Advantageously, the preceding method is carried out by using or by the arrangement described above for transversely axially conveying of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. To avoid repetitions, explicit reference is made to the previous embodiments for this.

In the context of the invention, in particular, article segments of a single usable length are understood to be article segments to be processed or processed, which after further processing, e.g., on a multi-segment rod manufacturing machine, have the (useable) length, which they also have in the, in particular consumable, end product. Thereby, the rod-shaped end product is made of several article segments of single usable length.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the embodiments according to the invention together with the claims and the attached drawings. Embodiments according to the invention may fulfill individual features or a combination of several features.

Embodiments are directed to an arrangement for transversely axially conveying of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry, the arrangement includes a conveying inspection section comprising at least one conveying member for conveying a first row of article segments transversely axially disposed behind each other in a transverse axial conveyor direction and for conveying a second row of article segments transversely axially disposed behind each other in the transverse axial conveyor direction, whereby, in the conveying inspection section, the first row of article segments are conveyable along a first conveying path, and the second row of article segments are conveyable along a second conveyor path. At least one first head end inspection device is arranged along the first conveying path for at least one head end of the first row article segments and at least one second head end inspection device is arranged along the second conveying path for at least one head end of the second row of article segments. A further conveying member is arranged, with respect to the transverse axial conveyor direction, after at least one of the conveying inspection section or the first and second head end inspection devices, where the further conveying member is configured to convey article segment pairs that each include one first row article segment and one second row article segment.

According to embodiments, the arrangement can further include at least an upstream conveying member arranged, with respect to the transverse axial conveyor direction, ahead of a start of the first conveying path and ahead of the start of the second conveying path. The at least one upstream conveying member may be configured to transversely axially convey side by side pairs of article segments, which are assembled of a first row article segment and a second row article segment.

In accordance with embodiments, in the conveying inspection section: the first row of article segments can be conveyable on a first conveying member and the at least one first head end inspection device for the at least one head end of the first row of article segments may be disposed on the first conveying member, and the second row of article segments can be conveyable on a second conveying member and the at least one second head end inspection device for the at least one head end of the second row of article segments may be disposed on the second conveying member. The at least one first head end inspection device may include two first head end inspection devices disposed on the first conveying member to inspect opposite head ends of the first row of article segments, and the at least one second head end inspection device can include two second head end inspection devices disposed on the second conveying member to inspect opposite head ends of the second row of article segments.

In other embodiments, the arrangement may further include at least one common conveyor drum in the conveying inspection section for the first row of article segments and for the second row of article segments. The common conveying member can be configured so that, after receiving the side by side pairs of article segments, the first row of the article segments are movable relative to each other and to the second row of article segments, and the least one first head end inspection device can be provided on the common conveying member. Further, the common conveying member can be configured so that, after receiving the side by side pairs of article segments, the first row of the article segments are movable relative to each other and to the second row of article segments while maintaining the transverse axial conveying direction. Still further, the at least one second head end inspection device can include two second head end inspection devices and the two second head end inspection devices are provided on the common conveying member. Further still, the at least one common conveyor drum may be configured to move the first row of article segments in at least one of a radial direction or a circumferential direction of the common conveyor drum relative to the second row of article segments. Moreover, the at least one common conveyor drum may have movable arms for the first row of article segments, and the movable arms for the first row of article segments can be pivotable. Also, the at least one common conveyor drum can be designed so that, when conveying the first and second rows of article segments, the first row of article segments and the second row of article segments are spaced apart from each other in the transverse axial direction. Also, still, the at least one common conveyor drum may include rotatable receptacles for the first and second rows of article segments, the rotatable receptacles being rotatable about rotational axes oriented radially to the rotational axis of the at least one common conveyor drum.

According to other embodiments, the arrangement, in the conveying inspection section, may further include a first staggered drum for the first row of article segments and for the second row of article segments, a second staggered drum for the first and second rows of article segments disposed in a staggered manner relative to the transverse axial conveying direction of the first and second rows of article segments, and at least one conveyor drum, in which, one of: at least one of the at least one first head inspection device or the at least one second head inspection device can be provided between the first staggered drum and the second staggered drum, or the at least one first head inspection device and the at least one second head inspection device can be provided on the at least one conveyor drum.

In accordance with still other embodiment, in the conveying inspection section, the arrangement may further include a common conveyor drum on which pairs of article segments are conveyable, wherein each pair of article segments is assembled of a first row article segment and a second row article segment, a first conveyor drum for the first row of article segments, and a second conveyor drum for the second row of article segments are disposed on the common conveyor drum. The first row of article segments can be transferable from the common conveyor drum to the first conveyor drum for further conveyance, head ends of the first row of article segments may be further conveyed by the first conveyor drum past the at least one first head end inspection devices, which is disposed on the first conveyor drum, for inspection, and, after passing the at least one first head end inspection device, the first row of article segments can be transferable to the common conveyor drum. With respect to the lateral axial direction, downstream of the first conveyor, the second row of article segments can be transferable from the common conveyor drum to the second conveyor drum for further conveyance, head ends of the second row of article segments may be further conveyed by the second conveyor drum past the at least one second head end inspection device, which is disposed on the second conveyor drum, for inspection, and, after passing the at least one second head end inspection device, the second row of article segments can be transferable to the common conveyor drum.

In other embodiments, the arrangement may be designed as a transfer module between a rod machine for manufacturing rod-shaped article segments and a multi-segment article manufacturing machine for manufacturing rod-shaped multi-segment articles of the tobacco-processing industry.

In accordance with embodiments, the rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry can include one of filter rods or filter rod segments or segment articles or multi-segment articles.

According to still other embodiments, at least one of the at least one first head end inspection device and the at least one second head end inspection device may include an optical sensor.

Embodiments are directed to a method for transversely axially conveying rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry in the above described embodiments of the arrangement. The method can include conveying a first row of article segments transversely axially disposed behind each other in a transverse axial conveyor direction along a first conveying path in a conveying inspection section and a second row of article segments transversely axially disposed behind each other in the transverse axial conveyor direction along a second conveyor path in the conveying inspection section. At least one first head end inspection device can be arranged along the first conveying path for inspecting at least one head end of the first row article segments and at least one second head end inspection device may be arranged along the second conveying path for inspecting at least one head end of the second row of article segments. Downstream of at least one of the conveying inspection section or the at least one first and at least one second head end inspection devices, the method can further include conveying article segment pairs that each include one first row article segment and one second row article segment.

Embodiments are directed to a method for transversely axially conveying of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry. The method includes providing article segments disposed side by side in pairs that form a first row of article segments and a second row of article segments. The article segments include one of a magnetic, a magnetizable or an inductively heatable material that is designed to heat the article segments and the article segments include a single usable length. The method also includes transversely axially conveying of article segments disposed side by side in pairs, forming a first row and a second row of article segments, conveying the first row of article segments along a first conveyor path and conveying the second row of article segments along a second conveyor path so that the first row of article segments are spaced at least in sections from the second row of article segments, inspecting, in a conveying inspection section, at least one head end of the first row of article segments on the first conveyor path one of simultaneously or consecutively and inspecting at least one head end of the second row of article segments on the second conveyor path one of simultaneously or consecutively; and after the inspecting, merging pairs of article segments that are longitudinally axially adjacent and disposed contiguously on a front side, the pairs of article segments being assembled of one first row article segment and one second row article segment.

In accordance with still yet other embodiments, the rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry can include one of filter rods or filter rod segments or segment articles or multi-segment articles.

Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below without restricting the general inventive idea on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, whereby we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to all details according to the invention that are not explained in greater detail in the text. In the drawings, the same or similar types of elements and/or parts are provided with the same reference numbers so that a corresponding re-introduction can be omitted. Moreover, the drawings show:

FIG. 1A schematically shows a view of a machine of the tobacco-processing industry for manufacturing of multi-segment articles;

FIG. 1B schematically shows the process flow associated with FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a view of a transfer module according to a first configuration;

FIG. 3A schematically shows a view of a transfer module according to a further configuration;

FIG. 3B schematically shows a method for inspecting pairs with single-length segments along their conveyor paths in the transfer module according to FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of a conveying inspection section of a transfer module according to a further configuration with a schematically drawn flowchart;

FIG. 5A schematically shows a detail of a transfer module with a further conveying inspection section according to a further configuration;

FIG. 5B schematically shows a further exemplary embodiment of a transfer module with a conveying inspection section in combination with a feeding module of a feeding unit;

FIG. 6 schematically shows a detail of a transfer module with a conveying inspection section according to further exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 7 schematically shows a view of a further transfer module according to a further configuration;

FIG. 8 schematically shows a view of a further exemplary embodiment of a transfer module in detail; and

FIG. 9 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a further transfer module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

In the context of the invention, features being identified with “in particular” or “preferably” are to be understood as optional features.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic view of a (drum) machine 1 of the tobacco processing industry for manufacturing of multi-segment articles, which is coupled to a rod machine 9, for example a crimper for manufacturing a rod of aerosol-forming material, in particular from reconstituted tobacco-containing film.

The article rod manufactured in rod machine 9 is wrapped with a wrapping material, for example a wrapping paper, and cut to length by a cutting unit in, preferably aerosol-forming, multi-length article segments 200. The segments 200 cut to length are transferred via a transfer drum (cf., for example, FIG. 2, reference sign 21) to a transfer module 2 of the machine 1, on which the multi-length segments 200 are divided into two single-length segments 201 and the face surfaces of each (single-length) segment 201 are inspected. The multi-length segments 200 and the single-length segments 201 formed therefrom, for example, preferably comprise a susceptor 211, which is designed for induction heating by a corresponding heater.

The machine 1 further comprises in the conveying direction of the segments 201 a feeding unit 3 with three feeding modules 301, 302, 303, the number of which is expandable arbitrarily, a transport line 101, a first wrapping module 4, a further feeding module 5, a second wrapping module 6 and an inspection module 7.

The feeding modules 301, 302, 303 comprise a stock, preferably designed as a hopper, magazine or funnel, a removal drum, a cutting drum, a shifting drum, a staggered drum and a feeding drum. Below the feeding drums of the feeding modules 301, 302, 303, the transport line 101 is designed. The transport line 101 comprises conveyor drums 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, which are designed preferably of the same diameter, the same pitch or particularly preferably identically. The conveyor drums 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 each comprise a cylindrical drum body on which receptacles for rod-shaped articles are disposed in the circumferential direction, in particular receiving troughs, in order to hold and convey the rod-shaped articles.

The single-length article segments 201 disposed side by side in two rows are fed to a feeding unit 3 with individual feeding modules 301, 302 and 303 after the transfer module 2 of a transport line 101. The first feeding module 301 of the feeding unit 3 feeds a second rod-shaped segment 202 to the transport line 101, wherein the segment 202 is preferably designed as a double segment. This is inserted centrally between the two first rod-shaped article segments 201, cut centrally and spaced apart from each other. Upon transfer of the rod-shaped segments 202 from the feeding drum of the feeding module 301 to the conveyor drum 111 of the transport line 101, the rod-shaped segment 202 is combed out of the receptacle of the feeding drum by the conveyor drum 111. The rod-shaped segment 202 is conveyed at a line speed on a feeding drum and combed out of the receptacle of the feeding drum by the receptacle of the conveyor drum 111 at a higher line speed, wherein the rod-shaped segment 202 is conveyed on the conveyor drum 111 at a higher speed.

The second feeding module 302 of the feeding unit 3 provides a third rod-shaped segment 203, which is formed, for example, as cooling segment. This combination of three segments 201, 202, 203 is referred to as segment group 206. The combination of segment groups 206 may preferably incorporate after each insertion of a further segment a tumbling step, that presses the segments of the segment groups together, so that the segments of the segment group make contact on the face side. The segment 203 is cut centrally and rotated by a turning drum or a turning spreading drum and spaced apart from each other.

The further feeding module 303 provides a further segment, a fourth rod-shaped segment 204, and feeds it to the transport line 101 by inserting it centrally between the two segment subgroups of the segment group 206 and forming a segment group 207. The segment group 207 is tumbled, so that the segments contact each other on the face side, and in order to carry out a wrapping of the segment group 207 with the wrapping material 212 in the first wrapping module 4.

After the wrapping operation, segment group 209 has a central double segment and on each side three pairwise identical single-length segments, respectively. Thereupon, segment group 209 is cut centrally and turned by a re-orientation drum, in particular a turning drum or a turning spreading drum, and spaced apart from each other. A further feeding module 5 provides a fifth rod-shaped segment 205 and places it between the two segment subgroups of the segment group 209 and forms the segment group 208. This segment group 208 is likewise tumbled, so that the face sides make contact, and is wrapped in the second wrapping module 6 with a portion of a web-shaped material 213. This forms the segment group 210, which is cut centrally and forms two individual multi-segment articles 220, which are transported side by side in the conveying direction.

A wrapping module 4 is disposed downstream of the feeding modules 301, 302, 303 and the transport line 101 of the feeding unit 3. This wrapping module 4 includes a storage for web-shaped material, a cutting device for dividing the web-shaped material with a knife roller and a suction roller disposed oppositely. The paper strips cut to length and spaced apart are fed to a rolling drum and the segment group 207 is wrapped with the wrapping material 212 and forms a segment group 209. This segment group 209 is divided centrally by a circular knife and turned and spaced apart from one each other by a re-orientation unit, in particular a turning drum, in order to insert a further segment 205, the fifth rod-shaped segment 205. This takes place in the feeding module 5.

A second wrapping module 6 is disposed downstream of the feeding module 5, which may preferably be designed analogously to the wrapping module 4. The wrapping module 6 includes a storage for web-shaped material, which is fed to a rolling drum via a cutting unit and a suction roller. Wrapping material 213 is wound around the segment 205, in order to conjoin this with the other segments. An inspection module 7, which inspects each multi-segment article 220 for its quality properties and transfers it to the subsequent machine, is disposed downstream of the wrapping module 6. After wrapping in the wrapping module 6, the segment group 210 represents a double-length multi-segment article, which is cut centrally and is guided into a single-path article stream by a turning device.

Within the scope of the invention, it is provided that the multi-length segments 200 are transferred from the rod machine 9 to the drum machine 1. Here, it is possible for the rod machine 9 and the drum machine 1 to be disposed linearly behind each other, so that in a straight-ahead arrangement of the rod machine 9 and the drum machine 1, the cut segments 200 are transferred in the rod machine 9 by a transfer drum, the transfer drum having a vertically aligned rotational axis, so that the segments 200 conveyed longitudinally axially in the rod machine 9 are transferred to a transversely axially conveying conveyor drum of the transfer module 2 by the transfer drum. In this case, the transfer drum is configured, for example, with pivotable receiving troughs. For example, such a transfer drum is described in WO 2022/008220 A1, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

In another embodiment, the drum machine 1 and the rod machine 9 are disposed angled or in an L-shaped arrangement with respect to each other. Here, the longitudinally axially conveyed article segments 200 are transferred in the rod machine 1 on the output side to the drum arrangement of the drum machine 1 by a transfer device, such as a so-called spider, by which the transferred article segments 200 are conveyed in the transverse axial direction within the drum machine 1.

Within the scope of the disclosed embodiments, it is possible, for example, for multiple-length segments 200 to be transferred from the rod machine 9 to the drum machine 1, wherein consecutively, within the drum machine 1, and in particular within the transfer module 2, the multiple-length article segments 200 are cut into single-length segments 201 and, on the output side of the transfer module 2, pairs of two individual and single-length segments 201 disposed side by side in the receiving troughs are transferred to the subsequent units of the drum machine 1. Here, the segments 200 are cut multiple times and, if necessary, conveyed by corresponding staggered drums and/or shifting drums during the conveying of the segments 200 within the transfer module 2.

In addition, it is further possible that, for example, several, in particular two, multiple-length segments 200 are transferred to the transfer module 2, so that subsequently the multiple-length segments 200 are cut into single-length segments 201, wherein a pair of single-length segments 201 are transferred subsequently in each case on the output side of the transfer module 2.

Further, it is possible within the scope of the disclosed embodiments that single-length segments 201 are already transferred from the rod machine 9, so that, in the context of conveying the article segments 201 within the transfer module 2, the article segments 201 are correspondingly grouped in pairs for further processing at the subsequent units of the drum machine 1 by shifting processes and, if necessary, staggering processes within the transfer module 2.

Also, within the scope of the disclosed embodiments, it is provided that single-length article segments 201 are transferred exclusively in pairs from the rod machine 9 to the transfer module 2, so that no cutting of the article segments 201 is necessary during the transverse axial conveying of the segments 201 of the transfer module 2.

Furthermore, in one configuration of the transfer module 2 it is possible that, in the case, in that, for example, the multiple-length segments 200 are designed or are produced with a susceptor 211 designed as a metal band, an alignment of the article segments provided with a metal band is carried out during the conveying of the article segments 200 within the transfer module 2. Here, for example, the individual rod-shaped segments 200 are aligned with respect to cutting knives on a cutting drum or rotated within the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum. Thereby, it is possible, for example, that each individual segment 200 is aligned individually within the receiving trough of the conveyor drum. Moreover, it is also possible that each article segment is rotated by a predetermined angle within the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum, respectively. In case of the individual rotation of the rod-shaped segments 200 within the receiving troughs, it is also provided that in one configuration it is carried out with knowledge of the position of the metal band within the article segment. Alternatively, prior to the rotation of the segments 200, the susceptor 211 formed as a metal band may also be detected at its location with a corresponding sensor, so that the article segment is rotated as a function of the detected location or position of the metal band.

A device for handling rod-shaped articles having magnetic or magnetizable material, in particular a flat metal band, by which rod-shaped articles are aligned within the receiving troughs of a conveyor drum, is described, for example, in the German patent application with the application number 10 2022 101 392.8, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In one configuration, the alignment of the rod-shaped articles succeeds upstream of a cutting drum preferably relative to the conveying direction of the rod-shaped segments 200 within the transfer module 2.

In FIG. 2 is shown in a view an exemplary embodiment of a transfer module 2 according to a first exemplary embodiment.

The transfer module 2 on its input side comprises a transfer drum 21 on the output side of the rod machine 9, by which the multiple-length article segments 200 are taken over by the rod machine 9 and are consecutively transferred to a conveyor drum 22. By the transfer drum 21, the multiple-length segments 200 conveyed longitudinally axially in the rod machine 9 are transferred to the conveyor drum 22, on which the multiple-length article segments 200 are conveyed transversely axially.

For transfer, transfer drum 21 is designed with rotatable receiving troughs (not represented). After receiving the transferred article segments 200, the multiple-length article segments 200 are conveyed transversely axially within the transfer module 2. The latter are transferred in the conveying direction of the article segments 200 via further conveyor drums 23, 24 from the conveyor drum 22 to a cutting drum 25.

In one exemplary embodiment, the conveyor drum 22 is designed as an accelerator drum. Further, by way of example, the conveyor drum 23 is designed as a tumbling drum and the subsequent conveyor drum 24, for example, is designed as an orientation drum or alignment drum.

During conveying of the rod-shaped article segments 200, the article segments 200 are cut into single-length article segments 201 by one or more cutting knives or cutting devices on the cutting drum 25. Subsequently, the cut article segments 201 are transferred from the cutting drum 25 to a further conveyor drum 26. After that, the single-length article segments 201 are transferred from the conveyor drum 26 to a staggered feeding drum 27, on which two staggered sliding drums 28, 29 are disposed. From the staggered sliding drums 28, 29, article segments are removed from the staggered feeding drum 27 and transferred back to the staggered feeding drums 27, the pairs of article segments 201 in the receiving troughs of the staggered sliding drum 29 being disposed behind each other in a transverse axial manner in the conveying section after the second staggered sliding drum 29. The conveying of the article segments of single length in pairs by the staggered feeding drum 27 and the staggered sliding drums 28, 29 and the arrangement of pairs of article segments on the staggered feeding drum 27 prior to their transfer to a subsequent conveyor drum are represented, for example, in EP 3 685 684 A1, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.

From the staggered feeding drum 27, the article segments 201 disposed in pairs of a pair of article segments 201 are each transferred to a subsequent inspection drum 30 or 31 in a conveying inspection section P of the transfer module 2, head end inspection devices 40, 41 for a row of article segments 201 being provided each on the inspection drums 30, 31, by which each of the two face sides or head ends of the article segments 201 are inspected.

By the head end inspection devices 40, 41, for example, the position of the band-like metal segments within the article segments 201 and/or the cutting quality of the face sides of the article segments are monitored. The article segments 201 of a row conveyed on the inspection drum 30 and inspected on the face surfaces are subsequently transferred from the inspection drum 30 to a subsequent conveyor drum 32, wherein the pairs of the article segments 201 are brought together after transfer of the article segments 201 to the inspection drum 31.

Prior to the transfer to the inspection drum 30, 31, pairs of article segments are disposed each in the receiving troughs of the staggered feeding drum 27, the article segments 201 having mutually facing face sides. A row of article segments 201 is transferred to the first inspection drum 31, while the second row of article segments 201 is transferred to the second inspection drum 30. After the inspection of the second row of article segments 201 on the inspection drum 30, these are transferred via a conveyor drum 32 to the inspection drum 31, so that pairs of article segments 201 are formed on the inspection drum 31, which are transferred to a transfer drum 33. The pairs of article segments are subsequently transferred from the transfer drum 33 on the output side to the feeding unit 3.

According to the disclosed embodiments, the face sides of the article segments 201 of the two rows are monitored in the conveying inspection section P independently of each another by the head end inspection devices 40, 41, respectively. Here, each of the article segments 201 are conveyed on different paths from one pair of article segments to one of the inspection drums 30, 31 in order to inspect the individual article segments 201 here. Consecutively, the individual article segments 201 are again brought together to a pair of article segments in the receiving troughs on the further conveyor path on the inspection drum 31 and transferred to the further units of the drum machine 1.

In FIG. 3A another exemplary embodiment of a transfer module 2 is shown. Here, with regard to the transfer module 2 shown in FIG. 2, a conveyor drum 35 is disposed after the staggered feeding drum 27 in the conveying direction, on which the pairs of article segments 201 disposed behind each other in the transverse axial direction are transferred from the staggered feeding drum 27 to the conveyor drum 35. Here, the conveyor drum 35 is disposed in a conveying inspection section P. In FIG. 3B, a process flow of the conveying of the article segments 201 on the conveyor drum 35 in a plan view and in a side view is schematically shown. Three head end inspection devices 51, 52, 53 for the inspection of the head ends of article segments 201 are disposed on the conveyor drum 35 designed as inspection drum.

The conveyor drum 35 comprises, in particular, cam-controlled movable tiny arms for the article segments 201, so that the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum 35 execute a stroke path in the radial direction between the reception of the article segments 201 from the staggered feeding drum 27 and the release to the transfer drum 33.

In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3A respectively 3B, the article segments 201 provided with hatching are moved back and forth in the radial direction on the conveyor drum 35 during their transverse axial conveying with regard to the other (not hatched) article segments 201. Thereby, the hatched article segments 201 are moved with regard to the article segments of the respective article segment pair. As a result of the hatched (front) article segment 201 being first moved inward toward the rotational axis of the conveyor drum 35 during the conveying from right to left (cf. FIG. 3B), the (rear) non-hatched article segment 201 becomes accessible at the internal face surface to the head end inspection device 51, so that the internal face surface of the corresponding article segment is inspected by the head end inspection device 51.

Subsequently, the hatched article segment 201 is moved outward in the radial direction, so that the article segment pairs with a (hatched) article segment and a (non-hatched) article segment are inspected at the outer head ends respectively face surfaces by the head end inspection device 52. Subsequently, the (hatched) article segment is displaced radially further outward, by which the interior face surface of the (hatched) article segment 201 is accessible to the head end inspection device 53 and thereby the face surface is inspected. Thereafter, the (hatched) article segment 201 is again moved to the radial center of the conveyor drum 35, so that prior to the transfer, the article segment pairs are aligned collinearly with their longitudinal axes in order to be transferred to the subsequent transfer drum 33.

The movement of the article segments 201 on the conveyor drum 35 takes place, for example, by a corresponding cam gear or a corresponding cam control with movable receiving troughs.

In FIG. 4 is represented furthermore an exemplary embodiment of a conveying inspection section of a transfer module 2. Here, the process flow in the conveying inspection section P is represented schematically in the upper region, while a view of a drum arrangement of the conveying inspection section P is shown in the lower region.

In the conveying inspection section P shown, article segments 201 are transferred in pairs from a conveyor drum 61 to a subsequent conveyor drum 62. A staggered drum 72 is disposed on the conveyor drum 62, by which the article segments 201 are transferred back to the conveyor drum 62 in a staggered manner. Subsequently, the article segments 201 disposed in a staggered manner on the conveyor drum 62 are transferred to an inspection drum 63, on which head end inspection devices 55, 56, 57, 58 are disposed in order to individually inspect in each case one face side of the article segments 201 staggeredly disposed. As a result of the article segments 201 being disposed in a transverse axial and longitudinal axial direction and staggeredly offset in the receiving troughs disposed behind each other of the inspection drum 63, for example, the article segments hatchedly marked are inspected on their face sides by the head end inspection device 56, 58. The non-hatched article segments 201 are monitored or inspected by the head end inspection devices 55, 57.

After the inspection, the inspected staggered article segments 201 are transferred to a conveyor drum 64, on which a staggered drum 74 is disposed, so that the article segments 201 transferred to the staggered drum 74 are staggered and here a back-staggering is carried out, by which the back-staggered article segments 201 are consecutively conveyed further in pairs on the conveyor drum 64.

In a further configuration (not shown here), it is conceivable within the scope of the disclosed embodiments that a conveying inspection section P of the transfer module 2 also comprises a turning spreading drum in order to space apart and at the same time to make accessible to a head end inspection device the mutually facing face sides of a pair of article segments 201 by a turning spreading operation.

A further configuration of a conveying inspection section P of a transfer module 2 is represented schematically in FIG. 5A. The conveying inspection section P comprises a conveyor drum 65 having receiving troughs in the circumferential direction. Here, the conveyor drum 65 receives article segments 201 in pairs from an upstream conveyor drum, the transverse axial spacing of the received pairs of article segments 201 being twice as large as the transverse axial spacing of the receiving troughs, so that upon transfer of the received pairs of article segments 201 every second article trough of the conveyor drum 65 is occupied by a pair of article segments 201. Subsequently, the pairs of article segments 201 are transferred to a subsequent conveyor drum 66, which is preferably designed as a path difference drum.

The conveyor drum 66 preferably comprises two offset drum rings or the like with receiving troughs, wherein a drum ring is provided for each article segment of an article segment pair in order to convey the article segments 201 of a pair on different conveyor paths during the rotation of the conveyor drum 66. Here, the drum bodies of the conveyor drum 66 comprise the same transverse axial spacing between the receiving troughs as the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum 66.

Upon reception of the respective article segments 201 of an article segment pair on the conveyor drum 66, the received article segments 201 are each conveyed at a transverse axial spacing in the receiving troughs of the drum rings of the conveyor drum 66 which corresponds to twice the transverse axial spacing of the receiving troughs of the drum rings. Here, the drum bodies comprise staggered axle stitches, so that the article segments 201 of the respective article segment pairs move on different pitch circles. Due to the offset and different pitch circles for the article segments 201, the mutually facing inner sides of the face surfaces of the article segments 201 of an article segment pair are spaced apart from each another, so that an inner side of an article segment 201 is inspected by the head end inspection device 51 disposed on the conveyor drum 66, and subsequently the outer sides of the two article segments 201 are monitored at the head end inspection device 52 disposed on the conveyor drum 66. Subsequently, the face side not yet inspected of an article segment 201 is inspected by the head end inspection device 53 disposed on the conveyor drum 66. Thereafter, the (collinearly aligned) article segments 201 brought together again of an article segment pair are transferred back to the conveyor drum 65.

In an alternative, it is conceivable that the conveyor drum 66 is also designed with pivotable tiny arms for the article segments 201 of an article segment pair, by which, during the conveying of the article segments, the tiny arms are pivoted against each other, for example, by a cam gear or the like, by which the interior face sides of an article segment pair are accessible to a head end inspection device.

In one configuration, one of the conveyor drums 65, 66 comprises an odd number of troughs, while the other conveyor drum comprises an even number of receiving troughs.

In FIG. 5B is shown a further exemplary embodiment of a transfer module 2, wherein multiple-length article segments 200 are removed from a magazine 131 by a removal drum 130 and the article segments 200 provided with a metal band are conveyed by an alignment apparatus 132, in particular a magnetic alignment apparatus, disposed on the removal drum 130, whereby the metal bands of the article segments 200 are aligned. Subsequently, the article segments 200 are conveyed to the cutting drum 25. Subsequently, the multiply cut article segments 200 are transferred as single-length article segments 201 to a first staggered drum 126 and subsequently to a second staggered drum 127 and are disposed in a staggered manner by the staggered drum 126, 127 such that pairs of article segments 201 are disposed behind each other in the transverse axial direction. Subsequently, the article segment pairs disposed behind each other in two rows on a subsequent conveyor drum 128 are transferred to the conveyor drum 65. From the conveyor drum 65, the article segment pairs are transferred further to the conveyor drum 66, on which the head end inspection devices 51, 52, 53 are disposed in order to inspect the face sides of the individual article segments 201.

Thereafter, the inspected article segments 201 of the two rows of article segment pairs are transferred back from the conveyor drum 66 to the conveyor drum 65 and subsequently conveyed to the feeding unit 3.

In FIG. 6 is shown a further exemplary embodiment of a conveying inspection section P for article segments 201 on a transfer module 2. Here, the conveying inspection section P comprises a conveyor drum 68, on which are disposed two inspection drums 69, 70 with head end inspection devices 40, 41 disposed thereon, respectively. An article segment 201 of an article segment pair is taken over by the conveyor drum 68 by the inspection drum 69, while the article segment 201 of the article segment pair remaining on the conveyor drum 68 is conveyed to the inspection drum 70 and transferred thereto. The article segment 201 of an article segment pair received and conveyed by the inspection drum 69 is inspected on both face sides by the head end inspection device 40 and subsequently transferred back to the conveyor drum 68. The article segments 201 conveyed by the inspection drum 70 are likewise inspected on their face sides by the head end inspection device 41 disposed on the inspection drum 70, and subsequently are transferred back to the conveyor drum 68, so that, after that, the article segments 201 are conveyed further in pairs on the conveyor drum 68.

In FIG. 7 another exemplary embodiment of the transfer module 2 is shown in detail. Here, an empty position filling apparatus 150 is provided between the conveyor drum 23 and the cutting drum 25 and the conveyor drum 24, wherein the empty position filling apparatus 150 is designed such that upon detecting empty receiving troughs on the conveyor drum