U.S. patent application number 11/474002 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-11 for apparatus and methods for manufacturing cigarettes.
Invention is credited to Vernon Brent Barnes, Douglas R. Hicks, John Larkin Nelson, Timothy Frederick Thomas.
Application Number | 20070006888 11/474002 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36999961 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070006888 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hicks; Douglas R. ; et
al. |
January 11, 2007 |
Apparatus and methods for manufacturing cigarettes
Abstract
Small quantities of cigarettes may be manufactured in a
substantially simultaneous fashion while maintaining consistent
quality between the cigarettes using the disclosed apparatus and
methods. The apparatus and method include features for
simultaneously inserting charges of tobacco into pre-formed tubular
cigarette wrappers. In another aspect, a system enables making
cigarettes from pre-formed tubular cigarette wrappers and
pre-packaged charges of tobacco.
Inventors: |
Hicks; Douglas R.;
(Monterrey, MX) ; Thomas; Timothy Frederick; (High
Point, NC) ; Barnes; Vernon Brent; (Advance, NC)
; Nelson; John Larkin; (Lewisville, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. BOX 10395
CHICAGO
IL
60610
US
|
Family ID: |
36999961 |
Appl. No.: |
11/474002 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11143888 |
Jun 1, 2005 |
|
|
|
11474002 |
Jun 23, 2006 |
|
|
|
11143889 |
Jun 1, 2005 |
|
|
|
11474002 |
Jun 23, 2006 |
|
|
|
11143923 |
Jun 1, 2005 |
|
|
|
11474002 |
Jun 23, 2006 |
|
|
|
11143930 |
Jun 1, 2005 |
|
|
|
11474002 |
Jun 23, 2006 |
|
|
|
11375700 |
Mar 14, 2006 |
|
|
|
11474002 |
Jun 23, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/70 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24C 5/12 20130101; A24C
5/06 20130101; A24C 5/40 20130101; B65B 19/20 20130101; B26D 1/18
20130101; B26D 3/161 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/070 |
International
Class: |
A24C 5/00 20060101
A24C005/00 |
Claims
1. A device for manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco and
pre-formed tubular wrapping portions, the device comprising: a
magazine comprising a plurality of lumens, said lumens configured
to hold tobacco filler; a wrapper-holding cartridge configured for
supporting a plurality of pre-formed tubular wrappers, each wrapper
including a hollow region at one end configured for receiving
tobacco filler; a first support configured for positioning the
wrapper-holding cartridge relative to the lumens such that a
pre-determined number of the pre-formed tubular wrappers are
aligned with and adjacent to a corresponding predetermined number
of the lumens; an insertion mechanism configured for moving the
tobacco filler from the predetermined number of the lumens into the
hollow region of each pre-formed tubular wrapper aligned adjacent
thereto, the insertion mechanism comprising at least one elongate
member in mechanical communication with at least one of the
predetermined number of the lumens; and a second support configured
for positioning the magazine such that the at least one of the
predetermined number of the lumens is aligned with the at least one
elongate member of the insertion mechanism.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the predetermined
number of the lumens is configured to receive tobacco filler
provided as a pre-formed charge of tobacco.
3. The device of claim 1, the magazine including a first number of
lumens, and the wrapper-holding cartridge including a plurality of
surfaces for supporting at least the same first number of
pre-formed tubular wrappers.
4. The device of claim 3, the magazine including at least five
lumens and the wrapper-holding cartridge configured to support at
least five pre-formed tubular wrappers.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the wrapper-holding cartridge is
movably positioned upon the first support and is removable from the
first support.
6. The device of claim 1 including a first number of lumens, and
wherein the wrapper-holding cartridge includes a plurality of
surfaces for supporting a number of pre-formed tubular wrappers
equal to or greater than the first number of lumens.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the first number of lumens is
five, and the wrapper-holding cartridge includes a plurality of
surfaces for supporting at least ten pre-formed tubular
wrappers.
8. The device of claim 6 wherein the first number of lumens is at
least two, and the wrapper-holding cartridge includes a plurality
of surfaces for supporting at least ten pre-formed tubular
wrappers.
9. The device of claim 6 wherein the first number of lumens is
twenty, and the wrapper-holding cartridge includes a plurality of
surfaces for supporting twenty pre-formed tubular wrappers.
10. The device of claim 6 wherein the first number of lumens is at
least five, and the wrapper-holding cartridge includes a plurality
of surfaces configured for supporting more than twenty pre-formed
tubular wrappers.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein the magazine is configured to be
refillable by a user.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein the magazine is movable upon the
second support and is removable from the second support.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein each elongate member of the
insertion mechanism comprises a longitudinally reciprocating member
configured for pushing tobacco from at least one of the lumens into
the hollow region of a tubular wrapper.
14. A method for manufacturing cigarettes from a quantity of
tobacco and pre-formed tubular wrappers, the method comprising the
steps of: providing tobacco in a plurality of parallel aligned
lumens in a portable magazine; providing a wrapper-holding
cartridge, the wrapper-holding cartridge supporting a plurality of
parallel aligned pre-formed tubular wrappers, each wrapper
including a hollow region at one end; positioning the magazine on a
first support such that a predetermined number of the lumens is
aligned with elongate members of an insertion mechanism positioning
the wrapper-holding cartridge on a second support such that at
least a pre-determined number of the pre-formed tubular wrappers
are aligned with and adjacent to a corresponding pre-determined
number of the lumens; and actuating an insertion mechanism in a
manner such that the elongate members contact and move tobacco from
each lumen into the hollow region of each pre-formed tubular
wrapper aligned adjacent thereto.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the tobacco is provided as a
plurality of pre-formed charges of tobacco.
16. A system for manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco and
pre-formed tubular wrappers, the system comprising: a magazine
comprising a plurality of lumens, said lumens configured to hold
tobacco filler; a wrapper-holding container, said container
configured to support a plurality of pre-formed tubular wrappers,
each wrapper including a hollow region at one end configured for
receiving tobacco filler; a first support configured for
positioning the wrapper-holding container relative to the lumens
such that a pre-determined number of the pre-formed tubular
wrappers are aligned with and adjacent to a corresponding
predetermined number of the lumens; an insertion mechanism
configured for moving the tobacco filler from the predetermined
number of the lumens into the hollow region of each pre-formed
tubular wrapper aligned adjacent thereto, the insertion mechanism
comprising a tobacco-moving means in mechanical communication with
each of the predetermined number of the lumens; and a second
support configured for positioning the magazine such that the
pre-determined number of the lumens is aligned with the
tobacco-moving means of the insertion mechanism.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the tobacco-moving means
comprises at least one elongate member.
18. The system of claim 16 wherein the tobacco-moving means
comprises a compressed gas means configured to direct a charge of
compressed gas against the tobacco filler in each of the
pre-determined number of lumens, said charge of compressed gas
providing sufficient force to move the tobacco filler from the
pre-determined number of lumens into the pre-determined number of
the pre-formed tubular wrappers.
19. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the
predetermined number of the lumens is configured to receive tobacco
filler provided as a pre-formed charge of tobacco.
20. The system of claim 16 wherein the wrapper-holding container
comprises a wrapper-holding cartridge.
21. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined number of
lumens is configured as a single row of lumens.
22. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined number of
lumens is configured as a plurality of rows of lumens.
23. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined number of
lumens is configured as a two rows of lumens.
24. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined number of
lumens is configured as a three rows of lumens.
25. The system of claim 16, wherein the wrapper-holding container
is configured to hold a single row of pre-formed tubular
wrappers.
26. The system of claim 16, wherein the wrapper-holding container
is configured to hold a plurality of rows of pre-formed tubular
wrappers.
27. The system of claim 16, wherein the wrapper-holding container
is configured to hold two rows of pre-formed tubular wrappers.
28. The system of claim 16, wherein the wrapper-holding container
is configured to hold three rows of pre-formed tubular
wrappers.
29. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined number of
lumens is configured as a plurality of rows of lumens, and the
wrapper-holding container is configured to hold a plurality of rows
of pre-formed tubular wrappers; and wherein at least one of the
predetermined number of lumens is configured to align with at least
one of the pre-formed tubular wrappers of the wrapper-holding
container.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein 20 lumens are configured in
three substantially parallel rows of lumens; the wrapper-holding
container is configured to hold a three corresponding rows of 20
pre-formed tubular wrappers; and wherein each of the 20 lumens is
configured to align with corresponding pre-formed tubular wrappers
in the wrapper-holding container.
31. A method for manufacturing cigarettes comprising: providing
different tobacco types appropriate for use in cigarettes, each of
said tobacco types being configured in a separate pre-formed
tobacco charge, each pre-formed tobacco charge comprising a
generally cylindrical rod of tobacco; providing a container that is
configured to receive a pre-determined number of cigarettes;
receiving a designation of at least one tobacco of the different
tobacco types to be incorporated into cigarettes; loading the
designated tobacco types and a plurality of pre-formed tubular
wrappers to a cigarette manufacturing apparatus that is configured
to move a plurality of the pre-formed charges of the different
tobacco types from a magazine into pre-formed tubular wrappers;
actuating the apparatus to move the plurality of pre-formed tobacco
charges substantially simultaneously into a corresponding plurality
of the pre-formed tubular wrappers to form cigarettes; repeating
the loading and actuating steps as needed to form the
pre-determined number of cigarettes; and placing the cigarettes
into the container.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. Nos. 11/143,888; 11/143,889; 11/143,923; and
11/143,930; each filed Jun. 1, 2005; and Ser. No. 11/375,700, filed
Mar. 14, 2006, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to smoking articles, and in
particular, to cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention
relates to equipment and methods for manufacturing and handling
relatively small quantities of cigarettes in an automated
fashion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially
cylindrical rod-shaped structure and include a charge, roll, or
column of smokable material, such as shredded tobacco, surrounded
by a paper wrapper, to form a "cigarette rod," "smokable rod," or a
"tobacco rod." A typical cigarette has a cylindrical filter element
axially aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod.
Typically, the filter element comprises plasticized cellulose
acetate tow circumscribed by a paper material known as "plug wrap."
Certain cigarettes incorporate filter elements comprising, for
example, activated charcoal particles. Typically, the filter
element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a
circumscribing wrapping material known as "tipping paper." A
ventilated or air-diluted smoking article can be provided with an
optional air-dilution means, such as a series of perforations, each
of which extend through the tipping material and plug wrap.
Conventional automated cigarette rod making machines that have been
employed for the manufacture of commercially popular packaged
cigarettes are of the type commercially available from Molins PLC
or Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG. For example, a description of a
commercially available "Protos" cigarette-making machine is
provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,190 to Brand, at col. 5, line 48
through col. 8, line 3. Types of equipment suitable for the
manufacture of cigarettes also are set forth in U.S. Pat. App. Pub.
No. 2004/0129281 to Hancock et al. A cigarette-making machine for
making relatively small amounts of cigarettes has been available
commercially as "Hauni Baby" from Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG.
Another type of portable cigarette-making machine has been set
forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,229 to Hurt.
[0004] Cigarettes are commercially available in a wide variety of
types. For example, different brands of cigarettes are available
containing different individual types of tobaccos having unique or
characteristic flavors and aromas (e.g., Burley, Oriental, and
Virginia tobaccos). Cigarettes are also available that contain
blends of tobacco types and/or flavoring agents in or on the
tobacco. Different colors and flavors of wrappers are available as
well as filter elements providing variety in, for example,
flavoring, strength of flavor, and tar yield. Conventionally,
consumers obtain commercially available cigarettes in a pack
containing a single type of cigarette. Thus, consumers wishing to
smoke different types of cigarettes typically have to purchase
multiple packs of cigarettes. Some consumers purchase wrapping
materials, filters, and loose tobacco for so-called "hand-rolling"
of their own cigarettes. While this approach allows a consumer to
produce a variety of his own cigarettes, the making process
requires a certain degree of skill, time, inconvenience, and/or
some specialized equipment. A variety of hand-operated devices for
manufacturing individual cigarettes have been proposed. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,376,103 to Wahl; U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,888
to Matteson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,884 to Snodgrass; U.S. Pat.
No. 2,427,957 to Getts; U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,375 to Carter; U.S.
Pat. No. 2,594,747 to DuLaney; U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,788 to Kastner;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,383 to Ming Gee; U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,971 to
Kastner; U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,019 to Sosa; U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,209
to Marcotte; U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,348 to Banning, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No.
3,011,498 to Armelin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,056 to Bryant et al. and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,367 to Newsome; PCT Application Pub. No. WO
2004/110187 to Szabo; and European Patent No. EP 1,177,731 to
Tinkles et al.
[0005] Various manners and methods for filling paper cigarette
tubes with tobacco have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat.
Nos. 2,633,133 to Higgins; U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,141 to Seitter; U.S.
Pat. No. 3,202,156 to Kappeler et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,245 to
Asbill, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,948 to Moscovitch; U.S. Pat. No.
4,572,216 to Josuttis et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,740 to
Gatschmann et al. See, also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,491,768 to Paynter
and U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,313 to Sexstone which set forth manners and
methods for manufacturing individual cigarettes by filling a tube
or "spill" with a tobacco charge and a filter plug. One type of
cigarette-making machine for the manufacture of one cigarette at a
time using loose tobacco and a filtered cigarette tube has been
marketed as "Bugler.TM." filter cigarette-making machine by Brown
& Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Another type of automated
machine for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes with loose tobacco
filler has been available commercially as "Cig-a-mat" from Jenkins
& Ott, Inc. A device representative of such a machine is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,272 to Jenkins et al. Yet another
type of automated device for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes
with tobacco filler is an electrically-operated cigarette-making
machine that has been available commercially as Easy Roller from C.
P. Rolling ApS of Denmark.
[0006] A cigarette machine for filling pre-formed cigarette tubes
with tobacco filler has been produced commercially by The Central
Tobacco Mfg. Co. Ltd. and marketed as "Premier Supermatic.TM.."
Other types of cigarette machines for filing cigarette tubes with
tobacco have been marketed as "Escort" and "Pressta Deluxe" by CTC
Canada Inc. See, for example, the representative types of machines
set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,127,900 to Kastner and U.S. Pat. No.
4,771,793 to Kastner.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,710 to Bramhill proposes manufacturing
individual cigarettes by inserting a cartridge of tobacco into an
empty filter-tip cigarette tube. Other manners and methods for
manufacturing individual cigarettes are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,887,617 to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,536 to Liebich;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,830 to Brackmann et al.; U.S. Pat. No.
5,133,366 to Liebich; U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,000 to Ruppert et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,241 to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,248
to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,495 to Ruppert et al.; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,615,692 to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,377 to
Gerding et al.; and U.S. Published Pat. App. 2006/0021625 to
Nyffler.
[0008] Yet other manners and methods for fabricating cigarettes
have been proposed. For example, cigarettes may be manufactured
using a dispensing-type machine, such as, for example, a machine
that has been marketed as "Cigaretterie" by National Amusement
Network, Inc. A device representative of such a machine is set
forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,975 to Lord.
[0009] It would be desirable to provide, in a commercial setting,
small lots of cigarettes having different user/customer-selectable
profiles in response to an individual customer order. It would also
be desirable to provide for the manufacture of relatively small
lots of cigarettes in an efficient and effective manner. It would
be desirable that all of the cigarettes within each lot are of
consistent quality. That is, it also would be desirable in one
aspect that all of the cigarettes within a lot may be selected by a
user/customer to be substantially identical to one another in
appearance, size, shape, weight and component materials, including
tobacco filler materials. It would be desirable in another aspect
to provide a small lot of cigarettes wherein a plurality within the
lot or individual cigarettes have different user/customer-selected
characteristics such as flavored wrappers of differing types and
strengths, flavored tobaccos, different colored wrappers, different
species of tobacco, different blends of tobacco, or different
filter element constructions. It also would be highly desirable
that the cigarettes within a lot exhibit similar performance
characteristics, such as smoking character, puff count and smoke
yield. Alternatively, it may be desirable to efficiently and
effectively manufacture simultaneously a plurality of cigarettes,
each with different smoking characteristics (e.g., flavors, tobacco
types), all while maintaining consistent smoking quality of the
cigarettes
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention relates to the manufacture of
cigarettes in an automated fashion. Cigarette manufacture is
carried out such that relatively small lots of cigarettes can be
manufactured during a relevant period. Cigarette manufacture most
preferably is carried out such that substantially all of the
cigarettes within a lot are of consistent quality.
[0011] A first aspect of the present invention relates to an
apparatus or device for manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco (such
as, for example, loose tobacco or pre-formed cylinders of tobacco)
and pre-formed tubular wrapping portions. In one aspect the device
includes a reservoir or hopper region for receiving and containing
loose tobacco filler. The device also includes, below the hopper
region, several downwardly extending passageways for downward
passage of loose tobacco filler from the hopper region. The device
also includes several receptacles, each of predetermined size, for
receiving loose tobacco filler from each respective downwardly
extending passageway (e.g., each individual downwardly extending
passageway provides tobacco filler to a corresponding
receptacle).
[0012] Preferably, the device incorporates one or more weights or
other structures adapted to provide downward force or compression
on loose tobacco filler within each downwardly extending
passageway. Application of force to the tobacco filler within each
downwardly extending passageway using the weight provides for
altered arrangement of tobacco filler within each passageway.
Application of force to the tobacco filler within each downwardly
extending passageway using the weight also provides for controlled
feed of tobacco filler within each receptacle. The device
preferably incorporates at least one movable side wall for each
downwardly extending passageway, thereby providing for altered
arrangement of tobacco filler within each passageway as well as
controlled feed or introduction of tobacco filler within each
receptacle. As a result of the foregoing, for a particular blend of
tobacco filler, a predetermined amount of tobacco filler can be
supplied to, and provided within, each receptacle.
[0013] The device further includes a compression mechanism for
arranging a pre-determined amount of loose tobacco filler within
each receptacle into a substantially consistent charge of tobacco
filler of pre-determined shape and size (e.g., a cylindrical shape
that is capable of filling the hollow region of a tubular wrapping
portion). The device also includes a tray or cartridge for
containing a plurality of pre-formed tubular wrapping portions.
Each such wrapping portion has a hollow region, open at one end,
for receiving tobacco filler. The cartridge is adapted to be
positioned relative to the receptacles such that individual
pre-formed tubular wrapping portions within the cartridge are
aligned with corresponding individual receptacles. The device also
includes an insertion unit including a plurality of feeding units
(e.g., movable insertion arms) for delivering each charge of
tobacco filler from each receptacle into the hollow region of each
corresponding individual pre-formed tubular wrapping portion. That
is, a tubular wrapping portion aligned with and adjacent to a
corresponding receptacle is held in place while each charge of
tobacco filler positioned within each receptacle is transferred
from each receptacle through a nozzle into the hollow region of
each corresponding tubular wrapping portion.
[0014] A representative embodiment of a cigarette manufacturing
apparatus includes five downwardly extending passageways, five
compression regions within the compression mechanism, five
receptacles for formation of five charges of tobacco filler, five
insertion arms, and a cartridge containing at least five hollow
tubular wrapping portions; and, as such, five cigarettes can be
manufactured substantially simultaneously by using the apparatus to
fill each of five wrapping portions with a formed charge of tobacco
filler. A representative lot of twenty cigarettes (e.g. a
sufficient number of cigarettes to fill a traditional type of
cigarette package) can be provided using such a representative
cigarette manufacturing apparatus by employing at least a
sufficient amount of tobacco filler to adequately fill twenty
tubular wrapping portions contained within a cartridge designed to
hold twenty tubular wrapping portions, and after appropriate
placement of the cartridge within the apparatus, carrying out the
tobacco filler filling operation four times.
[0015] A second aspect of the invention relates to removal of
tobacco from ends of cigarettes. Tobacco filler extending from the
end of a plurality of cigarettes can be removed by aligning a row
of cigarettes and cutting that excess tobacco away from the ends of
the cigarettes. Typically, after cigarettes have been manufactured
using the representative apparatus of the present invention, a
slight amount of tobacco filler located at the foremost lighting
end of the cigarette may extend outwards from the open end of the
tubular wrapper portion. That is, a slight excess amount of tobacco
filler may extend beyond that region circumscribed by the tube of
wrapping material. A representative embodiment of this aspect of
the invention includes a circular, highly sharpened cutting blade
rotating at a high speed which can be passed by the lighting end of
the cigarette, at or just beyond the end of the tubular wrapper
portion, in order to cut excess tobacco filler away. For example,
finished cigarettes can be properly aligned in a cartridge, a
highly sharpened cutting wheel configured in a general table saw
type of manner can be aligned relative to the cartridge, and the
cutting wheel cartridge can be rotated at a very high rate of speed
and moved past the lighting ends of those cigarettes sufficiently
close so as to cut excess tobacco filler away while not cutting or
damaging the paper wrapping material at the lighting ends of those
cigarettes. Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, the ends
of finished cigarettes positioned in a cartridge can be trimmed
while those cigarettes are positioned within that cartridge.
[0016] A third aspect of the present invention relates to an
apparatus or device for loading a cartridge with pre-formed hollow
tubular wrapping portions useful for the manufacture of cigarettes.
Such a cartridge-loading device or assembly preferably includes a
region for supporting the cartridge in a manner that at least a
portion of the cartridge can be loaded with tubular wrapping
portions. The device optionally includes a supply mechanism for
supplying tubular wrapping portions to the cartridge. Specifically,
the device is configured to fill the cartridge with a
pre-determined number of tubular wrapping portions. In one
embodiment, the supply mechanism includes an upper reservoir for
receiving and containing a plurality of tubular wrapping portions,
a hopper region including a plurality of downwardly extending
passageways, a lower bed or tray located below the hopper region,
and a transfer mechanism that facilitates transport tubular
wrappers from the bed to corresponding locations within the
cartridge. The downwardly extending passageways are adapted so as
to receive tubular wrapping portions. Thus, in an operation of this
embodiment, an individual tubular wrapping portion within the upper
reservoir falls into each passageway of the hopper, and hence,
several vertically extending columns of tubular wrapping portions
are provided. Tubular wrapping portions positioned at the bottom of
the supply mechanism are aligned with desired locations on the
cartridge, which is positioned in a predetermined location adjacent
the bottom region of the supply mechanism. As a result, a series of
movable rods can be used to push the series of tubular wrapping
portions from the bottom bed into desired positions within the
cartridge.
[0017] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to an
apparatus or device for packaging cigarettes. One embodiment of
this aspect of the invention includes a device having a base that
has a region for locating an open cigarette package. The device
also includes an upper region or platform, above the base, adapted
to support a cartridge containing finished cigarettes. Below the
upper platform is located a downwardly extending passageway for the
passage of cigarettes from the cartridge and into the cigarette
package. Removal of cigarettes from the cartridge is accomplished
by movement of the cartridge relative to the upper platform such
that cigarettes within the cartridge are pushed from the cartridge
and into the downwardly extending passageway, traveling thereby
into the package.
[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is directed to the
use of the various components associated with various aspects of
the present invention as a system to provide a cigarette product
manufacturing apparatus. In an exemplary embodiment, a specific
tobacco filler blend or a plurality of such blends can be selected.
Pre-formed tubular wrapping portions also can be selected. Empty
tubular wrapping portions can be loaded into a cartridge using the
cartridge-loading assembly. A cartridge carrying hollow tubular
wrapping portions can suitably be positioned within the
cigarette-making apparatus. The cigarette-making apparatus also can
be fitted with a removable hopper unit containing the selected
tobacco filler blend, or alternatively, the hopper unit can be
appropriately positioned within the cigarette-making apparatus and
then loaded with the selected tobacco filler blend. Cigarettes are
manufactured by filling tubular wrapping portions with controlled
amounts of loose tobacco filler until the cartridge is filled with
manufactured cigarettes. As such, numerous cigarettes of consistent
quality (e.g., in terms of components, dimensions, and weight) are
produced. The cartridge, filled with manufactured cigarettes, is
removed from the cigarette-making apparatus. Any excess tobacco
filler extending from the lighting ends of those cigarettes can be
trimmed, in order that the various cigarettes have ends that are
relatively uniform and aesthetically pleasing. The cigarettes are
transferred from the cartridge into the cigarette packaging device,
where the cigarettes are loaded into a package. As such, there is
provided a manner or method for manufacturing and packaging
relatively small quantities, lots, or batches of finished
cigarettes of consistent quality in an automated fashion. It is
particularly desirable to employ the cigarette-making machine in
combination with all or certain of the foregoing devices in a
commercial setting, such as a tobacco products retail
establishment, in order that a customer can choose a type or blend
of tobacco filler for a package of cigarettes, and view the
production and handling of the cigarettes that are produced
expressly for that customer by a representative of the retail
establishment.
[0019] A sixth aspect of the present invention is directed a device
for manufacturing cigarettes from pre-formed tobacco cartridges and
pre-formed tubular wrapping portions. In one embodiment, the device
includes a tobacco cartridge delivery hopper, which comprises a
plurality of substantially parallel chambers open at the top and
bottom of each chamber. A plurality of receptacles is disposed
beneath the plurality of substantially parallel chambers. The
device also includes a wrapper-holding cartridge adapted to be
placed adjacent the plurality of receptacles. The wrapper-holding
cartridge is adapted for supporting a plurality of pre-formed
tubular wrapping portions, each wrapping portion having a hollow
region at one end for receiving tobacco filler, and each of a
predetermined number of the wrapping portions being aligned with
one of the plurality of receptacles. The device also includes an
insertion mechanism configured for inserting a pre-formed tobacco
cartridge from each receptacle into the hollow region of each of
the predetermined number of the wrapping portions. In another
embodiment, the device does not include a hopper, but includes a
movable magazine configured to retain preformed tobacco cartridges,
a wrapper-holding cartridge configured to be placed adjacent the
magazine, and an insertion mechanism configured for inserting a
plurality of pre-formed tobacco cartridges from the magazine into
the hollow region of each of a predetermined number of wrapping
portions placed upon the wrapper-holding cartridge. In another
aspect, the invention includes a method of using the device to make
cigarettes from pre-formed tobacco cartridges and pre-formed
wrappers. A container of pre-formed wrappers can be placed adjacent
the magazine and tobacco cartridges transferred from the magazine
to the wrappers therein.
[0020] A seventh aspect of the present invention is directed to a
hopper-less device for manufacturing cigarettes from tobacco and
pre-formed tubular wrapping portions. The hopper-less device
includes a magazine having a plurality of lumens that are
configured to hold tobacco filler, a wrapper-holding cartridge
configured for supporting a plurality of pre-formed tubular
wrappers, a first support configured for positioning the
wrapper-holding cartridge relative to the lumens such that a
pre-determined number of the pre-formed tubular wrappers are
aligned with and adjacent to a corresponding predetermined number
of the lumens, an insertion mechanism configured for moving the
tobacco filler from the predetermined number of the lumens into a
hollow region of each pre-formed tubular wrapper aligned adjacent
thereto, and a second support configured for positioning the
magazine such that the predetermined number of the lumens is
aligned with the elongate members of the insertion mechanism. The
insertion mechanism preferably includes at least one elongate
member in mechanical communication with each of the predetermined
number of the lumens and configured to move tobacco from the lumens
into the pre-formed tubular wrappers. Alternatively, the insertion
mechanism may include a compressed air means or vacuum means to
effect the movement of the tobacco.
[0021] Although useful in many environments, it is particularly
desirable to employ the cigarette-making machine in combination
with all or certain of the foregoing devices in a commercial
setting, such as a tobacco products retail establishment, in order
that a customer can choose a type or blend of tobacco filler for a
package of cigarettes, and view the production and handling of the
cigarettes that are produced expressly for that customer by a
representative of the retail establishment. The cigarette-making
machine, the cartridge-loading device and the packaging device of
the present invention each can be used, for example, for the
manufacture of cigarettes for personal use (e.g., for use at home),
for the manufacture of specialty type cigarettes within tobacco
products retail establishments (e.g., for the production of
individual packages of cigarettes at tobacco shops), for the
manufacture of small lots of cigarettes for quality control or
regulatory related activities, or for research and development
purposes. In one aspect of the invention, the small lots of
cigarettes may each include a mixture of two or more different
types of cigarette to allow a customer to order a container of
cigarettes including selected different tobaccos, blends, or
flavors. The selection may be made by the customer in a manner such
that several of each different customer-selected cigarette is
chosen for placement in the container, or a customer may elect to
have one each of a customer-selected variety of cigarettes in the
container, or the customer may elect an unspecified assortment
(e.g., cigarettes with different characteristics chosen at random).
The act of selection may include selecting from cigarettes already
made and/or selecting from different tobacco types (including
individual tobaccos for use alone or in blends, or from blends
provided). The differences in cigarettes may include, for example,
one or more of flavored wrappers, flavored tobaccos, different
colored wrappers, different species of tobacco, different blends of
tobacco, or different filter profiles. In a preferred embodiment of
this method, the different cigarettes include visual indicia
correlated to one or more of their characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for
manufacturing a plurality of cigarettes by filling pre-formed
tubular wrappers with loose tobacco filler, showing a front view of
that apparatus;
[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of various components of the
hopper assembly of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 2A is a cut-away perspective detail view of a movable
wall of the hopper assembly shown in FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base and various
components of the plunger mechanism of the apparatus shown in FIG.
1;
[0026] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a tension arm of
the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cartridge of the apparatus
shown in FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cartridge of the
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a compression assembly of
the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing the upper portion thereof as
partially cut away, and showing the compression plates thereof in
open positions;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
a compression assembly showing the upper portion thereof as
partially cut away, and showing the compression plates thereof in
closed positions;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in
FIG. 1 taken along lines 9-9 in FIG. 1, and showing the compression
plates in closed positions;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly of the
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 11 is a perspective view the apparatus shown in FIG. 1
showing a rear view of that apparatus;
[0034] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an apparatus for trimming
tobacco strands from the ends of cigarettes;
[0035] FIG. 13 is a perspective of the apparatus shown in FIG. 12
showing a rear view of that apparatus;
[0036] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an apparatus for filling a
cartridge with pre-formed tubular wrappers, the apparatus shown in
the open position;
[0037] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an apparatus shown in FIG.
14, the apparatus shown in the closed position;
[0038] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the base portion of the
apparatus shown in FIG. 14;
[0039] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an apparatus for filling a
cigarette package with manufactured cigarettes;
[0040] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an apparatus for filling a
cigarette package with manufactured cigarettes.
[0041] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a package of
cigarettes.
[0042] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a pre-formed tubular
wrapper representative of the type used for the manufacture of a
cigarette.
[0043] FIGS. 21A-21B each show a cross-sectional view of a finished
cigarette embodiment.
[0044] FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of a second cigarette
manufacturing apparatus, including a hopper configured for holding
and delivering cylindrical charges of tobacco.
[0045] FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of a loading chamber
assembly of the apparatus in FIG. 22.
[0046] FIG. 24 is a top perspective view of an alternative tobacco
cartridge hopper.
[0047] FIG. 25 is a top perspective view of another alternative
tobacco cartridge hopper.
[0048] FIG. 26 is a top perspective view of yet another alternative
tobacco cartridge hopper.
[0049] FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of a third cigarette
manufacturing apparatus.
[0050] FIGS. 27A and 27B are, respectively, top and bottom
perspective views of a magazine configured for use with the
apparatus of FIG. 27.
[0051] FIG. 28 is a top perspective view of an alternative magazine
configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0052] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an automated device or
apparatus 10 for manufacturing a plurality of cigarettes 13 by
filling pre-formed filtered tubular wrappers 21 with loose tobacco
filler (not shown). For the embodiment shown, the automated
cigarette-making apparatus is designed to concurrently manufacture
five cigarettes by simultaneously filling the hollow portions of
five pre-formed tubular wrappers with five cylindrical charges
formed from loose tobacco filler. (The terms "tubular wrapper" and
"tubular wrapping portion" may be used interchangeably)
[0053] The cigarette manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a lower
base 31, which can be manufactured from a suitable material, such
as metal (e.g., stainless steel, brass or aluminum), plastic (e.g.,
polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, acrylate/butadiene/styrene
or ABS type plastic, nylon, or other suitable polymeric material),
composite material (e.g., a graphite-based ceramic), or like
material; but preferably is manufactured from aluminum. Although
the shape and dimensions of the base can vary, and can be a matter
of design choice, a representative base is generally rectangular
and is about 35 cm deep, about 25 cm wide, and about 2 cm high. A
perspective view of the base 31 is described below with reference
to FIG. 3.
[0054] If desired, various components of the cigarette
manufacturing apparatus 10 can be covered with an aesthetically
pleasing cover (see, for example, the alternative embodiment shown
in FIG. 22, which includes a cover 2202 over a tobacco filler
insertion mechanism 2300). For example, portions of the base 31 can
be adapted to support an optional formed plastic cover of a desired
design and color.
[0055] The base 31 supports a movable wrapper-holding tray or
wrapper-holding cartridge 38, which can be manufactured from a
suitable material above, but preferably is manufactured from a
metal, such as aluminum. The wrapper-holding cartridge 38
preferably is adapted to be movable from side to side relative to
the base 31, along the longitudinal axis of the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38, and to be removable therefrom. Movement can be
facilitated manually by a machine operator. Although the dimensions
of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 can vary, and can be a matter
of design choice, a representative, generally rectangular-shaped
cartridge is about 7 cm deep, about 26.5 cm long, and about 2.5 cm
high. Rear and front views of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 are
shown, respectively, in FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0056] Referring to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 includes a series of parallel rounded grooves 48 in
its upper face, with the grooves 48 being oriented perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38. The size
and shape of the grooves can vary, and generally depend upon
factors such as the desired size of a pre-formed tubular wrapper 21
that is properly positioned in each respective groove 48. That is,
each groove 48 acts as a type of cradle for a pre-formed tubular
wrapper 21. A representative groove is designed to hold a
pre-formed tubular wrapper that is about 86 mm long with a
circumference of about 24.5 mm. The representative groove has a
generally semi-circular shape of about 4.4 mm radius and is about
60 mm long. As such, each tubular wrapper can extend about 30 mm
beyond the rear face of the cartridge. For the embodiment shown,
the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 includes twenty grooves 48, and
thus the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 can hold twenty pre-formed
tubular wrappers 21 for the manufacture of twenty cigarettes.
[0057] The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 preferably is adapted to be
removable from the base 31. Thus, a wrapper-holding cartridge 38
loaded with empty tubular wrappers 21 can be positioned on the base
31, loaded with loose tobacco filler (not shown), and--once loaded
with finished cigarettes resulting from the tubular wrappers 21
having been filled with tobacco filler--can be removed from the
base 31 for packaging or use. It is highly preferred that the
tubular wrappers 21 within the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 are
positioned lying on their sides (e.g., the longitudinal axis of
each is parallel to, or substantially parallel to, the horizontal
plane). The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 preferably acts as a
source and holder of tubular wrappers 21 that are employed during
the cigarette-manufacturing process using the cigarette-making
apparatus, as well as a holder for transfer of finished cigarettes
13 manufactured using that apparatus 10 to a package filling
device.
[0058] The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 preferably is adapted to be
capable of being maintained in place relative to the base 31 during
periods when the apparatus 10 is being used to insert loose tobacco
filler into selected tubular wrappers 21. Appropriate secure
positioning of the cartridge within the base preferably is
accomplished by any suitable means. For example, the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 may be laterally secured to the base
31 using, for example, a pin or key type of design (e.g., a square
key stock 834, such as is illustrated in FIG. 14) whereby a
protrusion located at a predetermined position in the base 31
cooperates with a coordinating hole or slot located at a
predetermined location in the bottom face of the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a backstop
wall 68, or other suitably designed backstop means, protruding
upwardly across the length of the front end of the base 31, acts to
hold the cartridge (and pre-formed tubular wrappers carried
thereby) in place relative to the base. Use of the backstop wall 68
and/or other securing means may thus minimize or prevent
undesirable effects of lateral movement (whether side-to-side or
back-and-forth) during normal operation of the apparatus 10. The
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 may be constructed from nylon, a
metallic material, or any other suitable material.
[0059] The base 31 also supports a compression assembly 75 (which
is discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 7-8).
The compression assembly 75, in turn, supports a hopper assembly
80. Extending upwards and supported by the base 31 is a support
frame 85, which can be manufactured from a suitable material, but
preferably is manufactured from aluminum. The support frame 85
preferably is connected to the remainder of the apparatus 10 using
screws, or other suitable connection means for adequately securing
the various components in place. For example, screws may be
threaded through the compression assembly 75 and into the bottom
face of the support frame 85. The support frame 85 preferably is
adapted to support an upper weight-source assembly 92.
[0060] The tobacco hopper assembly 80 also includes a hopper unit
99. The hopper unit 99 is adapted to be maintained firmly in place
relative to the compression assembly 75 during periods when the
apparatus 10 is being used to insert loose tobacco filler into
selected tubular wrappers 21. Such firm positioning of the hopper
unit 99 preferably is accomplished by appropriately positioned
coordinating locating slots and pins (not shown). As such, the
hopper unit 99 functions as a source of loose tobacco filler that
is processed using the apparatus 10 to produce finished
cigarettes.
[0061] Various components of the hopper assembly 80 preferably are
adapted to be removable from the compression assembly 75, in order
that the relevant hopper assembly components can be serviced or
cleaned. In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus 10, individual
hopper units, each containing a different blend of loose tobacco
filler, can readily be removed and substituted for one another. The
desired secure positioning of each removable hopper unit 99
relative to the other components of the apparatus 10 preferably is
facilitated by placement of protruding pins on the bottom of the
hopper unit and complementary mating holes in the top of the
compression assembly 75. By use of the pin/hole arrangement or
another suitable mechanism, the hopper unit can appropriately be
aligned with the other components of the apparatus.
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hopper unit 99 includes an
open upper reservoir region 110 into which loose tobacco filler
(not shown) can be deposited. A top wall 114 of an intermediate
hopper portion 118 defines the bottom of the upper reservoir
region. The top wall 114 can be manufactured from any suitable
metallic material, such as aluminum, or from plastic. The top wall
114 includes a series of openings 124. For the embodiment shown,
the top wall 114 includes five openings 124. The longitudinal axis
of the top wall 114 preferably is generally parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38. Each opening
124 extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the top wall
114. Each opening 124 provides access to a vertical passageway or
channel through the intermediate hopper portion 118 for the
controlled transport of tobacco filler (not shown) from the upper
reservoir region 110 to the bottom of the intermediate hopper
portion 118. For example, for the manufacture of a cigarette having
a tobacco rod length of about 56 mm, each opening preferably is
about 10 mm to about 12 mm wide by about 55 mm to about 60 mm long.
Preferably, each corresponding vertical passageway in the
intermediate hopper portion 118 is sufficient to provide for
passage of a charge of tobacco sufficient to provide about four or
about five fillings of about four or about five individual tubular
wrappers. For the manufacture of a cigarette from a hollow tubular
rod having a tobacco rod section of about 56 mm in length and about
24.5 mm in circumference, a representative preferred opening has
dimensions of 10.25 mm wide by about 58 mm long.
[0063] The dimensions of the upper reservoir region 110 may vary
depending upon the amount of tobacco desired to be used with the
apparatus 10. Preferably, the upper reservoir region 110 has the
capability of containing about 50 g to about 100 g of loose tobacco
filler (not shown). A representative upper reservoir region 110
includes outwardly sloping walls 130 that extend upwards and
outwards from the top wall 114 of the intermediate hopper portion
118 to a vertical height of about 2 cm to about 5 cm. Those
outwardly sloping walls can be manufactured from any suitable
material and preferably include a metallic material, such as
stainless steel.
[0064] The intermediate hopper portion 118 is defined by top wall
114, front wall 140, fixed left side wall 350, a rear wall 370,
movable right side wall 360 and bottom wall 162. A representative
intermediate hopper assembly has dimensions of about 29 cm wide,
about 10.1 cm long, and about 10 cm high. Preferably, the walls of
the representative intermediate hopper region are manufactured from
sheets of a clear material such as polycarbonate or
polymethylmethacrylate, in order that the presence or absence of
loose tobacco filler in the intermediate hopper region readily can
be viewed.
[0065] A series of side walls 350, 360 extend downwardly within the
intermediate hopper portion 118. That is, for each opening 124, a
fixed wall 350 and a movable wall 360 extend downwardly from the
bottom of the top wall 114 of the intermediate hopper portion 118,
thereby forming a vertically extending passageway extending
downwardly from each opening 124. Each movable wall 360 is movable
relative to the other components of the intermediate hopper portion
118. That is, the movable walls 360 of the intermediate hopper
portion 118 can be moved back and forth along a front-to-rear axis
that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the top wall 114.
This front to rear movement preferably may be effected by an
operator using an appropriately connected wall-moving handle 160
that extends across the front exterior region of the intermediate
hopper portion 118. An appropriate connection of the wall-moving
handle 160 to the movable walls 360 may include screws or bolts
combined with spacers, rivets, or any other suitable connection
means. Preferably, a reciprocating motion of a wall-moving handle
160 helps tobacco filler to settle gently within each passageway,
hence providing a consistent amount of tobacco filler in each
tobacco charge that is used during cigarette manufacture. The
wall-moving handle 160 can be manufactured from any suitable
material, such as wood, plastic, polytetrafluoroethylene, or
aluminum.
[0066] The bottom region of hopper assembly 80 includes a bottom
wall 162, which includes a series of bottom wall slots 395. A
movable slat 165 is located below the bottom wall 162. The movable
slat 165 is adapted to be movable back and forth along its
longitudinal axis within the lower region of the hopper unit 99. An
exemplary movable slat can be manufactured from any suitable
material and preferably is manufactured from a metallic material,
such as stainless steel. A representative movable slat is about 6.5
cm wide, about 29 cm long, and about 1.6 mm thick. The movable slat
165 includes a series of slat apertures 368 that, when the movable
slat 165 is in an "open" position are aligned with the openings 124
of the top wall 114, the vertical passageways, and the bottom wall
slots 395 of the bottom wall 162. As is described below with more
specific reference to FIG. 2, movement of the slat 165 to one side
(e.g., to the right) allows alignment of each vertical passageway
and its corresponding bottom wall slot 395 with each respective
slat aperture 368 in the slat 165, thus allowing tobacco filler to
fall through the hopper unit 99 and into the compression assembly
75. Movement of the slat 165 to the other side (e.g., to the left)
allows closure of the passageways through the hopper unit 99. As
such, when the slat 165 is moved to a "closed" position tobacco
filler is retained within the hopper unit 99, which can then be
removed from the apparatus 10 without a resulting spillage of
significant quantities of tobacco filler.
[0067] Referring again to FIG. 1, above the upper region of the
hopper assembly 80 is positioned a weight-source assembly 92. The
weight-source assembly 92 includes several ball slides 170 or other
suitable means for supplying compressive force to tobacco filler
(not shown) within the intermediate hopper portion 118.
Representative ball slides are available as "Del-Tron SAl-8" from
Del-Tron, Inc. Each ball slide 170 is suitably connected to the
support frame 85 so as to maintain the weight-source assembly 92
appropriately positioned above the hopper unit 99.
[0068] Each ball slide 170 is suitably adapted so as to provide for
the desired movement and positioning of a series of weights 177.
For the embodiment shown, the apparatus 10 includes five weights
177. Each weight 177 is appropriately attached (e.g., using
fasteners such as screws) to a corresponding ball slide 170. Each
weight 177 is adapted to travel up and down with each respective
ball slide 170 in an appropriate channel 197. A series of spring
plungers 207, or other suitable control means, within each ball
slide 170 acts to hold each respective weight and ball slide in an
"up" position (as shown in FIG. 1). The spring plungers 207 are
releasable to allow the weight into a "down" position providing
downward force to compress or compact tobacco filler in the hopper
assembly 80 and provide for a generally consistent flow of the
tobacco to the receptacles 641 below the hopper assembly 80.
[0069] Each weight 177 includes a bottom foot 217 that preferably
is adapted to fit within corresponding opening 124 below that
weight 177. Preferably, each foot 217 also is adapted so as to
provide for ensuring compression of the tobacco filler within each
corresponding vertical passageway of the hopper unit 99. In a
representative embodiment, each weight preferably has a mass of
about 150 g to about 400 g, more about 200 g to about 300 g, and
most preferably about 200 g. Optionally, the mass of each
individual weight 177 can be changed (e.g., by adapting each weight
so that smaller weights can be added and taken away, in order that
the downward compressive force can be selected and controlled). For
example, an optional additional weight 220 can be positioned on top
of weight 177 such that the degree of downward compressive force
would be increased. In operation, a series of additional weights
optionally can be positioned on top of each weight 177, and as
tobacco filler is gradually removed from each vertical passageway
for cigarette manufacture, the additional weights can be removed,
as desired, from each larger weight to prevent a disproportionate
downward pressure on a lesser volume of tobacco filler.
[0070] Most preferably, each weight 177 provides substantially
identical downward compressive force. However, the amount of
downward force provided to the tobacco material in each vertical
passageway of the hopper unit 99 can be varied between individual
vertical passageways, depending upon factors such as the relative
amount and texture of tobacco filler in each passageway.
Preferably, the weight-source assembly 92 is configured such that
the loose tobacco filler within each vertical passageway is
consistently or uniformly positioned within each passageway, and
the packing density of the tobacco filler within each passageway
are comparable with the other passageways. Control of the downward
compressive force to the tobacco filler is desirable in order to
control the amount of tobacco filler used for the manufacture of
each individual cigarette. For example, a mechanism such as a set
of force gauges or scales (not shown) may be positioned within each
vertical passageway or attached to the top of each of the weights
in order to monitor the degree of downward force applied to the
tobacco filler therein.
[0071] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 7, the compression assembly 75
includes a plurality of nozzles 230. For the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1-11, the apparatus 10 includes five nozzles 230. Each nozzle
230 preferably is designed such that the open end of a hollow
pre-formed tubular wrapper 21 fits over that nozzle 230 such that
tobacco filler (not shown) can be transported through that nozzle
230 and into a corresponding tubular wrapper 21. Representative
nozzles preferably are manufactured from a metallic material, such
as stainless steel. Preferably, each nozzle is generally
cylindrical in shape; and a representative nozzle (for use in
conjunction with a pre-formed tubular wrapper having a
circumference of about 24.5 mm) has an inner diameter of about 6.75
mm and an outer diameter of about 7.25 mm.
[0072] For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, each tubular
wrapper 21 is axially aligned with a corresponding nozzle 230 and
is positioned so as to be inclined at a slight angle (e.g., about
50 relative to horizontal). It is preferred that the tubular
wrappers 21 located on the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 rest in a
horizontal plane that is slightly below a central plane of the
nozzles 230. Thus, when the open end of a tubular wrapper 21
extends around a nozzle 230, it (the open end) is raised slightly
higher than the other (e.g., filtered) end.
[0073] The compression assembly 75 is located on and supported by
the base 31. Preferably, the compression assembly 75 is attached
securely to the base 31 using several screws, or other appropriate
fastening means. The removable hopper unit 99 preferably is
maintained in place on top of the compression assembly 75 by a
suitable number of appropriately positioned locating pins (not
shown). That is, several positioning pins of appropriate shape and
size can be located in the bottom of the hopper unit 99, and
corresponding location holes can be positioned in the top face of
the compression assembly. Any other suitable structure may be used
to maintain the relative positions of the hopper unit 99 and the
compression assembly 75.
[0074] As shown in FIG. 9, a plunger assembly 248 is located in the
lower rear region of the apparatus 10. The plunger assembly 248
includes several plunger arms 251 that extend forward, and are
mounted on a plunger arm cross-member 257. When an operator moves
the plunger assembly 248 forward, each plunger arm 251 moves
correspondingly to push a charge of tobacco filler (not shown) from
each corresponding receptacle area 641 located within the
compression assembly 75 into each corresponding tubular wrapper 21.
The illustrated plunger assembly includes five plunger arms 251,
but it should be appreciated that other embodiments could have more
or fewer plunger arms (for example, a representative apparatus 10
may include a plunger assembly 248 having two plunger arms, or
having 20, 40, or more).
[0075] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, the apparatus 10 includes two
operational arms: a compression arm 260 and a plunger arm 261. The
compression arm 260 is located on the left side of the apparatus.
The compression arm 260 is used to arrange tobacco filler within
the compression assembly 75 so as to form a plurality of
cylindrical charges for insertion into corresponding pre-formed
tubular wrappers 21, and thereby form several cigarettes. The
function of the compression arm 260 is described below with
reference to FIG. 7. The plunger arm 261 is located on the right
side of the apparatus. The plunger arm 261 is used to facilitate
movement of the plunger assembly 248, and hence facilitate
insertion of a formed cylindrical charge of tobacco filler within a
corresponding pre-formed tubular wrapper 21. The function of the
compression arm 260 is described below with reference to FIG. 3.
Representative operational arms may be manufactured from any
suitable material, and preferably are manufactured from
aluminum.
[0076] The operational arms or handles 260, 261 that are shown are
each designed to be operated within a horizontal plane. The design
and selection of the operational arms are such that the operational
mechanism (e.g., a gear and/or spring mechanism such as, for
example the compression assembly 75 or the plunger assembly 248)
can provide the appropriate amount of force to readily operate the
apparatus in an efficient and effective manner (i.e., the
operational arms 260, 261 can be repeatedly moved back and forth to
provide the desired effect of moving tobacco with relative ease of
the operator). Alternatively, either or both of the operational
arms can be substituted with other means for providing the desired
operational effect, such as in-line toggle clamp handles.
[0077] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of
various components of a portion of the hopper unit 99 of the
cigarette-making apparatus 10 previously described with reference
to FIG. 1. The upper reservoir region 110 is positioned over the
top wall 114. The top wall includes a series of openings 124.
Beneath the top wall 114, and positioned to the left side of each
respective opening 124 is fixed wall 350. Beneath the top wall 114,
and positioned to the right side of each respective opening 124 is
movable wall 360. The desired location of the fixed walls 350
relative to the other components of the hopper unit 99 can be
accomplished by attaching the fixed walls 350 to predetermined
positions on the rear wall 370 and the front wall 140 of the hopper
unit, using screws or other suitable fastening means.
[0078] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the movable side
walls 360 each have a tongued front and rear edge 361, 362. This is
shown in greater detail in FIG. 2A, which shows an enlarged
cut-away perspective view along line 2A-2A of FIG. 2. The tongued
rear edges 362 fit into complementary rear wall grooves 376, and
the tongued front edges 361 fit into complementary front wall
grooves 377. The movable walls 360 are sized and positioned between
front and rear walls 140, 370 such that--with the aforementioned
tongue and groove configuration--the walls 360 are movable back and
forth along a front-to-rear axis. The tongued edges 361, 362 and
grooves 376, 377 are sized and positioned such that, even as the
walls 360 move back and forth, the tongue-and-groove maintains a
patent separation of spaces on either side of each wall 360.
Preferably the tolerance between each tongue and groove is
sufficiently close that tobacco substantially is prevented from
getting into the space between each tongue and its corresponding
groove. The front edge 361 of each movable wall 360 is attached to
a wall-moving handle 160. The configuration is such that a repeated
movement of the wall-moving handle 160 provides corresponding
movement of each movable wall, resulting in a convenient manner or
method for providing a type of reciprocating movement of each
movable wall. The movable walls 360 preferably are attached to the
wall-moving handle 160 using screws, or other suitable fastening
means, that extend slidably through the front wall 140. The hopper
unit 99 also includes a bottom wall 162.
[0079] As noted above, a movable slat 165 is positioned below the
bottom wall 162. The slat 165 can be moved laterally along its
longitudinal axis in such a manner that slat apertures 368 therein
can alternately be aligned, or not aligned, with the corresponding
bottom wall slots 395 in the bottom wall 162. Preferably, the slots
395 in the bottom wall 162 generally resemble the openings 124 in
the top wall 114 in overall shape. However, it is preferred that
the bottom wall slots 395 be slightly larger than the corresponding
openings 124 in the top wall 114. For the manufacture of a
cigarette from a hollow tubular rod having a tobacco rod section of
about 56 mm in length and about 24.5 mm in circumference, a
representative preferred opening in the bottom wall has dimensions
of 12 mm wide by about 58 mm to about 60 mm deep. It is also
preferred that the dimensions of the slots 395 in the bottom wall
162 be substantially identical to those of the corresponding
apertures 368 in the slat 165. Controlled movement of the slat 165
is allowed by tracking slots 411 being moveable about corresponding
shoulder pins 412 or other suitable means. The slat 165 can include
an optional handle aperture 415 that provides a type of handle for
grasping and sliding the slat 165 back and forth.
[0080] In one embodiment, the major surfaces of the fixed and
movable side walls 350, 360 are all substantially vertical and
parallel to each other. In certain preferred embodiments, each of
the fixed and movable side walls 350, 360 is broader near its top
end and tapers narrower near its bottom end. This configuration
provides a vertical passage between the side walls 350, 360 that is
slightly broader at its bottom than at its top. For example in one
preferred configuration, the major faces of each side wall each
taper about 0.5.degree. to about 1.degree. from vertical.
Alternatively, the side walls are slightly tilted toward each other
at the top to achieve this effect. A vertical passage of such a
shape is preferred in that downward movement of tobacco filler of a
tobacco filler column within that passage is facilitated or
promoted.
[0081] For the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the major face or inner
surface of each wall 350, 360 that makes up the right and left
inner face of each vertical passageway is generally flat; and hence
the gradual increase in width of each passageway from top to bottom
is generally linear in nature. However, in alternative embodiments,
the major face of each panel may be modified so as to be slightly
curved, and thereby provide a non-linear downward increase in the
width of each passage.
[0082] FIG. 3 depicts the main base 31 of the cigarette
manufacturing apparatus 10 previously described with reference to
FIG. 1. The base 31 supports a tobacco filler insertion mechanism
300. The mechanism 300 includes a horizontally extending generally
triangular-shaped base 310 that is, in turn, mounted on and
slightly above the main base 31. The triangular base 310 can be
manufactured from any suitable material, but preferably is
manufactured from aluminum. A representative triangular base is
about 20 cm in length, about 13 cm in width, and about 1.3 cm in
height. The triangular base 310 supports three gears 316, 317, 318.
The first gear 316 is larger and the second and third gears 317,
318 are smaller than the first gear 316, but about the same size as
each other. The first gear 316 is operably attached to the plunger
arm 261. Representative gears can be manufactured from any suitable
material, such as steel or aluminum. The gears 316, 317, 318 are
substantially coplanar and each is positioned so as to rotate about
a vertical axis. A representative larger gear includes 48 teeth,
each of 5 mm pitch. Representative smaller gears each include 32
teeth, and each tooth has a pitch of 5 mm. In the illustrated
embodiment of FIG. 3, the three gears support a belt 325 that is
adapted to move in a generally horizontal plane in response to a
rotation of the gears 316, 317, 318. A representative belt is a
slightly elastic belt composed of neoprene, rubber, or another
suitable material. The representative belt has length of about 61
cm, and includes one hundred twenty two grooves each of 5 mm pitch.
Also supported by triangular-shaped base 310 is a belt tensioner
328, or other suitable means for facilitating removal, tightening
and operation of the belt 325.
[0083] In the assembled apparatus 10, a plunger assembly 248 (shown
in FIGS. 1 and 11) is located beneath the triangular-shaped base
310, and supported above the main base 31. The base 31 also
includes a first plunger stop 335 located near the rear edge of the
base 31. The first plunger arm stop 335 extends upwards, and acts
to limit the rearward movement of the plunger arm cross-member 257
(see FIGS. 10 and 11) of the plunger assembly 248. The base 31 also
includes a second plunger arm stop 338 located forward of the first
plunger arm stop 335. The second plunger arm stop 338 extends
upwards, and acts to limit the forward movement of the plunger arm
cross-member 257 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) of the plunger assembly
248.
[0084] The backstop wall 68 defines the front end of the base 31
and extends above its upper surface. The main base 31 includes
several guidance grooves 346 within its upper face. The guidance
grooves 346 extend longitudinally across the base 31. For the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the upper face of the main base 31
includes five guidance grooves 346. The guidance grooves 346 serve
as a track for the guides 728 of the plunger arm assembly 248 (see
FIG. 10). One representative guidance groove design provides
grooves each having a width of about 9.5 mm and a length of about
8.8 cm. Another representative guidance groove design provides
grooves each having a width of about 12 mm and a length of about
9.4 cm.
[0085] The base 31 also includes a front platform portion 382
immediately rear of the backstop wall 68. The front platform
portion 382 provides a region configured to support a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 in a proper position and location for
making cigarettes with the apparatus 10. The main base 31 includes
a broad recess 354 at the front edge of the guidance grooves 346.
The dimensions of a representative opening region 354 are about 6
cm deep and about 22 cm wide. A plurality of spaced tension arms
365 is positioned within the broad recess 354. For the embodiment
shown in FIG. 3, the main base 31 includes five tension arms 365.
The tension arms 365 are mounted on an axle 369 that extends
transversely across the broad recess 354, with its ends secured
rotatably in the sides of the base 31. A plurality of spacers 372
is individually positioned about the axis between adjacent tension
arms 365. The tension arms 365 are designed to pivot on the axle
369.
[0086] In the assembled apparatus 10, tension arms 365 are located
beneath filling nozzles 230 of the compression assembly 75 (see
FIG. 7) and each is designed to hold a corresponding tubular
wrapper 21 in position during the filling operation. This holding
function preferably ensures complete and consistent filling of the
wrapper 21 with tobacco filler during an operation of the apparatus
10. As is explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, each
tension arm 365 exerts force upon a corresponding tubular wrapper
21 during the time when the tubular wrapper 21 is being filled with
tobacco filler, and facilitates maintenance of the tubular wrapper
in place relative to the nozzle during that period. A
representative tension arm has a height of about 3 cm, a width of
about 9 mm, and a length of about 7.4 cm. Representative spacers
each are cylindrical in shape and are about 13 mm outer diameter,
about 6.5 mm inner diameter, and about 4 cm long. Representative
spacers are manufactured from aluminum.
[0087] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the tension arms 365 each
include a front arm portion 379. Each front arm portion 379 is
located in front of the axle 369. For example, a representative
front arm portion extends forward about 46 mm from the center of
the axle. Each front arm portion preferably is adapted and
positioned so as to have the ability to extend slightly above the
upper surface of the front platform portion 382 of the base 31
(e.g., about 2 mm above the base). Each front arm portion 379 is of
a size and shape, and is positioned, such that it will be pushed
downward when a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is positioned on the
upper surface of the front platform portion 382 of the base 31.
[0088] The tension arms 365 each include an upper arm surface 385.
Each upper arm surface 385 is located in front of the axle 369. As
a result, a downward movement of the front arm portion 379 of each
tension arm also results in a downward movement of each respective
upper arm surface 385. A representative upper arm surface has a
generally concave shape and is designed to act as a support for the
open end of a tubular wrapper. A representative upper arm surface
corresponds to about one third of the circumference of the open end
region of the tubular wrapper that is cradled thereon. Each
representative upper portion extends upwards about 5 mm to about 10
mm above the upper surface of the base 31. Representative tension
arms, and particularly the upper faces of those tension arms, are
manufactured from nylon, or another suitable material.
Representative tension arms, and particularly the upper surface of
the those tension arm, also can be manufactured from metal coated
with an elastomer in order to provide a surface exhibiting some
friction, and thereby improving the ability of the tension arm to
clamp and hold a tubular wrapper to a nozzle of the compression
assembly.
[0089] The tension arms 365 each include a rear arm portion 390. In
a representative embodiment, each rear arm portion extends
rearwards about 28 mm from of the center of the axle. Each rear arm
portion 390 of each tension arm 365 preferably is located adjacent
the front end of each corresponding guidance groove 346. During an
operation of the apparatus 10, the tension arms interact with the
plunger arm assembly, which is described below with reference to
FIG. 10.
[0090] In FIG. 3, the foremost tension arm 365 is illustrated with
a tension arm spring 400 extending upward from the upper face of
the rear arm portion 390. In a preferred embodiment, each of the
tension arms 365 includes a tension arm spring 400. When the
tension arm 365 is assembled to the apparatus 10, each of the
tension arm springs 400 extends up against the underside of the
compression assembly 75 that rests thereabove. A representative
spring, when at rest, has a diameter of about 2 mm and a length of
about 15 mm. When at rest, the springs 400 hold the tension arms
365 in a "rocked-back" position. That is, the tension arm spring
400 acts to maintain the back portion of the tension arm in a down
position when (i) upward force is not being applied to the back
portion, or (ii) when downward force is not being applied to the
front portion.
[0091] The front platform portion 382 preferably includes a key
stock 410 extending upwards therefrom. The key stock 410 provides
for a convenient manner of positioning of a cartridge securely in a
desired position relative to the base 31. For the embodiment shown
in FIG. 3, the key stock 410 is a longitudinal protrusion with a
square cross-section that extends from front to rear of the front
platform portion 382. That is, the stock is designed to align with
each of a series of mating grooves 515 located at pre-determined
locations on the bottom face of a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 (see
FIG. 5). As such, there is provided a precise and desired alignment
of a set of five tubular wrappers with five corresponding nozzles
230 extending from the compression assembly 75 of the apparatus 10
(see FIGS. 1 and 4).
[0092] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a tension arm 365 that
is representative of the design of the type of tension arm
described previously with reference to FIG. 3. The tension arm 365
includes an axle passage 416 extending transversely therethrough,
in order to provide a region for the axle 369 of the main base 31
to pass and hence provide a pivot axis. The top of the rear arm
portion 390 includes a divot 418 that acts as a seat for a tension
arm spring 400. The tension arm 365 also includes a front arm
portion 379 that extends slightly upwards relative to the rear arm
portion 390. The upper surface portion 385 that extends upwards
relative to the forward and back regions preferably has an arcuate
shape (e.g., covering about 120.degree. to about 180.degree.). The
arcuate shape can be employed to support the end of a tubular
wrapper portion and apply pressure that holds the wrapper 21
against the lower outer surface region of a nozzle 230. This
function is described below in greater detail, with reference to an
operation of the apparatus 10.
[0093] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there are shown rear and front
views of a wrapper-holding cartridge 38. As is shown in FIG. 5, the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 preferably is configured to be capable
of being maintained laterally in place relative to the base of the
cigarette manufacturing. Appropriate secure positioning of the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 relative to the base 31 is
accomplished in the illustrated embodiment by engaging one of the
mating grooves 515 with the raised key stock 410 (see FIG. 3)
located on the front platform portion 382 of the base 31. Other
structures and/or methods for adjusting the location of a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 on or within the cigarette
manufacturing apparatus, and for securing the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 at a desired location within the apparatus 10, can be
employed (e.g., through the use of clamps, adjustable threaded
nuts, or the like). For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 includes four mating grooves 515. With
this configuration, a base 31 including a single protruding,
cooperating key stock 410 allows for the secure alignment or
registration of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 in at least four
independent positions on the base 31 of the cigarette manufacturing
apparatus 10.
[0094] The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 preferably also includes at
least one optional coordinating slot 535 on its bottom face at a
predetermined location that is a distance apart from the location
of slots 515. The coordinating slot 535 can be used in order to
provide for a desired positioning of the cartridge within one or
more other devices, such as, for example, an apparatus designed to
fill an empty cartridge with pre-formed tubular wrappers, a device
to trim the ends of tobacco charges in cigarettes on the cartridge,
or a device to transfer cigarettes from the cartridge to a
container. A representative device for trimming cigarette ends is
described below with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. A representative
apparatus for filling a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 with empty
tubular wrappers 21 is described in greater detail below with
reference to FIG. 14 through FIG. 16.
[0095] The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 includes a raised region
540 on the front thereof. The raised region 540 facilitates capture
and control of the filter ends of the tubular wrappers 21 within a
series of preferably semi-cylindrical grooves 48 on the cartridge.
As such, desired positioning of the tubular wrappers on the
cartridge is promoted. When the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is
loaded with pre-formed tubular wrappers 21, the filtered ends of
those tubular wrappers 21 are situated at least partially within a
series of cavities 541 within the raised region 540 of the
cartridge, and the open ends of those tubular wrappers 21 are
oriented toward the rear of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38.
[0096] Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a front view of the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38. A series of cylindrical push-through
openings 550 is aligned across the front face 548 of the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38. Each opening 550 extends through the
raised front region of the wrapper-holding cartridge to a
corresponding cavity 541, and is aligned with a corresponding
groove 48. Referring to a representative embodiment, for a
cartridge adapted to contain tubular wrappers having circumferences
of about 7 mm to about 8.5 mm, the representative passageway has a
diameter of about 5 mm. That is, it is highly preferred that each
push-through opening is not so large as to allow a wrapper
cigarette to pass therethrough. The openings 550 allow for
cigarettes positioned on the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 to be
removed from the cartridge by inserting appropriately sized rods
into the openings so as to push the cigarettes from the cartridge.
A device for facilitating this operation is described below with
reference to FIGS. 17 and 18.
[0097] In FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a tobacco filler
rod-forming compression assembly 75. During a preferred operation
of the compression assembly 75, loose tobacco filler is arranged
into a charge of tobacco, which preferably is rod-shaped. The
embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 are substantially similar, except that
the embodiment of FIG. 8 incorporates an alternative handle design.
Referring to FIG. 7, the compression assembly 75 includes a top
plate 600 that is shown as partially cut away. The compression
assembly 75 also includes a bottom plate 605. Each of the top and
bottom plates 600, 605 are connected by bolts 606, rivets, or
another suitable connector means so as to remain in position
relative to one another. The plates 600, 605 are also configured to
be held consistently in a desired position on the main base 31 of
the cigarette manufacturing apparatus 10. The top plate 600 and the
bottom plate 605 each can be manufactured from any suitable
material, but preferably are manufactured from brass.
[0098] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the top plate 600
includes five fill slots 608 in its top plate, and each fill slot
608 extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the
compression assembly 75. The middle three fill slots 608 are in the
cutaway portion of the top plate 600 and are therefore not shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8; however, the entire leftmost fill slot 608 and the
interior right-side portion of the rightmost fill slot 608 are
shown therein. Each fill slot 608 serves as a passageway for
filling a lower receptacle area 641 with a charge of tobacco
filler. For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the compression
assembly 75 has the capability of providing five tobacco filler
charges at a given time. It is highly preferred that the size and
shape of each lower receptacle area, and the ability of the other
components of the apparatus to supply tobacco filler to each lower
receptacle area, be such that the lower receptacle can be readily
filled with tobacco filler in a complete, uniform and reproducible
manner.
[0099] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, a compression arm 260 is
positioned at the left side of the compression assembly 75. The
compression arm 260 is in operable communication with a movable
compression bar 621. The compression bar 621 is movable back and
forth along the longitudinal axis of the base of the compression
assembly, and defines a bottom surface of each receptacle 641. Five
compression plates 630 are mounted to the top of the compression
bar 621 and are movable with the compression bar. A
counter-clockwise movement of the compression arm 260 moves the
compression bar 621 and the compression plates 630 to the right. A
representative compression bar is about 32 mm wide, about 33 cm
long, and about 3.5 mm thick. The compression bar may be made from
any suitable material and a representative compression bar may be
manufactured from any suitable metallic material, such as steel.
The compression plates 630 may be manufactured from any suitable
material, but preferably are manufactured from aluminum, steel or
stainless steel.
[0100] The compression assembly 75 includes a set of compression
assembly channels 638 that run transverse to the longitudinal axis
of the assembly 75. The compression assembly channels 638 provide
for passage of a series of plunger insertion arms 251 from the
plunger assembly 248 therethrough. As is described in greater
detail below, the plunger insertion arms 251 function to push
compressed charges of tobacco filler from the lower receptacle area
641 into tubular wrappers 21.
[0101] During an operation of the compression assembly 75, a charge
of tobacco filler is allowed to pass from the hopper unit 99 above
into the receptacle area 641. The compression arm 260 is moved so
as to move each compression bar 621 to the right, such that the
compression plates 630 simultaneously move toward the right. As a
result, the tobacco filler in each lower receptacle 641 is formed
into a generally cylindrical charge.
[0102] When the compression assembly is in open position, as is
shown in FIG. 7, a preferred receptacle 641 has a height that
approximates that of each compression plate 630. Most preferably,
the length of the receptacle 641 approximates that of corresponding
opening in the top face of the compression assembly. Most
preferably, the width of the receptacle area 641 is greater than
that of the width of the corresponding fill slot 608 in the top
plate 600 of the compression assembly 75. Preferably, the right
wall of each receptacle area is generally concave in shape in order
to accommodate the forward and backward travel of the front
semi-cylindrical extension portion 695 of a plunger insertion arm
251 of the plunger assembly 248 that is used to transfer the
cylindrical tobacco filler charges or rods from the receptacle area
641 to the tubular wrappers. For the manufacture of a
representative cigarette from a hollow tubular rod having a tobacco
rod section of about 56 mm in length and about 24.5 mm in
circumference, a representative preferred receptacle area has
dimensions of at least about 12 mm wide, at least about 58 mm long
and about 6 mm high. Larger size receptacle areas can be used for
the production of cigarettes having larger tobacco rods.
[0103] A representative compression plate has a length of about 6
cm, a width of about 24.5 mm and a thickness of about 6.3 mm. For
one preferred embodiment, the compression plates are equally spaced
from one another at a distance of about 2.5 cm. The manner that the
compression plates 630 communicate with the compression bar 621 can
vary. In some embodiments, the compression bar and compression
plates extending upward therefrom can be of unitary construction.
However, it is preferred that each compression plate includes a
downwardly extending pin that fits into a corresponding hole within
the compression plate; and as such, compression plates can be
removed for servicing of the apparatus, and compression plates of
desired sizes can be substituted within the apparatus.
[0104] Several filling nozzles 230 are positioned on the front of
the compression assembly 75. Representative nozzles preferably are
manufactured from brass or stainless steel. For the embodiment
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front of the compression assembly 75
includes five filling nozzles 230. Each filling nozzle 230 (shown
as partially cut away) is adapted to receive the open end of a
tubular wrapping portion 21 (several of which are shown as
partially cut away in order to show a preferred positional
relationship of the nozzles 230 relative to the tubular wrapping
portions 21). Each filling nozzle 230 also is adapted to position
each tubular wrapper 21 in place and to act as a passageway for a
cylindrical charge of tobacco filler from a receptacle area 641 to
within a corresponding tubular wrapping portion 21.
[0105] Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown a compression assembly
75 of the type described previously with reference to FIG. 7.
However, the compression assembly 75 is shown with the compression
plates 630 in a closed position. Specifically, the leading edge of
each compression plate 630 (which preferably is concave to
facilitate formation of a cylindrical tobacco filler charge) is
substantially flush with the left edge of the corresponding channel
638. In addition, the compression assembly 75 shown in FIG. 8
includes an alternate type of handle mechanism 645 for moving the
compression applying compressive force to the tobacco filler
material within each receptacle. A representative compression
handle mechanism 645 is a De-Sta-Co Industries as "Straight Line
Toggle Clamp" Model 603. The use of the compression mechanism
embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 are particularly suited for use with a
cigarette-making apparatus that is bolted or otherwise affixed to a
bench top.
[0106] Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown a cross-sectional
partial view (taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1) of the
cigarette-making apparatus 10, as viewed from the front and showing
the inner regions of the hopper unit 99 and the compression
assembly 75. The hopper unit 99 includes an upper reservoir region
110, a top wall 114 having openings 124 extending therethrough,
vertical passageways 675, bottom wall 162 having bottom wall slots
395, and a bottom slat 165 (which is shown such that the slat
apertures 368 thereof are aligned with the bottom wall slots 395).
The compression assembly 75 includes a top plate 600 with fill
slots openings 608 that are aligned with the bottom wall slots 395
of the bottom wall 162 of the hopper unit 99. The compression
assembly 75 is supported by base 31.
[0107] As shown in FIG. 9, the compression assembly 75 is in a
closed position. As such, each compression plate 630 is shown as
having been moved to the right. As described above with reference
to FIGS. 7 and 8, movement of the compression plates 630 to the
right is accomplished by movement of the compression arm 260, which
in turn causes movement to the right of a lower compression bar 621
to which the compression plates 630 are secured. As a result,
tobacco filler that has fallen into the receptacle areas 641 of the
compression assembly 75 when the compression assembly was in the
open position is pushed to the right by movement of each respective
compression plate 630.
[0108] When the plunger assembly 248 is assembled to the
compression assembly 75, the right/leading face of each compression
plate 630 and the inner/left surface of each respective plunger
semi-tube 695 cooperate to form a generally cylindrical region.
That is, the right/leading face of each compression plate 630 is
sufficiently concave to form the general shape of a semi-circle,
and each cooperating plunger semi-tube 695 has the general open
shape of a semi-circle. As such, movement of these two components
together and into proper alignment results in the receptacle 641
taking on a generally cylindrical shape with a generally circular
cross-section. As such, for each cooperating plunger semi-tube and
compression plate compressed into close alignment with loose
tobacco placed therebetween, a generally cylindrical charge of
tobacco filler may be formed.
[0109] For the hopper unit 99, each fixed wall 350 of each vertical
passageway 675 is shown so as to be substantially vertical. Each
movable wall 360 is positioned at a slight angle relative to
vertical, such that the width of the vertical passageway 675 is
slightly greater near the bottom than near the top. For example,
each movable wall 360 is positioned at an angle of 1.degree. off
vertical, tapering outwards toward its bottom. In different
embodiments, any or all of the walls 350, 360 may be vertical or
slightly angled, but in preferred embodiments, the movable walls
360 are at least slightly angled. The weights 177 of the hopper
assembly 80 are shown in a lowered position, such that each weight
177 extends within the corresponding vertical passageway 675 of the
hopper unit 99.
[0110] Referring to FIG. 10, there are shown components of the
plunger assembly 248. The plunger assembly 248 includes a clamp or
bracket 706, or other suitable means, for secure attachment of the
assembly to the belt 325 of the tobacco filler insertion/ plunger
mechanism 248. Any suitable clamp or other attachment means may be
used to attach the plunger assembly 248 to the belt 325. In the
illustrated embodiment, the clamp 706 is secured to a cross-member
257 using screws, bolts, spot weld, or other fastening means, or
through a unitary construction design.
[0111] Protrusions from the lower edge of the cross-member 257
support several forward-extending guides 728. The guides 728 may be
manufactured from any suitable material, but preferably are
manufactured from aluminum. A tension release wedge 740 is
positioned at the front face of each guide. Each tension release
wedge 740 is designed to cooperate with a corresponding tension arm
located on the base 31 (as described above). A representative
forward facing guide and release wedge assembly extends forward
from the cross-member 257 by about 10 cm, and a representative
wedge is about 7 mm high and about 9 mm wide. The front face of a
representative release wedge is configured such that the face
slopes downward from back to front. That is, the shape of each
tension release wedge can be designed to cooperate with a
corresponding shape of the rear arm portion 390 of each tension
control arm 365. In essence, the forward movement of the release
wedge 740 acts as a cam to move the rear arm portion 390, which
acts as a cam follower. The result when the wedge 740 is moved
forward is an upward movement of the rear arm portion 390 of the
tension arm 365.
[0112] A plunger arm 251 is positioned above each guide arm 728,
such that each plunger arm 251 extends essentially parallel to each
guide arm 728 and is supported by the cross-member 257. For the
embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the plunger assembly 248 includes five
plunger arms 251. Representative plunger arms can be manufactured
from any suitable material, but preferably are manufactured from
stainless steel. A representative plunger arm has dimensions of
about 6.35 mm in diameter and about 15 cm in length.
[0113] Extending from the front face of each plunger arm 251 is a
plunger partial tube or semi-tube 695, or other suitable means for
insertion of tobacco filler into a tubular wrapper portion. The
plunger semi-tube 695 is securely attached to the front end of the
plunger arm 251, using any suitable fastening means, such as, for
example, unitary construction, spot weld, recessed rivets,
adhesive, or recessed nuts and bolts. As another example, the
plunger semi-tube 695 can include a tube portion that fits over the
front end of a cooperating plunger arm 251 and is crimped
thereabout.
[0114] The design of each plunger semi-tube 695 can vary. One
preferred design for a plunger semi-tube 695 is a generally
semi-cylindrical tube with a generally cylindrical base portion 760
attaching it to a corresponding plunger insertion arm 251. A
representative plunger semi-tube is about 67 mm long; about 15 mm
thereof is a generally tubular region that fits over the front end
of the plunger insertion arm, and about 52 mm thereof is a
generally semi-cylindrical region. A preferred semi-tube 695
incorporates a plurality of teeth 765 on each side edge thereof
(i.e., the semi-tubular section includes two rows of teeth making
the two sides serrated). In a representative embodiment each row of
teeth located about 8 mm from the extreme front end of the
semi-tubular section and extends about 28 mm along its length.
Preferably the teeth are angled toward the tip or front of the
plunger arm assembly 248. A plunger semi-tube having serrated side
edges facilitates effective forward movement of tobacco filler into
a tubular wrapper portion, and also facilitates ready removal of
the plunger semi-tube from the tubular wrapper portion while
minimizing the likelihood of tobacco filler being pulled out of the
tubular wrapping portion. Preferably the serrations are directed
toward the inner portion of the semi-tube in order to minimize the
likelihood that movement thereof might damage a tubular wrapping
portion into which tobacco is being inserted.
[0115] Each plunger semi-tube 695 can be manufactured from any
suitable material, but preferably is manufactured from a metallic
material, such as stainless steel. For example, a stainless steel
tube of appropriate size (e.g., having a circular cross-section of
about 5.5 mm inner diameter and about 6.35 mm outer diameter) can
be machined to provide a plunger semi-tube of appropriate shape.
Representative plunger semi-tube designs are incorporated in those
types of cigarette-making devices that have been commercially
available as "Premier Supermatic".TM. from The Central Tobacco Mfg.
Co. Ltd.
[0116] Referring to FIG. 11, there is shown a rear perspective view
of the cigarette manufacturing apparatus 10 described previously
with reference to FIG. 1. In operation, the apparatus 10 preferably
is positioned firmly in place on a table, bench, counter, or the
like. If desired, the bottom of the base 31 can be equipped with
non-skid components (not shown), such as rubber legs, or the like.
Alternatively, the apparatus can be permanently affixed to
components of a work station. For example, the apparatus can be
bolted, clamped, or otherwise secured, to a bench top.
[0117] During an operation of the apparatus 10, loose tobacco
filler material is placed in the upper reservoir region 110 of the
hopper assembly 80. Most preferably, the tobacco filler has the
form of cut filler of a desirable particle size, and the tobacco
filler is substantially absent of tobacco dust or fines. The
tobacco filler is gently moved over each opening 124 in the top
wall 114 of the hopper unit 99 so that the tobacco filler falls
into each corresponding vertical passageway 675, and into the lower
region of the hopper unit 99. Preferably, for the embodiment shown,
sufficient loose tobacco filler is introduced into the hopper
assembly 99 to provide for adequate manufacture of more than twenty
cigarettes. Manipulation of the ball slides 170 to effect downward
movement of each weight 177 into each respective opening 124
provides a desired compression of the tobacco filler in the lower
region of the hopper assembly 99. Reciprocating movement of the
wall-moving handle 160 moves the movable walls 360 and preferably
promotes settling of tobacco filler within each vertical
passageway. As such, consistent or uniform filling of the relevant
region with a consistent or uniform amount of tobacco filler is
promoted.
[0118] Counter-clockwise movement of the compression arm 260
provides for formation of cylindrical charges of tobacco filler in
the receptacle areas 641 of the compression assembly 75, as is
described above with reference to FIGS. 7, 8, and 10. As such,
components of the compression assembly 75 alter the arrangement of
tobacco filler within each receptacle 641 within the compression
assembly 75 to form several tobacco filler charges.
[0119] Explanation of an operation of the tension arms and other
components is best made with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 5,10, and 11.
In a method of operation, a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is placed
on the front platform portion 382 of the base 31. The alignment of
a tubular wrapper portion with each nozzle 230 of the compression
assembly 75 is such that the longitudinal axes of the nozzles 230
and the longitudinal axes of the tubular wrapper portions 21 are
essentially parallel to one another. Such alignment is facilitated
by fitting a mating groove 515 located on the bottom face of a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 with the key stock 410 protruding from
the forward upper face 382 of the base 31. However, it is preferred
that, for a nozzle 230 having its bottom region protruding relative
to its top region, the bottom region of a corresponding tubular
wrapping portion rests about 2 mm to about 3 mm below the bottom
portion of the nozzle. The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is moved
rearward toward the tension arms 365. Preferably, the movement of
the cartridge is performed manually by an operator, and the
cartridge is moved about 2 cm toward the rear of the base 31. As
the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is moved toward the tension arms
365, each corresponding tubular wrapper portion 21 preferably will
ride up and fit over the corresponding nozzle 230. Simultaneously,
movement of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 against the front arm
portions 379 of the tension arms 365 causes the front arm portion
379 of each arm 360 to move downward. Downward movement of the
front arm portion 379 of each tension arm 365 results in formation
of a space between the upper arm surface 385 of each tension arm
365 and a corresponding nozzle 230, and hence provides clearance to
allow the tubular wrapper portion 21 to slide over the nozzle 230.
That is, as each tension arm 365 rocks forward, each corresponding
concave upper arm surface 385 cradles and lifts a tubular wrapper
end from the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 and allows the open end
of each tubular wrapper 21 to ride over each cooperating nozzle
230. The forward rocking movement of the tension arms 365 also
compresses the tension arm springs 400. The wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 preferably then is moved forward, away from the
tension arms 365. Preferably, movement of the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 is performed manually by the operator, such that the
cartridge is moved about 2 cm toward the front of the base 31 and
rests against the backstop wall 68.
[0120] This forward movement of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38
away from the tension arms 365 results in release of downward force
thereupon. As a result, each tension arm spring 400 uncompresses
and forces pivoting of each tension arm 365 rearward such that each
upper arm surface 385 thereof moves upward and pushes a portion of
the tubular wrapping portion against the nozzle (i.e., applies a
clamping force to the tubular wrapping portion). That is, release
of downward force on the front portion of each tension arm 365
results in an upward movement of each upper arm surface 385, which
clamps the lower inner surface of a corresponding tubular wrapper
21 against the lower outer surface of a corresponding nozzle 230.
As such, each tubular wrapper 21 is held securely in place so that
a cylindrical charge of tobacco filler may be transferred from the
compression assembly 75 into the open end of the tubular wrapper
21.
[0121] Movement of the plunger arm 261 works through the gears of
the insertion mechanism 300 to cause forward movement of the of the
plunger insertion arms 251 of the plunger assembly 248. That is,
each plunger insertion arm 251 travels forward parallel to and
above each corresponding guidance groove 346 as the
forward-extending guides 728 extending from the underside of the
plunger arm cross-member 257 track through the guidance grooves
346. The plunger arm assembly is explained in greater detail with
reference to FIG. 10. A forward movement operation of the plunger
assembly 248 causes the tubular wrapper portion 21 that is clamped
to a nozzle 230 of the compression assembly 75 to be filled with a
formed charge of tobacco filler. (Operation of the compression
assembly 75 to form charges of tobacco filler is explained in
greater detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.)
[0122] When the plunger assembly 248 has been moved forward
sufficiently to fill the tubular wrapper portion 21 with a charge
of tobacco filler, the front face of each tension release wedge 740
at the forward end of each forward-extending guide arm 728 reaches
and contacts the rear arm portion 390 of each corresponding tension
arm 365. This contact causes a slight upward movement of the rear
arm portion 390 of each tension arm 365. As a result, the upper arm
surface 385 of each tension arm 365 is moved downwards. This
downward movement of each upper arm surface 385 results in release
of the clamping force on the tubular wrapping portion 21 to each
corresponding nozzle 230, and each resulting finished cigarette is
released from the corresponding nozzle. Rearward movement of the
plunger assembly 248 results in release of the upward pressure on
the rear arm portion 390 of each tension arm 365, and each tension
arm 365 is allowed to move freely back to its original position.
This completes a single manufacturing operation cycle for one
sub-lot of cigarettes (five cigarettes in the illustrated apparatus
10).
[0123] The wrapper-holding cartridge 38 then can be moved on the
base 31 to either the left or right to align five more empty
tubular wrapping portions 21 with the corresponding nozzles 230 of
the compression assembly 75. The manufacturing operation cycle of
filling five more tubular wrapping portions 21 with five
corresponding charges of tobacco filler, preferably of consistent
density, can then be repeated. It is highly preferred that the
cigarettes are manufactured without damaging (e.g., tearing) the
wrapping material at their lighting ends.
[0124] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 10, and 11, the gears 316, 317, 318
and the belt 325 are arranged on the triangular-shaped base so as
to undergo movement in response to movement of plunger arm 261. A
counter-clockwise movement of the plunger arm 261 results in
movement the larger gear 318, which consequently causes movement by
the belt 325 of the plunger insertion assembly 248. Movement of the
belt 325 results in forward movement of the plunger mechanism,
which in turn, results in the transfer or injection of each
respective tobacco filler charge into each respective tubular
wrapper as described above. As a result, substantially all of the
tobacco filler contained within each receptacle area 641 is formed
into a cylindrical charge and is evacuated from the receptacle
areas 641. As such, several finished cigarettes 13 are provided on
the wrapper-holding cartridge 38. A complete forward movement of
the plunger arm 261 also causes release of each formed cigarette 13
from each respective nozzle 230 as the plunger insertion arms 251
push the cigarettes off. It is highly preferred that the extreme
front end of each plunger semi-tube 695 move forward a sufficient
distance so as to very closely approach, or contact, the filter
element of the tubular wrapping portions 21. As such, uniform
filling of the tubular wrapper 21 with tobacco filler is
facilitated.
[0125] A clockwise movement of the plunger arm 261 results in
rearward movement of the plunger assembly 248. A clockwise movement
of the compression arm 260 results in leftward movement of the
compression plates 630 within the compression assembly 75. When the
compression plates 630 are moved to the open position (i.e., to the
left) another portion of tobacco filler from each corresponding
vertical passageway is allowed to fall into each respective
receptacle. Typically, the amount of tobacco filler within each
receptacle is controlled such that the tobacco filler fills the
height of the receptacle (e.g., the approximate height/thickness of
the compression plate), as well as the width and depth of the
receptacle area 641.
[0126] Weight applied to tobacco filler (not shown) in each
vertical passageway of the hopper unit 99, and movement of the
wall-moving handle 160 located on the front of the hopper unit, act
to promote control of a consistent amount of tobacco filler within
each receptacle. In a preferred operation, the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 is moved to the right, backward and forward movement
of the cartridge (to affix a set of tubular wrappers 21 to
corresponding nozzles 230, as described above) is repeated, and the
movement of each of the compression arm 260 and plunger arm 261 is
repeated, and as such, five more tubular wrappers 21 are filled
with tobacco filler. The weight 177 that has been dropped into each
vertically extending passageway can be lifted in order to allow
additional tobacco filler to be introduced into each passageway. In
this manner, an adequate supply of tobacco filler within each
receptacle for formation of a tobacco filler charge of the desired
density is facilitated. However, in a highly preferred embodiment
of using the apparatus, sufficient tobacco filler will already have
been positioned within each vertically extending passageway to
provide for successive filling of each receptacle with an adequate
and consistent amount of tobacco filler during preparation of
further finished cigarettes.
[0127] With the illustrated embodiment, the above-described process
can be repeated a total of four times, with the preferred result
being that a lot of twenty substantially identical cigarettes is
manufactured and contained within the cartridge. For each cigarette
manufactured in accordance with the foregoing process, it is highly
desirable to have sufficient tobacco filler in each vertically
extending passageway above each receptacle to ensure supply of an
adequate amount of tobacco filler within each receptacle, and hence
to provide for consistent filling of each pre-formed tubular
wrapper with the desired amount of tobacco filler. That is, it is
highly desirable that whenever tobacco filler within a receptacle
is compressed into a first cylindrical charge, there be adequate
tobacco filler positioned in the vertically extending passageway
above the tobacco filler in that receptacle to provide for at least
three more tobacco charges substantially similar in volume and
density as the first charge.
[0128] When complete, the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 containing
manufactured cigarettes can be removed from the cigarette-making
apparatus 10. In addition, the slat 165 located on the bottom of
the hopper unit can be shifted to the closed position, the weights
170 can be raised, and the hopper unit 99 can be refilled with
tobacco filler, or removed from the cigarette-making apparatus 10
and replaced with another hopper unit 99. When the loose tobacco
filler is handled and used to manufacture cigarettes in accordance
with the present invention, it is highly preferred that the various
pieces of tobacco material that make up that tobacco filler undergo
an extremely low degree of breakage or degradation. That is, it is
highly preferred that the cigarette-making device be operated so as
to cause an extremely low degree of degradation of the tobacco
filler.
[0129] For the embodiments described with reference to FIG. 1
through FIG. 11, exemplary materials and designs for compression
assembly components, tension arms, nozzles for tobacco filler
transport and plunger assembly components also are of the type that
have been incorporated in those types of cigarette-making devices
that have been commercially available as Premier Supermatic from
The Central Tobacco Mfg. Co. Ltd., and "Escort" and "Pressta
Deluxe" by CTC Canada Inc. See, also, those component materials,
component designs and component operation descriptions set forth in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,127,900 to Kastner and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,793 to
Kastner, each which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
[0130] For a preferred cigarette manufacturing apparatus 10, and
components thereof, described with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG.
11, that apparatus 10 is designed to produce five cigarettes
substantially simultaneously, and the wrapper-holding cartridge 38
thereof is designed to hold twenty cigarettes. Suitable alterations
to the apparatus and its components can be made to produce any
number of cigarettes at a given time (e.g., two, four, ten, twenty,
or more). Suitable alterations also can be made to provide a
cartridge capable of supporting any number of cigarettes at a given
time (e.g., three, five, ten, thirty, forty, or more). Exemplary
devices can be characterized as those incorporating (a) at least
two receptacle areas and including cartridges capable of holding at
least ten tubular wrapping portions; (b) at least four receptacles
and cartridges capable of holding at least twenty tubular wrapping
portions; (c) at least five receptacles and cartridges holding at
least ten tubular wrapping portions; (d) at least five receptacles
and cartridges holding no more than forty tubular wrapping
portions; or (e) no more than five receptacles and cartridges
holding no more than twenty tubular wrapping portions. Furthermore,
the cigarette manufacturing apparatus can be designed and adapted
to introduce tobacco filler into tubular wrapping portions of
larger or smaller size (e.g., the plunger arms and receptacles can
be made longer to fill hollow tubular wrapper portions of longer
length).
[0131] For a preferred cigarette manufacturing apparatus, and
components thereof, described with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG.
11, that apparatus 10 preferably is designed to produce small lots
or batches of cigarettes having consistent quality. For a
particular selection of tobacco filler (e.g., as determined by
factors such as composition, particle size, moisture content, and
the like), and for pre-formed tubular wrappers of a particular size
(e.g., as determined by factors such as the length and
circumference of the hollow region), a plurality of cigarettes can
be made to specification by appropriate control of the operation of
various components of the apparatus. The size of the tobacco filler
charge used to fill each hollow tubular wrapper portion can be
controlled; for example, by selecting appropriate dimensions of
each vertical passageway, of each lower receptacle, of the
compression bars and associated components, and of the insertion
arms and associated components. Preferably, the size of the tobacco
charge is such that it effectively and efficiently fills the hollow
space of a pre-formed wrapper. The dimensions of the various
nozzles of the compression assembly can be appropriately altered in
order to produce cigarettes of desired circumference. The
components of the compression and insertion mechanisms are designed
to be set and operated in order that tobacco filler charges are
formed and inserted into hollow tubular wrapper portions
consistently and in a controlled manner. Each compression chamber
is filled with tobacco filler in an automated fashion; and hence,
precise control of amount of tobacco filler supplied to each
compression chamber is achieved. Thus, supply of a consistent
amount of tobacco filler within each tobacco filler charge is
accomplished by controlling the density of the tobacco filler in
each compression region prior to the time that the tobacco filler
is compressed into a the form of a cylindrical charge to insertion
into the hollow tubular wrapper portion.
[0132] Other manners or methods can be employed in order to ensure
that a controlled amount of tobacco filler is distributed within
each vertically extending passageway and each cooperating
receptacle. For example, in an alternative embodiment (that is not
illustrated), the bottom region of each receptacle of the
compression assembly can be adapted so as to be composed of a fine
mesh screen or foraminous material. That porous region can be
adapted so as to be in communication with a slight vacuum (e.g., as
can be provided by appropriate connection to a vacuum source, such
as a laboratory vacuum source). As such, the negative air pressure
applied to the bottom region of each receptacle can act to pull
tobacco filler material downward, and hence adequately fill each
receptacle with a uniform and controlled amount of tobacco filler.
The degree of vacuum pulled on each column of tobacco filler within
each respective vertical passageway and receptacle can be altered
depending upon factors such as the amount of tobacco filler within
each vertical passageway.
[0133] Another manner or method for ensuring that a controlled
amount of tobacco filler is distributed within each vertically
extending passageway and each cooperating receptacle involves the
use of a hydraulic plunger or spring mechanism. For example, for an
embodiment that is not shown, a hydraulically-operated plunger can
be used to apply downward force to the tobacco filler in each
vertical passageway, and the amount of force applied to the tobacco
filler can be decreased as the amount of tobacco filler in the
vertical passageway decreases. As another example of an embodiment
that is not shown, a resistance spring can be positioned so as to
vertically extend around an appropriately configured weight such
that the weight can extend into the vertical passageway and the
spring rests on the top wall of the hopper unit. As such, as
tobacco filler is removed from each vertical passageway as a result
of cigarette manufacture, the weight falls further into the
vertical passageway, and the resulting compression of the spring
results in the application of less downward compressive force by
the weight to the tobacco filler.
[0134] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is shown a trimming
device 790 for trimming tobacco filler from the ends of finished
cigarettes 13. The various components of the frame and chassis 791
of that device 790 preferably are manufactured from a metallic
material, such as aluminum. A wrapper-holding cartridge 38 with
finished cigarettes 13 lying in its grooves 48 is positioned on a
cartridge-holding platform 794 in the top, front region of the
device 790. Preferably, the filter ends of the cigarettes 13 all
extend into the cavities 541 of the inner front face of the
cartridge, such that the lighting ends 796 are all aligned across
the back of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38. The ends of the
cigarettes 13 in the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 extend beyond the
back edge of the cartridge. A removable tray 799 is located beneath
the cutting region 800 and is used to collect tobacco particles
trimmed from the lighting ends of the cigarettes 13.
[0135] The rear face of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 abuts a
static lower ledger bar 808 of a ledger that extends across the
rear of the cartridge-holding platform 794. The grooved upper face
of the lower ledger bar 808 is adapted to be aligned with the
grooves 48 in the upper face of the cartridge. Thus, when the
cartridge is placed on the trimming device 790, each cigarette 13
rests in a groove 48 on the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 and a
corresponding groove in the lower ledger bar 808. A movable upper
ledger bar 806 has a bottom face that is configured to complement
the shape of the cigarettes resting in the lower ledger bar 808.
The movable upper ledger bar 806 can be removable so as to be
placed by hand over the lower ledger bar 808, and thereby form the
top of the ledger 804. The upper ledger bar 806 can be attached in
place by clips, or another suitable fastening means. The upper
ledger bar 806 also can be attached in place but movable relative
to the lower ledger bar 808 by use of an appropriately positioned
hinge, or other suitable means. Preferably, the ledger 804 is
manufactured from a suitable metallic material, such as brass.
Preferably, the back faces of the lower ledger bar 808 and the
upper ledger bar 806 are vertically aligned with one another. Most
preferably, when the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is in place and
the ledger 804 is closed, the preferred lighting tips of the
cigarettes 13 (as defined by the ends of the tubular wrappers 21)
are aligned with the back faces of each of the lower and upper
ledger bars 808, 806.
[0136] During an operation of the trimming device 790, a circular
cutting blade 810 is rotated at a very high rate of speed (e.g.,
1200-2000 rpm) by a motor 812. The circular cutting blade/cutter
810 optionally is covered by a blade housing 814. The motor 812
also may be covered by an optional motor housing 816. A
representative motor is available as an induction motor 25 W (1/30
HP), 115V P/N 41K25A-AWU from Oriental Motor U.S.A Corp. A
representative cutter constructed of tungsten carbide, and has a
diameter of about 62 mm and a thickness of about 0.3 mm. The blade
and motor assembly preferably is securely mounted on a bar 818, or
other suitable support means, such that the rotating cutter can be
moved back and forth. A representative bar is a ground and polished
stainless steel rod of about 12 mm diameter. In an alternative
embodiment, a reciprocating cutting blade or other cutting means
may be used rather than a rotating blade.
[0137] The cutter 810 preferably is mounted perpendicularly to the
longitudinal axes of the cigarettes 13 in the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38, and so that it rotates in a vertical plane. The
cutter 810 also is positioned so as pass very close to the lighting
ends of the cigarettes 13. That is, the cutter 810 is positioned so
as to pass very close to the rear face of the ledger 804, and
hence, very close to the lighting ends of the cigarettes (as
defined by the ends of the tubular wrappers 21).
[0138] In use, the wrapper-holding cartridge 38, containing
cigarettes 13, is placed on the trimming device 790, and the ends
of the cigarettes 13 extending from the rear of the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 rest in the corresponding grooves of the lower ledger
bar 808. The upper ledger bar 806 is positioned over the cigarettes
38 to hold them in place. The motor 812 is started by activating at
switch 819, and the cutter 810 is rotated at a very high rate of
speed (e.g., at about 1450 rpm). The cutter 810 is moved from one
end of the trimming device 790 to the other such that the cutter
trims away tobacco filler extending from the ends of the cigarettes
13. As such, the lighting end of each cigarette 13 preferably
resembles in appearance the lighting end of a mass-produced
cigarette manufactured using high-speed automated cigarette-making
equipment, such as the type set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,190 to
Brand.
[0139] Referring to FIG. 13, there is shown a rear view of the
cigarette trimming device 790 described previously with reference
to FIG. 12. The cutter blade 810 and motor 812 are shown without
coverings or housings of the type shown in FIG. 12. The trimming
device 790 includes a connection 820 for attachment to an
electrical power source. The lower ledger bar 808 is positioned
such that the cutter 810 passes closely across its rear face. The
assembly 815, including both the motor 812 and cutter 810, is
mounted on a frame support 822 equipped with a pair of sleeve
bearings 824, 825, preferably having a 12 mm inner diameter. The
sleeve bearings 824, 825 of the frame support 822 travel along the
support bar 818 (not visible in FIG. 13, see FIG. 12). The sleeve
bearings 824, 825 allow the cutter and motor assembly 815 to slide
back and forth across a relevant region of the device 790. If
desired, the cutter and motor assembly 815 alternatively can be
mounted on a rail mechanism, ball slides, or other suitable movable
support means. Preferably, the cutting edge of the cutter blade 810
is positioned so as to be spaced no more than about 0.5 mm from the
rear face of the lower ledger bar 808. The device 790 also includes
a support region for a wrapper-holding cartridge 38. A longitudinal
waste aperture 826 is located just rear of the lower ledger bar 808
on the top face of the device, and is employed such that tobacco
particles trimmed from the ends of cigarettes (not shown) can fall
into the lower tray 799 of the device 790 for disposal. Other
mechanisms or methods for ensuring that the tobacco filler of the
tobacco rod does not extend beyond the end of the rod defined by
the paper wrapper to any significant degree, within the scope of
the present invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art
of cigarette manufacture.
[0140] Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a cartridge-filling
device 830 for filling a cartridge with empty pre-formed tubular
wrappers 21. The cartridge-filling device 830 includes a base 831
that supports a cartridge-loading platform 832 and a tubular
wrapper supply assembly 833. These components can be manufactured
from any suitable material, but preferably are manufactured from a
metallic material, such as aluminum. A representative preferred
cartridge-loading platform includes polytetrafluoroethylene.
[0141] The cartridge-loading platform 832 includes a key stock 834
for maintaining a suitably configured cartridge (e.g., a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) in place,
and an upwardly extending backstop 839 for preventing undesirable
forward movement of the cartridge during use of the
cartridge-filling device 830. It is highly preferred that tubular
wrapper portions 21 being loaded onto the cartridge are positioned
on their sides, substantially parallel to each other, and
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge-loading
platform 832. Preferably, the cartridge-loading platform 832 is
disposed at a slight rear-to-front incline such that its front edge
with the backstop 839 is lower than its rear edge.
[0142] The supply assembly 833 includes a movable upper reservoir
845 adapted to hold a container 848 of tubular wrappers (box shown
as empty). A representative container 848 is a paperboard box
containing two hundred pre-formed filtered tubular wrappers, each
of which is about 24 mm in circumference and about 86 mm in length;
and a representative box is about 85 mm in height, about 90 mm in
width, and about 145 mm in length. For the embodiment shown, the
paperboard box 848 and the upper reservoir 845 each are shown in an
open position.
[0143] The supply assembly 833 also includes a hopper 851 that
provides for alignment of a plurality of tubular wrappers. For the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the hopper 851 provides for
the linear alignment of ten tubular wrappers. The hopper 851 is
adapted to receive tubular wrappers from an open container 848 when
the upper reservoir 845 is rotated about a hinge 854 so as to mate
the bottom face 857 of the upper reservoir 845 with the top face
858 of the hopper 851 and thereby provide the supply assembly 833
in a closed position (see FIG. 15). The bottom face 857 of the
upper reservoir 845 and the top face 858 of the hopper 851 are
complementary in size and shape such that tubular wrappers readily
can be emptied from the container 848 into the hopper 851. Each
tubular wrapper entering the upper region of the hopper 851
preferably falls into one of a plurality of vertical passageways
862. The walls of the passageways 862, as well as the front and
side walls of the hopper 851, preferably are manufactured from a
clear material, such as, for example, a clear plastic, so that
supply of wrappers in each passageway can readily be viewed.
Alternatively, the inner walls can be manufactured from stainless
steel, the side and back walls can be manufactured from aluminum,
and the front wall can be manufactured from a clear material. Of
course, other materials and combinations of materials may be used
for the construction as well. Most preferably, the dimensions of
the vertical passageways 862 are such that the tubular wrappers are
stored as a single-file stack within each passageway 862. The
embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 includes ten vertical
passageways. A representative vertical passageway has a width of
about 11 mm. Representative walls that provide for the various
vertical passageways each have a width of about 1.7 mm, a height of
about 6 cm, and a length of about 8.5 cm.
[0144] A tray 870 having a plurality of tray grooves 873 in its
upper face is positioned beneath the hopper 851. The tray grooves
873 are aligned that corresponds to and lies beneath a vertical
passageway 862. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 14-16, the tray
870 includes ten tray grooves 873, each of which extends
longitudinally between the front and rear of the tray 870. The tray
870 is spaced below the hopper 851 at a distance that approximates
the outer diameter of the tubular wrappers that ultimately rest
within each tray groove 873. Preferably, such a distance is about 7
mm to about 10 mm.
[0145] Referring to FIG. 15, the upper reservoir 845 of the
cartridge filling apparatus 830 is shown rotated into a closed
position, and the cartridge-filling device 830 is shown having a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 appropriately positioned thereon, with
a plurality of wrappers 21 placed in grooves 48 of the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38. A slider system 880 is positioned to
move along the front-to-rear axis of the tray 870. The slider
system illustrated in FIGS. 14-16 includes two slider handles 881.
The slider system 880 includes a sliding chassis 885 that slides
along a track 888 supported by the base 831. The slider system 880
also includes a pusher-rod-supporting cross-bar 891, or other
suitable attachment means between the slider handles 881 to support
a series of generally cylindrical pusher rods 895. The components
of the slider system 880 can be manufactured from any suitable
material, but preferably are manufactured from a metal, such as
aluminum.
[0146] As illustrated, the slider system 880 includes ten generally
cylindrical pusher rods 895. During an operation of the slider
system 880, (i) one tubular wrapper 21 is allowed to fall into each
of the tray grooves when the slider handles 881 are positioned
toward the rear of the cartridge-filling device 830, with the
filter ends of the tubular wrappers preferably oriented toward the
front of the device 830 (ii) a forward movement of the slider
handles 881 moves the pusher rods 895 forward against the tubular
wrappers within corresponding tray grooves 873 such that they are
ejected from the tray 870 onto the wrapper-holding cartridge 38,
(iii) the next tubular wrapper 21 in the vertical passageway 862 is
prevented by one or both of the previous tubular wrapper 21 and
pusher rod 895 from falling into the tray 870 prior to ejection of
that previous tubular 21 wrapper from the tray 870 to the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38; and (iv) the slider handles 881 are
moved back to the rear of the device 830 so that the process can be
repeated. The diameter and end surface configuration of each pusher
rod 895 preferably is such that it will push against the open end
of a tubular wrapper 21 sufficient to move the wrapper without a
substantial portion of the pusher rod 895 entering or damaging the
open end.
[0147] In operation, the cartridge-filling device 830 is positioned
firmly in place on a table, bench, counter, or the like.
Alternatively, the device 830 can be permanently affixed to
components of a work station. When the upper reservoir 845 is moved
to an open position, a box of pre-formed tubular wrappers may be
placed in the reservoir 845, or tubular wrappers may otherwise be
loaded into the reservoir 845 (e.g., by hand). The upper reservoir
then may be rotated into a closed position. When the reservoir 845
is in the closed position, the tubular wrappers within the upper
reservoir 845 fall into the hopper 851, and each tubular wrapper
preferably falls into a vertical passageway 862. Thus, for the
embodiment shown in FIGS, 14-15, the hopper 851 includes ten
vertically aligned stacks of pre-formed tubular wrappers 21. Using
the cartridge-filling device 830 as described, a plurality of
tubular wrappers 21 can be transferred from a container to a
cartridge and then on to a manufacturing assembly without the
necessity of touching any of the tubular wrappers by hand.
[0148] During continuation of a preferred operation described
above, the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is moved on the
cartridge-loading platform 832 such that the tray grooves of the
device 830 are aligned with the remaining ten empty grooves 48 of
the wrapper-holding cartridge 38. The slider system 880 is moved
forward to push ten more tubular wrappers 21 into the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38, and the slider handles 881 of the
slider system 880 are moved to the rear of the device 830 for later
use. Thus, the cartridge may be loaded with twenty tubular wrappers
21 in an efficient and effective two-step manner. The
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 containing the tubular wrappers 21 is
removed from the cartridge-loading platform 832, and is introduced
into a cigarette-making apparatus, such as the type set forth
previously with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 11. Another empty
cartridge can be introduced into the cartridge filling apparatus,
and the process can be repeated. After a requisite number of
cartridges have been filled, the upper reservoir can be opened and
reloaded with a new supply of tubular wrappers.
[0149] FIG. 16 shows the base 831 and the slider system 880 of the
cartridge-filling system 830 illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15.
Preferably, each of the cylindrical pusher rods 895 has a generally
cone-shaped end 900. Each cone-shaped end 900 facilitates the
ability to eject a tubular wrapper by pushing on the hollow end of
that tubular wrapper. A representative cylindrical plunger rod,
suitable for use for ejecting a filter tubular wrapper portion
having a total length of about 83 mm and a circumference of about
24.5 mm, has a length of about 80 mm and a diameter of about 8.2
mm. The rear portion of each plunger rod can be manufactured from
any appropriate material such as, for example, aluminum. The
cone-shaped front end of each rod preferably is manufactured from a
soft material, such as nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, synthetic
rubber, or the like. A representative front end of a plunger rod
covers and/or provides about 2.5 cm of the forwardmost length of
that rod.
[0150] Referring to FIG. 17, there is shown a schematic
illustration of a package-filling device 1051 for filling a
cigarette package with manufactured cigarettes. The apparatus 1051
includes a bottom frame 1054. A representative bottom frame is
about 27.5 cm wide and about 56 cm long. A representative base may
be manufactured from any suitable material, but preferably is
manufactured from aluminum.
[0151] The bottom frame 1054 supports an upper platform 1058. The
upper platform 1058 is suspended above the base by left and right
side walls 1060. In a representative embodiment, the clearance
between the upper face of the bottom frame and the lower surface of
the upper platform 1058 is about 3 cm. A representative upper
platform may be manufactured from any suitable material, but
preferably is manufactured from aluminum.
[0152] The upper platform 1058 includes an upwardly extending
ejection rod-supporting cross-member 1064 that extends thereacross.
Extending generally horizontally forward from the cross-member 1064
is a plurality of ejection rods 1067. For the embodiment shown, the
device includes twenty forwardly-extending ejection rods 1067, each
with a substantially circular cross-section. A representative
ejection rod has a length of about 7.2 cm and a diameter of about 4
mm and is manufactured from steel. The package-filling device 1051
preferably is adapted such that in a region forward of the ejection
rods 1067, there a positioning platform region 1073 for a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 filled with twenty cigarettes. It is
highly preferred that the cigarettes within the cartridge are
positioned on their sides (e.g., the longitudinal axis of each
cigarette is parallel to, or substantially parallel to, the
horizontal plane, and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the
package-filling device 1051). The central portion of the
positioning platform region 1073 includes a broad space open to the
structures below, as is explained hereafter.
[0153] Below the front portion of the cartridge positioning
platform region 1073 are an inwardly sloping left panel 1076 and an
inwardly sloping right panel 1077 that define the sides of an open
center region 1079. Representative sloping panels are manufactured
from sheets of highly polished stainless steel. A representative
open center region is generally rectangular with a width of about 8
cm and a length of about 9 cm.
[0154] The upper face of the bottom frame 1054 includes a broad
groove 1083, channel, or other means for providing for controlled
movement of a carriage 1086 from the back of the base 1054 to the
front of the device 1051. A representative groove has a vertical
depth of about 4 mm to about 6 mm, a width of about 9 cm, and a
length such that the groove extends to within about 1 cm of the
front end of the device. The arrangement of the carriage 1086 and
groove 1083 preferably are such that the carriage 1086 is easily
movable within the groove 1083. Typically, selection of the
respective shapes and dimensions of the carriage and the groove
define the arrangement of the carriage in the groove. For example,
the sides of the carriage and the sides of the groove may be
designed so as to cooperate in a tongue-in-groove type of
arrangement.
[0155] The carriage 1086 includes an upwardly extending handle
1089, such that the carriage 1086 can be moved back and forth.
Within a recess 1093 in the upper face of the carriage is
positioned a cigarette package 1095 in an open position. A
representative package 1095 includes a bottom component 1098 for
holding twenty cigarettes (not shown), and a top cover 1102 that is
designed to close over the bottom component 1098. A representative
recess has a vertical depth of about 4 mm to about 6 mm; and a
representative recess having a length of about 19 cm and a width of
about 9 cm can readily accommodate a package with a bottom
component having outer dimensions of about 8.2 cm wide, about 8.9
cm long and about 18 mm high (such dimensions being measured when
the box is in a closed or sealed configuration).
[0156] In operation, the apparatus 1051 preferably is positioned
firmly in place on a table, bench, counter, or the like.
Alternatively, the apparatus can be permanently affixed to
components of a work station. Optionally, a pre-cut inner package
wrapping paper, foil/paper laminate or paper-lined foil (not shown)
is placed into the package 1095. A typical foil sheet has a width
that approximately the width of the inner portion of the package,
and a length of about 16 cm. A forming block (not shown) having
stamp face dimensions approximating those of the inner bottom face
area of the package is used to push the foil into the box. As such,
the foil is creased within the bottom portion of the box. The
forming block then is removed from the box so as to provide a box
having a type of inner liner (not shown) positioned therein. In
addition, the foil most preferably is of such a length that tabs
(not shown) extend from both of bottom front and back of the
package.
[0157] A backstop 1110 located at the front of the carriage 1086
assists in maintaining the package 1095 in place during operation
of the apparatus 1051. On the top face of the backstop 1110 is
positioned a slot 1115. The slot 1115 preferably is designed such
that inner package wrapping paper or paper-lined foil (not shown)
extending from the front bottom of the package 1095 can be fed into
the slot 1115 in order that the foil is positioned out of the way
when the cigarette package 1095 is filled with cigarettes.
[0158] Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the package-filling apparatus
1051 is shown with a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 containing twenty
cigarettes 13 appropriately positioned on the positioning region of
the upper platform 1073. The carriage 1086 has been moved forward,
such that a package 1095 carried thereby is positioned below the
open center region 1079 beneath the cartridge. The device 1051 is
designed such that the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 can be slid on
the upper surface of the upper platform 1058 towards the rear of
the device. When the cartridge is moved rearward, each ejection rod
1067 remains still such that each rod passes through the openings
550 in the front surface of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 (see
FIG. 6) and resists the cigarettes' rearward motion by pushing
against the rear face of each filter element of each respective
cigarette. Effectively, as the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is
moved rearward, each rod 1067 passes through the corresponding
opening 550 in the front face of the wrapper-holding cartridge 38,
hence pushing the cigarettes 13 out of the cartridge. As such,
cigarettes can be removed from the cartridge without the necessity
of turning the cartridge over to dump cigarettes therefrom or of
tipping the cartridge upwards so that cigarettes fall therefrom.
The cigarettes 13 that are pushed from the wrapper-holding
cartridge 38 and fall through the open center region 1079. The
cigarettes 13 consequently fall into, and fill, the open package
1095 that is positioned in the below the open center region 1079.
An operator can use his/her finger to align the cigarettes within
the package, but preferably the cigarettes are aligned without
being touched, or are moved into alignment within the package using
a tool (e.g., a nylon probe) that will not mar the cigarettes. The
handle 1089 then can be used to move the carriage 1086 rearwards in
order to expose the package filled with cigarettes. The filled
package can be removed from the carriage and closed. A new empty
package then can be inserted into the carriage. Meanwhile, the
empty cartridge can be moved forward and removed from the device. A
new cartridge filled with cigarettes can be placed into the device.
As such, the package filling process can be repeated. In an
alternative embodiment, the ejection rods 1067 may be moved
relative to the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 to move the cigarettes
therefrom.
[0159] Cigarettes also can be packaged in the manner used for those
cigarettes commercially marketed under the trade name Camel
Blackjack Gin by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, in the manner used
for those cigarettes commercially marketed under the trade name
Salem Dark Currents Silver Label by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
See also, the types of packages set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,715,497 to Focke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,353 to Focke et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,463 to Bouchard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,734 to
Allen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,140 to Burrows et al.; and U.S.
Pat. No. 5,938,018 to Keaveney et al.; U.K. Pat. App. No.
1,042,000; German Pat. App. DE 10238906 to Marx; and U.S. Published
Pat. Apps. 2004/0217023 to Fagg et al.; 2004/0256253 to Henson et
al. and 2005/0150786 to Mitten et al., each of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0160] A representative device for filling a cigarette package with
manufactured cigarettes is described with reference to FIG. 17 and
FIG. 18. That illustrated device is designed to fill a package with
twenty cigarettes. Suitable alterations to the apparatus and its
components can be made to hold or transfer a greater or lesser
number of cigarettes contained in a cartridge. For example, a
package designed to contain ten cigarettes can be filled with the
embodiment described with reference to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 by
loading ten cigarettes into the cartridge and using the device to
fill that package.
[0161] Referring to FIG. 19, there is shown a perspective view of a
representative package 1095 for cigarettes 13. The illustrated
package embodiment 1095 is of the type that has been referred to as
a "shoulder box." The package 1095 is shown in an open position and
is designed to contain twenty cigarettes. As illustrated, the
cigarettes are aligned within the package in two rows of ten
cigarettes, with one row positioned over the second row. The
packaged cigarettes preferably are manufactured using the
previously described equipment and materials. The package 1095
preferably is manufactured from folded paperboard material, and can
be of any type useful for the packaging of cigarettes.
[0162] The package 1095 includes a generally rectilineartop 1102
that preferably opens about a hinge 1090 that extends along the
back side of the box. The cigarettes are contained in the bottom
component 1098 of the box 1095. The bottom component 1098 also
holds a foil front flap 1192 and a foil back flap 1194 that can
close over the cigarettes 13, or that can be opened to expose the
cigarettes (as is shown). Representative types of shoulder box
packages have been commercially available, and the selection
thereof is a matter of choice. If desired, the shoulder box and
associated wrapping materials can be embossed, printed with
indicia, or the like. If desired, the package of cigarettes can be
wrapped in a plastic or other film (e.g., a clear polypropylene
film).
[0163] Other representative types of cigarette packages suitable
for use with the present invention includes those of the types set
forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,294,353 to Focke et al.; U.S. Pat. No.
4,534,463 to Bouchard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,734 to Allen et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,140 to Burrows et al.; U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Nos.
2004/0217023 to Fagg et al. and 2004/0256253 to Henson et al.; and
German Pat. App. DE 10238906 to Marx.
[0164] Referring to FIG. 20, there is shown a longitudinal
cross-section of a pre-formed tubular wrapping portion 21. Such a
wrapper portion has the general shape of a cigarette, but is
substantially devoid of the smokable filler material that makes up
a finished cigarette. The tubular wrapper 21 includes a hollow
generally cylindrical region 1200 defined by cigarette paper
wrapping material 1205 into which tobacco cut filler is inserted.
That is, the tubular wrapper 21 is configured for receiving tobacco
filler; and hence, for providing a wrapped, smokable tobacco rod.
The tubular wrapping 21 preferably also includes a filter element
1210 positioned at one end thereof. The filter element 1210
preferably is attached to the wrapping material 1205 using a
circumscribing tipping material 1215. The filter element 1210
includes filter material 1220 wrapped in a circumscribing plug wrap
material 1225. The tipping material 1215 and plug wrap 1225 may
optionally include a line of perforations 1230, in order that
during use of the cigarette, mainstream smoke can be air diluted.
The perforations 1230 may be provided during or after cigarette
manufacture using on-line laser perforation techniques or the
relevant wrapping materials may be pre-perforated.
[0165] Representative pre-formed tubular wrapper portions include
those types of filtered cigarette tubes that have been available
commercially as "Premier Filter Tip Tubes" from C.T.C. Canada Inc.;
"MacDonald Export `A` Express Kit Medium Regular Size Cigarettes
Tubes" from RJR-MacDonald Inc.; and "Escort King Size Filter Tip
Tubes" from C.T.C. Canada Inc. Other, less preferred,
representative types of pre-formed tubular wrapper portions have
been available under the trade names Excel, Century, Zig-Zag,
Bugler, Twister, Rayo, Gizeh, Vera Cruz, Laramie, The "Three
Castles" Tobacco, and Zen. Representative pre-formed tubular
wrapper portions have been made available through companies such as
HBI International, Clinton Tube Company (USA) and American Thrust
Tobacco, LLC.
[0166] Pre-formed tubular wrapper 21 can include filter and empty
paper tube components that remain upon removal of tobacco from
existing cigarettes. For example, filter cigarettes can be
manufactured using conventional automated cigarette-making
techniques, and the tobacco can be ejected therefrom using, for
example, the type of apparatus set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,673
to Barnes et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, or
using other suitable means. As such, components used for the
manufacture of commercial grade filter cigarettes can be processed
to remove the tobacco blend therefrom, and the resulting pre-formed
tubular wrapper can be filled with a different tobacco blend in the
fashion described above with reference to FIGS. 1-11. As such, it
is possible to prepare lots of substantially identical cigarettes,
except for a difference in a chosen smokable material within those
cigarettes.
[0167] Referring to FIG. 21A, there is shown a first representative
cigarette 13. The cigarette 13 includes cigarette wrapping material
1205 that surrounds strands or pieces of tobacco cut filler 1240,
which is the smokable filler material that makes up a core of the
cigarette 13. The lighting end 1245 of the cigarette preferably is
configured such that the cut filler 1240 does not extend to any
significant extent beyond the end of the wrapping material 1205.
Preferably, cut filler 1240 extends about 1 mm or less and, most
preferably, about 0.5 mm or less beyond the lighting end of the
wrapping material 1205 of the tubular wrapper. Referring to FIG.
21B, there is shown a second representative cigarette 23. The
cigarette 23 includes cigarette wrapping material 1205 that
surrounds a tobacco cartridge 2204. The tobacco cartridge includes
a thin, preferably porous, material 2213 around strands or pieces
of tobacco cut filler 1240, which is the smokable filler material
that makes up a core of the cigarette 23. The thin material 2213
may include, for example, a tobacco-containing paper or a paper not
containing tobacco.
[0168] The tobacco cartridge 2204 preferably is embodied as a
pre-formed charge of tobacco cut filler (e.g., in a loose form, or
as a roll, cylinder, or preportioned stick) that, when used to form
a cigarette 23 by insertion into the pre-formed tubular wrapper,
preferably is contained within another material 2213 that
circumscribes the length thereof. Preferably, the material 2213
circumscribing the tobacco cartridge 2204 is a thin, highly porous
material. The material may be treated with formulations
incorporating ethylcellulose, starch, alginate, or the like (e.g.,
to affect properties such as flavor, burn rate, porosity).
Representative manners and methods for treating wrapping materials
with additive materials are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,530 to
Kraker; U.S. Published Pat. Apps. 2005/0016556 to Ashcraft et al.;
2005/0076929 to Fitzgerald et al.; 2006/0021625 to Nyffler; and
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 11/251,632, filed Oct. 14, 2005 to
Oglesby; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Preferably, that material 2213 is so thin and porous that the
tobacco material within is visible, and the tobacco cartridge 2204
is not smokable until after being inserted into the tubular
wrapping material portion 1205 of the tubular wrapper.
[0169] In an embodiment of the tobacco cartridge 2204 that does not
include a wrapping material 2213, the cartridge 2204 preferably
maintains a generally cylindrical shape as the tobacco is held
together by, for example, binding agents and/or mechanical
compression. In another embodiment, the wrapping material 2213 may
be removable from the tobacco cartridge 2204, which thereafter
preferably retains a generally cylindrical shape through an
operation transferring it into a tubular outer wrapper. The size
and shape of the cartridge 2204 is sufficient to allow it readily
to be inserted within the pre-formed tubular wrapping portion, to
fill the void volume within the tubular wrapping portion 1205,
readily to be contained and maintained therein, and to provide a
finished cigarette 23 that exhibits desirable performance
characteristics. As such, the tobacco filler 1240 to be inserted
within the tubular wrapper 21 preferably is provided in a form of
predetermined size and shape, and that its overall size and shape
is maintained to a significant extent after insertion thereof into
the tubular wrapper 21.
[0170] In a preferred embodiment, the tobacco cartridge 2204
effectively and efficiently fills the hollow region 1200 of a
tubular wrapper 21, fitting snugly therein. The lighting end 1245
of the cigarette preferably is configured such that the cut filler
1240 (or tobacco cartridge 2204) does not extend to any significant
extent beyond the end of the wrapping material 1205. Preferably,
cut filler 1240 (or tobacco cartridge 2204) extends about 1 mm or
less and, most preferably, less than 0.5 mm beyond the lighting end
of the wrapping material 1205 of the tubular wrapper 21 in an
assembled cigarette 23. In a preferred embodiment of the cigarette
23, the tobacco cartridge 2204 abuts the filter 1220 and is nearly
flush with the lighting end of the cigarette. Alternatively, the
tobacco cartridge may be separated from the filter 1220 by a space
that is preferably less than 1 mm.
[0171] Referring to FIG. 22, there is shown another embodiment of a
cigarette-making apparatus 2200. The apparatus 2200 is configured
for manufacturing a plurality of cigarettes by filling pre-formed
filtered tubular wrappers 21 with tobacco. For the embodiment shown
in FIG. 22, the cigarette-making apparatus 2200 is configured to
concurrently manufacture five cigarettes by simultaneously filling
the hollow portions of five pre-formed tubular wrappers 21 that
have been placed upon a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 with five
cylindrical charges of tobacco. In a preferred embodiment of using
the apparatus 2200, twenty wrappers 21 are placed on the
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 and the simultaneous filling operation
is repeated to fill all of them.
[0172] The tobacco, preferably in cut filler form, is provided as a
generally rod-shaped or cylindrical component 2204. Tobacco
provided in such a form has been referred to as a "tobacco
cartridge." One representative tobacco cartridge 2204 includes a
pre-portioned amount of tobacco filler contained in a tubular
casing of highly porous or air-permeable wrapping material, which
optionally may be wrapped with more than a single layer of paper or
other suitable material. Another representative tobacco cartridge
2204 includes a pre-portioned amount of tobacco filler without a
wrapper, but which is held in a cylindrical shape by binding
agents. The tobacco cartridge 2204 preferably is configured such
that the cartridge, or the tobacco portion within the cartridge,
can readily be inserted into a cigarette paper tube. Representative
tobacco cartridges include those described in, for example, U.S.
Pat. Nos. 3,822,710 to Bramhill; U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,617 to Ruppert
et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,536 to Liebich; U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,830
to Brackmann et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,366 to Liebich; U.S. Pat.
No. 5,141,000 to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,248 to Ruppert
et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,495 to Ruppert et al.; U.S. Pat. No.
5,615,692 to Ruppert et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,377 to Gerding
et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Representative cartridge assemblies and components have been
commercially available in Canada, for example, by Rothmans, Benson
& Hedges Inc. under the trade name "Belvedere." Cartridges,
devices, and methods described here are expected to be useful with
certain applications of the present invention.
[0173] The cigarette manufacturing apparatus 2200 includes a lower
base 2206, which may be manufactured from a suitable material, such
as metal (e.g., stainless steel, brass or aluminum), plastic (e.g.,
polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, acrylate/butadiene/styrene
or ABS type plastic, nylon, or other suitable polymeric material),
composite material (e.g., a graphite-based ceramic), or like
material; but preferably is manufactured from aluminum. As
illustrated, the base 2206 includes feet 2208 and a waste tray
2210. The waste tray 2210 preferably is removably mounted below the
base and configured to capture loose tobacco for convenient
removal. Also supported by the base 2206 is a tobacco filler
insertion mechanism 2300 and a loading chamber assembly 2220.
[0174] A tobacco cartridge delivery hopper 2212 is removably
mounted on the loading chamber assembly 2220. The hopper 2212
includes five parallel vertical chambers 2214 supported by a
surrounding wall 2215, which are open at the top 2216 and bottom
2218 and are configured to hold tobacco cartridges 2204. It should
be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the chambers 2214 may be
angled rather than vertical (see FIG. 24), and/or may be wider at
the top 2216 than at the bottom 2218 (e.g., to hold more tobacco
cartridges than the embodiment in FIG. 23; see FIG. 25). A
cartridge delivery hopper embodiment may be provided without the
surrounding wall 2215, as is shown, for example, in FIG. 26. In the
illustrated embodiment of FIG. 23, the chambers 2214 each hold a
plurality of tobacco cartridges 2204 in a single-file vertical
column. The open bottom 2218 of each chamber 2214 allows passage
(e.g., by gravity-feed) of the tobacco cartridges into the loading
chamber assembly 2220. In an alternative embodiment, a system of
weights such as is illustrated in FIG. 1 may be provided to aid
downward progress of the tobacco cartridges.
[0175] In the illustrated embodiment, the tobacco filler insertion
mechanism 2300 is enclosed on its top and sides by a cover 2202.
The cover may provide for an improved aesthetic appearance and/or
for shielding of the components of the tobacco filler insertion
mechanism 2300 (for example to decrease the accumulation of dust
therein and/or to protect mechanical components thereof). The
tobacco filler insertion mechanism 2300 in the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 22 preferably is similar or identical in design
and function to the tobacco filler insertion mechanism 300 shown
and described herein with reference to FIGS. 3, 10, and 11. In a
preferred embodiment for use with tobacco cartridges, the loading
arms (not shown) of the tobacco filler insertion mechanism 2300 do
not include forward-projecting "spoons" (like the semi-cylindrical
extension portions 695 in FIG. 10). The crank-arm handle 2302
actuates a plurality of loading arms (not shown; see, for example,
plunger insertion arms 251 illustrated in FIG. 10) to direct the
tobacco cartridges 2204 into the wrappers 21. In alternative
embodiments, the tobacco filler insertion mechanism may include any
appropriate means for simultaneously transferring a plurality of
tobacco cartridges into a corresponding plurality of wrappers. For
example, certain means for transferring tobacco into a wrapper are
disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/281,083, which is
incorporated herein by reference. Such means may be adapted for use
with tobacco cartridges in conjunction with the present
invention.
[0176] The base 2206 supports the loading chamber assembly 2220 at
the front side of the cover 2202. In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 22, the loading chamber assembly 2220 includes an upper plate
2221 and a lower plate 2222. A more detailed view of the loading
chamber assembly 2220 is depicted in FIG. 23, which shows a top
perspective view, with a portion of the upper plate 2221 cut away.
Five generally cylindrical passages 2224 are defined by
complementary channels in the upper and lower plates. The front
surface includes a plurality of nozzles 2226. In the illustrated
embodiment of FIGS. 22-23, the front side of the assembly 2220
includes five nozzles 2226. Each nozzle 2226 preferably is designed
such that the open end of a hollow pre-formed tubular wrapper 21
fits over that nozzle 2226 such that a tobacco cartridge 2204 can
be transported through that nozzle 2226 and into a corresponding
tubular wrapper 21 (e.g., by the tobacco filler insertion
mechanism). Three wrappers 21 are shown in partial longitudinal
cross-section in FIG. 23, illustrating how they engage with the
nozzles 2226.
[0177] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 23, a single tobacco
cartridge 2204 in each passage 2224 can be directed (by the tobacco
filler insertion mechanism) through a corresponding nozzle 2226
into a wrapper 21. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of each
of the cylindrical passages 2224 is sized such that one tobacco
cartridge 2204 at a time may be directed therethrough. A set of top
apertures 2228 over the passages 2224 is spaced to align with the
bottom 2218 of the chambers 2214 of the cartridge hopper 2212 (see
FIG. 22), allowing passage of the tobacco cartridges 2204 from the
cartridge hopper 2212 into the cylindrical passages 2224. In
another embodiment, a set of weights such as, for example, the
weight assembly 92 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be used to aid
transfer of tobacco cartridges by enhancing a gravitational
transfer from cartridge hopper to loading chamber assembly.
[0178] An application of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 22 may
include a method with the following steps: Providing a tobacco
filler insertion mechanism 2300; Providing a loading chamber
assembly 2220; Providing a wrapper-holding cartridge 38 loaded with
wrappers 21, wherein a sub-plurality of the wrappers is aligned
with nozzles of the loading chamber assembly; Providing a tobacco
cartridge delivery hopper 2212; Loading a plurality of tobacco
cartridges 2204 into the tobacco cartridge delivery hopper 2212;
Allowing a tobacco cartridge 2204 from each of the chambers 2214 to
pass through the top apertures 2228 of the loading chamber assembly
2220 into a passage 2224 thereof; Actuating the tobacco filler
insertion mechanism 2300 to transfer the tobacco cartridges 2204
into the wrappers 21; Moving the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 to a
second position; and repeating the allowing step and the actuating
step until all wrappers on the wrapper-holding cartridge are filled
with tobacco. The resulting cigarettes may then be trimmed, if
needed, and transferred to a container using, for example, the
devices and container described herein with reference to FIGS. 13
and 17-19.
[0179] In an alternative application, the tobacco cartridge
delivery hopper 2212 may be used with the apparatus 10 shown in
FIG. 1. In such an application, the hopper unit 99 is removed, and
the tobacco cartridge delivery hopper 2212 put in its place. In a
method using that alternative application, tobacco cartridges 2204
may pass (e.g., by gravity-feed) from the cartridge hopper chambers
2214 into the fill slots 608 of the compression assembly 75 (as
shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 7). Then, the tobacco filler
insertion mechanism 300 may be actuated to transfer the tobacco
cartridges 2204 into the wrappers 21. If desired, the compression
assembly 75 may be actuated in a manner that may adjust the shape
of the tobacco cartridge 2204 (e.g., if the cartridge has become
flattened).
[0180] In one embodiment of the methods described above, the step
of loading tobacco cartridges 2204 into the cartridge delivery
hopper 2212 includes loading of tobacco cartridges comprising
different tobacco mixtures (such as, for example, different
flavors, varieties, or species of tobacco). In this manner, a
customer with particular tastes or requirements may obtain, using
the methods and devices of the present invention, a single package
of cigarettes containing a pre-selected number of each of several
different cigarette varieties. For example, using a 20-wrapper
cartridge and cigarette container such as is described above, a
user/customer may select up to twenty different tobacco cartridges
and readily make a pack of cigarettes containing that desired mix.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, a resulting cigarette
includes visual indicia of the cigarette's components. For example
a certain color, a handwritten marking, or a printed pattern may be
used to identify to a user customer a particular combination of
wrapper, filter, and tobacco. Most preferably, all cigarettes in a
package are substantially the same size.
[0181] As illustrated in, for example, FIGS. 1 and 22, preferred
cigarette maker machines of the present invention include structure
for feeding tobacco (e.g., loose tobacco or tobacco cartridges)
vertically downward into a receptacle region, and then horizontally
advancing the tobacco into a pre-formed wrapper. It should be
appreciated that the geometry and directionality of the tobacco's
passage may be varied. For example, the apparatus 2200 in FIG. 22
is shown in a generally horizontal orientation. However, the
apparatus 2200 could be mounted, for example, onto a wall in a
generally vertical orientation. In such an application, magnets or
other attachment means may be employed to mount the hopper 2212 and
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 to the base 2206, and a spring means
may be used to retain the tobacco cartridges 2204 in the hopper
2212. In another embodiment, the hopper 2212 may be configured to
provide tobacco cartridges in a vertical orientation for transfer
into wrappers 21 also held in a generally vertical orientation.
Other embodiments of cigarette maker machines within the scope of
the present invention may use different orientations for
operating.
[0182] Other embodiments of the present invention do not include
feeding tobacco from a hopper into a receptacle before advancing
the tobacco into pre-formed wrappers. For example, a hopper-less
cigarette-making apparatus 2700 is illustrated in FIG. 27. The
apparatus 2700 is configured for manufacturing a plurality of
cigarettes by filling pre-formed filtered tubular wrappers 21 with
tobacco. For the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, the cigarette-making
apparatus 2700 is configured to concurrently manufacture five
cigarettes by simultaneously filling the hollow portions of five
pre-formed tubular wrappers 21 that have been placed upon a
wrapper-holding cartridge 38 with five cylindrical charges of
tobacco. The cylindrical charges may be, for example, pre-formed
plugs or cylinders of tobacco or loose tobacco in a cylindrical
wrapper. In a preferred method of using the apparatus 2700, twenty
wrappers 21 are placed on the wrapper-holding cartridge 38 and the
simultaneous filling operation is repeated to fill all of them.
[0183] The tobacco charge, preferably in cut filler form,
preferably is provided as a generally rod-shaped or cylindrical
component 2204. Tobacco provided in such a form may be referred to
as a "tobacco cartridge." In a preferred aspect, the tobacco cut
filler is configured within a tobacco cartridge 2204, and as such,
has a form and can be used in a manner generally similar to that
set forth previously with reference to FIG. 21B and FIGS. 22
through FIG. 26. One representative tobacco cartridge 2204 includes
a pre-portioned amount of tobacco filler contained in a tubular
casing of highly porous or air-permeable wrapping material, which
optionally may be wrapped with more than a single layer of paper or
other suitable material. Another representative tobacco cartridge
(not shown) includes a pre-portioned amount of tobacco filler
without a wrapper, but which is held in a cylindrical shape by
binding agents. The tobacco cartridge 2204 preferably is configured
such that the cartridge, or the tobacco portion within the
cartridge, can readily be inserted into a cigarette paper tube. In
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 27A-27B, the tobacco cartridges 2204
are provided in a magazine 2750 containing twenty tobacco
cartridges 2204.
[0184] The magazine 2750 preferably is formed of a material such as
nylon or aluminum that is durable, lightweight, and able to be
re-used or recycled. As shown in FIGS. 27A-27B, which depict,
respectively, top and bottom perspective views, the magazine 2750
includes a pre-determined number of substantially parallel,
preferably cylindrical, lumens 2752 corresponding to and configured
to hold a predetermined number of tobacco cartridges 2204. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 27A-27B, the magazine 2750 includes
a single row of lumens 2752 along its longitudinal axis, with a
tobacco cartridge 2204 disposed in each lumen. Each lumen 2752
preferably includes a nozzle 2756 projecting from the front side
2753 of the magazine, while the rear side 2755 has no nozzles. In
one alternative embodiment, the magazine may have two parallel rows
of lumens. Such an embodiment could be used in a manner where the
first row of lumens will have its tobacco transferred to wrappers
before being turned over so that the second row of lumens can then
have its tobacco transferred to wrappers. These and other magazine
embodiments may contain an equal, greater, or lesser number of
lumens than the number of wrappers provided on a wrapper-holding
cartridge. In another embodiment, the magazine may be configured
such that it can be opened in a manner allowing a user to place
charges of tobacco into the lumens. Thus, a user may obtain tobacco
filler and reuse a magazine.
[0185] The cigarette manufacturing apparatus 2700 includes a lower
base 2706, which may be manufactured from a suitable material, such
as metal (e.g., stainless steel, brass or aluminum), plastic (e.g.,
polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, acrylate/butadiene/styrene
or ABS type plastic, nylon, or other suitable polymeric material),
composite material (e.g., a graphite-based ceramic), or like
material. As illustrated, the base 2706 includes feet 2708 and a
waste tray 2710. The waste tray 2710 preferably is removably
mounted below the base and configured to capture loose tobacco for
convenient removal. Also supported by the base 2706 is a tobacco
filler insertion mechanism 2780 and a magazine-supporting platform
2790.
[0186] In the illustrated embodiment, the tobacco filler insertion
mechanism 2780 is enclosed on its top and sides by a cover 2782.
The cover may provide for an improved aesthetic appearance and/or
for shielding of the components of the tobacco filler insertion
mechanism 2780 (for example to decrease the accumulation of dust
therein and/or to protect mechanical components thereof. The
tobacco filler insertion mechanism 2780 in the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 27 preferably is substantially similar in
design and function to the tobacco filler insertion mechanism 300
shown and described herein with reference to FIGS. 3, 10, and 11.
In the illustrated embodiment for use with tobacco cartridges, the
loading arms (not shown) of the tobacco filler insertion mechanism
2780 do not include forward-projecting "spoons" (like the
semi-cylindrical extension portions 695 in FIG. 10). In this
embodiment, the distal end 2786 of each loading arm preferably is
dimensioned to smoothly advance through a lumen 2752 of a tobacco
holding magazine. In an embodiment that does include a spoon-type
structure (e.g., like the semi-cylindrical extension portions 695
in FIG. 10), those of skill in the art will appreciate that the
length of the loading arms and the distance traveled during an
operation to transfer tobacco from a magazine to a wrapper will be
different than is illustrated and described with reference to FIGS.
3, 10, and 11.
[0187] The crank-arm handle 2302 actuates a plurality of loading
arms (not shown; see, for example, plunger insertion arms 251
illustrated in FIG. 10) to direct the tobacco cartridges 2204 into
the wrappers 21. In alternative embodiments, the tobacco filler
insertion mechanism may include any appropriate means for
simultaneously transferring a plurality of tobacco cartridges into
a corresponding plurality of wrappers. For example, certain means
for transferring tobacco into a wrapper are disclosed in U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/281,083, which is incorporated herein by
reference. Such means may be adapted for use with tobacco
cartridges in conjunction with the present invention. As another
example, rather than providing a mechanical pushing member, tubing
may be provided to direct a charge of compressed gas against each
tobacco cartridge 2204 with sufficient force to advance the tobacco
cartridge into a corresponding wrapper 21. As another example, a
vacuum sufficient to draw a tobacco cartridge 2204 from a magazine
into wrappers 21 may be applied to the non-lighting end of the
wrappers 21. As yet another example, a hydraulic or pneumatic
mechanism known to those of skill in the art may be used in
combination with or in place of a mechanical crank-arm mechanism to
move the loading arms in a manner that advances tobacco from a
magazine into the wrappers.
[0188] The base 2706 supports a magazine-supporting platform 2790
at the front side of the cover 2782. In the embodiment illustrated
in FIG. 27, the magazine-supporting platform 2790 includes a key
stock 2720 extending upwards therefrom. The key stock 2720 provides
for a convenient manner of positioning of a cartridge in a desired
position relative to the base 2706, and maintaining it in position
during a loading operation. For the embodiment shown in FIG. 27,
the key stock 2720 is a longitudinal protrusion with a generally
square cross-section that extends from near the front to near the
rear of the magazine-supporting platform 2790. That is, the stock
is configured to align with each of a series of mating grooves
2754a-2754d located at pre-determined locations on the lower face
2759 of a magazine 2750 (see FIG. 27B). As such, there is provided
a precise and desired alignment of a set of five wrappers 21 with
five corresponding nozzles 2756 extending from the magazine 2750.
Each nozzle 2756 preferably is designed such that the open end of a
hollow pre-formed tubular wrapper 21 fits over that nozzle 2756 in
a manner facilitating the transport of a tobacco cartridge 2204
through that nozzle 2756 and into a corresponding tubular wrapper
21 (e.g., by the tobacco filler insertion mechanism). In the same
manner as described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5, 10,
and 11, a tension arm 2765 of a preferred tobacco filler insertion
mechanism holds a wrapper 21 against each nozzle 2756 during a
loading operation. In an alternative embodiment, the
magazine-supporting platform 2790 may be provided in a movable
configuration, such as, for example, being mounted slidingly upon a
track that is registered to provide discrete movements between
first and subsequent positions along its longitudinal axis that are
configured to align a magazine 2750 appropriately with the loading
arms and a wrapper-holding cartridge. Similarly, the platform that
supports the wrapper-holding cartridge may be provided with a
mechanism allowing it to move in parallel with the
magazine-supporting platform 2790 or to move independently.
[0189] A method of use comprising a loading operation of the
apparatus embodiment 2700 is described with reference to FIGS.
27-27B. A magazine 2750 is placed upon the magazine-supporting
platform 2790 such that the first mating groove 2754a engages the
key stock 2720 in a first loading position. With the magazine thus
positioned, five of the lumens 2752 are aligned with the distal
ends 2786 of the loading arms. A wrapper-holding cartridge 38 is
provided with twenty wrappers 21 placed thereon. The tobacco filler
insertion mechanism 2780 is engaged by actuation of the crank-arm
handle 2784, advancing the loading arms through the lumens 2752 of
the magazine 2750 and thereby pushing the tobacco into the wrappers
21. Actuation of the tobacco filler insertion mechanism 2780, in
the same manner as described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 4,
5, 10, and 11, also engages five wrappers 21 with five
corresponding nozzles 2756. Next, the wrapper holding cartridge 38
is repositioned to align five empty wrappers 21 with the loading
arms, and the magazine 2750 is moved so that the second mating
groove 2754b engages the key stock 2720 in a second loading
position. The tobacco filler insertion mechanism 2780 is actuated
again, and the process repeated until a total desired number of
cigarettes is made.
[0190] Another embodiment of a hopper-less cigarette-making system
is described with reference to an alternative magazine embodiment
2802 in FIG. 28. In this apparatus, the magazine 2802 is provided
with tobacco charges 2804 disposed therein. The tobacco charges
2804 are disposed in a predetermined number of lumens 2806 in the
magazine 2802. A wrapper container 2810 is also provided with the
same predetermined number of filtered or filterless wrappers 2812
therein. The wrappers 2812 are arranged in a pattern that
corresponds to the pattern of the lumens 2806 in the magazine 2802.
For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the wrapper container
2810 includes 20 wrappers 2812 in a 7-6-7 pattern that corresponds
to a 7-6-7 pattern of lumens 2806 in the magazine 2802. In other
embodiments, the wrappers may be in two rows of ten or some other
arrangement. The wrapper container may be adapted such that the
tubular wrappers are positioned within a desired position or region
within the cartridge by suitably adapting the types of cigarette
packaging techniques set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,803,376 to
Kampff; U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,419 to Lebach; U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,581
to Keating; U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,517 to Adams; D284,606 to Koontz
and U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,270 to May. For example, a support grid or
honeycomb support may be provided to hold the wrappers in a desired
alignment.
[0191] As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, an
embodiment of the above-described cigarette-making apparatus 2700
may be constructed in a manner modified to transfer the tobacco
charges 2804 from the magazine 2802 directly into the wrappers 2812
in the wrapper container 2810, forming a plurality of cigarettes. A
preferred wrapper container 2810 includes a lid 2814 that can be
closed after the tobacco charges 2804 are placed into the wrappers
2812. The lid may be a separate piece or may be a "fold-back" style
of lid, and a second such lid may be disposed opposite the
"loading/tobacco end" of the wrapper container so that a user later
opening the container may grasp a cigarette from the filter end. In
this manner, a user may store the cigarettes in the wrapper
container for future use. In different embodiments, the magazine
2802, with tobacco charges 2804 disposed therein and the wrapper
container 2810 may be packaged together or separately. Preferable
packaging materials include paperboard or plastic to form the
wrapper container. The wrapper container and/or the magazine may be
packaged in foil and/or polypropylene films, such as those known in
the art to provide desirable characteristics for storage of tobacco
and wrappers. Those same materials may also be used to enclose the
wrapper container 2810 after cigarettes have been made therein.
[0192] The embodiment described with reference to FIG. 28 provides
for significant flexibility in a user's cigarette-making abilities.
For example, a user may select from magazines pre-loaded with
different varieties and/or flavors of tobacco, and may also select
from wrapper containers having wrappers with different qualities
(e.g., a first user may choose a magazine with a particular
flavored tobacco blend therein and a wrapper container having a
full-flavor filter, while a second user may choose a magazine with
a different, unflavored tobacco blend and a wrapper container
having a flavored filter and/or paper, and a third user may choose
different tobacco variety and a wrapper container having a
slow-burning paper and a low-porosity filter). Thus, a system for
making cigarettes is provided, and a variety of wrapper containers
and magazines may be provided for a user to select from and use in
making cigarettes.
[0193] The dimensions of a representative cigarette can vary.
Preferred cigarettes are substantially rod shaped, with diameters
of about 7.5 mm (e.g., circumferences of about 22.5 mm to about 25
mm); and total lengths of about 80 mm to about 100 mm. The length
of the filter element can also vary. Typical filter elements can
have lengths of about 20 mm to about 40 mm. In one preferred
embodiment, the length of the filter element is about 27 mm and the
length of the tobacco rod is about 56 mm. Preferably the tipping
paper circumscribes the entire filter element and extends about 4
mm of the length of the tobacco rod in the region adjacent to the
filter element.
[0194] Preferred wrapping materials of the cigarettes described
herein encompass a wide range of compositions and properties. The
selection of a particular wrapping material will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art of cigarette design and
manufacture. The most preferred cigarettes have a single layer of
wrapping material. Exemplary types of wrapping materials, wrapping
material components and treated wrapping materials are described in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,930 to Gentry; U.S. Pat. App. Pub. Nos.
2004/0129281 to Hancock et al. and 2005/0039764 to Barnes et al.;
and PCT Application Pub. Nos. WO 2004/057986 to Hancock et al. and
WO 2004/047572 to Ashcraft et al.; each of which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. The wrapping materials of the
tubular wrapper portions and/or the thin materials wrapping a
tobacco cartridge can be treated with additive materials. For
example, those materials may be treated with formulations
incorporating ethylcellulose, starch, alginate, or the like. The
additive materials may be placed on a tubular wrapper before or
after it is assembled to a charge of tobacco to form a cigarette.
The additive material may be applied in bands or other geometric
configurations and may be applied, for example, by brushing on the
additive material. Representative manners and methods for treating
such wrapping materials with additive materials are set forth in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,530 to Kraker; U.S. Published Pat. Apps.
2005/0016556 to Ashcraft et al.; 2005/0076929 to Fitzgerald et al.;
2005/0103355 to Holmes; 2006/0021625 to Nyffler; and U.S. Pat.
application Ser. No. 11/251,632, filed Oct. 14, 2005 to Oglesby;
each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Certain additive
materials may enable the tubular wrappers to exhibit lowered
ignition propensity, and may be used to help cigarettes meet
certain low ignition propensity standards.
[0195] Tobacco materials useful within cigarettes of the present
invention may vary significantly. Tobacco materials can be derived
from various types of tobacco, such as flue-cured tobacco, burley
tobacco, Oriental tobacco or Maryland tobacco, dark tobacco,
dark-fired tobacco and Rustica tobaccos, as well as other rare or
specialty tobaccos, or blends thereof. Descriptions of various
types of tobaccos, growing practices, harvesting practices and
curing practices are set for in Tobacco Production, Chemistry and
Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) (1999). Most preferably, the
tobaccos used with the present invention are those that have been
appropriately cured and aged.
[0196] Tobacco materials for cigarette manufacture can be used in a
"single strain" form. That is, the tobacco material used to
manufacture the cigarette is composed of one type of tobacco (e.g.,
all of the tobacco filler is a flue-cured tobacco). Typically,
tobacco materials for cigarette manufacture are used in a so-called
"blended" form. For example, certain popular tobacco blends,
commonly referred to as "American blends," comprise mixtures of
flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco and Oriental tobacco. Such
blends, in many cases, contain tobacco materials that have a
processed form, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut-rolled
or cut-puffed stems), volume expanded tobacco (e.g., puffed
tobacco, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), preferably in cut
filler form). Tobacco materials also can have the form of
reconstituted tobaccos (e.g., reconstituted tobaccos manufactured
using paper-making type or cast sheet type processes). The precise
amount of each type of tobacco within a tobacco blend used for the
manufacture of a particular cigarette brand varies from brand to
brand. See, for example, Tobacco Encyclopedia, Voges (Ed.) p. 44-45
(1984), Browne, The Design of Cigarettes, 3.sup.rd Ed., p.43 (1990)
and Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al.
(Eds.) p. 346 (1999). Other representative tobacco types and types
of tobacco blends also are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,836,224 to
Lawson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,888 to Perfetti et al.; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,056,537 to Brown et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,930 to
Gentry; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,023 to Blakley et al.; U.S. Pat.
App. Pub. Nos. 2002/0000235 to Shafer et al.; 2004/0084056 to
Lawson et al.; 2004/0255965 to Perfetti et al; 2004/0261807 to Dube
et al.; and 2005/0066986 to Nestor et al; PCT Application Pub. No.
WO 2002/37990; and Bombick et al., Fund. Appl. Toxicol., 39, p.
11-17 (1997), each of which is incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0197] Tobacco materials employed for manufacture of cigarettes in
accordance with the present invention typically have forms, and are
used in manners, that are traditional for the manufacture of
smoking articles, such as cigarettes. The tobacco normally is used
in cut filler form (e.g., shreds or strands of tobacco filler cut
into widths of about 1/20 inch to about 1/60 inch, often about 1/25
inch to about 1/50 inch, frequently about 1/30 inch to about 1/45
inch, and in lengths of about 1/4 inch to about 3 inches). One
preferred form of cut filler has a cut width of about 40 cuts per
inch. Tobacco cut filler is used in a loose form; that is, as a
mixture of pieces of tobacco filler.
[0198] The amount of tobacco filler normally used within the
tobacco rod of a cigarette of the present invention preferably
ranges from about 0.6 g to about 1 g. The tobacco filler normally
is employed so as to fill the tobacco rod at a packing density of
about 100 mg/cm.sup.3 to about 300 mg/cm.sup.3, and preferably
about 150 mg/cm.sup.3 to about 275 mg/cm.sup.3.
[0199] If desired, the tobacco materials of the tobacco rod can
also include other components. Other components may include casing
materials (e.g., sugars, glycerin, cocoa and licorice) and top
dressing materials (e.g., flavoring materials, such as menthol).
The selection of particular casing and top dressing components is
dependent upon factors such as the sensory characteristics that are
desired, and the selection of those components will readily be
apparent to those skilled in the art of cigarette design and
manufacture. Most preferably, a person selecting a tobacco,
different tobacco types, or tobacco blend(s) makes a choice based
upon desired sensory characteristics (such as, for example, smell,
taste, appearance). See, e.g., Gutcho, Tobacco Flavoring Substances
and Methods, Noyes Data Corp. (1972) and Leffingwell et al.,
Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products (1972).
[0200] It is desirable that the moisture content of the tobacco
filler be sufficiently high so that the tobacco filler does not
undergo an undesirable degree of degradation during handling and
processing associated with cigarette manufacture in accordance with
the present invention. It also is desirable that the moisture
content of the tobacco filler not be so high that the tobacco
filler would exhibit undesirable clumping during handling and
processing associated with cigarette manufacture in accordance with
the present invention. Preferably, cigarettes are manufactured
using tobacco filler having a moisture content of about 12 weight
percent to about 13 weight percent. Tobacco filler most preferably
is purchased immediately prior to use, and stored and handled in a
manner such that moisture is not lost. For example, tobacco filler
can be stored in sealed plastic bags, in sealed metal drums, or the
like. Typically, for normal situations of tobacco filler handling,
tobacco filler can be shipped, handled and stored in sealed
containers or plastic bags in amounts of about 5 kilograms.
[0201] Tobacco filler can be provided using techniques familiar in
the art of tobacco blend formulation and preparation. Tobacco
filler can be provided using blending drums, air transport devices,
or other suitable means that provides adequate physical mixing of
pieces of tobacco filler material. It is highly desirable that the
tobacco filler, whether as single strain or blended form, have the
form of a consistent mixture in terms of distribution of particle
size, density of components and composition of components.
[0202] A small lot of cigarettes can be manufactured in accordance
with the present invention as described above during a relatively
short time period. Typically, for a lot of cigarettes numbering
approximately twenty, an appropriate amount of tobacco filler is
selected, optionally blended--if multiple tobacco types are
selected and desired to be blended--and loaded into a
cigarette-making machine. Approximately twenty pre-formed tubular
wrapper portions that have been loaded within a cartridge are
introduced to the cigarette-making machine, and those wrapper
portions within the cartridge are loaded with tobacco filler
(preferably compressed from loose tobacco, or provided as
pre-formed tobacco cartridges) such that approximately twenty
finished cigarettes are be manufactured. Excess tobacco filler can
be trimmed from those cigarettes if necessary, and those cigarettes
can be packaged. All of the foregoing, can be carried out in less
than about three minutes, and most preferably can be carried out in
less than about two minutes.
[0203] A tobacco rod in a cigarette of the present invention
preferably exhibits good firmness and good integrity. Specifically,
when measured at 76.degree. F. and 60 percent relative humidity
using a Cigarette Firmness Tester Model No. CFTA supplied by
Fairchild Industries, Winston-Salem, N.C., typical rods of 24.5 mm
circumference and made by a conventional high-speed
cigarette-making machine yield firmness values of about 2 to about
7 units. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,773 to White et al. at col.
5, lines 10-24. Cigarettes manufactured in accordance with the
present invention typically are firmer than comparable cigarettes
(in terms of comparable component materials, sizes, formats and
weights) that are manufactured using conventional automated
cigarette manufacturing techniques, such as the type of
cigarette-manufacturing machine available as "Protos" from
Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG. For example, cigarettes
manufactured in accordance with the present invention typically are
firmer than comparable cigarettes manufactured using a
"Protos"-type of cigarette-manufacturing machine by as much as
about 5 to about 7 units.
[0204] The selection of a particular filter element, including or
in addition to a desired degree of air dilution, will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art of cigarette design and
manufacture. Properties such as the composition and size of the
filter element, and the format and configuration of the filter
element, can be a matter of design choice. Preferred filter
elements are composed of plasticized cellulose acetate tow Filter
elements also can be composed of materials such as polypropylene
tow, gathered polypropylene web, gathered cellulose acetate web or
gathered paper. Filter elements can be segmented in nature. Filter
elements can incorporate flavors, flavored pellets, breakable
capsules, resin particles, activated carbon particles, and the
like. Preformed tubular wrapping portions incorporating filter
elements containing volatile flavoring agents can be used promptly
after production, or stored in sealed containers until use is
desired.
[0205] Preferred cigarettes of the present invention exhibit
desirable resistance to draw. For example, an exemplary cigarette
exhibits a pressure drop of between about 50 and about 200 mm water
pressure drop at 17.5 cc/sec. air flow. Preferred cigarettes
exhibit pressure drop values of between about 70 mm and about 180,
more preferably between about 80 mm to about 150 mm, water pressure
drop at 17.5 cc/sec. air flow. Typically, pressure drop values of
cigarettes are measured using a "Filtrona Filter Test Station" (CTS
Series) available from Filtrona Instruments and Automation Ltd.
[0206] Preferably, each tobacco rod is uniformly filled with
tobacco filler. That is, it is highly preferred that each tobacco
rod of each cigarette of the present invention (i) include a
sufficient amount of tobacco filler, (ii) not contain tobacco fines
that fall from the cigarette, (iii) not include what can be
characterized as a "loose end," (iv) have good integrity
throughout, and (v) not include low density or void regions.
[0207] Preferably, cigarettes are manufactured such that
substantially all of the cigarettes within a lot are of consistent
quality. It is highly preferred that cigarettes of a particular lot
are comparable to one another in terms of appearance, size, shape,
component materials, weight, tobacco filler particle size
distribution, tobacco rod firmness, smoking properties, puff count,
smoke yield, and the like. Preferred cigarettes within a lot each
incorporate tobacco filler from a comparable source, and the weight
of tobacco filler within each cigarette differs by not more that 10
percent, more preferably by not more than about 5 percent, and most
preferably by not more than about 2.5 percent. In a preferred
cigarette-making operation using each of the above-described
devices, an operator never touches the tubular wrappers directly
with her hands. This preferred mode of operation prevents moisture,
skin oils, or other materials on the operator's hands from soiling
or marring the aesthetic appearance of the tubular wrappers.
[0208] In another aspect, the invention includes a method
comprising the steps of: providing a selection of tobacco
appropriate for use in cigarettes; allowing a customer to select a
tobacco or blend of several tobaccos; assembling the selected
tobacco or blend of tobaccos substantially simultaneously into a
plurality of cigarettes having substantially consistent quality
(including at least consistent density and tobacco mass); and
providing at least some of the plurality of cigarettes to the
customer. The method may further include packaging the plurality of
cigarettes. In an alternative embodiment of the method, the
allowing step includes allowing a customer to select a plurality of
tobaccos or a plurality of tobacco blends, and the assembling step
includes assembling a plurality of cigarettes wherein one or more
of the plurality of cigarettes includes a different tobacco and/or
blend than other(s) in the plurality of cigarettes. In another
alternative embodiment of the method, the selected tobacco or blend
of tobaccos is provided in the form of tobacco cartridges that may
be assembled into cigarettes using, for example, a cigarette making
apparatus such as is described with reference to FIGS. 22-26.
[0209] A cigarette making device of the present invention may be
incorporated within a tobacco specialty retail shop or store. That
is, at least one such device may be on prominent display within the
premises of a retail establishment specializing in high quality or
premium tobacco products. Such a shop or store may have a name that
corresponds to the brand name of tobacco products available for
sale within that shop or store. For example, a cigarette-making
device of the present invention can be employed to manufacture
cigarettes for commercial sale in a tobacco retail outlet such as
the establishment operating as Marshall McGearty Tobacco Lounge at
1553 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
[0210] The shop or store preferably includes an inviting
atmosphere, comfortable lounge areas or appropriate places to sit
and enjoy the smoking of tobacco products, a high quality air
handling or air conditioning system, and locations to purchase
tobacco products. A customer within such a shop or store can talk
with a tobacconist about the cigarettes that are manufactured in
that retail establishment. The packaging, filter materials,
cigarette paper materials, tobacco components (including the
selection of tobacco types and grade, tobacco blends, and casing
and top dressing components) can be high quality in terms of
sensory properties and appearance. Locating a cigarette making
device within such a shop or store allows the customer within such
an establishment to experience the manufacture of cigarettes, and
enjoy cigarettes that are freshly made in his/her presence. For
example, that customer can smell the aroma of different tobaccos
within the store, and can view the manufacture of cigarettes
expressly for him/her. As one example, a customer may choose
between tobacco blends such as those incorporated into Marshall
McGearty brand styles identified as The Standard, Karmelita,
Oriental Rose, Malawi Kings, Cutlass, Samsun Straights, Virginia,
Four Corners, The Empress, The Earl, North Star, Aegean, and Muse.
The selected blend(s) may then be manufactured into cigarettes by
Marshall McGearty Tobacco Artisans using a device of the present
invention. In this environment, using multi-sensory inputs (e.g.,
sight, smell), the customer can make an informed decision on
his/her selection of different tobaccos and/or tobacco blends to be
loaded into a cigarette making apparatus to manufacture cigarettes
in his/her presence. Thus, the methods and devices embodied in the
present invention may be utilized in a retail setting that provides
a customer with an aesthetic experience and an individually
selected product.
[0211] It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be
regarded as illustrative rather than limiting. It should be
understood that the following claims, including all equivalents,
are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *