Method and system for manufacture of multi-segment articles of tobacco industry

Abstract

Method for manufacturing of multi-segment rod-like articles (25, 25′, 25″) of the tobacco industry in an apparatus (2) for manufacturing multi-segment rods (6) or segment rods (6′, 6″) comprising the steps of: feeding rod-like segments of at least one kind (A, B, C, E, F) constituting a multi-segment rod-like article (25, 25′, 25″); putting together rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) in a segments train (ST) on a wrapping material (7); manufacturing a continuous segment rod (CR′, CR″) or multi-segment rod (CR) containing rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) wrapped by the wrapping material (7), whereas the segments are pushed together or cavities are left between the segments; and cutting the continuous segment rod (CR′, CR″) or multi-segment rod (CR) into multi-segment rods (6) or segment rods (6′, 6″) containing any combination of H rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F), double rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) and halves of rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F), whereas at the time of cutting of the continuous multi-segment rod (CR) the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) move in a longitudinal direction (T1); then changing conveying direction of the multi-segment rod (6) or the segment rod (6′, 6″) from the longitudinal direction (T1) to a transverse direction (T2), and fixing the end segments (D) to the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″), conveyed in the transverse direction (T2) in an end segment fixing apparatus (3) adapted to manufacture multi-segment rod-like articles (25, 25′, 25″). The method is characterised in that after the change of the conveying direction of the multi-segment rod (6) or the segment rod (6′, 6″) from the longitudinal direction (T1) to the transverse direction (T2), and before fixing the end segment (D), a step of checking quality the manufactured multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) is performed at a measuring unit (9) and defective multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) are rejected, next feeding the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) to a compensation unit (13) for storing the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) and for compensating the rejection of the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″), and then feeding the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″) from the compensation unit (13) to the end segment fixing apparatus (3) so that the end segment fixing apparatus (3) is continuously fed with the multi-segment rods (6) or the segment rods (6′, 6″).

1 . Method for manufacturing of multi-segment rod-like articles ( 25 ,  25 ′,  25 ″) of the tobacco industry
 in an apparatus ( 2 ) for manufacturing multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) comprising the steps of:
 feeding rod-like segments of at least one kind (A, B, C, E, F) constituting a multi-segment rod-like article ( 25 ,  25 ′,  25 ″); 
 putting together the rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) in a segments train (ST) on a wrapping material ( 7 ); 
 manufacturing a multi-segment rod (CR) or a continuous segment rod (CR′, CR″) containing the rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) wrapped by the wrapping material ( 7 ), whereas the segments (A, B, C, E, F) are pushed together or cavities are left between the segments; and 
 cutting the multi-segment rod (CR) or the continuous segment rod (CR′, CR″) into multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) containing any combination of rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F), double rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) and halves of rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F), whereas at the time of the cutting of the continuous multi-segment rod (CR) or the continuous segment rod (CR′, CR″) the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) move in a longitudinal direction (T 1 ); then 
 
 changing the conveying direction of the multi-segment rod ( 6 ) or the segment rod ( 6 ′,  6 ″) from the longitudinal direction (T 1 ) to a transverse direction (T 2 ), and 
 fixing end segments (D) to the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″), conveyed in the transverse direction (T 2 ) in an end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ) adapted to manufacture multi-segment rod-like articles ( 25 ,  25 ′,  25 ″), 
 characterised in that 
 after the change of the conveying direction of the multi-segment rod ( 6 ) or the segment rod ( 6 ′,  6 ″) from the longitudinal direction (T 1 ) to the transverse direction (T 2 ), and before fixing the end segment (D), a step of checking quality of the manufactured multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) is performed at a measuring unit ( 9 ) and defective multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) are rejected, next 
 feeding the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) to a compensation unit ( 13 ) for storing the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) and for compensating the rejection of the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″), and then 
 feeding the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) from the compensation unit ( 13 ) to the end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ) so that the end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ) is continuously fed with the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″). 
 
     
     
         2 . Method as in  claim 1  characterised in that before the feeding the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) to the measuring unit ( 9 ) a step of checking quality of the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) and a step of rejecting defective multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) are performed at the apparatus ( 2 ) for manufacturing multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″). 
     
     
         3 . Production system ( 1 ) for manufacturing of multi-segment rod-like articles ( 25 ,  25 ′,  25 ″) comprising:
 an apparatus ( 2 ) for manufacturing multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) comprising rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) of at least one kind or double rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) or halves of rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F) delivered and conveyed in a longitudinal direction (T 1 ), whereas the segments in a continuous multi-segment rod (CR) or segment rod (CR′, CR″) from which the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) are cut are pushed together or cavities are left between the rod-like segments (A, B, C, E, F), 
 an apparatus ( 8 ) for changing the conveying direction of the multi-segment rod ( 6 ) or the segment rod ( 6 ′,  6 ″) from the longitudinal direction (T 1 ) to a transverse direction (T 2 ), 
 a measuring unit ( 9 ) for checking the quality of manufactured multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″), 
 a rejection unit ( 9 A) for rejecting defective multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″), and 
 an end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ) adapted to manufacture multi-segment rod-like articles ( 25 ,  25 ′,  25 ″) by fixing the end segments (D) to the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) conveyed in the transverse direction (T 2 ), 
 characterised in that 
 the production system ( 1 ) comprises a compensation unit ( 13 ) for storing the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″), situated between the measuring unit ( 9 ) and the end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ), adapted to compensate the rejection of the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) so that the end segment fixing apparatus ( 3 ) is continuously fed with the multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or the segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″). 
 
     
     
         4 . System as in  claim 3  characterised in that the apparatus ( 2 ) for manufacturing multi-segment rods ( 6 ) or segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) is provided with a measuring unit and a rejection unit for rejecting defective segment rods ( 6 ′,  6 ″) or multi-segment rods ( 6 ).