US2254776A

US2254776A - Apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces

Info

Publication number: US2254776A
Application number: US282335A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oswald E Eissmann
Original assignee: J C MULLER Inc
Current assignee: J C MULLER Inc; Jc Muller Inc
Priority date: 1939-07-01
Filing date: 1939-07-01
Publication date: 1941-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1958-09-02
Also published as: FR866124A

Description

Sept. 2, 194 0. E. EISSMANN PIECES APPARATUS FOR RIPPING OR TEARING RAW TOBACCO LEAVES INTO Filed July 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Quad/(Z Z. 5212177207272 BY W Sept. 2, 1941.

APPARATUS FOR RIPPING 0R TEARING RAW TOBACCO LEAVES INTO PIECES Filed July '1, 1939 p2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r INVENTOR; Y flfwa/QQZQZ' fl'iizalziz BY 4 M ATTORNEY.

' o. E. EISSMANN I 2,254,776 v Patented Sept. 2, 1941 APPARATUS FOR RIPPING, OR TEARIN G RAW TOBACCO LEAVES INTO PIECES Oswald E. Eissmann,

J. C. Muller, Inc., tion 01' Virginia Brook Hill, Va., assignor to Richmond, va., a corpora- Application July 1, 1939, Serial No. 282,335 9 Claims. (Cl. 131-146) This invention relates to an apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces, and more particularly provides improvements over the structure shown. in the former Patent No. 2,127,329 of August 16, 1938. I 5 merely as an example;

In contrast to the former structure, the present Figure 5 is a plan view of a leaf of tobacco structure causes the leaves as they are ripped showing the manner in which parts thereof are to be divided into two divergent paths, one a successively torn away; lower path as heretofore, and one an upper path. Figure 6 is a cross section of a stem showing By so dividing the paths of operation, a better 10 how the parts of the leaf that remain after some sized leaf is obtained, the end product being of parts have been ripped are bent in one direcmore uniform size and with less fine tobacco. tion in respect to the stem bythe operation 01' Furthermore, the invention .also has in mind the lower loosening member; and the subjection of the tobacco-to a periodic inter Figure 7 is a s ar section showing how the mittent feeding instead of having such feeding parts of theleaf are bent in the opposite direc-.

continuous.

This invention consists raw tobacco leaves are tobacco flakes as large as possible without any stem pieces on them and also producing entirely of a machine into which 'clean stems. The stems with adhering tobacco do not have to run through the machine again several times, until the, stems are clean, and this, of course, is a disadvantage, as every 7 tobacco pieces more and make smaller sized flakes. For this purpose, the machine operates as heretofore, sometimes run will tear the. adhering to divide the tobacco into two paths, each in a different direction, and to have the loosening the combs and. teeth put and shredded into plan view of a loosening member, showing the dis- Figure 4 is a partial member and a cleaning position of thecombs tion in respect to the stem, due to the operation of the upper loosening member.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views. Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, a substantially horizontal platform 2a is provided over which a feed belt 2,

. passing over direction of is moved in the rotation of the arrow Ia. Su-

pulleys 2b and 2c, the arrow I, the pulley 20 being indicated by the perimposed pulleys 4 rections of the arrows 4a and 5a and supported upon shafts 4b and 5b, serveto grip the tobacco leaves and feed them forwardly. Disposed bemembers unsurroun-ded by any plate. The totween the conveyor roll 20 and the lower roll 5 bacco is acted upon in opposite directions. The is a bridge 3 which receives the tobacco leaves speed of the cleaning devices is higher than that L fed by the conveyor 2. At the other side of the of th loosening d vi superimposed rolls '4 and 5 there is another bridge The invention further consists of means for marked 6, substantially likethe bridge 3, to re- 7 intermittently feeding the tobacco to the maceive the tobacco moved forward by therolls 4 chine so that the ripping action takes place only and 5 and to support the tobacco as upon n upon those parts which have been fed into the anvil when loosening members andv 9 go into machine, and, the operation of ripping is subaction, during which time the" tobacco is still stantially completed, before the feeding again held by the compression of the :rolls 4 and 5. t k place i Both of these

bridges

3 and 6 have an upper The invention will be more fully described surface substantially straight and horizontal and hereinafter, embodiments thereof will be shown h ve each downwardly conver in surfaces of in the drawings, and the invention will be curved shape corresponding substantially with finally set forth in the claims. I the curvature of the roller 20', the roller 5 and in In the accompanying drawings: general ,to the path or movement of the combs Figure 1 is a side view of the structure "emll) of the oos ng member 9. bodying my invention; The loosening member 8 rotates in the direc- Figure 2 is a diagrammaticdrawingshowing tion of the arrow 8a, and the loosening member the mechanism used to set the structure shown 9 rotates in the direction of the arrow So, that in Figure 1 in operation, with the possibility of is, in opposite direction. A guide wall 30 is supfeeding the tobacco intermittently or periodi ported by the casing 3|, which guide wall in the. Cally; v event of any tobacco parts being thrown by the Figure 3 isa partial side view of a loosening loosening member 8, serves to guide such parts member and a cleaning drum, with the comb and upon the bridge ,6, whereupon they are again tooth laterally engaging each other; 5 subjected to the action of the members 8 and 9.

and 5 rotating in the di- Another guide wall 38 is also secured to the upper part of the casing 3|, and this serves to guide any material downwardly to drum l I having combs I2, and this cleaning drum ll rotates in the direction of the arrow Ila and is surrounded by a grate II having bars II and openings I! through which the ripped tobacco and cleaned stems fall. The grate II is suitably secured to the parallel end walls 32 of the casing, and extends across the end walls. This is not shown in the drawings, but is known in the art. At one side of the path of rotation of the loosening member 9, a guide wall It is arranged having a curved upper portion 35 which extends between the path of rotation of the loosening member 8, and the path of rotation of the cleaning drum 1 l, and the lower end of the grate it. A downwardly extending part 3511 is inclined to the vertical, and extends close to a grate 20 surrounding a cleaning drum It in order to guide tobacco between the grate 20 and the drum It. The cleaning drum it rotates in the direction of the arrow i811, and has combs H. The grate 20 has openings l8 and spaced bars [8 for the passage of the tobacco. For a like purpose, there is disposed at the other side of this cleaning drum l8 another guide wall 86 substantially vertical and having an outwardly bent over portion 31 to receive any parts of tobacco which may fall down from the conveyor 2 or from the bridge I.

It is within the knowledge of a man skilled in the art to provide means for operating the devices shown in Figure 1. The various shafts are supported in the parallel end walls 32 as known. A diagrammatic drawing of the transmission means is shown in Figure 2. A motor 40 has a belt Iisetting in operation the drum shaft 43 over pulley 42. Upon the shaft 43 is a pulley 44 having an endless belt 45 over pulley 46 mounted on stop shaft 41. and another pulley 48 on shaft 49, and passes over pulley 50 on drum shaft SI. On shaft 49 is a spur gear meshing with gear 53 on shaft 54. A gear 55 on shaft 66 meshes with gears 52 and 81. Gear 81 on shaft 4b meshes with gear 68 on shaft b. Between this gear 68 and the gear It, a pinion 69 is placed which may be moved into mesh or out of mesh of the gears 68 and I8. Gear I0 is mountedon shaft 12 which drives the feedin roll 20. When this pinion gear 68 is in mesh with the gears 68 and 10, the feed is continuous. When the gear 89 is out of mesh, the feeding of the conveyor belt 2 is interrupted. The other parts, however, carry on with their movement and strip the tobacco which is within the path of operation of the parts of its leaf. and therea cleaning ll having combs I2, while the lower loosening.

member 8 stripping the leaves at substantially right angles to the latter but in an upward after when the gear 89 has been brought into mesh, a new supply of tobacco is provided by the conveyor 2. As before stated, various means ay be provided'to operate these shafts. Instead of the pinion 69 any other device may be used within the knowledge of a mechanic, such as a clutch or 9. Geneva.

An important point of the improvement, however, is that, on the one hand, the feeding of the leaves is intermittent if so desired; and, on the other hand, the cleaning drums rotate three times faster than the loosening members. The loosening members and the cleaning drums run in a ratio of 1 to 3.

It is also important as part of the improvement, to have an upper path and a lower path for the ripping of the leaves. whereupon, clean ribs in one operation of the machine are provided with larger pieces.

In other words, the

direction and conveying the loosened parts to a lower cleaning drum l8 having combs H.

The operation is as follows:

The tobacco leaves are fed in the directionof the arrow l on the feed beltl. The tobacco so fed passes the bridge I and is forced 'into the bight of the compression feed rollers I and I. After passing through them. the tobacco leaves pass over the bridge 8, and its acute comer l.

and project therefrom entering into the bight of the paths of the combs ID of the

loosening members

8 and 8. The upper loosening member I rotates in one direction, anti-clockwise, and takes off part of the tobacco leaf at each side of the stem in sizes as the leaf stands over the corner I of the bridge 6. .In Figure 5 a leaf is shown. The combs l0 enter it along line A-A, as shown by the pierce holes 11. In order not to bend the stems with adhering leaf parts down too far, the center of the loosening member I is placed above the horizontal input line for the raw tobacco. Upon the downward movement of the combs In of the member 8, the parts 82 of the leaf not ripped off. are moved downwardly in respect to the stem 80, as shown in Figure 7. The second loosening member I with combs ll rotates in the opposite direction from the loosening member 8, (in clockwise direction) and lifts the tobacco stems with adhering leaves. ripping off along line 3-3 when the machine is running continuously, leaving parts 8| bent upwardly as shown in Figure 6. The upwardly bent parts II are forced upwardly by the combs of the member 9. If the feed action is intermittent, then the parts 82 on the stem in advance of line A-A are only acted upon, and no further leaf stripped off. This alternate action of down and up, or up and down, as the case may be. of the remaining parts, cleans them'from the stem. In other words, the part of the tobacco stem which stands over the outstanding corner I of the bridge I will be well cleaned by actions in both directions. as the leaf stem always stays substantially horizontal. Thus, as the combs it of loosening member 8 force the remaining parts of the leaf down while taking the larger part of the tobacco flakes off, the combs I0 of the loosening member I will force the leaf upwardly again, and will take the rest of the adhering leaf off the stem, while taking off a fresh part of the progressively advancing ing member partake of an orbit or path of rotation, as shown in the dot-dashlines. tersect. The end 1 is substantially at the point of intersection, but outside of the orbits. The axis of rotation of the member 8 is above the end I, and the axis of rotation of the member I in below the end 1. Neither loosening member has a curved plate. as heretofore used. To prevent the tobacco from breaking up to a certain extent which is not wanted. after having been taken oi! the stems, the improvement also consists in the omission of a curved plate heretofore used, below a loosening member, which plate stops the tobacco from dropping down vertically by gravity. As the tobacco is now free to fall by gravity. 0. tearing of the tobacco is avoided. since no curved plate is used.

These in-v Further, practice has shown that if very small bacco which practice shown makes a much tobacco flakes are wanted out of whole leaves. a better product with more uniform size with less grate has to be provided with small sized holes fine tobacco.

- or slots in order to obtain the required size. In A further improvement consists in working the doing so, the whole shredding chamber with a feed belt 2 periodically. Practice has shown that er. However, due to the fact that the teeth of clean the tobacco stem thoroughly before the the loosening member were always bringing new periodic transportation again is set into working.

chamber became crowded with tobacco. All 013 0 of treatment: in the higher speed oi the cleaning rubbed against each other in the chamber until the tobacco supply.

they were small enough to go through-the small I have described an embodiment of my invenholes in the grate. Asa result, the tobacco was 5 tion, but it will be clear that changes may be not only shedded into small flakes, but much of I made within the principle of the invention dethe tobacco was broken due to the fact that the scribed without departing from the scope of the whole chamber was too crowded, and byrubbing subioined claims. I

against each other small flakes of tobacco were What I claim is: broken which were already of the correct size but 1. An apparatus for ripping 'ortearing raw did not have a chance to drop through the small tobacco leaves into piece comprising a feed dewanted. It is known that the larger the leaf comb acting at substantially right angles to the members 8 and 9, each with combs l0,'splits the 40 separate paths.

opposite to the loosening member 8 and at a comb acting atsubstantially right angles to-the and then, force said flakes against grate l3 or paths and means for rotating the cleaning deits bars I4 so that they can drop through the vices faster than the loosening devices.

openings IS without being rubbed against each 3. An apparatus for ripping or tearing raw other. The second loosening member 9 with the tobacco leaves into pieces. comprising a feed deon the. outstanding stem over the-comer 1 of rotary loosening device below the first loosening cleaning drum I6 is also working with a higher the stripp d tobacco into two paths, ne pwardly second grate l8 with bars l9 or through the with the second senin de ce and mov n opening 20. In other words, the whole amount the strippedtobacco furtherin the lower path."

of tobacco'to be shredded is split-into two por- 4. An apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tions and therefore each one 01' the shredding tobaccoleaves into pieces, comprising a feed dechambers is not so crowded and the new invenvice, a first rotary loosening device, a second tion makes a much better product of more unirotary loosening device below the first loosening due to the two loosening members in the new comb acting at substantially right angles to the invention, the quantity oi tobacco will be split, leaves fed by the feed device, said loosening which avoids a crowded separating chamber and devicesrotating in opposite directions and dividthereby avoids the rubbing together oi the tolog the stripped t acco into two paths, one upstripped tobacco warclly and one downwardly, a rotary cleaning first loosening device tobacco leaves into pieces, afpair of oppositely rotating loosening devices forming a bight for the tobacco to be loosened and dividing the stripped upper path, a second cleaning device cooperating with the second. loosening device and moving the further in the lower path, and a grate having openingsfor the passage of the stems and stripped tobacco, partially surrounding each cleaning device.

5. An apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces, comprising a feed device, a first rotary loosening device, a second rotary loosening device below the first loosenin device, both loosening devices having combs, each comb acting at substantially right angles to the leaves fed by the feed device, said loosening devices rotating in opposite directions and dividing the stripped tobacco into two paths, one upwardly and one downwardly, a rotary cleaning device cooperating with the first loosening device and moving the stripped tobacco further in the upper path, a second cleaning device cooperating with the second loosening device and moving the stripped tobacco further in the lower path, a grate having openings for the passage of the stems and stripped tobacco, partially surrounding each cleaning device, and guide walls approxi- .-respective loosening devices to further mate each loosening and cleaning device for guiding the tobacco towards the same.

6. In an apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces, a pair of oppositely rotating loosening devices forming a bight for the tobacco to be loosened and dividing the stripped tobacco into two paths, a pair of oppositely rotating cleaning devices, one for each loosening device, said cleaning devices cooperating with the respective loosening devices to further advance said stripped tobacco in the respective paths; a feeding means for feeding tobacco to the bight of the loosening devices, and means for intermittently during the continuation of the operation of the loosening and cleaning devices.

7. In an apparatus for ripping or tearing raw operating the feeding means,

tobacco into two paths, a pair of oppositely rotating cleaning devices, one for each loolening device.

advance said stripped tobacco in the respective paths and a feeding support for the tobacco entering to the entrance bight of the loosening devices having an edge at said entrance bight contiguous to the orbits of the extreme edges of the cleaning devices to enable the tobacco extending beyond the support and contiguous to said edge of the support to be acted upon in opposite directions by the, loosening devices.

8. In an apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces, the combination of two oppositely rotating loosening members, al ternately acting upon the tobacco, said loosening members dividing the stripped tobacco into two streams and bending the remaining part of the leaf in opposite directions in respect to thestem. and means feeding tobacco to such members.

9. In an apparatus for ripping or tearing raw tobacco leaves into pieces, the combination of a bridge having an upper horizontal surface. a

loosening member having combs with edges,.and having an axis of rotation above said surface,

a second loosening member having combs with edges, and having an axis of rotation below said surface, one end of the bridge being immediately outside of the curved paths of the comb edges of the loosening members, and substantially at the point of intersection thereof, said end or the bridge cooperating with the comb edges of said first named loosening member to form a stationary support for the tobacco fed therefrom into the entrance bight formed by said curved paths of said loosening members, said bridge extending into said bight, save for contact with the comb edges during their rotation.

OSWALD E. EISSMANN.

said cleaning devices cooperating with the.