Cigarette making machines

Claim 2

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious band arranged to pass round at least two pulleys; means for forming a tobacco filler stream by showering tobacco onto one run of the band; means for applying suction through the band to hold the filler stream on the band; means for trimming the tobacco filler stream while it is moving along a second run of the band, after having passed round one of the pulleys; means for transferring the trimmed tobacco stream from the band to a continuous wrapper web; and means for enclosing the trimmed tobacco stream in the wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod.

Claim 3

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor band having two runs extending between two spaced pulleys round which the conveyor band passes; means for feeding and holding tobacco pneumatically on to one of the said runs of the band to form a filler stream; means for trimming the filler stream on the other run of the band; and a transfer wheel which receives the trimmed filler stream from the band and carries it by means of suction on to a wrapper web; whereby the trimmed filler stream may be enclosed in a wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod.

Claim 4

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor band having two runs extending between two spaced pulleys round which the conveyor band passes; means for feeding and holding tobacco pneumatically on to one of the said runs of the band to form a filler stream; means for trimming the filler stream on the other run of the band; and a transfer wheel which receives the trimmed filler stream from the band and carries it by means of suction on to a wrapper web; whereby the trimmed filler stream may be enclosed in a wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod.

Claim 5

A cigarette making machine according to claim 2 including fixed arcuate rails for confining the sides of the filler stream while it is on the transfer wheel.

Claim 6

A cigarette making machine according to claim 2 in which the band is substantially wider than the filler stream.

Claim 7

A cigarette making machine according to claim 2 in which the band has a rough surface for contacting the filler stream.

Claim 8

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor band having two runs extending between two spaced pulleys round which the conveyor band passes; means for feeding tobacco on to one of the said runs of the band moving towards a first one of the said pulleys to form a filler stream; means defining a suction space between the two runs of the band, whereby suction acts through the band to hold the filler stream against the band; the said first pulley comprising spaced side walls which respectively support the two edges of the band while leaving between them a space which communicates with the said suction space, whereby suction acts through the part of the band extending between the said side walls to hold the filler stream on the band against the centrifugal force which tends to move the filler stream outwards from the band; the sides of the filler stream in the region of the said first pulley being confined between fixed arcuate rails extending round the side walls, the edges of the band lying between the said side walls and the said arcuate rails; and including means for receiving the filler stream from the band at a transfer point adjacent to the second of the pulleys, and means for enclosing the filler stream in a continuous wrapper web to form a cigarette rod.

Claim 9

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor band having two runs extending between two spaced pulleys round which the conveyor band passes; means for feeding tobacco on to one of the said runs of the band moving towards a first one of the said pulleys to form a filler stream; means defining a suction space between the two runs of the band, whereby suction acts through the band to hold the filler stream against the band; the said first pulley comprising spaced side walls which respectively support the two edges of the band while leaving between them a space which communicates with the said suction space, whereby suction acts through the part of the band extending between the said side walls to hold the filler stream on the band against the centrifugal force which tends to move the filler stream outwards from the band; the sides of the filler stream in the region of the said first pulley being confined between fixed arcuate rails extending round the side walls, the edges of the band lying between the said side walls and the said arcuate rails; and including means for receiving the filler stream from the band at a transfer point adjacent to the second of the pulleys, and means for enclosing the filler stream in a continuous wrapper web to form a cigarette rod.

Claim 10

A cigarette making machine according to claim 6 in which the means for receiving the filler stream from the band comprises a suction transfer wheel which carries the filler stream on to the said continuous wrapper web.

Claim 11

A cigarette making machine according to claim 6 including means for trimming the filler stream while it is on the second run of the band.

Claim 12

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor; means for forming a tobacco filler stream on the conveyor; means for applying suction through the conveyor to hold the filler stream on the conveyor and to compress it; means for trimming the filler stream on the said conveyor; a hollow transfer wheel having an air-pervious rim for receiving the trimmed and compressed filler stream directly from the conveyor, without changing the structure of the filler stream, and carrying it by means of suction along a curved path to a position at which the filler stream is deposited directly on to a continuous wrapper web, and fixed rails at opposite sides of the rim of said transfer wheel for substantially entirely confining the filler stream at the opposite sides thereof, whereby the outer layer of the filler stream which remains on the conveyor after trimming and which is of relatively low density is brought into contact with the air-pervious rim of the transfer wheel and is thus compressed by the action of the suction applied through the transfer wheel before the filler stream is deposited on to the continuous web, whereas the inner layer of the filler stream formed initially adjacent to the conveyor is loosened slightly by centrifugal force while the filler stream is being carried by the said transfer wheel, thus tending to even out the density across the thickness of the filler stream.

Claim 13

A cigarette making machine comprising an air-pervious conveyor; means for forming a tobacco filler stream on the conveyor; means for applying suction through the conveyor to hold the filler stream on the conveyor and to compress it; means for trimming the filler stream on the said conveyor; a hollow transfer wheel having an air-pervious rim for receiving the trimmed and compressed filler stream directly from the conveyor, without changing the structure of the filler stream, and carrying it by means of suction along a curved path to a position at which the filler stream is deposited directly on to a continuous wrapper web, and fixed rails at opposite sides of the rim of said transfer wheel for substantially entirely confining the filler stream at the opposite sides thereof, whereby the outer layer of the filler stream which remains on the conveyor after trimming and which is of relatively low density is brought into contact with the air-pervious rim of the transfer wheel and is thus compressed by the action of the suction applied through the transfer wheel before the filler stream is deposited on to the continuous web, whereas the inner layer of the filler stream formed initially adjacent to the conveyor is loosened slightly by centrifugal force while the filler stream is being carried by the said transfer wheel, thus tending to even out the density across the thickness of the filler stream.

Claim 14

In a cigarette making machine a. an endless foraminous belt for supporting and conveying a tobacco filler stream, b. pulley means supporting and guiding said belt along a closed path including at least two runs, c. said pulley means including a pulley mounted between said two runs and having spaced side walls defining a space therebetween, the peripheries of said side walls supporting the opposite longitudinal edges respectively of the band with the perforations in said band communicating with said space between said side walls and a pair of stationary arcuate rails positioned a spaced distance from the peripheries of the side walls respectively of said one pulley, said rails being arranged to confine the filler stream on the band therebetween, the respective edges of the band lying between the peripheries of said side walls and said arcuate rails, and d. means for directing an air stream through said perforations in said band and into said space as said pulley rotates and said band moves over said pulley, e. whereby the filler stream is retained on the band against the action of centrifugal force during passage over said pulley.

Claim 15

In a cigarette making machine a. an endless foraminous belt for supporting and conveying a tobacco filler stream, b. pulley means supporting and guiding said belt along a closed path including at least two runs, c. said pulley means including a pulley mounted between said two runs and having spaced side walls defining a space therebetween, the peripheries of said side walls supporting the opposite longitudinal edges respectively of the band with the perforations in said band communicating with said space between said side walls and a pair of stationary arcuate rails positioned a spaced distance from the peripheries of the side walls respectively of said one pulley, said rails being arranged to confine the filler stream on the band therebetween, the respective edges of the band lying between the peripheries of said side walls and said arcuate rails, and d. means for directing an air stream through said perforations in said band and into said space as said pulley rotates and said band moves over said pulley, e. whereby the filler stream is retained on the band against the action of centrifugal force during passage over said pulley.

Claim 16

In a cigarette making machine a. a plurality of pulleys, b. a foraminous endless band arranged to pass along a path around said pulleys, the portions of said band extending along said path between said pulleys constituting runs of said band, c. at least one of said pulleys comprising spaced side walls defining a space therebetween, the peripheries of said side walls supporting the opposite longitudinal edges respectively of the band with the perforations in said band communicating with said space between said side walls, d. means for forming a tobacco filler stream on one of the runs of said band, e. means for directing an air stream through at least a part of the foraminous band and into said space in said one pulley to retain said filler stream on said band and against the action of centrifugal force during passage over said pulley, and f. means for trimming said filler stream while positioned on another run of said band after passing over said one pulley.

Claim 17

In a cigarette making machine a. a plurality of pulleys, b. a foraminous endless band arranged to pass along a path around said pulleys, the portions of said band extending along said path between said pulleys constituting runs of said band, c. at least one of said pulleys comprising spaced side walls defining a space therebetween, the peripheries of said side walls supporting the opposite longitudinal edges respectively of the band with the perforations in said band communicating with said space between said side walls, d. means for forming a tobacco filler stream on one of the runs of said band, e. means for directing an air stream through at least a part of the foraminous band and into said space in said one pulley to retain said filler stream on said band and against the action of centrifugal force during passage over said pulley, and f. means for trimming said filler stream while positioned on another run of said band after passing over said one pulley.

Claim 18

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 11 further comprising a. means for feeding a continuous wrapper web along a further path, and b. means for transferring the trimmed tobacco filler stream directly from said band to said wrapper web substantially without changing the structure of the filler stream during the transfer, whereby the trimmed tobacco filler stream may be enclosed in the wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod.

Claim 19

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for forming a tobacco filler stream is adapted to shower tobacco onto one of the runs of said band.

Claim 20

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 11 further comprising a pair of stationary arcuate rails positioned a spaced distance from the peripheries of the side walls rexpectively of said one pulley, said rails being arranged to confine the filler stream on the band therebetween, the respective edges of the band lying between the peripheries of said side walls and said arcuate rails.

Claim 21

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 12 wherein said band supports one side of said filler stream and said transfer means includes a surface arranged to receive and support said trimmed tobacco filler stream on the side opposite said one side thereof.

Claim 22

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 15 wherein said support surface of said transfer means is air-pervious and said transfer means is adapted to convey said trimmed tobacco filler stream along a convex curved path, said machine further comprising means for directing an air stream through said support surface to retain said trimmed tobacco filler stream on said surface while passing along said curved path, whereby the tobacco adjacent said other side of said trimmed filler stream which is of relatively low density when received from said first conveyor means, is compressed against said support surface of said transfer means and the tobacco adjacent said one side of said trimmed tobacco filler stream which is of relatively high density is loosened by centrifUgal force while passing along said curved path to provide a trimmed filler stream having a more uniform density.

Claim 23

A cigarette making machine as defined in claim 16 wherein said means for transferring the trimmed tobacco filler stream from said band to said wrapper web is a suction wheel.

Claim 24

A cigarette making machine comprising a. an air-pervious conveyor, b. means for forming a tobacco filler stream on the conveyor, c. means for applying suction through the conveyor to hold the filler stream on the conveyor and to compress it, d. a hollow transfer wheel having an air-pervious rim for receiving the compressed filler stream directly from the air pervious conveyor and carrying the filler stream by means of suction applied through the rim to a position at which the filler stream is deposited directly on to a continuous wrapper web, and e. fixed arcuate side rails mounted on opposite sides of the rim of said transfer wheel for contacting and confining the entire opposite side surfaces of the filler stream while on the wheel.

Claim 25

A cigarette making machine comprising a. an air-pervious conveyor, b. means for forming a tobacco filler stream on the conveyor, c. means for applying suction through the conveyor to hold the filler stream on the conveyor and to compress it, d. a hollow transfer wheel having an air-pervious rim for receiving the compressed filler stream directly from the air pervious conveyor and carrying the filler stream by means of suction applied through the rim to a position at which the filler stream is deposited directly on to a continuous wrapper web, and e. fixed arcuate side rails mounted on opposite sides of the rim of said transfer wheel for contacting and confining the entire opposite side surfaces of the filler stream while on the wheel.