US1916018A - Leaf-opener for filler-stripping machines - Google Patents

Description

w June 27, 1933. R. E. RUNDELL Er AL 1,916,018

LEAF OPENER FOR FILLER-STRIPPING MACHINES June 27, 1933. R. E. RUNDELL Er A1. 1,916,018

LEAF OPENER Foa FILLsR-STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 24, -1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F IG. 3l /QQ June 27, 1933.

R. E. RUNDELL El' AL LEAF OPENER FOR .FILLER-STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 24, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 S Y S June 27, 1933. R. E. RUNDELL ET A1.

LEAF OPENER FOR FILLER-STRIPPING MACHINES Filed May 24, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 27, 1933 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUPERT E. RUNDELL, OF ROCKVILLE CENTER, AND GUSTAF E. HAGQUIST, OF BROOK- LYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL CIGAR MACHINERY COMPANY,

A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY LEAF-OPENER FOR FILLER-STRIIPPING MACHINES Application ined May a4,

This invention relates to leaf openers for filler stripping or leaf stemming machines, its main object being to provide means for opening or spreading out tobacco leaves used for cigar fillers while the same are being fed to a stemming machine for the removal of their stems. The tobacco leaves before being stemmed are in a more or less curledup or crumpled condition and have to be untwisted and spread out before they are delivered to the stemming machine.

In the present invention, this object is achieved by feeding the leaves in spaced intervals crosswise, by means of a spacing chain, on a number of endless conveyor belts to a point on a table at which the butt end of the leaf is raised out of the spacing chain, gripped by one of a number of grippers supported across a pair of endless chains, and carried lengthwise olf the table into a leaf opener unit into which the leaf is guided by suitable guide rollers and in which its two halves are pulled by suction between pairs of corrugated wheels aligned in the direction of the traveling leaf at both sides 0f the stem thereof, the combination of the suction and the rolling action of the said wheels gently opening the leaf. From the opener unit, the gripper carries the opened leaf over an endless conveyor onto a cam-operated trap which opens after the leaf has been clamped by a cam-operated roller and the gripper has released the same, whereupon the leaf drops onto an inclined conveyor belt at a lower level on which it is carried to a pair of parallel vertical belts which deliver it to the stemming machine of the type described in the copending application of Rupert E. Rundell et al., S. N. 516,789, led Feb. 19, 1931. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or 50 like parts:

1932. Serial No. 613,318.

l is a front elevation of the improved leaf opener;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top View of the delivery end of the feed table and leaf-spacing chain, seen from line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation'of the leaf opener, on line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view of the leaf opener unit taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end view on line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation on line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged top view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged top view of the leaf trap and delivery conveyor, taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 3 and Figs. 10 and 11 are end elevations of one of the leaf grippers, taken on lines 10 10 and 11 11 respectively, showing the gripper in its closed and opened position.

In carrying the invention into eifect there is provided means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism. In the best forms of construction contemplated, the leaf feeding means includes an endless chain pro vided with pockets adapted to receive the stem ends of the tobacco leaves to space the same, and the leaf lifter includes a reciprocating wedge shaped block. In the best form of construction, also, the leaf opener unit includes suction chambers through which the leaves are carried by said mechanism and pairs of corrugated rollers mounted in said chambers on opposite sides of the path of the stems of the leaves carried by said mechanism and rotating in a direction opposite to the movement of the leaves, and the means for forwarding the leaves to a stemming machine includes a downwardly movin conveyor belt, and said mechanism inclu es upwardly moving inclined endless chains, crossbars connectin said chains, grip er fingers 5 pivoted on sai cross-bars, means or causin Asaid fingers to grip the stem of a leaf raise by said lifter, means for causing said fingers to release the leaf when it is in position to be delivered to said conveyor belt, and means for momentarily pressing the leaf against said conveyor at the moment the leaf is released by said fingers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention there is further provided means for untwisting and guiding the leaves while they are bein carried by said mechanism from said li r to said leaf opener unit including a guide roller having a horizontal axis and arranged at the entrance of said unit, a guide fin er forv pressing the leaf on said guide roller, and a pair of relatively yieldable rollers disposed behind said guide roller on vertical axes. These various means and parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular machine selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the leaf opener consists of a frame 12 which supports a table 13 and, on an upwardly inclined portion, a pair of endless chains 14 carrying s''grippers, as hereinafter described, and running at right angles to the long dimension of the table from one end thereof. At spaced distances on table 13 run a number o f endless belts 15 which are guided by pulleys 16 "on shafts 17 and 18 supported by frame 12 and driven through a bevel gear 19 on shaft 18 by a bevel gear 20 on shaft 21. Shafts 17 and 18, near the inward edge of table 13, also carry sprockets 22 over which runs an fendless chain 23 provided with projecting inserts 24 to form pockets for spacing the leaves, the inserts 24 being pivoted at one end on one link and fitting into the alternate links at the other ends. Shaft 21 is supported by bearings of frame 12 and has a sprocket 25 driven by a chain 26 from a sprocket 27 on drive shaft 28. Another sprocket 29 on shaft 21, by means of a chain 30, drives a sprocket 31 on a countershaft 32 which through gears 33 and 34 imparts motion to a cam shaft 35. The drive shaft 28 has a sprocket 36 driven by a chain 37 from a sprocket 38 on the shaft of a motor 39. A sprocket 40 on shaft 28 1s connected by a chain 41 with a sprocket 42 on shaft 43 on which the drive sprockets 44 of the endless chains 14 are mounted, these chains running over sprockets 45 on shaft 46 and carrying between them, at spaced intervals, a number of grippers 47. T e chains 14 are kept taut b tightener sprockets 48 carried by adjustabile arms 49 turnable on studs in frame 12.

A gear 50 on shaft 28 meshes with a gear 51 on a countershaft 52 which by a sprocket 53 and a chain 54 drives a sprocket 55 on a shaft 56 on which is mounted a roller 57 driving belts 58 running over rollers 59, 60 and 61. A sub-frame 62 attached to mai'n frame 12 supports shafts 63 carrying rollers 64 over which runs a conveyor belt 65 driven by a sprocket 66 connected by a chain 67 with a sprocket 68 on shaft 46. Another shaft 69 supported by sub-frame 62 carries a roller 70 over which runs a vertical endless belt 71 guided by rollers72-and 73 turning on shafts supported in brackets of frame 12, the shaft 69 being driven by gears 74 from shaft 56.

On the table portion of frame 12 are supported a cam-operated leaf lifter 75 for raising the butt end of the leaf off the spacing chain 23, and a cam-operated'guide finger 76 for leading the leaf into the opener unit 77'; and on the upwardly inclined portion of frame 12, in addition to the parts already described, are mounted the leaf opener unit 77, cam pieces 78 for opening the leaf grippers to receive the leaves, a cam-operated trap 79 for transferring the opened leaf from the upwardly moving belts 58 to the downwardly moving belts 65, a cam operated presser 8O for temporarily holding the leaf While being transferred and cam pieces 81 for opening the gripper to release the leaf after its transfer.

The leaves L, Fig. 2, are laid by the operator upon the belts 15 on table 13, their stem ends being placed in the pockets formed on the spacer chain 23 by the inserts 24. The latter consist of pairs of converging wooden blocks 24, each pair, except when opened in turning around the sprockets, bridging a number of links of chain 23 and leaving a free link between it and the next pair. The leaves are carried by the belts 15 and the chain 23 in the direction of the arrows shown and when they arrive at the center line of the upright portion of frame 12, are lifted out of the spacer chain openings by the leaf lifter 75 and are gripped by one of the grippers,47 which then is in engagement with the cam pieces 78. The leaf lifter 75, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a wedge shaped block inserted into an opening provided in table 13 and fastened to a rod 82 guided in a bearing 83 of frame 12. The rod 82 is attached to a slotted bar 84 guided by shaft 35 and carries a roller 85 held in engagement with a cam 86 on shaft 35 by means of a spring 87. The grippers 47, Figs. 10 and 11, consist of corrugated fingers attached to levers 88 mounted on pivots 89 in cross-bars 90 carried at equal intervals by the chains 14. The levers 88 are held in tension against stop pins 91 by a compression spring 92 and at their outer ends carry rollers 93. The cams 78 and 81, Figs.

' lever 94 fulcrumed on a shaft 95 supported 10 spring 92 forces the levers 88 back, either against the stem of leaf L in case of cams 78, or against the stops 91, in case of cams 81.

The newly gripped leaf L is carried by the gripper 47 in the direction of the doubleheaded arrow shown in Fig. 2 into the leaf opener unit 77, being guided thereinto by the guide linger or rod 76, Figs. 1 and 3, which is provided with a horizontal and a bent vertical portion, the latter being adjustably attached to one arm of a bell-crank by bracket 96 of frame 12. The other arm 97 of lever 94 carries a tension spring 98 anchored to frame 12 and has pivoted to it a connecting rod 99 the slotted end of which is guided by cam shaft 35. A roller 100 carried by rod 99 is held by the spring 98 in engagement with a cam 101 on shaft 35. When the low spot of cam 101 engages with roller 100, the spring 98 depresses lever 94 and thereby causes the horizontal portion of rod 7 6 to press the leaf against a horizontal roller 102 which guides the leaf into the opener unit 77 and thereby untwists the leaf while it is being drawn into @the opener unit.

The leaf opener unit, Figs. 4 to 7 consists of chambers 77 having their bottoms abutting each other and connected by pipes 103 and 104 to a suitable suction pump or exhaust fan, not shown, and arranged in inclined positions with respect to each other at both sides of the center of the assing leaf L so as to form an opening fior the entrance of the gripper and stem. In each of the chambers 77 revolve a number of pairs of radially corrugated coaxial wheels 105 aligned in the direction of the traveling leaf, the wheels of each pair facing each other with a space for the leaf between them. By means of these radial corrugations the leaf is undulated while it travels between the wheels and thereby caused to permanently retain its outspread condition. In Fig. 4, one of the upper wheels, with its lower face turned up, is shown at 105', and one of the lower wheels, with the upper wheel removed, is shown at 105". The wheels 105 are mounted on shafts 106 supported in upper and lower housings 107, 107 carried by the walls of chambers 77. Spiral gears 108 on shafts 106 mesh with 'spiral gears 109 on shafts 110 on which are mounted gears 111 meshing with gears 112 on shafts 113 projecting into end housings 114 in which they carry bevel gears 115 mesh- 95 ing with bevel gears 116 on shafts 117. The

ends of shafts 117 protruding from the end housings 114 have bevel gears 118 meshing with bevel gear 119 on a shaft 120 supported by brackets 121 of housings 114, the shaft 120 carrying a pulley 122 driven by a belt 123v from a pulley 124 on drive shaft 28. Hinges 125 in alignment with the shafts 113 permit the top housings 107 to be lifted olf the bottom housings 107 for inspection and cleaning of the wheels 105. The leaves L are guided into the chambers 77 by the horizontal roller 102 carried by a bracket 126 attached across the ends of housings 107', and by a pair of vertical rollers 127, provided with a circumferential recess adapted to receive and guide the stem of the leaf, and turning on arms 128 pivoted on a cross-rib of bracket 126 and held against one another or against the entering leaf by compression springs 129 embedded into the sides of bracket 126 when the lingers 47 engage the rollers 126 the arms 128 yield to permit the passage of the fingers 47. After the latter have cleared the rollers 126 the arms 128 swing back and press rollers 126 against the leaf. The fingers 47 then draw the leaf into the chambers 77 where it is spread out by the suction and nndulated by the wheels 105. The combined action of the suction and wheels, furthermore, thoroughly cleans the leaf. On emerging from the chambers 77, the leaf is guided between rollers 130 turning on studs 131 in the walls of the chambers 77 the chambers terminating in surfaces 132 converging toward the emerging leaf so that the suction in the ends of the chambers, which is in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 4 and 5, prevents the leaves opened by the rolling action of the wheels 105 from curling up.

The outspread leaf L emerging from the leaf opener 77 is carried by the upwardly moving endless belts 58 onto the leaf transfer shown in Fig. 9. The latter consists of a pair of inclined horizontal plates 79 resting on projecting ledges 133 of subframe 62 and pivoted on vertical studs 134 attached to a cross-web 135 of subframe 62, and of a pair of curved. angle pieces 136 pivoted on studs 137 in web 135. Studs 138 attached to plates 79 and passing through slots of angles 136 are connected by rods 139 to crank levers 140 on shaft 141 of roller 59, Fig. 8, the shaft 141 having a crank arm 142 tensioned by a spring 143 attached to frame 12 and connected by a rod 144 to one arm of a bell crank lever 145 pivoted on frame 12, the other arm of which is connected by a rod 146 to a lever 147 having a roller 148 in engagement with a cam 149 on shaft 35. When the high point of cam 149 raises the roller 148, the rods 139 pull the plates 79 and angles 136 into the dotted positions 7 9 and 136 shown in Fig. 9, so that the leaf, which then is hanging from the gripper 47 in the position L', is raked by the angles 136 into the opening between the plates 79.

As the leaf then advances, the roller 80 descends, pressing the leaf against the downmoving conveyor belt at the moment the rollers 93 of gripper 47 engage with the cam pieces 81, the belt 65 at this point passing over a supporting cross-piece '150 carried by frame 62.. Immediately thereafter, the rollers 93 are raised by running up the inclines of cams 81, as shown in Fig. 11, and the roller 80 is lifted into its rest position 80, so that the leaf is free on conveyor 65.

The roller 8O is supported by a bent rod 151 attached to a shaft 152 turning ina bearing of frame 12 and having a crank arm 153 tensioned by a spring 154 and connected-by a rod 155 to a second bell crank lever 156 pivoted on frame 12 and actuated by a rod 157 from a lever 158 pivoted on frame 12 and having a roller 156 in engagement with a cam 160 on shaft 35.

The opened leaf delivered to conveyor belt 65 through the trap 79 is carried over roller 70, Fig. 3, on shaft 69 in between the vertical belt 71 and the down-going portion of conveyor belts 58 and then is carried by the belts 71 and 161 into the stripping machine. The belt 16, which is placed in the space between the conveyor belts 58 on roller 61, runs from the latter, which turns on a shaft 162 supported by frame 12 on a level with the shaft of roller 72 and which is driven by the belts 58, to a roller 163 on a level with roller 73 of belt 71, so that the opened leaf, on reaching the space between rollers 73 and 163, is simultaneously discharged by both belts 71 and 161.

The leaf, which has been opened from the butt to take the twist out and straighten ropy leaves, as it travels tip first in the grip of the belts 161 is subjected to a second leaf opening and spreading operation as it passes through the suction spreader 164. The opener is connected to the suction pipe 104 through a ppe 165. This opener holds the leaf open as it passes to the stemming position at the lower end of the belts 161. The tip first opening unit and associated conveying mechanism is shown somewhat diagrammatically. Reference is made to U. S. patent application No. 516,789 to Rupert E. Rundell for a full disclosure of the complete unit and an associated stripping mechanism.

What is claimedis:

1. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means,

end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for s reading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and.

transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, said leaf feeding means including a table, endless belts running over said table, and an endless chain running along one side of said table and provided with pockets adapted to receive the stem ends of the tobacco leaves t0 space the same.

3. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end'of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizin the butt und of the leaf raised by said leaf Iifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, said leaf lifter including a wedge shaped block and means for reciprocating said block.

4. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it, to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, said mechanism including a pair of endless chains, cross-bars connecting said chains, a pair of tensioned gripper fingers pivoted on each of said crossbars, and cam pieces for causing said fingers to grip the stems of the leaves raised by saidI lifter and then to release said stems after the leaves have emerged from said leaf opener unit.

5. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stem-- faoV end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and vcarrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, said leaf opener unit including suction chambers through which the leaves are carried by said mechanism and pairs of corrugated wheels mounted in said chambers on opposite sides of the path of the stems of the leaves carried by said mechanism, and rotating in a direction opposite to the movement of the leaves to undulate them while they are carried through said chambers by said mechanism.

6. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, and means for untwisting and guiding the leaves while they are being carried by said mechanism from said lifter to said leaf opener unit.

7. In a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, and means for untwisting and guiding a leaf while it is being carried from said lifter by said mechanism to said leaf opener unit, said leaf untwisting means including a guide roller having a horizontal axis vand arranged at the entrance of said unit, a guide finger for pressing the leaf on said guide roller, and a pair of relatively yieldable rollers disposed behind said guide roller on vertical aXes.

8. 1n a leaf opener for tobacco leaf stemming machines, the combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, means for forwarding the leaves tip first to a stemming machine, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit and transferring it to said leaf forwarding means, whereby the leaves are spread out while being carried by said mechanism, said means for forwarding the leaves to a stemming machine including a downwardly moving inclined conveyor belt, and said mechanism including upwardly moving 'inclined endless chains, cross-bars connecting said chains, gripper fingers pivoted on said ,cross-bars, means for causing said fingers to grip the stem of a leaf raised by said lifter, means for causing said fingers to lrelease the leaf when it is in position to be delivered to said conveyor belt, and means for momentarily pressing the leaf against said conveyor at the moment the leaf is released by said fingers.

9. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, and mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said lifter and carrying it through said opener unit, whereby the leaves are spread out in said opener unit.

10. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise in spaced relation, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaf raised by said lifter and carrying it through said opener unit, whereby the leaves are spread out in said opener unit, and means for untwisting and guiding a leaf while it is being carried by said mechanism from said lifter to said opener unit.

11. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, and gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of a leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit, whereby the leaves are spread out in said leaf opener unit.

12. The combination with means for feedingtobacco leaves, of a leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, a leaf opener unit for spreading out the leaves, gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of a leaf raised by said leaf lifter and carrying it through said opener unit, whereby the leaves are spread out in said leaf opener unit, and means for untwisting and guiding a leaf while it is being carried by said mechanism from said lifter to said gripper mechanism.

13. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise, of a reciprocating leaf lifter for raising the butt end of -a leaf on said means, and mechanism for reciprocating said lifter.

14. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves crosswise, of a reciprocating leaf lifter for raising the butt end of a leaf on said means, and mechanism for reciprocating said lifter said means including a table, endless belts running over said table, and an endless chain runnino along one side of said table and providedj with pockets adapted to receive the stem ends of the leaves to space the same.

15. The combination with a reciprocating leaf lifter for raising the butt end of tobacco leaves, of gripper mechanism for seizin the butt end of the leaves raised by said ifter and transferring the leaves, and a device for reciprocating said leaf lifter.

16. The combination with a reciprocating leaf lifter for raising the butt end of tobacco leaves, of gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of the leaves, raised by said lifter and transferring 'the leaves and a device for reciprocating said leaf lifter, said mechanism including a pair of endless chains, crossbars connecting said chains, tensioned gripper fingers pivoted on said bars, and means for causing said fingers to grip and then release the stem of a leaf.

17. The combination with a leaf opener unit for spreading out curled tobacco leaves, of gri per mechanism for seizing the butt end on y of tobacco leaves and carrying them through said unit, said unit including suction chambers and pairs of spaced corrugated wheels in said chamber adapted to undulate the leaf while it is carried through said chambers by said mechanism.

18. The combination with a leaf opener unit including suction means for spreading out curled leaves, of gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end only of tobacco leaves and carryin them through said unit, whereby the curle leaves are spread out While they are carried through said unit, said mechanism including a pair of endless chains, crossbars connecting said chains, tensioned gripper fingers pivoted on said bars, and means for causing said fingers to grip the stem of a tobacco leaf and carry it through said opener unit, and means for causing said fingers to release the leaf after it leaves said unit.

19. The combination with gripper mechanism for carrying a tobacco leaf, of means for untwisting and guiding a leaf while it is` carried y said mechanism, said means including a guide roller, and a guide finger for pressing t e leaf on said roller` to untwist it.

20. The combination with gripper mechanism for carrying a tobacco leaf, of means for untwisting and guiding a leaf while it is carried by said mechanism, said means including a guide roller having a horizontal axis, a pair of relatively yieldable rollers disposed behind said guide roller on vertically inclined axes and provided with a circumferential recess adapted to receive and guide the stem of the leaf, and a guide finger for pressing the leaf on said guide roller to untwist it.

21. The combination with means for forwarding a tobacco leaf to a stemming machine, of gripper mechanism for carrying leaves to said means, said gripper mechanism including a pair of endless chains, crossbars connecting said chains, a pair of tensioned ygripper fingers pivoted on each of said cross-bars, and cam pieces actuating said lingers to grip the stem of a tobacco leaf and carry it to said means and then release it thereon.

22. The combination with traveling gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of a tobacco leaf and carrying the same, of means traveling in an opposite direction for forwarding leaves tip iirst to a stemming machine, oscillating plates overlying said means, oscillating angle pieces overlying said plates, means for oscillating said plates and angle pieces to separate said plates when a leaf is carried thereon by said mechanism and to cause said angle pieces to rake the leaf into the opening between the separated plates, and a device for momentarily pressing the leaf on said leaf forwarding means at the moment it is released by said gripper mechanism.

23. A leaf lifter for raising the butt end of tobacco leaves, comprising a wedge shaped block having its upper face inclined downwardly, and means for reciprocating said block.

24. Gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of tobacco leaves and carrying the same, comprising a pair of endless chains, crossbars having their ends fixed on said chains, tensioned gripper fingers pivoted on said cross-bars, stationary cam pieces for causing said lingers to grip the stem of a leaf, and stationary cam pieces for causing said fingers to release the gripped leaves.

25. A leaf opener unit comprising oppositely disposed suction chambers, and pairs of spaced corrugated wheels mounted in said chambers and cooperating with said chambers to spread out leaves pulled between said rollers.

26. The combination with travelling gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of a tobacco leaf and carrying the same, of a belt travelling in a direction opposite to the movement of said gripper mechanism for forwarding the tobacco leaves tip first, means for producing travelling movement of said belts, means for causing said gripper mechanism to grip the butt end of a tobacco leaf and thereafter release it on said belt, and a device for momentarily pressing the leaf on said belt at the moment it is released by said gripper mechanism.

27. The combination with travelling gripper mechanism for seizing the butt end of a tobacco leaf and carrying the same, of means travelling in an opposite direction for for- Warding the tobacco leaves tip first to a stemming machine, oscillating plates overlying sad meansoscil lating angle pieces overlying said plates, and means for oscillating said plates and angle pieces t-o separate said plates when a leaf is carried thereon by said mechanism and to cause said angle pieces to rake the leaf into the opening between the separated plates. y

28. Means for feeding tobacco leaves comprising an endless conveyor, grippers on said conveyor for gripping the butt end of a leaf and carrying the leaf butt end foremost, means for operating the grippers at a certain position in their travel to release the leaf, a leaf engaging element located above the leaf near said position and normally out of operative engagement with the leaf, and means giving said element a downward movement to strip the leaf from the grippers in timed relation to the operation of said grippers.

29. Means for feeding tobacco leaves, coma@ prising an endless conveyor, releasable grippers on said conveyor for gripping the stem of a leaf to forward the same, a leaf engaging element located above the leaf, anoppositely travelling conveyor under said first mentioned conveyor and means operating said element to press the leaf against said oppositely moving conveyor.

30. Means for feeding tobacco leaves comprising an endless conveyor, grippers on 3o said conveyor for gripping the stem of a leaf and forwarding the same, means for operating the grippers at a certain position in their travel to release the leaf, a leaf engaging element located adjacent the leaf near said position and normally out of operative engagement with the leaf, and means giving said element movement to strip the leaf from the grippers in timed relation to the operation f of said grippers.

31. The combination with travelling mechanism for carrying a tobacco leaf, of means under said mechanism travelling in an opposite direction for forwarding leaves received from said mechanism, means coactin'g with said travelling mechanism -to cause the same to successively deposit leaves on said travelling means, and mechanism for interposing a plate between said gripper mechanism and said travelling means after a leaf has been deposited to prevent interference L between the oppositely travelling leaves carried by said mechanism and said means. 32. The combination with travelling gripper mechanism for seizing the stem of a to- 5 for opening the leaves as bacco leaf and carrying same, of means under said mechanism travelling in an opposite direction for forwarding tobacco leaves received from said gripper mechanism, means operating said gripper mechanism to release a leaf and drop the same on said travelling means, and mechanism for interposing a plate between said gripper mechanism and said travelling means after a leaf has been deposited to prevent interference between oppositely travelling leaves carried by said mechanism and said means.

33. In a tobacco leaf opening device, the Combination with mechanism for opening leaves from tip to butt, of mechanism for opening leaves from butt to tip, and feeding means connected to said mechanisms to forward leaves successively through first one Aand then the other of said mechanisms.

34. In a tobacco leaf opening device, the combination with mechanism for opening leaves from tip to butt, of mechanism for opening leaves from butt to tip, and feeding means connected to said mechanisms to forward leaves successively through first one and then the other of said mechanisms, said means including devices for reversing the direction of movement of the leaf between said mechanisms.

35. The-combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves butt foremost, of devices for opening the leaves from the butt as theyare fed by said' means and mechanism for receiving the leaves from said means and forwarding them tip foremost.

36. The combination with means for feeding vtobacco leaves butt foremost, of devices or opening the leaves from the butt as they are fed by said means, mechanism for receiving the leaves from said means and forwarding them tip foremost, and means for opening the leaves from the tip as they are forwarded by said mechanism.

37. The combination with means for feeding tobacco leaves butt foremost, of means said means, and mechanism receiving the leaves from said means and feeding them tip foremost to stripping position.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

RUPERT RUNDELL. GUsrAr E. HAGQUIST.

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