US2215408A

US2215408A - Apparatus for feeding cut tobacco

Info

Publication number: US2215408A
Application number: US181437A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ruau Felix Frederic
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1937-01-08
Filing date: 1937-12-23
Publication date: 1940-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1957-09-17
Also published as: FR831521A; GB488617A; DE674085C

Description

Sept. 17, 1940. RUAU 2,215,408

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Filed Dec. 25, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet l g m. 92M v aw u a Sept. 17, 1940. F RUAU 2,215,408

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Filed Dec. 25, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 17, 1940. F. RUAU APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Filed Dec. 25, 1937 e Sheets-Sheet s Sept... 17, 1940. F. F. RUAU APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Filed Dec. 23, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 i fizz/enfors fKn Sept. 17, 1940. F. F. RUAU Y APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO 6 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed Dec. 23, 1937 Sept. 17, 1940. U 2,215,408

- APPARATI JS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Filed Dec. 23, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 MIIIIiZL 53 Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CUT TOBACCO Flix Frdric Ruau, Deptford, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, Deptford, London, England Application December 23, 1937, Serial No. 181,437

, In Great Britain January 8, 1937 11 Claims.

' or a web of cigarette paper which moves along 'cigarette rod as when the width of the shower is comparatively narrow, say, 24 inches. The reason for this is obvious, since the band or web, as the case may be moves along the length of the shower and each point of the band or the web receives an added amount of tobacco along the width of the shower.

The shower is formed by picking tobacco from a carpet of tobacco which is spread over a wide surface moving transversely to its width, the

width of the surface being substantially equal to the length of the shower. Since it is necessary in order to obtain a good result, to have a sufiicient thickness of tobacco in the carpet from which the tobacco is so picked, it follows that the wider the carpet, the finer must be the-picking for a given thickness of carpet. If therefore one desires to have a coarser picking with a view to reduce breaking of the shreds of tobacco, it is necessary to revert to a narrower carpet, but by merely making the carpet narrower, the advantage of mixing of the tobacco obtained by a wide carpet and long Shower is lost. If on the other hand one desires to increase the amount of mixing and spreading this is only possible in known practice by still further increasing the length of the carpet.

The object of the invention is to provide a tobacco feeding apparatus which in relation to known tobacco feeding apparatuses and for any given width of final carpet from which the tobacco is finally delivered from the tobacco feeding apparatus will provide an increased amount of mixing and spreading of the tobacco shreds or particles prior to the completion of the final carpet.

The manner in which the tobacco is delivered from the final carpet forms no part of the pres-- ent invention since this operation may be performed by any suitable means or process such,

for example, as by the well known picking process in which the tobacco is delivered in the form of a. shower or the tobacco may be delivered as strips which are separated from the leading end of the final carpet by, for example, apparatus such as or similar to that described in the specification of co-pending patent application No. 177,092.

According to the invention there is provided, tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combito shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor and tobacco distributing means disposed between the transfer conveyor and the said second conveyor and arranged to spread the tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor across the surface of the second conveyor. 7

Further, according to the invention there is provided tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination means to feed tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to atransfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor disposed below the transfer conveyor to receive falling tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor and tobacco distributing means movable in the path of the tobacco falling towards the second conveyor tovary the downward direction in which the tobacco is falling and to spread the tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor acrossthe surface of the second conveyor.

Still further according to the invention there is provided tobacco feeding apparatus comprisingin combination means to feed tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along thelength of the shower, a second movable conveyor disposed below the transfer conveyor to receive falling tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor and tobacco distributing means movable in the path of the tobacco falling towards the second conveyor, said distributing means being arranged during the continued downward movement of the falling tobacco to vary the downward direction in which the tobacco is falling and to spread the tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor across the surface of the second conveyor.

The transfer conveyor may be moved at a relatively high linear speed whereby the tobacco, thereon is, at the time when it is delivered by the transfer conveyor, in the form of a relatively thin stream.

The distributing means may comprise a downnation means to feed tobacco from a supply and wardly directed movable tubular guide through which tobacco from the transfer conveyor passes towards the second conveyor, and the tubular guide may be journalled for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the second conveyor, means being provided to effect such movement of the tubular guide.

An impeller (for example, a pin studded roller) may be disposed at the outlet end of the tubular guide and movable therewith, such impeller being positively rotated in bearings and arranged to shower tobacco from the guide on to the surface of the second conveyor. The impeller may be rotated by a flexible driving connection, which connection may be controlled by a spring urged pivoted lever, the spring reacting against a cam which determines the movement of the tubular guide.

In an alternative form the outlet end of the tubular guide may be movable in a circular path above the second conveyor the outlet end of the guide being eccentric to the axis of rotation about which the guide is moved.

In a still further alternative form the tubular guide may be pivoted to a rotatable carrier, the outlet end of the guide being eccentric tothe axis of rotation of the carrier and a cam follower journalled on the guide may co-operate with a stationary cam whereby during rotation of the guide the cam causes the guide to move about its pivot so that the path traversed by the outlet end of the guide is a substantially elliptical path whose major axis lies in the direction of movement of the second conveyor for the purpose of equalising the distribution of tobacco across the surface of the second conveyor.

Several embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of tobacco feeding apparatus.

Figure 2 shows a part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 and is drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a section onthe line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a detail of driving mechanism for some of the parts illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a View looking in the direction of the arrow 5, Figure l.

Figure 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 6, Figure 4.

Figures 7 and 8 show further embodiments of the invention.

Figure 9 shows a still further embodiment of the invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a mass of tobacco is placed in a hopper II], which hopper may be replenished from time to time from a reserve hopper II from which the tobacco is automatically moved at predetermined intervals towards the hopper l0 bya pivoted flap I2. At the bottom of the hopper If! there is a movable feeding element 53 which is shown as a rotatable carded roller. The feeding element I3 is operative both to support the mass of tobacco in the hopper and to move it against the surface of a rotatable carded combing element I4, which combing element removes tobacco from the mass in the hopper I0 and carries it beneath a rotatable carded brushing element I5. The brushing element I5 is arranged to sweep surplus'tobacco off the surface of the combing element l4 and towards the mass contained in the hopper l0.

In the junction formed between the surfaces of the combing roller I4 and the brushing roller I5 a small mass of tobacco may be maintained, and this small mass of tobacco which extends along the length of the rollers is maintained in a substantially free condition by means of a raking device IE which regulates the quantity of tobacco carried upwardly by the combing roller I4 and periodically engages with the small mass of tobacco in order to loosen the same. A pressing device ii is arranged periodically to press the small mass of tobacco towards the carding of the combing roller I I to facilitate the filling of the carding of that roller.

After passing the brushing element IS the tobacco which is in the form of a carpet on the surface of the combing element I4 is passed beneath a comb l8 and is engaged by a fast rotating picker roller I9 which co-operates with the comb I8 to pick the tobacco from the surface of the combing element and which showers the tobacco so that the tobacco is directed downwardly towards a transfer conveyor 26. The transfer conveyor 20 moves below the shower and along the length of the shower so that the tobacco received on any-point of the transfer conveyor comprises a mixture from all parts of the shower.

The transfer conveyor may comprise a single endless band which is continuously movable in one direction or as shown in Figure 3 the transfer conveyor may comprise two endless bands 20 and 20A. The two bands 20 and 20A are continuously movable in opposite directions towards a position substantially midway along the length of the shower. The transfer conveyor, 01' each of them, runs at the bottom of a chute and moves in a direction which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the combing element M.

The tobacco carried by the transfer conveyor or by each of them is delivered thereby towards a second conveyor shown in Figures 1-3, as an endless band 2I which is arranged to move continuously in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor 20.

Above the second conveyor 2| there is arranged distributing means which comprises a downwardly directed tubular guide 22. The inlet of the tubular guide is disposed beneath the position at which tobacco is delivered by the transfer bands 26 and 20A. The band 20 or the bands 20 and 20A are arranged to move at a relatively high linear speed, i. e., a speed such that the tobacco received on the band or bands is at the time when the tobacco is delivered by the band or bands in the form of a relatively thin stream or streams.

At the outlet end, the tubular guide 22 is of concave form as indicated by the reference numeral 23, and an impeller comprising a pin studded roller 24 is journalled for rotation in bearings carried by the guide. The roller 24 is positively rotated by a flexible driving connection comprising a belt 25, see Figures 3 to 5. The belt 25 passes round a rotatable pulley 26 which is driven from the main drive of the machine and over

rotatable guide pulleys

21 and 28 supported by a lever 29 pivoted at 30. The tension in the belt 25 is controlled by a spring 3| anchored to the arranged to cooperate with a cam 39. The cam 39 through the medium of the bell crank lever 31 and the flexible connection 36 causes the tubular guide 22 to be oscillated about a vertical axis so that the impeller will throw tobacco from side to side across the second conveyor.

By reason of the movement of the guide 22 the downward direction of movement of the tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor is varied and. the tobacco is spread across the second conveyor that is, in a direction extending from one longitudinal edge of the second conveyor towards the other longitudinal edge thereof thereby effecting a substantially even distribution of the tobacco across the width of the second conveyor 2 The impeller 24 moves bodily with the tubular guide 22 and the flexible driving connection 25 is provided to accommodate this movement. As the impeller is moved together with the guide 22 due to the influence of the cam 39, the lever 29 moves about its pivot 3|], thus regulating the tension in the driving connection 25. The spring 3| reacts against the cam 39 and maintains the various parts in their relative positions. The flexible connection 36 is connected with the bellcrank lever 3'! by passing the connection through one of a series of holes 40 formed in the bellcrank lever and making the connection fast thereto. The extent of oscillation of the tubular guide 22 can be regulated by passing the flexible connection 36 through the desired hole.

Due to the action of the impeller 24 the tobacco which is passed through the tubular guide towards the second conveyor 2| is showered by the impeller 24 towards the second conveyor.

Thus the impeller forms the tobacco into a carpet on the second conveyor 2 l.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, it will be seen that the second conveyor 2| is movable in a direction which is parallel to the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor 20, but in a direction opposite thereto. In this embodiment of the invention the tubular guide 22 comprises a funnel like member which tapers from the inlet end to the outlet end and the guide is mounted for rotation with a carrier 4| so that the outlet end of the tubular guide moves through a circular path above the second conveyor 2|. so that the outlet end of the guide is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the guide. The carrier 4| is supported in a frame 42 by a ball race 43. To the carrier 4| there is secured a gear wheel 44 which meshes with a further gear wheel 45 which latter is driven from the main drive of the machine. The tobacco which is delivered into the inlet end of the tubular guide by the transfer conveyor 20 above described, passes from the transfer conveyor 20 towards the guide 22 through a mouthpiece 46.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 9, the tubular guide 22 is constructed in a manner similar to that described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 and the transfer conveyor 20 delivers tobacco to the guide as above described. The construction shown in Figure 9, however, differs from the construction described with reference to Figures '7 and 8 in that the tubular guide is pivoted at 41 to the carrier 4|. The tubular guide also supports a cam follower 48 which is journalled in the tubular guide and which co-operates with a stationary cam 49. A spring 50 is provided to maintain the cam follower in engagement with the cam 49. Rotation of the tubular guide is The guide 22 is downwardly inclinedeifected in the 'manner'described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, but during the rotation of the tubular guide the cam 49 causes the guide so to be moved that instead of the outlet end thereof following a circular path, the outlet end of the guide is moved through a substantially elliptical path, the major axis of which lies in the direction of movement of the second conveyor 2|. By this means the distribution of the tobacco across the surface of the band 2| is substantially equalised, where as it will be appreciated that when the outlet end of the guide moves through a circular path more tobacco will be located at the sides of the second conveyor than will be located towards the centre thereof.

In the constructions shown in Figures '7 and 8 and in Figure 9 it is important that the transfer conveyor 20 should be moved with a relatively high linear speed, i. e., a speed such that the tobacco received on the conveyor is, at the time when the tobacco is delivered by the transfer conveyor, in the form of a relatively thin stream because in these constructions no impeller is employed. The impeller will, it will be appreciated, tend to disentangle tobacco which may be delivered thereto in the form of a mass, but when no impeller is used the tobacco will only be adequately spread across the second conveyor when the tobacco delivered to the distributor is already in the form of a relatively thin stream.

It will be seen that by the constructions shown in Figures '7 to 9 the downward movement of the tobacco delivered by the transfer conveyor is continuous and that the guide 22 is movable in the path of the tobacco in a manner such that the downward path of the tobacco is varied thus spreading and mixing the tobacco across the surface of the second conveyor.

In each of the constructions above described the tobacco carpet which is formed by spreading the tobacco across the surface of the second conveyor is passed beneath a roller 5| and is received by the carding of a roller 52 which carries the carpet over the surface of a concave shroud 53. The tobacco is picked from the edge of the concave shroud by a fast rotating picker roller 54 and is showered in a manner such that the tobacco is directed downwardly towards a continuously moving surface 55 arranged to move in the bottom of a trough 56 of a cigarette making or a tobacco packaging machine. The surface 55 may comprise an endless band or a continuous web of cigarette paper.

The second conveyor 2| is of substantial width as compared with the surface 55 because obviously no material spreading could be obtained if the width of the conveyor 2| only approximates to that of a web of cigarette paper. A second conveyor of such narrow width is not included in the appended claims. Although in practice the width of the second conveyor is generally upwards of 24", the invention of course is not to be restricted to conveyors of widths of at least 24 inches. It is sufficient if the *conveyor be wide enough to enable spreading to be obtained when the tobacco is thrown across it.

Tobacco which is carried by the second conveyor may be transferred therefrom to the surface of a smooth roller such as is described in United States Patent No. 2,149,925, the tobacco which is so delivered being thereafter treated in the manner described in that specification to form it into a final carpet from which it is picked and showered into the trough 5B or from which strips are cut by mechanism such as that described in the specification of co-pending application Ser. No. 177,092.

It will be appreciated that if desired the smooth roller shown in United States Patent 2,149,925 may itself constitute: the second conveyor.

It will be seen that by reason of the fact that the transfer conveyor passes below and along the length of a shower and the tobacco after leaving the transfer conveyor is spread across the surface of the second conveyor, the invention provides in relation to known tobacco feeding apparatus, an increased mixing and spreading of the tobacco particles before the completion of the final'carpet from which it is to be delivered from the tobacco feeding apparatus, either asa shower or in any other suitable way.

,WhatI claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Tobacco feeding-apparatus comprising in combination means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a. transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor, a downwardly directed movable tubular guide disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, said guide be- 1 ing journalled for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the second conveyor, an impeller journalled for rotation at the outlet end of said guide and mounted for movement therewith, means positively to rotate said impeller so as to shower tobacco from along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor, a downwardly directed movable tubular uide disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, said guide being journalled for reciprocation in a direction 7, transverse to the direction of movement of the second conveyor, a cam to effect reciprocation of the guide, an impeller journalled for rotation at the outlet end of the guide and mounted for movement therewith, a flexible driving connection to rotate the impeller, guide pulleys for the flexible connection, a pivoted support for some of the pulleys and a. spring connected with the support and arranged to react against said cam to control the tension in the flexible connection.

3. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in \combination means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor having an upper run, a support disposed 4. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable conveyor, a support disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, a carrier journalled for rotation in the support, a downwardly directed tubular guide, pivoted to the carrier for rotation therewith, the outlet end of the guide being eccentric to the axis of rotation of the guide and movable over the second conveyor, a cam to move the guide about said pivot during rotation of the guide whereby the path traversed by the outlet end of the guide is a substantially elliptical-path whose major axis lies in the direction of movement of the second conveyor, and means to rotate said carrier.

5. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and lengthwise of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having an upper run and tobacco distributing means disposed between the transfer conveyor and the said second conveyor and substantially centrally of the width of the latter, and movable in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation .of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, the distributing means being thereby arranged to spread the tobacco received from the transfer conveyor across the surface of the second conveyor.

6. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and lengthwise of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having .an upper run and tobacco distributing means disposed between the transfer conveyor and the said second conveyor and movable in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, the distributing means being thereby arranged to spread the tobacco received from the transfer conveyor across the surface of the second conveyor.

'7. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and lengthwise of the shower, a second band conveyor having an Y upper run movable in a direction transverse to'the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor and tobacco distributing means disposed between the transfer conveyor and the said second conveyor and movable in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second cconveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, the distributing means thereby being arranged to deliver the tobacco received from the transfer conveyor to the surface of the second conveyor run.

8. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to transfer conveyor means which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having an upper run and tobacco distributing means disposed between the transfer conveyor means and the said second conveyor means and movable in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, the distributing means being thereby arranged to deliver the tobacco received from the'transfer conveyor to the surface of the second conveyor run, said transfer conveyor means comprising two surfaces movable in opposite directions and each delivering tobacco to the distributing means.

9. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having an upper run, a downwardly directed movable tubular guide disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, and means to move said guide in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, whereby the tobacco delivered from the transfer conveyor is spread across said second conveyor run.

10. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having an upper run, a downwardly directed movable tubular guide disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, said guide being journalled for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, and means to move said guide in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, whereby the tobacco delivered from the transfer conveyor is spread across said second conveyor run.

11. Tobacco feeding apparatus comprising in combination, means to feed shredded tobacco from a supply and to shower the tobacco on to a transfer conveyor which moves below and along the length of the shower, a second movable band conveyor having an upper run, a downwardly directed movable tubular guide disposed between the transfer conveyor and the second conveyor, said guide tapering from its inlet end towards its outlet end and being journalled for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the second conveyor run and means to move said guide in a curved path substantially continuously during the operation of said second conveyor, the projection of which path upon a plane parallel to the second conveyor run curves generally crosswise of the direction of movement of the second conveyor run, whereby the tobacco delivered from the transfer conveyor is spread across said second conveyor run.

FELIX FREDERIC RUAU.