U.S. patent application number 11/368477 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-21 for retaining height regulation.
This patent application is currently assigned to HAUNI MASCHINENBAU AG. Invention is credited to Andreas Noack, Matthias Overath.
Application Number | 20060207615 11/368477 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36581528 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060207615 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Overath; Matthias ; et
al. |
September 21, 2006 |
Retaining height regulation
Abstract
A method and regulating device for regulating the retaining
height of tobacco in a retaining duct. The method includes
determining the retaining height with at least one sensor, and
controlling tobacco throughput of a conveyor organ connected to the
retaining duct in the conveyor direction of the tobacco depending
on the determined retaining height. The instant abstract is neither
intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification
nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
Inventors: |
Overath; Matthias; (Hamburg,
DE) ; Noack; Andreas; (Drage, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Assignee: |
HAUNI MASCHINENBAU AG,
Hamburg
DE
|
Family ID: |
36581528 |
Appl. No.: |
11/368477 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/280 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24C 5/18 20130101; A24C
5/1835 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/280 |
International
Class: |
A24C 5/34 20060101
A24C005/34 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 18, 2005 |
DE |
102005013077.1 |
Claims
1. A method for regulating the retaining height of tobacco in a
retaining duct, comprising: determining the retaining height with
at least one sensor; and controlling tobacco throughput of a
conveyor organ connected to the retaining duct in the conveyor
direction of the tobacco depending on the determined retaining
height.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controlling
comprises decreasing tobacco throughput when the determined
retaining height falls below a predeterminable value.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controlling
comprises increasing tobacco throughput when the determined
retaining height rises above a predeterminable value.
4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controlling
of the tobacco throughput is varied in a range of 10% around a
predeterminable standard throughput.
5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the tobacco
throughput is varied in a range of 1% to 3% around a
predeterminable standard throughput.
6. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein an extent to
which the tobacco throughput is varied corresponds to the
determined retaining height.
7. A method for assembling at least two tobacco rods from a single
tobacco supply, comprising: charging at least two retaining ducts
with tobacco from the tobacco supply; conveying the tobacco from
the at least two retaining ducts in the direction of at least two
suction rod conveyors, in which the retaining ducts are arranged
crosswise to a conveyor direction of the suction rod conveyors; and
regulating the retaining height of the tobacco in accordance with
claim 1.
8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the tobacco from
the at least two retaining ducts is conveyed onto at least one flow
surface and subsequently fed to the at least two suction rod
conveyors.
9. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the retaining
height of the tobacco is regulated for each retaining duct.
10. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the retaining
ducts are filled alternately.
11. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of
a filling frequency and a filling duration of the retaining ducts
is predetermined.
12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
predetermined filling duration of a respective retaining duct is
set depending on the throughput of the conveyor organs connected to
the respective retaining ducts.
13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the conveyor
organs are removal rolls.
14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein rotational
speeds of the removal rolls are compared in order to control the
filling duration.
15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
predetermined filling duration of a respective retaining duct is
set depending on the retaining height in the respective retaining
duct.
16. A retaining height regulation device comprising: a retaining
duct; a conveyor organ arranged downstream of, relative to a
tobacco conveyor direction, and coupled to the retaining duct; at
least one sensor for determining a tobacco retaining height in the
retaining duct; and a control and/or regulating device structured
and arranged to control a tobacco throughput of the conveyor
organ.
17. The retaining height regulating device in accordance with claim
16, wherein the conveyor organ is a removal roll.
18. The retaining height regulating device in accordance with claim
17, wherein a rotational speed of the removal roll is
controllable.
19. An arrangement for assembling at least two tobacco rods in a
cigarette rod maker, comprising: at least one suction conveyor;
feed devices, composed of at least two retaining ducts, for
conveying a product to the at least one suction rod conveyor; and a
retaining height regulating device in accordance with claim 16.
20. The arrangement in accordance with claim 19, wherein the
product comprises at least one of measured and sifted tobacco
21. The arrangement in accordance with claim 19, further comprising
at least two flow surfaces arranged to guide the tobacco to a
respective one of the at least one suction rod conveyor.
22. The arrangement in accordance with claim 19, wherein the
retaining ducts are arranged one behind the other crosswise to the
conveyor direction of the at least one suction rod conveyor.
23. The arrangement in accordance with claim 19, further comprising
a charging device structured and arranged to alternately fill the
at least two retaining ducts with tobacco.
24. The arrangement in accordance with claim 23, wherein a
respective duration for filling a respective retaining duct is
controllable.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119 of German Patent Application No. 10 2005 013 077.1, filed
on Mar. 18, 2005, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated
by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a method for regulating the
retaining height of tobacco in a retaining duct, a method for
assembling at least two tobacco rods as well as a retaining height
regulating device and an arrangement for assembling at least two
tobacco rods in a cigarette rod maker.
[0004] 2. Discussion of Background Information
[0005] A respective arrangement for assembling at least two tobacco
rods in a cigarette rod maker and a method for assembling at least
two tobacco rods in a cigarette rod maker are known from the
applicant's EP 1 364 588 A1.
[0006] Furthermore, EP 1 454 542 A1 discloses a method and a device
by which a distributor element that distributes tobacco from a
single tobacco supply into the two retaining ducts can be switched
depending on the tobacco level in two retaining ducts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a method and a device by
which the tobacco level or the retaining height of the tobacco in
at least one retaining duct of a distributor or a tobacco rod
maker, in particular with two or more retaining ducts, can be
regulated efficiently.
[0008] According to the method for regulating the retaining height
of tobacco in a retaining duct, the retaining height is determined
by at least one sensor, and the tobacco throughput of a conveyor
organ connected to the retaining duct in the conveyor direction of
the tobacco is controlled depending on the retaining height
determined.
[0009] It has been discovered according to the invention that not
only the flow of tobacco or the amount of tobacco per time unit
into the retaining duct is relevant for regulating the retaining
height of tobacco in a retaining duct, but that conveying the
tobacco out of the retaining duct is at least just as relevant. By
determining the tobacco level or the retaining height of the
tobacco in the retaining duct and correspondingly controlling the
tobacco throughput of a conveyor organ connected to the retaining
duct, it is possible to regulate the retaining height of tobacco in
a retaining duct in an easy, efficient and cost-effective manner
and in particular set at an essentially constant height, so that a
consistent conveyance of tobacco from the retaining duct to the
customary suction rod conveyors is rendered possible, whereby a
uniform tobacco rod assembly can be realized.
[0010] The inflow into the retaining ducts can be continuous, but
it can be an interrupted inflow as well. In the case of the
interrupted inflow, it makes sense to more strongly weight the
integral part in the regulator, which can, e.g., be a PID
regulator.
[0011] Preferably, the tobacco throughput is decreased when the
retaining height falls below a predeterminable value. Furthermore,
the tobacco throughput is preferably increased when the retaining
height rises above a predeterminable value.
[0012] The tobacco throughput is expediently varied in a range of
10%, in particular 1% to 3%, around a predeterminable standard
throughput. A variation of this type is sufficient for the filling
fluctuations of the retaining duct to be expected.
[0013] A faster regulation is rendered possible if the extent of
the variation is changed according to the retaining height. Hereby,
for instance, not just the information is provided by a sensor
that, e.g., the maximum retaining height has been reached in order
to then increase the throughput in a sort of step function, but a
continuous determination of the retaining height is rendered
possible and the throughput of the conveyor organ is continuously
changed accordingly. In this way, a linear relationship between the
measured retaining height and the tobacco throughput through the
conveyor organ can be provided, or a different relationship. A
corresponding delay, which may be predeterminable, can be provided
as well, i.e., that when the retaining height increases, the
throughput is increased only after a delay of, e.g., a fraction of
a second or up to several seconds.
[0014] It is provided according to the invention to further develop
a method for assembling at least two tobacco rods from a single
tobacco supply, whereby at least two retaining ducts are charged in
particular directly with the tobacco from the tobacco supply. In
this regard, the tobacco is fed from the at least two retaining
ducts in the direction of at least two suction rod conveyors, in
which the retaining ducts are arranged crosswise to the conveyor
direction of the suction rod conveyors. The method for regulating
the retaining height of the tobacco is used that has been described
above according to the invention and preferably.
[0015] This method renders it possible to simultaneously produce at
least two very homogeneous tobacco rods. For instance, it is
possible that according to EP 1 364 588 A1 one of the retaining
ducts described therein is preferably filled with tobacco, e.g.,
with a throughput that is conveyed into the respective retaining
duct by 1% to 2% more than the other retaining duct. In this case
it might happen that one of the two retaining ducts according to
the above-referenced document is completely filled and that the
other is essentially emptied. In order to counteract this, the
retaining height can be correspondingly regulated according to the
invention so that an essentially equal height of the two or more
retaining ducts is the result. A very uniform rod assembly of each
rod is thus rendered possible. It is also irrelevant for the
uniform rod assembly that a different amount of tobacco is conveyed
onto the respective suction rod conveyors, since the variation can
be disregarded in comparison to the excess of tobacco usually
conveyed onto the suction rod conveyor. It has to be taken into
account that usually more than 10% of tobacco is conveyed to the
suction rod conveyors in the excess and that this excess is cut off
or removed from the tobacco rod before rod formation.
[0016] Preferably, the tobacco is conveyed from the at least two
retaining ducts onto respectively at least one flow surface and
subsequently fed to the at least two suction rod conveyors.
[0017] Preferably, the method for regulating the retaining height
of the tobacco is applied to each retaining duct.
[0018] Preferably, the retaining ducts are filled alternately.
[0019] It is possible to predetermine the filling frequency and/or
the respective filling duration of the retaining ducts. If the
filling duration of the respective retaining ducts is set depending
on the throughput of the conveyor organs connected to the retaining
ducts, it is possible to produce very homogeneous tobacco rods.
[0020] Preferably, the conveyor organs are removal rolls. In a
particularly simple manner it is possible to compare the rotational
speeds of the removal rolls in order to control the filling
duration.
[0021] If the filling duration of the respective retaining duct is
set depending on the respective retaining height in the retaining
ducts, a very exact regulation is rendered possible.
[0022] Further, a retaining height regulating device includes at
least one sensor for determining the tobacco retaining height in a
retaining duct and with a control and/or regulating device, such
that the tobacco throughput of a conveyor organ that is connected
to the retaining duct downstream in the tobacco conveyor direction
can be controlled by the control and/or regulating device.
[0023] The retaining height regulating device according to the
invention renders possible a very efficient regulation of the
tobacco retaining height in a retaining duct, whereby a very
uniform tobacco rod can be produced.
[0024] Preferably, the conveyor organ is a removal roll. A
particularly simple regulation is rendered possible if the
rotational speed of the removal roll can be controlled.
[0025] Moreover, an arrangement for assembling at least two tobacco
rods in a cigarette rod maker includes a feed device, for conveying
in particular measured and/or sifted tobacco to at least
respectively one suction rod conveyor, composed of at least two
retaining ducts and an above-described retaining height regulating
device according to the invention is provided. Preferably, at least
two flow surfaces are provided which guide the tobacco to the
respective suction rod conveyors.
[0026] Preferably, the retaining ducts are arranged one behind the
other crosswise to the conveyor direction of the suction rod
conveyors. In this case, a very space-saving arrangement can be
realized.
[0027] Preferably, a charging device is provided, which renders
possible an alternate filling with tobacco of the at least two
retaining ducts. A particularly exact regulation is possible if the
respective duration of the charging of the respective retaining
duct can be controlled.
[0028] The present invention is directed to a method for regulating
the retaining height of tobacco in a retaining duct. The method
includes determining the retaining height with at least one sensor,
and controlling tobacco throughput of a conveyor organ connected to
the retaining duct in the conveyor direction of the tobacco
depending on the determined retaining height.
[0029] According to a feature of the invention, the controlling may
include decreasing tobacco throughput when the determined retaining
height falls below a predeterminable value.
[0030] In accordance with another feature of the present invention,
the controlling may include increasing tobacco throughput when the
determined retaining height rises above a predeterminable
value.
[0031] Further, the controlling of the tobacco throughput can be
varied in a range of 10% around a predeterminable standard
throughput, and preferably, the tobacco throughput can be varied in
a range of 1% to 3% around a predeterminable standard throughput.
Moreover, an extent to which the tobacco throughput can be varied
corresponds to the determined retaining height.
[0032] The invention is directed to a method for assembling at
least two tobacco rods from a single tobacco supply. The method
includes charging at least two retaining ducts with tobacco from
the tobacco supply, conveying the tobacco from the at least two
retaining ducts in the direction of at least two suction rod
conveyors, in which the retaining ducts are arranged crosswise to a
conveyor direction of the suction rod conveyors, and regulating the
retaining height of the tobacco in accordance with the
above-described method.
[0033] According to a feature of the instant invention, the tobacco
from the at least two retaining ducts may be conveyed onto at least
one flow surface and subsequently fed to the at least two suction
rod conveyors.
[0034] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the
retaining height of the tobacco may be regulated for each retaining
duct.
[0035] According to still another feature, the retaining ducts can
be filled alternately.
[0036] Further, at least one of a filling frequency and a filling
duration of the retaining ducts can be predetermined. The
predetermined filling duration of a respective retaining duct may
be set depending on the throughput of the conveyor organs connected
to the respective retaining ducts. Still further, the conveyor
organs can be removal rolls, and rotational speeds of the removal
rolls may be compared in order to control the filling duration. The
predetermined filling duration of a respective retaining duct can
be set depending on the retaining height in the respective
retaining duct.
[0037] The present invention is directed to a retaining height
regulation device that includes a retaining duct, a conveyor organ
arranged downstream of, relative to a tobacco conveyor direction,
and coupled to the retaining duct, at least one sensor for
determining a tobacco retaining height in the retaining duct, and a
control and/or regulating device structured and arranged to control
a tobacco throughput of the conveyor organ.
[0038] In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the
conveyor organ may be a removal roll. Further, a rotational speed
of the removal roll can be controllable.
[0039] The present invention is directed to an arrangement for
assembling at least two tobacco rods in a cigarette rod maker. The
arrangement includes at least one suction conveyor, feed devices,
composed of at least two retaining ducts, for conveying a product
to the at least one suction rod conveyor, and a retaining height
regulating device as discussed above.
[0040] According to the instant invention, the product may include
at least one of measured and sifted tobacco
[0041] Further, at least two flow surfaces may be arranged to guide
the tobacco to a respective one of the at least one suction rod
conveyor.
[0042] According to another feature of the invention, the retaining
ducts may be arranged one behind the other crosswise to the
conveyor direction of the at least one suction rod conveyor.
[0043] In accordance with still yet another feature of the present
invention, a charging device can be structured and arranged to
alternately fill the at least two retaining ducts with tobacco.
Moreover, a respective duration for filling a respective retaining
duct is controllable.
[0044] Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present
invention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure
and the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] The present invention is further described in the detailed
description which follows, wherein:
[0046] The FIGURE illustrates a diagrammatic representation of an
arrangement according to the invention for assembling at least two
tobacco rods.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0047] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for
purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the
present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing
what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood
description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present
invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural
details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary
for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the
description taken with the drawings making apparent to those
skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention
may be embodied in practice.
[0048] In a diagrammatic representation, the FIGURE shows an
arrangement according to the invention for assembling at least two
tobacco rods. In particular, essential parts of a tobacco
distributor 10 are represented. Moreover, reference is made to
European Patent Application No. EP 1 364 588 A1, the disclosure of
which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety, in which many features or elements depicted in the FIGURE
corresponds to FIG. 2 of EP 1 364 588 A1. It is further noted that
the exemplary embodiments presented in EP 1 364 588 A1 can varied
by one ordinarily skilled in the art in accordance with the
teachings and disclosure of the instant invention without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, the present
invention is not limited to the specific features of the FIGURE,
such that certain features may be replaced with corresponding
elements from EP 1 364 588 A1 without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. In this regard, it is further noted that,
while distributor element 39 depicted in the FIGURE is shown as a
moveable flap, distributor element 39 may also be embodied or
formed in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 4-11 of EP 1 364 588 A1.
Moreover, instead of producing merely two tobacco rods, as shown in
the FIGURE, it is contemplated that more than merely two tobacco
rods, e.g., four tobacco rods, as described in EP 1 364 588 A1, can
be produced in accordance with the invention.
[0049] In the distributor 10, sifted tobacco or unsifted tobacco,
such as, e.g., kretek, is conveyed upward in a per se customary
manner from the tobacco supply 80 by a steep conveyor 17 past a
paddle roll 18 combing off excess tobacco, and is released into a
drop duct 52. The impeller wheel 38, into which the tobacco falls,
serves to portion and/or separate any transport air. The impeller
wheel 38 releases tobacco into a drop duct 70 which is connected to
a distributor element 39 in the conveyor direction downstream of
the drop duct 70. The distributor element 39 is embodied or formed,
as depicted in FIG., as a type of moveable flap such that which
tobacco 28, 28' is alternately admitted into the retaining ducts 40
and 40' through movement of this moveable flap. Several other
distributor elements 39 can also be provided, such as, e.g., those
described in EP 1 364 588 A1. It is also possible to provide a
distributor element 39 as described, e.g., in EP 1 454 542 A1, the
disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein
in its entirety.
[0050] In the retaining ducts 40 and 40', tobacco 28 or 28' is
retained up to a retaining height 27 and 27' or a corresponding
tobacco level. The retained tobacco 28 or 28' is removed from the
retaining ducts 40 and 40' by a removal roll 42 or 42' and beaten
out of the removal rolls 42, 42' by a picker roller 41 or 41'. The
tobacco then falls in the direction of a respective flow surface 44
or 44'. On the way there, the tobacco is conveyed by an air flow 43
or 43' onto the flow surfaces 44, 44' and to corresponding suction
rod conveyors 50 or 50' in a rod assembly unit 51. Tobacco rods 90
and 90' are then formed on the suction rod conveyors 50 and 50'.
The tobacco rods 90, 90' generally comprise more tobacco than is
necessary to produce an endless rod of uniform density. Therefore,
excess tobacco is sheared off or cut off in the customary manner
shortly before the casing of the respective tobacco rods 90, 90'.
The excess customarily amounts to more than 10%. The tobacco rod is
produced, e.g., in the conveyor direction 91 or the suction rod
conveyors 50 and 50' move in the conveyor direction 91.
[0051] In order to produce a tobacco rod that is as uniform as
possible, in particular with regard to its density, it is desirable
to produce the most uniform tobacco flow possible on the flow
surfaces 44, 44', which can also be referred to as fluidized beds.
This is realized very well particularly when the retaining height
27, 27' of the tobacco 28, 28' is as constant as possible in the
respective retaining duct 40, 40'. A further element for increasing
the quality of the assembled tobacco rods is the vibrating element
60 or 60' located respectively in the exit area of the retaining
ducts 40, 40'. The retaining ducts 40, 40', which are arranged
essentially perpendicular, end with their duct outlets, which are
embodied as vibrating duct outlets with corresponding vibrating
elements 60, 60', at the lower end respectively above removal roll
42, 42' interacting with a picker roller 41, 41'. With regard to
the function and embodiment of the vibrating elements 60, 60'
(sometimes referred to as vibrating retaining duct sections),
reference is made to the applicant's EP 0 919 143 A1 and/or DE 197
52 717 A1. the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by
reference herein in their entireties.
[0052] In order to keep the retaining height 27, 27' in the
respective retaining ducts 40, 40' as constant as possible, the
retaining ducts 40, 40' are filled as consistently as possible with
a predeterminable charging frequency of the retaining ducts 40, 40'
and a corresponding predeterminable charging duration, which can be
predeterminable, e.g., directly via a machine control device 23.
Hereby it may occur on account of the respective geometry of the
devices, in particular the device according to the FIGURE, that one
of the retaining ducts 40, 40' is filled with more tobacco than the
other. In order to compensate for this, the invention proposes to
adjust the throughput of tobacco from the retaining ducts 40, 40'
depending on the retaining height 27, 27' through variation of the
rotational speed of the removal rolls 42, 42'. To this end, sensors
11-16 are connected to a regulator 22 via cables 20, 21.
[0053] The regulator 22 is connected to the machine control device
23 via a cable 24. Signals can be transmitted both from the
regulator 22 to the machine control device 23, as well as vice
versa. The regulator 22 receives the signals collected by the
sensors 11-16 and converts them into a regulating signal, by which
the rotational speed of the removal rolls 42, 42' is controlled.
Removal rolls 42, 42' are connected to the regulator via cables 25
and 26. This results in a regulation of the filling height or
retaining height 27, 27' of the tobacco 28, 28' in the retaining
ducts 40, 40'. The regulator can be, e.g., a customary PID
regulator, the parameters of which can be set by one skilled in the
art by simple trial and error.
[0054] As has been indicated above, it does not pose a problem that
this regulation of the retaining height 27, 27' of tobacco 28, 28'
in the retaining ducts 40, 40' causes a tobacco rod 90, 90' poured
onto the respective suction rod conveyor 50, 50' to feature overall
a lower amount of tobacco than the other rod, since a certain
amount of tobacco is cut off the tobacco rod in any case after
pouring the respective tobacco rod. It should merely be ensured
that the remaining and actually required amount of tobacco in the
respective tobacco rod is also conveyed out of the respective
retaining duct.
[0055] The sensors 11-16 can be simple sensors that merely indicate
whether tobacco is present in the area of the respective sensors,
e.g., ultrasonic sensors or visual sensors. Furthermore, the
sensors can also be embodied to indicate a relatively exact status
of the retaining height 27, 27' in the respective retaining ducts
40, 40', e.g., position-sensitive sensors, such as a CCD array. The
exactness can hereby be in the range of a few millimeters. The
regulating parameters should then be set depending on the type of
sensors.
[0056] In addition to regulating the retaining height 27, 27' via
the tobacco flow discharged from the retaining ducts, it is also
possible to control the tobacco flow that is guided into the
retaining ducts. To this end, the distributor element 39 is to be
controlled in a correspondingly variable manner as well, and not
set to fixed, predetermined values. Hereby it is recommended to
adapt in particular the charging duration of the respective
retaining duct 40, 40' to the retaining height 27, 27'. The lower
the retaining height 27, 27', the longer the charging duration
should be.
[0057] Furthermore, it is possible to keep the retaining height 27,
27' already at a relatively constant level through experience with
the respective geometry on hand in that the charging duration of
the respective retaining ducts is predetermined in a fixed manner
for a different amount of time. This can be predetermined by fixed
presettings, e.g., in the machine control device 23. The charging
durations could then possibly also be varied manually if an
unwanted change in the retaining height 27, 27' occurs over a
longer period of time. However, it still makes sense to regulate at
least a fine adjustment of the retaining height 27, 27' via the
flow of tobacco from the retaining duct.
[0058] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the mean value
of the retaining height 27, 27' and/or the total of the conveying
rates or the tobacco flow of the removal rolls 42, 42' serves to
control the conveying rate of the steep conveyor 17.
[0059] The removal rolls 42, 42' are preferably carded rolls, the
cardings of which are tilted in particular in the rotary direction
of the rolls.
[0060] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided
merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be
construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present
invention has been described with reference to an exemplary
embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used
herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words
of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the
appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its
aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein
with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the
present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars
disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all
functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are
within the scope of the appended claims.
List of Reference Numbers
[0061] 10 Tobacco distributor [0062] 11-16 Sensor element [0063] 17
Steep conveyor [0064] 18 Paddle roll [0065] 20 Cable [0066] 21
Cable [0067] 22 Regulator [0068] 23 Machine control device [0069]
24-26 Cable [0070] 27,27' Retaining height [0071] 28,28' Tobacco
[0072] 38 Impeller wheel [0073] 39 Distributor element [0074]
40,40' Retaining duct [0075] 41,41' Picker roller [0076] 42,42'
Removal roll [0077] 43,43' Air flow [0078] 44,44' Flow surface
[0079] 50,50' Suction rod conveyor [0080] 51 Rod assembly unit
[0081] 52 Drop duct [0082] 60,60' Vibrating element [0083] 70 Drop
duct [0084] 80 Tobacco supply [0085] 90,90' Tobacco rod [0086] 91
Conveyor direction
* * * * *