Hauni Maschinenbau Ag

Helmut Voss

Manfred Dombek

Roman Piechaczek

Matthias Overath

A device and a method for producing zones of desired air permeability in the enveloping material of rod-shaped articles, particularly in the tobacco-processing industry. The device includes a beam-guiding device for focusing an energy-rich beam, generated by a radiation source, onto the enveloping material in order to form perforation zones, as well as a multiple beam-generating device that generates a multiple beam from the single beam. The multiple beam-generating device is provided with at least one optical element that is fixed in its operating position relative to the beam.

Device for perforating rod-shaped articles, particularly in the tobacco-processing industry

The invention concerns a perforating apparatus for producing openings in a peripheral surface of a substantially elongate, cylindrical object, in particular a cigarette, comprising a light source for producing at least one high-energy light beam, by means of which the openings can be produced in the object, an operative zone which can be produced by a guidance tracking means for guided tracking of the light beam and within which the light beam acts on an object moving through the operative zone, to produce the openings, rolling means for producing a rotary movement of the objects about their longitudinal axis while the objects are moving through the operative zone in order to expose the peripheral surface to the light beam, and transport means for conveying the object through the operative zone. The invention is characterised by a light-refracting means through which the light beam is passed before reaching the operative zone so that upon guided tracking of the light beam the light beam remains focused substantially everywhere within the operative zone.

Perforating apparatus

An elongated strip of tipping paper is advanced in a tipping machine for the making of filter cigarettes. The strip advances past a perforating unit and thereupon past a cutting unit which subdivides the perforated strip into a series of uniting bands ready to be convoluted around abutting ends of plain cigarettes and filter rod sections. One side of the strip is coated with a film of an adhesive which can be inactivated by exposing it to coherent radiation. The perforating and cutting steps are carried out by one or two beams of coherent radiation which can further serve to inactivate the adhesive around each perforation and along the edges which extend across the strip to thus reduce the likelihood of penetration of active adhesive into the perforations and/or a contamination of the products by active adhesive being expelled beyond the marginal portions of the uniting bands. A single source can suffice to furnish coherent radiation for the carrying out of the perforating, cutting and inactivating operations.

Method of and apparatus for treating webs of wrapping material

A running web of tipping paper (one side of which is coated with a film of adhesive) in a filter cigarette making machine is subdivided into discrete uniting bands and/or is perforated by resorting to a single source or to two discrete sources of coherent radiation. Each source is associated with a control unit which initiates the emission of short-lasting flashes of coherent radiation. Such radiation is caused to impinge upon a diffractive focusing lens which focuses coherent radiation upon one or more masks having openings for coherent radiation which is to sever the web along transversely extending linear zones and/or to provide the web with desired arrays of perforations. The perforations permit atmospheric air to enter the column of tobacco smoke in a filter cigarette wherein the tobacco-containing portion and the filter mouthpiece are united by a perforated adhesive-coated uniting band.

Growing community of inventors

Lockstedt, Germany

Helmut Voss