Hauni-werke Korber & Co Kg.

Korber Ag

Rolf Gomann

Heinz Greve

Peter Grumer

Hans-Jochen Grasse

Karl-Heinz Schluter

Lothar Krause

Gunther Menge

Apparatus for removing samples from a single-layer stream of cigarettes which move sideways in the peripheral flutes of hollow rotary first and second drum-shaped conveyors has two valving elements which are disposed in the interior of the respective conveyors and establish or terminate connections between certain suction ports of the two conveyors and a suction generating device in such a way that a desired number of samples can remain on the first conveyor and advance therewith beyond a transfer zone between the two conveyors when the operator depresses a pushbutton, or at regular intervals. In normal operation, all of the cigarettes which are supplied to the flutes of the first conveyor upstream of the transfer zone are delivered to the flutes of the second conveyor. When the operator generates a signal which initiates the removal of samples, suction ports in a selected portion of the periphery of the first conveyor are connected with the suction generating device whereas the suction ports in a selected portion of the periphery of the second conveyor are disconnected from such source. Therefore, when such portions of the peripheries of the two conveyors meet in the transfer zone, the cigarettes which are attracted by the suction ports in the selected portion of the first conveyor remain in the respective flutes and are transported to a removing location where they enter a container. Except in the selected portions of the peripheries of the two conveyors, the suction ports from pairs of spaced parallel rows, and the suction ports in such selected portions form single rows which are disposed between the respective pairs of rows.

Apparatus for transporting and removing samples from a stream of

An automatic apparatus which transports filter cigarettes from a tipping machine to a packing machine has a first transporting unit which directly couples the output of the tipping machine with the magazine of the packing machine, and a second transporting unit which receives the surplus of filter cigarettes from a diverting device of the first transporting unit when the output of the tipping machine exceeds the requirements of the packing machine and delivers the removed surplus back to the first transporting unit when the requirements of the packing machine exceed the output of the tipping machine. The second transporting unit employs a tray filler which receives cigarettes from the diverting device, a first conveying section which transports filled trays away from the tray filler, a tray evacuator which converts the contents of successive filled trays into a stream of cigarettes and turns the cigarettes through 180.degree. so that the orientation of cigarettes in the stream deviates from the orientation of cigarettes in the first transporting unit, and a second conveying section which delivers the stream to a junction of the first transporting unit. In order to restore the original orientation of diverted cigarettes, the first or second conveying section embodies a loop-shaped inverting device which changes the orientation of cigarettes in filled trays or the orientation of cigarettes in the stream by 180.degree. so that the orientation of cigarettes which reenter the first transporting unit is the same as that of non-diverted cigarettes.

Apparatus for transporting and changing the orientation of cigarettes or

The cigarette rod which is produced in a cigarette maker is subdivided into a file of plain cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. If the file contains cigarettes of unit length, successive pairs of cigarettes are deflected sideways to form two rows of coaxial cigarettes before the cigarettes of one row are staggered transversely of the cigarettes of the other row so that the two rows can be converted into a single row by shifting the cigarettes of at least one row axially between the neighboring cigarettes of the other row. If the file contains cigarettes of double unit length, such file is converted into a single row of parallel cigarettes which are thereupon severed to yield pairs of coaxial cigarettes of unit length forming two rows wherein each cigarette of one row is coaxial with a cigarette of the other row. The cigarettes of one row are then staggered with reference to the cigarettes of the other row prior to shuffling to form a single row of parallel cigarettes of unit length. The cigarette paper web which is draped around a tobacco filler to form therewith the rod is imprinted at intervals corresponding to the length of a plain cigarette of unit length.

Method and apparatus for the production and manipulation of plain

Apparatus for filling trays with cigarettes has a magazine which contains a supply of parallel cigarettes and the lower end portion of which extends into the interior of an empty tray so that the lower end portions of several vertical ducts in the lower end portion of the magazine are closely adjacent to the bottom wall of the tray. The tray is lowered continuously or stepwise while the ducts admit vertical streams or rows of cigarettes into the interior of the tray wherein the deposited cigarettes form superimposed layers with the cigarettes of each upper layer staggered relative to the cigarettes of the layer therebelow. This is attributed to the provision of horizontal shafts or horizontal tongues which flank the lower end portions of the ducts and are movable back and forth from neutral positions to effect a desirable distribution of descending cigarettes in the tray. The magazine is further provided with upper wall members which are normally disposed above the horizontal shafts or tongues and each of which can perform several movements to prevent bridging of cigarettes in the magazine, to promote the filling of ducts with cigarettes and/or to seal the lower end portions of the ducts preparatory to replacement of a filled tray with an empty tray.

Apparatus for filling trays with cigarettes or the like

A filter rod making machine wherein a continuous tow of fibrous filter material is flattened to form a foraminous layer prior to advancement through an impregnating station where a rotating brush sprays particles of atomized plasticizer against the underside of the layer. The brush is installed in the trough-shaped lower portion of a receptacle which flares upwardly and outwardly toward the underside of the layer and the bristles of the brush sweep along the internal surface of the lower portion of the receptacle. The lower portion receives a continuous stream of liquid plasticizer from the outlet of a variable-delivery pump whose intake receives plasticizer at a constant pressure. The brush is driven by an electric motor independently of the system which transports the layer of filter material.

Apparatus for applying plasticizer to fibrous filter material in filter

A filter rod making machine wherein a continuous tow of fibrous filter material is flattened to form a foraminous layer prior to passage through an impregnating station where an atomizing nozzle or a revolving brush sprays particles of atomized plasticizer against one side of the layer. An intercepting plate is placed in contact with the layer opposite the nozzle or brush so that the particles which penetrate across the layer and reach the plate are entrained by successive increments of the layer to thus insure that each unit length of the layer contains the same quantity of plasticizer. The rate of delivery of plasticizer to the brush or nozzle is changed in automatic response to changes in forward speed of the layer.

Growing community of inventors

Dassendorf, Germany

Rolf Gomann