US2447457A - Cigarette machine feed - Google Patents

Description

C. ARELT CIGARETTE MACHINE FEED 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1942 INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT ATTORNEY 4 Shet-Sheet 2 C. ARELT CIGARETTE MACHINE FEED Filed June 11, 1942 FIG. 2

mg. 3 "i, 1948.

Filed June 11,- 1942 C. ARELT CIGARETTE MACHINE FEED 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT RNEY ATTO 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 11, 1942 INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1948 CIGARETTE MACHINE FEED Charles Arelt, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey I Application June 11, 1942, Serial No. 446,585

This invention relates to tobacco feeding mechanism for cigarette making machines of the continuous rod type.

It is common practice in the cigarette tobacco feeding art to use What is described as a carded feed drum for the purpose of removing continuously a layer of tobacco from a tobacco supply held in a suitable hopper. Another carded roll, known as a refuser drum, is usually employed in conjunction with this feed roll and is positioned above and close to the carded feed drum. The carded refuser drum rotates in the same direction as the feed roll which will cause their adjoining surfaces to travel in opposite directions. In this manner the refuser drum acts to brush or sweep back all tobacco picked up by said feed drum extending above a certain predetermined height.

Although this prior structure operated to feed tobacco successfully, it was not entirely satisfactory because the refuser drum would sometimes remove more and sometimes less tobacco from the feed drum than was desired. In some cases this was due to the carding of the refuser roll being irregularly worn around its circumference. When this occurred there would be irregular quantities of tobacco on the feed drum and this would eventually show up in the completed cigarette rod. Another objection to this structure was that the tobacco removed would build up and form a compacted roll just in front of the area between the refuser drum and the feed drum. The rotation of the feed roll and refuser drum would eventually cause this accumulation to rotate. This rotating roll of accumulated tobacco had a refusing or sweeping effect upon the tobacco carried up by the carded feed drum which would result in a subnormal quantity of tobacco passing between the feed drum and the refuser drum.

It was also found that every now and then a mass of this compacted accumulation would be caught by the carded feed drum and pulled past the refuser drum. This obviously resulted in too much tobacco being fed toward the rod forming mechanism.

As a result the old feed functioned but it had the disadvantage that it would not feed tobacco with the great degree of uniformity and regularity that is desired today.

In order to give the public cigarettes of constant density and accurate weight it is highly desirable to have a cigarette feed which can be relied on to operate with constant uniformity.

Various attempts have been made in the past 26 Claims. (Cl. 131109) to obtain a more uniform feeding of cigarette tobacco. Many of these have been directed to the means used in feeding tobacco toward the carded feed drum. Others have tried to removeshort particles of tobacco from the tobacco supv ply on one side of the feed drum and distribute them on the other side thereof. Some even have avoided entirely the use of a single feed drum. All such attempts have had their individual ad-'-' vantages no doubt, but the optimum of uniformity was not attained.

T e present inventors approach to this problem of uniform feeding has been entirely different from that of his predecessors, and after much effort he has provided a device hereinafter described which solves the feeding problems mentioned.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide a feed device which will feed tobacco with greater uniformity than has heretofore been considered possible.

Another object is to provide an improved refuser roll which operates over a substantial area along the periphery of the feed drum to sweep excess tobacco therefrom.

A further object is to provide a refuser roll which will rotate at different rates of speed with the result that the feed drum will feed a constantly uniform layer of tobacco.

A further object is to provide improved tamping and sweeping means adjacent the feed drum to provide a predetermined uniform quantity of tobacco immediately in front of the refuser member.

Another object is to provide a refusing member,

which oscillates over the feed drum to refuse tobacco thereon a plurality of times.

A further object is to provide a single segment.

multiple acting refusing device.

Another object is to provide an improved have a severing or shearing action and which will also act as a compactor.

A further object is to provide an improved nonrotating refusing or sweeping member for governing the quantity of tobacco fed by a feed drum.

Another object is to provide an improved refuser drum for a cigarette machine which will use only one portion or segment thereof with which to refuse all excess tobacco.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation ofv a continuous rod cigarette machine tobacco feed;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the operating mechanism of the tobacco feeding and refusing units;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same as seen from line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig- 4 is an end elevation of a modified form of asingle segment refuser member; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of another modified form of a single segment refuser member.

Referring to Fig. 1, the cigarette machine tobacco feed consists of a feed housing H! which by means of a feed drum H- and a refuser drum I2 is divided into a tobacco feed chamber F and a tobacco distributing chamber D. The bottom of. said feedchamber F is formed by a continuously moving endless belt i4 driven by a pulley IS in the direction indicated by the arrow and running over a guide plate 18 and an idler roller 20, all of which are supported by a suitable frame 22 of. the tobacco feed.

The tobacco mass T in the feed chamber F, due to action of belt l4, bears against the continuously rotating feed drum ll, thereby filling the carded surface of the. latter with tobacco which is later extracted in the usualmanner by means of a rotating picker fan 24 located in distributing chamber D. Said picker fan, in conjunction with a suitably mounted stationary concave 26, showers the tobacco onto a continuously moving feed belt 28 which in turn delivers this layer of showered tobacco onto a pin roller 30 coacting with a compressing roller 32, and the tobacco is forwarded through a concave 34. A picker roller 36 is provided for removing the tobacco from pin roller 30 in a conventional manher and showers said tobacco through a chute 38 down upon a paper web P. Paper web P travels transversely beneath chute 38 through a conventional guide channel 40 and is later on formed into a continuous cigarette rod in a manner well known. in the art.

One of the most important features of an automatic tobacco feed lies in the uniformity with which it feeds tobacco. This uniformity of feeding by feed drum H depends largely on the action and construction of the refuser drum which refuses the undesirable excess of tobacco picked up by said feed drum.

In Fig. 1, refuser drum [2 is actuated in such a way as to pass over the same portion of the feed drum twice, thereby imparting a double refusing action on all tobacco carried by each portion of the drum brought into the range of action of the refuser element which results in a far better control over the amount of tobacco carried by the latter than was heretofore possible. For example, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the travel of drum l2 from left to right is along an arc, approximately two inches in length. Simultaneously with the movement of drum [2, feed drum II also rotates and travels through an angle subtending an are approximately one inch in length. This means that for each inch of periphery advanced by feed drum ll relative to refuser drum 12, the latter passes over each inch of a periphery of feed drum H at least twice. The instant device is not to be confused with a device such. asthat shown. in Dearsley, U. S. Patent No. 2,214,044, where all the carding about the circumference of the refuser drum acts to refuse tobacco on the feed drum. In the present invention only one segment or portion of the refuser drum (marked S, Fig. 1) does any refusing. The rest of the refuser drum plays no active refusing role.

- It hasbeen found that the sharpness and length of the carding on the refuser drum has to be very uniform in order to obtain an unvaried delivery of. tobacco. After a machine has been in operation for a time, some of the carding on the refuser drum will become dull while other portions will be worn and shorter. As a result, the feed will not be as uniform as it was originally and this lack of uniformity will show up in the ultimate cigarette rod because the dull and short carded portions of the refuser drum will not remove as much tobacco from the feed roll as the sharper and longer carding. Tobacco of varying quantities will therefore be delivered to the rod forming. mechanism.

By having only a short portion or segment of the drum 12 act as the exclusive refusing agent the inventor has avoided nonuniformity, due to the above cause, since all the tobacco will be refused by the same section of the refuser regardless of whether the carding be dull or sharp, short or long. Furthermore, by oscillating the refuser in the manner hereinafter described the inventor obtains a double refusing on all tobacco delivered to the rod forming mechanism.

As will be hereinafter brought out, a continuous roll such as shown in Fig. 1, instead of segments such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, has the advantage that when the carding of the refusing section of the feed drum becomes worn, the drum can be rotated on its support by removing the gear'iifl to present a new unworn segment of carding for performing the refusing operation and gear 60 can then be replaced. This process can be continued until the carding all around the drum has been dulled and worn. As a result, the life of the refuser drum is much greater and there will be no loss in uniformity due to this more complete use of each refuser drum.

Feed drum H is mounted on a shaft 42 supported by suitable bearings of frame 22. Said shaft is driven continuously by means of a gear M meshing with a gear 46 (Fig. 2) mounted on a shaft '48 which carries another gear 50. Gear 5%) engages with a suitable source of power such as the main drive of the cigarette machine (not shown).

Refuser drum I2 is provided with conventional carding and is mounted on a shaft 52 which is supported by a pair of arms 54 loosely mounted on shaft 42. The hubs of said arms are provided with eccentric bearings 56 for the purpose of raising or lowering the refuser drum to adjust or regulate the distance or space between refuser drum l2 and feed drum H. For more rigid support and better guidance, shaft 52 on one end is also supported by a two-part adjustable arm 58 which islikewise loosely mounted on shaft 42.

Refuser drum I-2 is driven by means of a gear 68 mounted on one end of shaft 5-2. Gear 69 meshes with a gear 62 which in turn is driven by a gear 64 (Fig. 2) mounted on a shaft 66 supported by frame 22 and a suitable bearing link 68. Link 68 also supports one end of another shaft which is also supported by bearings in frame 22. Shaft 66 is driven by means of a sprocket 12 which through a chain I4 is driven by a sprocket I6 (Fig. 2) mounted on a shaft I8 carrying a gear 80 which meshes with gear 50. The latter, as heretofore mentioned, may be connected with the main drive of the machine (not shown).

The oscillating movement of the refuser drum I2 is accomplished by means of a pair of eccentrics 82, each of which by an adjustable connecting rod 84 is connected with shaft 52. Said eccentrics are mounted on shaft 10 which is driven by a gear 86 meshing with a gear 88 attached to sprocket I2 on shaft 66.

The rotation of the refuser drum I2 is not at a uniform speed because during its forward and rearward movements with respect to the continuous forward or counterclockwise movement of feed drum H in the illustrated embodiment, gear 60 'moves rearwardly and forwardly relative to the continuous clockwise moving gear 62 with which it engages. During the rearward movement of drum I2 (to the right in Figure 2), the rolling of gear 60 on gear 62 tends to retard the rotation of the drum to a minimum or even turn it backwardly; during the forward movement of refuser drum I2 (to the left in Figure 2), the rolling of gear '60 on'gear 62 tends to turn drum I2 forwardly or counterclockwise and thus accelerate the rotation of the drum. It will be seen that the rearward and forward movement of the refuser drum I2 and the concurrent rolling of gear 60 on gear 62 tends to respectively counteract and supplement the turning of refuser drum I2, because of the movement of gear 62 on which gear 60 travels.

By a suitable proportioning of the extent of oscillation of drum I2 and thus the extent of travel of gear 60 during each stroke, and the extent of movement of gear 62 during each stroke, if as indicated in Figure 2, it will be apparent that it can be arranged that during the major part of the rearward movement of drum I2 the backward turning of drum I2 due to the rolling of gear 60 on gear 62 will equal the forward turning of the drum I2 due to the movement of gear 62. Consequently under such conditions drum I2 will not turn on its axis but will tend to remain stationary for this portion of the stroke.

As mentioned above the oscillatory movement of the refuser drum is not uniform, the drum I2 being stationary at the dead center position of the eccentrics 82 and increasing or decreasing in speed from the mid-points between these positions. With suitable proportioning as above mentioned for the majorportion of its rearward stroke, the drum I2 and gear 60 will travel in the same direction as gear 62 and through the same distance at the same time so that the drum I2 will not be rotated during this portion of the rearward stroke. However, during the forward stroke of the refuser drum I2 (from right to left, Figures 1 and 2), as gears 60 and 62 are moving in opposite directions, refuser drum I2 will be turned very rapidly in the counterclockwise direction to complete a single rotation of the drum during a single oscillation.

A conventional constantly revolving cleaning fan 90 is provided to prevent any particles of tobacco from adhering to refuser drum I2. Said cleaning fan is mounted on a shaft 92 which is driven by means of a pulley 94 and a belt 96 (Fig. 3) from any suitable driving source of the machine. In order to enable said fan to maintain its contact with refuser drum I2 during the oscillating movement of the latter, shaft 92 is supported by two pairs of arms 98 and I00 respectively. Arms 9-8 are loosely mounted on shaft 52, while arms I00 are pivoted to a shaft I02 which is supported by suitable bearings in frame 22. Between both arms I00 and a pair of stationary brackets I04 attached to frame 22 is anchored a pair of springs I06 employed for the purpose of acting as a counterbalance at the turning point of each oscillating movement of the refuser drum, thus preventing vibration and assuring smooth and perfect operation. Of course said springs also reduce the load of the bearings carrying shaft 52 to a great extent. The springs are also provided with adjustable mountings I08 in order to regulate their action to any desirable degree.

In order to prevent any hollow'spaces in the carding of feed drum I I and to assure that said carding is well and uniformly filled with tobacco when contacting the refuser drum I2, a number of suitable weights II 0 descends intermittently upon the tobacco mass in feed chamber F; these weights press the tobacco onto and into the carding of the continuously rotating feed drum. A number of swinging rakes II2 coacts with said weights to keep an even level of tobacco above the feed drum before contacting the refuser drum, thus preventing the accumulation of an excess quantity of tobacco around the refuser drum which would disturb the important uniformity of delivery.

The weights I I0 are secured to suitably shaped arms II4, all of which are properly spaced and pivoted on shaft I02. Each arm 4 is provided with a lug H6 which rests on a rod II8 held at each end by an operating arm I20 secured to shaft I02. The latter is oscillated by means of a cam lever I22 carrying a roller I24 which engages with an eccentrically mounted disc or cam I26 secured to shaft I0. The movement of lever I22 effects a lowering and raising of rod I I8 which in turn causes weights I I0 to descend and ascend in the desired manner.

All rakes II2 are mounted on a bar I28 and are so arranged and spaced as to operate between the spaced weigh-ts II 0. The bar I28 is secured at each end to suitably shaped arms I30. Each arm I30 carries a stud I32 to which is pivoted a guide and supporting lever I34. Supporting levers I34 are pivoted to corresponding studs I36 held by frame 22. Each arm I30 is further provided with an extending operating lever I36 (Fig. 2) pivoted at one end to a crank pin I40. Each of said crank pins I40 is secured to a corresponding disc I42, both of said discs being mounted on a shaft I44 supported by a suitable bearing bracket I46 attached to the main frame 22. Shaft I44 carries a sprocket I48 which by means of a chain I50 is driven from a sprocket I52 mounted on shaft 10.

Each rake =II2 has a bent portion H2 which has proven to be an excellent device for separating the excess tobacco from the tobacco upon ammo:

the excess. Inthis way there is always-a con stant uniform-layer of. tobacco in front .of' the feedcdnum and .refuser element.-

t "A modified form of the invention shown in Fig. .4: illustrates a reciprocating refuser drum 212 having only one carded refuser section T whiehmaybereplaced when damaged or worn. Therefuser drum 2-l2issupported and operated insuhStantially-thesame manner as refuser drum tZ-shown in Fig. 1, and only'the carded section 'I is used to, perform the refusing operation. The uncarded portion U of the refuser drum acts to hold the measured tobacco in position on the feedd-ruinZ-H as the ref-user drum returns to starting position. As already described, a pluralityof refusing oscillations is provided for all tobacco carried by the carding on the feed drum 2,, and the refuser drum obviously rotates a plurality of times for each rotation of'the feed drum. There will be an intercycle acceleration and deceleration of refuser drum 2| 2 as it rotates, similar to that of refuser drum l2 (Fig. 1), so that ontherearward stroke of the reciprocation of said reiuser drum M2 the adjoining surfaces of the feed drum andzthe refuser drum will not move with respect to each other although the feed drum rotates constantly.

With reference to the modification shown in Fig. 5,; the oscillating refuser element consists of aimember 260, the curved lower side of which is provided with carding 2-62 which faces the carding on the main feed drum 264. The main feed drum is mounted on a, shaft 2B6constantly driven by a gear 268 meshing with a gear 210 on a shaft 212. The latter may be actuated in a suitable mannerf-rom the main drive of the cigarette machine (not shown). Refusingmember 250 carries a. rod. 214 which is supported at each projecting end by an arm 2T6. Arm 276 is integral with a cam-arm 218 and forms therewith a bell crank leyer, the action of which controls the lowering and raising of member 2-60. Arm 218 carries a cam roller 280 which contacts a cam 282 freely mounted onshaft 2615. Cam 282 is provided with a sprocket EMdriven by means of a chain 286 froina sprocket 288. Sprocket 28-8 is mountedon a shaft 290 and is actuated from the main drive of the-machine (not shown). Each of said bell crank levers is pivoted on a shaft 292 supported by :the upper end of anothenpair of spaced bell crank levers 294. Each of these bell crank levers ZM-is freelyv mounted on shaft 266.

To maintain constant contact of roller 28!! with com 282, a suitable tension spring 302 is provided. Each lever- 294 is connected by means of an adjust-able r d 296 to a corresponding eccentric 298 mountedon and actuated by shaft 290. Said eccentrics impart oscillating motion to the refuser member 260. Arm 218 maintains the refuser member in its "lower position during the refusing action, and at the termination of the refuser stroke lifts member 28!! to its raised position where itis maintained until it returns to its starting position. The path of travel of member 260 is clearly shown by the arrows-in Fig. 5. A pair of linksBW is provided in order to maintain the lower curved portion of member 260 parallel to the periphery of feed drum 264. Refuser element-2,610: is reciprocated back and forth a plurality of times for each rotation of feed drum 26A inorder to refuse all tobacco carried by each portion of the drum brought into the range of action of the refuser element or pass over at least twice alltobacco carried by the feed drum.

It Willbfinoted. that in each of the species 8 shown and described herein, there is provided a, plurality of refusing operations for all tobacco carried up by: the feed drum because such a plurality of refusing actions will more accurately controlthe amount of tobacco being carried by the feed drum.

A. carded section long and narrow in shape is used for the refusing operation. This holds true even where a refuser drum having carding around its entire periphery is employed because only one radial segment of the drum is employed for the actual refusing operation. Since only a very narrow carding is used to do all the refusing, it is immaterial if the teeth become dull or worn be, cause all the tobacco will be acted on in a similar manner and the uniformity thereof will be main-- tained. It willbe noted that the tobacco is collected by the collecting conveyor in a direction transverse to the direction in which tobacco is fed thereto, thus minimizing nonuniformity.

Applieants rakes and tamper help to provide a layer of tobacco of uniform weight and density immediately in front of the refuser drum so that said refuser drum will always act upon the same quantity of tobacco. This is another ele-v merit. of the instant feed which has enabled the inventor to obtain the present high degree of uniformity for which he has striven.

In order to prevent the rakes 2 from becoming entangled with the tampers H0, there are provided flat bent plates 308 secured to the tempers I Hi by means of screws 3| 2, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The outwardly bent portions of the plates 308' preferably are made wedge shaped ends provided with tapered faces 310. If a rake H2 tends to become improperly aligned relative to a tamper, the tapered faces 3"! act somewhat as cams and direct the rakes back into proper position.

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 concrete embodimerits of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

' What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco feeding mechanism for a cigarette machine comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, a refuser drum extending along the length of said feed drum, a mounting for said refuser drum, means for imparting movement to said mounting constituting reciprocations circumferentially of the feed drum, and means for rotating said refuser drum one revolution for each reciprocatory cycle. said means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said refuser-drum being constructed and arranged always to present substantially the same portion of said refuser drum in contact with tobacco to be refused.

1 2. A tobacco feeding device for a cigarette machine comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, a rotary carded refuser drum extending along the length of said feed drum, means for rotating said carded feed drum at a substantially lower predetermined rate than said refuser drum, means for rotating said refuser drum at a substantially faster predetermined rate than said feed drum, and mechanism for reciprocating said refuser drum 'back'and forth circumferentially of the feed drum during each rotation of said refuser drum to cause the tobacco carried by the feed drum to have a plurality of refusing actions performed thereon by the same portion of the periphery of said :refuser drum. i

3. A tobacco feeding mechanism for a cigai'ette machine comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, a rotary carded refuser drum extending along the length of said feed drum, means for rotating said refuser drum at a predetermined rate which is many times faster than the rate of rotation of said feed drum, and means for reciprocating said refuser drum circumferentially about the axis of said feed drum alwaysto present the same portion of the refuser drum into contact with the tobacco to be refused.

4. A tobacco feeding mechanism for a cigarette machine comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, a rotary carded refuser drum extending along the length of said feed drum, means for rotating said refuser drum at a predetermined rate which is many times faster than the rate of rotation of said feed drum, means for reciprocating said refuser drum circumferentially about the axis of said feed drum always to present the same portion of the refuser drum'into contact with the tobacco to be refused, and means [for adjustably mounting said refuser drum with respect to its driving means to present a different segment of the refuser drum into active refusing position to perform the actual refusing operation 'when a former segment has become worn.

5. In'a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed com- ;prising: a rotary carded feed drum, a rotary refuser drum having its center at a fixed distance relative to the center of said feed drum, means for rotating'the refuser drum so that said refuser drum will make a plurality of rotations for each rotation of the feed drum, and means for reciprocating said refuser drum'back and forth about the axis of the feed drum during each rotation of the refuser drum so as always to present the same segment of the refuser drum into active refusing position and to use the remaining portion of the refuser drum as a compactor when returning to the position where the refuser drum begins its forward travel to refuse excess tobacco carried up by the feed drum.

6. In a cigarette machine, a feed device for shredded tobacco comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, means for rotating said feed drum, a refuser drum arrangedwith' its center at 'a fixed distance relative to said feed drum, means for imparting a plurality of rotations to said refuser drum for each rotation of said feed drum, means for reciprocating said refuser drum circumferentially about said feed drum once in each complete rotation of the refuser drum, and means for causing said refuser drum to use only one section of its circumference to refuse or sweep excess tobacco away from the feed drum during each complete cycle. v

7. In a cigarette machine, a feeding device for feeding a predetermined quantity of tobacco from a supply of shredded tobacco comprising: a rotary feed drum, a refuser drum positioned above and extending along the length of said feed drum, means for driving each of said drums, and means for always placing the same section of the periphery of the refuser drum in operative relation with said feed drum to remove the excess tobacco from a part of the feeding drum.

8. In a cigarette machine, a feeding device for feeding a predetermined quantity of tobacco from a supply of shredded tobacco comprising: a rotary feed drum, a refuser drum positioned above and extending along the length of said feed drum,

means for driving each of said drums, means for reciprocating the refuser drum circumferentially about said feed drum, and means for always placing the same section of the refuser drum into contact with the excess tobacco to be refused at the beginning of its reciprocation and maintaining said section out of contact with the excess tobacco as the refuser drum returns at the end of its reciprocation to its starting position.

9. In a cigarette machine, a feeding device for feeding a predetermined quantity of tobacco from -a supply of shredded tobacco comprisingz-a rotary carded feed drum, means for imparting rotary movement to said feed drum, a refuser member having a carded refusing section positioned adjacent to said-feed drum to sweep back excess tobacco picked up by said feed drum, and means for reciprocating said member about a portion of the circumference of said feed drum to effect a plurality of refusing actions over each tobacco carrying portion of said feed drum during each cycle of said refusingsection. l

10. In a cigarette machine having a carded fee drum and a refuser'member cooperating therewith, a raking device comprising: a plurality of traveling memlbers disposed in position to act upon the tobacco to remove all tobacco exceeding a predetermined quantity prior to the entrance of the remainder between the carded drum and the refuser member, each of said members traveling in a closed path and having the end thereof inclinedat an angle to its direction of travel so as to have a shearing action when traveling away from said feed drum and'saidrefuser member for removing excess tobacco away from the refuser member andfeed drum;

11. In a cigarette machine having a carded feed drum and a refuser member cooperating therewith, a raking device positioned in front of said feed drum and refuser member comprising: a plurality of elongated arms having the ends thereof bent at an'angle' to the rest of the arm, and means for moving said arms awayfrom said drum and member, said bent ends being constructedand arranged to'provide means forcompacting the' tobacco remaining after the suriplus tolbac'oo has been .pushed away by the unbent portion of each arm. a

12. In a cigarette machine having a carded feed drum-and a refuser drum cooperating-therewith to allow only a predetermined quantity of tobacco to pass between said drums, means for reciprocating said refuser drum about the periphery of said feed drum at predetermined intervalsto refuse tobacco over a substantial area of said feed drum, means controlling the operation of said refuser drum to present substantially the same portion of the refusing surface thereof for coaction'with said feed-drum each cycle of operation, a plurality of rakes cooperating with said feed drum, and mechanism for moving said rakes in closed paths into a positionadjacent said feed drum and refuser drum behind the tobacco'so refused and outwardly and away from the feed drum and refuser drum.

13. In a cigarette machine having a rota carded feed drum, a carded refuser member cooperating with said feed drum to allow only a predetermined quantity of tobacco to be fed between said carded feed drum and refuser member, means for reciprocating said refuser member about the periphery of said feed drum, mechae nism for rotating said drum in timed relationship with the reciprocations of said refuser member to present portions of the peripheral surface of said drum for sweeping during each cycle of operations of said refuser member, said mechanism including driving means constructed and ar- 1 ranged to eifect a plurality of, refusing actions over each tobacco carrying portion of said drum as the result of the movement of said member thereover during each cycle of refusing operations, a plurality of rakes disposed adjacent to vexcess tobacco a farther distance away from said feed drum and refuser member.

14-. .In a cigarette machine having a rotary carded feed drum, a carded refuser member cooperating with saidfeed drum to allow only a predetermined -quantity of tobacco to be fed between said carded feed drum and refuser member, means for reciprocating said ref-user memher. about the periphery of said feed drum, mecht anism for rotating said drum in timed relationship with the reciprocations of said refuser memlrrer to present portions, of the peripheral surface ofsaid drum for sweeping during each cycle of operations of said refuser member, said mechanism including interconnected driving means constructed and arranged to effect a plurality of refusing actions over each tobacco carrying por- 'tionro'f said feed drum as the result of the movement oisaid refuser member thereover during each cycle of refusing operations, a plurality of rakes disposed adjacent to the-feed drum and the refuser member, rake actuating mechanism inchiding means for actuating said rakes in time with the recipro'cations :of said refuser member to move saidrakes in a closed path during the nonsweeping movement of said member and locate said rakes behind the excess tobacco pushed forward by'said' refuser member and to displace said excess tobacco a farther distance away from said feed drum and refuse'r member,v and means for tamping down the tobacco remaining after the rakes have removed said excess tobacco. A

1-5.- In a cigarette machine having a -rota-ry carded feed drum and a reius'er member coacti-ng with said feed drum to ailow only a predetermined quantity of tobacco to pass between said -feed drum and refuser member; a plurality of indiyid ual elongated rakes positioned across said zfeed drum each rake having a substantially vertical straight portion and a portion bent a-t-an angle to the straight portionpmecha-nism-for moving said rakes in a closed path to and away from said drum and'member, said rakes being constructed and ar ranged for engaging with the tobacco to be raked for separating the excess tobacco from a predetermined quantity and removingsaid excess adjacent said drum and member while maintaining the predetermined'quantity of tobacco -f-ree from disruption; and a plurality of spaced tamping members interspersed among said rake memlbers and coacting with said bent ends of said rakes for pressing down the predetermined quantity of tobacco remaining after the excess tobacco has been removed by said rakes.

16. In a cigarette machine having a, rotary carded iced drum and a refuser member 'coacti-ng. with said feed drum toallow only a predetermined quantity .of tobacco to pass between said feed drum and refuser member; a plurality of individual elongated rakespositioned across-said feed drum, each-rake having a substantially straight portion and -a portion bent at arr-angle to the straight portion for engaging with the tobacco to be raked for separating the excess tobacco from a predetermined quantity and removing said excess while maintaining the predetermined quantity of tobacco free from disruption; aplur-ality of spaced tam-ping members interspersed among said rake members for pressing down the predetermined quantity "of tobacco remaining after the excess tobacco'has been removed by said rakes; and means mounted upon said tampers for preventing said rakes from becoming entangled with said tampersl 17. A feed for a cigarette machine comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, a refuser having a regular reciprocatory' movement about the circumference oci said drum to advance said refuser for-pushing away all tobacco above a certain predetermined height from said drum and then withdraw said ref-user, a plurality of individual rakes positioned at a station adjoiningsaid ref-user drum, means for moving said rakes towards said refuser concurrently with the with- "drawing movement of said refuses, including means for lifting said'rakes to travel'them over and behind the excess-tobacco piled up by each reciprocation of said ref-user and for then pushing said excess tobacco still farther away from the feed and retfuser a plurality-of tampers interspersed' among'sai'd-r'akes, and means for causing said tampers 'to descend into the tobacco remaining after said-excesstobacco has been removed by said rakes.

1 8. In a cigarette feed having a ieed-drum and a refuser member cooperating therewith to limit the quantity of tobacco passing between said feed drum and refuser member, a plurality of individual'ra'kes having tobacco pushing means for removing all tobacco excess of-a predetermined quantity, "tobaccol'eveling means associated with each "or said" rakes-to level off thetobacco remaining after excess tobaccohas been removed; and rake actuating mechanismforsaid rakes, including means for moving said rakes downwardly in a closed unidirectional p-at-h behind, tobacco to be removed and then advance said rakes along another portion'oi said path to push the excess tobacco in front of said rakes awayitrom the'area in frontof said feed drum and-refuser.

19. The mechanical-method of feeding cigarette tobacco in predetermined quantities in a cigarette machine having a conventional carded rotary drum; said method comprising: refusing the" tobacco above said feeddrum" a plurality of times, removing the excess tobacco so refused away from said feed-drum to maintain =a-substa-ntially uniformlevel quantity of tobacco avail-able for feeding, and then tampingdown the tobacco remaining after the "excess tobacco has been removed.

20'. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising: "a rotary carded feed drum for remo'ving tobacco from a tobacco supply, a reiuser 'member having a refusing surface concentric with the surface" of said feeddrum mounted coaxially with said feed drum for uniformly removing tobacco 'in excess or a -predetermined quantity from said feed drum, actuating means for causing said entire refuser member to refuse tobacco uniformly as it is move'd-ciorwardand to move *said reiuser member'enti'rely out of contact with the tobacco on said feed drum as said refuser'member is returned'to its starting :position, andmechahism for rotating-said feed drum in timed -relationship with the'movement of said refuser-m-ember to present portions of said drum for sweeping during each cycle of operations of said 'refuser member, said mechanism including 13 means constructed and arranged to effect a double refusing action over each tobacco carrying portion of said feed drum as the result of the movement of said refuser member thereover during each cycle of refusing operations.

21. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising a rotary carded feed drum for removing tobacco from a tobacco supply, a refuser member provided with a carded refusing surface mounted coaxially with said feed drum for removing tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, means for moving said refuser member in a closed non-circular path of movement to and from and circumlferentially about said feed drum to remove tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, means for maintaining all portions of said surface equidistant from said drum during the refusing movement of said member circumferentially relative to said drum, and mechanism for rotating said feed drum in timed relationship with the movement of said refuser member to present portions of the surface of said feed drum for refusing during each cycle of operations of said refuser member, said mechanism including driving mechanism for effecting a plurality of refusing actions over each tobacco carrying portion of said feed drum as the result of the movement of said member thereover during each cycle of refusing operations.

22. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising: a rotary carded feed drum for removing tobacco from a tobacco supply, a reifuser member having its center at a fixed distance relative to the center of said feed drum and provided with an active carded refusing portion for removing tobacco uniformly in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, and means for reciprocating said refuser member circumferentially about said feed drum to provide at least two refusing actions by the same carded refusing portion of said refusing member for all tobacco carried by the feed drum.

23. In a cigarette machine, a feed device for shredded tobacco comprising: a rotary carded feed drum, means for rotating said feed drum, a refuser drum having its center at a fixed distance relative to the center of said feed drum, said refuser drum having only a portion thereof effective for refusing tobacco during one complete cycle of operations thereof, means for imparting a plurality of rotations to said refuser drum for each rotation of said feed drum, means (for reciprocating said refuser drum circumferentially about said feed drum once in each complete rotation of the refuser drum, and means for causing acceleration and deceleration of the rate of rotation of the refuser drum each time it makes one complete rotation whereby said portion of said refuser drum is operative to refuse tobacco.

24. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising a rotary carded feed drum for removing tobacco from a tobacco supply, a refuser member provided with a carded refusing portion concentric with the periphery of said feed drum [for removing tob-acco in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, mechanism for operating said refuser member, said mechanism including means for reciprocating said entire member circumferentially about said feed drum first at one elevation adjacent said drum and then at another elevation spaced from said drum and means for maintaining said carded refusing portion of said member substantially concentric with the peripheral surface of said drum at all times,

and mechanism for rotating said drum in timed relationship with the reciprocations of said refuser member to present portions of the peripheral surface of said drum for refusing during each cycle of operations of said refuser member, said mechanism including interconnected driving means constructed and arranged to cause all tobacco carried by each portion of said drum brought into the range of action of said refuser member, to be refused a plurality of times as a result of the movement of said member thereover.

25. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising: a rotary carded feed drum for removing tobacco from a tobacco supply, said feed drum having only a portion thereof available for refusing during each cycle, a refuser member having its center at a fixed distance relative to said feed drum for removing tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, means for reciprocating said refuser member circumferentially about the axis of said feed drum, and mechanism for rotating said refuser member once for each complete reciprocation thereof, said mechanism including means for controlling the operation of said refuser member relative to said drum to restrict successive refusing actions to the same portion only of the surface of said member.

26'. In a cigarette machine, a tobacco feed comprising: a rotary carded feed drum for removing tobacco from a tobacco supply, a refuser member provided with a refusing surface concentric with the periphery of said drum, mechanism for moving said refuser member to travel said refusing surface in a closed path to and from and concentrically relative to the surface of said drum, said mechanism including means for moving said entire refusing surface of said refuser member circumferentially about said feed drum in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of said drum to remove tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity from said feed drum, means disposed adiacent said feed drum and refuser member to limit tobacco coming into contact with said refuser member to a predetermined quantity, and mechanism for rotating said drum in timed relationship with the movement of said refuser member to present portions of the surface of said drum for refusing by said refusing surface during each cycle of operations of said refuser member, said last-named mechanism including interconnected driving means constructed and arranged to cause all tobacco carried by each portion of said feed drum to be brought into the range of action of said refuser member to be refused by said refusing surface uniformly a plurality of times as the result of the movement of said member thereover.

CHARLES ARELT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,797,687 Koerner Mar. 24, 1931 1,935,665 Podmore Nov. 21, 1933 2,214,044 Dearsley Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 215,072 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1924 358,747 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1931 516,039 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1939

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