GB838321A - Improvements in or relating to method and apparatus for separating torn tobacco leaves - Google Patents

Abstract

838,321. Separating torn tobacco leaves from stems, grit &c. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO. Oct. 15, 1957 [Nov. 19, 1956], No. 32197/57. Class 117. Torn tobacco leaf lamina are separated from stem, dust, grit or lint by passing the airborne mixture along channels, screens and cyclone separators. The mixture is on a conveyer belt where the air current floats the lighter leaf parts, through a separating channel 3 where the stem parts fall on to a conveyer 21 which carries them away for reprocessing. A stream of air from inlets 7 carries the leaf up a channel 9 to an expansion chamber 11 where any heavier particles fall down to 17. Meantime the leaf is carried along to a curved solid wall along which the leaf and dust lies, until the leaf only falls to a discharge chamber 38 while the heavier dust &c. pass through an orifice 31 to a screen 53 to a rotor which carries it away. Meantime the cleaned leaf falls from 38 through a rotary air sealing outlet to a conveyer. At screen 53 some of the tobacco may pass through to a bank of cyclone filters 57 to remove dust which passes into a chamber 49 from which a bottom worm 59 carries the dust away. Fans 63 provide the suction and forced draught. The dust and lint from the cyclone filters fall down in a downward air current from the cyclones to a collecting drawer 73.