Method of and apparatus for manipulating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry

Abstract

Plain cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are finished and/or converted into filter cigarettes, and/or the envelopes of plain and/or filter cigarettes, cigarillos and/or filter mouthpieces are perforated and/or such rod-shaped articles are otherwise treated in or with an apparatus wherein at least one drum-shaped and/or at least one chain-shaped, endless belt-shaped and/or at least one other transfer conveyor receives articles from a maker, e.g., a plain or filter cigarette or cigarillo making machine. The transfer conveyor(s) delivers or deliver portions of or entire articles to one or more processing conveyors wherein or whereon the articles and/or their portions are treated (such as perforated, densified and/or otherwise manipulated) while in motion. The thus at least partly finished articles are returned onto the transfer conveyor(s).

1 . A method of manipulating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying the articles by at least one transfer conveyor along a predetermined path;    transposing articles from at least one portion of said path onto at least one processing conveyor;    moving the transposed articles by and simultaneously treating the moving articles on the at least one processing conveyor; and    returning the treated articles from the at least one processing conveyor onto the at least one transfer conveyor.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said moving step includes transporting the articles along an endless path through an angular distance of at least about 360°.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  of manipulating rod-shaped articles having longitudinal axes, wherein at least one of said moving and treating steps includes rotating the articles about their respective axes through an angular distance of at least about 360°.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  of manipulating rod-shaped articles having longitudinal axes, wherein said treating step comprises at least one of the undertakings including rolling the articles and changing the permeability of at least a portion of each article in the course of said moving step.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  of manipulating a series of successive rod-shaped articles having predetermined diameters d, wherein said moving step includes advancing successive articles of the series in a predetermined direction and at a mutual spacing of at least 1 d, preferably at least 4 d.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of processing conveyors equals n and each processing conveyor has a series of spaced-apart receptacles for rod-shaped articles, said transposing step including delivering articles into each nth receptacle.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein n is between one and four.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said returning step includes delivering treated articles into unoccupied receptacles of the at least one transfer conveyor.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the articles have longitudinal axes and said treating step includes rolling each article on the processing conveyor through an uneven multiple of the spacing of receptacles on such processing conveyor.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the articles have envelopes and longitudinal axes, said treating step including rolling the articles about their respective axes and simultaneously perforating the envelopes of the rolling articles.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treated articles have a plurality of constituents including elongated cores having longitudinal axes and envelopes at least partially surrounding the cores, said treating step including draping the envelopes around the respective cores by rotating the cores about their respective axes.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of attaching the envelopes to the cores before said treating step.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said attaching step is carried out while the constituents of the articles are contacted by at least one of the following: the transfer conveyor, at least one intermediate conveyor arranged to deliver articles from the at least one transfer conveyor onto the at least one processing conveyor, the processing conveyor.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transporting step includes conveying the articles from the at least one transfer conveyor onto the at least one processing conveyor by way of at least one intermediate conveyor, said returning step including conveying the treated articles from the at least one processing conveyor onto the at least one transfer conveyor by way of the at least one intermediate conveyor.  
   
   
       15 . Apparatus for manipulating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, comprising: 
 at least one transfer conveyor arranged to supply rod-shaped articles along a predetermined path;    at least one processing conveyor arranged to receive articles being supplied by said at least one transfer conveyor and to move the thus supplied articles along at least one second path; and    means for treating the articles in said second path, said conveyors being constructed and arranged to permit return of treated articles from said at least one second path into said predetermined path.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said predetermined path includes a transfer portion where the articles leave said transfer conveyor for entry into said at least one second path, said second path being an endless path and including an evacuating portion where the treated articles leave said processing conveyor, the articles entering said second path at said transfer portion being arraned to advance along said second path through an angular distance of at least 360° prior to leaving said processing conveyor at said evacuating portion of said second path.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one processing conveyor has a series of spaced-apart neighboring receptacles for discrete articles, said treating means comprising article rolling means adjacent said second path and said receptacles being arranged to advance the articles therein along said rolling means through an uneven multiple of the spacing between a pair of neighboring receptacles.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  for manipulating articles having variable-permeability portions wherein said treating means further comprises at least one laser associated with said at least one processing conveyor and arranged to change the permeability of said variable-permeability portions of the articles.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising an article supplying conveyor arranged to deliver a series of untreated articles to selected receptacles of said transfer conveyor, said selected receptacles including successive nth receptacles of said series and n being the number of transfer conveyors in the apparatus.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one processing conveyor includes receptacles containing articles being supplied by said transfer conveyor and receptacles arranged to receive treated articles from said predetermined path.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the number of processing conveyors is at least two, said treating means including a laser arranged to emit a single beam of radiation, means for splitting said single beam into discrete beams and means for directing discrete beams upon portions of articles on said at least two processing conveyors.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising at least one intermediate conveyor arranged to transport untreated articles from said transfer conveyor toward said processing conveyor as well as to transport treated articles from said second path toward said predetermined path.  
   
   
       23 . A method of manipulating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, comprising the steps of: 
 supplying the articles from at least one source by at least one transfer conveyor along a first path;    transposing articles from the first path into at least one second path defined by at least one processing conveyor;    moving the articles along and simultaneously treating the articles in said second path; and    utilizing the processing conveyor to transport treated articles to the at least one transfer conveyor.    
   
   
       24 . Apparatus for manipulating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, comprising: 
 at least one transfer conveyor arranged to supply rod-shaped articles along a first path;    at least one processing conveyor arranged to receive articles from said at least one transfer conveyor and to advance the received articles along a second path; and    means for treating the advancing articles in said second path, said at least one processing conveyor being constructed and arranged and associated with said at least one transfer conveyor to effect at least partial delivery of treated articles from said second path into said first path.    
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one processing conveyor comprises two endless flexible conveyors defining an article rolling channel, a first rotary conveyor having first receptacles arranged to deliver untreated articles from said at least one transfer conveyor into an inlet of said rolling channel and second receptacles, a second rotary conveyor arranged to receive treated articles from an outlet of said rolling channel and a third rotary conveyor arranged to transport treated articles from said second rotary conveyor to said first rotary conveyor, said rolling channel beng arranged to effect a rolling of the articles therein so as to ensure that the treated articles being advanced by said third rotary conveyor enter the second receptacles of said first rotary conveyor, said first rotary conveyor being arranged to deliver treated articles to said at least one transfer conveyor in one of a plurality of modes including (a) directly and (b) by way of at least one additional conveyor.