US3320991A - Tobacco cutting machines - Google Patents

Tobacco cutting machines Download PDF

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Publication number
US3320991A
US3320991A US432973A US43297365A US3320991A US 3320991 A US3320991 A US 3320991A US 432973 A US432973 A US 432973A US 43297365 A US43297365 A US 43297365A US 3320991 A US3320991 A US 3320991A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tobacco
mouthpiece
knives
axis
drum
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US432973A
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English (en)
Inventor
Molins Desmond Walter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molins Machine Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molins Machine Co Ltd filed Critical Molins Machine Co Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3320991A publication Critical patent/US3320991A/en
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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B7/00—Cutting tobacco
    • A24B7/04—Cutting tobacco by machines with revolving knives
    • A24B7/08—Cutting tobacco by machines with revolving knives with several knives which act one after the other
    • A24B7/12—Cutting tobacco by machines with revolving knives with several knives which act one after the other with cutter axes transverse to the feeding direction

Definitions

  • the action of the cutting machine is similar to that of a lawn mower. Since the face of the tobacco to the cut remains in a fixed plane, the knife cylinder must be advanced towards this face as the knives be come shortened through grinding. This movement is balanced by a similar movement of a grinding cylinder towards a trueing diamond which always remains on a fixed line parallel to the axis of the grinding cylinder. Mechanism is provided which, on actuation, moves both knife and grinding cylinders by equal amounts though in opposite directions.
  • Tobacco cutting machines of the type having a rotatable member with knives disposed around its periphery are known.
  • One of the problems associated with such machines relates to keeping the knives suitably sharpened.
  • Smoking tobacco being the leaves of a plant, usually has included a small amount of inorganic matter, such as soil, which has a blunting effect on the knives during cutting operations. Consequently, means have to be included in such. machines for grinding the knives, usually while cutting is in progress.
  • the means employed can be summarised as including within the rotatable member a complicated mechanism for periodically feeding each knife forward towards the plane of cutting and towards a grind stone. In this way and by keeping the grindstone face trued, the cutting edges of the knives are maintained in a sharp condition and correctly spaced in relation to the cutting plane.
  • the knife feeding mechanism is, however, expensive and complicated. It is thus an object of this invention to provide a tobacco cutting machine without this knife feeding mechanism whilst maintaining the knives with sharp edges.
  • a tobacco cutting machine for shredding tobacco comprising: a mouthpiece through which tobacco is fed; a member rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouth piece and having a plurality of knives peripherally disposed with the edges of the knives passing across the mouthpiece; a trueing diamond movable along a fixed path parallel to the said longitudinal axis; a rotatable grinding cylinder having its axis parallel to the said path; and means for moving the axes of the member and the grinding cylinder in a general direction towards the mouthpiece and the said path respectively.
  • a flake is a number of individual strands of tobacco compressed together so as to form a unit which must subsequently be broken down and opened out into its individual strands.
  • the member may be a drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, above which the mouthpiece is positioned, while the said means may comprise a common mechanism for raising the axis of the member and lowering the axis of the grinding cylinder.
  • the edges of the knives may be disposed at an angle to the axis of the member.
  • the shredded tobacco may be carried away from the mouthpiece along a passage, and an air stream may direct the shredded tobacco away from the knives into the pass-age.
  • Feed means may be included to supply tobacco to the mouthpiece in a state of comparatively low compression (Le, a compression comparable with that of cut tobacco in a cigarette).
  • feed bands in this case, endless belts known by the trade name of Timex belts, part of which are shown at 1 and 2, have uncut tobacco fed between them by known means and at a controlled rate.
  • the bands are driven by means of driving pulleys 3 and 4 in the direction shown by the arrows thereon and are in clined towards each other so that, as the tobacco is fed forward, it becomes compressed to such a degree that it can enter a mouthpiece 5 which is 16" long (in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing).
  • the mouthpiece 5 has a chamfer 6 at its inlet end so as to facilitate the entry of the tobacco.
  • the outlet end 7 of the mouthpiece is approximately /8 wide, i.e., in the plane of the figure.
  • a member or drum 3 Positioned below the mouthpiece 5 is a member or drum 3 which is rotatable about a shaft 9 in the direction of the arrow It).
  • the shaft 9 is not driven.
  • Fixed to one end of the drum 8 is a gear ring 59 which is caused to rotate by a driven gear 60'.
  • the periphery of the drum 8 is machined to provide a series of forty-five equally spaced recesses 11 into each of which is fitted a knife carrier 12.
  • the knife carriers 12 are secured to the body of the drum 8 by set screws which are not shown for lack of space.
  • Knives 13 are sandwiched between the knife carriers 12 and clamp plates 14 which are also secured to the drum 8 by set screws not shown. To obtain a clean cut with a progressively increasing cutting load the knives 13 are set at an angle of 2 to a plane containing the axis of the drum 8. This entails that the recesses ll are also set at the same angle of 2.
  • a hole 15 is drilled through the body of the drum 8.
  • Each hole 15 communicates with its appropriate recess 11 by means of a plurality of openings 16 drilled along the length thereof.
  • Each opening 16 communicates with a restricted passage 17 in the knife carriers 12.
  • the restricted passages 17 open to atmosphere in a U-shaped channel 18 formed by a knife 13, associated knife carrier 12. and the clamp plate 14 of the immediately adjacent counterclockwise (as seen when facing the drawing) knife.
  • Valve plates are positioned at each end of the drum 8, one of which 19 is shown in dotted lines, so as to cover the ends of the holes 15 as the drum 8 rotates past the valve plates.
  • Each valve plate is provided with an arcuate recess 20 which communicates with a pressure source by conventional means.
  • the valve plates 19 are adjustable circumferentially around the drum 8.
  • the centre plane (in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing) of the mouthpiece 5 is directed substantially towards the axis of the shaft 9 and makes an angle with a vertical plane running through the same axis of approximately 22 /2
  • At a further angle of 22 /2 from the vertical plane running through the axis of the shaft 9 lies the axis of a drive shaft 21 of a rotary grindstone 22 which is in contact with the knives 13 and which extends across the whole length of the drum 8 (i.e., in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing).
  • the grindstone is driven by a motor which is not shown and which together with the grindstone 22 is carried on a bracket 23, this bracket being movable in a vertical direction on a right hand threaded lead screw 24.
  • the grindstone 22 is trued by a diamond 25 fixed to a diamond carrier 26.
  • the diamond carrier 26 is attached to one end of anarm 27 which is pivoted at 28 to a carriage 29.
  • the carriage 29 is movable along a rail 30 which extends in directions at right angles to the plane of the drawing.
  • the rail 30 is provided with three faces 31 disposed at 120 to each other.
  • Three pads 32, each having a low friction surface 33, such as nylon, are attached to the carriage 29 and ride on the three faces 31 of the rail 30.
  • Attached to the carriage 29 is a nut 34 threaded over a lead screw 35.
  • the nut 34 is in two halves so that backlash between the lead screw 35 and the nut can be eliminated.
  • One half of the nut 34 is provided with locating holes 36 so that it can be locked in a variety of positions for this purpose.
  • the means for driving the lead screw 35 and for reversing its direction of rotation so as to move the carriage 29 in the reverse direction are not shown but are well known and accepted in principle.
  • the position of the diamond 25 can be varied within small limits in the plane of the drawing.
  • Fixed to the arm 27 is a nut 37 into which is threaded a screw thread 38. Integral with the screw thread 38 are a further screw thread 39 threaded into a nut 40 fixed to the carriage 29 and a small hand Wheel 41 having ten equally spaced grooves 42 cut into its periphery.
  • the pitches of the two screw threads 38 and 39 the movement of the diamond 25 can be made to vary within the required limits. Fine adjustment is obtained with the aid of a pointer 43 and is such that rotation of the handwheel 41 whereby one groove 42 moves past the pointer 43 by one space causes the diamond 25 to move 0.001 towards or away from the grindstone 22.
  • the shaft 9 about which the drum 8 rotates is journalled in two end frames 44 and 45 of a cradle shown generally as 60 which pivots about pins 46.
  • a cross member 47 assists in tying together the two end frames 44 and 45 and has fixed to it a block 48 having two internal trunnions of which one, 49, can be seen in the drawing.
  • Attached to the trunnions 49 is a nut 50 through which a left hand lead screw 51 is threaded.
  • the left hand lead screw 51 is joined to the right hand lead screw 24 through a ball type clutch 52 which allows rotation of their common spindle 53 in one direction only.
  • a handle 54 Attached to the top of the spindle 53 is a handle 54 which is engageable therewith through a pawl and ratchet wheel housed under a cover 55.
  • the lead screw 51 has a triple start thread.
  • the housing of the clutch 52 is suspended from the lower end of the lead screw 24.
  • a cover plate 57 prevents tobacco flakes cut by the action of the knives 13 passing the mouthpiece 5 from being blown outwards by the action of the air jets.
  • the flakes are carried round by the drum 8 until they reach a scraper 58.
  • the scraper 58 and an out-turned end 59 of the cover plate 57 enable the cut tobacco flakes to be delivered away from the drum 8.
  • Hand setting mechanism which is not shown enables the drum to be set in relation to the mouthpiece so that a new set of knives clears the outside of the mouthpiece by .001".
  • the drum 8 is driven at 80 rpm. and contains 45 knives. This arrangement has been selected so that the knives do not require resharpening with any frequency.
  • the life of a tobacco cutting machine knife depends upon the degree to which the cheese is compressed and the number of inch cuts made before the knife edge becomes blunted (to maintain the regularity of cutting of the tobacco, i.e., so that all the cut strands have a common width, it has been found necessary to compress the tobacco into a solid mass known as a cheese).
  • the diamond 25 from the original setting will be in a position to trim 0.000925 off the stone surface.
  • the diamond 25 then traverses the grindstone 22 by operation of the lead screw 35 by a manual actuation of the driving motor thereof, thereby creating a gap of 0.000925 between grindstone and knives.
  • the handle 54 is moved in an anticlockwise direction so that the pawl operates the ratchet wheel when the lead screw 24 lowers the grindstone by a predetermined amount 0.001".
  • the nut 50 is raised by the operation of left hand lead screw 51. Since this screw has a three start thread, the nut 51 is raised three times the distance the grindstone 22 is lowered. Due to the leverage of the system, the drum 8 is raised by 0.001" and thus the knives 13 move 0.000925 towards both the mouthpiece and the grindstone.
  • the diamond 25 trues the grindstone 22 one cutting stroke only, and remains at an end position after completing one stroke. When .trueing is next required, the diamond 25 traverses in the reverse direction.
  • a tobacco cutting machine for shredding tobacco comprising: a mouthpiece through which tobacco is fed; a member rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece and having a plurality of knives peripherally disposed with the edges of the knives passing across the mouthpiece; a trueing diamond movable along a fixed path parallel to the said longitudinal axis; a rotatable grinding cylinder having its axis parallel to said path; and a common mechanism for raising the axis of the member and lowering the axis of the grinding cylinder in general directions towards the mouthpiece and said path respectively.
  • edges of the knives are disposed at an angle to the axis of the member.
  • a tobacco cutting machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising feed means arranged to supply tobacco to the mouthpiece in a state of compression comparable with that of cut tobacco in a cigarette.

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  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
US432973A 1964-02-18 1965-02-16 Tobacco cutting machines Expired - Lifetime US3320991A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB6733/64A GB1089362A (en) 1964-02-18 1964-02-18 Improvements concerning tobacco cutting machines

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3320991A true US3320991A (en) 1967-05-23

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US432973A Expired - Lifetime US3320991A (en) 1964-02-18 1965-02-16 Tobacco cutting machines

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US3320991A (en))
BE (1) BE659726A (en))
FR (1) FR1429510A (en))
GB (1) GB1089362A (en))
NL (1) NL6501870A (en))

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050217447A1 (en) * 2004-03-31 2005-10-06 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Slitter device with adjustable blade
US20110100383A1 (en) * 2009-10-29 2011-05-05 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Sheet material cutting apparatus, and associated method

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
PL207090B1 (pl) * 2003-12-11 2010-10-29 Int Tobacco Machinery Poland Skrobak do czyszczenia powierzchni wokół obracających się noży w nożowym bębnie do krojenia/rozdrabniania materiałów roślinnych, zwłaszcza do tytoniu

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2646095A (en) * 1949-03-24 1953-07-21 Robert Legg Ltd Machine for cutting tobacco and the like
US2819746A (en) * 1953-04-24 1958-01-14 S I B S P A Scipione Innocenti Rotary automatic shredding machine for tobacco leaves and the like
US2829692A (en) * 1955-08-11 1958-04-08 S I B S P A Scipione Innocenti Tobacco cutter having continuously adjusted cutter head

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2646095A (en) * 1949-03-24 1953-07-21 Robert Legg Ltd Machine for cutting tobacco and the like
US2819746A (en) * 1953-04-24 1958-01-14 S I B S P A Scipione Innocenti Rotary automatic shredding machine for tobacco leaves and the like
US2829692A (en) * 1955-08-11 1958-04-08 S I B S P A Scipione Innocenti Tobacco cutter having continuously adjusted cutter head

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050217447A1 (en) * 2004-03-31 2005-10-06 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Slitter device with adjustable blade
US20110100383A1 (en) * 2009-10-29 2011-05-05 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Sheet material cutting apparatus, and associated method
US9016284B2 (en) 2009-10-29 2015-04-28 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Sheet material cutting apparatus
US9808952B2 (en) 2009-10-29 2017-11-07 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Sheet material cutting apparatus, and associated method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1429510A (fr) 1966-02-25
GB1089362A (en) 1967-11-01
NL6501870A (en)) 1965-08-19
BE659726A (en)) 1965-05-28

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