Perforation apparatus of the tobacco processing industry for perforating a wrapper of a rod-shaped article

Abstract

A perforation apparatus of the tobacco-processing industry for perforating a wrapper of a rod-shaped article includes at least one optical radiation source to generate at least one primary beam. Optical elements are operative to split the at least one primary beam into at least four mutually non-overlapping partial beams to produce at least four perforation zones offset in an axial direction of the rod-shaped article. Partial beams arranged mirror symmetrically to each other with respect to a mirror plane of the rod-shaped article are derived from the same primary beam.

1 . A perforation apparatus of the tobacco-processing industry for perforating a wrapper of a rod-shaped article, comprising: 
 at least one optical radiation source to generate at least one primary beam; and    optical elements operative to split the at least one primary beam into at least four mutually non-overlapping partial beams to produce at least four perforation zones offset in an axial direction of the rod-shaped article, wherein partial beams arranged mirror symmetrically to each other with respect to a mirror plane of the rod-shaped article are derived from the same primary beam.    
     
     
         2 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including a device following the optical radiation source which is operative in combination with the optical elements to generate from the at least one primary beam overlapping partial beams to produce a plurality of rows of perforations in respective perforation zones.  
     
     
         3 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical radiation source generates at least two independent primary beams.  
     
     
         4 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the optical elements include at least a first optical element in a beam path of one of the independent primary beams and a second optical in a beam path of a second one of the independent primary beams, and the first and second optical elements are offset by an azimuth angle about the rod-shaped article.  
     
     
         5 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the azimuth angle is less than about 60°.  
     
     
         6 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the azimuth angle is less than about 45°.  
     
     
         7 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the azimuth angle is less than about 30°.  
     
     
         8 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one optical radiation source comprises separate optical radiation sources to generate each primary beam.  
     
     
         9 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical elements include partially transmitting mirrors.  
     
     
         10 . The perforation apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical elements have transmittances that are co-ordinated with each other so that, with respect to a mirror plane of the rod-shaped article, two partial beams arranged mirror symmetrically to each other each have substantially equal radiation intensity.  
     
     
         11 . A filter assembling machine, comprising an apparatus for rotating a rod-shaped article about a longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped article in a stationary perforation position forming a combination with a perforation apparatus according to  claim 1 , for perforating a rod-shaped article rotating in the perforation position.  
     
     
         12 . A method for perforating a wrapper of a rod-shaped tobacco article, including steps of: 
 generating at least one optical primary beam;    splitting the primary beam into at least four mutually non-overlapping partial beams, wherein partial beams arranged mirror symmetrically to each other, with respect to a mirror plane of the rod-shaped article are derived from the same primary beam; and    perforating the rod-shaped article in at least four perforation zones offset in an axial direction of the rod-shaped article by the partial beams.