GB455119A - Improvements in and relating to apparatus for spreading, shredding and conditioning tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

455,119. Tobacco. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO., 511, 5th Avenue, New York, U.S.A. April 26, 1935, No. 36010. Convention date, Nov. 23, 1934. Divided out of 455,098. [Class 130] [See also Group I] An apparatus for treating tobacco leaves comprises a spreading mechanism U through which the leaves are passed individually in unfolded condition and conveying means receiving the leaves in flat outspread condition from the mechanism U and conveying them to a mechanism 32 for cutting the leaves into shreds suitable for cigarette tobacco. A conditioning chamber 26 may be interposed between the spreading and shredding mechanisms and the latter may deliver the tobacco through drying and cooling chambers. As shown in the Figure, the spreading mechanism U comprises feed belts 1<a> by which the leaves are fed into position to be engaged by grippers on a travelling chain, which carry the leaves through narrow suction chambers 4 in order to spread, straighten, and clean them. The leaves are conveyed by suction means to a stemming mechanism of a type arranged to tear the stems lengthwise from the leaf webs, preferably from the tips towards the butts. The stemmed leaves are transferred to a collecting belt 52 by means of a suction belt 53 from which the suction is periodically cut off, and the belt 52 carries the leaves in flat outspread condition through the conditioning chamber 26 to the shredding mechanism 32. In modifications, a number of spreading and stemming mechanisms are arranged to deliver leaves to a single collecting belt corresponding to the belt 52. These modifications, and the construction and arrangement of the shredding mechanism and the subsequent conditioning means, are described in Specification 455,098. Specifications 455,118 and 455,120 also are referred to.