US1164176A - Tobacco-feeding mechanism for cigarette-machines. - Google Patents

Description

N. & A. DU'BRUL. TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912.

1 ,164,] 76. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

} N. & A. nu BRUL. TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTEMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912.

Ku. r F W? s a a M n wt MT D I 1 I 1 l I I 1. E r 0% 06 @4 Z n m j COLUMBIA PLANOuR/mh co.,wAsHlNGToN, D. c.

N. & A. DU BRUL. TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912. 1,164,176. Patented Dec.14,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

N. & A. DU BRUL. TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1912.

1,164,176, Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

NAPOLEON DU BRUL, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS TO THE MIILLE AND ALBERT DU BBUL, OF FORT THOMAS, E, DU BRUL AND PETERS MANUFACTURING (30., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TOBACCO-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 141:, 1915..

Application filed October 14, 1912. Serial No. 725,689.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, NAPOLEON DU BRUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, and ALBERT DU BRUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Thomas, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco- Feeding Mechanisms for Cigarette-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for delivering the filler tobacco to the rope forming mechanism in continuous cigarette machines and has for its object to provide automatic means for gathering a uniform quantity of tobacco from a bulk of tobacco and for clelivering the tobacco so gathered, uniformly as to quantity and condition to the mechanism which receives the tobacco and forms it into proper condition to serve as the filler for the cigarettes. It is well known, with mechanism for this purpose as heretofore employed, that when tobacco is placed in a hopper under conditions in which its weight can exert a material influence upon the presentation of the tobacco to a feeding member, due to the gradual reduction in the quantity of tobacco in the hopper as well as climatic and other conditions, there is a serious lack of uniformity in the quantity of tobacco picked up by the feed roll, with the result that serious irregularities exists in the distribution of the tobacco in forming the filler for the cigarette.

The present invention has for its object to overcome these conditions in order to obtain more regular feeding of the tobacco in a continuous cigarette machine, thereby improving the product and reducing the waste of poorly filled cigarettes due to the condition above mentioned.

A serious difficulty heretofore encountered in attempts to develop an automatic feeder, has arisen through the banking or other conditions in the tobacco which have prevented it entering uniformly into the spaces between the teeth on the feed member, with the result that there is serious irregularity in the charge of tobacco which is carried by the feed member to the point of delivery,

'- for example the stripping roll; this condi.

tion being particularly noticeable where a dressing roll is employed for removing surplus tobacco from the feed member. To overcome this difficulty, the present invention employs a tamping device for the purpose of thoroughly packing the tobacco into the tooth spaces and developing a uniform bed or charge of tobacco upon the feed member. \Vhen this bed or charge of tobacco thus developed passes beneath the dressing roll, a more uniform charge or layer of tobacco is left on the feed member, and this charge of tobacco thus tamped is also presented to the stripping roll in a uniform condition which results in a feed much superior to what has heretofore been accomplished. This feature of the invention may be practically embodied in a number of different ways, as for instance, in the form of a plunger or other member acting endwise against the tobacco. It is herein illustrated, however, as comprising an oscillating tamping member assuming an approximatelv tangential relation to the feed roll, with its tamping ends paddle-like in form so as to increase the surface which contacts with the tobacco; this tamping member being preferably sub-divided for convenience in manufacture, and being so mounted that its arc of oscillation may be changed at will to bring it nearer to or farther from the charge of tobacco to be tamped and thus vary the pressure upon the tobacco and consequently the density of the laver of tobacco upon the feed roll, as may become necessary bv the different conditions encountered in the tobacco, or different conditions to be developed in the finished cigarette.

:iIlOthOl" diflicultv that has prevented uniform feeding in machines heretofore used, has resulted from the fact that the total bulk of tobacco has had full access to the feed member. As the bulk of tobacco diminishes in quantitv, there results a progressive change in the condition. The feed member has not been fully successful in abstracting the proper quantity for uniform feeding. The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing in connection with the means for advancing the tobacco to the feed member, a means for restraining surplus bulk of tobacco which may be so addanced thatif the quantity of tobacco in the hopper is such as would naturally result in excessive feed of tobacco to the feed member, a restraining means will reduce the quantity to the extent required. Any suitable means for advancing the tobacco to the feed member may be employed, as for instance, an inclined hopper bottom or support, either stationary or movable. In the embodiment selected for illustration, it comprises an endless belt driven in the direction to advance the tobacco toward the feed roll. The restraining means is illustrated in the nature of a rake projecting toward the body of tobacco a distance sufficient to encounter all that portion of the tobacco in excess of the, quantity desired to be presented to the feed roll, oscillated to enable it to withdraw the said excess of tobacco and so fashioned, as by deflecting it away from the feed roll, that it will engage with. the tobacco in one direction only; this restraining means also serving the further important purpose of picking or loosening up the tobacco and thus keeping it in a better condition to be advanced to the feed roll.

The particular embodiments of the excess tobacco restraining means and the tamping means which have been selected for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the present invention are well adapted to have a common mounting and oscillating means, and for that reason they are illustrated as being supported upon a common rock-shaft connected by a pitman with a crank pin on a rotary member which is adapted to be driven in a manner to develop the desired speed. and timing in the devices referred to.

Certain other novel features in the principles of operation, and construction and relationships. of the parts will appear from the following specifications.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the automatic feeder portion of a continuous cigarette machine, in which the several features of the present invention are embodied; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2, Figs. 1, 3 and 4; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 38, Figs. 2 and 5; Fig. at is an elevation of the side opposite to that disclosed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Figs. 1, 3 and 4:.

Describing in detail the illustrative embodiment of the features of the'invention, 1 represents a hopper having its bottom formed by an endless belt 2 driven in the direction to advance tobacco toward a feed roll 3, which is mounted on a horizontal shaft 4 and extends for the greater portion of its vertical diameter, above the bottom of the hopper. so as to prevent a considerable portion of its area below the horizontal diameter, to the tobacco that is being. ad: vanced by the belt 2. If the tobacco isleft unres ained nder the. influence c e belt 2, it will be delivered in such quantities to the feed roll 3 as to be gathered at times in excessive quantity, as well as very irregularly, particularly as to the total bulk of tobacco in the hopper 1 varies with the using up of tobacco. Moreover, the tobacco is liable to bank against the roll, and at intervals to be rolled about in a mass, without the proper amount being picked up by the teeth. As a result, much of the tobacco engaged by the teeth is torn away from the main body of tobacco and reduced to fine material with corresponding impairment of the quality of the cigarettes. This also develops such irregularity as will necessitate very close attention on the part of the operative in effecting repeated adjustment of the speed of the feeder. To avoid all these ditliculties, we have provided the excess tobacco restrainingmeans 5, which is conveniently provided in the form of a series of raking arms 5 extending downwardly from a shaft 6 and having, if desired, the ends 5 deflected away from the feed roll 3 so that they will engage the tobacco as the arms are 0scillated, raising it and restraining it from advancing to the feed roll and at the same time loosening it up and preventing it from matting. down or packing too closely in the space through which it advances to the feed roll. The restraining means 5 is adjustable in a manner to vary the radius of influence which it has over the tobacco so that a, greater or less quantity of tobacco may be left beneath it free to advance to the feed roll. This adjustment is conveniently accomplished by having the arms 5 secured in the shaft 6 bymeans of the set screws5 Even with a substantially uniform quantity of tobacco delivered to the feed roll 3,

the presentation of the. charge of tobacco to the point at which it is delivered from the feed roll, for instance at the stripping roll to be described, is not necessarily uniform owing to the difficulty of causing the tobacco. to enter firmly and uniformly between the teeth of the feed roll. T o overcome this objection, the tamping device 7 is provided which. has the effect of-packing the tobacco firmly down into the spaces between the teeth and developing a uniform layer or charge of tobacco on the feed roll and giving it the particular density desired. The particular form of tamping device selected for illustrating this feature of the invention comprises the rod 7 mounted upon the shaft 6 and carrying at their outer ends paddlelike. blades or enlargements 7 b as convenient means of increasing the surface through which they contact with the tobacco. This embodiment of the tamping device extends in approximately tangential relation to the upperipart of the feed roll so asto pack. downwardly uponthe latter and receives an. ossi lel'c eg: Increment, ywhi h. it travels through an are from a point remote from the feed roll, to a point sufficiently near to develop the desired pressure upon the layer of tobacco which has been gathered up. The shaft 6 with the tamping device 7 and also with the excess tobacco restraining means 5 is oscillated in the present embodiment by means of the rocker arm 8 which is connected by a pitman 9 with a crank pin 10 on a rotating disk 11, to be driven as hereinafter described. The rocker arm 8 is angularly adjustable, as by means of the clamping screw 8 upon the shaft 6 so that the position of the are through which the tamping device 7 oscillates, may be varied at will and the point at which it completes its throw may be either closer to or farther from the surface of the feed roll. In this way the pressure with which the tobacco is tamped and consequently the density of the charge of tobacco upon the feed roll may be varied at will or as conditions may dictate to be necessary. The tamping device is preferably made with inherent resiliency so that it will encounter the tobacco Without material shock. This is conveniently accomplished by constructing the arms 7 with the desired resiliencyf 12 represents the dressing roll which rotates clockwise with its shaft 13 and consequently with its contiguous surface moving opposite to that of the feed roll 3. The function of this dresser roll is to remove all that portion of tobacco lying outside of the layer desired to be delivered by the feed roll to the stripper. The dresser roll co-acts with the feed roll preferably at a point immediately after the tamping point as it is thereby enabled to perform its function to much better advantage than in machines where no tamping is employed, for the rea son that the charge of tobacco laid upon the feed roll is of much greater uniformity and the dresser roll is thus better adapted to pick off and remove the excess without disturbing the portion of the charge desired to be retained on the feed roll.

The dresser roll 12 has its shaft 13 mounted in bushings 13 which are received eccentrically in the hubs 13 of the adjusting levers 13, which are adapted to be fixed at any adjustment by-the bolts 13 working in slots 13 and said levers being connected by tie rod 13 By this means the dresser roll 12 can be adjusted with the greatest accuracy in its distance from the roll 3. It will be understood that the feed roll 3 and the dresser roll 12 are provided with carding teeth or pins of suitable kind.

14 represents the stripper and 15 a replacvance of the stripper; said replacing roll being positively driven as hereinafter explained with a surface speed that adapts it to press the charge of tobacco firmly upon lng roll co-acting with the feed roll in ad-- the feed roll', without disturbing the tobacco and thereby to limit the effect of the stripper to the tobacco with which it is immediately engaging. This replacing roll has the further function or replacing any tobacco that may drop from the feed roll after passing the dresser roll. Both the stripper 14 and the replacing roll 15 are better enabled to perform their respective functions bythe use of the t'amping device, for the reason that the density gives them a layer of tobacco of more uniform density to work upon. Each of the mechanisms, to wit, the feed roll, the tamping device, the dressing roll, the stripper and the replacing roll is likewise improved in its operation by the device for restraining the excess bulk of tobacco.

A. further feature of the present invention relates to the mounting of the driving connections for the automatic feeder above described, whereby the amount of space necessarily occupied by the driving mechanism is greatly reduced. A speed changing mechanism is necessary to all automatic feeders in order to properly regulate the quantity of tobacco delivered by the feeder to the wrapping and forming mechanism. Heretofore such speed changing mechanisms have been mounted separately, whereas the present invention shows a mounting of such mechanism directly on the main shaft of the cigarette machine. This mounting will be understood thoroughly from F 2, 16 being the main shaft of a continuous cigarette machine, which may be constantly driven by pulley 17. On the main shaft 16 is loosely mounted, a cone pulley 18, adapted to be thrown into and out of driving connection of said shaft, as by a clutch 19. Mounted parallel to the cone pulley 18 is a reverse cone 20, driven from the cone 18 by means of belt 21 which may be shifted in the direction of the axes of the cones by a belt shifter 22 mounted on the-screw 23, which may be rotated at will through the bevel gear 24: from the adjusting crank 25. This provides convenient means to vary the speed of the automatic feeder at will to correspond to different sizes of cigarettes desired to be produced, or for working various kinds of conditions of tobacco. The cone pulley 20 drives the pulley 26 which is bolted to a pulley 27, which is connected through bevel gear 28 with the worm shaft 29 (see Fig. 1.) The shaft 29 is connected by a worm 30 with the worm wheel 31 on the feed roll shaft 4. The worm wheel 31 meshes with a correspondingly toothed wheel 32 which in turn meshes with wheel 33 on the driving roll 34 of the feed belt 2. On the end of shaft 4 opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, and as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, a gear wheel 35 is connected through an idler 36 with the gear wheel 37 on the. shaft 13 of the dresser roll 12. The g a-rwhce138onthe with the pinion 40 on the shaft of replacing roll 15. In order that these driving relations may exist notwithstanding the adjustment of dresser roll 12, the pinion 36 is mounted in the quadrant-arm 36 secured by bolts and slots 36 concentric with the gear wheel 35, so that adjustment of the pinion 36 may take place to or from the wheel 37 without impairing its driving relation to the wheel 35. WVheels 38 and 39 are also carried by the quadrant arm 36*, and the location of the lower bolt and slot 36 is so related to the pinion 40, as to avoid disturbing the drive of the replacer roll 15.

The stripper roll 14 is mounted in a pair of journal blocks 41 (Figs. 1 and 4) fulcrumed at the bearings of the replacer roll and having accurate slots 43 to receive a bolt 44. By this means the stripper roll 14 may be adjusted toward the feed roll 3, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, if for any reason such as wearing away of the pins, such adjustment should become desirable. To drive the stripper roll 14, the worm shaft 29 has a bevel gear 29 meshing with a bevel pinion 29 carried by a suitably journaled large gear 29 which drives the small pinion 14 of the stripper roll, and thereby imparts relatively fast rotation to the latter.

It will be preferable to employ a clearing roll 47, clearing the dresser roll 12, in order to return to the hopper any tobacco that may adhere to the dresser roll. This may be effectively driven through a pinion 47 on its own shaft, and an idler 47", of larger diameter, from the gear-wheel 29, already described, which is still larger in diameter. The clearing roll thus receives a quick rotation.

We claim: 1. In a tobacco feeder for cigarette machines, 'a' feeding member and a dressing roll, means for conveying tobacco to the feeding member, a tamping device for packing the tobacco firmly and uniformly on said feeding member, said tamping device acting in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said feeding member and in advance of the dressing roll; said tamping device comprising a paddle-like blade acting with its broad side on the surface of said feeding member.

2. In a tobacco-feeder for cigarette machines, means for presenting a supply of tobacco, a' feed member located and constructed to pick up tobacco from the supply thus presented, a member coacting with said feed member. beyond the picking-up point and adapted to remove tobacco therefrom, and a tamperacting upon the tobacco beyond the pickingupfpoint', but in advance "of 'the'coa'cting member and tami iug it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the feed member.

3. In a tobacco feederv for cigarettemachines, a feed roll, means for conveying tobacco to the feed roll, a tamping device, said tamping device comprising a paddle-like blade, said blade acting with its broad face in radial direction of said feed roll to pack tobacco thereon.

4. In a tobacco-feeder for cigarette machines, means for presenting a supply of tobacco, a feed member located and constructed to pick up tobacco from the supply thus presented, a dresser coacting with said feed member beyond the picking-up point and adapted to remove surplus tobacco therefrom, and a tamper acting upon the tobacco beyond the picking-up point but in advance of the dresseigand tamping it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the feed member, and means coacting with the feed member at a point to remove therefrom the tamped tobacco, after said tobacco passes the dresser.

5. In a tobacco feeder for cigarette machi nes,a feed roll having teeth for retaining tobacco, means for conveying tobacco to the feed roll, a tamping device for packing the tobacco firmly and uniformly between said teeth, said tamping device acting in the direction of the teeth; said tamping device comprising paddle-like blades acting with the broad side on the surface of said feed roll, and means for actuating said blades, said actuating means being adjustable in order to varythe amount of pressure exerted by said blades on said feed roll.

6. In a tobacco feeder for cigarette ma: chines, a feed roll having teeth for retaining tobacco, means for conveying tobacco to the feed roll, a tamping device for packing the tobacco firmly and uniformly between said teeth, said tamping device acting in the direction of the teeth; said tamping device comprising paddle-like blades acting with the broad side on the surface of said feed roll; flexible rods carrying said blades, a shaft on which said flexible rods are mounted, a crank arm adjustably secured on said shaft, and means for oscillating said crank arm.

7. In a tobacco feeder for cigarette machines, a feed roll having teeth for retaining tobacco, means for conveying tobacco to, the feed roll, a tamping device for packing the tobacco firmly and uniformly between said teeth, said tamping device acting in the direction of the teeth; said tamping device comprising paddle-like blades acting with the broad side onthe surface of said feed roll, and means for actuating said blades, said actuat'ng means being adjustable in order to vary. the amount of pressure exerted by said. blades on said feed roll, to-i bacco re rai ng members. euro.

sition to said tobacco conveying means, said restraining members being oscillated by said actuating, means.

8. In combination With a tobacco-feeder embodying means for presenting a supply of tobacco, a feed member adapted to pick up tobacco from the supply thus presented, a stripper coacting With the feed member at a point remote from the picking-up point and adapted to discharge the tobacco therefrom in subdivided form and toward the point of delivery, and means for forming from the tobacco picked up by said feed member, and at a point thereon in advance of the stripper, a packed layer of tobacco dressed down to predetermined thickness;

said last-named means comprising a tamper and a dresser roll, said tamper acting upon the tobacco beyond the picking-up point and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface thereof, and said dresser roll acting upon the tamped tobacco beyond the tamping point but in advance of said stripper.

The foregoing specification signed at Cincinnati Ohio this second day of October,

NAPOLEON DU BRUL. ALBERT DU BRUL. In .presence of E. F. DU BRUL, H. l/VHYRICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

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