US2418281A

US2418281A - Apparatus for conditioning tobacco

Info

Publication number: US2418281A
Application number: US516901A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rush D Touton
Original assignee: Wurton Machine Co
Current assignee: Wurton Machine Co
Priority date: 1944-01-04
Filing date: 1944-01-04
Publication date: 1947-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1964-04-01

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill 5,7701? vfiasi zuz olz R. D. TOUTON APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed Jan. 4, 1944 April 1, 1947.

II /miss.-

April 1, 1947. R. D. TOUTON APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING TOBACCO Filed Jan. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Patented Apr. 1, 1947 v. U i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,418,281 APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING TOBACCO Rush D-. Touton, Wynnewood, Pa., assignor to Wurton Machine Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 4, 1944, Serial No. 516,901

Claims. (01. 131-136) 2 This invention relates to an improvement in reaches respectively lie together, the lower apparatus for use in the treatment of tobacco reaches of

chains

8, 8 being weighted down on for its conditioning or otherwise. the upper reaches of

chains

2, 2 by the weight In general, this invention relates to an im- ,of

rods

8, 9, which, as described above, are conprovement in apparatus of the type having con- 5 nected to and extend between chains 8', 8, so that veyor means extending generally in a plane, the butts l3 of the hands of tobacco 6 may be which desirably may be a horizontal plane, and held between the as shown in Figure 3, and so adapted or provided with means for the support that

chains

8, 8 will move with the driven chains of hands of tobaczo from their butts and having 2, 2, e their leaf portions free and extending laterally 10 Extending between

chains

8, 8, below rods v9, 9,

. of the conveyor, the conveyor means being adaptand secured to the chains throughout their.

ed to carry the hands of tobacco withrespect to length is a guard I 4 of suitable material, which Jets or blasts of conditioned gas. may be, for example, a woven or netted material,

More particularly, this invention contemplates or other foraminous material through which air the provision of means in association with the will freely pass andwhich desirably will be a conveyor means, which will act, when the tomaterial such as'copper screen, though th mabacco is subjected variously to blasts or Jets of terial need not necessarily be such as to pass air. air, to hold or support the free leafportions to At the front or charging end of the machine, the end that injury to them will be avoided and indicated by A, the upper reaches of the chains that they may be treated moreeffectively than 2, 2 extend beyond the lower reaches of the heretofore.

chains

8, 8. Between the

chains

2, 2 and on a Having now indicated .in a general way the level with their upper reaches, is positioned an nature and purpose ofthls invention, I will proendless conveyor belt l5, which passes around,

ceed to a detailed description of a preferred empulleys l8, it, one of which is mounted on shaft bodiment thereof with reference to the accon 4, so that the belt is driven with the

chains

2, 2

panying drawings, in which: and at the same speed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of At the discharge end of the apparatus, indian apparatus embodying this invention. cated by B, a conveyor belt I1 is positioned be- Figure 2 is a plan view on lines 22, Figure 1. tween the

chains

2, 2. The conveyor ll passes Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apover a pulley ill on shaft 4 andover idle pulleys paratus shown in Figur 1. I 9, i9, arranged so that it will extend from In the

several views

2, 2 indicate a pair of endsprockets 3, about which

chains

2, 2 pass, downless chains passing over spaced pairs of sprockwardly at a small angle to

chains

2, 2, forming ets 3, 3, mounted on-shafts 4, 4, which are supa reach 28 and then at a relatively large angle ported in any suitable manner and one of which to chains 2, 2 forming a further reach 2|.

is adapted to be driven, from any suitable prime On opposite sides of and below the conveyor mover, through a pulley 5. formed bythe

chains

2, 2 and 8, 8 are longitudi- The

chains

2,2 are spaced apart a distance nally arranged

ducts

22, 22 adapted to receive somewhat greater'than twice the length of the conditioned gas, as air, fro any suitable source leaf portions of hands of tobacco 6, which it is 40 through

inlets

23, 23. The

ducts

22,22 are pro' intended shall be handled by the conveyor, as vided with

nozzles

24, 24, arranged for-the disshown in Figure 2. charge of Jets or blasts of conditioned gas. The

The upper reaches of the

chains

2, 2 are tight, nozzles are directed from belowangularly with ,while the lower reaches are slack and supported respect to the conveyor. and as between the ducts by idlers l, l. a are in staggered relation. Jets or blasts of air A second pair of endless chains 8, connected issuing from the

nozzles

24, 24 are adapted to by wei hted r s a s ov paced pai o strike against the leaf portions of hands of tosprockets I8, I 0, mounted on shafts l I, II, suitlbacco 8 on th conveyor:

ably supported so that the lower' reaches of In operation a case of hands of tobacco 25 is

chains

8, 8 will overlie the upper reaches ;of the 0 positioned, at the charging end A of the

apparachains

2, 2, throughout a distance betweentheir tus, adjacent the end of conveyor belt l5. Opends, as shown in Figure 1. The upper reaches erators at the stations 28, 28 lift the hands 6 of

chains

8, 8, which are slack, are supported by froni the case and place them on the belt: l5 opidlers l2, l2. The links of the

chains

2, 2 and positely with their butts on the

chains

2, 2. The 8, 8 are out of line and their upper and lower 68 belt l5 advances the hands until their butts enter conveyor.

' various modifications without departure from the scope of the ap the nip between the upper reaches

oi chains

2, 2 and e lower reaches of

chains

8, 8 are ripped between the reaches 02 the chains. The hands are carried by the chains into and out of Jets or blasts of air issuing from nozzles and they 1 the support between 24, 24, which strike the leaf portions of the hands. It will dented in the butts as shown at 21, Figure 3.

When a jet or blast of air from a nozzle 24 Q strikes theleaf portion or a hand, the guard It acts, as is'shown in Figure 3. to prevent the leaves from injury by being blown upwardly between the chains or, ii the leaves be sufliciently moist, by being blown up and over the chains. Further,

under the influence of the jets or blasts oi air the leaf portions of the hands will be held against the guard l4 and treating air will penetrate into the leaves and, if the guard be ioraminous, a portion of the air will be enabled to pass through the leaves. as indicated. by arrows a, Figure 3,?

while, since the air strikes the leaf portions at an angle, a portion of the air will be deflected and will strike the leaf portions opposite hands, as indicated by the arrows 1/, Figure 3.

Thus, it will be observed that the provision oi the guard l4 serves the purpose of preventing in- Jury to the tobacco leaves and of enabling more effective use of treating air by enabling it in part to penetrate the leaves of a hand in its path and by deflecting it in part to the treatment of, an oppositely positioned hand.

Finally, it will be noted that the novel arrangement 0! the pairs or

conveyor chains

2, 2 and 8, 8, in spaced relation with the provision oi charging means betweenthem greatly facilitates the handling or tobacco hands from the case, in which they are generally arranged. tip to tip 09- positely. as shown in Figure 2, for charging the that it is not intended that this invention shall be limited by the above detailed disclosure, since it is contemplated that in detail may be made It will be understood.

and desire to protect by Letters be noted thatchains 8, 8 are inrespectively being uperimposed and adapted for them or hands 01 tobacco by their butts with their leaf portions tree and extending toward each other between the pairs or chains to permit the leaves deliver air upwardly into the leaves 0! the hands. and a guard secured to and extending between the upper chains or the pairs respectively to limit their upward movement under the influence of the moving air. y

3. In apparatus for treating tobacco,-in combination, a conveyor formed by spaced pairs of endless chains, reaches of the chains 01 the pairs respectively being superimposed and adapted for the support between them of hands of tobacco by their butts with their lea! portions tree and extending toward each other between the pairs or chains, a guard secured to and extending between the upper chains of the pairs respectively and means for directing Jets 01 air toward the leaf" portions of hands on said conveyor in a diand means for directing jets of air toward therection such as to on said elements by their butts with their leai? portions free and extending laterally between said elements, a guard extending between said elements above the leat portions of the hands and spaced means positioned relative to said elements for delivering jets of air upwardly at an angle to the leaf portions of the hands, saidv means for derelative to said elements.

livering jets positioned respectively being respectively instaggered relationship.

.2. In apparatus for treating tobacco, in com bination, a conveyor formed by spaced pairs of endlesschains, reaches 01 the cha s of the pairs file of. this patent:

rection such as to press the guard.

s. In apparatus for treating tobacco, in combination, a conveyor formed by spaced pairs of endless chains, reaches oi! the chains of the pairs respectively being superimposed and adapted for the support between them 01 hands of tobacco by their butts with their leaf portions free and extending toward each other between the pail-Q01 chains to permit the leaves to spread, means to deliver air upwardly intothe leaves of the hands, and a wire mesh secured to and extending between the upper chains or the pairs respectively to limit their upward movement under the influence of themoving air.

5. In apparatus for treating tobacco, in combination, a conveyor formed by spaced pairs oi oi the chains or the pairs I 1 their butts with their leaf portions tree and extending toward each other between the pairs of chains, 9. wire meshsecured to and extending be-.

tween the upper chains 0! the pairs respectively lea! portions of hands on said conveyor in a diress the leaf portions against the guard. I BUSH D. TOUTON.

nnrnnnncns orrnn The following references are of record in the UNITED STATES Number Name Date 2,334,362 Touton Nov. 16, 1943 563,656 Carter July '7, 1898 to 1,348,497 Kahn Aug. 3, 1920 1,963,098 Rundell July 31, 1984 Bogaty Jan. 5. 1937 to spread, means to