US1347404A - Tobacco-stemming machine - Google Patents

Description

H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHHJE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.191s. RENEWED MM" 12 1919.

jPatented July 20, 1920.

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TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 916- RENEWED MAY l2. 1919. 1,347,404. Patented July 20, 1920.

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fd Ly E H. F. RICHTER. TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I. 1916- RENEWED MAY 12.1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

HANS F. RICHTER, E WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, -To R. J. REYNOLDS 'ToBAcco COMPANY, or WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATIO OF NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO-STEMMING MACHINE.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed July 1, 1916, Serial No. 107,119. Renewed May 12, 1919. Serial No. 296,536.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HANS F. RICHTER, of Winston-Salem, in the county of F orsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented stem gripping and drawing rolls.

certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved tobacco stemming machine having the general characteristics of that disclosed in my companion application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No.

93,952, filed April 27, 1916.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1, is a rear view of so much of the machine as is necessary for an understanding of the present invention. Fig. '2, is a front View. F ig. 3, is a vertical section. Fig. 4, is a detailed cross section in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a cross section through the stationary bearings of the gripping rolls. Fig.

' 6 is a cross section through the leaf conveyer fectively grasp the stems of tobacco leaves,

and feed them transversely. to the travel of the leaves as theyare conveyed by the conveyer belts. In this way, the stem gripping rolls draw the stems from the blades of the leaves which are held and conveyed by the conveyer. This action is fully described A in the aforesaid companion application.

thick, tou'gh stalks enter between the separated tapered ends ofthe stem gripping;

jg,flchoke or injure It occasionally happens that the tobacco leaves have not en separated by the farm'- er from the stalks, of the tobacco plants. In such cases, it sometimes occurs that the rolls C and D and cl the machine. To obvi injuring,- one of the stem 'gripping mounted in a yielding bearing.

in the drawing the lower stem gripping roll D, is rotatabl to such clogging or rolls is s shown ,work T of the machine. mounted at one end in a bearing E. T is hearing E is located and maintained in place in a frame F, having on its front s1de a removable plate G. The

bearing E has a limited vertical movement within the frame which is sufiicient to perengagement of the driving gears H and I.

he bearing E is maintained against endwise movement within the frame Fb means of a fixed pin J, carried by plate ,(x, which enters a vertical slot K, in the bearing E, this slot permitting the vertical movement of the bearing.

The bearing E is maintainedwuplifted by a stifi'sprlng L. This spring. is stiff enough to maintain the lower stem gripping roll D 1n proper working position with respect to the upper stem gripping roll C during the stemming actlon; but it yields under-the excessive strain due to the entrance of stalks between thestem gfipping rolls. As illustrated, the spring 1s of rubber. It is located between plates M and N. A'bolt 0 passes through the said plates and the rubber spring and is secured at its upper end to the bottom of the frame F. The

by a nut P, by means ofwhich also the tension of the spring can be regulated. Between the upper plate M and the bearing E are two pins Q, which rest on plate M, pass through holes in the bottom of the frame F, and bear against the bottom of the bearing spring L is transmitted to the bearing E. This yielding apart of the stem gripping rolls not only prevents injury and in the event of plantstalks entering the rolls but also in case any; hard foreign matter enters between them.

Theouter free ends of thetaperin'g stem gripping rolls are separate and open to permit the introduction of the stems; In order that these ends of the stem gripping rolls may be maintained in proper relatlon to each other without separation-due to the strain of thelwork done, each roll has a cylindrical journal R at its outer end which fits against a' 'curved open thrust bearing S,

which is adjustably mounted on the frame ings S not only prevent the separation of the free ends ofthe stem gripping rolls but D plates M and N, and the spring'L, are maintained in place The thrust bear- ,E. Through these pins the pressure of the clogging also serve as bearings against which the outer ends of the stem gripping rolls rotate. These thrust bearings are open on their facing sides: That is to say, one bearing R, is

above the outer journal of the roller 0, and

the other thrust bearing R, is below the outer journal of the roller D. Hence no part of the thrust bearings interfere with the entrance ofthe stems between the rolls and the thrust bearings can be adjusted after said rolls are mounted in the machine.

A portion of the stem nearthetip end of the bearing for the roll and the knurled or roughened portion. This knife U cooperates with a soft metal anvil V inserted in the lower stem gripping roll D between its knurled portion and its bearlng and so located that. when the knife U is at the bottom of the roll 0 (as shown in Fig. 6) the anvil V is immediately beneath it. Accordingly, when a stem has been fed past the knurled portions of the two stem gripping rolls (as the result of the leaf conveying movements of the conveyer belts) it will be cut off by the conjoint action of the knife U and the anvil V. More than one knife and one anvil may be employed. 4

The nurling or roughening of the rolls is, spirally arranged as illustrated in the drawings so as to have a feeding action on the stems to carry them lengthwise of the rolls concurrently with the Withdrawal of the stems from the leaves in a direction at right angles to the length of the rolls as the result of the gripping action of the rolls.

.,The spiral nurling or roughening of the rolls extends-throughout their gripping surfaces sothat their feeding tendenc continues as long as the gripping action asts.

1. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stem gripping rolls, one of said rolls having a knife and 'the other an opposing anvil for cutting across the stems, said knife and anvil being located at the terminus of the gripping surfaces of the rolls, and a traveling leaf conveyer which feeds the leaves and stems lengthwise of the rolls. and brings the stems into position to be cut by the knife.

2. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stem gripping rolls, one of said rolls having a knife for cutting across the stems, said "knife being located at the terminus of the gripping surfaces of the rolls, and a traveling leaf conveyer which feeds the leaves and stems lengthwise of the rolls and brings the stems into position to be cut by the knife.

- 3. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a traveling leaf conveyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls having knurled or roughened surfaces to enhance their grip upon the stems, the nurling or roughening extending spirally throughout the gripping surfaces of the rolls for the purpose of aiding in feeding the stems lengthwise. of the rolls as the leaves are advanced along the rolls by the conveyer.

L A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stem gripping rolls journaled at their inner ends and having separated and spaced cylindrical ends constituting outer journals for said rolls,

and fixed thrust bearings for said cylindrical ends, said bearings being open on their facing sides. I

5. tobacco stemming machine having rotating gripping rollers geared together, in combination with a movable bearing for one of said rolls, means for limiting the movement of said bearing so as to prevent disengagement of the gears, a frame in which said movable bearing is mounted, a bolt fastened to one wall of said frame, a plate movable on said bolt, pins extending through.

the wall 'ofsaid frame and between said movable plate and said movable bearing, a second plate carried by said bolt in normally fixed position, and a stiff spring surrounding said bolt and interposed between said plates.

In witness whereofI have hereunto signed my name.

HANS F. RICHTER.

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