US2243058A - Tobacco measuring and feeding machine - Google Patents

Description

May 20, 1941. J WYSONG 2,243,058

TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 52 ,i J H 6 35 I 21 V 54 24 15 Q 5; 1/5 I 2.

May 20; 1941. J WYSQNG I I 2,243,058

TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I znzlmnslfilm IZQPQ q.

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I 6 III WW IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIlIli W 7!? WW Patented May 20, 1941 TQBAQCCO MEASURING AND FEEDING MA CHINE James R. Wysong, Richmond, Va., assignor to Larus & Brother 00. Inc., Richmond, Va.

Appiication December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,529

8 Claims. ('Cl. dbl- 136) This invention relates to tobacco measuring and feeding device, and in general constitutes an improvement on machines of the type disclosed by my United States Patent No. 1,7 63,546 granted June 10, 1930.

While the machine of my prior patent just noted has been operating satisfactorily over a relatively long period of time, yet there are certain objectionable characteristics that I have striven to overcome. One of such objections is the loss of lubricating eificiency resulting from uneven wear on the pads which function to moisten the periphery of the rotary drum in which the measuring pockets are located. This pad had a tendency to wear unevenly resulting in inefiicient lubrication of the drum and discarding of the pad before the latter had served its maximum usefulness. The present invention embodies a construction which effectively overcomes this objection.

Another feature of disadvantage in the machine of my prior patent, as well as other known prior machines of this general type, was the tendency towards variation in quantity of the amount of tobacco delivered from the measuring pockets, ofttimes resulting in short weight in delivery. This was due to the fact that some of the granules of tobacco stuck to the wall of the pocket and also along the edge of the latter. I have overcome this by providing means for cleaning the pockets after delivery of the tobacco therefrom.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to generally improve tobacco measuring and feeding machines and particularly those of the general type disclosed in my prior patent above noted.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will become apparent in View of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view in front elevation of a tobaccomeasuring and feeding machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the member for lubricating the drum and coacting parts; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View of a modified means for operating the pocket-cleaning air blast.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first briefly to the parts which are common to the machine of my prior patent, the housing of the machine is generally indicated at 5 and is supported upon legs 6, 6a. At the bottom of the machine is a discharge chute l, which discharges a predetermined quantity of tobacco to a wrapping machine, not shown, and forming no part of the present invention.

The upper portion of the housing 5 is provided with an opening or inlet 8 into which the tobacco is discharged from a hopper 9 having a detachable mouth I 0 into which the tobacco is fed from a suitable source of supply.

The housing 5 is provided with a rotatable drum H having therein a plurality of pockets 12 adapted to be filled with tobacco from the hoppers, the tobacco being discharged from the respective pockets through the chute 1 when a pocket reaches the upper end of the chute. The drum II has a central hub l3 fixed on a shaft M, the latter having its opposite ends journaled in bearings l5, l5a, the bearing l5 being provided with a yoke l6 having its upper and lower ends attached to the side of the housing 5. As the shaft I 4 is rotated, the drum II will also be rotated to cause the pockets l2 to successively pass beneath the hopper 9 and receive charges of tobacco, said charges dropping through the chute I when the pockets reach the same.

The shaft [4 may be driven through the medium of sprocket wheel I! and sprocket chain I8 (Fig. 2) from the packaging machine, not shown, or from any other suitable source of power. A shaft is projects through the hopper 9 and has thereon a series of agitator fingers Ida which serve to ensure a constant flow of tobacco into engagement with the periphery of the drum when the machine is in operation. The agitator shaft l9 has thereon sprocket 20 which has a drive connection with shaft l4 through sprocket chain 20a.

In my prior patent above noted, the tobacco had a tendency to clog or lump to some extent adjacent the walls of the feed hopper, resulting in uneven feed of the tobacco to the drum. I have overcome this by providing agitator fingers which extend substantially to the wall of the hopper with, of course, suflicient clearance to ensure free rotation of the fingers.

In the bottom of the hopper 9, or adjacent the inlet to the housing 5, is an additional agitator 2| mounted on shaft 2 la. which has secured thereon sprocket 22 driven from sprocket chain 29a. As soon as the front ends of the pocket I2 start to pass into a position to be filled, the agitator 2| will cause the tobacco to readily fall into the pocket.

In order to vary the capacity or sides of the pockets l2 plungers 23 are provided and are adjustable through handwheel 24.

The foregoing parts with the exception of the particular type of agitator fingers are features common to the machine disclosed in my prior Patent 1,763,546 above noted.

One of the features of improvement of the present invention consists in the mounting of the lubricant member for the drum. At one side of the housing there is provided an arcuate pad-carrying member or door 25 (termed a trap door in my prior patent above noted) which has outer side flanges through which a pivot or hinge pin 26 extends, the holes for the latter through said flanges being in the form of slots 21 which lie in a radial plane with respect to the drum to permit a certain amount of radial movement of the door on its pivot. The opposite ends of the pin 26 are anchored in the adjacent side walls of the drum. The door is maintained under resilient pressure through the'medi-um of a spring 28 mounted on a bolt 28a which at its inner ,end is connected to the outer wall of the door, and at its outer end projects through an open slot formed in a pivotally mounted yoke 29, and is held in position by pin 30. The yoke or bracket 29 at its opposite ends removably engages pins or trunnions 29a projected .from the housing. Thus the bracket may be swung clear of the door by releasing spring bolt 28a from its slot permitting the door to swing downwardly for inspection and repair or replacement of the lubricant pad, or the bracket may be completely removed whenever desired. On the inner face of the door 25 is secured a lubricant ,pad 3.! which may be held in place by any suitable-means. A lubricant cup 32 feeds lubricant to the pad through a tube 3211 which feeds into a plurality of branch tubes 32b and thence through the door and into grooves 32c formed in the inner surface of the door .in rear of the pad.

Due to the fact that the pressure from the spring 28 is exerted substantially centrally of the door, and also due to the fact that the door has a limited amount of radial play, the pad will be pressed against the drum evenly throughout its surface area and wear will be even throughout the life of the pad. This results in a marked improvement in the lubricating efficiency of the pad as well as considerable lengthening of the life of the latter.

To ensure against short weight, or uneven measurements of the quantities received by and discharged from the respective pockets [2, an air blast device 33 is provided and is arranged at the upper part of an opening in the wall of the housing 5 to direct a blast of air on each pocket and adjacent surface of the drum as they move into a position adjacent said blast. The blast may be supplied from line 33a which extends to a suitable source of supply. It will be noted that the blast device 33 is in the form of a manifold which extends completely across the exterior surface of the drum and pockets therein and that the opening in the housing is of substantially the same width as each pocket. In this manner, all particles of tobacco are removed from the walls of the pockets as well as from the edges of the latter and exterior surface of the drum so that not only is a complete filling of fresh tobacco ensured from the hopper S, but also a more complete discharge or dumping of the pockets into and through the hopper 1 due to the fact that the'tobacco particles have less tendency to adhere to a clean surface. This also avoids any tendency for the tobacco particles to gradually cake on the Walls of the pockets.

Where the supply of compressed air for the blast is unlimited, or there would be no object in conserving the same, the blast may be continuous and controlled through the medium of a hand valve 34. However, in installations where it is desired to conserve the supply of compressed air, the supply may be intermittent and worked through the medium of a cam 35 mounted on shaft I4 and acting on a spring return valve member 36 through bell crank 36a, note Fig. 4, the cam being timed to release the blast as the pockets move into a position in line with the blast.

A shield or cover 31 is provided to catch the particles of tobacco blown from the pockets 12, this tobacco falling into a pan 38 where it may be removed whenever desired.

It will be understood that certain changes in construction and design may be adopted in my improved machine without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tobacco measuring and feeding .ma chine, a housing, a rotatable drum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means for supplying a lubricant and moistening solution to the periphery of said drum including a door member shaped to conform to the periphery of the drum and having a lubricant pad secured against the inner surface thereof, means mounting said member in said housing permitting a limited radial movement of the member bodily with respect to the drum, a backing up element in rear of said door member and resilient means interposed between said element and door member and arranged to exert a resilient thrust on the latter substantially equally throughout the area of said member.

2. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatable drum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means for supplying a lubricant and moistening solution to the periphery of said drum including a member in the form of a door pivotally connected to said housing in a manner such as to permit the door to have a limited amount of radial movement bodily with respect to the drum, a bracket connected to said housing and a spring interposed between said bracket and door and arranged to exert thrust on said door substantially equally throughout the area of the latter.

3. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatable drum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, an arcuate member in the form of a door disposed in an opening in said housing, means pivotally connecting said door to said housing permitting a limited amount of radial movement of the door bodily with respect to the drum, a lubricant pad disposed against the inner surface of said door and adapted to engage the periphery of said drum, means for supplying a lubricant to said pad, a yoke pivotally connected to said housing and extending across the housing in rear of said door, and a spring interposed between said yoke and said door and arranged to exert a thrust on the latter substantially centrally of the door.

4. In a tobacco measuring and feeding machine, a housing, a rotatable drum in said housing having tobacco-receiving pockets therein, means for supplying a lubricant and moistening

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