Pusher/cutter drum

Abstract

Conveyor drum, machine, and process of the tobacco-processing industry. The conveyor drum includes seats structured and arranged for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry, displacement devices, composed of mechanically operable and moveable pushers, structured and arranged for longitudinal axial displacement of the rod-shaped articles in the seats, and a region structured and arranged to receive a cutting device. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1 . A conveyor drum of the tobacco-processing industry comprising: 
 seats structured and arranged for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry;    displacement devices, composed of mechanically operable and moveable pushers, structured and arranged for longitudinal axial displacement of the rod-shaped articles in the seats; and    a region structured and arranged to receive a cutting device.    
   
   
       2 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1  in combination with the cutting device, wherein the cutting device is structured and arranged for cutting the rod-shaped articles, and the cutting device is arranged on the conveyor drum.  
   
   
       3 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the pushers are longitudinally displaceable with respect to the seats.  
   
   
       4 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the pushers are arranged mutually alternatingly in a transverse axial direction of the seats.  
   
   
       5 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the pushers are simultaneously moveable.  
   
   
       6 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the pushers are structured and arranged to achieve a predetermined longitudinally axial lift.  
   
   
       7 . The conveyor drum in combination with the cutting device in accordance with  claim 2 , further comprising suction bores formed in the seats and a cutting plane for the cutting device formed through the seats, 
 wherein, a different number of suction bores are formed on opposite sides of the cutting plane for each seat.    
   
   
       8 . The conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the suction bores are arranged to act on the rod shaped articles.  
   
   
       9 . The conveyor drum in combination with the cutting device in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the combination is structured and arranged as a pusher/cutter drum.  
   
   
       10 . A machine of the tobacco-processing industry comprising a conveyor drum in accordance with  claim 1 .  
   
   
       11 . The machine in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the machine is formed as one of a filter manufacturing machine or a filter tipping machine.  
   
   
       12 . A machine of the tobacco-processing industry comprising a conveyor drum in combination with a cutting device in accordance with  claim 2 .  
   
   
       13 . The machine in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the machine is formed one of a filter manufacturing machine or a filter tipping machine.  
   
   
       14 . A process for transporting rod shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry, comprising: 
 conveying the rod shaped articles in seats;    aligning, with a mechanically operable and moveable pusher, the rod shaped articles in the seats; and    cutting the aligned rod shaped articles in the seats.    
   
   
       15 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the aligning comprises longitudinally axially displacing the rod shaped articles in the seats.  
   
   
       16 . The process in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the rod shaped articles in successive seats are longitudinally axially displaced in opposite directions.  
   
   
       17 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein a plurality of rod shaped articles are simultaneously aligned.  
   
   
       18 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the cutting occurs along a cutting plane formed through the seats, and the process further comprises holding cut portions of the rod shaped article on opposite sides of the cutting plane with a different number of suction bores.  
   
   
       19 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the rod shaped articles have a length smaller than a rod diameter.  
   
   
       20 . The process in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the rod shaped articles are hollow.