GB1352247A - Method and apparatus for cutting tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

1352247 Cutting tobacco HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & CO KG 24 May 1971 [17 Aug 1970] 16548/71 Heading A4C [Also in Divisions B8 G1 and G3] A steady output of cut tobacco from a tobacco cutter is maintained by feeding tobacco leaf to the cutter at a constant rate, either by regular batch weighing, or by continuous weighing of the feed coupled with automatic control of the feedrate in accordance with signals from the weighing apparatus. In Fig.1, batch weighing is used. Leaf in a feed channel 12 passes through a valve orifice 16 to a weighing container 22 on a weighbeam 23. When the container 22 holds a predetermined weight, a limit switch 25 is actuated, causing a valve plate 14 to close the orifice 16. Then the container bottom 26 is opened to drop the weighed batch into a container 28 where it is compressed by a ram 33 before a bottom door 36 is opened to drop the compressed leaf on to a chain conveyer 3 between transverse walls 39, 41. Wall 39 is moved transversely of the conveyer to one side of the latter, and then parallel to the conveyer to the station initially occupied by wall 41. Finally it is moved transversely across the conveyer. Meanwhile, the wall 41 is moved along the conveyer to the initial position of wall 39 to push the leaf batch under a chain conveyer 49, the leaf being carried between presser chain conveyers 2, 3 to the cutting zone of the cutter which includes a cutterdrum. For the next batch the roles of walls 39, 41 are interchanged, so that after two batches they are back at the position shown. All valves, rams &c. are hydraulically actuated. In Fig.3, a feed belt 57 passes leaf from a store 55 to a weighing conveyer 59, the weight signal therefrom being used to control a motor 58 driving the belt 57 to maintain a constant flowrate over the weighing conveyer 59. The leaf passes between chain conveyers 68, 69 and presser chains 102, 103 to the cutter 101. Conveyers 68, 69 have plates 73 thereon which interengage to form chambers 74. In Fig.4, a feed belt 252 passes leaf to a weighing conveyer 306 mounted on a spring- supported beam 302. A weight signal from a transducer 311 is multiplied at 312 by a signal dependent on belt speed, the product being compared at 314 with a standard signal from a source 315, and a motor 308 driving the conveyer being controlled in accordance with the comparator signal from 314 to maintain a constant flow-rate over the weighing conveyer 306. The leaf is compressed by an oscillating plate 321 before passing between presser chains 202, 203 feeding the cutter.