US3563249A

US3563249A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing continuous strands of a pourable material such as shredded tobacco

Info

Publication number: US3563249A
Application number: US746152A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert Geyer; Johannes Herrmann
Original assignee: TABAK und INDUSTRIEMASCHINEN V
Current assignee: TABAK und INDUSTRIEMASCHINEN V; VEB TABAK-UND INDUSTRIEMASCHINEN
Priority date: 1968-02-23
Filing date: 1968-07-19
Publication date: 1971-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-16
Also published as: GB1177584A; DE1657232B1; FR1583859A; CH486854A; CS189803B1; SE338532B

Abstract

A method and apparatus for continuously manufacturing a strand of fibrous pourable material, such as shredded tobacco. A tobacco feeding arrangement delivers the material initially into the inlet end of an elongated suction conduit in which the stream of fibrous material is divided into subsidiary streams and delivered to a transfer location from where the material flows into engagement with the perforated peripheral wall of a rotary suction wheel. The initial suction stream terminates at this transfer location, while a second suction stream is applied through the suction wheel to draw the material against the periphery thereof. The several subsidiary suction conduits have a direction of flow which cuts across the periphery of the suction wheel at a predetermined angle providing for movement-free, layered deposition of the several subsidiary streams onto the periphery of the suction wheel with the several streams being distributed one behind the other along the periphery of the suction wheel. The cross section of each of the several subsidiary suction conduits gradually diminishes to the width of the suction wheel while each subsidiary conduit has a circumferential length several times greater than its minimum width.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventors Herbert'Geyer;

Johannes Herrmann, Dresden, Germany [2]] Appl. No. 746,152 [22] Filed July 19, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 16, 1971 [73] Assignee VEB Tabak-und lndustriemaschinen Dresden, Dresden, Germany [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CONTINUOUS STRANDS OF A POURABLE MATERIAL SUCH AS SHREDDED TOBACCO 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 131/84 [51] Int. Cl. A24c 5/18 [50] Field ofSearch 131/66, 66 (A), 84, 84 (A), 84 (B), 84 (C) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,095,150 10/1937 Molins et a1. l31/84UX) 2,111,672 3/1938 Molins 13l/84K(A) 3,019,793 2/1962 Labbe 13 l /84(B) 3,074,413 1/1963 McArthur. 131/84(B) 3,138,163 6/1964 ffoulkes 13l/84X(B) FOREIGN PATENTS 291,467 l/l929 GreatBritain Primary Examiner-Joseph S. Reigh Attorney-Nolte and Nolte ABSTRACT: A method and apparatus for continuously manufacturing a strand of fibrous pourable material, such as shredded tobacco. A tobacco feeding arrangement delivers the material initially into the inlet end of an elongated suction conduit in which the stream of fibrous material is divided into subsidiary streams and delivered to a transfer location from where the material flows into engagement with the perforated peripheral wall of a rotary suction wheel. The initial suction stream terminates at this transfer location, while a second suction stream is applied through the suction wheel to draw the material against the periphery thereof. The several subsidiary suction conduits have a direction of flow which cuts across the periphery of the suction wheel at a predetermined angle providing for movement-free, layered deposition of the several subsidiary streams onto the periphery of the suction wheel with the several streams being distributed one behind the other along the periphery of the suction wheel. The cross section of each of the several subsidiary suction conduits gradually diminishes to the width of the suction wheel while each subsidiary conduit has a circumferential length several times greater than its minimum width.

l l l I PATENT ED FEB 1 s l97l I M- I SHEET 1 [IF 5 FIG. 1

YINVENTORS HERBERT GEYER JOHANNES HERRMANN EPATEN 6 T ts , WNVENTORS HERBERT GEYER TOHANNESHERRMANN PATENTEU FEB 1 s IHYI 3563,2491

saw u or s. I

HERBERT GEYYER U'OHANNES HERRMANN PATENTED FEB 1 s m sum S 0? 5 INVENTORS HERBIERT GEYER J O HANNES HE RRMANN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CONTINUOUS STRANDS OF A POURABLE MATERIAL SUCH AS SHREDDED TOBACCO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a continuous st. .nd of a pourable, fibrous material such as shredded tobacco. The invention relates in particular to that type of construction where the stream of tobacco is pneumatically transported at high speed to the perforated peripheral wall of a rotary suction wheel onto which the tobacco particles are deposited in the form of a stream.

It is in general known to provide a loose, scattered tobacco distribution to a feeding device which feeds the tobacco distributed in this latter condition pneumatically to a device in which a more compacted, cohesive strand of tobacco is formed for manufacturing cigarette strands.

Thus, it is known to transport the shredded tobacco along a passage, by means of an airstream, to a perforated supply belt which moves perpendicularly with respect to the feeding direction in the air passage, the tobacco being deposited on the supply belt to form a strand thereon.

It is also known to deposit shredded tobacco which is suspended in an airstream onto the perforated peripheral wall of a feed drum through which the airstream transversely flows with the tobacco distributed over a relatively large circumferential region of the drum to form a strand of tobacco.

The disadvantage which arises in connection with the known construction is that if the output is to be increased, more tobacco must be conveyed per unit of time when pneumatic conveyors are being used, either their cross sections or the air velocities must be increased. Increasing the cross section has the disadvantage that this gives rise to accumulations of tobacco with attendant harmful effects on the quality of the tobacco. If higher air velocities are employed, the tobacco particles must be accelerated from their initial velocity to the feed velocity, this requiring that the cross section and length of the conveyor be adjusted with respect to each other to provide an optimum ratio, which in actual practice is difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, it is known to pneumatically feed the shredded tobacco tangentially to the strand-forming groove of a rotary suction wheel which coacts with a rotary band or belt which covers the groove so as to pack the tobacco into a strand.

The disadvantage which arises in connection with such procedure is that agglomeration of the tobacco cannot be avoided, so that the strand formed has irregularities.

It is also known, in order to increase the uniformity of the tobacco strand which forms the cigarette and in order to increase the output of the cigarette strand-forming machine, to use horizontally or vertically arranged centrifuge wheels to the center of which the tobacco is fed pneumatically or mechanically and provide during centrifuging a centrifugal force which loosens up any entanglements of fibers which still exist and which forms the tobacco strand outwardly from the interior toward the periphery of these centrifuge wheels.

Furthermore, it is known to deliver shredded tobacco supplied to a small supply passage and from the latter centrifugally into a strand-forming groove of a rotary suction wheel, with the region of distribution at the suction wheel being limited to a more or less pronounced extent. With this arrangement rotary beating rollers or compressed airstreams are used to carry out the method and accelerate the tobacco particles. Structures of this type, however, are not always satisfactory.

Finally, it has also been proposed to transfer a pneumatically supplied stream of shredded tobacco in the form of a flow directed into the strand-forming groove or onto the perforated circumferential wall of a suction wheel, with the flow direction engaging the suction wheel at such an angle that this latter flow direction cuts across the periphery of the suction wheel. The tobacco fibers are deposited in such a way that an inclined layering is provided in the strand to achieve in this way a high transverse elasticity. The flow directions are changed by deflecting the stream within given limits.

With a method of this latter type uniformity in the structure of the tobacco strand is substantially increased and also the transverse elasticity and thus the filling capacity are improved, but only up to certain output limits since it is not possible with a method of this type to deliver, as is required with high machine outputs, a relatively large amount of tobacco per unit of time into a single supply passage, with curvature of the passage and changes in the cross section thereof, so as to deliver the tobacco pneumatically to the suction wheel with the required uniformity for the strand structure. As a result of the centrifugal force at the locations where the passage curves as well as the increase in impact and friction resistance where the cross section of the supply passage narrows, structural changes are encountered along the path of travel of the tobacco stream in such a way that long and short tobacco fibers accumulate separately in localized portions of the cross section of the strand. There then results with a correspondingly high output, that is with a correspondingly great through'flow of the material, in an unacceptable lack of uniformity in the strand which becomes deposited on the suction wheel. Also, at high outputs, as a result of these latter factors, there will be frequent plugging of the supply passage at the narrowest regions thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and-apparatus which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus which will prevent substantially avoid reduction in length of the tobacco fibers and thus reduce tobacco losses, which will prevent interruptions in the operation of the machine resulting from plugging of the supply passage, and which will improve the quality of the tobacco strand which is worked into the cigarettes, in particular with respect to the uniformity of the fiber layers, the density of the strand, and the transverse elasticity, thereof.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus accordingto which a stream of fibrous material, particularly shredded tobacco, is pneumatically fed while being treated in such a way that in the region of the pneumatic feeding path there is a high degree of uniformity in the density and mass of the cross section of the material with tobacco fibers or particles being transferred to a rotary suction wheel in a direction which will provide a uniform strand construction in the strand which forms by deposition of the material on the suction wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. I is a view in elevation of the apparatus according to the invention, with portions thereof shown in section FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, with a portion shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the strand-building structure, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the strand-building structure of FIG. 3, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

Referring now the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the supply means for supplying the tobacco in a dispersed, loosened, scattered, condition to the inlet of the suction conduit means. This supply means includes a supply container 1 in which the supply of tobacco 2 is situated. This container 1 has

sidewalls

3 and 4 and supports for rotary movement a toothed roller 5 having a plurality of sharp pins projecting from its cylindrical wall. This roller 5 coacts with a stripping roller 6, a beating roller 7, an endless conveyor belt 8 guided around rollers 9, a roller 10, and a guiding structure which can be connected with the main drive shaft 11 or can be separately driven by a driving motor 12.

The suction conduit means 13 has an inlet end situated directly at the delivery end of the endless conveyor belt 8 of the supply means on which the tobacco fibers are dispersed. This suction conduit means 13 has in the region of the roller 9, about which the belt 8 extends, and the roll a substantially conical flaring portion 14 which diverges toward the delivery end of the belt 8 and which in cross section has a configuration adapted to the transfer requirements at the belt 8. At its flaring inlet 14, the suction conduit means 13 has a wall 15 which is disposed which tangentially with respect to the smooth exterior cylindrical surface of the roll 10 and rises approximately vertically up from the plane of the belt 8 while the other wall 16 of the suction conduit means 13, at its portion 14 which diverges towards band 8, is suitably adjusted to the belt 8 at a distance therefrom at the region where the belt 8 extends around the roller 9. (The flaring or divergent nature of the portion 14 and the tangential relationship between the walls 15 of conduit 13 and the surface of roll 10 can more clearly be seen from FIG. 5 herein.)

As is apparent from FIG. 1, from the narrowest part of the diverging portion 14, the suction conduit means 13 has a constant cross section and is provided in its interior with

partitions

17 and 18 which divides the suction conduit means into three subsidiary suction conduits respectively having uniform crosssectional areas.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that distant from the supply means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the suction conduit means 13 branches into separate

subsidiary conduits

19, 20 and 21 respectively surrounded by

cell means

22, 23 and 24 through which these subsidiary conduits 19, 20 and 21 respectively extend, the several cell means 22, 23 and 24 forming part of a housing 25 which surrounds the subsidiary conduits 19-21. The several subsidiary conduits 19-21 provide for the conduits means 13 discharge ends located at transfer locations 26 in the region of the perforated circumferential wall 40 of the suction wheel 39. The several subsidiary conduits 19-21 provide for the conduits respectively terminute in individual transfer locations 26 where they communicate with a closed flow chamber 27, limited by the

sidewalls

50 and 51 indicated in FIG. 4.

After the several subsidiary suction conduits 19-21 respectively enter into the separating cell means 23-25, the cross section of these conduits changes in such a way that the longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of these conduits, circumferentially of the suction wheel means 39, is six to eight times the width of the effective suction surface of the circumferential perforated wall 40 of the suction feed wheel means 39. The several conduits 19-21 diminish in width so that at the transfer locations 26 they have a minimum width substantially equal to that of the peripheral wall 40. As is apparent from FIG. 4 the reduction in cross section of the several conduits 19-21 takes place gradually along a small angle up to the minimum width which equals the effective width of the cylindrical perforated wall 40 of the rotary suction wheel 39v Moreover, it is to be noted that within the several separating cell means 22-24 the conduits 19-21 respectively initially become slightly longer in cross section, circumferentially of the wheel 40, and upon reaching their maximum cross-sectional length, this latter length is maintained without change all the way up to the transfer locations 26.

The several suction conduits 19-21 are provided with foraminous wall portions which start somewhat beyond the leading ends of their regions of longest cross-sectional length, these foraminous wall portions 28 being in the nature of windows formed by perforated, slotted, or fine-mesh wall portions which serve to provide a discharge for the air streams in which the tobacco is suspended in the suction conduit means, the air flowing out through the foraminous wall portions 28 into the separating cells 22-24, respectively. Thus, the discharge portions 28 have their starting ends located somewhat beyond the region where the suction conduits 19-21 have reached their longest cross-sectional length, and these discharge portions 28 are located to those regions of the subsidiary conduits 19-21 where their longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions no longer change. The foraminous wall portions 28 terminate in the downstream direction at the location where the cross-sectional width of the individual suction conduits 19-21 is approximately three times the minimum width thereof, as is indicated in FIG. 4.

The several cells means 22-24 respectively surround the several subsidiary suction conduits 19-21 at such a distance therefrom that a flow through the foraminous windows 28 is assured. Wall portions of the several separating cell means 22- -24 are respectively formed with air-discharge openings 29 which provide communication between the several cells 22- 24 and a common collection chamber 31. At the several openings 29 are valves 30 in the form swingable or hingeably connected plates which can be adjusted in any known way for controlling the size of the openings 29 through which the air flows into the common chamber 31. This chamber 31 communicates (FIG. 4) through a pipe 32 with a cyclone 33, including suction tube 55, which is in turn connected to the suction inlet of a fan 34 which is operated to achieve the flow of suction air through the conduit means 13 and the separate subsidiary suction conduits thereof. The fan 34 has a peripheral discharge conduit 35 which has an elbow portion to redirect the discharge of the fan 34 to communicate with a filter 36. The major portion of the discharge leads into a conduit 37, which in turn feeds into a flaring outlet 38 (FIG. 2) which communicates with the inlet of the suction conduit means 13.

The several subsidiary suction conduits 19-21 are arranged one behind the other in series circumferentially of and in the region of the peripheral wall 40 of the suction feed wheel means 39, and the directions of the conduits 19-21 is such that extensions of the center lines thereof cut across the periphery of the suction feed wheel means 39, with each center line of each subsidiary conduit intersecting a tangent at the periphery of the suction wheel means 39 at a predetermined sharp, substantially pointed, acute angle.

An open ended enclosed chamber 27 extends between the transfer locations 26 and the wall 40 of the wheel 39 and communicates through the perforations in the circumferential wall 40 of the wheel 39 with an inner flow chamber 41 formed between the stationary end wall 42 and the rotary sidewall 43 of the suction wheel means 39. This inner flow chamber 41 in the interior of the suction wheel means 39 communicates through a screen or other grid type of mesh 44 with the interior of a hollow shaft 45 which carries the rotary suction wheel 39. This hollow shaft 45 in turn communicates through a cyclone 46, including tube 56, with a fan 47 which produces the second suction stream which acts through the perforations of the wall 40 on the space within the chamber 27 extending between the transfer locations 26and the wall 40. The

fans

34 and 47 are directly connected with the

respective cyclones

33 and 46 i.e., the suction ports of the fans open into the cyclones. Thus the pipe 32 and hollow shaft 45 open into the

cyclones

33 and 46 which are connected directly with

fans

34 and 47. The inlet of the fans, i.e., the suction portions are arranged in the center of the fan housings and are in direct communication with the cyclones. The feeding of the fibrous material by suction streams within the suction conduit means 13 terminates where the latter suction streams flow out of the subsidiary conduits 19-21 at their foraminous windows 28. The second stream created in the interior of the suction wheel 39 by the fan 47 then participates in the continued movement of the fibrous materials, shown in part, in the central portion of FIG. 4. This fan 47 has a peripheral outlet conduit 48 which passes through an elbow portion to redirect the discharge of the fan 47 to a dust filter 49.

The wheel 39, which is supported for rotary movement on the hollow shaft 45, is driven by way of a bevel-gear transmission from the main drive shaft 11.

The above-described structure of the invention operates in the following manner in accordance with the method of the invention:

From the supply container 1 of the supply means the shredded tobacco 2 is engaged by the rotary pin or toothed wheel 5 and is fed along a circumferential path where the excess tobacco is stripped by the stripping roll 6 and fed back into the supply container 1. The high-speed beating roll 7 beats the tobacco fibers out of the roller 5 and centrifugally loosens the tobacco so as to disperse it into individual fibers which, in the form of a spray or shower of fibers, is deposited on the high-speed rotary band 8.

The belt 8 which moves around the rollers 9 delivers the dispersed thin tobacco fleece 52 into the inlet 14 of the suction conduit means 13, this inlet 14 having a size adapted to the width of the belt 8. The initial inlet portion of the suction conduit means 13 extends approximately perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the belt 8 and provides a suction stream of relatively high speed directed approximately perpendicularly with respect to the direction in which the fleece is taken off from the belt 8. The roller which rotates at the speed of movement of the belt 8 and which is arranged over the roller 9 and has a smooth exterior surface prevents non uniform particles of the thin tobacco fleece 52 from being taken up by the suction stream, this roller 10 engaging the tobacco fleece 52 without any pressure.

The enlarged end of 14 of the suction conduit means 13 enables the latter to take the fleece from the belt 8 across the entire width thereof with the shredded tobacco for the most part being loosened up into individual fibers. In this condition the shredded tobacco is accelerated into the suction stream to then be subdivided by the

partitions

17, 18 into the plurality of individual subsidiary streams which eventually reach the branches 19-21 of the suction conduit means so as to be fed in this way to the transfer locations 26 which are situated in the region of the perforated circumferential wall 40 of the suction wheel means 39. Thus, the fleece which is taken up from the belt 8 across the entire width thereof has its cross section gradually reduced along the small or acute gradually changing angle formed by the enlarged portion 14, substantially eliminating in this way the impact or friction resistance which arises without any formation of larger fiber balls, and in this way the fibers are fed into the individual subsidiary stream "where their cross section remains unchanged. The conduit 13 and the

side branches

19, 20, 21 have a constant cross section ,until they enter the housing 25. They only undergo the slight and very gradual increase in circumferential length described V above and shown in FIG. 3 just upstream of the windows 28 within the separating cells 22-24. The cross section, of the

conduits

19, 20, 21 following their arriving at windows 28 or entry into the housing 25, changes so that the width decreases while the height increases (FIGS. 3 and 4), the cross-sectional t areas remain constant. Thus, the speed of movement of the streams of tobacco also remains substantially constant, i.e., under these conditions of constant cross-sectional areas, the flow velocity remains substantially constant. As a result of dividing the stream of tobacco up into several subsidiary streams, at the places where the conduit means curves, the tendency toward an increaseddensity due to centrifugal force and a corresponding increased frictional resistance and formation of fiber balls is substantially smaller than would be the case if only one single stream of tobacco were provided.

At the transfer locations 26 in the region of the perforated wall 40 of the suction wheel means 39 the tobacco streams flow into the transfer space within the flow chamber 27 which is limited by the

sidewalls

50 and 51, and the tobacco particles are directed in a plurality of flow paths situated one behind the other circumferentially of the wheel 39 along a portion of the circumferential wall 40 thereof.

The pneumatic supply of the tobacco particles in the suction conduit means 13 and branches 19-71 thereof terminates at the foraminous windows 28, but because of the inertia of the tobacco particles they discharge out of the outlet openings of the branches 19-21 into the flow chamber 27 where their movement is continued by the suction action of the second suction stream which acts through the perforations of the wall 40 of the wheel means 39. In this way the particles are deposited in layers at the circumferential wall 40 where they form a tobacco strand with the wheel 39 rotating at the speed of movement of the tobacco strand.

The directions of the streams flowing out of the branches 19-21 cut across the periphery of the wheel 39 to form with tangents thereto the acute angles a situated at the circumference of the wheel 39.

The action of the suction stream in the chamber 27 derived through the perforated wall 40 results in a traverse of the tobacco stream across the last portion of the path of travel to the wheel 39 without the formation of any balls, this last portion extending between the transfer locations 26 and the wall 40, to achieve a uniform deposition of the tobacco strand with any slight mass differences of the individual streams compensating each other.

By dividing the separator housing 25 up into the individual separating cell means 22-24 which are provided at their individual cell walls with the individual valve controls 30 which act independently of each other, so that the sizes of the several openings 29 can be individually regulated, the suction streams in the individual branches 19-21 can be independently controlled so that the velocity of each subsidiary tobacco stream can be individually regulated within certain limits. Thus, the feed velocity V and the circumferential strand velocity V of the feed wheel means 39 can be predetermined with respect to each other in such a way that these velocities have a relationship according to the formula:

COS velocity V of circumferential wall 40 a feed velocity V The desirable angle or provides under these constructive conditions that no change in acceleration i.e., increase or decrease in acceleration of the subsidiary streams in the new direction of movement of the circumferential wall 40 takes place, and thus avoids any strand slippage with respect to the circumferential wall 40 of the feed wheel means 39 so as to guarantee, at the same time, that the fibers will be layered in an inclined direction so that highly favorable large extent of transverse stress with respect to the enveloping cigarette paper and thus a large filling capacity will be achieved.

The tobacco strand is held as a result of the suction against the perforated circumferential wall 40 through a predetermined region thereof, and then in a known way is fed past a trimming device which severs the excess tobacco from the cord and from there to a cigarette making machine where the tobacco cord is enclosed in cigarette paper and brought to the desired diameter and length.

The suction stream which acts through the perforations of the circumferential wall 40 flows through the inner flow chamber 41 defined between the walls 42 and 43 and through the screen or grid 44 into the hollow shaft 45 where this second suction stream is produced by the fan 47 which communicates with the hollow shaft 45 through the intermediate cyclone 46.

The particular example described above and shown in the drawing where the suction conduit 13 is divided into three subsidiary streams and has three branches 19-21 can, of course, be replaced with any desired number of subdivisions for the feeding of the tobacco streams. By dividing the stream .up into the smaller subsidiary streams the method can be adjusted to any desired increase in output and a strand having desirable properties assured.

We claim:

1. In a method for manufacturing a continuous strand of pourable, fibrous material such as shredded tobacco, the steps of pneumatically feeding the fibrous material in a first suction stream at a relatively high speed to a transfer location spaced from the peripheral wall of a rotary suction wheel, the fibrous components of the stream flowing from the transfer location to the periphery of the sucti orrvheel, subjecting the fibrous material in the space between the transfer location and the suction feeding wheel to the influence of a second suction stream, dividing the first stream with the fibrous material therein into a plurality of subsidiary streams arranged one behind the other in series along the peripheral wall of the suction wheel at the transfer location, reducing the cross-sectional width of subsidiary streams to a width corresponding to that of the suction wheel, adjusting the length of each subsidiary stream circumferentially of the suction wheel so that its length will be several times greater than its smallest width, whereby there is formed on the periphery of the suction wheel during transfer of the subsidiary stream from the transfer location to the periphery of the wheel a layered strand, where the fibers are deposited in the layers and directing the subsidiary streams toward the rotary suction wheel respectively along the directions which cut across the periphery of the suction wheel at a predetermined angle which provides a slip-free delivery of the material onto the suction wheel.

2. In a method as recited in claim 1 and including the step of regulating the speed of flow of the individual subsidiary streams independently of each other by independently changing the speed of the individual subsidiary suction streams in which the fibrous material is suspended.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing a continuous strand of fibrous material, such as shredded tobacco, supply means for supplying the fibrous material, suction producing means, rotary suction wheel means having a perforated peripheral wall on which the strand is continuously formed, elongated suction conduit means having an inlet end situated at said supply means to receive the fibrous material therefrom and extending from said supply means up to the region of said rotary suction wheel means to a transfer location at which a stream of the material in the suction conduit means is transferred across a predetermined space to said suction wheel means, said suction conduit means including a plurality of subsidiary suction conduits separate from each other and dividing the stream of fibrous material into individual subsidiary streams which flow longitudinally along said suction conduit means, said suction conduit means flaring in the region of said supply means to diverge toward said supply means for changing the form of the stream as it flows from said supply means to a part of said suction conduit means where the latter is divided into said subsidiary suction conduits and said subsidiary suction conduits being situated in series one next to the other circumferentially of the rotary suction wheel means at a predetermined distance therefrom, a closed chamber receiving the stream from said suction conduit means at said transfer location and communicating with the outer periphery of said suction wheel means and extending between said transfer location and said suction wheel means, the subsidiary suction conduits terminating at said transfer location respectively and having centerlines which extend across the periphery of the rotary suction wheel means at an angle to provide a slip-free deposition of the material from the suction conduit means onto the periphery of said suction wheel means.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein a plurality of separator cell means respectively surround the plurality of subsidiary suction conduits in the region of the transfer location so that the plurality of subsidiary suction conduits respectively extend through said plurality of separator cell means, and said plurality of subsidiary suction conduits respectively having foraminous wall portions in said plurality of separator cell means through which suction air flows out of said plurality of subsidiary suction conduits in the region of said transfer location to stop the movement of the fibrous particles by suction air in said suction conduit means, a plurality of valve means respectively carried by said plurality of separator cell means for controlling individually the flow of suction air in the several subsidiary suction conduits, respectively, a collecting chamber common to and communicating with all of said separator cell means for receiving the suction air therefrom,

cyclone means, conduit means leading from said commoncollectlon chamber to said cyclone means, and fans means communicating with the interior of said cyclone means for achieving the suction streams in said suction conduit means.

5, The combination of claim 4 wherein the cross section of each of said subsidiary suction conduits gradually diminishes to the width of the suction wheel means while the length of each of said subsidiary suction conduits is increased circum-

Claims

2. In a method as recited in claim 1 and including the step of regulating the speed of flow of the individual subsidiary streams independently of each other by independently changing the speed of the individual subsidiary suction streams in which the fibrous material is suspended.
3. In an apparatus for manufacturing a continuous strand of fibrous material, such as shredded tobacco, supply means for supplying the fibrous material, suction producing means, rotary suction wheel means having a perforated peripheral wall on which the strand is continuously formed, elongated suction conduit means having an inlet end situated at said supply means to receive the fibrous material therefrom and extending from said supply means up to the region of said rotary suction wheel means to a transfer location at which a stream of the material in the suction conduit means is transferred across a predetermined space to said suction wheel means, said suction conduit means including a plurality of subsidiary suction conduits separate from each other and dividing the stream of fibrous material into individual subsidiary streams which flow longitudinally along said suction conduit means, said suction conduit means flaring in the region of said supply means to diverge toward said supply means for changing the form of the stream as it flows from said supply means to a part of said suction conduit means where the latter is divided into said subsidiary suction conduits and said subsidiary suction conduits being situated in series one next to the other circumferentially of the rotary suction wheel means at a predetermined distance therefrom, a closed chamber receiving the stream from said suction conduit means at said transfer location and communicating with the outer periphery of said suction wheel means and extending between said transfer location and said suction wheel means, the subsidiary suction conduits terminating at said transfer location respectively and having centerlines which extend across the periphery of the rotary suction wheel means at an angle to provide a slip-free deposition of the material from the suction conduit means onto the periphery of said suction wheel means.
4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein a plurality of separator cell means respectively surround the plurality of subsidiary suction conduits in the region of the transfer location so that the plurality of subsidiary suction conduits respectively extend through said plurality of separator cell means, and said plurality of subsidiary suction conduits respectively having foraminous wall portions in said plurality of separator cell means through which suction air flows out of said plurality of subsidiary suction conduits in the region of said transfer location to stop the movement of the fibrous particles by suction air in said suction conduit means, a plurality of valve means respectively carried by said plurality of separator cell means for controlling individually the flow of suction air in the several subsidiary suction conduits, respectively, a collecting chamber common to and communicating with all of said separator cell means for receiving the suction air therefrom, cyclone means, conduit means leading from said common collection chamber to said cyclone means, and fans means communicating with the interior of said cyclone means for achieving the suction streams in said suction conduit means.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the cross section of each of said subsidiary suction conduits gradually diminishes to the width of the suction wheel means while the length of each of said subsidiary suction conduits is increased circumferentially of said suction wheel means to a length several times greater than its minimum width.