US1208383A - Tobacco-stringing machine. - Google Patents

Description

F. 1. SALZER.

-TOBACCO STRINGING MACHINE. APPLICATION r-mzu AUGJT, 19:4.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. l. SALZER.

TOBACCO smmemc MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJL l9l4.

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F. SALZER. v TOBACCO STRINGING MACHINE- Patentebl Dec. 12, 1916.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, I914. lflflfifififiw 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3- F 1. SALZER.

TOBACCO STRINGIRG MACHINE.

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J. SAL'ZER.

TOBACCO STKINGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED AUG.II, IBM.

mmww Patented Dec.12,1916.

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F. J. SALZER.

TOBACCO STRINGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. ISM. I I

Patented Dec.12,1916.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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FRIEDRICH J. SALZER, 0F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR GE ONE-FG'URTH TO FRANK SALZEB, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOBACCO-STBINGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1918.

Application filed August 17, 1914. Serial No. 857,254.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH .I. SALZER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Iobacco-Stringing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

An object of my invention is to provide a machine for stringing tobacco which is so arranged that the separate leaves or stalks of the tobacco plant may be threaded onto a cord to be spaced at a predetermined distance apart so that the cord or strlng may be stretched in the drying shed or room and the plants or leaves will be suspended to permit a free circulation of air on all sides to accomplish a uniform curing and to prevent tobacco mold or stem rot.

A further object is to so construct the machine that the power driving means thereof maybe kept constant and the operation of the working parts is substantially continuous.

Yet another object is to provide means by which the leaves or stalks are threaded onto the needle and to so form said parts that each leaf or plant is impaled through the fibrous stock and is made secure against displacement.

A still further object is to provide means arranged to maintain the needle at a fixed point while the means by which the stalks are threaded onto the needle are permitted to have movement with respect thereto.

With other objects in view, which will be referred to, my invention consists in the peculiar combination and novel arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and morepartlcularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts of the operating mechanismthereof broken away to more clearly illustrate the relative positioning of the several cooperating mechanisms. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view with parts thereof shown in section to illustrate the main operating parts of the machine. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 14l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the means by which the needle is maintained in its stationary posltion and with the operating mechanism'thereof also shown. F ig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line '77 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 discloses a similar sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View in top plan of a portion of the notched operating wheel. 10 is a view in edge elevation of the structure disclosed in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view in transverse section on the line 1111 of Fig. 9 with a leaf illustrated in the relation in which it will be placed with respect to the leaf-holding finger. Fig. 12 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 1212 of Fig. 9 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 14 is a detail view to better illustrate the structure of the stringing needle.

The base 1 of the machine has the standard 2, 2 mounted thereon near one end and adj aeent the center, and the cross members 8 and 4: secured transversely across the base members between the standard 2 forms a supporting structure upon which the table top 5 is mounted. A carrying arm 6 is rigidly mounted on the table top 5 and is shaped to overhang the projecting portion of the base member 1.

A power shaft 7 is revolubly mounted in bearings carried by the cross members 3 of the supporting structure and as a means of transmitting power to this shaft, a fly wheel 8 is secured to the inner end thereof and has tlie eceentrically mounted knuckle pin 9 carried thereon to be connected by a pitman 10 with the treadle 11 hinged at 12 to one of the base members 1 to have swinging movement transmitted thereto by the foot of the operator and in consequence to cause a rotation of the shaft 7 which-rotation is maintained constant'by'the'ily or 'balance wheel 8. A pulley wheel 13 is secured on the power shaft 7 and a belt ii is passed over this pulley wheel and over the main pulley 15 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 16 j'ournaled in the carrying arm 6 to lie in the same general plane as the power shaft 7. At the end of the carrying arm 6, stud shaft 17 is secured to depend in a downward direction. A bevel gear wheel 18 which is preferably made of a large diameter, although the size of the wheel may be varied to suit varying operating conditions, is revolubly mounted on this stud shaft 17 and a bevel gear 19 secured on the inner end of the shaft 16 meshes with the teeth of the carrying gear 18, a clutch 20 being provided to be shifted by the clutch lever 21 to a position to secure the pulley wheel 15 to transmit a driving motion to this shaft 16 upon the rotation of the power shaft 7 By reason of the fact that the belt pulley 15 is loosely mounted on the shaft and the clutch operating levers 21 is positioned at a point to be readily grasped by the operator, the power shaft or drive shaft 7 may be constantly rotated during the normal operation of the machine either by the treadle mechanism as hereinbefore described or by a connection with an independent source of motive power and the rotation of the bevel gearing wheel 18 can be controlled at the will of the operator.

The spacing blocks 22 are positioned at equi-distant points to project from the lower side of the carrying wheel 18 and a notched cam wheel 23 is secured to these spacing blocks to be in concentric arrangement with respect to the rim of the carrying wheel.

The cam or operating wheel 23 has the notches 2 1 provided around the outer peripheries thereof and similar notches 25 are spaced to be radially opposite around the inner circumference of the operating wheel 23. As better illustrated in Fig. 9, the notches 2 1 and 25 of the operating wheel 23 are made sharp on their forward edge and the rear edge of each notch is made on an incline to provide a not-too-sharp ascent to the inner and outer circumferential edges of the operating wheel. Adjacent each pair of the radially alined notches 24: and 25, a leaf-holding finger. 26 is mounted on the lower side of the operating wheel, and each of these leaf-holding fingers 26 is grooved vertically along its forward side as at 27 so that the stem of the leaves or the stock of the plant will be received therein in the relation illustrated in Fig. 11. Each of the leaf-holding fingers 26 has a notch 28 formed adjacent the lower end thereof and these notches are so positioned that a continuous notch is presented around the entire outer circumference of the spaced leaf-holding fingers and the notches, again referring to Fig. 511 are extended past the center of the vertical groove 27 The skeleton-supporting bracket 29 is secured to the carrying arm 6 to extend toward the stud shaft 17 and a skeleton bracket 30 is mounted on the lower end of the stud shaft 17 and is held at a point adjacent the disposition of the bracket 29 by the tightening of the clamp bolt 31 to draw the clamp member 32 of the bracket tight r around the stud shaft.

In the operation of my improved machine, it is the intention that a curved piercing needle 33, the structure of which is better disclosed in Fig. 1 1 be held adjacent the brackets 29 and 30 to move through the notches 28 of the holding fingers 26 at the approximate center of the longitudinal groove 27 and to thus pierce the stems or stock of the leaves or plants to be threaded thereon, the relative disposition of the needle with respect to the holding fingers being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 13. While it is desired to maintain the needle in a stationary position, it will be understood that the movement of the carrying wheel 18 causes a rotary motion to be transmitted to the operating wheel 23 and by reason of the fact that the holding fingers 26 depend from this operating wheel and that the plate in which the needle is held is above the lowest point of projection of these fingers 26, some means must be provided which will hold the needle and which will at the same time step over the holding fingers to permit their passage. To accomplish this holding of the piercing needle and to permit the overstepping movement to allow the passage of the leaf-holding fingers, the bearing members 34 and 35 which are substantially duplicates are mounted on the adjacent ends of the bracket members 29 and 30, it being preferable that four or more of these bearing members be located on each of the bracket members and that they be placed to have the bearings thereof in radial alinement with respect to the stud shaft 17. The operating bolts 36 and 37 are slidably mounted in the upper bearing 38 of each of the bearing members 3a and 35, the construction of which is shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, and these operating bolts have the outer ends thereof beveled at 39 to substantially the same angle as the bevel edge of the notches 2 1 and 25 of the operating wheel 23. The anchoring bolts 4L0 and 41 are slidably mounted in the bearing 42 provided preferably vertically beneath the slide bearing 38 of the bearing members 31 and 35, and the springs 43 are received around the anchor bolts l0 and 4-1 to engage at the one end against the abutment pin 44 and at the opposite end against apart of the bearing members so that these bolts will be normally retracted onto the supporting brackets 29 and 30.

The pins or friction rolls 4-5 and 416 are mounted on the inner edge of the operating bolt 36 and the anchor bolt 40 to extend from one side thereof and a rocking lever 17 is pivoted near its approximate center to the bearing members to engage with these pins 45 and 46 so that as the anchor bolt 10 is moved to its retracted position by the tension of the spring 43, the engagement of the pin 46 wit-h the rocking lever 4-7 will causethefree; end of the rocking lever to engage; with the pins 45 and will. extend 'the operatingbolt-36torbear against, the inner circumference; of the; operating; wheel 23-. The/pins 18; and 4.9: are mountedion; thegoperatingubolt; 37 and the. anchor bolt 41; carried by the supportingpbracket: 2.9; and the rocking lever 50 1 51 pivoted to; the; bearing mem ber. 35 v to; engage Witheacln of the pins. 48 and 419-: and as j has beeni hereinbefore set forth through the; tension; of" the spring 13 tohold. the. operating-bolt 37 in engagement with. the; outer periphery: of; the operating wheel 23...

The, operating bolts. 36 and; 37. are.v disposed to lie. inthe same. horizontal plane with the operating wheel 23; and the anchor boltsAtO and 41 aredisposeddn a, plane with the normally held position of the piercing needle 3.3 which is adapted to work, in the notches 28- Ofmilhe leaf, holding fingers 26. This piercing; needle 33 is provided along its extent, with; a. plurality of perforations 51 and, anchoring pins; 52 are: carried on the endvofl. thev anchoring bolt 41 mounted on the supporting bracket 49; to; be engaged through these perforations 51. and to pass intotheipin socket 53rofr the bolt member 40, this part, of, the structure being better disclosed iniFig. 13.

As the operating bolts 36and: 37 are held by the spring; tension against-the inner and outer circumferential-edgesiof the operating wheel 23,, it wilLbe; seen that as thev notches 24:. and; 25 come into alinement. with these bolts, the;bo.lts will be forced or moved into the notches and then as the, bolts are, retainedina stationary position: and the operating wheel=23 is caused to move in a constant,patlnthe bevel faces 32 of the bolts 36 and 37, will. engage withand ride up: on the-bevel. edgesvofz thenotches 251- and 25 and in this way thev anchor bolts 40 and1 41. will be alternately moved. to the position. indicated ate and thatindicated at bin- Fig. 13 where the anchoring pin 52 will be;engagtds-through the perforation. 51 and the anchoring; bolts 4.0; and; 4:1 will be, retracted to a. position. to'permit'thepassage of the leaf-holding fingersi 261therebetiveen. The operation of, the machineisas follows; The string or cordE 5 1 wi h. one end thereof looped is placed to extend as illustrated in Fig. 5 through each; Of-tl16; grooves of. the

several leaf-holding fingers 26' and; the

loopechend. is. inserted; ovenwthe; hook; end 55 of the 1 piercing. needle .33 which is held by. two of. the anchoringpins being passed iIlH'OlZghrlLhG, perforations thereof the; operator then sits adjacent, the-projecting I portionsiof the base members L-of, the machine and: is, thus in' proXimit-ytto the point at whiolgr ,the.-pie.rcing; end. ofthe needle 33 .is penetrated through the leaves.- or stalks, then the. clutch lever is shifted to a. position,- to

staritlthe rotation of the carrying wheel 18, the operator. places a leaf or plant with the stem .orstock. in the vertical grooves 27 of the; lea-frholding fingers 26 just in advance of the piercing point of the needle 33 and the; rotation'of theoperating wheel 23 from which thefingers 26 depend causes these fingers to be carried so that the needle will penetrate through. the stem or stock of the leaf or plant and will pass through the notch 28.- of the finger. As the operating bolts and, 37 move into and are raised from thenotches 2 1 and 25 of the operating wheel-23, the anchoring bolts 10 and 41 are shiftedin their bearings in an opposite direction and the anchoring pin 52 will be alternately engaged through and disengaged from the Lmrforations 51 of the needle 33 and; the movement of the anchoring bolts idandlisso timed that the bolts will be retracted from their engaging position just in advance of each ofthe holding fingers 26 and will beagain permitted to come to the engaged or holding position immediately behind these fingers. as they move in the operative path. When this operation has been continued throughout one complete revolution of the carrying wheel 18, the clutclr shifting lever 21 will be operated to permit the pulley 15 to run loose on the shaft 16 and thus cut ed the power to the bevel gear 19 and stop the rotation of the carrying wheel 18,.the string or cord 5 1 will be-unlooped from the hook 55 and can then be disengaged from the notches 28 of the holding fingers .26 and removed to be stretched in the. drying house, the drying shedo-r other suitable point where the curing is toibe. accomplished, a new cord or string will belooped over the hook 55 and inserted ashas beenhereinbefore set forth and the operation of the machine will then be completed, by shifting the clutch into operative relation and by the placing of the leaves or stalks by the operator within the grooves provided therefor in the holding fingers. lVhile it will: be understood that no specific dimensions are intended. to be given here whiclrshmlld be adheredto in the manufacture of the-machine, it has been found that very efficient results can be obtained where the operating wheel is provided with somethirty-two of the holding. fingers and thezneedle isimade to extend through the space occupied by some six of these holding fingers, then. by spacing the parts so that the leaves or plants will be threaded onto the string to be perhaps one and one-half inches apart and using a string of about four feet. in lengtln. a result is accomplished which permits the plants or leaves to be suspended within the drying room to have free circulation of air on all.- sides and to thus prevent mold. of the tobacco or stem rot.

From. the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a machine which requires but a single operator and which is so cona determined distance apart and which opera- 7 tion requires but a single handling by the operator of the leaves or plants. Further it will be seen that the needle will be held in a stationary position while the remaining parts of the machine are permitted to have traveling movement and that the needle will be pierced through the center of the stemor stalk to thusgive the greatest holding strength.

While I have herein shown and described one specific. form of my invention, it will be understood that slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts of the structure without departing from the spirit and scopeof my in vention, and hence I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim I r 1; A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a piercing needle, rotating means to carry the leaves or plants to a position to be pierced by said needle, and means to hold the piercing needle against endwise and lateral displacement, and at the same time to be mechanically operated to overstep the carrying means as the leaves are threaded onto the needle. 7

2. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a penetrating needle, a string connected with said needle, means to cause the leaves or plants to be pierced by said needle and strung onto said string, and mechanically operated means to engage with and hold the penetrating needle against lateral and endwise displacement, and arranged to be moved from the engagement to overstep the leaves as threaded onto the needle.

3. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising penetrating needle adapted to movement while the needle is maintained at a fixed point. 7

' 4. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising means by which each of the leaves or plants is to be impaled, a plurality of holding means to receive the leaves or plants successively, rotatable means to carry said holding means and to bring said means to an operative relation, and mechanically operated means to engage with said impaling means to support the same against lateral and endwise displacement and to move to the inoperative relation in the proper intervals to overstep the holding means as the leaves or plants are carried onto the impaling means.

5. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising means by which each of the leaves or plants is to be impaled, a plurality of holding means to receive the leaves or plants successively, rotatable means to carry said holding means and to bring said means to an operative relation, means within the control of the operator to cause a turning motion to be transmitted to said rotatable means, and mechanically operated means mounted to engage with said impaling means to hold the same against lateral and endwise displacement and arranged to be brought to an inoperative relation through its own anechanical means in advance of the holding means to overstep the same.

6. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising means by which each of the leaves or plants is to be impaled, an operating wheel adapted to have rotary movement, a plurality of holding lingers mounted to depend from said operating wheel to successively receive the leaves or plants and to be moved to an operative relation upon turning movement of the operating wheel, movable means to be engaged with said im paling means to hold the same against lateral and endwise displacement, and means deriving operative movement from the means rotating the operating wheel to cause said last named means to have overstepping movement to clear the holding fingers.

7 A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a penetrating needle adapted to have a string attached thereto to receive the leaves or plants and have the same held at spaced apart points throughout the length thereof,

means to cause the leaves or plants to be it penetrated by the needle and to carry the same to the desired points throughout the length of the strmg, and means to engage with said penetrating needle to hold the same against lateral and endwise displacement and to be mechanically actuated to overstep the means by which the leaves or plants are carried.

8. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising an operating wheel mounted to be T capable of rotatable movement, a penetrating needle mounted adjacent the path of rotation of said operating wheel, a plurality of holding fingers connected to depend from said operating wheel and provided with notches therein through which the needle may pass during the rotation of said wheel, means engaging with said penetrating needle to hold the same against endwise and lateral displacement, and mechanical operating means to throw said needle holding means out of operation at predetermined intervals to overstep the holding fingers.

9. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising an operating wheel mounted to be capable of rotatable movement, a penetrating needle mounted adjacent the path of rotation of said operating wheel, a plurality of holding fingers connected to depend from said operating wheel and provided with notches therein through which the needle may pass during the rotation of said wheel, all of said parts so arranged that the leaves or plants may be fed successively to said holding fingers and upon rotation of the operating wheel will be penetrated by and threaded over said needle, means to engage with and hold said penetrating needle against lateral and endwise displacement, mechanical means for disengaging the holding means and causing the same to overstep the holding fingers as the wheel is rotated, and means within the control of the operator to cause a rotary motion to be transmitted to said operating wheel to impel said wheel through its normal operative path.

10. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising an operating wheel mounted to be capable of rotatable movement, a penetrating needle mounted adjacent the path of rotation of said operating wheel, a plurality of holding fingers connected to depend from said operating wheel and provided with notches therein through which the needle may pass during the rotation of said wheel, all of said parts so arranged that the leaves or plants may be fed successively to said holding fingers and upon rotation of the op erating wheel will be penetrated by and threaded over said needle, a string connected with said needle to be received within the notches of the holding fingers and adapted to have the leaves or plants threaded thereonto and spaced apart at predetermined and equi-distant points, said penetrating needle provided with openings through the body portion thereof, means to be engaged in said openings to hold the needle against lateral and endwise displacement, and means to cause said holding means to be moved from the engaged relation to overstep the holding fingers.

11. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a carrying arm mounted on a suitable support, rotatable means supported by said carrying arm, a penetrating needle, a plurality of holding fingers connected with said rotatable means to receive the leaves or plants to be operated upon, means to hold the penetrating needle at a point within the path of travel of said holding fingers, cam means carried by said rotatable means to cause the needle holding means to be brought alternately into and out of operative relation to overstep the holding fingers, and driving means within the control of the operator to cause movement to be trans mittted to said rotatable means.

12. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a carrying arm mounted on a suitable support, rotatable means journaled upon said carrying arm, a penetrating needle, a plurality of holding fingers connected with said rotatable means to receive the leaves or plants to be operated upon and provided with notches near their lower extremities, means to hold the penetrating needle at a point within said notches to' penetrate the stems or stalks of said leaves or plants, 'a string connected with said needle to have the leaves or plants threaded thereonto, and means to be actuated by the movement of said rotatable means to cause the needleholding means to overstep the holding fingers and the leaves or plants as threaded onto the needle.

13. A machine for stringing tobacco comprising a carrying arm mounted on a suitable support, a carrying wheel rotatably mounted on said carrying arm, a penetrating needle, an operating wheel connected with said carrying wheel, a plurality of holding fingers connected to depend from said operating Wheel to receive the leaves or plants to be operated upon and provided with notches adjacent their lower extremities, a plurality of holding means to when in an operative position engage with and hold the needle within the notches of the holding finger in a position to penetrate through the leaves or plants carried therein, and means actuated frlom said operating wheel to cause said holding means to be brought into and out of an operative relation in a step-by-step movement to permit the holding means to overstep the holding fingers and the leaves or plants as threaded onto the needle and to maintain the needle always in the stationary fixed relation.

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

FRED J. SALZER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS SPEAKMAN, JoI-IN ZIEGLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

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