Philip Morris Inc.

Peter C Van Davelaar

Billy J Keen, Jr

G Robert Scott

Edwin L Cutright

In apparatus for forming cut lengths of tube by winding one or more strips of material into a continuously advancing spiral wound tube and periodically cutting off lengths of the tube, lengths of tube containing splices present in the strips are rejected at a rejection point downstream from the cut-off point by monitoring the strips for splices prior to winding, waiting until enough strip has passed the splice monitoring point to extend from the splice monitoring point to the rejection point, and rejecting the length of tube at the rejection point when that amount of strip has passed the splice monitoring point.

Spiral tube making methods and apparatus including splice rejection

In a spiral tube winder, the plies going to the winding mechanism are monitored to make sure that no ply is broken. If any ply breaks, the machine is stopped so that the broken ply does not become entangled in the apparatus, especially in the glue applying portion of the apparatus. The ply break detection system is automatically activated for each ply lane that is in use so that plies can be added while the machine is in operation, with the result that the ply break protection for each such added ply comes on automatically after that ply has been added.

Spiral tube winding methods and apparatus including ply break sensing

One or more tapes being pulled toward the mandrel of a tube winding machine are tensioned by passing them over vacuum chambers. Glue is applied to one or more tapes adjacent the vacuum chambers. If the tube winding machine stops for any reason, the vacuum chambers keep the tapes to which glue is applied taut, and those tapes are moved out of contact with the glue applying member. The length of each tape which is in contact with the glue applying member can be adjusted to adjust the amount of glue applied to the tape. Heat can be applied to each tape after glue has been applied in order to promote curing of the glue.

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Richmond, VA, United States of America

Peter C Van Davelaar