US3577998A - Impact method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of striking an article, particularly a wrapper enclosed product such as a cigarette, by striking the article and achieving a clear impact without cutting the wrapper to create a blast of air upon impact so as to force the product out of the wrapper by an air pump action.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jesse R. Pinkham Winston-Salem, N.C. [21] Appl. No. 851,119 [22] Filed June 23, 1969 Division of Ser. No. 615,792, Feb. 13,1967, abandoned. Continuation-in-part Ser. No. 529,424, Feb. 23, 1965, abandoned [45] Patented May 11, 1971 [73] Assignee R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Winston-Salem, N.C.

[54] IMPACT METHOD 9 Claims, 23 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 131/96, 131/20,l31/l46,241/188 [51] Int. Cl A24c 05/36 [50] Field of Search 131/96, 20, 146, 145; 241/188 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 656,481 8/ l 900 Scholtz 862,720 8/1907 Day 241/188X 2,592,481 4/1952 Spencer et al. (l3l/145UX) 2,737,350 3/1956 Craig 241/154 2,852,238 9/1958 Varkony 241/191X 3,255,762 6/1966 Baier 13 l/96X FOREIGN PATENTS 379,799 9/1932 Great Britain 131/96 860,036 2/1961 Great Britain 131/145 Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Assistant Examiner-J. F. Pitrelli Attorneys-Robert S. Dunham, R. J. Dearborn, P. E.

Henninger, Lester W. Clark, John A. Harvey, Gerald W.

Griffin, Thomas F. Moran, Howard J. Churchill and Robert Scobey ABSTRACT: A method of striking an article, particularly a wrapper enclosed product such as a cigarette, by striking the article and achieving a clear impact without cutting the wrapper to create a blast of air upon impact so as to force the product out of the wrapper by an air pump action.

PATENTEDHAYI 1 IS?! I 3571.998

sum 2 or 5 INVENTOR.

PATENTEUNAYIHB?! 3577.998

sum 3 OF 5 INVENTOR. Jesse A. 332; Afl'OkA/EV IMPACT METHOD RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 615,792 filed Feb. 13, 1967 now abandoned for IMPACT APPARATUS AND METHOD. Application Ser. No. 615,792 in turn is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 529,424 filed Feb. 23, 1965 now abandoned for APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTE FILTERS.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an impact method for the striking of material, usually to break up a material into particles or to separate a product from a wrapper. The invention finds particular application in the separation and reclaiming of tobacco and filters from filter tip cigarettes and in the separation of tobacco from'enclosing cigarette papers from cigarettes rejected upon inspection in order to reclaim the tobacco.

In the manufacture and packaging of filter cigarettes, it is desirable to reclaim the tobacco and filters from cigarettes which have been rejected in an inspection process. Uncontaminated tobacco may be reused in the manufacture of cigarettes; uncontaminated filters may be used in various ways, e.g., as a stufiing for dolls or mattresses. It is also desirable to be able to separate tobacco from enclosing cigarette paper of cigarettes which have been rejected during an inspection process in order to reclaim the tobacco. It is further desirable to have an impact device which is suitable for breaking material into particles; e.g., lumps of chewing tobacco which have been rejected during an inspection process may be broken in order to place the tobacco in more convenient sizes for subsequent reclaiming.

The present invention may be accomplished by impact apparatus, suitable in the tobacco industry to carry out reclaiming as noted above, or suitable for the striking of any material. The abstract of the disclosure describes some of the difierent structures involved in the invention. Briefly, the rotating vane assemblies strike the material and cause the material to impinge upon the inner surface of the container and against the fixed vanes within the container. The fixed vanes cause the material to follow a regular course as it passes through the container. THe shaping of the rotating vanes as fan blades provides a movement of air through the container to aid in the material flow through the container. The helical ridge on the inside surface of the container also aids in material flow. The various container, shaft and vane shapes and numbers of vanes enhance the impact action for different materials. Particularly with reference to the separation of tobacco from paper in a cigarette, it has been found that by shaping the vanes so as not to cut the paper, the striking of the cigarette by the vanes creates an air pump action to blow the tobacco strands out of the open'end or ends of the cigarette. This action may be achieved without tearing the paper, thereby avoiding contamination of tobacco with bits of paper. The sieving of struck material enables classification according to material size, and the dust removal feature described enhances the processing of material. In the processing of tobacco clinging to cigarette filters or contained within cigarette paper, a separation of the tobacco from the filters or paper is achieved without resorting to the tedious hand processes employed in the past for such reclaiming of tobacco or the cumbersome machine slitting of cigarette papers, e.g., to reclaim tobacco from rejected cigarette assemblies.

Rotating vane assemblies have been employed in the past. Irmscher US. Pat. No. 2,818,985 is representative and discloses apparatus for reclaiming the contents of filled packages. A rotating vane assembly is employed; however, the vanes do not rotate about an axis which passes through a container from container entrance to exit, as in the present invention. Neither does Innscher disclose employing the combination of fixed vanes and rotating vanes to achieve the striking of material as in the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an impact device in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the impact device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively along the section lines 3-3 and 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of another form of impact device in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view (to an enlarged scale) of a fixed vane assembly for use in the impact device of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are sectional views taken respectively along the section lines 77, 8-8, 99 and 10-10 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of still another form of impact device in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are sectional views of different rotating vanes suitable for use in the impact devices of the invention.

FIGS. 14, I5, 16, 17 and 18 are longitudinal sectional views of varying forms of impact devices in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 19 is a side view, partly in section, of a system in accordance with the invention for striking material and classifying material according to size.

FIG. 20 is a top view of the system of FIG. 19, looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows 20-20 in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a side view of another system in accordance with the invention, similar to the system of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a side view, partly in section, of still another system in accordance with the invention, similar to the system of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 22, taken along the section line 23 23 in FIG. 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows an impact device in accordance with the invention. As an example, the device will be explained with reference to the separation of cigarette filters and tobacco clinging thereto. CIgarette filters 10 having tobacco clinging to the ends thereof are supplied via a chute 12 to a container 14. Such filters and clinging tobacco may be received from apparatus which severs the filter tip from the tobacco section of a cigarette or which separates the filter section from the tobacco sections of a dual cigarette assembly. Severance typically occurs within the tobacco section or sections so as to avoid including any filter material in the severed tobacco section or sections. As a result, the severed filter section normally includes tobacco clinging to an end or both ends thereof.

The container 14 is advantageously formed as a cylinder having open ends 14a and 14b. A shaft 16, whose axis coincides with the axis of the container 14, is mounted for rotation within the container. The shaft 16 may be rotated by a motor 18 that is coupled by a belt drive 20 to the shaft.

A plurality of fixed vane assemblies 22 are mounted along the container 14. Each vane assembly 22 (see also FIGS. 2 and 3) is formed from a group of vanes 22a extending radially inwardly from a ring 22b mounted on inner wall of the container toward the rotating shaft 16 within the container. The vanes 22a may be secured to the ring 22b and the ring in turn may be secured to the inner wall 14c of the container all by welding, for example, if the vanes, ring and container are made of steel. The vanes 22a in each assembly 22 thus are positioned circumferentially about the cylinder 14 and extend toward the shaft 16. As shown in FIG. 2, there are four such fixed vane assemblies 22; the number of assemblies is arbitrary, however.

Disposed between the fixed vane assemblies 22 are rotating vane assemblies 24. Each vane assembly 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) is formed from a group of vanes 24a extending circumferentially around the shaft 16 and radially outwardly toward the inner wall 14c of the container. The vanes may be attached to a ring 24b which surrounds the shaft 16 and which is secured to the shaft. In FIG. 2, three such rotating vane assemblies are shown; the number is arbitrary. Normally, the fixed and rotating vane assemblies should be alternatively positioned along the cylinder.

The shaft 16 is rotated so as to rotate the vane assemblies 24. As filters pass by gravity downwardly through the container 14, they first pass through the uppermost fixed vane assembly .22. The filters next encounter the uppermost fixed vane assembly 24. The individual vanes 24a of this assembly strike the filters and cause them to impinge against the inner wall 140 of the container, and against the fixed vanes 22a of the next lower vane assembly so as to shake the tobacco loose from the filters. The uppermost fixed vane assembly 22 ensures that the filters will not be thrown upwardly and out of the container by the rotating vanes 24.

The filters pass downwardly through the series of fixed vane assemblies and rotating vane assemblies. Each fixed vane assembly 22, while providing surfaces against which the filters impinge, ensures that the filters move properly downwardly and corrects any sidewise movement of the filters caused by the rotating vane assemblies. By the time the filters reach the bottom, open end 14b of the container, all the tobacco has been shaken from the filters so that tobacco and filters, separated from each other, emerge from the open end 14b of the container. The lowermost fixed vane assembly 22 ensures that the filters move downwardly following the final striking of the filters by the lowermost rotating vane assembly 24. Fixed vane assemblies, rather than rotating vane assemblies, may be positioned at the top and bottom of the container adjacent the entrance and exit zones of the container, as shown in FIG. 2, to ensure the downward, vertical course of the filters.

Any suitable sieving arrangement, such as the sieving arrangements shown in FIGS. l922, to be described in detail later, may be positioned beneath the lower, open end 14b of the container so as to segregate the tobacco and the filters.

It has been found that for the separation of tobacco from conventional filters, the container 14 advantageously may be approximately 3 feet in length and of an inside diameter of approximately to l2 inches. Four assemblies of fixed vanes and three assemblies of rotating vanes have been found to be desirable, with the vertical spacing of the assemblies approximately 2 to 3 inches and with a speed of rotation of approximately 500 to 700 rpm. for the rotating vane assemblies.

As noted above, the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4 has been described in its relation to the separation of cigarette filters and tobacco clinging thereto. The apparatus shown may be employed as an impact device suitable for striking any material.

FIGS. 5-10 show another impact device, particularly suitable for the separation of tobacco from enclosing cigarette papers in the reclaiming of tobacco from defective cigarette assemblies. The device of FIG. 5 employs a cylindrical container 30 having an entrance funnel 32 or similar structure attached to the upper end of the cylinder to which material to be struck is applied. A shaft assembly 34 is positioned with the container. As shown, the shaft is hollow and includes an upper cylindrical portion 34a, an intermediate frustoconical portion 34b, and a lower cylindrical portion 340. Thus the shaft is circular in transverse section, the diameter of transverse sections varying from one end of the shaft to the other. In particular, the diameter increases from the top end of the shaft to the lower end of the shaft.

The shaft 34 is mounted to a drive shaft 36 by means of spiders 38. The drive shaft 36 is in turn supported for rotation at its lower end by a bearing 40 and spiders 42 which secure the bearing 40 within the cylindrical container 30. A collar 44 is secured to the drive shaft 36 above top plate 46 closing off the top of the cylindrical container 30 and maintains the shaft 36 in place. A belt drive 48 drives the drive shaft 36.

Mounted about the hollow shaft 34 are pins 50 which comprise rotating vanes within the cylindrical container 30. The vanes 50 may be rod-shaped in order to eliminate sharp edges in the impact device and to avoid cutting the material being processed. Fixed vanes 52 (with respect to the container 30) extend toward the rotating shaft 34 and are advantageously mounted as shown in FIG. 6 on a strap 54, e.g., by being welded to the strap. A plurality of such straps are positioned about the outside of the container as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and I0. EAch strap extends vertically 0n the container. The container is drilled or otherwise suitably formed with holes to permit the fixed vanes 52 to extend into the container. As shown in FIG. 6, the vanes 52 are of varying lengths in order to compensate for the varying diameters of the transverse sections of the supporting shaft 34a. In position, the ends of the fixed vanes 52 are all spaced substantially the same distance from the supporting shaft 34. In the same fashion, the rotating vanes 50 are of varying lengths so that they too are spaced substantially equidistantly from the inner surface of the cylindrical container 30.

The diameter of the supporting shaft 34 is varied to provide a varying volume for the striking of material as the material passes downwardly through the impact device. At the upper or entrance end of the device, the volume available for striking is much greater than the reduced volume at the lower or exit end of the device. It will also be noted from the sectional views of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 that, for succeedingly lower positions in the impact device, the number of vanes (both rotating and fixed) at any level varies. For example, the sectional view of FIG. 8 shows that adjacent the entrance zone of the device there are three rotating vanes 50 at the topmost level of vanes and three fixed vanes 52 at the next lower level. As shown in the sec tional view of FIG. 9, taken below the sectional view of FIG. 8, there are six rotating vanes 50 spaced circumferentially about the supporting shaft 34 and, at the next lower level, the same number of fixed vanes 52 are spaced circumferentially about the cylinder 30. As shown by the sectional view of FIG. 10, taken below the sectional view of FIG. 9, there are 12 rotating vanes 50 circumferentially spaced about the supporting shaft 34 at each level of rotating vanes and the same number of fixed vanes 52 at each level of fixed vanes. The actual number of vanes shown is exemplary. Varying the number-of vanes at different levels in the impact device and varying the striking volume, as described, ensures the smooth downward flow of material through the device. In particular, fewer vanes in a larger volume near the entrance zone permits the material to move initially downwardly through the device without hindrance. By providing an increasing number of vanes in a smaller striking volume, the material is increasingly struck after it has assumed a substantial downward component of motion.

By decreasing the striking volume and increasing the number of rotating vanes for succeedingly lower positions in the impact device, the striking action may be enhanced for certain materials. In particular, in the event that a large chunky material is broken into smaller particles by the action of the device, it is appropriate to provide increasing striking action per unit volume in the container as the particle size decreases during the course of the material through the device to ensure sufficient breakup of the material.

The use of rod-shaped vanes is advantageous in handling some material in which it is desired to strike the material without cutting it. Varies having flat planar surfaces such as the vanes 22 and 24 shown in FIG. 2 tend to cut the material. The rod-shaped vanes as shown in FIG. 6 are particularly advantageous in the striking of finished cigarettes to reclaim the tobacco therein.

In FIG. 5 it will be noted that the lower end of the hollow vane-supporting shaft 34 is positioned somewhat above the bottom or exit end of the container 30. As thus positioned the hollow supporting shaft may be employed for the evacuation of dust from the container. With reference also to FIG. 7, the drive shaft 36 (by a collar 59 pinned to the shaft) supports a plurality of fan blades 60 mounted to the shaft above the upper, open end of the vane-supporting shaft 34. As the drive shaft 36 is rotated, the blades 60 rotate, as shown by arrow 62 in FIG. 7, creating a movement of air upwardly through the hollow vane-supporting shaft 34 which carries dust and other fine particles of waste material upwardly through the shaft. The upper part of the container 30 adjacent the blades 60 corrrrnunicates with an exit port 64 shown in FIG. 7 to exhaust the fine particles of dust and other waste material from the device. The exhaust action is such as to remove only waste particles and not to suck other material upwardly out of the exit area of the device. Typically all the material to be reclaimed passes downwardly out of the container 30. However, it will be noted that some material to be reclaimed might be specifically removed by being sucked upwardly through the hollow vane-supporting shaft 34 if desired. It will be appreciated that by varying the number of fan blades 60 and their angular disposition with respect to each other and with respect to the axis of the container, a varying air flow can be provided in order to remove dust or other material from the impact device. Further, a closure valve (not shown) provided in the exit 64 may also provide adjustment of the air flow.

In a representative impact device that was constructed for use in separating tobacco from finished cigarettes, a cylinder approximately inches in diameter and 34 inches long was employed as container 30. The vane-supporting shaft 34 was roughly 6 inches in diameter and 24 inches long in the cylindrical section 34a, increasing to a maximum diameter of 10 inches in the frustoconical portion 34b (7 inches long) and remaining at that diameter for a total length of approximately 8 inches in the cylindrical section 340. The number of vanes in the device were as shown and described above in connection with FIGS. 810. The inlet funnel 32 extended approximately 90 around the container 30. A total of six fan blades 60 spaced 60 apart were employed, and the drive shaft 36 was driven at roughly 725 r.p.m. Rod-shaped vanes about fiveeighths inch in diameter as shown in FIG. 6 were employed to strike the cigarettes applied to the impact device. A spacing of about three-eighths inch was maintained between theends of the movable vanes 50 and the container 30 and between the ends of the fixed vanes 52 and the hollow shaft 34.

The device appeared to act with a clear impact action on the cigarettes without any substantial cutting. It was observed that a large number of cigarette paper tubes empty of tobacco passed downwardly through the bottom of the container without any tearing of the paper. It is believed that the action of the vanes on the cigarettes was pneumatic. In particular, it will be noted that the tobacco filler in a cigarette is roughly percent solids (tobacco strands) and 80 percent air, and hence is soft and pliable. When the cigarette is struck by one of the rotating vanes, the blow is sufficient to flatten or reduce the dimension of the cigarette at the. point of impact. An air pump efiect is created, and the air movement within the paper tube virtually blows the tobacco strands out the open end or ends of the tube. With the round rodlikevanes, the paper is not cut substantially, and the spacing between fixed and rotating vanes is sufi'rcient to prevent any scissors action. It is believed.

that in a device of the dimensions given above, the optimum peripheral speed at the tips of the vanes 50 is from 2200 to 3200 feet per minute, depending on the moisture content of the material operated upon, to separate filter material and tobacco. Too low a speed prohibits complete separation; too high a speed bursts some filters, contaminating the tobacco.

FIGS. 11-13 show an alternative form of impact device involving a particular vane structure to provide for an air flow downwardly through the device to aid in the movement of the material through the-device. The impact device employs a container 70-, fixed vanes 72 and a rotating shaft 74 driven by a belt drive 76. Vanes 78 are affixed to the shaft 74 and strike the material which is applied to the device by a chute 80 positioned adjacent the upper end of the containeLThevanes 78 may take the fonn shown in FIG. 12, comprising a rodlike portion 780 to which is secured a fan blade member 78b on the trailing edge of the vane (as noted by arrow 82 designating movement of the vane). The fan-blade member 78b provides for the downward movement of air through the device as the vane rotates. SUch a movement of air aids in ensuring the downward movement of material through the device and increases the capacity (rate of material flow) of the device. FIG. 13 shows an alternative structure in which vane 78' is generally of fan blade shape in its entirety. There are no sharp edges in the vane 78' so as to avoid tearing of the material struck by the vane as well as to provide a good aerodynamic shape.

FIG. 14 shows an alternative form of impact device in which container 84 is of frustoconical shape. In other words, the container is circular in transverse section, with the diameter of transverse sections increasing for succeedingly lower sections in the container. Fixed vanes 86 and rotating vanes 88 are provided as in the other impact devices described. Material to be struck is applied to upper end 84a of the device. The device of FIG. 14 is suitable for the striking of material which is fluffed" i.e., which increase in bulk after being struck. For example, if tightly packed material is struck and expands upon impact, the increasing diameter of the container is advantageous since it accommodates the increase in bulk as the material cascades downwardly through the fixed and rotating vane assemblies.

FIG. 15 shows a form of impact device similar that of FIG. 14, except that container 84' is frustoconical with its greatest diameter at the top of the device rather that at the bottom as in FIG. 14. The container is thus circular in transverse section, with the diameter of transverse sections decreasing for succeedingly lower levels of the d3vice. The device of FIG. 15 is suitable, e.g., in the event that the struck material becomes granular upon impact by rotating vanes 88. Because the volume at any cross section in the container decreases as the material passes downwardly through the container, more striking action per unit volume in the container takes place in the lower portion of the container.

Another impact device is shown in FIG. 16, in this case employing a cylindrical container 90 and vane-supporting shaft 92 which is frustoconical in shape. In other words, the shaft 92, which supports vanes 94, is circular in section, with the diameter of transverse sections increasing from the top of the container 90 to the bottom of the container. As in the impact devices previously described, material to be struck is applied to the top of the container. It will be noted that the volume of any section in the container available for the striking of material decreases for succeedingly lower positions within the container, and in this respect the device of FIG. 16 is similar to the device of FIG. 15. It will also be noted that the lengths of fixed vanes 95 and rotating vanes 94 vary so that the ends of the fixed vanes are all substantially unifonnly spaced from the surface of the shaft 92, while the ends of the rotating vanes 94 are all substantially uniformly spaced from the inner surface of the container 90.

FIG. 17 shows another impact device in accordance with the invention. Mounted within container are fixed vanes I02. Rotating vanes 104 are mounted on shaft 106 which is driven by belt drive 108. It will be noted that ends 104a of the rotatirig vanes extend substantially parallel to the shaft 106, and that the fixed vanes 102 include portions 102a thereof extending parallel to the rotating vane ends 104a. This configuration of blades reduces scrubbing of the material against the innersurface of the container 100 inasmuch as the ends of the vanes 104 are spaced a substantial distance from the surface of the container.

FIG. 18 discloses a modified form of container suitable for use in any of the impact devices previously-described. Container 109 is typically cylindrical and includes a helical ridge 1090 on the inside surface thereof. The helical ridge aids in the flow of material downwardly through the container. In particular, it should be noted that as the material is struck by the. rotating vane assemblies ofthe impact devices, the movement of the struck material is outwardly toward the inner surface of the container. As the material is hurled outwardly, it tends to remain suspended in annular rings above each group of rotating vanes. The helical ridge 109a directs the materialdownwardly and thus aids in the flow of material through the device. It has been found that such a helical ridge increases the capacity of an impact device since it speeds the flow of material through the device.

The ridges are particularly helpful when combined with the shaping of the rotating vanes such as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 to move air downwardly through the container. Both shaped vanes and helical ridge enhance the passage of material through the container.

FIGS. 19 and 20 show an arrangement suitable for the striking of material and the subsequent classification of material according to size. A material to be struck is applied from a chute 110 to an impact device arrangement 112. As shown in FIG. 20 the impact device arrangement 112 comprises a series of three separate impact devices 112a, 112b and 112C all disposed to receive material to be struck. EAch of the three impact devices may take the form of any of the impact devices previously described. It will be noted, however, that a single container 114 is employed so that there is communication between the different impact devices. The rotating vane assemblies in each of the devices may rotate in the directions shown by the arrows; e.g., all may rotate in a clockwise direction, A belt drive assembly 116 shown in FIG. 19 may be provided to rotate all of the rotating vane assemblies 117. Any number of impact devices may be employed, and rotation in any direction may be utilized. If desired, the rotating vane assemblies may be given directions of rotation which differ from one device to another. Although the impact devices communicate with each other by virtue of the single container 114, the communication does not provide substantial shifting of material from one impact device to another, although such shifting, if it takes place, is not necessarily undesirable.

Although a single container 114 has been shown for the plurality of impact devices employed, a plurality of separate impact devices each within its own container and not communicating with any other device may be used. What is desired in the arrangement of FIG. 20 is to have an impact device arrangement which extends across an entire inlet area, such as provided by chute 110 of FIG. !9, without requiring a single, very large impact device if a relatively large inlet area is encountered.

With a single container such as the container 114 of FIG. 20, the rotating vanes 117 in adjacent devices must be positioned at different levels along associated shafts 117a in order to clear one another in the regions 1140 of communication between adjacent devices. The difference in height between adjacent levels of vanes in adjacent devices should be sufficient to avoid a scissors action. The spacing between the ends of the rotating vanes 117 of one device and the shaft 1170 of an adjacent device should be about the same as the spacing between the ends of the vanes and the container 114.

The material from the impact devices 112, after being struck, passes downwardly to a vibrating screen assembly 118 shown in FIG. 19 which is vibrated by means of a conventional vibrator 120. The screen assembly 118 is of a mesh size to pass certain particles of material downwardly through the screen onto a removal conveyor 122, while particles of a larger size than the mesh size are retained on the screen assembly and withdrawn therefrom through an outlet chamber 124. The outlet chamber 124 may be provided with a vacuum through a conduit 126 to draw particles of material on the screen assembly 118 into the chamber 124 and out through the conduit 126. In the processing of tobacco enclosed in cigarette papers, e.g., the impact devices 112 may separate the tobacco from the paper. The mesh size of the screen arrangement 118 may be chosen so that tobacco passes downwardly through the screen onto the conveyor 122 while paper is retained on top of the screen to be drawn into the chamber 124 and passed out through the conduit 126.

FIG. 21 discloses an arrangement similar to FIG. 19 for the striking of material and the subsequent sieving of material for classification according to size. One or more impact devices 130 of the type described above are positioned to receive material to be struck from a chute 132. A drive mechanism 134 drives the rotating vane assemblies (not shown) in the impact structure 130. Material struck in the impact structure passes downwardly through an outlet chute 136 into a rotating screen assembly 138 shown as comprising an outer cylindrical drum 138a and inner cylindrical screens 138b and 138C. Screens 138!) and 138C and the cylindrical drum 1380 are all mounted concentrically with respect to each other by any suitable mounting arrangement (not shown), and both screens and drum are rotated by a drive 140 which drives rollers 140a that engage the drum. Exit and 136a of the chute 136 discharges material from the impact structure 130 inside the innermost screen 1380.

As an example, assume that rejected filter cigarettes are being processed by the impact structure 130. The mesh sizes of the screens 13% and 1380 are chosen so that the screen 138C retains cigarette papers and filters therein to be discharged from the lower end thereof as shown by arrow 140. Tobacco passes through the screen 1380 but is retained within the screen 13% to pass outwardly from the lower end thereof as shown by arrow 142. Fine scrap and dust pass through the screen 1381) and are retained within the drum 138a from which they pass out the lower end thereof as shown by arrow 144.

In FIG. 21 a cyclone 146 is employed which is connected by a conduit 148 to the upper end of the impact structure 130. The conduit 148 corresponds to the exit port 64 shown in FIG. 7 and serves to withdraw fine dust and air from the lower end of the impact structure 130, as explained above with respect to the impact device of FIG. 5. Fine particles of material are returned via conduit 150 to the outlet chute 136 from the impact structure to be applied to the screen arrangement 138. OUtlet 152 from the cyclone is a conventional clean air outlet.

FIG. 22 shows an arrangement similar to that of FIG. 21 involving a different screen arrangement. One or more impact devices 153 of the type described above discharge material downwardly into a screen arrangement 154 comprising an open topped container 156 closed by a bottom plate 156a and including two screens 158 and 160, one over the the other, therein. The screen 158 corresponds to the screen 138c of FIG. 21; the screen 160 corresponds to the screen 138c of FIG. 21. An outlet 162 discharges material from above the screen 158, an outlet 164 discharges material from above the screen 160, and outlet I66 discharges material from above bottom plate 156a. The entire screen arrangement 154 is mounted by springs 168 onto a base structure 170. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, bottom plate 156a also includes a downwardly extending cylindrical housing 172 inside of which is mounted a motor 174 whose shaft includes eccentric weights 176a and 176b. The motor is energized to rotate the eccentric weights. The angular spacing of the eccentric weights on the motor shaft may be varied in conventional fashion to provide any desired degree of eccentricity in order to provide for vibration as the weights are rotated, as is well known. In this fashion, the screen arrangement 154 of FIG. 22 is continuously vibrated as material is applied thereto by the impact structure 153. Particles of coarse material are retained on top of the screen 158 and removed from the exit 162 while finer particles pass through the screen 158. Some of these finer particles are retained on top of the screen 160 and pass through the exit 164. Finally, dust and other very fine particles pass through the screen 160 and are retained on top of the bottom plate 156a to pass from the screen arrangement through the exit 166.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. It will be understood that modifications of the apparatus shown may be made. Accordingly, the invention should be taken to be defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A method of separating a product having multiple separate fragments with air spaces therebetween from a wrapper enclosing the product, said wrapper having a portion thereof which provides substantially little resistance to the movement of the product therethrough, comprising striking the wrapper with blows sufficient to reduce the cross-sectional dimension of the wrapper at the zones of impact and without tearing said wrapper to create an air pump effect within the wrapper to discharge the product out of said portion of the wrapper.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 in which the product is cigarette tobacco and the wrapper is cigarette paper.

3. A method of separating tobacco from cigarette pieces such as cigarette filters, cigarette wrappers and the like, comprising passing the cigarette pieces through a container having a solid wall portion and vanes extending inwardly from said solid wall portion and past a central rotating shaft having outwardly extending vanes alternating with said first-mentioned vanes so that said cigarette pieces strike the vanes and the solid wall to achieve said tobacco separation, the speed of rotation of said shaft and the spacing of said vanes being such that the cigarette wrappers remain untom.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the rotating I vanes are rotatable about an axis in line with the direction of movement of cigarette pieces through the container.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the cigarette pieces are moved by gravity through the container whose axis is oriented in a vertical direction.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the cigarette pieces are passed through a container whose effective volume diminishes at succeeding positions therein.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein air is extracted from inside the container.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the material emerging from the container is sieved to segregate tobacco from other material.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein tobacco is removed downwardly from the lower end of the container, and an air flow is created from the lower end of the container to the upper end of the container to remove dust or other fine material from said lower end upwardly through said container and out of said upper end.

Claims (9)

1. A method of separating a product having multiple separate fragments with air spaces therebetween from a wrapper enclosing the product, said wrapper having a portion thereof which provides substantially little resistance to the movement of the product therethrough, comprising striking the wrapper with blows sufficient to reduce the cross-sectional dimension of the wrapper at the zones of impact and without tearing said wrapper to create an air pump effect within the wrapper to discharge the product out of said portion of the wrapper.

2. A method as recited in Claim 1 in which the product is cigarette tobacco and the wrapper is cigarette paper.

3. A method of separating tobacco from cigarette pieces such as cigarette filters, cigarette wrappers and the like, comprising passing the cigarette pieces through a container having a solid wall portion and vanes extending inwardly from said solid wall portion and past a central rotating shaft having outwardly extending vanes alternating with said first-mentioned vanes so that said cigarette pieces strike the vanes and the solid wall to achieve said tobacco separation, the speed of rotation of said shaft and the spacing of said vanes being such that the cigarette wrappers remain untorn.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the rotating vanes are rotatable about an axis in line with the direction of movement of cigarette pieces through the container.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the cigarette pieces are moved by gravity through the container whose axis is oriented in a vertical direction.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the cigarette pieces are passed through a container whose effective volume diminishes at succeeding positions therein.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein air is extracted from inside the container.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the material emerging from the container is sieved to segregate tobacco from other material.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein tobacco is removed downwardly from the lower end of the container, and an air flow is created from the lower end of the container to the upper end of the container to remove dust or other fine material from said lower end upwardly through said container and out of said upper end.

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