US3524454A - Multiple filter assembly - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent Attorney Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan and Kurucz ABSTRACT: A composite cigarette mouthpiece rod which is divisible into mouthpieces having at least three sections. Components of one character are fed in endwise and spaced relationship onto a moving conveyor. Components of the same or second character are similarly fed and placed between the first components. The components are transferred onto a first wrapper moving on another conveyor. This wrapper is of a width substantially less than the circumference of the components and extends around the bottom of the components and over a major portion of the circumferentially extending periphery of the components. A top opening is defined between the marginal side edges of the first wrapper and is in communication with the space of predetermined size between the components. The partially wrapped components pass through a particulate material dispensing station at which the spaces between components are filled with this material through the top opening. The partially wrapped components and interposed particulate sections pass onto a second wrapper of increased width which is folded around the rod including the first wrapper and top opening. The marginal side edges of this wrapper are overlapped and suitably sealed together. The continuous .rod is then subdivided into the desired length of rods which are then introduced into conventional filter tip attaching machinery for forming cigarettes with a mouthpiece having two spaced conponents of certain character and interposed particulate section.

[72] Inventor John H. Sexstone Primary Examiner Samuel Koren 3413 Janell Road, Louisville, Kentucky Assistant Examiner James H. Czerwonky 40216 [21] Appl. No. 844,232 [22] Filed May 29, 1969 Division of Ser. No. 697,339, filed Jan. 12, 1968. [45] Patented Aug. 18, 1970 [54] MULTIPLE FILTER ASSEMBLY 6 Claims, 20 Drawing Figs.

[521 11.8. C1 131/265, v 131/10.7, 131/15, 131/23, 131/84 [51] Int. Cl A241 7/04, A24d l/04, A24c 5/50 [50] Field ofSearch l31/l0.7, 61A, 265, 266;93/1C; 131/15 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,312,151 4/1967 Molins 131/10.7X 3,343,462 9/1967 Sexstone 93/1 3,357,321 12/1967 Hall 93/l(C)UX FOREIGN PATENTS 749,713 l/l967 Canada 131/61 1,087,453 10/1967 Great Britain 131/15 1 l i'::t--*"l:::.t--"

' Patented Aug. 18, 1970 Sheet A1'TORNEYS- Patented Aug. 18, 1970 Sheet FIG. I3

FIG. [2

FIG. I4

INVENTOR fl/o/mn mszxsramz BY a EM, a:

ATTORNEYS Sheet INVENTOR l/omv H. sews/0M6 ATTORNEYS P ted Aug. 18, 1970 am at ATTO R N EYS mvsn'ron JOHN H SEA/STONE Paten ted Aug. 18 1970 Sheet MULTIPLE FILTER ASSEMBLY This application is a Division of my co-pending application Serial No. 697,339, filed January 12, 1968.

A number of attempts have been made at composite or multiple cigarette mouthpieces in which a central section is composed of loose absorbent granules as, for example, granulated charcoal. Although it is desired that complete fill of the allocated space by the granules is obtained, the limitations of both apparatus and techniques have prevented optimum fill. The result has been, even on a commercial scale, that less than 100% fill has been obtained usually of an order of magnitude of less than 70%. Some experimental and unproven approaches have reached fills of 90% and less but have been unacceptable for one reason or another and more often than not an unclean product resulted, that is, granules would be inadvertently present between the components and wrapper.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a relatively clean composite cigarette mouthpiece having a loose particulate section of optimum fill of an order of magnitude of well over 90% and approaching 100%.

Another object is to provide a composite cigarette mouthpiece of this type by employing efficient apparatus capable of operating at very high production speeds.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating somewhat preferred embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a particulate material attachment and dual wrapping modification of a composite filter making machine of the type commercially known as Molins D.A.P.T.C. Machine supplied by Molins Machine Co., Ltd. of London, England, and generally disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,957,285 of October 25, 1960, as well as others including commonly assigned US. Patent No. 3,343,462 and No. 3,357,320 the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view approximately to scale of the first wrapper;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the second wrapper;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of both wrapping stations and the interposed particulate material filling station;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the spaced components of certain character on the initial or first wrapper prior to folding thereof;

- FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 showing the initial wrapper folded about the spaced components;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4 showing the introduction of the particulate material in the initial wrapper through the top opening thereof;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 4 showing the filled inner wrapper superimposed on the second or final wrapper prior to folding the latter about the inner wrapper and over the top opening defined thereby;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 4 showing the final wrapper completely folded with its overlapped marginal side edges suitably secured to one another;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the completely wrapped composite cigarette mouthpiece rod of this invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view partly in section of the particulate material filling station;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 12-12 of FIG. 1 illustrating the initial wrapper folder;

FIG. l3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 1 showing heating the marginal edges of the initial wrapper to secure the components thereto;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 1 illustrating the particulate material filling step;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 15-15 of FIG. 1 showing the manner in which the final wrapper is applied and the folder therefor;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 16-16 of FIG. 1 showing heating the overlapped marginal side edges of the second wrapper to secure these edges together;

FIG. 17 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification thereof in which an initial wrapper perforator is incorporated for increasing the porosity of this wrapper so that suction may be applied at the particulate material filling station for increasing the rate of fill of the spaces between components;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the perforated first wrapper which may also be supplied in this manner;

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 1 1 of the modified machine of FIG. 17 showing the particulate material filling station having a suction means incorporated therein; and

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 19.

In the drawings, a particulate material filling attachment or modification 10 with dual wrapping is shown incorporated in the above identified filter rod making machine 12. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and as will be evident from the above identified Patent No. 2,957,285, this commercially available machine includes two hoppers 14 for mouthpiece components consisting of plug lengths made of paper, cellulose, cotton or other selected material.

Each hopper is provided with feeding devices 16 which are substantially identical with respect to one another. An individual feeding device comprising a drum having flutes on its periphery is disposed at the bottom of the associated hopper and is positioned to receive plug lengths in the flutes. The drum is provided with a number of circumferentially extending grooves into which rotating disc knives extend so as to subdivide each plug length into smaller separate individual lengths. An endless chain conveyor having pusher pieces is disposed beneath the drum so that as the drum rotates the pusher piece enters a flute so as to remove the cut plug lengths in a substantial continuous line. A guide associated with the trailing end of the chain conveyor serves to elevate the individual plug lengths at which point a rotatable disk also provided with pushers is adapted to feed the raised plug length in an arcuate path onto a perforated suction conveyor band 18. The band picks up these plug lengths and retains them in place through the operation of the applied suction. This conveyor band is also timed with the pusher disk associated with the second hopper so that plug lengths delivered from this hopper enters the spaces between successive plug lengths carried to and disposed on the conveyor from the feeding device associated with the first hopper. Following the intermeshin'g or interdigitating of the individual plug lengths, they are arranged in substantially preset spaced relationship before passing through the particulate material filling and dual wrapping a'ttachment 10.

At this stage, the spaced components are transferred to the leading end of the particulate material filling and dual wrapping attachment 10 by a helical transfer drum 20. This drum 20 serves to transfer the spaced components over a stationary bridge 22 onto the web of the initial or first wrapper 24 which is suitably fed and supplied from roll 26. This first wrapper is driven by a wrapper tape conveyor 28 at a predetermined speed in relation to the travel of the components deposited thereon to provide a predetermined spacing between components that has been selected for the length of the particulate material section.

The first wrapper 24 is of a width slightly less than the circumference of the components for purposes that will become apparent shortly whereby a top opening 30 (see FIG. 6) is defined by the marginal side edges of the first wrapper folded about the lower circumferentially extending periphery of the spaced components. The material selected for the wrapper may be of a thermoplastic nature or selected from a wide variety of other materials including plastics, paper or the like, which will provide an essentially self-supporting rod prior to introducing the particulate material into the spaces between components. This will assure a uniform cross-section of rod prior and subsequent to the filling operation.

The selected spacing of the components on the first wrapper 24 is maintained by the endless belt 32. A bar 34 thereafter continues to maintain this relationship as the first wrapper 24 and associated components are fed into a first wrapper folder 36. This folder 36 folds the first wrapper around the lower circumferentially extending periphery of the spaced components to form a partially wrapped rod having a cross-section of the type shown in FIG. 6.

In the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 1, a final or second wrapper 38 emanating from roll 40 is also introduced with the first wrapper 24 and fed by tape conveyor 28. The second wrapper 38 is disposed beneath the first wrapper 24 and over tape conveyor 28. Both the tape conveyor web and final wrapper web remain divergent and are not folded with the initial wrapper 24 by the folder 36.

The partially wrapped rod is now fed through a heater 42 which serves to fuse or otherwise suitably secures or bonds the spaced components to the thermoplastic initial wrapper 24. This securement may be at the marginal side edge portions of the first wrapper 24, as shown in FIG. 13, or may be throughout the entire associated surfaces of the first wrapper and components. Where other than thermoplastic material is employed, the first wrapper may be suitably bonded to the components by an adhesive of a type well known to the trade.

The partially wrapped rod with secured components passes through a loose particulate material filling station 44. The filling station 44 includes a particulate material hopper 46 adapted to contain the selected particulate material of predetermined proportion, form and characteristics at a regulated level. ln this connection, a photo cell or other suitable level sensing device 48 of commercially available construction is associated with the hopper 46 to sense the level of the particles therein. When the elevation of the particles falls beneath a predetermined level, the photo cell device will trigger a particle feed mechanism 50, shown diagrammatically, to dispense particles into the hopper 46 to a certain level at which the particle feed will stop. A satisfactory mechanism 50 with photo cell 48 may be obtained commercially under the name Syntron Vibra-Flow feeder, manufactured by the Syntron Company, Homer City, Pa. Also other types of feeders such as a screw type feeder may be used.

In this manner, a certain quantity of particulate material is assured in hopper 46 thereby maintaining a certain pressure at the base of the hopper from which the particles are dropped while under the influence of gravity into the space between components. Under these circumstances, regulation of pressure will have the effect of regulating the amount of particles and their compactness between components. The particles at the base of the hopper 46 are adapted to be dispensed through an elongated slot 52 defined by bar 54. The upper portion of the slot 52 is divergent in an upward direction, as shown in FIG. 14, to facilitate passage of the particles therethrough. The lower edge 56 of the bar 54 is provided with a radius as shown in this figure to conform to the curvature of the wrapped upper side edge of first wrapper 24. Of course, sufficient clearance should be provided to permit free travel of the plug sections. The width of the lower end of the slot 52 approaches the width of the top opening 30 defined by the first wrapper 24 thereby conforming the path of descent of the particles and assuring their disposition between the spaced components. This dispensing operation may be further enhanced by employing a vibration mechanism 58 and accordingly reduce any tendency of the particles forming undesirable masses, clumps or the like.

The filling station 44 is also provided with a powered rotary brush 60 which is adjustable in elevation and located at the downstream end of the hopper 46 to operate to clean off any surplus particle or particles that may be on the exterior of the partially wrapped rod without affecting the particles within the confines of the spaces between components and first wrapper 24. Of course, a vacuum or suction type of cleaning device may be substituted and has been successfully employed in the present invention. A vacuum type cleaner or collector 62 is adapted to remove the excess particles from the bristles of the brush.

As will be apparent from FIG. 1, the web conveyor 28 together with second wrapper 38 is diverted in order to bypass the filling station 44. Strategically located rolls may be employed for such purpose.

The partially wrapped rod is then fed into the second or final folder 64 which folds the second wrapper 38 completely about the rod in a manner depicted in FIG. 15. The marginal side edges of the second wrapper are in overlapped relationship completely embracing the exterior surfaces of the first wrapper 24 and closing the top opening 30. The overlapped marginal side edges of the second wrapper may then be secured through the use of a seam paster of the type well known in the trade or through the use of a thermoplastic second wrapper and operation of heater 66 which fuses or bonds the overlapped edges together.

The completely wrapped rod is then passed through a conventional cut-off device 68 which operates to cut the dual wrapped filter rod into predetermined lengths. These lengths are subsequently placed in conventional filter-tip attachment machinery adapted to secure composite mouthpieces on cigarettes which, according to the teachings of this invention and as shown in FIG. 10, will include material A, particulate section and material B arrangement where material B may be the same as or different from material A and may be the same or of unequal length. The particulate section may be of different lengths depending on the material selected and requirements and may be selected from a wide variety of materials whether granular, powdered, flaked, flocculent or the like or combination thereof which may include but are not necessarily limited to charcoal, alumina, silica gel, appropriate resins that may be modified or supplied with selected additives or other suitable filtering materials.

The physical nature of certain of the particulate materials may not lend themselves readily to the relatively high production speeds contemplated by this invention. With this in mind, a suction means may be incorporated at the particle filling station to increase the rate at which the spaces between components are filled. This may be accomplished in the machine of the embodiment of FIG. 1 as illustrated in FIG. l7. The latter embodiment also serves to show the manner by which the second wrapper may be introduced subsequent to the filling of the spaces between components at the filling station. Accordingly, like parts will be similarly numbered with accompanying primes.

Thus, the first wrapper of this embodiment is preferably porous or perforated which may be initially supplied in this condition. On the other hand, the first wrapper may be perforated, as shown in FIG. 18, by the perforating mechanism 70. The perforations may be located between the marginal side edges of the first wrapper 24' along substantially the longitudinally extending center or axis.

The partially wrapped spaced components leaving the folder 36 and heater 42 pass through particle filling station 44' which may have a hopper 46' of the construction of FIG. ll or of the modified construction of FIG. 19. In the lower right end of the latter figure, it will be seen that the hopper is provided with a venturi chamber which increases the velocity of the particles traveling to the chambers reduced end. The provision of this chamber across a major part of the length of the hopper keeps the weight of the particles in the hopper off the lower particles over most of the traveling rod. This is important in handling finer, flaked or flocculent types of particulate material. The side walls of the hopper may be provided with small openings, as shown, to provide air passages and to help agitate the particles in the hopper while under influence of suction. As the spaces between components are filled, the particles are acted upon by suction pulled through the porous or perforated first wrapper 24 and emanating from the suction mechanism 72.

The filled partially wrapped rod is fed into the second wrapping station and onto the second wrapper 38 which is first introduced into the machine at this location. The feeding of the second wrapper 38' is facilitated by its own independent tape conveyor 74.

The completely wrapped rod is then fed through cut-off device 64' and cut into predetermined lengths as in the previous embodiment.

Thus, the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although several preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A composite cigarette mouthpiece comprising aligned spaced filter components and an interposed particulate material section, a first wrapper having a width substantially less than the circumference of the components and particulate material section and extending over a major part of the exterior circumferentially extending surface of the components and particulate material section but substantially short of the entire circumferentially extending periphery of the components and particulate section and defining a top opening communicating with the space between the spaced components and through which the particulate material was introduced, and a second wrapper completely around the first wrapper and over the top opening to encase the particulate material in the space between the components.

2. The invention in accordance with Claim 1 wherein one of the components is paper and the other is cellulose acetate.

3. The invention in accordance with Claim 1 wherein the components are of unequal length.

4. The invention in accordance with Claim 1 wherein the first wrapper is porous.

5. The invention in accordance with Claim 4 wherein the first wrapper is perforated substantially along its longitudinally extending center between the marginal side edges.

6. The invention in accordance with Claim 1 wherein a plurality of the mouthpieces are formed end-to-end to form a continuous composite cigarette-mouthpiece rod.

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