US1571537A - Tobacco-leaf-stemming machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,537

F. l-a. BEROLD A TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 2 1926.

F.H.BEROLD TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING MACHINE 2 sheets-Sheet a Filed Jan. 30, 1922 Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

Unirse STATES FREDERICK H. BEROLD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TOBACCO-LEAF-STEMMING MIACHINE.

Application filed January 30, 1922. Serial No. 532,738.

To @ZZ 107mm t muy concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK H. Bnnonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of (Ehio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tobacco-Leafttennning Machines, of which the follow* ingI is a specification.

My invention relates to tobacco leaf stemming machines and has for its object the provision of novel means whereby the tobacco leaves are fed to the stemming devices and are straightened during such feeding action.

t is the object of my invention further to provide a series of rotary devices acting on the tobacco leaves in sequence in novel manner at relatively different speeds for feeding' the leaves, advancing the same to stemming devices, and straightening the leaves acted on by thel stemming devices for causing the leaves to pass through the stemming devices arranged in substantial parallelism with their paths of travel; further, to provide novel means whereby to draw the stems rapidly between the stemming devices to free the webs from the stems; further, to provide novel draw roll devices; further, to provide novel means for changing the direction of travel of the stripped webs; and, further, to provide novel means for cleaning the stripped stems.

rlhe invention will be further readily un-` derstood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l represents a perspective view of a machine in which my inventionis embodied, parts being partly broken away for better illustration of the remaining parts.

Fig. 2 is a rear side elevation of the driving` `i'nechanisin for rotating the rolls.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same; and,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the axes of the stripper rolls on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

An infeeding apron l1 is stretched over drums l2 and 13. The drum l2 is fixed to. a shaft 14 journaled in bearings l5 at its respective ends, supported on the main frame 1G of the machine, and suitably driven, for ins-tance by a pulley 17 about which a driving belt` 18 is received. .The

infeeding apron forms an upper onbearing stretch 2l on which the tobacco leaves are placed, preferably with their butt ends in advance, the onfeeding stretch moving in the direction of the arrow associated therewith.

The drum 13 is fixed to a shaft 22 journaled in bearings 23, of standards 24, eX- tending upwardly from the main frame.

A brush roll hasits periphery. provided with suitable bristles 26, preferably extending radially therefrom, these bristles being flexible and resilient and arranged to act upon the tobacco leaves for straightening the same and the webs thereof, and arranging the same. parallel with the direction of travel of the onbearing stretch 2l. This .roll is fixed to a shaft 27, journaled in bearing-blocks 28, slidable in guide-yokes 29, of the'stancards 24, and adjustable up and down therein by means of set-bolts and 3l, threaded in threaded holes in the standard and arranged to contact the upper and lower faces respectively of the bearingbloclrs.

A gear is fixed to the shaft 22 and meshes with a gear 36 fixed to the shaft 27 therealoove. These gears are shown of similar diameters for rotating the brush roll and the apron with which it coacts with equal speeds of surface movements in the directions of the arrows associated therewith.

The tobacco leaves are advanced by the brush roll and its coacting apron to a pair of stripping rolls 41, 42, which respectively are provided with teeth 43, 44.

rlChe lower roll 41 is fixed to a shaft 45 journaled in bearings 46, of standards 47, extending upwardly from the main frame. The upper roll`4l is fixed toa shaft 48, journaled in bearing-blocks 49 at its respective ends, which are slidable up and down in guide-yokes 50, on the standards 47,

and adjustable therein by means of set-bolts 5l, 52, threaded in threaded holes in said yolres and engaging the bearing-blocks for adjusting the same up and down, whereby the distance between the rolls 41, 42, is adjusted.V These rolls are driven in the directions of the arrows associated therewith, similar to the directions of rotation of the brush-roll 25 and the drum 13 thereunder, the stripping rolls having, however, a peripheral speed imparted thereto substantially greater than the peripheral speed of said brush-roll and drum.

Thus a pinion 55 meshes with the gear 35, and is journaled on a stud-shaft 56 fixed to the main frame. The pinion 55 in turn meshes with a pinion 57, fixed to the shaft 45 0f the lower stripping roll 4t2. A gear 58 is also fixed to said shaft and meshes with a gear 59 fixed to the shaft 48 of the upper stripping roll.

The teeth of the upper stripping roll and the teeth of the lower stripping roll are arranged in relatively staggered relation, as indicated in Fig. 4, to form spaces 6l therebetween. in which the central stems'of the tobacco leaves are arranged to be received and grasped for advancing the same. The teeth act upon the webs of said leaves resistingly when a` movement is imparted to the stems which is faster than the peripheral speeds of said stripping rolls.

The teeth are arranged in series side by side on said strippingrrolls and preferably incline toward their outer ends retreatingly with relation to their directions of rotation, as clearly seen in Fig. l.v The teeth are separated radially by spaces 64, and have circumferential grooves 65 between them, and are arranged in staggered relation for acting properly upon the leaves for stripping the same. This arrangement of the teeth, however, has a tendency to cause the stems to bend laterally from one circumferential groove to the next, which would result in arranging the leaves with their stems curving lengthwise of the stripping rolls.

In order to counteract such tendency and maintain the stems of the tobacco leaves in parallelism with their paths of travel, I provide the brush-roll coacting with the onfeeding device, acting retardingly on the leaves when the stems thereof have been grasped by the stripping rolls. The strippingrolls impart substantially greater speeds of travel to the leaves than that imparted by the onfeeding mechanism and brush-roll, although the directions of rotation of the brush-roll and stripping rolls are preferably the same, so that the brush-roll acts retardingly or with a resisting pull upon the tobacco leaves being advanced by the stripping rolls.

The tobacco leaves are next advanced, preferably with the butt ends of their stems in advanced positions, to a pair of draw rolls 68, 69, which are driven at higher peripheral speeds than the peripheral speeds of the stripping rolls.

The draw roll 69 comprises a hollow cylinder 7l, the cylindrical wall of which is provided with perforations 72. The cylindrical wall is fixed to preferably imperforate end disks 73 fixed to trunnions 7 l, 75, journaled in bearings 77 of standards 78, extending upwardly'from the main frame. The

trunnion is preferably a hollow stud, the bore whereby communicates with the interior of the cylinder andthe inner ends of the perfo-rations 72, and is at its outer end connected by a coupling 79, in which the hollow stud rotates,'with a suction-pipe 80, communicating with a suitable suction device, for instance a suction blower 8l, for creating suction in the interior of the cylinder.

The webs of the tobacco leaves which have been stripped from the stems by the stripping rolls, are passed, by their impetus and the suction of the suction roll, between the draw rolls 68, 69, the suction of the suction roll causing the 'stripped webs to follow the rotation of the suction roll, for separating the webs from the stems, and changing the direction of travel of the webs.

A cover-plate 82, shown of are form, covers a substantial part of the forward portion of the perforated draw roll, to close the apertures at the forward portion of the roll in order to prevent waste of suction and avoid the drawing down of the tobacco leaves out of their horizontal paths while advancing toward the draw rolls.

A scraper blade has a scraping edge which coacts with the periphery of the perforated draw roll for stripping the webs of tobacco on said perforated draw rollfrom the same and directing the same to a receptacle 86. The scraper is provided with bearings 87 about a cross-rod 88 fixed in the main frame. The scraper is ladjustable on said cross-rod toward and from the perforated roll, and held in adj usted positions, for instance by means of set-bolts 89. The scraper is continued as a downwardly projecting deflector for directing the tobacco stripped from the perforated draw roll into the receptacle 86.

The coacting draw roll 68 comprises a perphery of yielding and preferably resilient material, for instance in the form of a cylinder 91 of rubber, leather or other suitable substance, stretched about the body 92 of said roll. The said roll has a shaft 95 journaled in bearing-blocks 96, adjustable up and down in guide-yokes 97 on the standards 78, by means of set-bolts 98, 99, having treaded connection in said yokes and contacting said bearing-blocks.

Any small particles of the webs of the tobacco which pass through the perforations 72 are drawn by the suction through the suction-pipe 8() and suction blower 81 and discharged by the latter into a suitable receptacle 100.

The coacting draw rolls 68, 69, are rotated in relatively opposite directions for causing the proximate portions of their peripheries -to travel in the same general direction, corresponding to the direction of travel of the tobacco leaves, but at peripheral speeds substantially greater than the peripheral speeds of the stripping rolls 41, 4t2, so as to draw the stems therethrough and through the stripping rolls at greatly increased speed with relation to the peripheral speed of the stripping rolls, so that the teeth of the stripping rolls will hold the webs of the leaves while the stems are being thus quickly drawn therefrom to strip the stems away from the webs. The webs then advance between the draw rolls and drop at the outfeeding side of the draw roll into the receptacle 86, being carried about the suc-` tion roll and scraped from the suction roll by the scraper 85.

A pinion 105 meshes with the gear 58 and is journaled on a stud 106, fixed in a bearing 107 of a bracket 108 secured to the main frame. The pinion 105 meshes with a pinion 109 fixed. to the trunnion 74 of the lower draw roll. A gear 110 is also fixed to this trunnion and meshes with a gear 111 fixed to the shaft 95 of the upper draw roll.

The tobacco stems which have thus been substantially stripped of their webs are next advanced to a cleaning device. They are advanced by the draw rolls 68, 69, upon and across a shelf 115, supported on the main frame in substantially the horizontal plane of the upper portion of the lower draw roll, being advanced to a second pair of draw rolls 116, 117 rotatable in the directions of the arrows applied thereto. The rear edge of the shelf is spaced from the suction rell toprovide a space 118 between the suction roll 117 and said shelf through which the stripped webs pass to the receptacle 86. This rear edge of the shelf is also preferably bent downwardly, as-shown at, 119, to direct the Stems upon the shelf.

T ie second series of draw rolls are respectively fixed to shafts 121, 122. The shaft 122'is supported in bearings similar to the lower bearings of the preceding lower rolls, in a standard 123 at each side of the machine. The shaft 121 of the upper draw roll 116 is journaled in bearing blocks similar to the bearing blocks of the preceding upper rolls, slidable in similar yolres, and adjustable up and down in said yolres by similar set-screws, one of the upper ones 124C of which is shown.

The draw rolls 116, 117, preferably rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speeds of the draw rolls G8, 69. Thus a pinion 127 is rotatable on a stud 12S .fixed to the main frame, and is meshed by the gear 110 and in turn meshes with a gear 129 fixed to the shaft 122. A second gear 130 is fixed to the saine shaft and meshes with a gear 131 fixed to the shaft 121.

The second series of draw rolls also preferably act as retardiug rolls, acting retardingly on the stems when gripped by the outfeeding rolls hereinafter described, in such manner as to hold the stems in stretched relation when passing through the cleaning device to be presently described. The upper roll 116 is therefore preferably a brush roll similar to the brush roll 25, having flexible and resilient bristles 132 extending radially from the body of the roll.

The substantially stripped tobacco stems are next advanced from the draw rolls 116, 117, to cleaning rolls 135, 136, rotating in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows thereon, so that the proximate portions of their peripheries rotate in the general direction of travel ofthe tobacco leaves. These cleaning rolls are preferably brush rolls, formed with brushing wires 137 extending outwardly from the bodies 138 of said rolls. The lower cleaning roll is .fixed to a shaft 1411, the ends of which are journaled in bearings similar to the bearings of the preceding lower rolls, in similar standards extending upwardly from the main frame.

The upper cleaning roll is fixed to a shaft 111-2, the respective ends of which are journaled in bearing blocks similar to the bearing blocks of the shafts of the preceding upper rolls, the bearing blocks being adjustable up and down in guide-yolres similarA to the guide-yokes previously described, mounted on said standards. One of these guide-yohes for the upper cleaning roll is shown at 143. The bearing blocks for the upper cleaning roll are adjustable up and down in the guide-yokes by set-screws similar to the set-screws for adjustments of the preceding guide-blocks. One of these setscrews isshown at 1114.

The cleaning rolls preferably rotate with peripheral speeds substantially greater than the peripheral speeds of the draw rolls 116, 117. Thus a pinion 1-16 meshes with the gear 129, and is journaled on a stud 1117 fixed in a bearing 148 of a bracket 1119 secured to the main frame. This pinion meshes with a pinion 150 fixed to the shaft 14,1 of the-lower cleaning' roll. A gear 152 is fixed to said shaft. The gear 152 meshes with a gear 153 fixed to the shaft of the upper cleaning roll.

The cleaned tobacco stems are advanced from the cleaning rolls to a pair of out-feeding' draw rolls 156, 157, which are similar to the draw rolls 116, 117, an( similarly mounted and adjustable. The draw rolls 117, 156, 157, preferably have jiiei'ipheries which are somewhat resilient and flexible, as of rubber, leather or the like. The dra-w rolls 1,66, 157, are rotated preferably with 161 meshes with a gear 165 fixed to the shaft 166 of the lower draw roll 15,7. 'A second gear 167 is fixed to said shaft and meshes with a gear 168 fixed to the shaft 169 of the upper' draw roll 156.

The cleaning rolls preferably operate in achamber 172, which comprises hood 173 and a hopper 1711, from which latter a suetion pipe 17 5 leads. rlShe suction pipe has connection with a suitable source of suction, as a suction blower S1, for drawing the portions of webs and particles of tobacco cleaned from the stems by -the cleaning rolle s away from the cleaning rollers and 'for preventf ing waste and ditl'usion thereof. r1`he suetion device may, if desired, be the same suction blower which acts on the suction pipe 8O connecting with the perforated draw roll, the latter being shown connecting with the suction pipe 175 by a coupling 176. rEhe portions of the webs and particles of tobacco received through the suction pipes may pass to the receptacle 100. Y

The suction chamber is provided with a mouth 1S() through which the substantially cleaned tobacco stems are-advanced by the draw rolls 116, 117, into the suction chamber, for being received on the advancing and rising periphery of thel lower cleaning roll. The suction chamber is also provided with an out-'feeding mouth 181, through which the cleaned tobacco stems are advanced by the out-feeding draw rolls upon a shelf 182, from which the cleaned tobacco stems are received into a receptacle 183.

Explaining the yoperation of my improved device, the tobacco leaves are placed upon the onbearing stretch 21 o'tl the iii-feeding apron, in spread bunches, preferably with the butt ends of their stems in advanced position. rIhe supporting stretch of the apron moves in the direction of the arrow indicated thereon. r1`he tobacco leaves are next received between the end of the supporting stretch of the apron and the retarding roll 25 thereabove, and advanced thereby to the stripping rolls 41, 4t2. The stems of the tobacco leaves are received between the outer ends of the teeth of one of the stripping rolls and the bottoms of the groovesbetween the teeth of the other stripping roll for kgrasping the stems.

These stripping rolls rotate at substantially greater speed than the speeds of rotation of the retarding rolls, the Veffect of which is that as soon as the stems are `grasped by the stripping rolls they are pulled rapidly from between the out-feeding end of the supporting stretch of the apron andthe retarding roll, which thereby act upon `the tobacco leaves to arrange and maintain them parallel with their paths of travel between -the rolls, for being properly received between the stripping rolls.

The advancing ends of the tobacco leaves are next received between the first set of draw rolls 68, 69, which act to pull upon the stems of the tobacco leaves with substantially greater speed than the advancing speed of the teeth which have grasped the webs of the leaves, the effect being that the stems are pulled quickly and with stripping etfec' away from the webs, the webs being retained by the teeth. This action strips 'the greater portion of the webs from the stems. rlhe webs thus stripped pass by their momentum and the suction of the suction roll between vthe draw rolls and into the 'receptacle therebelow.

The substantially stripped stems are next received between the draw rolls 116, 117, having peripheral speeds greater than the peripheral speeds of the i'i'nn'iediately preceding draw rolls.v The stems are next advanced into the cleaning chamber, wherein they are attacked by the cleaning rolls which rotate at materially greater peripheral speeds than the peripheral speeds of the immediately preceding draw rolls. These draw rolls act similarly to 'the preceding draw rolls upon the stems for maintaining the stems parallel with their paths of travel. The cleaning rolls act on the stems, retarded by the last preceding -draw rolls, with a brushing eii'ect, to clean any ren'iainiug. portions of webs therefrom.

The 'advanced ends of the stems are next received between the out-feeding draw rolls which, with the next preceding draw rolls, maintain the stems in stretched relation while being acted on by the cleaning rolls. The out-feeding draw'rolls preferably rotate with slightly greater peripheral speeds than the peripheral speeds of the cleaning brushes 135, 136, for maintaining the stems in stretched relation. The stripped stems pass through the out-feeding draw rolls into a suitable receptacle.

My improved device acts upon the tobacco leaves to arrange the sam-e into proper stripping condition, straightens the same similar to handoperation upon the leaves, permits large quantities of leaves to be simultaneously stripped, separates the greater portions of the webs from the stems in integral parts with minimum injury to the webs, and finally cleans the stems of all remaining particles of webs, in a continuous passage ot the leaves and stems thro-ugh the device, and provides an exceptionally economical and rapidly operating device which safeguards whole condition of the webs to material extent.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of means comprising opposite toothed rolls having transverse and circumferential tooth-spaces between the teeth thereof, with the teeth of one roll arranged in staggered relation to the teeth on the opposite roll, and arranged to bend the stems laterally1 in gripping the same between them, in order to advance a leaf to be stemmed, and moving brushing means acting with retarding effect to straighten the leaf.

2. In a. tobacco stemming machine, the

combination of stripping devices, and draw rolls acting to draw the stems between said stripping devices to strip said stems, said draw rolls comprising a suction roll acting on the stripped webs of the tobaccoleaves to change the direction of travel of said webs.

3. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of draw rolls comprising a suction roll acting on the stripped webs ot tobacco leaves to change the direction oi: travel of said webs. v

4. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of draw rolls comprising a suction roll acting on the stripped webs of tobacco leaves to change the direction of travel of said webs, and a scraper to disengage said webs from said suction roll.l

5. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of draw rolls comprising a suction roll having suction perforations acting on the stripped webs of tobacco leaves to change the direction of trav-el of said webs and for passing th-e finer particles of tobacco throughsaid perforations and out or' said suction roll, and means for scraping said suction roll.

G. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of draw rolls comprising a suction roll arranged for receiving stripped stems and the webs of tobacco stripped from said stems between them, and lmeans for continuing said stems in their direction of movement, and the suction of said suction roll acting on said webs to change the direction of travel of said webs.

7. In a tobaccov stemming machine, the combination of stripping devices, draw rolls acting to draw the stems between said strippino` devices to strip said stems, said draw rolls comprising` a suction roll, and a shield between said stripping devices and said snction roll., the suction of said suction roll acting to draw thestripped webs of the tobacco leaves past said shield.

8. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of stripping devices, draw rolls acting to draw the stem between said stripping devices t strip said stems, said draw rolls comprising a suction roll, and. a shield between said stripping` devices and said suction roll, the suction of said suction roll acting to draw the stripped webs past said shield in given direction and to move the stripped webs site the ,rotation 0f sie tion roll to change the direction of travel of said webs. f

9. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination ot stripping` devices, a suction roll, a shield between said stripping devices and said suction roll, the suction of said suction roll drawing the stripped webs or the ltobacco leaves past said shield in a given direction and moving said webs with the rotation of said suction roll to change the direction of travel oi said webs, and means to disengage said webs from said suction roll.

l0. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of stripping devices, a suction roll, the suction of said suction roll drawing the stripped webs ot the tobacco leaves about said suction roll to change the direction oi travel of said webs, and means for separating said webs from said suction roll.

1l. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of means to advance tobacco leaves to be stemmed, retarding means acting on the leaves to straighten 'the leaves for said advancing means,y said advancing means comprising strippingdevices embracing opposed teeth staggeringly arranged acting on the webs of the tobacco leaves, and drawing means to draw the stems of said tobacco leaves faster thanthe action on said webs by said stripping devices. v i 12. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of means to advance tobacco leaves to be stemmed, retarding` means acting on the leaves to straighten the leaves for said advancing means, said advancing means comprising stripping devices acting on the webs of the tobacco leaves, and drawing means to draw the stems of said tobacco leaves faster than the action on said webs by sai-d Astripping devices', said drawing means comprising a. suction device to change the direction of movement oi said webs.

13. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of a traveling apron lor receiving tobacco leaves thereon, rotating brushing means acting with said traveling` apron to advance said tobacco leaves, rotatingstripping devices comprising opposingly acting teeth relatively staggeringly arranged to retard the travel of the webs of the tobacco leaves androtating at lgreater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said rotating brushing means whereby said rotating brushing means act retardinglv on said tobacco leaves to straighten the saine for said rotating stripping devices, and rotating drawing rolls rotating at greater peripheral speeds than the peripl1- eral speeds of said rotating stripping devices arranged to grasp the stems of said leaves and'thereby pull them from the webs of said leaves retarded by said, rotating .Stripping sevices `brus`hing means acting with said traveling apron to advance said tobacco leaves, rotating strippingdevices rotating at greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed ot said rotating brushing means whereby said rotating brushing means act retardingly on said tobacco leaves contacted thereby and being advanced'by said rotating stripping devices to straighten the same for said rotating stripping devices, and rotating drawing rolls rotating` at greater peripheral speeds than the peripheral speeds of said rotating stripping devices arranged to grasp the stems ot said leaves and thereby pull them trom the webs of said leaves relatively retarded by said rotating stripping devices, said drawing 'rolls including a suction roll for holding the stripped Webs toward it for changing the direction ot `travel of said stripped webs.

l5. In a device of the character described, the combination of tobacco stem cleaning means, tobacco stem stripping means in rear ot said .tobacco stem cleaning means and tobacco stem draw rolls in advance o't said tobacco stem cleaning means and a tobacco stem retarding meansv in rear of said tobacco stem cleaning` `means Ito stretch the tobacco stems tor said tobacco stem cleaning means between said tobacco stem draw rolls and said tobacco stem retarding means.

1G. 'In a device ot the character described,

the combination ot tobacco stem' cleaning means, `a suction chamber receiving the tobacco cleaned therefrom, and reta-rding.

means acting onthe tobacco stems;

17 In a device ot the character described, the combination ot' a'snction hopper, a. tobacco stem cleaning` roll rotatable therein, and means at the respective sides of said to'- bacco stem cleaning roll stretching the to-A bacco stems across said roll.

1S. In a. device ot the Acharacter described,

the combination of a suction chamber, op-l posed tobacco stem cleaning rollsy rotatable therein, and a retarding brush ro-ll in rear.

of said chamber and draw rrolls in advance o'f said chamber to stretch the tobacco stems held between said brush roll and said draw rolls across said chamber between said opposed tobacco stem cleaning rolls. i

19. In .a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of stemming devices comprising a suction draw roll, tobacco stem cleaning devices in advance ot said suction draw roll and comprising a. retarding brush `roll tor Iretarding the tobacco stems passing through said tobacco stem cleaning devices, the suction-oil:I said suction draw roll drawing the stripped Webs ot the tobacco leaves with it in its revolution to change the direc` tion ot travel ot' said webs, and a shelf bei tween said Suction draw roll and said retarding brush rollof said ftobacco stem cleaning devices for directing the stripped stems of saidtobacco leaves toward said tobacco stem cleaningdevices.

20. In a tobacco stemn'iing machine, the combination of a retarding brush roll acting compressingly upon the tobacco being stripped, a. pair oi" opposed strippingrolls rotating at greater peripheral speeds thanl the peripheral speed of said retarding brush roll, said retarding brush roll acting retardingly on the tobac'co contacted thereby and passing between said opposed stripping rolls, and a pair ot draw rolls in advance-ot said opposed stripping rolls rotating` at greater peripheral speeds ythan the peripheral speeds of said stripping rolls, and means 'for so rotating all said rolls ywith the portions oit their peripheries adjacent to the paths ot the tobacco movingin the same general direction.

2l. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination of a retarding brush roll, a pair otl opposed stripping rolls rotating at greater peripheral speeds than the peripheral speed oil said retarding brush roll, said ret-aiding brush roll acting ietardingly on the tobacco contacted thereby and passing between said opposed stripping rolls, a pair oi draw rolls in advance of said opposed stripping rolls rotating at greater periph' eral speeds vthan the peripheral speeds/,ot said stripping rolls, said 'draw rolls conip'rising a suction roll `for changing'the directionvot movement ot the stripped webs of the tobacco leaves, a second pair ot' draw rolls in. advance of said last-.named draw rolls rotating at greater peripheral speeds than the peripheral speeds of said first In testimony whereof, VI havehereunto signed my name.

FREDERICK Il. BEROLD.

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