Module for a machine and method for perforating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco industry

Abstract

A module for a machine used in the tobacco processing industry for processing, assembling, and/or inspecting rod-shaped articles. The machine module includes a vertical conveyor.

1 . A module for a machine used in the tobacco processing industry for processing, assembling, and/or inspecting rod-shaped articles, comprising a vertical conveyor.  
   
   
       2 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical conveyor is adapted to convey the rod-shaped articles at least in some sections exclusively in a vertical direction.  
   
   
       3 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical conveyor is a belt conveyor.  
   
   
       4 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the module comprises an output, and the substantially vertical conveyor is arranged downstream with respect to a conveying direction for the rod-shaped articles, at the module output.  
   
   
       5 . The module of  claim 4 , wherein the module comprises a second module arranged downstream of the one module with respect to the conveying direction of the rod-shaped articles, and having an intake for taking over the rod-shaped articles from the vertical conveyor of the one module.  
   
   
       6 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the module includes a second module operatively connected to the one module.  
   
   
       7 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein the machine used in the tobacco processing industry is at least one of a filter-tipping machine or an apparatus for assembling groups of filter segments for producing multi-segment filters.  
   
   
       8 . A module for a machine used in the tobacco processing industry for processing, assembling, and/or inspecting rod-shaped articles, comprising at least two perforation devices that are arranged one above the other.  
   
   
       9 . The module of  claim 8 , wherein the module includes first and second conveyors, and each perforation device comprises a conveying element for removing rod-shaped articles from the first conveyor and transferring the rod-shaped articles to the second conveyor.  
   
   
       10 . The module of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first conveyor or the second conveyor is a vertical conveyor.  
   
   
       11 . The module of  claim 10 , wherein at least some sections of the first and second conveyors are adapted to convey the rod-shaped articles exclusively in a vertical direction.  
   
   
       12 . The module of  claim 10 , wherein the vertical conveyor is a belt conveyor.  
   
   
       13 . A machine used in the tobacco processing industry, comprising at least one of: 
 an element adapted to assemble the rod-shaped articles;    an element adapted to convey the rod-shaped articles;    an element adapted to process the rod-shaped articles; or    an element adapted to inspect the rod-shaped articles, further comprising at least one module according to  claim 1  or at least one module according to  claim 8 .    
   
   
       14 . The machine of  claim 13 , wherein the machine is a filter-tipping machine or an apparatus for assembling groups of filter segments for producing multi-segment filters.  
   
   
       15 . A method of processing, assembling, and/or inspecting rod-shaped articles in the tobacco industry, comprising utilizing a vertical conveyor in at least one of a filter-tipping machine or an apparatus for assembling rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least some sections of the vertical conveyor convey the rod-shaped articles exclusively in a vertical direction.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vertical conveyor comprises a conveying belt.  
   
   
       18 . A method for perforating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, comprising: 
 conveying a sequence of the rod-shaped articles;    dividing the sequence into at least two partial sequences;    perforating the rod-shaped articles of each partial sequence; and    recombining the at least two partial sequences to form a single sequence of perforated rod-shaped articles.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of supplying each partial sequence to respective perforation devices.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , including conveying the sequence vertically in at least some sections.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , including conveying the sequence on a vertical conveyor.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the rod-shaped articles of each partial sequence are perforated while positioned vertically one above the other.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of perforating the at least two partial sequences comprises using high-energy radiation.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the high-energy radiation is laser radiation.