Molins Plc

Other

John K Horsley

Derek H Dyett

John E Nixon

Donald E Panoz

Timothy Cardell Harrington

Grantley R Hoath

Dan Rendell

Peter Monkhouse

Dennis G Troll

A vehicular power system for powering a parallel hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine, electric motor/generator, ESD source, and an inverter includes a set of demand parameters for controlling the amount of flow of current between the ESD source and the electric motor/generator. The demand parameters are utilized by the inverter for controlling this current. A set of limiting parameters which indicate that the application of full demand would jeopardize the operational environment or is unwarranted by utilizing the limit of full demand. The demand parameters control the amount of current to the electric motor/generator from the ESD during an electric motor/generator assist mode and from the electric motor/generator to the ESD when the battery is acting as a generator for recharging the ESD. Additionally, a plurality of demand parameters may exist providing options for manipulating the control of the electric motor/generator depending upon the operating environment of the vehicle.

Control system for parallel hybrid vehicle

Rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes or cigarette filter rods, are conveyed in a stream in a direction transverse to their lengths at a speed which is progressively reduced, so that the height of the conveyed stream is increased. Prior to the reduction in conveyance speed the speed of individual articles is increased briefly to avoid damage from following articles. The speed reduction takes place in a path having divergent boundary walls.

Conveying rod-like articles

Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel opposed conveyors for delivering articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with an arrangement for priming the junction such as a pivoted plate or retractable conveyor bands. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180.degree. for delivery to the one conveyor. The further conveyor may be parallel to the opposed conveyors or may be mounted at an adjustable small angle to them. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit of a filter cigarettes assembling machine.

Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles

A ledger mechanism for a rod cutting apparatus comprises a ledger; a coupling rod on which the ledger is fixedly mounted; and a pair of spaced gear arrangements each having a gear ratio of 2:1 to generate a pair of points, one point on each gear arrangement, which reciprocate in synchronism along straight parallel paths, wherein the coupling rod is pivotally coupled at one end to one of said pair of points on one gear arrangement, and at its opposite end to the other of said pair of points on the other gear arrangement so that the ledger reciprocates linearly.

Ledger for cut-off devices in cigarette machines

A filter attachment machine includes a fluted drum which is arranged to receive double filters and double cigarettes. A knife cuts the double cigarettes through the middle to form separate cigarette portions and, with the aid of a further drum, the two cigarette portions associated with each double filter are swopped in position so as to lie at opposite ends of the double filter, displacement of one of the cigarette portions being achieved preferably by displacing the associated double filter which in turn pushes the cigarette portion. The double cigarettes may be delivered axially into the flutes of the first drum from a cigarette making machine, preferably after delivery of the double filters which can then serve as resilient buffers for the incoming double cigarettes.

Filter cigarette making machine

A gummer for a filter attachment machine comprises two rollers (10, 12), one of which is arranged to contact the web and the other of which is pressed against the first roller to limit the quantity of gum which is transmitted to the web from a pool of gum formed in the nip between the rollers. Gum is fed continuously into the pool at a position between the ends of the rollers at a rate in excess of the rate at which gum is applied to the web, from which position the gum flows towards the ends of the rollers. Means (15, 16, 50) are provided for collecting excess gum at the ends of the rollers and for returning it to a source (19) of the gum.

Gummer for cigarette filter attachment machines

A bobbin changer, for use in producing a continuous supply of web by joining the webs from a succession of reels, comprises a splicing device for joining the leading end of the web on each new reel to the web on the expiring reel; at least two cradles for receiving and supporting reels of web during use, each having means for locating the end of the web of a new reel in readiness for splicing; and means for movably supporting each of the cradles whereby each cradle in turn can be moved from a standby position to a position aligned with the splicing device in preparation for a splicing operation.

Bobbin changer for joining successive reels of web of the cigarette

A bobbin changer includes a storage arrangement for storing a number of reels, a reel unwinding station arranged to receive successive reels from the storage arrangement, means for initially rotating each new reel at the unwinding station in a reverse direction (i.e. opposite to the direction of rotation during unwinding), a suction head which is mounted adjacent to the reel and is arranged to pull the leading end portion of the web away from the reel as it approaches the suction head, and means responsive to the movement of the leading end portion of the web and arranged to discontinue the reverse drive on the reel and to initiate a splicing operation.

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High Wycombe, United Kingdom

John K Horsley