U.S. patent application number 11/100439 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-13 for method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products.
Invention is credited to Balletti, Leonardo, Draghetti, Fiorenzo, Eusepi, Ivan, Sgrignuoli, Vittorio, Turrini, Armando.
Application Number | 20050224087 11/100439 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34897764 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050224087 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Draghetti, Fiorenzo ; et
al. |
October 13, 2005 |
Method and a machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco
products
Abstract
Filters for cigarettes are manufactured on a machine by which a
web of activated carbon fiber fabric is decoiled from a roll, fed
into a fragmentation device and broken up into filaments or
particles. The fragments are gathered by a first unit into a
continuous flow directed up and through the top outlet of an ascent
channel into a further unit with a slidable and air-permeable
aspirating belt such as will attract and retain the filaments or
particles rising through the channel and shape them progressively
into a continuous stream which is then released by the belt to the
infeed of a unit equipped with a garniture section along which a
strip of paper is wrapped around the continuous stream to form a
continuous filter rod. Finally, the rod is fed through a rotary
cutter and divided into sticks that will provide the single filter
plugs for attachment to cigarettes.
Inventors: |
Draghetti, Fiorenzo;
(Medicina, IT) ; Eusepi, Ivan; (Castelmaggiore,
IT) ; Turrini, Armando; (San Giovanni In Persiceto,
IT) ; Sgrignuoli, Vittorio; (Bologna, IT) ;
Balletti, Leonardo; (San Lazzaro Di Savena, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Harbin King & Klima
500 Ninth Street SE
Washington
DC
20003
US
|
Family ID: |
34897764 |
Appl. No.: |
11/100439 |
Filed: |
April 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/207 ;
131/202; 131/331 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D 3/0233
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/207 ;
131/331; 131/202 |
International
Class: |
A24D 001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 8, 2004 |
IT |
BO2004A000202 |
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing filters for tobacco products,
comprises the steps of: feeding a continuous stream of filaments or
particles consisting in activated carbon fibers to the infeed of a
unit by which a continuous filter rod is formed; enveloping the
continuous stream in a strip of wrapping material to form the
continuous filter rod; and feeding the continuous rod toward a
cutter device by which it is divided into discrete filter
sticks.
2) A method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of
collecting a mass of filaments or particles consisting in activated
carbon fibers internally of a reservoir, transforming the mass into
a continuous flow of such filaments or particles, and directing the
continuous flow toward a unit by which the filaments or particles
consisting in activated carbon fibers are formed into the
continuous stream.
3) A method as in claim 1, comprising the steps of feeding a web of
fabric composed of activated carbon fibers along a predetermined
path, subjecting the web of fabric to the action of a fragmentation
device by which it is broken up into filaments or particles,
forming the filaments or particles into a continuous flow, and
directing the continuous flow into a unit by which it is gathered
into the continuous stream of filaments or particles consisting in
activated carbon fibers.
4) A method as in claim 3 comprising a step, included between the
fragmentation step and the step of forming the filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers into a continuous flow, of
collecting the mass of filaments or particles consisting in
activated carbon fibers internally of a reservoir.
5) A method as in claim 1, wherein the continuous stream of
filaments or particles consisting in activated carbon fibers is
obtained, beginning with a plurality of strands, through a step of
feeding the strands into means by which they are formed into the
continuous stream of filaments or particles consisting in activated
carbon fibers.
6) A method as in claim 1, wherein the continuous stream of
filaments or particles consisting in activated carbon fibers is
obtained, beginning with a layer of filaments or particles
consisting in activated carbon fibers, through a step of feeding
the layer into means by which it is formed into the continuous
stream.
7) A method as in claim 1, wherein the continuous stream consists
in a rope or braid unwound from respective reel.
8) A machine for manufacturing filters for tobacco products,
comprising: a reservoir internally of which to collect and to
contain a mass of filaments or particles of activated carbon
fibers; feed means supplying the reservoir; a unit by which the
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into
at least one continuous stream; a unit by which the continuous
stream is formed into a continuous filter rod; and cutter means by
which the continuous rod is divided into discrete filter
sticks.
9) A machine as in claim 8, wherein the feed means comprise means
by which to decoil and guide a web of fabric composed of activated
carbon fibers from a relative roll, and a fragmentation device by
which the web is broken up into filaments or particles of activated
carbon fibers.
10) A machine as in claim 8, comprising a unit by which filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into a
continuous flow, interposed between the reservoir and the unit by
which the filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers are
formed into a continuous stream.
11) A machine as in claim 10, wherein the unit by which filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into a
continuous flow comprises a carding device, first conveyor means
feeding the carding device from the reservoir, an ascent channel in
which the filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers are
formed into a continuous flow and from which the flow is fed to the
unit forming the continuous stream, and second conveyor means
interposed between the carding device and the ascent channel.
12) A machine as in claim 10, wherein the unit by which filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into a
continuous flow comprises an ascent channel inside which the
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into a
continuous flow and from which the flow is fed to the unit forming
the continuous stream of filaments or particles of activated carbon
fibers, and second conveyor means interposed between the reservoir
and the ascent channel.
13) A machine as in claim 8, wherein the unit by which filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into at least one
continuous stream comprises an aspirating conveyor belt looped
around return pulleys and positioned at the top outlet end of the
ascent channel supplying the unit by which the continuous stream of
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers is formed into
continuous filter rod together with a strip of wrapping material
designed to envelop the selfsame continuous stream of filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers.
14) A machine as in claim 8, comprising means, interposed between
the reservoir in which to collect and contain a mass of filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers and the unit by which the
continuous filter rod is formed, such as will form the continuous
stream of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers
directly from the mass of filaments or particles of activated
carbon fibers.
15) A machine as in claim 8, comprising a spinning unit, interposed
between the reservoir in which to collect and contain a mass of
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers and the unit by
which the continuous filter rod is formed, such as will produce a
plurality of strands consisting in filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers, and means by which to form the continuous
stream of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers from
the selfsame strands.
16) A machine as in claim 13, wherein the unit by which the
continuous filter rod is formed with the strip of wrapping material
comprises a beam along which the strip of wrapping material is
closed around the continuous stream of filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers.
17) A filter for tobacco products, characterized in that it is
composed at least in part of filaments or particles consisting in
activated carbon fibers prepared by the method as in claim 1.
18) A machine as in claim 9, comprising a unit by which filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into a
continuous flow, interposed between the reservoir and the unit by
which the filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers are
formed into a continuous stream.
19) A machine as in claim 9, wherein the unit by which filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into at least one
continuous stream comprises an aspirating conveyor belt looped
around return pulleys and positioned at the top outlet end of the
ascent channel supplying the unit by which the continuous stream of
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers is formed into
continuous filter rod together with a strip of wrapping material
designed to envelop the selfsame continuous stream of filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers.
20) A machine as in claim 10, wherein the unit by which filaments
or particles of activated carbon fibers are formed into at least
one continuous stream comprises an aspirating conveyor belt looped
around return pulleys and positioned at the top outlet end of the
ascent channel supplying the unit by which the continuous stream of
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers is formed into
continuous filter rod together with a strip of wrapping material
designed to envelop the selfsame continuous stream of filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and to a machine
for manufacturing filters applicable to tobacco products, in
particular cigarettes.
[0002] The prior art embraces the practice of attaching filters to
cigarettes with tipping papers. Such filters are manufactured by a
process in which a flow of filter material, usually cellulose
acetate drawn from a supply such as a bale, is extended, stretched
and treated with additives, in particular plasticizers. The flow is
processed in such a way as to obtain a continuous stream of filter
material and the stream then enveloped in a paper plugwrap to
fashion a continuous filter rod, which will be divided ultimately
into single filter plugs.
[0003] Also embraced by the prior art are filters for cigarettes
utilizing activated carbon granules as the filter material. In
effect, activated carbon is an excellent filtration medium, that is
to say with a high capacity for absorbing nicotine, tar and other
harmful products contained in smoke.
[0004] Owing to the relatively large particle size of the granules,
however, filters of this type do not present a sufficiently compact
structure.
[0005] In effect, the interstitial spaces between the granules
offer a path of least resistance to the smoke, thus significantly
reducing the capacity of such filters to trap impurities.
[0006] A further drawback consists in the fact that the equipment
employed in manufacturing such filters is relatively complex, not
least in view of the need to place the granular filters in question
between two cellulose acetate filter plugs produced by the method
outlined briefly above, which function not only as filters but also
as a means of preventing the endmost granules of the activated
carbon filter element from escaping during the various processing
steps.
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide filters
affording a high absorption capacity and guaranteed devoid of the
drawbacks mentioned above.
[0008] A further object of the invention is to provide a method and
a system for the manufacture of such filters that will be
unaffected by the drawbacks of conventional equipment as mentioned
above, while affording simplicity and ease of implementation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The stated objects are realized according to the present
invention in a method of manufacturing filters for tobacco
products, which comprises the steps of feeding a continuous stream
of filaments or particles consisting in activated carbon fibers to
the infeed of a unit by which a continuous filter rod is formed,
enveloping the continuous stream in a strip of wrapping material to
form the continuous filter rod, and feeding the continuous rod to a
cutter device by which it is divided into discrete filter
sticks.
[0010] The stated objects are realized similarly in a filter maker
embodied according to the invention, comprising a reservoir that
serves to collect and to contain a mass of filaments or particles
of activated carbon fibers, also feed means supplying the
reservoir, a unit by which the activated carbon filaments or
particles are formed into at least one continuous stream, a unit by
which the continuous stream is formed into a continuous filter rod,
and cutter means by which the continuous rod is divided into
discrete filter sticks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of
example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a machine for making filters
applicable to tobacco products, embodied in accordance with the
present invention, viewed schematically and in perspective and cut
away in part;
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates the machine of FIG. 1 with certain parts
omitted and others added, viewed in elevation and on a different
scale;
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates the machine of FIG. 1 in a second
embodiment, viewed schematically and in perspective, and cut away
in part;
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a variation in embodiment of the portion
of the machine in FIG. 3, viewed schematically and in
perspective;
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates the machine according to the present
invention in a third embodiment, viewed in elevation;
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a cigarette, in perspective, furnished
with a filter manufactured by the method and employing a machine
according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, 1
denotes a filter making machine, in its entirety. Such a machine 1
comprises a reservoir 2 containing a mass 3 of filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers, also a unit 4 by which the
filaments or particles of the mass 3 are formed into a continuous
flow 5, and a unit 6 by which the continuous flow 5 is formed into
two continuous streams 7 of filaments or particles of activated
carbon fibers.
[0019] In addition, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the machine 1
comprises a forming unit 8 on which two continuous filter rods 9
are assembled by wrapping each of the aforementioned continuous
streams 7 of fibers in a respective strip 10 of paper decoiled by a
relative feed device 11 from a corresponding roll 12.
[0020] The continuous filter rods 9 advance along a path denoted P
to the outfeed end of the forming unit 8, where they are divided
into discrete sticks 13 by a cutter device 14.
[0021] Whilst the example described and illustrated relates to a
machine with two processing lines, hence able to assemble two
continuous filter rods simultaneously from respective streams of
fibers, it will be appreciated that the disclosure applies equally
to a machine with just one processing line.
[0022] 15 denotes a continuous web of fabric made from activated
carbon fibers. More particularly, the material in question is
obtained by a process of calcination in the absence of air or
oxygen, known as carbonization, followed by an activating step
consisting in oxidation at high temperature. The resulting fibers
can be prepared for use, as in the case considered here, in the
form of fabric.
[0023] Also indicated in FIG. 1 are decoil and guide means denoted
16, in their entirety, constituting means by which to feed the web
15 of fabric along a predetermined path denoted P1. Such means
comprise a device 17 serving to decoil a bulk roll 18 of the fabric
15 rotatable about a horizontal axis 18a, also a roller 19 by which
the fabric 15 is diverted onto a substantially vertical leg of the
path P1 toward a fragmentation device 20 positioned above the
reservoir 2 and illustrated schematically as a pair of rollers 21
and 22 contrarotating about axes parallel to the aforementioned
horizontal axis 18a.
[0024] The fragmentation device 20 serves to break up the fabric
15, for example utilizing teeth or tines presented by the rollers
21 and 22, and reduce it to filaments or particles having the
consistency of fluff, accumulating to create the aforementioned
mass 3 internally of the reservoir 2.
[0025] The unit 4 serving to form the continuous flow 5 of
filaments or particles is housed in a vertically oriented enclosure
denoted 23, delimited laterally by two vertical walls 24 and 25,
and uppermost by a horizontal wall 26 presenting an opening 27 to
the reservoir 2 through which the mass 3 of fluff can drop onto a
power-driven toothed roller 28.
[0026] The mass 3 of fluff is directed by the roller 28 downwards
and into a lower chamber 29 delimited at the bottom by a conveyor
belt 30 which carries the fluff toward a carding device 31 equipped
with a carding roller 32 rotatable about an axis 32a lying
transversely to the vertical side walls 24 and 25 and operating in
conjunction with a proportioning roller 33.
[0027] With the arrangement thus described, the mass 3 of fluff
consisting in filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers is
directed by the toothed roller 28 onto the belt 30, and by the belt
toward the carding roller 32, from which a layer of fluff
substantially equal in thickness to the radial dimension of the
carding teeth is transferred away from the chamber 29 and beyond
the position of the selfsame roller 32 tangential to the
proportioning roller 33.
[0028] It will be seen that the toothed roller 28 and the belt 30
constitute first conveyor means serving to supply the carding
device 31 with fluff from the reservoir 2.
[0029] The layer of filaments or particles of activated carbon
fiber is taken up by an impeller roller 34 rotatable about an axis
parallel to the axis 32a of the carding roller, and projected into
a descent channel 35.
[0030] The descent channel 35 extends in a substantially vertical
direction and is disposed with the bottom end facing the periphery
of a toothed take-up unit denoted 36, comprising a first and a
second toothed roller combining one with another to transfer the
layer of filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers onto a
transfer belt 37.
[0031] The transfer belt 37 runs from right to left, as viewed in
FIG. 1, and is angled upward with the runout end located beneath
the inlet of an ascent channel 38 internally of which a continuous
flow 5 of the filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers is
entrained in an ascending air current generated by pneumatic means
of conventional type (not illustrated).
[0032] Accordingly, the descent channel 35, the toothed take-up
unit 36 and the transfer belt 37 combine to establish second
conveyor means interposed between the carding device 31 and the
ascent channel 38.
[0033] The top outlet end 39 of the ascent channel is enclosed by a
pair of aspirating belts 40 made of air-permeable material and
constituting a part of the unit 6 by which the aforementioned
continuous streams 7 are formed. The two belts 40 are looped around
two return pulleys 41 driven in rotation about respective
horizontal axes. Compassed within the loop created by the belts 40
is a chamber 42 connected to a source of negative pressure (not
illustrated) and delimited on the underside by a wall 43 pierced
with suction holes 44.
[0034] Thus, filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers
making up the continuous flow 5 are directed up through the ascent
channel 38 and into contact with the bottom branches of the
aspirating belts 40 as these slide against the aforementioned wall
43, whereupon the fibers cling to the belts and gather
progressively to form the aforementioned continuous streams 7,
which are conveyed to the infeed 45 of the unit 8 that will form
them into continuous filter rods 9.
[0035] More precisely, and referring to FIG. 2, the continuous
streams 7 of material are released onto respective strips 10 of
paper supported by the top branches of respective looped conveyor
belts 46, of which one only is visible in FIG. 2, forming part of
the aforementioned feed device 11 and fashioned from a textile
material.
[0036] The forming unit 8 further comprises a beam 47, extending
along the aforementioned path P, by which the paper strips 40 are
constrained to wrap around the respective continuous streams 7 of
filaments or particles of activated carbon fibers, thus bringing
about the assembly of the two filter rods 9. As the assembled
components advance along the beam 47, one longitudinal edge of each
strip 10 will be gummed by applicator means (not illustrated) and
stuck, so as to stabilize the wrap around the two rods 9.
[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the machine differing
from that of FIG. 1 inasmuch as the reservoir 2 is placed at the
outlet of a duct 48 of which the inlet is connected to a
fragmentation device shown schematically as a block denoted 20.
Also, the unit 4 forming the continuous flow 5 of filaments or
particles of activated carbon fibers is simplified in this
embodiment, comprising only the toothed take-up unit 36, placed at
the bottom outlet end of the reservoir 2 in this instance, the
transfer belt 37, and the ascent channel 38.
[0038] It will be seen that the decoiling and guiding means 16
serving to direct a web 15 of fabric along a predetermined path P1
in the example of FIG. 1, and the duct 48 in FIG. 2, are designed
to act as feed means serving the reservoir 2.
[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the machine differing
from that of FIG. 1 inasmuch as the reservoir 2 is fed by a
conveyor belt 49 angled downward and toward the inlet of the
reservoir 2, onto which the mass 3 of filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers is released from above. More exactly, the
top infeed end of the belt 49 is positioned beneath the
fragmentation device 20 by which the web 15 of activated carbon
fiber fabric will be broken up.
[0040] In like manner to the example of FIG. 3, the unit 4 serving
to form the continuous flow 5 of filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers is simplified in this embodiment,
consisting only in the toothed take-up unit 36, positioned at the
bottom outlet end of the reservoir 2, the transfer belt 37 and the
ascent channel 38.
[0041] Referring to the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the block
denoted 50 represents a spinning unit such as will produce a
plurality of strands 51 consisting in filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers, obtainable from the web 15 of fabric or
from a mass 3 of fluff containing filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers, or unwound from respective reels. The
strands 51 emerging from the spinning unit 50 are fed into a
forming unit shown as a block denoted 52, and gathered by this same
unit into a continuous stream 7 of filaments or particles of
activated carbon fibers.
[0042] Alternatively, the stream 7 could consist in a rope or braid
of activated carbon filaments or particles unwound from a
respective reel.
[0043] In a further embodiment of the machine 1, not illustrated in
the drawings, the stream 7 could be processed directly by the
forming unit 52 from a layer of fluff.
[0044] Proceeding downstream of the forming unit 52, the unit 8 by
which the filter rods 9 are assembled is no different to that
described with reference to the example of FIG. 2.
[0045] Finally, FIG. 6 illustrates a cigarette 53 with a filter 54
obtained from a stick 13 manufactured on the machine 1 by the
methods described above. In particular, the filter 54 in question
presents a much higher capacity for absorbing impurities than
traditional filters made with cellulose acetate or activated carbon
granules.
[0046] In effect, the microporosity of the filter in question is
such as to make it especially suitable for trapping pollutants of
low molecular weight. The filter described and illustrated might
also be utilized in conjunction with traditional cellulose filters
to assemble composite filters.
[0047] Furthermore, and in the light of the foregoing, a filter 54
obtained in this manner is considerably simpler to manufacture than
a conventional filter.
* * * * *