed into corresponding streams of tobacco, wherein the two ascent channels are arranged symmetrically on either side of a vertical plane lying between the aspirating belts and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the carding roller.  
     
     
         13 ) A machine as in  claim 12 , wherein the conveyor means by which the tobacco is transferred comprises a common first portion and two mutually independent second portions extending divergently from the common first portion on either side of the vertical plane of symmetry.  
     
     
         14 ) A machine as in  claim 13 , wherein the common first portion and the two mutually independent second portions consist in respective vibrating trays.  
     
     
         15 ) A machine as in  claim 12 , wherein each ascent channel is equipped with a respective toothed conveyor roller able to generate suction and rotatable about a respective axis disposed transversely to the axis of the carding roller.  
     
     
         16 ) A machine as in  claim 1 , comprising two ascent channels through which to direct two flows of tobacco particles, and two aspirating belts positioned at the outlets of the ascent channels, on which the flows of particles are formed into corresponding streams of tobacco, wherein the ascent channels are arranged symmetrically on either side of a vertical plane lying between the aspirating belts, and equipped each with a relative toothed conveyor roller able to generate suction and rotatable about a respective axis disposed substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the aspirating belts.  
     
     
         17 ) A machine as in  claim 4 , wherein the conveyor roller able to generate suction comprises means, associated with the second release sector, by which to shut off the suction.  
     
     
         18 ) A machine as in  claim 17 , comprising means, associated with the second release sector, by which to generate a flow of positively pressurized fluid.  
     
     
         19 ) A machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the ascent channel terminates at bottom in an inclined wall presenting holes through which to direct a pressurized fluid.  
     
     
         20 ) A method of making cigarettes, comprising the steps of: 
 directing a flow of shredded and carded tobacco particles down a descent channel;    taking up the shredded tobacco at the bottom of the descent channel by means of a toothed unit and transferring it by way of conveyor means to the inlet of at least one ascent channel;    establishing a first flow of tobacco particles and causing to rise through the ascent channel;    forming a layer of tobacco from the ascending flow of particles at the outlet of a first portion of the ascent channel;    transferring the layer of tobacco to the inlet of a second portion of the ascent channel;    establishing a second ascending flow of particles from the layer of tobacco and directing the second flow toward at least one aspirating belt placed at the outlet of the selfsame channel;    causing the particles to form into a continuous stream on the aspirating belt.    
     
     
         21 ) A method as in  claim 20 , wherein the step of transferring the layer of tobacco comprises the subsidiary step of leveling the selfsame layer of tobacco.