Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention is directed to the manufacture
,of a cigarette comprising a core and at least one wrapping
substantially surrounding the core; more specifically, to a
method of making a cigarette having a core of cheaper tobacco
and a concentric ~Ishell~ of higher quality tobacco.
In cigarettes of the foregoing general character~
it has been found that the taste depends primarily on the qual-
ity of the wrapper and the nature of the core is of little or
no importance. Clearly, it would permit a substantial economic
saving, with little or no loss of flavor, to produce a cigarette
in which the central portion or core is made of a cheap tobacco,
while the external wrapper is made of expensive tobacco. By
this means, the cigarette tastes substantially as iE it were made
o~ the high grade tobacco, even though a substantial portion of it
is of much cheaper material.
Cigarettes of this character have been made previously.
For example, German Patent Publications 20 15 387 and 22 48 976
describe processes in which the tobacco layer to be used as the
wrapper is bent into a U cross-section, core material is depos-
ited into the cavity formed, and additional wrapper is deposited
on the top. As can easily be seen, methods of this character
re~uire expensive instrumentation and sophisticated cigarette-
making machines in order to produce a commercially satisfactory
product.
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The present invention is intended to provide a
,method which can be carried out on ordinary cigarette-making
machines without requiring any major structural modifications
thereof. This has the advantage of enabling an existing man-
ufacturer to use his already-installed equipment to produce this
type of cigarette. Moreover, he can, without undue difficulty,
switch from manufacture of the standard cigarette to manufacture
of cigarettes according to the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention~ a cigar-
ette having a core of a first material and at least one concen-
tric wrapping of at least one second material is produced by
applying to a moving base a ~irst stream o~ the first material
and at least one pair of second streams of the second material.
One of each second stream is on each side of the first stream.
These fonm three parallel webs which are carried by the moving
base to a moving support.
The support is moving at an angle to the base so
that a line, parallel to the plane of the support, through all
three streams is substantially parallel to the direction of
movement of the support.
The first and second streams or webs are deposited
onto the moving support. As a result of the arrangement of the
moving support with relation to the three streams of materials,
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one stream o~ the second material is deposited upstream o
~the ~irst material and the first material is, in turn, depos-
ited upstream of the other stream of second material, thus
forming a composite layer comprising a top layer and a bottom
layer (both of the second material) and a core layer (of the
first material) located therebetween. The composite layer is
then formed into a tobacco cord in the usual manner. The cord
is thereafter formed înto cigarettes as is generally known.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, it has
- been found advantageous to trim the excess from the top layer
of the composite layer prior to forming the tobacco cord. In
a partlcularly preferred form oE the in~ention, the tobacco
obtained from the trimmings is recycled in the process. However,
it is of importance to return these trimmings to the stream
which comprises the bottom of the composite layer. If the
trimmings are returned to the top of the composite layer, the
possibility exists that they will be trimmed off a second time,
resulting in excessive undesirable accumulation of finer cut
material in one of the streams of second material.
As another preferred form of the invention, the
first stream of first material is constrained as it is deposited
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on the moving support. The constraint is advantageously provided
by a pair of guide plates through which the stream flows. This
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- results in a web of first material which is narrower than the
corresponding two webs of second material. Thus, the second
material or wrapper will enclose the first material or core
substantially completely in the finished product.
In the accompanying drawings constituting a part
- hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like
parts:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a device for
carrying out the process of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a diagramatic plan view of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a diagramatic, cross-sectional view of
the composite layer;
; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the composite
layer of Figure 3; and
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Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the finished
` tobacco cord.
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The device comprises hopper 1 which opens on to
; conveyor 2. This conveyor carries the materials to a pair of
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cooperating barbed rolle~ 3. Rollers 3 pick up the materials
and, in conjunction with the action of the beater roll 4, throw
the materials onto moving base 8. This base deposits the mat-
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erials onto moving support 6 whence they are formed into the
tobacco cord.~
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Referring more particularly to Figure 2, hopper 1
,is divided into compartments lA , lB and lA'. Each of these
compartments contains a component of the ultimate composite
layer. Compartment lA contains the second material which
forms the bottom layer, compartment lB contains the first mat-
erial which is the core layer, and compartment lA'contains the
second material which becomes the top layer.
The three compartments deposit their respective
contents on conveyor 2 in first stream B and a pair of second
streams A and A'.
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These streams are carried to barbed rollers 3 which
pick them up independently and, with the aid of beater rollers 4
(not shown in Figure 2), deposit them on moving base 8.
Base ~, in turn, deposits the three substantially
discrete streams on moving support 6, located at right angles
to the path of base 8. As can be seen from the drawings, one
second stream A is deposited upstream of first stream B, which
is deposited upstream of the other second stream A'. This pro-
duces the composite layer shown in Figures 3 and 4. Subsequent
to the formation of the composite layer, the material A' of the
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top layer is trimmed by trimmer 7. This device is advantageously
:
a rapidly rotating disc which cuts excess tobacco off the top
layer. As previously stated, the trimmings from this operation
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108~075
are recycled to hopper lA. In this manner, the trimmings
,become part of the bottom layer and run no risk of being
trimmed a second time and further reduced in size.
The composite layer is then formed, in known manner
(not shown), into the usual tobacco cord of Figure 5. This is
converted into cigarettes in the usual manner.
In the preferred form of the invention, stream B,
as it is deposited on support 6, passes between guide plates 9
which constrain and confine the flow so that the core layer as
deposited on support 6 is narrower than the corresponding top
and bottom layers of the second material. In this manner, it
is insured that the top and bottom layers will entirely encom-
pass the core layer.
Although only a limited number of embodiments of
this invention have been specifically disclosed, modifications
and variations can be made without departing from the scope or
spirit thereof. For example, it is possible to eliminate both
the conveyor and the moving base and have the hopper located
directly over the moving support. It is, of course, within the
contemplation of this invention that a series of substantially
concentric wrapping materials be used. It would thus be possible
,
- to obtain desired "blends" o~ materials within the cigarette
in a succession of layers. The manner of producing such a cigar-
ette, including the arrangment of compartments, streams, etc.,
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is analogous to the method specifically disclosed herein.
It is also contemplated that different materials be
used in the manufacture of the cigarette. Various additives
may be included which provide desirable properties in the
product. Substances which increase the number o~ puffs obtain-
able, those which favorably effect the carbon monoxide ~ormation,
substances which improve the burning characteristics, etc., may
all be incorporated in the core without materially effecting the
taste, even though these same substances would be unacceptable
if they were distributed uniformly throughout the entire cigarette.
Naturally, it is to be expected that the high quality, good-tasting
tobacco will form the wrapper,while a much lower quality, poorer-
tasting tobacco will be used for the core In this way, the
maximum flavor enhancement can be obtained with a minimum use of
expensive, high-quality tobacco.
It has also been found advantageous to provide that
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the partieions which divide the hopper into the desired number
of compartments be adjustable. If they can be moved so that the
relative sizes of the compartments are pre-set, it is possible to
adjust the ratio o~ the various materials being used and to pre-
determine the ratio of the thickness of the wrapper(s~ to the
core.
It will be appreciated that, although this description
has implied that the core is cylindrical and the wrapper similarly
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shaped, it is understood that, in actuality, the core frequently
assumes lenticular or sickle-like $hapes. The precise nature of
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the shapes actually encountered is of no real importance for
purposes of the present invention.
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