Apparatus for advancing streams of particles of smokable material

Abstract

The conveyor which converts an ascending shower of tobacco particles into a rod-shaped filler ready to be draped into a running web of cigarette paper in a cigarette rod making machine employs an endless permeable belt having a lower reach disposed beneath a suction chamber and at a level above a channel for advancement of the filler toward the wrapping mechanism. The channel and the marginal portions of the lower reach of the belt are flanked by walls which consist, at least in part, of a wear-resistant ceramic material capable of standing long periods of use due to a minimal wear as a result of sliding contact with tobacco particles, even if the belt is driven at an elevated speed to advance tobacco particles past a trimming device and thereupon into the wrapping mechanism of the cigarette rod making machine.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the making of rod-shaped products which contain flowable particulate material, such as fragments of tobacco leaves, artificial tobacco and / or reconstituted tobacco. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for advancing and simultaneously influencing (such as reshaping, condensing, changing the speed of and / or changing the direction of advancement of) streams or flows of particles of smokable material.[0002] A modern cigarette making machine (e.g., the machine known as PROTOS which is distributed by the assignee of the present appication) comprises a conveyor which gathers particles of tobacco leaves and / or other combustive tobacco smoke producing material (such particles will be referred to as tobacco particles) into at least one rod-like filler ready to be trimmed and thereupon draped into a running web of cigarette paper or other suitable wrapping material. To this end, the conveyor includes a duct defining an elongated...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor which is constructed and assembled in such a way that all stationary parts which come into extensive contact with moving tobacco particles exhibit several desirable properties, especially a pronounced resistance to wear and a low resistance to sliding of tobacco particles therealong.

[0009] Another object of the instant invention is to provide a conveyor wherein the stationary walls which come in direct contact with the conveyed tobacco particles and / or with the moving belt are subject to less pronounced wear than in conventional conveyors.

[0010] A further object of the invention is to increase the area of contact between the moving belt and the tracks which guide the belt for movement along a desired path in a cigarette rod making machine.

[0011] An additional object of the present invention is to provides a novel and improved method of prolonging the useful life of the belt and / or of other parts in a conveyor of the above outlined character.

[0013] A further object of our invention is to provide a conveyor which can be utilized with advantage in modern high-speed cigarette rod making machines which are designed to turn out huge quantities of cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped smokers' products per unit of time.

Problems solved by technology

A drawback which is common to presently known conveyors of the above outlined character is that the stationary walls which come in contact with tobacco particles are subject to extensive wear due to continuous pronounced uninterrupted frictional engagement with the advancing stream of comminuted tobacco.

This affects the useful life of the conveyor.

Moreover, such pronounced frictional engagement can exert adverse influence upon the the consistency and / or configuration of the growing tobacco stream in the duct.

This material exhibits a satisfactory resistace to wear; however, its coefficient of friction is very high so that it can affect the quality of cigarettes, e.g., in that the weights of numerous cigarettes depart considerably from an optimum or acceptable weight, and the quality of the tobacco-containing ends of the ultimate products is less than satisfactory.

The published German patent application does not disclose or suggest the making of such stationary walls of a ceramic material, i.e., to employ a ceramic substance as the material of stationary walls which are in continuous and extensive contact with comminuted smokable material.

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