US1088604A - Tobacco-press. - Google Patents

Description

J. R. MAXWELL.

TOBACCO PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 13, 1911. RENEWED JAN. 14, 1914.

1,088,604. Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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J. R. MAXWELL.

TOBACCO PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1911. RENEWED JAN.14, 1914.

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TOBACCO PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE13, 1911. RENEWED JAN. 14, 1914. 1,088,604.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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JAMES R. MAXWELL, OF REIDSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

llatented Feb. 2d, 1914..

Application filed June 13, 1911, Serial No. 632,847. Renewed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 812,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reidsville, in the county of Rockingham and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco- Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tobacco presses and more particularly to that type which is specifically adapted for compressing individual plugs of chewing tobacco.

The object of the invention is the provision 01" means for controlling the separate members, whereby a continuous operation may be conducted so that while one plug is being compressed another plug may be removed from the press and additional tobacco added thereto for a second operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel compression chamber wherein certain of the walls of the compression chamber may be operated to release the plug, after compression, and wherein these walls may be held in operative posi tion during compression.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the twin presses. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed side elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the valve. Fig. 5 is a similar view looking in the opposite direction. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical. section through one wall of the compression chamber. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through one of the compression boxes.

Referring more particularly to the acoompanying drawings, 1 represents a table which is preferably supported above the floor upon suitable legs 2 and has depending from the i'lnderneath side thereof a pair of cylinders 3 and 4. These cylinders each have pistons 5 and 6 mounted therein which are connected to the cross-heads 7 and 8, these cross-heads being connected together by links 9 and a rock lever 10 pivoted in its center, as at 11, upon a cross brace carried by the supporting legs 2. The rock lever and the links connect the separate cylinders so that as one is traveling out of the cylinder under pressure, the other is traveling into the cylinder and forcing the motive fluid out of the same. Each crosshead extends beyond the sides 01' the cylinder and has mounted in its ends vertically disposed parallel rods 12 and 13 which extend up through bearings 1st in the table 1, and are connected. at their upper ends by a cross-head 15.

In order to operate the pistons in the cylinder and the rods and c ross-heads, suitable supply pipes 16 and 17 are led to the cylinders 3 and 4 respectively from a valve casing 18 which has an ordinary rotary valve 19 mounted therein with a recess 20 formed in its underside, as shown in Fig. 2. A lever or handle 21 is connected to rotate the valve and when the same is turned to the left, in Fig. 2, the feed pipe 17 is in communication with the supply 22, while the feed pipe 16 is connected through the port 20 to the exhaust pipe 23. When the handle is turned to the right, in Fig. 3, the recess 20 is arranged to connect the pipes 17 and 23 and the pipe 16 is in communication with the supply 22. It will therefore be seen that the operating fluid passes into them to operate the piston in one direction and passes out of them to the exhaust when the opposite piston is operated and the first piston brought to initial position by the rock lever 10.

Mounted upon the table is a tobacco box or compression box which comprises a base 24, sides 25 and 26 and ends 27 and 28. The sides 25 are provided with vertically movable hook members 29 which have project ing studs 30 thereon. The hook portion of the members lies in a recess in the bottom 01 box so as to be arranged beneath the plug of tobacco and the studs lie in the path 01 pivoted levers 31 carried on, and movable with, the connecting rods 12. These levers are provided with oilset rollers 32 which are adapted to contact with projections 32 on the sides 2.), when the hook members have raised the plug about two inches and release the levers from the hook members.

The ends 28 of each of the boxes are hinged upon transverse shafts 33 which are provided with crank arms 3 1- at one end. These crank arms are connected t-ln'ough links to collars 86 which slide upon the rods 13 as the same are carried downwardly by the action of the pistons. The weight of the doors 28 is such that they will be normally thrown to the position shown in dotted lines'in Fig. 7 and in order to operate them so that they may be used for closing the compression chamber, spiral springs 37 are interposed between the collars 36 and the set collars 38 upon the rods 13. These springs act as the rods are carried clownw'ardly by the action of the pistons so as to overcome the inertia of the doors, and when the tension of the springs is greater than the weight of the doors the latter are thrown into vertical position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, to close the compression chamber. Gravity action of the doors may be supplemented by a stud 39 which engages the upper end of the rock lever of each shaft 33, so as to positively throw the doors into open position. Attention is called to the fact that in the open position the doors 2S serve as slide-ways for the entrance of the tobacco into the compression chamber.

The cross-heads 15 carry suitable compression blocks 40 which are of a diameter to fit the compression chamber, when closed. These blocks rise and fall with the movement of the pistons and are raised sufficiently high above the compression chamber for the operator to remove the plug therefrom when the door is in its open position. When the block reaches its high-estposition, the projecting studs 39 engage the arms 34: on the shafts 33 so that the doors 28 are auto matically thrown to open position.

For purposes of convenience in describing the operation of the machine, the presses will be designated by A and B and we will assume, for instance, that the compression block is raised in the press and a quantity of tobacco suflieient to form a plug is placed in the compression chamber and the handle thrown so that the supply pipe will be connected with the feed pipe 16. Fluid under pressure, such as water, compressed air or steam, is then admitted to the upper part of the cylinder to act upon the piston and the block is thereby drawn down into the compression chamber. Before the compression is completed the spring 37 on the rod 13 of the press A acts to close the door 28. In the meantime the rock lever 10 has raised the block on the press B and the piston 6 into the cylinder 4:- By reversing the handle or throwing it in the opposite direction, the slide 19 is moved so as to connect the supply pipe 22 to the feed pipe 17. The fluid in the cylinder 3 is thereby permitted to exhaust through the feed pipe 16 and the 6X haust pipe 23 and the live fluid admitted to the cylinder 4t to operate the piston and draw down the block on the press 13 which has previously had its compression chamber filled with the required amount of tobacco. It will be seen from this that the operation will be continued repeatedly and that the operation of one press puts the other press into condition to receive a further supply of tobacco and for a second operation and also raises the plug so that it can be readily moved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is z- A tobacco press comprising a compression box having a movable side, a plunger arranged to operate in the boX, a rod connected to the plunger, means for moving the rod, resilient means carried by the rod for moving the side of the compression box and a plug lifter extended into the box, and means carried b the rod for operating the plug lifter.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. MAXWELL.

YVitnesses R. L. SNEAD, J. H. MEBLEY.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Eatents. Washington, D. G.

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