US2199579A

US2199579A - Tobacco feeding mechanism for cigarette making machines

Info

Publication number: US2199579A
Application number: US184979A
Authority: US
Inventors: Shackleton Jack
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Inc
Priority date: 1937-01-22
Filing date: 1938-01-14
Publication date: 1940-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1957-05-07
Also published as: GB488586A

Description

May 7, 1940.

INES

J. SHACKLETON TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACH Filed Jan. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JACK SHACKLETON BY v Q ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Jack Shackleton, London, England, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 14, 1938, Serial No. 184,979 In Great Britain January 22, 1937 g Claims.

16 picked off and distributed on a feed drum or belt from which it is delivered to the trough of the machine.

It is usual in connection with the main drum to provide a refuser device comprising a rotary carded drum the effective surface of which moves in a direction opposite to the main drum whereby excess tobacco thereon is brushed off, and with a view to obtain as uniform a carpet or layer as possible throughout the length of the drum, means have been provided associated with the bight between the main drum and the refuser drum adapted to tamp or compact the tobacco on the main drum just prior to the refusing action, the tamping or compacting action being with a view to filling the carding uniformly, while the tobacco above the carding which may be of varying thicknesses is removed by the refuser drum.

An object of the invention is to provide improved feeding means whereby a still greater uni-' formity in the layer or mat is made possible.

According to the present invention, in a tobacco feed mechanism of the type set forth, a plurality of filling or carpet controlling means, preferably incorporating tamping or compacting 5 means, are arranged in series in association with the main carded drum or equivalent feeding surface, and refusing means associated with the filling means are arranged so that tobacco already fed past the first in the series may or may not be subject to a subsequent removing action.

According to a further feature the invention comprises a tobacco feeding mechanism of the type described wherein means are provided for tamping or compacting'a carpet or layer on the carded drum or equivalent feeding surface that has already been subject to a refusing action.

Where a pair of compacting or tamping devices are arranged in series they may be interconnected to balance one another and thus avoid unbalanced moving parts.

The additional compactor or compactors may comprise a single weighted element extending across the carpet or a series of individual weight elements may be provided.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically illustrate an improved feeding mechanism according to the invention:

Figure 1 being an end View;

Figure 2 a side view; and

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation, looking 5* from left to right on Fig. 1.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, by way of example, a main drum 5 is provided which has a carded surface in the usual manner. This drum forms the 1 0 front surface of a hopper for the tobacco the bottom of which comprises a belt feed 6 or drum by which the tobacco is fed to the main drum 5.

Above the main drum 5 a refusing drum 1 is provided which is effective to brush off excess to- 15' bacco from a position somewhat beyond the vertical plane of the axis of the main drum inthe direction of rotation thereof.

A tamping or compacting device is provided in the bight between the main drum 5 and the re- 20 fuser drum 1 on the hopper side. This compacting device is oscillatable to and from the surface of the main drum and may comprise a single bar or weighted member carried by pivoted arms. Preferably the compacting. device comprises a 25 series of individual 7 weights 8 independently mounted on curved arms 9 (see Fig. 2) so that each weight will control the compression or compacting of a section of the width of the feed. The arms 9 are mounted upon rollers I!) so arranged so that the arms oscillate about the axis of the refuser drum 1. Means are provided for simultaneously lifting all the tamping arms and allowing them to fall freely on the tobacco. Such means conveniently comprise a series of pivotally 35 mounted levers None for each arm 9 to which they are coupled by chains I2 or other flexible couplings. The levers II are mounted upon a rock shaft l3 coupled by a rod l4 and arm l5 to a crank disc I 6.

A second refuser drum I1 is mounted in advance of the first refuser drum 1 and may be located to act upon the carpet of tobacco carried by the main drum at a position about from the vertical. 45

This second refuser drum I! may be so adjusted with regard to the main feed drum 5 that it will not remove or brush off tobacco throughout the full width of the feed but only at places where an excess occurs so that where the correct thickness 50 of carpet has been determined satisfactorily by the first filling means no further correction is made.

Located within the bight between the second refuser drum I1 and the main drum 5 additional 5 tamping or compacting means are provided adapted to compact the already treated carpet on the main drum.

These secondary compacting means may be mounted to oscillate about the axis of the associatedrefusing drum or may be constrained to move in any other suitable path. The secondary compactor comprises a single weight or bar l8 extending throughout the width of the feed. The bar I8 is carried by arms l9 pivoted upon the axis of the refuser drum I1. I

The bar 18 is oscillated by its being connected by chains 20 to the end levers H which have a downwardly extending arm Ha.

The rising movement of the bar I8 is efiected by the levers I l, Ha while the return compacting movement is by gravity action.

Modified forms of tamping elements may be provided instead of the single bar l8, when desired, as the showing of a gravity operated compactor I8 is not intended to exclude the use of other suitable means.

The compactor (or compactors) I8 may be of any suitable shape in cross section and may conform to the contour of the bight between the main drum and refuser drum H, the movement being such, however, that the compactor moves toward and from the surface of the main drum. As the second refuser drum l1 removes excess tobacco from the drum 5 a roll of tobacco may form in the bight between the main drum 5 and the refuser drum I! and means may also be provided, to prevent the formation of a hard core in the roll of tobacco being compacted.

The main and secondary compactors 8 and i8 may be intercOnnected, as by the arms 9, chains l2 and 20, and lever arms I I and I la, so that they balance one another in operation, thus eliminating'the difiiculty of having unbalanced moving parts on the machine.

Suitable devices may be incorporated in the inter-connecting means to take care of the differences in the amplitude of the two compactors, the linkage l2, Ila-20 being adapted to serve that purpose.

The secondary tamping means l8 may be driven at suitable periodicity relatively to that of the main tamping means 8.

Further compacting and refusing stages may be provided for controlling the tobacco carpet on the main drum.

I claim:

1. A tobacco feeding mechanism of the type set forth comprising a main carded drum, a reiuser drum cooperating with said main carded drum, 2:. first reciprocating tamping device disposed in position to act upon the tobacco prior topits entrance between the main carded drum and the refuser drum, a second refuser drum, and

' a second reciprocating tamping device disposed in position to act upon the carpet of tobacco between the refuser drums, and flexible, yielding means to support the weight of each of the tamping devices in its path, said supporting means being interconnected above said paths whereby the weight of one balances the weight of another in part at least.

2. A tobacco feeding mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second tamping means comprises a bar extending across the feed, and arms supporting said bar to move in an arcuate path concentric with the axis of rotation of the second refuser drum and closely adjacent to the periphery of the latter.

3. A tobacco feeding mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first tamping means comprises a series of individual elements extending across the feed, arcuate carriers for said tamping elements, and means to support said carriers for lengthwise movement in arcuate paths concentric with said first refuser drum, whereby said first tamping elements are caused to move in arcuate paths concentric with the axis of said first refuser drum, and closely adjacent to the periphery thereof.

4. A tobacco feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tamping means is mounted to oscillate in an arcuate path substantially parallel to the circumference of the co-operating refuser drum.

5. Atobacco feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rock shaft is provided having double armed levers thereon, and flexible couplings between the arms of the levers and the first and secondary tamping devices.

JACK SHACKLETON.