Method and apparatus for introducing elongated objects defining a longitudinal axis into a continuous flow of material

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for introducing elongated objects defining a longitudinal axis into a continuous flow of material, the method comprising the steps of: —providing a reservoir for holding the elongated objects to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; —introducing the elongated objects from the reservoir into a transfer chamber that is arranged such that the objects are aligned therein with their longitudinal axis parallel to each other; —moving the elongated objects along a direction parallel to their longitudinal axis in a single line path from the transfer chamber to a delivery channel by a rotatable wheel, the rotatable wheel arranged adjacent the transfer chamber and adapted to move the elongated objects located in the transfer chamber by contacting the elongated objects with a peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel; —inserting the elongated objects from the delivery channel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; and —regulating an insertion speed of insertion of the elongated object from the delivery channel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material on the basis of a speed of the continuous flow of material at the location in which the elongated object is to be introduced.

Claims

1. A method for introducing elongated objects defining a longitudinal axis into a continuous flow of material, the method comprising the steps of: providing a reservoir for holding the elongated objects to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; introducing the elongated objects from the reservoir into a transfer chamber that is arranged such that the objects are aligned such that their respective longitudinal axis is substantially parallel one to the other; moving the elongated objects in a single line path from the transfer chamber to a delivery channel by a rotatable wheel, the rotatable wheel arranged adjacent the transfer chamber and adapted to move the elongated objects located in the transfer chamber by contacting the elongated objects with a peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel, wherein moving the elongated objects in the single line path from the transfer chamber to the delivery channel comprises sandwiching the elongated objects, one by one, between a surface of the transfer chamber and the peripheral surface of the wheel such that the elongated objects move in the single line path as the wheel rotates; inserting the elongated objects from the delivery channel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; and regulating an insertion speed of insertion of the elongated object from the delivery channel to the location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material on the basis of a speed of the continuous flow of material at the location in which the elongated object is to be introduced.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of: regulating a rotational speed of the rotatable wheel so that the elongated objects in their motion in a single line path from the transfer chamber to the delivery channel are accelerated to a speed equal to or higher than the speed of the continuous flow of material at the location in which the elongated object is to be introduced.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising: measuring a distance in the delivery channel between two adjacent elongated objects in the single line path; and changing a rotational speed of the rotatable wheel depending on the measured distance.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising: vibrating the elongated objects in the transfer chamber.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of regulating an insertion speed of insertion of the elongated object from the delivery channel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced comprises: regulating the insertion speed so that it is substantially identical to the speed of the continuous flow of material at the location in which the elongated object is to be introduced.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of contacting the elongated objects with a peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel comprises: sucking the elongated object against the peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising: changing a length of the reservoir on the basis of a length of the elongated object along the longitudinal axis.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the rotatable wheel is configured to cause linear movement of the elongate objects along their respective longitudinal axes.

9. Apparatus for introducing elongated objects defining a longitudinal axis into a continuous flow of material, the apparatus comprising: a reservoir for holding the elongated objects to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; a transfer chamber connected to the reservoir and arranged such that the objects are aligned such that their respective longitudinal axis is substantially parallel one to the other; a rotatable wheel having a peripheral surface, the wheel being arranged adjacent the transfer chamber and adapted to move the elongated objects located in the transfer chamber to a delivery channel in a single line path by contacting the elongated objects with a peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel, wherein the rotatable wheel and a surface of the transfer chamber are arranged such that the elongated objects are configured to be sandwiched between the surface of the chamber and the peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel and cause the elongated objects to move in the single line path from the transfer chamber to the delivery channel as the wheel rotates; the delivery channel connecting an outlet of the rotatable wheel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material; and a regulator to modify an insertion speed of insertion of the elongated objects from the delivery channel to a location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material on the basis of a speed of the continuous flow of material at the location in which the elongated object is to be introduced.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the peripheral surface of the rotatable wheel includes one or more suction openings for generating a negative pressure causing the elongated object to move towards the peripheral surface of the transfer wheel.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, including a sensor system connected to the delivery channel adapted to measure the distance between two adjacent elongated objects in a single line path transported therein.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the regulator comprises one or more pulleys.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the delivery channel comprises a guiding rail to guide the elongated objects in a single line path to the location where the elongated objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a rotational speed regulator to modify a rotational speed of the rotatable wheel.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein rotation of the rotatable wheel is configured to cause linear movement of the elongate objects along their respective longitudinal axes.

Description

(1) The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filter maker in which the elongated object are inserted according to the method and using the apparatus of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top view of the filter maker of FIG. 1 connected to an apparatus for the insertion of elongated object according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first portion of the apparatus of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second portion of the apparatus of the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a further perspective view of the portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic lateral cross section of a part of the portion of FIGS. 3 and 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third portion of the apparatus of the invention, which apparatus comprises a housing 114;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth portion of the apparatus of the invention; and

(10) FIG. 9 is a lateral view in section of a final product obtained by the apparatus or method of the invention.

(11) FIG. 1 depicts a filter maker 50 for the production of a hollow filter body, for example to be used as a filter or as a filter component in an aerosol forming article (not depicted in the figures).

(12) The filter maker 50 comprises a transport device 3 to transport along a transport or feeding direction 30 (indicated by arrows in the figures) filter material, for example cellulose acetate or filter tow. The filter tow may be taken from a bundle (not shown). After the withdrawal from the bundle, the filter tow material by means of compressed air from different compressed air nozzles (also not shown) may be loosened up and homogenized.

(13) Further, the filter maker 50 includes an inlet unit 2 adapted to form a continuous stream or strip of filter material, moistened with a hardening fluid or plasticizer, such as triacetin. The filter material is fed to the inlet unit 2 by the transport device 3. The moistening of the filter material with plasticizer takes place in a plasticizer unit, not shown in the drawings and known in the art. The plasticizer unit is located upstream the inlet unit 2.

(14) After the impregnation unit, the transport device 3 transports the impregnated filter tow material to the inlet unit 2, which includes preferably a cone-shaped element 54. In the inlet unit 2, the filter tow material is subjected to compressed air. This procedure may cause homogenization of the filter tow material, which is pushed along an interior channel (not shown) of the inlet unit 2 realized along a longitudinal direction of the inlet unit itself. The interior channel is preferably cylindrically shaped and it defines a longitudinal axis preferably parallel to the transport direction 30.

(15) Downstream the inlet unit 2, the apparatus includes a rod forming unit 4, arranged in series to the inlet unit 2 and adapted to receive the flow or strip of filter material and to cause the hardening material present in the filter material to react to transform the filter material into a continuous axially rigid hollow rod filter body.

(16) Preferably, the hollow filter body exiting the rod forming unit 4 is a non-wrapped acetates filters (NWA filters). In order to avoid an expansion of the rod filter body after shaping it in the rod forming unit 4, without such a wrapping paper presence, such as in standard filters, inside the rod forming unit 4 the filter material receives already during its shaping a sufficiently large stability, so that it is used and processed without the wrapping paper.

(17) The rod forming unit 4 is considered known in the art and not further described herein.

(18) According to the invention, an apparatus 1 for inserting into the filter maker 50 elongated objects 100 is coupled to the filter maker 50, as depicted in FIG. 2. Although in this embodiment the apparatus 1 is coupled to the filter maker 50, the apparatus 1 can be used for the insertion of elongated objects in any machine, besides the filter maker, preferably for the production of filters. Preferably, the speed of the filter maker 50 is of at least about 150 filters per minute and the insertion of elongated objects according to the method and apparatus of the invention is preferably not decreasing this output speed.

(19) The elongated objects 100 may be hollow tubes, such as carton tubes, which will form an inner part of the hollow filter produced by the filter maker 50, that is, the elongated object is—in the final product—surrounded by the filter tow material which form a sleeve around the elongated object in the form of the tube. An example of an elongated object 100 in a finished product 150, such as a hollow filter, is given in FIG. 9. The elongated object 100 is a carton tube which is inserted in a filter material, forming a hollow filter 150. The longitudinal axis X of the elongated object 100 is the axis of the tube. The length of a single elongated object 100 at insertion can be of several meters.

(20) The apparatus 1 includes, with now reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, a reservoir 10 where the elongated objects are inserted. The elongated objects may be placed in the reservoir 10 manually by an operator or automatically. The length of the reservoir 10 is variable and an adjustment could be performed in order to accommodate elongated objects having different sizes, that is, having different lengths along their longitudinal axes X.

(21) A transfer chamber 11 is connected to the reservoir. In the transfer chamber 11, the elongated objects 100, from the disordered—that is, from a randomly aligned phase—present in the reservoir 10, change to a phase where they are aligned with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel one to the other. In order to obtain this alignment, a vibrating zone 12 is formed, preferably within the transfer chamber, where suitable vibrating means are positioned. Due to vibrations and to the shape of the transfer chamber as detailed below, the elongated objects from a random two-dimensional distribution in the reservoir 10 align into to a substantially single line distribution.

(22) For example, the transfer chamber 11 may have a hopper-like shape as depicted in FIG. 6. The hopper has a funnel shape at one of its ends. The funnel shape decreases the size of the hopper and elongated objects may enter the funnel part of the hopper only if aligned with their axes parallel to each other. Two overlapping elongated object may not enter the funnel like shape of the hopper 11. The elongated objects 100 in the hopper 11 are rearranged by means of the relative movement of the vibrating means 12 with respect to the hopper 11. The funnel-like shape of the hopper 111 and the vibrating movements push the elongated objects towards an exit hole (not shown) of the hopper. Preferably, the elongated objects 100 have a generally cylindrical shape with the longitudinal axis X extending centrally. The hole has a dimension which allows the exit of an elongated object only if substantially aligned, that is perpendicular to the hole itself. Therefore, in order to exit the hopper 11, the elongated objects need to be aligned along the same direction.

(23) Outside the hole of the hopper 11, a rotatable wheel 18 is located, which engages with the elongated objects 100 exiting the hole aligned one after the other, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 7. The wheel is located in the lower part of the hopper, on the right side, directly connected with the exiting hole. The wheel defines an outer surface (not visible in the drawings) which includes a cylindrical surface defining the rim of the wheel 18. The wheel 18 is positioned so that its rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the elongated objects exiting the hopper 11. A top view of the wheel 18 therefore shows that the projection of the outer surface on a plane containing the longitudinal objects is substantially parallel to their longitudinal X axis. The speed of rotation of the wheel 18 can be adjusted by suitable regulators 114.

(24) The wheel therefore engages a single elongated object per time unit. The elongated object is sandwiched between a bottom surface of the transfer chamber 11 and the outer surface of the wheel. Due to the fact that the wheel 18 engages a single elongated object per time unit, the elongated objects are removed one by one from the hopper 11 and transferred to a delivery channel 13 (shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4).

(25) The elongated objects 100 are fed to the delivery channel 13 at an outlet 109 of the rotating wheel 18 with a selected speed which is imparted by the rotating wheel 18. The wheel for example may have a dedicated motor (not shown) having a variable speed so that the speed of the wheel can be regulated. The wheel 18 preferably includes a plurality of holes 111 where suction is generated. This suction help to grip the elongated object 100 and accelerate the same to the delivery channel 13 from a speed equal initially to zero to a defined pre-selected speed. Preferably, at the exit from the wheel 18 and at the inlet of the delivery channel 13, the speed of the elongated object 100 is higher than the speed of the flow of the filter material at the inlet of the inlet unit 2 of the filter maker 50, more preferably higher than the speed of the filter material flow at the cone-shaped element 54, where the elongated object 100 is inserted into the filter material flow. The speed of the elongated object at the inlet of the delivery channel 13 is for example about 5 percent higher than the filter maker speed.

(26) The delivery channel 13 includes preferably a single rail in which the elongated objects 100 accelerated by the wheel are aligned one after the other along their longitudinal axes X. A single line path is therefore defined, where the different elongated objects are substantially attached one to the other with their opposite axial ends to substantially form a continuous flow of elongated objects. The speed value of the elongated objects at the inlet of the transport channel 13 given by the wheel 18, speed which is higher than the filter maker speed, allows positioning the elongated objects in the delivery channel as close as possible.

(27) Preferably, the delivery channel 13 includes a sensor system 115 which measures the distance between the adjacent elongated objects 100 along a single line path in the delivery channel 13, that is, measures the length of the empty spaces between elongated objects 100, and this measure is sent as a feedback for example to the control speed of the motor if the wheel 18 to change or adjust the speed of the wheel in order to minimize the measured distance.

(28) The delivery channel 13 connects the apparatus 1 to the filter maker 50 and the rail forms a single line path to feed the elongated objects 50 one by one to the cone-shaped element 50, also called jet air nozzle. Any curve or bend present in the single line path formed in the delivery channel 13 is preferably realized with a bending radius that minimize possible damages in the elongated objects 100.

(29) The elongated objects in the delivery channel 13 have a speed defined by the speed of the wheel and can be transported only one after the other in a single line.

(30) At the exit of the transport channel 13, before the elongated object is inserted into the jet air nozzle, which serves as the location 54 where the elongated object is introduced into the continuous flow of material, a speed adjustment unit 14 is located, for example including a couple of pulleys 15 actuated by an independent motor operably coupled to regulator 112. The speed adjustment unit includes a regulator 112 that regulates the speed of the elongated object to be inserted depending on the speed of the filter maker machine, more preferably depending on the speed of the material in which the elongated object is inserted. Preferably, the speed of the pulleys is so regulated that the speed of the elongated objects 100 at their insertion in the jet air nozzle at location 54 is substantially equal to the speed of the filter material also flowing into the jet air nozzle at location 54.

(31) The functioning of the apparatus 1 is as follows, according to the method of the invention.

(32) Elongated objects 100 are inserted in the reservoir 10 with a random orientation and from there, preferably with the aid of vibration means in a vibration area 12, they are transferred into a hopper 11 where they align, that is, where they become arranged with their longitudinal axes X substantially parallel one to the others. The elongated objects 100 exit the hopper 11 one by one, pulled by a rotatable wheel that accelerates the elongated objects sucking the same from its peripheral surface. The elongated objects 100 are accelerated along a line path which is substantially parallel to their longitudinal axes X. At the exit of the wheel 18, the elongated objects 100 enter a delivery channel 13 where they travel with a given speed, thanks to the imparted acceleration by the wheel 18, along a single line path one after the other. The delivery channel comprises a guiding rail 113 to guide the elongated objects in the single line path to the location 54 where the objects are to be introduced into the continuous flow of material. The speed of the elongated objects is further regulated at the exit of the delivery channel 13 by the speed adjustment unit 14 which may change the speed of the elongated objects 100 before their insertion into the filter material of a filter maker to a speed dependent to the speed of the material flowing in the filter maker.

(33) At the filter maker 50, the elongated objects 100 are inserted one by one into the flow of filter material therein present, flow of material which may further surround the elongated objects.

(34) The insertion of elongated objects into the flow of material of the filter maker is substantially continuous due to the minimized distance between consecutive elongated objects.

(35) The method and apparatus of the invention therefore manage the insertion of elongated objects having different lengths, is adapted to align the same and is capable to handle their transport and insertion, one by one, in sequential and synchronized way to the filter maker, matching equipment speed (150 m/min minimum).