US1859965A - Tamper for cigarette machine feeds - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1 932. G. w. GWINN TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MACHINEFEEDS Filed May 27, 1931 ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. CEF

. GEORGE WILBUR GWINN, OF HEWLETT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOAMERICAN MACHIN E i & FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF W JERSEY} r r r TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MAG IEE FEEDS Application filed May 27,

This invention relates to an improvement i 5 homogeneous density on the tobacco feed drum so as to deliver a uniform shower of tobacco to the feed chute suspended over the rod-forming paper strip. The principal feature of this invention comprises .an improved tobacco tamping device which constantly presses the tobacco to the feed drum in uniform density. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the V invention consists in certain constructions 16 and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

The improved tamper consists of a plural- V ity of heavy compactor rings with toothed, fluted or corrugated peripheries which hang loosely side by side on a shaft extending across the entire tobacco hopper and rest on the tobacco, pressing the same by their weight 7 against the revolving tobaccofeed drum, thus assuring a compacted, even layer of tobacco between the pins of said drum, thereby eliminating bare and hollow spots.

The tobacco in the hopper not only tends to form an uneven surface on the feed drum but is of varying density along the same, es-

pecially when the hopper is newly filled; but the weight of the compactor rings compresses the tobacco against the feed drum and thus evens the density so that a uniform layer en- 'ters between the pins of the drum. The internal diameter of the compactor rings is much larger than the shaft upon which they are hung so that no matter how uneven the surface of the tobacco on the feed drum, each portion of the surface receives an equal amount of compression. The supporting shaft of the compactor rings is mounted in two pivoted arms, thus forming a yieldingly mounted support for the compactor rings.

If desired, gears may be provided on the compactor ring supporting shaft, the external teeth of each gear engaging withthe inner surface of one of the compactor rings, which for this purpose are provided with in- 'ternal teeth. The shaft may be driven by 1931. Serial No. 540,429.

suitable means, thereby rotating the rings and producing a positive feed of the tobacco to the picker pins of the feed drum. This vation of a cigarette machine tobacco feed to showing the improvedtamping device, and Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation' on line 22 of Fig. 1.

' In carrying the invention into effect is provided a tobacco feed drum,.a support and a plurality of relatively large compactor rings surrounding the support and urgedb-y gravity toward said drum. In the best forms of construction-contemplated,the support in;

cludes a shaft supported by pivoted arms and provided. with gears having external, teeth meshing with internal teeth on the compactor rings. These various means andparts may bev widely vvaried in construction withinthe. scope ofthe claims for the particular device selected to illustrate the inventionisbut one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be; 7 restricted to .the specific construction shown.

and described. 1 1

The tobacco feed of a continuous rod 'cigarette machine consists of a tobacco hopper 5 in which revolves the carded tobacco feed drum 6 and the carded refuser or. scraper drum 7 both rotating inthe same direction. Feed drum 6 is equipped with picker pins 8 while scra or drum 7 carriesscraper pins, 9.. Pins 8 pic up the tobaccoT in the-hopper 5 and pins 9 scrape the surplus protruding from the pins8, allowing only the tobacco in the pickerrpin spaces to be carried away by the feed drum 6. i I v A shaft 10 placed above feed drum 6 is suspended by arms 11 pivoted onstuds 12 mount-v ed in the side 'framesgl3 of the hopper, the arms 11 resting on stops 14 when the hopper is empty. Shaft 10 carries apulley 15" driven through a belt 16' from a pulley 17 on stud 12 which is connected by'a belt 18 with the main driveof the. machine. Along the entire length of shaft lo withincompactor rings, thus preventing tobacco the hopper 5 are provided gears 19 separated from each other by narrowspacer discs 20. Upon'each of these gears is hung a heavy ring 21 having an internal diameter much larger than the diameter of the gears 19 and provided with internal teeth 22 meshing with the external teeth of the gears 19. When the hopper is filled, the rings 21 rest on the irregular surface of the tobacco on the feed drum, and, owing to their large internal clearance, not only can readily find their level but can go up and down with the tobacco mass which varies during the run of the machine. Thus, each ring bears on the varying tobacco mass with an equal pressure at all times, producing auniformly compacted tobacco layer at the surface of the mass and, since this layer 7 is constantly pressed by the compactor rings into: the. spaces between the pins 8 of the feed drum 6, all the pins of the latter will-pick up equal amounts of tobacco, insuringan even and homogeneous layer on the same.

The spacer discs 20, which guide the movement of the compactor rings, are made large enough to cover the internal clearance of the from" entering the ring holes, and the end discs 23 have a diameter sufficient to cover up the slots 24 provided in the end walls of tobacco chamber 5 to receive the ends of the shaft 10 and permit upward motion of the pivoted arms 11 whenever the mass of tobacco on the feed drum accumulates suificient- 1y to press the comp-actor rings upwardly again'stthe gears 19 on sh'aft'10,

To prevent tobacco ina newly filled hopper from reaching the scraper drum 7 over the tops of thecompactor rings, a revolving rake 25 is provided which extends across the entire width of the hopper.

Since the rotation of the feed drum 6 causes the tobacco mass incontact with it to partake of its motion, the compactor rings, which bear on tlllS moving mass, Wlll also be rotated so that it will ordinarily not be necessary to rotate the same by positive means. Therefore, the gears19 and the driving means 15, 16, 17 and 18 of shaft 10 may be omitted and the compactor rings made with smooth internal surface resting directly on shaft 10, in this manner greatly simplifying the arrangement.

What is claimed is 2 1. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, ofa support arranged above said drum,

drum, of a support yieldinglymounted above saidgdrum, and. a plurality ofrelativelyilarge compactor rings surrounding said support and urged by gravity toward-said drum, said rings being provided with internal teeth, and said support including a shaft and external teeth meshing with said internal teeth.

4. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, of a support yieldingly mounted above said drum, and a plurality of relatively large compactor rings surrounding said support and urged by gravity toward said drum, said support including a. shaft provided with pivoted arms for supporting it.

5. The combination with means for providing a supply of tobacco, of a carded tobacco feed surface passing through the supply, a support arranged above and transversely of said surface, and a row of compactor rings loosely surrounding said support for independent movement by gravity toward the tobacco supply overlying said surface. I i

6. The combination with a tobacco feed drum, of a support arrangedabove said drum, a-plurality of compactor rings loosely 'sur rounding said support for independent move-' ment toward and away from the drum and disks fitting said support between said rings for preventing one of said rings from com m'unicatin said movement to the adjacent rings. v e

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name'to this specification.

GEORGE WILBUR GWiNu;

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