Korber Ag

Hauni-werke Korber & Co Kg.

Hauni Maschinenbau Ag

Korber

Wolfgang Siems

Uwe Heitmann

Heinz-Christen Lorenzen

Peter Pinck

Andrzej Radzio

Peter Brand

Adolf Helms

Franz P Koch

Erwin Schmalfeld

Elke Kohler

Matthias Overath

Christian Junge

Jürgen Goetz

Karsten Meins

Simon Fischer

Jürgen Giese

Reiner Knopp

Teut Barkhan

Two parallel cigarette rods are guided in a twin cigarette rod making machine between two stationary ionization chambers of a density measuring apparatus. Two radiation sources are mounted on a carrier between the two rods for movement with the carrier between a first position in which the radiation issuing from the sources penetrates through the adjacent rods and into the respective ionization chambers, and a second position in which the radiation enters the respective chambers by way of passages in the guides for the respective rods.

Apparatus for measuring the density of accumulations of fibrous material

The combined mass flow of solid and liquid fractions of a fibrous material which is converted into a tobacco rod or filter rod in a rod making machine of the tobacco processing industry is ascertained by monitoring the liquid fraction in the distributor of the machine and by monitoring the solid fraction downstream of the monitoring station for the liquid fraction. Electric signals which are obtained as a result of such monitoring are processed in a computer which transmits a signal denoting the combined mass flow of solid and liquid fractions. Such signal is used to maintain the combined mass flow at or close to a preselected value, particularly by adjusting a trimming device which removes the surplus of fibrous material ahead of the station where the fibrous material is draped into a web of cigarette paper, imitation cork or other wrapping material.

Method of and apparatus for generating electric signals denoting the

The density of a trimmed stream of tobacco particles on a radiation-permeable conveyor is ascertained by directing a first beam of infrared light against the trimmed stream so that the light must pass through the stream and through the conveyor prior to reaching a detector which transmits to an evaluating circuit signals denoting the density of the trimmed stream. Such signals are corrected, when necessary, by signals which are generated by a second detector serving to monitor the intensity of infrared light which has passed only through the conveyor, and the corrected signals are used to regulate the operation of a trimming device which converts an untrimmed stream into the trimmed stream. Signals from the second detector indicate the extent of permeability changes of the conveyor as a result of accumulation of solid and/or liquid substances in or on the conveyor, and such signals can further serve to warn the operators that the conveyor is damaged and/or to modify the intensity of light which is caused to pass through the stream and through the conveyor and/or to modify the intensity of light which passes only through the conveyor.

Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the density of a stream of

A stream of filter tow which has been sprayed with atomized plasticizer is advanced past two detectors each of which monitors the density of the stream in a different way and generates corresponding signals which are processed by an evaluating circuit to generate modified signals which are indicative of the percentage of plasticizer. The modified signals are used to regulate the operation of a pump which controls the rate of admission of plasticizer to successive increments of the tow.

Method of and apparatus for making streams containing fibrous materials

The density of a tobacco stream which is advanced by a foraminous conveyor toward the surplus removing station of a cigarette rod making machine is measured by one or more detectors each having one or more sources of infrared light and one or more photoelectric transducers. In order to avoid the generation of distorted signals in response to impingement of high-intensity radiation upon the transducer or transducers, each transducer is out of line with the path of direct propagation of radiation from the respective source or sources toward successive increments of the tobacco stream. The transducer or transducers receive infrared light which is scattered in and/or reflected by tobacco particles in the stream. Signals from the transducer or transducers are used to regulate the quantity of surplus which is removed from the stream.

Apparatus for measuring the density of a tobacco stream

A stream of tobacco fibers is formed in a channel by showering the fibers against the underside of the lower reach of a foraminous belt conveyor which cooperates with a suction chamber to attract the fibers and to advance the stream past a trimming station where the surplus of fibers is removed by an adjustable equalizing device. The density of the stream is monitored upstream of the trimming station, and the thus obtained signals which are indicative of the density of successive increments of the stream are used to adjust the equalizing device so that the density of the trimmed stream is maintained within a desired range. Monitoring of density upstream of the trimming station ensures that the position of the equalizing device is properly adjusted not later than when the monitored increments of the stream reach the trimming station.

Method of and apparatus for making a trimmed stream of tobacco fibers or

The tobacco stream which is formed at the underside of a foraminous conveyor and carries a surplus of tobacco particles is transported past a trimming device which removes the surplus to convert the stream into a filler which is thereupon wrapped into a web of cigarette paper. The mass flow of tobacco particles in the untrimmed stream is monitored by a detector which utilizes infrared light, and the signals from such detector are used to change the position of the conveyor relative to the trimming device so as to ensure that the mass flow of tobacco particles in the filler remains within a desired range. One or more additional detectors monitor the mass of flow tobacco particles in the filler upstream and/or downstream of the wrapping station, and the signals from such second detector or detectors are used to correct the position of the conveyor relative to the trimming device and/or to change the position of the trimming device relative to the conveyor.

Method of and apparatus for treating accumulations of fibers of tobacco

A tobacco stream, which contains a surplus of tobacco and is converted into a rod-like filler by a trimming device serving to remove the surplus from successive increments of the stream, is monitored ahead of the surplus removing station by a device which forms signals denoting fluctuations of the surplus in the stream. Such signals are used to regulate the quantity of surplus in the stream. The signals can denote the mass of tobacco per unit length or multiple unit length of the stream, the density of successive unit lengths or multiple unit lengths of the stream, or the so-called standard deviation of the height or another parameter of the stream from a median value.

Method of and apparatus for making a rod of fibrous material

One or more streams of tobacco in a rod making machine are tested by several density monitoring units one of which employs a source of nuclear radiation and at least one other of which employs a source of optical radiation. The resulting density signals are evaluated and converted into signals which are devoid of the influence of changes of color and/or blend of fibrous material in the stream or streams and are used for segregation of defective rod-shaped articles and/or for controlled removal of surplus from the stream or streams.

Method of and apparatus for making and processing streams of fibrous

A machine wherein a mobile partition divides a flow of tobacco particles into several streams each of which carries a surplus of tobacco particles. The surplus is removed from the streams by discrete trimming devices to convert the streams into fillers which are draped into webs of cigarette paper. The removed surplus is measured independently for each stream and the signals which are generated to denote the quantities of removed surplus are used to change the position of the partition in a sense to ensure that each stream contains a predetermined quantity of surplus. A device which monitors the density of at least one filler generates signals serving to adjust the trimming devices in a sense to ensure that the density of all fillers matches a preselected density.

Method of and machine for simultaneously making two or more rods from

The density of successive increments of a cigarette rod is measured by an apparatus which employs one or more photocells operating with ultraviolet, infrared or visible light. The radiation source of each photocell emits a beam of ultraviolet, infrared or visible light which penetrates through the wrapper and the filler of the rod and thereupon impinges upon one or more transducers which transmit signals denoting the density of the monitored portion of the rod to an evaluating circuit. The beams which are emitted by two or more discrete radiation sources are or can be angularly offset with reference to each other, and the evaluating circuit processes the signals from the photocells to generate a single signal which is indicative of the density of the monitored increment of the rod and is used to adjust the trimming device and/or the ejector for defective cigarettes.

Method and apparatus for ascertaining the density of wrapped tobacco

Cigarettes in the peripheral flutes of a rotary drum-shaped conveyor are tested while their end portions extend into elastic tubes which are deformable radially inwardly into sealing engagement with the wrappers of the respective end portions in response to axial deformation directly by the respective end faces of the conveyor. The tubes are mounted on two ring-shaped carriers which are adjacent to the end faces of the conveyor and rotate about axes which are slightly inclined with reference to the axis of the conveyor so that each tube approaches the conveyor during one-half and moves away from the conveyor during the other half of each revolution of the conveyor and that corresponding carrier. A gaseous testing fluid is admitted into the ends of cigarettes while the tubes are deformed so that they are in sealing engagement with the wrappers of the respective cigarettes. Those annular sections of the tubes which move into actual contact with the wrappers of cigarettes are thinner than the remaining portions of the tubes and are bounded by convex internal and concave external surfaces.

Apparatus for testing cigarettes and the like

A cigarette testing apparatus wherein a rotary drum-shaped conveyor has axially parallel peripheral flutes for cigarettes and is flanked by two swash plates which rotate therewith and carry annuli of elastically deformable sealing elements for the respective ends of cigarettes on the conveyor. Each sealing element has a socket facing the adjacent end of the cigarette in the corresponding flutes of the conveyor when the cigarette is inserted into the flutes. The swash plates thereupon move the sealing elements nearer to the ends of the cigarettes therebetween whereby the ends of the cigarettes enter the corresponding sockets and displace transversely extending partitions of the sealing elements with attendant radial contraction of those tubular sections of the sealing elements which surround the respective sockets. This moves the internal surfaces of such sections into sealing engagement with the external surfaces of the ends of the cigarettes during transport of cigarettes through the testing station where the cigarettes receive streams of testing fluid flowing through centrally located apertures of the adjacent partitions. The sealing elements have thin-walled annular membranes flanking the respective partitions to allow for movement of the partitions in response to the application of pressure by the respective ends of a cigarette as well as to facilitate radial deformation of the tubular sections in response to such displacement of the partitions. The sealing elements reassume their undeformed states when they move away from the respective ends of the cigarette therebetween in response to further rotation of the swash plates.

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Wolfgang Siems