US2329747A - Scrap tobacco feed - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21, 1943. J. P. DURNING SCRAP TOBACCO FEED Filed Aug 19, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JAMES P. DURNING ATTORNEY Sept. 1943- J. P. DURNING SCRAP TOBACCO FEED 7 Filed Aug. 19, 1939 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

\ Jll INVENTOR JAMES P. DURNING W@ v ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1943. J. P. DURNING I I 2,329,747

SCRAP TOBACCO FEED Filed Aug. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Shet 5 FIG. 4 l

INVENTOR JA ES P. ouaums BY J ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1943 \J K.

I 2,329,141 sonar TOBACCO FEED James i. Burning, Albans, N.

International Cigar Machinery 1. scis or a Company, a

corporation of New Jersey Application August 19, 1939, Serial No. 291,018

- 14 Claims. (Cl. 131-22) This invention relates to cigar machines, and more particularly to improved mechanism for feeding tobacco to cigar forming instrumentalitics.

It is an object or this invention to provide a simplified mechanism for feeding short filler tobacco wherein a quantity of short filler tobacco is confined within a limited area and grades-11 moved forward against relatively movable n'ier'nbers which separate the tobacco from the mass confined.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tobacco feeding hopper havinga movable bottom supporting member for a mass of tobacco confined therein together with mean's ior' rnoving said bottom portion to advance the mass of tobacco against rakes which effectively separate portions of the tobacco from the mass for formation into cigar bunches.

It is a further object of the invention to provirie a hopper having a traveling conveyor belt forming the bottom part thereof upon which tobacco is confined and moved out of the hopper against a pair of relatively movable members which separate launch charges of tobacco from the mass.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned-in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and constructions which will be hereinafter fully described, and then sp'eoifi call-y set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings which form a pastor this specification and wherein the several reference characters designate the same or like elements:-

Figure l is a partial side sectional elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional front elevation of the same taken from line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the ralce and belt control;

Figure- 4 is a sectional side elevation of a moth-- fled tobacco feed hopper;

Flgure'5 is a sectional front elevation of the lower portion of the some;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic View of a part of the tobacco feed control mechanism; and

Figure-'1 is a partial sectional side view of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pair of uprights i8 and I l extend upwardly from the bed plate of the machine (not shownl and have suitably amxed thereto or formed integrally therewith brackets l2 and I3, respectively, which carry a tobacco supply hopper l4 and may consist of a rear wall and side walls terminating In a spout 34. The bottom of the hopper (shown in Figures 1 and 2) is made up 01. a suitable tobacco supporting surface l9, which as illustrated, is an endless conveyor so mounted with respect to the hopper that its upper'lap' forms the bottom thereof and travels over a support plate I spaced between the drums IT and is which are rotatably supported by cross shafts l5 and IB, respectively, carried by brackets ilxand 3; Other suitable Iorms also might be employed;

Tobacco in. hopper 'lk'rests'upon the traveling surface of the conveyor. and is moved forwardly towards rakes or fingers 28 mounted at the discharge end of the hopper,'which rakes are usually so positioned that the endsciz the rakes are located substantially at the pointer tangency of the drum IU of the conveyor or below the upper lap of the conveyor i9; vIn this manner, est-he tobacco is moved forwardly against the rakes it is practically impossible for any tobacco to slide or move beneath the ends of the rakes 28, and consequently ail of the tobacco must movethrough the rakes. Due to this arrangement, lumps or balls. of tobacco are efiectivelybroken up and the tobacco fed in a uniform stream into the bunch forming mechanism will be in the form of loose particles best adapted for the formation of. cigars. The rakes 20 are mounted for movement relative to each other, and relative to the conveyor I9; In the embodiment shown theyare mounted in bars 25 and 26 pivotally supported for movement, one relative to the other, on a stud 24 suitably supported in a housing or cross piece 2i mounted on brackets 22 and 23 secured to the machine. In order to control the feed of tobacco advanced by the conveyor I 5 against the rakes 2'0, they are usually set into motion during the sievement of the conveyor 18 so that as tlie't'obacco moves through the rakesit is separated from the face of the general mass confined by the rakes in hopper l4, and allowed to discharge the weighing device describedmore fully hereihaiter. One form of mechanism suitable for moving bars 25 and is, shown in Figure Z'in. which bars 25 and 2B areconnected to lovers 2;! and- 2'8,grspec tively, loosely mountedon" a: pivot 29' supported by housing 2|; The opposite ends of lovers- 2'! and 28' may be provided witlr cam foliowers 30 which engage in a corn track- 131' of a. cam 32 fixed to the upper end of a vertical shaft 83 supported in bearings of bracketzti 'In' operation, as the rakes 20 oscillate in opposite directions they scrape and separate from the face ot tlie tobacco mass marine agalnst'thm, those pieces 2 spears":

which protrude therethrough from the feeding This mechanism may be of the type shown and face of the tobacco mass and thereby permit more described in my co-pending application, Feed tobacco to be fed forward for discharge into the for cigar bunch machines, which issued December measuring mechanism. The action of the double 29, 1942 as Letters Patent No. 2,306,381. To scale row of rakes is particularly valuable in that it shaft 42 is fastened a lug 43 carrying a threaded prevents the forming of or passage of lumps of rod 44 supporting an adjustableweight 45. The tobacco from the hopper. The lower portions of latter serves the double purpose of balancing the rakes, because of their location below the surthe scale pan 4| and determining the desired face of the upper lap of the conveyor l9, also amount of tobacco to trip the same. insure the feed of a uniform stream of tobacco to As the uniform stream of tobacco forwarded the spout 34 of the hopper l4. by the hopper enters the scale pan, the latter trips In order to prevent the short filler tobacco when the desired amount is deposited therein. from spilling from the rakes 20 while loading The scale pan 4| in tripping causes a suitable the hopper l4, and to more accurately control the switch. such as a mercury switch 46 attached to passage of tobacco from the hopper, a row of one end of scale shaft 42 to swing into an angular shorter rakes 35 may be provided. These rakes position and thereby break an electric circuit may be attached to one or both of the bars, but leading to a solenoid 41 which controls the drive in the illustrated embodiment are shown atof shaft 33, in a manner to be described. Soletached only to the bar 26. These short rakes 35 noid 41 is energized and deenergized through also control the height of the feeding face of the the circuit being opened and closed by the movetobacco adjacent the rakes. Rakes 35 are adment of pan 4| which operates switch 45 through iustably fixed in their supporting member in a circuit including wires I00 and HH connecting order to best suit them for feeding the type of switch 45 to solenoid 41 thereby causing the short filler tobacco being used at a given time, armature 48 of the solenoid to enter or move and this adjustable control of the feeding face away from the same thereby engaging or disenof the tobacco is important since it permits the gaging the pawl and ratchet drive. A bell crank use of the mechanism shown and described in lever 49 mounted on a shaft 5|! supported by a feeding any size of short filler tobacco and still bracket 5| connects to the armature 43 and has retains the desirable feature of feeding a thin an arm 52 which will swing and contact a finger layer or thin uniform stream of tobacco from 53 of pawl 49 (Figure 3) when the solenoid 41 is the hopper. Any conventional means of adenergized, thus the pawl will be disengaged from justing may be used. For instance, rakes may the ratchet '39, permitting ball clutch 31 to be be provided with threads 35a in the manner driven from the variable speed drive and impart shown in Liberman Patent No. 1,559,266. motion to belt l9 and the oscillating rakes 20. The shaft 33 is provided with a spiral gear 353 35 The operation of arm 52 and finger 53 is the same meshing with a spiral gear 36 fixed to shaft l6, as that described in my copending application,

thereby'imparting motion to belt l9. Shaft 33 is above referred to. driven through a ball clutch 31 (Figure 3) by When scale pan 4| is tripped, switch 46 breaks means of any suitable conventional type of varithe circuit to solenoid 41 so that the latter is deable speed drive (not shown) enclosed in housing energized, and armature 43 will disengage arm 38, which drive is suitably driven from the main 52 from finger 53 of the pawl. Since the latter drive of the machine. Ball clutch 31 may be of is equipped with a tension spring 54, said pawl any suitable conventional design such as the genwill immediately engage ratchet 39 causing ball eral p shown i C ausen Patent No. 2,259,616. clutch 31 on shaft 33 to disengage the latter from Ratchet 39 works in conjunction with ball 45 the variable speed drive and thereby stop the moclutch 31 consisting of a housing 311) and an tion of belt is and rakes 2o. inner member 310 (Figures 3 and '1). Inner When scale pan 4| is tripped, the measured member 31c carried by ratchet 33 i k y d t0 vcramount of tobacco therein is delivered into a tical rake operating shaft 33. Housing 31 is eom ression'chamber similar to that shown in keyed to continuously rotating shaft 38a prO- Patent No. 2,021,652, for Scrap bunch machine, iecti s from the able speed driv n housing granted November 19, 1935, to J. F. Halstead, 33. Housing 31b carries a number of balls 31a, via a guide chute 53 whenever magazine gate 51 two as shown. wh e confined n w d e mounted on shaft 65 is open. Asthe gate swings shaped spaces formed by the cutouts in downward the tobacco charge is evenly distribmembers 310 and the inner wall of member 55 uted and guided into the magazine. A recipro- 3lb. Member 310 is also provided with a correeating plunger 58 will then press the charge and spending number of plunger-s or pins 31d spring advance the forward end into a transfer 59, which pressed by means of springs 31c into engageafter the charge is separated by means of a ment with the balls for the purpose of pressing knife 69 from the remaining tobacco column in the balls 3141 into the wedge shaped out and so the magazine, will deliver the cut charge to the thereby effecting a driving engagement between rolling apron of the machine (not shown). In member 310 and housing 3111 on shaft 38. order to control the feed of tobacco from scale Ratchet 39 is provided with a plurality of downpan 4| into chamber 55, the pan is provided with ting fingers or lugs 39a which serve 3, prong 66. As the gate 51 swings up to open 12 holding balls 3111 back and preposition it strikes prong GB and moves the pan ment with members 310 and 4| about its pivot to effect the discharge of the housing 3'") whenever a tooth of ratchet 39 is tobacco held therein into the chamber 55. As ged bY a p v W which Stops he the gate 51 swings back into chamber closing pomovement of ratchet 39 and thereby disengages sition, pan 4| also travel back and is again 10- the rake operating shaft 33 from the continuous 70 cased t receive tobacco f m the hoppen Due rotating shaft 38a which s p the motion of to weight 45, the switch 46 is moved to close the rakes 30 and the feed belt i9. circuit and tobacco is fed into the pan until a The tobacco issuing from the mouth of the predetermined quantity causes it to swing in a l4 falls into a scale pan 4| pivotally clockwise direction to break the circuit and dispp mounted on shaft 42 s pport y brackets B- continue the feed of tobacco thereto. When there as-cacti? is little or no tobacco in the chamber 55, the plunger 58 during its forward stroke, canmove substantially the entire length of the magazine (see Figure 6), and a stud 61 carried by plunger operating arm 68 will trip control lever 69 standing in the path of the stud 51 since the latteris mounted in a block carried by lever iii. The trip of control lever 69 will cause the disengagement of latch lug H from latch 12 mounted on trip lever I and thereby due to weight I4 cause the trip lever to swing in such a way that follower 15 on arm 16 strikes lock finger 11 mounted on arm 83 and swings it about its pivot 18 to such a position that the recess 19 in the finger is located directly beneath the crank pin Bil which is mounted in the free end of lever ll pivoted to a shaft 82 and adapted to engage a slot 80a of arm 83. The arm 83, through its cam lever 84 and connecting rod 85 moves up and down once each cycle of the machine due to the engagement of cam follower 85 on a cam 86 mounted on shaft ill. With the parts in the positions, just described above, as the arm moves' upward again during the next cycle of the machine, recess 19 will engage with and seat crank pin 80 therein, thereby preventing relative movement of pin 80 in slot 89a, and upon continued upward movement lever 8| on shaft 82 will be moved upward thereby effecting the movement of lever 88 mounted on shaft 82 and connected by connecting rod 89 to lever 90 fixed upon shaft 65 so that this movement rocks the magazine gate 51 to open the magazine 55, and when the gate engages prong 55 causes the discharge of tobacco into the chamber 55. Latch lug H is provided with a curved face Ila upon which latch I2 travels whenever lever 69 is moved to break the latching engagement between lug 1| and latch l2. The latch mechanism is reset by means of arm 83 which as it rises causes arm H to bear against cam follower 15 on arm 16 and swing latch 12 upward on curved face 'lla to latching position, where by means of weight 89a forming a part of trip lever 69 lug 1| is positioned for reengagement by latch 12- as shown in Figure 6. If a sufiicient quantity of tobacco is present in the chamber 55, stud 61 can not strike trip lever 69, follower 9| on arm 92 swings lever 11 on its pivot out of the path of crank pin 80, slot 800. allows arm 33 to move past pin 80 and thereby prevents gate 51 from being opened during that particular cycle of the machine and so long as sufiicient quantity of tobacco is present in the compression chamber. Whenever there is a sufficient quantity of tobacco in magazine 55, lever ll occupies the dotted line position shown in Figure 6.] The mechanism for operating. the gate 51 for controlling the feed of tobacco from scale pan 4i thereinto may be substantially the same as that shown and described in my above referred to ,co-pending application.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of tobacco feeding mechanism, According to this modification, hopper BI is provided with an inclined base 62 which is so constructed and arranged that 'it will direct the tobacco placed therein downwardly against the rakes 20 and maintain the face of the tobacco in the hopper constantly in engagement with the rakes 20 which may be operated and controlled in the same manner as those in the modification shown in Figures 1 and- 2. Since the tobacco is held by gravity against the rakes 2D, whenever they are oscillated, the net result is to allow the tobacco-to move through the rakes in a uniform stream-for delivery through the mouth 88 of the hopper BI and into the scale pan 4|. In order to prevent tobacco particles from working beneath the ends oithe takes they are located in close proximity tothe wall 54, which forms a continuation of the bottom 52, and are so placed with respect to the bottom '8! that all tobacco fed from the hopper must move through the rakes.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device, selected to illustrate the invention, is but one of many possible concrete embodiments-of the same. It is not, there- -fore, to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described,

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar machine tobacco feed, an endless conveyor provided with a horizontal traveling surface supporting a mass of tobacco, a plurality of substantially vertical movable spaced members located adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor confining said mass on said conveyor and having their ends positioned below the supporting plane of said surface, means for moving said conveyor to advance the tobacco on said surface through said members, and means for also moving said members back and forth across the face of the tobacco confined thereby during the advancing movement of said conveyor.

2. In a cigar machine, a hopper for confining a supply of' tobacco including, an endless conveyor provided with a traveling tobacco surface forming the bottom of said hopper, spaced rotatable members supporting said conveyor, a plurality of parallel sets of spaced movable rakes located adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor having their ends substantially tangent to the supporting member at the point of discharge of said conveyor confining said tobacco in said hopper, and means for' effecting relative movement between said conveyor and sets of rakes to control the quantity of tobacco fed from said hopper.

3. In a cigar machine tobacco feed, an endless conveyor, movable members located at one end of said conveyor for confining a mass of tobacco on said conveyor, a tobacco weighing device located adjacent said conveyor, a charge receiving chamber positioned beneath said device, and means including driving mechanism for said conveyor set into operation when tobacco in said chamber reaches a predetermined minimum for effecting movement between said conveyor and members for feeding astream of tobacco into said device.

4. In a cigar machine tobacco feed, an endless conveyor, rakes located at one end of said conveyor for confining a mass of tobacco on said conveyor, a tobacco weighing device located adjacent said conveyor. a charge receiving chamber positioned beneath saiddevice, means including driving devices for said conveyor set into operation when tobacco in said chamber reaches a predetermined minimum for effecting relative movement between saidconveyor and members for feeding a stream of, tobacco into said device,

and means operative when a' predetermined quantity of tobacco has been fed into said device for interrupting the operation of said conveyor and members 5. In a cigar machine having a charge compression chamber, and a tobacco measuring device for feeding measured quantities of tobacco to said chamber, a conveyor having a traveling horizontal tobacco supporting surface arranged to support a mass of tobacco, a plurality of independently movable normally stationary transverse rakes comprising spaced depending tobacco engaging fingers having their tips positioned below the plane of said surface located adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor constructed and arranged to hold said mass on said surface against uncontrolled movement from said conveyor, means for effecting relative movement between said conveyor and rakes, including mechanism for rocking said rakes back and forth ad- J'acent the end of said conveyor to feed tobacco in a stream to said device, and means controlled by the quantity of tobacco fed to said device for stopping the movement of said conveyor and rakes.

6. In a tobacco feeding device, a stationary hopper provided with end and side walls extending upward from an elongated bottom, a conveyor movable above and closely adjacent said bottom, said conveyor supporting a mass of tobacco in said hopper between said walls and constructed and arranged to advance said tobacco to a point of discharge, a plurality of substantially parallel sets of transversely positioned spaced rakes having spaced tobacco engaging members located at said point of discharge and coacting with said conveyor to hold back said mass of tobacco in said hopper, mechanism for moving said conveyor relative to the walls of said hopper to advance said tobacco confined in said hopper against said rakes, and means for moving said sets of rakes relatively to each other back and forth across the face of the mass of tobacco fed thereagainst by said conveyor to eifect the feed of a stream of tobacco from said hopper and between said members.

7. In a tobacco feeding mechanism for a cigar machine, an open hopper adapted to hold a mass of tobacco provided with upstanding spaced side walls and an elongated and downwardly inclined bottom tobacco supporting section arranged to advance the tobacco by gravity extending between said walls and forming an outlet at the lowermost portion of said section, a plurality of substantially vertical rakes, means mounting said rakes in closely adjacent substantially parallel planes, said rakes comprising spaced tobacco engaging fingers located adjacent said outlet, and extending transversely across between said side walls with the ends of said fingers positioned below the plane of said bottom supporting section, said rakes being constructed and arranged to hold back said mass of tobacco on said bottom section against the free gravity feed therefrom, and means for moving said rakes back and forth relative to said walls and section to effect the feed of tobacco from said hopper only between said fingers.

8. In a tobacco feeding mechanism, a hopper including upstanding side walls, and an angularly inclined bottom section arranged to support and advance a mass of tobacco by gravity, a plurality of sets of substantially vertical rakes comprising spaced tobacco engaging fingers having their lower ends located adjacent the lower inclined edge and below the plane of said section and extending transversely across said section to hold back said entire mass of tobacco thereon against free gravity feed therefrom, and means for moving said sets of rakes back and forth past each other across the face of said mass of tobacco held back thereby to allow tobacco to be fed between said fingers from said mass.

9. In a material feeding mechanism, a hopper adapted to contain a supply of material, said hopper including an end and side walls and a bottom comprising a substantially horizontal endless movable conveyor for supporting said supply of material located between said walls, said conveyor being constructed and arranged to advance said material to a point of discharge at one end of said conveyor, a plurality of rakes having depending material engaging fingers located at said end of said conveyor, means mounting said rakes to position the ends of said fingers below the plane of said conveyor and at substantially right angles to said conveyor to hold within said hopper said entire supply of material, means for moving said conveyor to advance material against said rakes, and mechanism associated with said last-named means for moving said rakes back and forth past each other to affect the feed of material between said fingers. 4

10. In a cigar machine, a hopper adapted to contain a supply of tobacco, mechanism for feeding a stream of tobacco from said hopper comprising, a conveyor constructed and arranged to form a bottom of said hopper and a support for said tobacco, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel spaced rakes located adjacent the discharge end of said conveyor holding back said supply of tobacco in said hopper, means for moving said conveyor to feed tobacco to said rakes, and means for also moving said rakes past each other back and forth across the face of the tobacco fed thereto by said conveyor to separate tobacco from said supply for delivery between said rakes from said hopper.

11. In a charge forming device for a cigar machine having a charge compression chamber, a device for measuring tobacco, and a chute adapted to conduct said measured tobacco from said device into said chamber, a hopper for confining a mass of tobacco including a conveyor provided with a substantially horizontal tobacco supporting and conveying surface forming the bottom of said hopper, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes located at the discharge end of said conveyor coacting with said surface and holding back said mass of tobacco in said hopper, means for mounting said rakes in substantially vertical planes and at substantially right angles with said conveyor, interconnected means for simultaneously operating said conveyor to advance tobacco against said rakes and for moving said rakes back and forth adjacent the end of said hopper and said conveyor to feed a stream of tobacco past said rakes to said device, and means controlled by the feed of a predetermined quantity of tobacco to said device for stopping the operation of said conveyor and rakes.

12. In a tobacco feeding mechanism, a hopper having side walls, a rear wall joining said side walls, and an inclined stationary bottom portion extending between said walls and terminating in an open discharge end, said bottom portion being adapted to support a mass of tobacco, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes coacting with said hopper to hold back said mass of tobacco in said hopper, means mounting said sets of rakes in substantially vertical planes, exteriorly and transversely of said hopper and closely adjacent said discharge end of said bottom portion to substantially close said opening and thereby prevent uncontrolled movement of tobacco from said hopper, said rakes depending downwardly relative to said support portion and constructed and arranged to extend below the plane of said portion, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical transverse planes back and forth past each other across the face of the mass of tobacco backed up thereby to allow tobacco to pass between said rakes and from said hopper.

13. In a material feeding mechanism, a hopper provided with side walls, a rear wall, and a bottom material supporting surface associated therewith, said surface extending between said walls and terminating in an open discharge end to confine and support a bulk supply of material, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes coacting with said hopper to hold back said supply of material, means mounting said sets of rakes in substantially vertical planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of said hopper and closely adjacent said discharge end of said surface to substantially close said opening and thereby prevent the flow of material from said supply while said rakes are stationary, said rakes depending downwardly relative to said bottom supporting surface and constructed and arranged to extend below the plane of said surface, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical planes back and forth past each other across the face of said supply of material supported on said surface to allow material to pass between said rakes and from said hopper.

14. In a material feeding mechanism, a hopper provided with side walls, a rear wall and a bottom material supporting and feeding surface extending between said walls and terminating in an open discharge end for confining and supporting a bulk supply of tobacco, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes coacting with said hopper, said rakes including spaced fingers engaging the advanced face of supply of material to hold back said supply of material in said hopper, means mounting said sets of rakes in substantially vertical planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of said hopper and closely adjacent and exteriorly of said discharge end of said surface with the ends of said fingers extending downwardly below the plane of said surface to substantially close said open discharge end and thereby prevent the flow of material from said supply while said rakes are stationary, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical planes back and forth past each other across the face of said supply of material supported on said surface to allow material to pass between said spaced fingers and from said hopper.

JAMES P. BURNING.

CERTIFICATE OF CORREC TI 0N Patent No. 2, 29,7l 7.

September 21, 19l 5.

JAMES P DURNING It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 57, claim 2, before "parallel" insert substantially-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25rd day of Novemoer, A. D. 19145.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.-

and thereby prevent uncontrolled movement of tobacco from said hopper, said rakes depending downwardly relative to said support portion and constructed and arranged to extend below the plane of said portion, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical transverse planes back and forth past each other across the face of the mass of tobacco backed up thereby to allow tobacco to pass between said rakes and from said hopper.

13. In a material feeding mechanism, a hopper provided with side walls, a rear wall, and a bottom material supporting surface associated therewith, said surface extending between said walls and terminating in an open discharge end to confine and support a bulk supply of material, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes coacting with said hopper to hold back said supply of material, means mounting said sets of rakes in substantially vertical planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of said hopper and closely adjacent said discharge end of said surface to substantially close said opening and thereby prevent the flow of material from said supply while said rakes are stationary, said rakes depending downwardly relative to said bottom supporting surface and constructed and arranged to extend below the plane of said surface, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical planes back and forth past each other across the face of said supply of material supported on said surface to allow material to pass between said rakes and from said hopper.

14. In a material feeding mechanism, a hopper provided with side walls, a rear wall and a bottom material supporting and feeding surface extending between said walls and terminating in an open discharge end for confining and supporting a bulk supply of tobacco, a plurality of sets of substantially parallel rakes coacting with said hopper, said rakes including spaced fingers engaging the advanced face of supply of material to hold back said supply of material in said hopper, means mounting said sets of rakes in substantially vertical planes transversely of the longitudinal axis of said hopper and closely adjacent and exteriorly of said discharge end of said surface with the ends of said fingers extending downwardly below the plane of said surface to substantially close said open discharge end and thereby prevent the flow of material from said supply while said rakes are stationary, and means for moving said rakes in said substantially vertical planes back and forth past each other across the face of said supply of material supported on said surface to allow material to pass between said spaced fingers and from said hopper.

JAMES P. BURNING.

CERTIFICATE OF CORREC TI 0N Patent No. 2, 29,7l 7.

September 21, 19l 5.

JAMES P DURNING It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 57, claim 2, before "parallel" insert substantially-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25rd day of Novemoer, A. D. 19145.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.-

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