Method and device for inserting objects into an endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry

Abstract

Method and device for inserting objects into at least one endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry. The method includes removing objects from an object supply, and accelerating the removed objects in at least one receiving unit in a conveyance direction into a receiving path in a section of an insertion belt guided by at least two redirection rollers, the insertion belt having receptacles for the objects successively arranged in at least one row to reduce a speed difference between the receptacles of the insertion belt and the objects. The method also includes receiving the objects in the receptacles along the receiving path, holding the objects in the receptacles of the insertion belt by suction air, and conveying the held objects to an insertion position at the endless material rod, and inserting the objects from the receptacles into the endless material rod at the insertion position.

1 . A method for inserting objects into at least one endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry, the method comprising:
 removing objects from an object supply;   accelerating the removed objects in at least one receiving unit in a conveyance direction into a receiving path in a section of an insertion belt guided by at least two redirection rollers, the insertion belt having receptacles for the objects successively arranged in at least one row to reduce a speed difference between the receptacles of the insertion belt and the objects;   receiving the objects in the receptacles along the receiving path;   holding the objects in the receptacles of the insertion belt by suction air, and conveying the held objects to an insertion position at the endless material rod; and   inserting the objects from the receptacles into the endless material rod at the insertion position.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one endless rod comprises an endless filter rod, and the path in the section of the insertion belt is a straight section. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein more objects are accelerated in the direction of the receiving path than can be received by the receptacles of the insertion belt. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 feeding into the object supply certain objects at an end of the receiving path that one of: are not received in the receptacles of the insertion belt; are removed from the receptacle of the insertion belt; or fell out of the receptacle of the insertion belt; and   re-accelerating these certain objects in the direction of the receiving path.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the objects roll off on the receiving path on the insertion belt. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising removing one of individual or all objects from respective receptacles at an end of the receiving path with an ejection device. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one second receiving unit with a second receiving path is arranged downstream, in relation to the conveyance direction, of the receiving path of the receiving unit, and method further comprises accelerating further objects in the second receiving path; receiving the further objects in receptacles of the insertion belt that are open after leaving the receiving unit. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the further objects are of an object type different from the type of objects in the receiving unit. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein during at least one of a startup phase and a synchronization phase, at least one of no objects are accelerated and all objects are removed from the receptacles in the insertion belt. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, before the insertion of the objects, the method further comprises creating a groove in the endless material rod into which the objects are inserted, and
 wherein, after insertion of the objects, the method further comprises closing the groove.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an insertion belt having receptacles for objects arranged one after the other in at least one row to convey the objects from an object supply to an endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry, the method comprising:
 rotating the operating belt to a speed corresponding to a conveying speed of the endless material rod;   suctioning objects to the receptacles to accelerate the suctioned objects to a speed of the conveying speed; and   inserting the suctioned objects into the endless material rod.   
     
     
         12 . A device for inserting objects into at least one endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry, comprising:
 a conveyor with receptacles arranged one after the other in at least one row that are structured for receiving the objects;   an inserter structured and arranged to insert objects from the receptacles of the conveyance device into the endless material rod;   the conveyor being formed as an insertion belt, which is guidable over at least two redirection rollers, and to which at least one of suction air and compressed air is to be applied from an inside,   wherein the receptacles are formed as bore holes that completely penetrate the insertion belt and that have a diameter at an outside of the insertion belt that greater than at the inside,   at least one receiving unit comprising an acceleration device structured and arranged to accelerate in a conveyance direction the objects in a receiving path in a section of the insertion belt so that a speed difference between the receptacles of the insertion belt and the objects is reduced.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one endless rod comprises an endless filter rod, and the path in the section of the insertion belt is a straight section. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the insertion belt in an area of the at least one row of receptacles has at least one of an increased profile at its outside and a concave continuous indentation at its inside. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the insertion belt is structured and arranged on the inside one of as a flat belt or to have a toothed belt profile in at least one side area. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the device is structured and arranged for inserting objects into two or more endless material rods, and the insertion belt comprises with two or more rows of receptacles for objects. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the device is structured and arranged for inserting objects into two or more endless material rods, and wherein the conveyor comprises two or more insertion belts, each with one row of receptacles for objects. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the acceleration device comprises an accelerator comprising at least one of a fall path, a pneumatic or mechanical accelerator, side channel blowers, vacuum pumps, compressed air sources, centrifuges and acceleration wheels. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 18 , wherein the pneumatic or mechanical accelerator comprises one or more ring nozzles. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the accelerated objects are guidable in an area of the receiving path in a single layer along the insertion belt. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the receiving path is obliquely oriented to gravity so the accelerated objects roll off on the insertion belt. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one object supply is provided that is structured and arranged with a sloped bottom store and a vibration motor that is connected to the at least one acceleration device and which is mechanically decoupled from the at least one acceleration device. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the receiving unit comprises at least one ejection device structured and arranged between the redirection rollers, by which objects are ejectable from the receptacles. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one ejection device comprises: a pneumatic or mechanical ejection pulse structure to apply a compressed air pulse or compressed air flow; a star wheel; or a plunger. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein a feedback unit is provided as part of an air circulation loop for feeding objects that were not received in a receptacle back into one of the object supply or the acceleration device. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 12 , further comprising at least one further receiving unit being arranged at the insertion belt and downstream, in relation to the conveyance direction, the receiving unit and at at least one receiving path in a straight section of the insertion belt, to which further objects are accelerated,
 wherein the further objects are received in receptacles of the insertion belt that are free of objects after leaving the first receiving unit.   
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 26 , wherein the further objects are of a type differing from the objects in the receiving unit. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the inserter is structured and arranged to be mechanical or pneumatic and to apply a compressed air pulse or compressed air flow, a star wheel or a plunger, and
 wherein a scraper for supporting the receiving of objects from the receptacles in the insertion belt is arranged downstream of the inserter in a conveyance direction of the endless material rod.   
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the redirection rollers has an annular groove at which a vacuum is to be applied. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claims 12 , further comprising a control device structured and arranged to insert the objects into the at least one endless material rod of the tobacco processing industry. 
     
     
         31 . An insertion belt of a device according to  claims 12 , wherein the receptacles for the objects are structured as bore holes completely penetrating the insertion belt and having a diameter at an outside of the insertion belt greater than at an inside, and
 wherein the insertion belt in an area of the at least one row of receptacles has at least one of an increased profile at the outside and a concave continuous indentation at the inside.   
     
     
         32 . The insertion belt according to  claim 31 , wherein the insertion belt at the inside is structured one of as a flat belt, or to have toothed belt profile in at least one side area.