US3612067A - Apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf - Google Patents

Apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf Download PDF

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Publication number
US3612067A
US3612067A US853418A US3612067DA US3612067A US 3612067 A US3612067 A US 3612067A US 853418 A US853418 A US 853418A US 3612067D A US3612067D A US 3612067DA US 3612067 A US3612067 A US 3612067A
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United States
Prior art keywords
leaf
belt
suction
stretching
support
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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
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US853418A
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English (en)
Inventor
Nils Wallenborn
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Arenco AB
Original Assignee
Arenco AB
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from SE12116/68A external-priority patent/SE322456B/xx
Priority claimed from SE14923/68A external-priority patent/SE331251B/xx
Application filed by Arenco AB filed Critical Arenco AB
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Publication of US3612067A publication Critical patent/US3612067A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B5/00—Stripping tobacco; Treatment of stems or ribs
    • A24B5/14—Flattening machines for leaves or stems

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf and comprises airflow members adapted to expose the tobacco leaf fixed on a leaf support to an airstream directed from the central vein of the leaf to the edges thereof and-suction means for retaining the leafin an expanded condition after the stretching step.
  • This invention provides an apparatus-for stretching a tobacco leaf and retaining it stretched during the entire stretching operation until final working or storing while'totally avoiding the risk of the leaf becoming damaged, irrespective of how various portions of the leaf are folded onto one another.
  • FIG. I shows an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus viewed from above with certain portions removed for the sake of clarity, I
  • FIG. 2 shows a section through the apparatus of FIG. '1, taken along the line IIII,
  • FIG. 3 shows a section through the apparatus of FIG. 1, taken along the line IIIIII,
  • FIG. 4 shows a section through the apparatus of FIG. '1, taken along the line IV-IV,
  • FIG. 5 shows a section through the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along the line V--V
  • FIG. 6 is a side view of an apparatus for stretching natural tobacco leaves coupled to a stripping machine
  • FIG. 7 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 is a sectional view following the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.
  • the embodiment shown in the drawings comprises three stations A, B and C, of which stations A and B illustrate the basic invention and which may be utilized as such without the station C for feeding stretched leaves to a stemming machine, for example.
  • Station C being utilized in those cases wherev a strong stretching of the tobaccoleaf already flattened in the station B is required.
  • the expression tobacco leaf used herein is intended to mean both a nonstemmed natural tobacco leaf, Le. a leaf having a central vein, and a leaf half or other major part of a natural tobacco leaf, such as a cigar binder or a wrapper.
  • the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is provided with an airpermeable belt 1 of at least transversely stretchable material, such as a perforated rubber belt, a woven belt or the like. If
  • the station, C is not utilized, the belt need not be stretchable, as
  • roller 2 is driven in the direction of the arrow, FIG. 2, from a power source not shown, and thus the upper part of the belt 1 moves in the direction of the arrow shown at station A, FIG. 1.
  • the device is driven intermittently in such a manner that a tobacco leaf 3 during rest of the belt is placed on the belt 1 at the station A and thereafter 'and the stub axles of the rollers are mounted in the walls of a vacuum box 7 (FIG. 4) and in a counterpressure rail 8 extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt IJVacuum box 7 is connected to a vacuum source, not shown, through a suction pipe 9 provided with a throttle valve I0.
  • rollers 4 at station C are mounted in the walls of a vacuum boxll, which through a suction pipe 12 is in connection with a-vacuumsource, not shown.
  • the belt l-in the embodiment shown is guided laterally.
  • the edge'portions of the belt I are provided with a longitudinally extending holding means 13 in the shape of bul- 'bous projections or'the like on which guide pins 14 are secured.
  • the guide pins 14 are guided in grooves 15 fonned in two guide rails 16.
  • the grooves 15 extend parallel to one another and between stations A and B are spaced apart a' first distance from one another, whereas at station C, the distance is'increased so as to cause a transverse stretching of the belt I.
  • the leaf stretchingdevice Disposed at the station B over the upper part of the beltl is a device for stretching the leaf.
  • the leaf stretchingdevice consists of a suction box 17, which is wholly open towards the belt I.
  • the suction box '17 On both sides of the belt I, the suction box '17 is equipped with two suction tubes l8, 19, which are provided with throttle valves 20, 2] (FIG. 4).
  • the suction box 17 can be lifted and lowered.
  • the tie rod 22 has 'its upper end connected to one end of a lever 23 (FIG. 4) which is fixed at 24 and the other end'of which carries a cam follower 25.
  • the follower 25 is forced by a pressure spring 26 positioned between the lever 23 and a fixed bearing 27 against a cam 28 which is mounted on a shaft 29 driven from a power source not shown.
  • the top plate of the suction box 17 on which the tie 'rod 22 is rigidly secured is further equipped with two guide bars 30 running in stationary guides 31, th'e'purpose of which to guide the box 17 during the movement thereof.
  • Mounted on the under side of the box plate is a pressure rail 32 facing the counterpressure rail 8 (FIGS. 2 and 4) and preferably made of some resilient material such as rubber, and which in the working position of the suction box 17, shown in FIG. 4, bears against the counterpressure rail 8.
  • the box plate is further formed with inlet suction openings 33 located approximately in the center line of the box 17 and disposed substantially over the entire length of the box 17 in parallel with the direction of feed of the belt.
  • the sidewalls of the box 17 extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt 1 fonn elongated suction nozzles 34.
  • the apparatus shown operates in the following manner.
  • a moistened natural tobacco leaf which is to be stretched is a station A laid on the belt 1 when at rest, markings 36 arranged on the belt serving as guide points for centering the central vein 35 of the leaf 3.
  • This central locating operation is not particularly critical.
  • the vacuum box 5 By means of the vacuum box 5, an air stream is continuously drawn through the belt 1 and the leaf not yet flattened is retained in correct position by suction.
  • the suction box 17 in station B is in its lowered position, and the throttle valves 10, 20 and 21 have the positions shown in FIG. 4.
  • the throttle valve is thereupon opened and the throttle valves 20 and 21 are closed, whereby a processed leaf is retained by suction on the belt 1 at station B.
  • Shaft 29 is thereafter rotated and the cam 28 rotates in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 4), whereby the lever 23 is turned clockwise and raises the tie rod 22 and thus, the suction box 17 from the belt, e.g. 1 cm.
  • the conventional driving mechanism not shown drives roller 2 and belt I one step forwards, so that the tobacco leaf 3 fed in at station A is advanced below the suction box 17 at station B, whereupon the belt 1 is stopped and the box 17 lowered to the position shown in FIG. 4.
  • the leaf 3 will thereby have the central vein 35 clamped between the rail 8 and the rail 32, the central vein 35 being retained firmly in the clamped position.
  • throttle valves 20 and 21 are opened and throttle valve 10 is closed and the leaf portions on either side of the vein 35 are each exposed to a strong airstream directed outwardly.
  • the two leaf halves are caused to flutter, so that all tuckings and foldings are straightened out and in such a manner that a stretching from the central vein 35 towards the edges is obtained.
  • the automatic control device, not shown, of the apparatus opens the throttle valve 10 during a second time interval the throttle valves 20 and 21 being closed simultaneously therewith or immediately thereafter.
  • the shaft 29 is caused to rotate, and the cycle described earlier for lifting the suction box 17 and feeding a leaf recently put on at the station A into station B is repeated.
  • the stretched leaf 3 at the station B is conveyed while retained by suction on the belt 1 to station C. Due to the fact that the spacing between the grooves increases between stations B and C, the belt 1 will be expanded laterally and, thus, also leaf 3 will be stretched laterally.
  • the station C is utilized only when a very strong stretching of the leaf is required. It is obvious that apparatus can be modified in various manner without departing from the inventive idea.
  • the vacuum box 7 as a source of compressed air in order to treat the underside of the leaf 3 also by means of an airstream.
  • the belt 1 can be provided with fixing members of the clamp type, by means of which one end of the central vein is mechanically secured onto the belt, whereby the marking 36 and in some cases also the vacuum box 5 can be dispensed with.
  • the apparatus may also be driven continuously, in which case a constant spacing always exists between the belt 1 and the suction box 17 in order to allow the leaves to pass through freely.
  • the mechanism for lifting and lowering the suction box to the open position and the position substantially sealing against the belt 1 is not required.
  • stretchable belts it is further possible instead of stretchable belts to use belts of metal or rigid plastic consisting of longitudinally extending discs displaceable transversally in relation to one another.
  • the apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is provided with a deposit table 37 for tobacco leaves, which in the present case are nonstemmed, e.g. retaining their central vein.
  • the table 37 which is intended to render easier correct feeding into the stretching apparatus is formed with a central row of suction holes 38.
  • the table 37 is formed as a suction box and communicates via a conduit 39 with a suction source not shown here.
  • the tobacco leaf 3 is manually deposited on the table 37 with its central vein over the suction holes 38. The leaf is thereby retained in position and conveyed onto a conveyor belt 40.
  • the conveyor belt 40 is laid over two-belt pulleys 41, 43 of which at least one is driven.
  • the belt 40 passes through a groove 44 in a box 45 which supplies compressed air to a blowpipe table 46.
  • the blowpipe table 46 is formed with a central groove into which the upper portion of the conveyor belt 40 is advanced.
  • the upper, supporting surface of the belt 40 is located slightly above the surface of the table 46.
  • Two pressure belts 47, 48 parallel to one another and to the belt 40 cooperate with the upper portion of the belt 40 which is aligned with the row of suction holes 38.
  • the pressure belts are spaced from one another by such a distance and cooperate with the belt 40 in such a manner, that the central vein of a tobacco leaf 3 fed from the table 37 will be situated between the belts 47 and 48 and clamped rigidly against the belt 40.
  • the belts 47, 48 are laid over belt pulleys 49, 50, of which pulley 49 is driven in the direction of the arrow by means of driving members not shown here.
  • a second, upper blowpipe table 51 is disposed parallel to and spaced from the first, lower blowpipe table 46 and connected to an upper box 52 which supplies compressed air.
  • the compressed air is supplied to the lower box 45 through a conduit 53 which is connected to a source for compressed air not shown and preferably controllable so that the quantity of supplied compressed air can be varied.
  • the box 52 for compressed air is connected via a conduit 54 to a source of compressed not shown which may be the same as that for the box 45.
  • control means are disposed between the source for compressed air and the two boxes 45 and 52 such that the quantities of air supplied to each of the boxes can be adjusted independently of one another.
  • Blowing openings 55 are formed in the blowpipe tables 46 and SI at least within the zone which is occupied by an introduced tobacco leaf 2, said blowing openings producing airstreams directed from the central vein of the leaf outwardly towards the edges of the leaf and acting on both the underside and the upper side of the leaf.
  • the openings 55 have the shape of channels directed from the central line of the tables 46, 51, respectively, to the outer edges thereof.
  • a tobacco leaf which has been fed from the table 37 onto the continuously operating conveyors 40 and 47, 48 will thus be introduced between the blowpipe tables 46 and 51 and be exposed to two air streams, one from the blowpipe table 46 acting on the under side of the tobacco leaf and one from the blowpipe table 51 acting on the upper or top side of said leaf.
  • the airstream from the blow pipe table 46 is divided into two partial streams each of which acts from the central vein retained by clamping between the conveyor belts towards the edges of the leaf, and the airstream from the blowpipe table 51 is divided into two similar airstreams.
  • the tobacco leaf 3 is fed continuously through the leaf stretching apparatus and discharged therefrom onto a conveyor consisting of two perforated or air-permeable conveyor belts 56, 57, which are laid over conveyor rollers 42 and 68 of which the roller 68 is driven from a driving device not shown.
  • the conveyor belts 56, 57 form between themselves a gap 58 for the conveyor belts 47, 48 and for stripping knives cooperating with one another for destemming the tobacco leaf, i.e. for cutting away the central vein thereof.
  • a suction box 59 which through a conduit 60 communicates with a suction source not shown cooperates and is situated below the upper portions of the conveyor belts 56, 57.
  • the stripping knives consist of two lower, driven circular knives 61, 62 spaced from one another by a distance approximately corresponding to the breadth of the stem of the tobacco leaf.
  • a driven circular feeder knife 63 is positioned above and cooperates with the circular knives 61, 62. The knives rotate in the shown directions. when the stretched tobacco leaf 3 is discharged from the blowpipe tables 46, 51 by the conveyor belts 40, 47 48 it is fixed by suction in its stretched state onto the conveyor belts 56, 57 which are advanced in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 7 and with the same speed as the belts 40, 47, 48.
  • An apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf including airflow members adapted to expose the leaf fixed on a leaf support to an airstream directed from the central vein of the tobacco leaf towards the edges thereof and suction members for retaining the leaf in expanded condition after the stretching step, comprising: a leaf support having an air-permeable leaf support top surface and a bottom surface, retaining members cooperating with the leaf support to keep a narrow zone of a tobacco leaf in fixed position relative to the leaf support, the airflow members being disposed over said top surface of said leaf support and adapted to create within a first time interval said airstream and a suction device cooperating with the bottom surface of the leaf support to suck within a second time interval air through the leaf support at least within a region corresponding to the size of a tobacco leaf in order to retain by suction the stretched tobacco leaf on said top surface of the leaf support, said second time interval beginning approximately at the termination of the first time interval.
  • the airflow members consist of a box open against said top surface of the leaf support on which box two lateral edges opposed to one another and substantially parallel to said narrow zone are provided with air suction openings communicating during said first time interval with a vacuum source, and in that the lid of the box is provided with air inlet openings located above said narrow zone.
  • the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a first valve means for controlling the suction of air through the leaf support and a second valve means for controlling the airstream in the airflow members.
  • the leaf support consists of an endless, air-permeable driven belt support having s a width of least corresponding to the width of a stretched tobacco leaf.

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  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
US853418A 1968-09-09 1969-08-27 Apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf Expired - Lifetime US3612067A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE12116/68A SE322456B (da) 1968-09-09 1968-09-09
SE14923/68A SE331251B (da) 1968-11-04 1968-11-04

Publications (1)

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US3612067A true US3612067A (en) 1971-10-12

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US853418A Expired - Lifetime US3612067A (en) 1968-09-09 1969-08-27 Apparatus for stretching and smoothing a natural tobacco leaf

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US (1) US3612067A (da)
BE (1) BE738595A (da)
BR (1) BR6912250D0 (da)
DE (2) DE1941006A1 (da)
DK (1) DK123682B (da)
ES (1) ES370862A1 (da)
FR (1) FR2017621A1 (da)
GB (1) GB1239840A (da)
NL (1) NL6913728A (da)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3800807A (en) * 1972-03-10 1974-04-02 Amf Inc Device for stretching a sheet or strip of material
US4273140A (en) * 1978-02-17 1981-06-16 B.V. Arenco P.M.B. Device for spreading individual tobacco leaf halves
EP0040057A1 (en) * 1980-05-12 1981-11-18 Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni A/S A device for spreading whole tobacco leaves
US4363330A (en) * 1978-03-09 1982-12-14 Gulf & Western Corporation Method, system and apparatus for cutting profiles from natural leaves
US20140238106A1 (en) * 2011-10-06 2014-08-28 Hitachi, Ltd. Attached matter testing device and testing method

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3041543A1 (de) * 1980-11-04 1982-06-09 Villiger Söhne AG, Pfeffikon Vorrichtung zum ausbreiten von tabakblaettern
CN109602067B (zh) * 2018-10-11 2020-11-24 芜湖启迪睿视信息技术有限公司 一种可连续工作的烟叶负压分离设备及分离方法
CN109567252B (zh) * 2018-10-11 2020-11-17 芜湖启迪睿视信息技术有限公司 一种烟叶负压分散设备及烟叶分散方法
CN113439868A (zh) * 2020-03-27 2021-09-28 唐山久恒印刷机械有限公司 烟叶分单片输送设备及其系统

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US563656A (en) * 1896-07-07 Tobacco-leaf spreader
US1981470A (en) * 1933-06-23 1934-11-20 Int Cigar Mach Co Tobacco leaf stemming and handling mechanism
US2179644A (en) * 1934-11-23 1939-11-14 American Mach & Foundry Tobacco handling and preparing
US2180368A (en) * 1935-02-27 1939-11-21 Int Cigar Mach Co Leaf opener for tobacco stripping and booking machines
US2212520A (en) * 1936-09-05 1940-08-27 Int Cigar Mach Co Stemmer for tobacco leaves

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US563656A (en) * 1896-07-07 Tobacco-leaf spreader
US1981470A (en) * 1933-06-23 1934-11-20 Int Cigar Mach Co Tobacco leaf stemming and handling mechanism
US2179644A (en) * 1934-11-23 1939-11-14 American Mach & Foundry Tobacco handling and preparing
US2180368A (en) * 1935-02-27 1939-11-21 Int Cigar Mach Co Leaf opener for tobacco stripping and booking machines
US2212520A (en) * 1936-09-05 1940-08-27 Int Cigar Mach Co Stemmer for tobacco leaves

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3800807A (en) * 1972-03-10 1974-04-02 Amf Inc Device for stretching a sheet or strip of material
US4273140A (en) * 1978-02-17 1981-06-16 B.V. Arenco P.M.B. Device for spreading individual tobacco leaf halves
US4363330A (en) * 1978-03-09 1982-12-14 Gulf & Western Corporation Method, system and apparatus for cutting profiles from natural leaves
EP0040057A1 (en) * 1980-05-12 1981-11-18 Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni A/S A device for spreading whole tobacco leaves
US4368744A (en) * 1980-05-12 1983-01-18 Skandinavisk Tobakskompagnie A/S Device for spreading whole tobacco leaves
US20140238106A1 (en) * 2011-10-06 2014-08-28 Hitachi, Ltd. Attached matter testing device and testing method
US9696288B2 (en) * 2011-10-06 2017-07-04 Hitachi, Ltd. Attached matter testing device and testing method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE6931867U (de) 1970-01-02
FR2017621A1 (da) 1970-05-22
DE1941006A1 (de) 1970-03-19
NL6913728A (da) 1970-03-11
GB1239840A (en) 1971-07-21
BR6912250D0 (pt) 1973-02-15
ES370862A1 (es) 1972-01-01
BE738595A (da) 1970-02-16
DK123682B (da) 1972-07-24

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