GB190925143A - Improvements Machines for Stemming Tobacco Leaves. - Google Patents

Abstract

25,143. Redfern, C. G., [Pneumatic Tobacco Stemmer Co.]. Nov. 1. Tobacco. -Tobacco leaves are stripped by means of rotary cutters 35, Fig. 8, and a cutter bar 31 which is adjustably held in housings 32, Fig. 6, which are themselves adjustable lengthways of the machine to a limited extent, the cutter bar being sharpened to different degrees at various parts of its length so that more or less of the stem may be left with the stripped leaf as desired. The butt ends of the stem are held and the leaf is drawn past the cutters by two endless belts 14 of square section carried by back rollers 4, Fig. 3, and front rollers 6, the latter being carried by a spring-controlled swing arms 37, Fig. 8, having limiting-stops 51, 52, Figs. 6 and 8. The leaves are spread on a feeding-table and carried forwards by means of a toothed belt 87 and a belt 86, Fig. 15, and delivered to the delivery chain 100, Fig. 16. The butts of the stems are positioned by means of a guide 92, Fig. 15, and are held in the toothed belt 87 by a spring guide 93, the end of which is held in the rotary holder 96 by means of which the position of the guide may be varied. The delivery chain 100 travels faster than the toothed belt 87 and is provided with teeth 103, 104, Fig. 16, which take one leaf at a time and turn it from an horizontal into a substantially vertical position by means of the guides 105, 107. The butt end is then gripped by the belts 14. The feed table may be provided with card rollers to strip the leaf from the butt ends of the stem. The delivery end of the toothed belt 87 may be inclined downwardly to the delivery chain to permit the leaf stems to be released singly and roll or slide down to be engaged by the teeth of the delivery chain. The feed mechanism may be stopped at will independently of the stripping-mechanism by means of a foot lever and a clutch in connexion with change gearing through which the feed mechanism is driven. Broken leaves are thrown back from the cutters and roller 70, Fig. 8, or dropped from the delivery chain 100 and are carried by an elevator to a receptacle or may fall into a hopper. The stemmed strips are delivered to a carrier 65, Fig. 3, or to a hopper. The belts 14 are pressed together by rollers, Fig. 3, carried by spring-controlled bell-crank levers.