GB2290694A

GB2290694A - Separating tobacco leaf blades from stems

Info

Publication number: GB2290694A
Application number: GB9513316A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Silva Luciano Parraga Da
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-06-30
Filing date: 1995-06-29
Publication date: 1996-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-29
Also published as: CA2152463A1; IT1278132B1; ITRM950435A0; UY23987A1; GB2290694B; ITRM950435A1; BR9402627A; GB9513316D0

Abstract

Single or bundled tobacco leaves 1 are conveyed, suspended by their tips, eg between belts or chains 2, through a location where the leaf portion is stripped from the stem, eg by rotary blades or wires 5, and a location where the suspended stems are chopped into shorter lengths eg by rotary cutting discs 7. Optional culling knives 4 are provided for the string 3 of leaves which are bundled. <IMAGE>

Description

A PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TOBACCO LEAF BLADES AND STEMS This invention relates to a process and apparatus for separating tobacco leaf blades from the leaf stems, and subsequently cutting up the stems to desired lengths.

Nowadays in tobacco processing it is needed to separate the stem or petiole from the leave blade or limb to get a good quality raw-material (tobacco), both to get the required "blend" and to have no problems with automated and high speed manufacturing equipment.

Up to now, such separation has been made in thrashing machines needing a repeated operation without giving satisfactory results.

To solve this problem and get a raw-material of a highest quality this process and a machine to perform it have been created.

It is basically a process where the ends of the leaves are attached to between two chains or belts and they are caused to pass into tools taking off the leaf blade from the stem and following that such tools divide the latter.

To better understand what has now been discussed, the object hereof is shown in: FIG 1 - A bundle of five to six tobacco leaves view; FIG 2 - A stem view after the processing and cutting lines; FIG 3 - Schematically working illustration; FIG 4 - Machine top view; FIG 5 - Detail of a leaf attaching mechanism; FIG 6 - A process for cutting off stem through two tool-holder cylinders; FIG 7 - A tool-holder mat view; FIG 8 - Schematically operating mode view; FIG 9 - Schematically operating mode view by using only one tool-holder cylinder; FIG 10- Schematically operating view by using only one mat; FIG 11- Schematically side view of string cutting rollers; FIG 12- Stem cutting off disc view.

As it can seen from the attached figures, the process for taking off tobacco leaves is constituted of putting leaves or bundles of five to six tobacco leaves (1) on the mat at the entrance of the machine where the ends of the leaves are fixed to, either in a free or in bundles of five or six tobacco leaves (1) condition between two leaves carrying mats or chains (2) moving together at the same speed and direction on the sides they are in touch. In the event of a bundle of five to six tobacco leaves it is necessary to cut the string (3) which gather them together; this shall be done by causing them to pass between two cylinders provided with knives placed at a generatrix (4).Following that, such leaves pass the stem cutting off tools (5) being constituted of several sharp blades or wires which penetrate in the leave blade and as such tools move at the leaves plane and go away from such leaves in the direction from the end to the stem thereof, they draw such leaves and pull them from their stems. A stem cutting off tool line (5) and a smooth continuous blade line (6) can be interlaid to fix said leaves and eliminate vibration thereof. As mats or chains (2) move uninterruptedly, such stems go through cutting discs (7) cutting them in the required length and they are collected, and such stems are separated from the leave ends to be collected at the end of such mats or chains (2).

By this process, the leave blades are processed having their leaves with a higher size, being less damaged and fully separated from their stems which are also cut in regular sizes thereby making them to be better used.

The machine performing this process is constituted of a supply mat (8) where free leaves or a bundle of five to six tobacco leaves are manually put on with their ends on leave carrying mats or chains (2), the lower one being larger in length than the upper one to allow such a placement of the leaf ends. The supply mat (8) and leaf carrying mat (2) are moved at the same speed.

Thus the upper leaf carrying mat or chain (2) shall be tangent to the lower one thereby fixing such ends of the leaves to each other and carries them into the interior of the machine.

If the supply is not made with free leaves then the hereinbelow mentioned device is not necessary, but with a bundle of five to six tobacco leaves in order that the strings (3) shall be cut there are two parallel axle cylinders with their outer faces nearly touching each other, turning in a contrary direction and at the same speed of leaf carrying mat or chain and being provided with knives placed in the direction of the generatrix (4) and in the direction of the stem.

The bundles of five to six tobacco leaves pass between the cylinders (4) and knives cut the strings thereof.

The same electric motor (9) by means of a reducing box, pulleys and belt (10) move leaf carrying mats or chains (2), supply mat (8) and string (3) cutting cylinder (4).

Thus, the tobacco leaves pass through the stem cutting off tools (5), which is made up of several sharp blades or wires placed in alignment to the same leaf displacement plane, and they can alternately have a smooth continuous blade (6) to eliminate vibration and put the leaves in the due position. Such sharp blades penetrate into and fix the leaf blades and, by moving in the direction of the leaf stem pulls them and separate them from the stem, then they are collected.

Both stem cutting off tool (5) and smooth blades (6) can be provided in the direction of the generatrix of a cylinder (11) turning on a pad (12) or in the direction of the generatrix of two cylinders (23) which are parallel nearly tangent turning in contrary directions at the same speed but so that their tangent displacements between them are in the direction of the end of the leave to the stem. Also the stem cutting off tools can be provided on mat (14) displacing at the same plane of the leaves in the direction from the end to the tobacco leaf stem against the pad (15) or over two parallel mats (16) nearly tangent the opposed faces of which are displaced at the same speed and direction from the end of the tobacco leaf to the stem thereof.

The stem cutting off tools are driven by an electric motor (17) and reductions and belts thereof.

Once the leaves have passed through the stem cutting off tools (5) and smooth tools (6) only stem shall remain at the region of the operation of the tool and the end of the leaf blade attached to the leaf carrying belt or mat (2) and more a small portion of such leaf that could not be pulled shall also be left.

Then, such stem shall be cut into pieces in required length and such stem being separated from the end thereof by cutting discs (7) turning in parallel in the same tangent direction and speed supported in pairs on a small peripheral portion whereby stems to be cut shall pass.

Once the tobacco leaf blades have been pulled, stems and ends thereof shall separately be collected.

SUMMARY The process of the present invention is characterized by putting individual leaves or bundles of five to six tobacco leaves (1) on the supply mat (8) where the ends thereof are manually put in the place on lower leaf carrying mat which when is moved carry them to the region where the upper mat operates being tangent to the latter and fix the ends of the leaves between the same and move them into such machine where the string is cut at the entrance thereof; in the event of a bundle of five to six tobacco leaves causes them to pass between two parallel cylinders having knives placed in the direction of a generatrix (4), following the leaves drawn by leaf carrying belts or chains (2) to near the stem cutting off tools (5), which is made up of sharp blades or wires penetrating in the tobacco leaf blade and as such tools are moved in the leaf plane and go away from the same in the direction from the end to the stem, they draw such leaf blades separating them from the stem thereof and a stem cutting off tool line and a smooth continuous blade (6) can be put between them to fix and eliminate leaf vibration and the movement of mats or chains (2) being continued, such stems pass through cutting discs (7) cutting them in the required length and are collected, and separate them from the end of the leaves collected at the end of the mats or chains (2).

Preferably the above process is characterized by a supply mat (8) parallel to lower leaf carrying mat or chain (2) having a length higher than the upper one, moving at the same speed, following the region where the leaf carrying mats or chains (2), either the upper and lower ones are tangent, having right after two parallel cylinders (4) nearly being tangent to the same tangency plane of the leaf mats or chains (2) and at the same peripheral speed and provided with a plurality of knives following the generatrix, and the same electric motors (9) through its reducing box, pulleys and belt (10) move the leaf carrying mats or chains (2), the supply mat (8) and the cylinders (4), and following such cylinders (4) the stem cutting off tools (5) are moved which are made up of a plurality of sharp blades, or wires placed in alignment and such stem cutting off tools can alternately have a smooth and continuous blade (6) always being moved at the plane of the leaves and in the direction from the ends thereof to the stem, and these stem cutting off tools (5) and smooth blades (6) can be provided in the directions of the generatrix of a cylinder (11), turning on a pad (12) or in the direction of the generatrix of two parallel cylinders (13) nearly tangent to the leaves plane, turning in contrary directions at the same speeds of the ends from the leaves to the stem or over a mat (14) provided against a pad (15) or over two parallel mats (16) nearly tangent, the contiguous faces of which are displaced at the same speed and direction at the same plane of the tobacco leaves and in the direction from the end to the stem, and such stem cutting off tools being driven by an electric motor (17) and reductions and belts thereof, and following the stem cutting off tools (5) there is a cutting disc (7) turning in parallel in the same tangent direction and speed supported in pairs on a small portion of its periphery in the region of the plane of stems.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A process for separating tobacco leaf blades from stems comprising suspending individual tobacco leaves or bundles of leaves by their tips, passing the suspended leaves through a stripping station at which the leaf blades are substantially removed downwardly from the stems, and subsequently passing the stripped and suspended stems through a cutting station at which the suspended portions of the stems are chopped into desired lengths.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

3. A process for separating tobacco leaves, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. Apparatus for processing tobacco leaves comprising separating means for substantially separating the leaf blades from the leaf stems, cutting means for cutting the stems into desired lengths, and transport means for presenting the leaves, suspended by their tips, successively to the separating means and to the cutting means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and substantially as herein described.

6. Apparatus for separating tobacco leaves, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. Cut tobacco leaf or stem when produced by a process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 or by the use of an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. The features herein described, or their equivalents, in any patentable, novel selection.