British American Tobacco (investments) Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute (proprietary) Limited

British American Tobacco Japan, Limited

Tobacco Research and Development Institute Limited

British American Tobacco Limited

Gerhard Malin Le Roux

Gary Fallon

John Richardson

Arnold Leslie Herholdt

Andrew Jonathan Bray

Sam Whiffen

Ian King

Karl Kaljura

Kevin David Blick

Mike Simpson

Mark Austin

An apparatus for use in the manufacture of tobacco industry products (TIPs), including a rotatable drum having a plurality of flutes formed in a curved outer surface of the drum to receive axially-aligned components of a TIP, a roll hand having a contact surface facing and spaced from the outer surface of the drum to define a space, between the contact surface and the outer surface, within which space components of a TIP are rollable upon rotation of the drum, and a kicker bar disposed adjacent to the roll hand and having a contact edge facing and spaced from the outer surface of the drum, where at least one of the roll hand contact surface, kicker bar contact edge and drum outer surface includes a groove extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the drum and configured to least partially receive one or more of the TIP components as the drum rotates.

Apparatus and method for manufacturing tobacco industry products

Equipment for forming a tubular rod from a bundle of fibrous material comprising a mandrel constructed to form a space within the bundle of fibres; the mandrel includes a passage for delivering a treatment fluid to facilitate the formation of the fibres into a tubular structure as the fibre bundle as the bundle passes over the mandrel.

Methods and equipment for forming tubes of fibrous material

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure having an inlet, through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres may be directed into the enclosure, a fibre outlet from which an assembly of gathered fibres may be withdrawn from the enclosure and an exhaust outlet through which gas may pass out of the enclosure. The enclosure is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres from the inlet to the fibre outlet in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres and directed to the exhaust outlet, thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres in the enclosure which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

Methods and equipment for gathering fibres

Equipment for forming a tubular rod of fibrous material comprises: a gathering station constructed to receive a continuous supply of fibres and to gather the fibres into a bundle as the fibres advance through the equipment; a divider arranged in the path of the fibres through the equipment and constructed to from a cleft along the length of the bundle as it advances through the equipment; a mandrel positioned in the path of the bundle of fibres in alignment with the divider and constructed to form the cleft into a passage through the bundle of fibres as the bundle of fibres advances over the mandrel; and a die constructed and arranged to cooperate with the mandrel to form the fibres in a tubular configuration around the mandrel.

A die or die assembly for forming a bundle of fibres into a rod or tube comprises a body () defining a passage) for conducting the bundle fibres through the die from an inlet to an outlet, a constriction () in the passage having an entrance shaped to form the fibres of the bundle into a desired configuration as the bundle passes through the die, and one or more conduits () through which a treatment fluid e.g. steam, for curing the bundle of fibres may be introduced into the passage, and wherein at last one conduit is arranged to discharge fluid in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the constriction to facilitate passage of the fibres through the die and reduce the risk of blockage.

Die, die assembly, equipment and method for forming rods of fibrous material

An apparatus and associated methods for cutting and arranging rods for use in a tobacco industry product assembly machine, the apparatus including a first cutting mechanism for cutting a four-length rod into first and second axially-aligned double-length rods where each double-length rod has respective remote ends, a positioning mechanism for moving at least one of the first and second double-length rods such that said first and second double-length rods are moved from a first configuration in axial-alignment, to a second configuration in which the first and second double-length rods are out of axial alignment and the axes of the first and second double-length rods are parallel and spaced apart, and the remote ends of said first and second double-length rods are substantially aligned with each other.

Cutting and arranging rods for tobacco industry products

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus () for use in the manufacture of tobacco industry products. The apparatus () comprises a rolling unit () comprising: &#x2022;a rotatable drum () having a plurality of flutes () formed in a curved outer surface () of the drum () to receive axially-aligned components () of a tobacco industry product; &#x2022;a roll hand () having a contact surface () facing and spaced from the outer surface () of the drum () to define a space, between the contact surface () and the outer surface (), within which space components of a tobacco industry product are rollable upon rotation of the drum (); and &#x2022;a kicker bar () disposed adjacent to the roll hand () and having a contact edge () facing and spaced from the outer surface () of the drum (). At least one of the roll hand contact surface (), kicker bar contact edge () and drum outer surface () includes a groove () extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the drum () and configured to least partially receive one or more of the tobacco industry product components as the drum () rotates.

A method of, and equipment for gathering fibres () entrained a gas stream, for example by melt blowing, comprises an enclosure () having an inlet (), through which a gas stream carrying entrained fibres () may be directed into the enclosure (), a fibre outlet () from which an assembly of gathered fibres () may be withdrawn from the enclosure () and an exhaust outlet () through which gas may pass out of the enclosure (). The enclosure () is constructed to provide a pathway for the fibres () from the inlet () to the fibre outlet () in which surplus gas in the gas stream is separated from the entrained fibres () and directed to the exhaust outlet (), thereby reducing turbulence in the fibres () in the enclosure () which may affect the quality of the finished assembly.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus () for manufacture of tobacco industry products (). The apparatus () comprising a rolling unit () comprising: &#x2022; a rotatable drum () having a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the drum () to receive tobacco industry product components (); &#x2022; a roll hand () spaced from the outer surface of the drum () to define a space between the outer surface of the drum () and the roll hand (), within which space tobacco industry product components () are rollable upon rotation of the drum (); and &#x2022; a kicker bar () disposed adjacent to the roll hand (). &#x2022; The kicker bar () is moveable relative to the roll hand () and in a direction towards and away from the drum () during operation of the apparatus (), and the kicker bar () is biased towards the drum ().

A modular apparatus is configured to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a first sequence of operations. The modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations. The first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokeable material, which is smoked in use. The modular apparatus comprises a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article between two tobacco rods, a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts, a separator configured to separate a first group comprising a rod of smokeable material and one of said parts from a second group comprising a rod of smokeable material and another of said parts and a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article between the first and second groups.

Smoking article assembly

A modular apparatus for smoking article assembly comprises a plurality of modules and a plurality of respective interface units, and a controller to control said plurality of modules via said interface units. The modular apparatus is configured to cause received rods of smokable material to undergo a first sequence of operations. The modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations. The first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokable material, which is smoked in use.

Relating to smoking article assembly

A modular apparatus is configured to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a first sequence of operations. The modular apparatus can be reconfigured so as to cause received rods of smokeable material to undergo a second sequence of operations, different to the first sequence of operations. The first and second sequences of operations respectively form at least part of first and second processes for assembling smoking articles, each smoking article comprising one of said rods of smokeable material, which is smoked in use. The modular apparatus comprises a first inserter configured to insert a first rod article () between two tobacco rods (), a first rod divider configured to divide the first rod article into at least two parts (), a separator configured to separate a first group () comprising a rod of smokeable material and one of said parts from a second group () comprising a rod of smokeable material and another of said parts and a second inserter configured to insert a second rod article () between the first and second groups.

Apparatus comprising a tipping paper suction drum () adapted to receive a web () of tipping paper which is cut on the tipping paper suction drum to form successive patches () of tipping paper for wrapping smoking articles. The tipping paper suction drum is adapted to rotate at a speed greater than the speed at which the web of tipping paper is fed onto the tipping paper suction drum such that spaces are formed between the cut patches of tipping paper. A peripheral surface () of the tipping paper suction drum has suction holes () arranged to pull the leading portion of the web of tipping paper towards the surface of the tipping paper suction drum in the time between successive cuts.

Apparatus comprising a tipping paper suction drum

A smoking article assembly apparatus is disclosed. It comprises a first cutting station configured to cut a filter rod into filter segments, a tipping station configured to join the filter segments to tobacco rods so as to form a smoking article assembly, and a second cutting station configured to cut the smoking article assembly in the region of the filter segments so as to form two smoking articles.

Smoking article assembly machine for assembling smoking articles having segmented filters

A feed mechanism to feed objects for insertion into tobacco industry products including a rotary member for receiving objects, the rotary member having a plurality of channels, each channel being adapted so that in use objects assemble in a row in the channel which rotates with the rotary member, each channel having an outlet for dispensing an object from the channel, and a pneumatic mechanism configured to hold an object in a row prior to the object being dispensed.

Growing community of inventors

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Gerhard Malin Le Roux