Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CIGARETTE TUBE FILLING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a device useful in
the insertion of pre-formed tobacco rods into preformed
cigarette tubes to provide smokeable cigarette products.
In Canadian Patent No. 1,235,039, there is
described a preformed product for use in making
cigarettes by insertion into a pre-formed cigarette
tube. The pre-formed product comprises an independent
elongate inherently dimensionally and physically stable
element made only of smokeable material and having an
air-permeable outer surface. The product is unsmokable
in that state but provides a smokeable cigarette when
the air-permeable surface is covered with a smokeable
air impermeable layer, typically by inserting the
product into the open end of a preformed paper tube,
usually having a filter tip at one end. The free length
of the paper tube from the filter to the open end
usually corresponds to the length of the pre-formed
tobacco element.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a device which facilitates assembly of the
preformed tubular tobacco product with the pre-formed
paper tube and the corresponding method of assembly.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present
invention provides a guide device for use in the
assembly of a preformed product comprising an
independent, elongate, inherently dimensionally and
physical stable element of circular cross-section and
made only of smokeable material and having an air-
permeable outer surface whereby the product is
unsmokeable in that state and closed at the other by a
filter and having a diameter slightly greater than that
of the element.
The device comprises an elongate integral body
having a first bore extending from one end of the body
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towards the other and tapering from an opening at the
one end having a larger diameter than that of the
tubular wrapper to a downstream termination having a
diameter substantially that of the tubular wrapper. The
body has a second bore extending from the other end of
the body towards the one end coaxial with the first bore
and tapering from an opening at the other end of the
body having a larger diameter than the element to a
downstream location coinciding with the downstream
location of the first bore and having a diameter
substantially that of the element but slightly less than
the diameter of the tubular wrapper. In this way, an
abutment shoulder is defined against which the open end
of the wrapper can abut when inserted into the first
bore as well as a guide member for guiding the element
into the open end of the wrapper when the element is
inserted into the second bore.
The device permits the wrapper to be held around
its open end by the inner wall of the bore and abutment
against the shoulder while the element is inserted into
the wrapper through the guide member. In this manner,
an effective way of supporting the paper wrapper for
insertion of the element into the wrapper and of guiding
the element during such insertion is provided.
According to another embodiment of the invention,
there is provided a method of assembly of the preformed
product with the tubular wrapper to provide a smokeable
cigarette. In this method, the open end of the tubular
wrapper is inserted into one end of a first tapered bore
formed in the body of a guide device and having a
diameter slightly greater than that of the wrapper at
the one end thereof and tapering from the one end to a
shoulder at a downstream end having a diameter
corresponding to that of the wrapper. The open end of
the wrapper is inserted into the first tapered bore
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until the open end abuts the shoulder and is engaged
from the side by the downstream end of the first bore.
one end of the element which has a length
corresponding to the open length of the wrapper from the
one end thereof to the filter, is inserted into one end
of a second tapered bore formed in the body of the guide
device coaxial with the first bore. The second bore has
a diameter substantially greater than the element at the
one end thereof and tapers from the one end to an
opening in the shoulder of diameter corresponding to
that of the element but less than that of the wrapper.
The element is continued to be inserted through the
opening and into the wrapper, generally until as much of
the length of the element that can be inserted has been
inserted, although a lesser length may be inserted, if
desired. The tubular wrapper with the element inserted
therein then is removed from the first bore and,
external of the device, the remainder of the element is
inserted into the wrapper, so that the element is
completely enclosed by the wrapper, thereby producing a
smokeable cigarette.
The element is formed of completely smokeable
material but cannot be smoked until enclosed in the
paper tube. The very small difference in diameter of
the tube and the element ensures a close-fitting
engagement between the element and the inside of the
tubular cigarette paper wrapper, so that the element is
retained within the paper tube.
The advantages of such a system of providion of a
so-called "roll your own" cigarette and the distinctions
over prior art systems are described in detail in the
aforementioned Canadian Patent No. 1,235,039, and
reference may be had thereto for description thereof.
The present invention provides method and apparatus to
facilitate the assembly of the inherently-unsmokeable
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element with the paper tube to provide a smokeable
cigarette.
The invention is described further, by way of
illustration, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of a device
provided in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the device of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken at line A-A of
Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a close-up sectional view of Figure 3
in location A.
Referring to the drawings, a guide device 10
comprises an elongate body 12 which, in the illustrated
embodiment, is of cylindrical shape. However, any other
desired shape, for example, a rectangular cross section,
may be employed.
The elongate body 12 has a first elongate bore 14
extending from one end 16 substantially for the length
of the body to the other end 18. The bore 14 at one end
16 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of
a hollow cigarette paper wrapper tube 20, which is open
at one end and is provided with a conventional filter 22
at the other end. Such preferred cigarette wrapper
tubes are commercially available. The bore 14 tapers
towards its downstream end whereat it has a diameter
corresponding to that of the paper tube.
The elongate body 12 has a second bore 24 extending
only for a short distance and tapering at a relatively
wide angle, approximately 60 in the illustrated
embodiment, to an opening 26 coinciding with the
downstream end of the bore 14 having a diameter
corresponding to that of an industrially-prefabricated
dimensionally-stable rod of tobacco 27, which cannot be
smoked outside the tubular wrapper 20. The rod 27
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comprises an outer wrapper 28 of porous cigarette paper,
thin tobacco foil material or other suitable smokeable
material, provided within perforations 30, extending
over the entire length of the tobacco rod 27. The
perforations may be replaced by slits.
Preferably, the perforations are approximately
uniformly distributed over the length and circumference
of the tobacco rod 27. The wrapper 28 encloses a rod-
like tobacco core 30 having a packing density
corresponding approximately to that of an industrially-
made cigarette so that the final product is
substantially the same as an industrially-produced
cigarette. The length of the tobacco rod 27 corresponds
approximately to the length of the tobacco-containing
volume of the wrapper 20. The outer diameter of the
tobacco rod 27 is slightly smaller, preferably about
0.05 to 0.3 mm smaller, than the inner diameter of the
tubular wrapper 20, so as to provide a tight fit.
The opening 26 at the downstream end of the bore 24
has a diameter slightly less than that of the paper
wrapper 20, so as to define a shoulder 32 against which
abuts the open end of the cigarette wrapper 20 when
inserted into the bore 14.
In the side wall of the body 12 is formed a tapered
depression 34 having a relatively wide angle,
approximately 90 in the illustration. This tapered
depression 34 may be used to provide a slight inward
taper to one end of the tobacco rod 27 to facilitate
assembly with the wrapper tube 20.
To assemble a tobacco rod 27 with a paper wrapper
tube 20, a tube 20 is inserted into the bore 14 in the
body 12 until the tube abuts against the shoulder 32 and
the outer surface of the paper tube is engaged by the
bore 14. The tobacco rod 27, after engaging one end
with the depression 34, if desired, is inserted through
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the opening 26 into the paper tube 20, an intermediate
stage of assembly being shown in Figure 3.
The tobacco rod 27 is pushed into the paper tube 20
usually as far as it will go, although a lesser distance
may suffice. The assembly of the inserted tobacco
strand and the paper tube then is removed from the bore
14 and the device 10 then has completed its function.
The remaining short length of tobacco rod 27 then is
easily pushed into the paper tube 20, so that the free
space is completely filled with the tobacco rod 27. The
final cigarette is completely fabricated by smokeable
material.
In summary of this disclosure, the present
invention provides a novel manner of assembly of a
tobacco rod with a cigarette paper tube. Modifications
are possible within the scope of this invention.
