GB1074370A - Method of producing portions of tobacco and apparatus for carring this method into effect - Google Patents

Abstract

1,074,370. Feeding tobacco. K. KÍRBER. July 8, 1965 [July 16, 1964; Sept. 10, 1964], No. 28937/65. Heading A2C. A method of producing portions of tobacco is characterized in that an annular tobacco rod is built up from tobacco supplied with a movement having a radially outwardly directed component and a tangential component and is divided into circumferential sections. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 weighed portions of tobacco are periodically delivered into the hopper 117 of a radial centrifuge distributer 223 from a weighing container 208 forming part of a balance which controls electrically a motor 215 feeding tobacco 204 into the container by rolls 205, 206 and 216. The distributer 223 comprises a casing 105 within which are mounted for rotation about an axis 122 two walls 103 and 104, the walls being driven by means of pulleys 108 and 109 respectively. The walls have ribbed portions 110 and 111 and define a channel 101. The wall 103 is perforated at 112 to afford communication with a chamber 113 to which the suction tube 115 of a blower 116 is connected. A carrier member 120 is also mounted for rotation about the axis 122 and driven by a spur gear 123. The periphery of the carrier member 120 is provided with a number of six-bladed shafts 125 disposed at equal angular spacings around the carrier, separated from each other and enclosed by rings 132 so as to form a number of compartments around the outlet for the channel 101. The walls 103 and 104 rotate at high speed and distribute the weighed portion of tobacco equally between the blades 126 of the compartments. An electrical control circuit is provided which, after the distribution of tobacco into the compartments, operates step by step drives 136 and 137 which include magnets, as 135, and co-operating armatures which rotate the blades 126 through 60 degrees as each compartment comes above discharge ducts 133 and 134, thus discharging the tobacco through holes, as 130, 131, provided for each compartment, into the ducts 133 and 134 on to conveyers 144 and 145. During this operation no tobacco is fed into the hopper 117 and the carrier 120 rotates step by step until all compartments have been emptied. A new weighed tobacco charge is then automatically introduced into the hopper 117. In a second embodiment, Fig. 1 (not shown), the compartments are formed by walls in the distributer casing and each one is connected to a discharge duct. When the compartments are full suction is applied to the discharge ducts to withdraw the portions of tobacco from the compartments against the action of spring loaded retaining flaps provided at the base of each of the compartments.