US3893563A - Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus - Google Patents

Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3893563A
US3893563A US420112A US42011273A US3893563A US 3893563 A US3893563 A US 3893563A US 420112 A US420112 A US 420112A US 42011273 A US42011273 A US 42011273A US 3893563 A US3893563 A US 3893563A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
articles
delivered
conveyor
leaves
rotatable members
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US420112A
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English (en)
Inventor
Jr Charles D Hansen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AMF Inc
Original Assignee
AMF Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by AMF Inc filed Critical AMF Inc
Priority to US420112A priority Critical patent/US3893563A/en
Priority to CA192,233A priority patent/CA987698A/en
Priority to GB801274A priority patent/GB1410572A/en
Priority to FR7407373A priority patent/FR2252973B1/fr
Priority to JP49027796A priority patent/JPS5082299A/ja
Priority to DE2413480A priority patent/DE2413480A1/de
Priority to BR5605/74A priority patent/BR7405605D0/pt
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3893563A publication Critical patent/US3893563A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/16—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles by contact of one face only with moving tapes, bands, or chains
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B3/00—Preparing tobacco in the factory
    • A24B3/16—Classifying or aligning leaves
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/91—Feed hopper
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/919—Rotary feed conveyor

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A hopper with metering rollers provides articles at a predetermined rate which are intercepted by sets of oscillating or agitating rods thereby providing a shower of appropriately distributed articles to a conveyor for delivery.
  • This invention relates generally to the processing of plant leaves and more particularly to apparatus for appropriately spreading a large bulk flow of leaves on a belt type conveyor for grading or sorting.
  • This invention is particularly adapted for use with tobacco leaves and therefore will be described in this environment. While this may be a preferred embodiment, this invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto.
  • Tobacco leaves are harvested at a desired degree of maturity and are subsequently cured, usually with the circulation of air, and/or with applied heat and moisture. This curing process alters the color of the leaves generally from a shade of green to a shade of yellow or light brown, depending on the type of tobacco.
  • the effect of the curing process on a random group of leaves is such that all leaves do not achieve the desired color. Those leaves which do not achieve the desired color are considered selectively objectionable for use in the subsequent manufacture of smoking articles for reasons of appearance or of taste. Therefore, the tobacco leaf processor will norm ally sort the leaves procured from the markets in order to remove the leaves with objectionable color in order that the largest bulk of remaining leaves is of higher quality.
  • the tobacco leaves are conditioned by adding moisture to make them suitably pliable and resistant to breakage from mechanical handling and are then conveyed to a flow splitting device to separate the total flow into lesser rates of flow to permit searching for quality.
  • a flow splitting device to separate the total flow into lesser rates of flow to permit searching for quality.
  • the reduced flow was diverted to a conveyor belt which conveyed the flow of tobacco leaves at a suitable speed and height past human sorting personnel who visually observed the leaves and manually picked objectionable leaves and foreign matter out of the flow. It can be seen that this method of sorting entails a considerable amount of hand labor which is not only slow and expensive, but is somewhat inaccurate and unreliable.
  • Present grading units are provided with multiple scanning means disposed in spaced series laterally relative to the direction of flow of tobacco leaves to be graded. Therefore, leaves provided to the belt type conveyor must be adequately spread laterally to provide each of the scanning means with a substantially continuous stream of leaves.
  • the rate of flow of leaves to the belt type conveyor must be properly related to the speed of the conveyor so that leaves to be graded are not covered by others.
  • the distribution means for proper delivery of leaves should break up pads and clumps cause by the leaves tending to adhere to one another. Accordingly, the distributing means for efficient operation of the grading unit should provide a distributed blanket of leaves which preferably covers the conveyor with substantially all of the leaves thereof exposed to one of the scanning means.
  • Tobacco is grown in many different areas, and in several varieties.
  • the leaves of a particular variety grown in a particular area while generally graded at the time of harvest according to relative location on the stalk of a plant, frequently require additional grading for color quality of the leaf.
  • Variables, in the crop as well as the quality specified by the manufacturer eventually manufacturing the intended smoking article determine the degree of perfection required in the sorting function in the leaf processing plant.
  • the density of the leaves on the belt type conveyor can vary according to the type of leaves being graded and the quality of the leaves desired. It should be realized that the desired speed of the belt type conveyor will vary depending upon the physical characteristics of the particular leaves being graded to prevent leaves from flying.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a belt type conveyor with a well distributed blanket of leaves which are disposed at random on the belt with a minimal amount of overlap.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide leaf feeding and distributing means for the foregoing which inlcudes positive feeding means which can be varied or adjusted to deliver leaves at a predetermined desired rate determined by the characteristics of the leaves being delivered and/or the speed of the conveyor.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the leaf feeding and distributing means with a mechanism for separating leaves received from the feeding means and showering the separated leaves on to the conveyor; the mechanism distributing the leaves laterally relative to the conveyor and the conveyor moving under the leaf feeding and distributing means causing longitudinal distribution of the leaves.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the distribution and conveyor means of FIG. 1 with portions thereof broken away to more clearly illustrate internal operating parts of such apparatus;
  • FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 2.
  • an infeed conveyor C provides a bulk flow of tobacco leaves to a hopper 12 at the upper end of the novel leaf feeding and distributing means 10.
  • the infeed conveyor C which forms no part of the present invention, is provided with the usual gate or diverting means for controlling the flow of tobacco leaves in the normal manner to the hopper 12 in response to signals from well known sensing means (not shown) to maintain a substantially full supply of leaves in the hopper.
  • the tobacco leaves are fed from or metered out of the hopper 12 at a predetermined rate to a distribution chamber 24 where the leaves are separated from each other and shower down on to a belt type conveyor 56 forming a well spread or distributed blanket of leaves, as will be further discussed in greater detail.
  • the belt type conveyor 56 mounted on spaced rollers 52 and 54 in a base frame 50 on which the leaf feeding and distributing means or tower is supported, is driven by a variable speed motor (not shown) at a predetermined speed to propel the tobacco leaves in a ballistic path initially in substantially a horizontal plane.
  • the belt type conveyor 56 is relatively of a high speed type conveyor and a vacuum or suction box arrangement 58 may be required to prevent tobacco leaves from prematurely flying off the conveyor.
  • a background plate 62 is mounted on the front of the frame 50 beneath the ballistic path and an optical/electronic unit 60 is also mounted on the front of the frame 50 above the ballistic path.
  • the background plate 62 which extends at least the full width of the belt type conveyor 56, establishes at least a single color criterian for the leaves and is disposed in very close proximity to the path of the leaves to obviate undue errors from shadows, optical range variations and the like.
  • the optical/electronic unit 60 may be of any suitable type such as shown, described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 277,499 filed Aug. 3, 1972 as a continuation of now abandoned application Ser. No. 145,444, which examines or senses the color of each leaf as it passes over the background plate 62 and compares the sensed color to the established color criterian or criteria.
  • a reject unit 64 is mounted on the ballistic path and is operable by the optical/electronic unit 60 to divert leaves found thereby to be not in conformance with the established color criteria to a secondary collection area (not shown) while leaves of acceptable color continue along the ballistic path to a primary collection area (not shown).
  • the optical/electronic unit 60 is provided with a plurality of optical barrels which scan overlapping adjacent areas of the background plate 62. Therefore, the tobacco leaves being showered on to the conveyor 56 do not have to form aligned rows on the conveyor. In stead, the tobacco leaves should be suitably spaced or distributed in a random pattern.
  • the reject unit 64 is provided with a plurality of jets connected through valves to a source of compressed air, at least one jet being provided for each scanning barrel of the optical/electronic unit 60.
  • the optical/electronic unit 60 When a tobacco leaf found not in conformance within the established color criterian or criteria passes through the area scanned by a particular barrel, the optical/electronic unit 60 provides a signal to open a valve and the corresponding jet will provide a puff of air to blow the unacceptable leaf out of its ballistic path.
  • the novel leaf feeding and distributing means in the form of a tower 10 is provided with a rear wall and side walls, as shown.
  • the hopper 12 at the upper end of the tower 10 is provided with a from wall 14 while the bottom is formed by a pair of roller 16 and 18 supported at their ends by the usual bearinr means connected to the tower side walls.
  • the rear roller 16 is rotatable on a fixed axis and is disposed adjacent the rear wall of the hopper 12.
  • the front roller 18 is rotatable on an adjustable or positionable axis so the roller 18 can be moved toward and away from the roller 16 to vary the spacing therebetween.
  • the front wall 14 of the hopper 12 is movable toward and away from the rear wall so that it always can be positioned adjacent the front roller 18.
  • a motor 20, preferably variable speed rotates the rollers l6 and 18 oppositely to one another through conventional drive means 22 such as a pulley and cable arrangement as shown.
  • the rollers 16 and 18, which are preferably provided with sets of lug bars as shown or other well known surface deformations, form positive leaf feeding or metering means for providing an appro priate amount of well distributed tobacco leaves to belt type conveyor 56 which will neither overload nor starve the optical/electronic unit for maximum leaf grading efficiency.
  • the amount of tobacco leaves fed from the hopper 12 to the distribution chamber 24 can be varied by varying the speed of the rollers 16 and 18, by varying the spacing between the rollers or a combination of both.
  • the speed of the rollers 16 and 18 can be ad' justed relative to the speed of the belt type conveyor 56.
  • the space between the rollers 16 and 18 must be sufficiently large to pass the desired amount of leaves therethrough, and to pass pads and/or clumps without undue destruction to the leaves.
  • Three horizontal bars 26, 28 and 32 are slidably mounted in tracks or bearings at the rear wall of the distribution chamber 24 in vertically spaced relation to one another.
  • a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical tie bars 38 suitably connect the horizontal bars 26, 28 and 30 together to form a frame.
  • a motor 40 preferably variable speed, causes the frame formed by the bars 26, 28, 32 and 38 to oscillate laterally by substantially conventional drive means which includes stroke adjustment means such as an adjustable cam or eccentric mechanism 42, as shown.
  • the upper two bars 26 and 28 are each provided with an equally spaced series of parallel rods 30 which extend toward the front of the chamber 24.
  • the lowest bar 32 is provided with an equally spaced series of alternate rods 34 and 36; rods 34 being longer than rods 30 and rods 36 being shorter than rods 30.
  • the two series of rods 30 are equal in number which are set directly above and below one another while the series of rods 34 and 36 is greater in number than either series of rods 30. It has been found that offsetting the rods 30, 34 and 36 approximately 5 from the horizontal, so the free front ends of the rods are lower than the rear ends fixed to the bars 26, 28 and 30, will prevent leaves from hanging up and finally after sufficient build-up causing a jam or blockage in the distribution chamber 24.
  • a pair of leaf spring assemblies 44 are connected between the sides of the formed oscillating frame and the sides of the tower 10 to absorb enertial forces and re duee vibration caused by the oscillating frame.
  • rollers 16 and 18, which are adjustably spaced and have a vari able speed drive, form a positive leaf metering or feed means which has no deleterious effects on the tobacco leaves and has an adjustable speed to be set relative to the speed of the belt type conveyor 56 for providing an appropriate amount of tobacco leaves to form a blanket of well separated leaves on the conveyor for grad- Longitudinal separation of tobacco leaves on the belt type conveyor 56 results from the forward movement of the top run of the conveyor beneath the tower 10.
  • the tobacco leaves being fed from the hopper 12 to the distribution chamber 24 are impacted by the laterally oscillating rods 30, 34 and 36 which tend to separate leaves which may be in pads or clumps and provide desired lateral leaf separation or distribution as they shower down on to the belt type conveyor 56.
  • the rods 30, 34 and 36 together with the formed oscillating frame and the drive means therefor provide a multistage impact type leaf separating and distributing mechanism.
  • a relative small amount, approximately of the total amount of the tobacco leaves delivered by the infeed conveyor C to the hopper 12 were in pads or clumps of moderate size.
  • the rods 30, 34 and 36 laterally oscillated at the rate of 350 cycles per minute with a stroke of 2 inches to break up pads or clumps and to laterally separate the tobacco leaves being showered down on to the belt type conveyor 56.
  • Apparatus for delivering distributed articles comprising:
  • first means for positively metering at a predetermined rate articles to be delivered first means for positively metering at a predetermined rate articles to be delivered.
  • a hopper for receiving a supply of articles to be delivered and a pair of laterally spaced apart rotatable members forming the bottom of said hopper providing said first means;
  • said rotatable members being rotated in directions each opposite to the other on substantially parallel axes disposed transverse to the path along which the articles are delivered, and
  • second means being disposed substantially horizontally for receiving metered articles and oscillating for distributing such articles in a lateral direction relative to the predetermined path along which said articles are delivered,
  • said second means showering such articles on to said conveyor so that the relative movement of said conveyor distributes the showered articles on said conveyor in a longitudinal direction relative to the predetermined path along which such articles are delivered.
  • Apparatus for delivering distributed articles comprising:
  • second means for receiving metered articles and for distributing such articles in a lateral direction relative to the predetermined path along which said articles are delivered and showering such articles on to said conveyor so that the relative movement of said conveyor distributes the showered articles on said conveyor in a longitudinal direction relative to the predetermined path along which such articles are delivered,
  • said second means comprising bar means oscillating laterally relative to the predetermined path along which the articles are delivered, and
  • said rods being moved laterally by said oscillating bar means for engaging and distributing the metered articles.
  • rods being disposed in a plurality of spaced series, each series being spaced vertically from the others.
  • a hopper for receiving a supply of articles to be delivered
  • said rotatable members being rotated in directions each opposite to the other on substantially parallel axes disposed transverse to the path along which the articles are delivered.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
  • Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)
US420112A 1973-11-29 1973-11-29 Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3893563A (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US420112A US3893563A (en) 1973-11-29 1973-11-29 Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus
CA192,233A CA987698A (en) 1973-11-29 1974-02-11 Tobacco leaf handling
GB801274A GB1410572A (en) 1973-11-29 1974-02-21 Tobacco leaf handling
FR7407373A FR2252973B1 (OSRAM) 1973-11-29 1974-03-05
JP49027796A JPS5082299A (OSRAM) 1973-11-29 1974-03-12
DE2413480A DE2413480A1 (de) 1973-11-29 1974-03-20 Vorrichtung zum foerdern von streubarem material, insbesondere von tabakblaettern
BR5605/74A BR7405605D0 (pt) 1973-11-29 1974-07-08 Aparelho para dispensar artigos distribuidos

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US420112A US3893563A (en) 1973-11-29 1973-11-29 Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3893563A true US3893563A (en) 1975-07-08

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ID=23665126

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US420112A Expired - Lifetime US3893563A (en) 1973-11-29 1973-11-29 Tobacco leaf handling and distributing apparatus

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3893563A (OSRAM)
JP (1) JPS5082299A (OSRAM)
BR (1) BR7405605D0 (OSRAM)
CA (1) CA987698A (OSRAM)
DE (1) DE2413480A1 (OSRAM)
FR (1) FR2252973B1 (OSRAM)
GB (1) GB1410572A (OSRAM)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4056463A (en) * 1976-08-19 1977-11-01 Amf Incorporated Tobacco/paper sorter method and apparatus
WO2006120370A1 (en) * 2005-05-12 2006-11-16 Garbuio Ltd Tobacco feed apparatus
US20120192766A1 (en) * 2009-08-06 2012-08-02 Francesco Ferraiolo System and method for metering and adding fibres to a cement matrix
CN112058697A (zh) * 2020-08-21 2020-12-11 农芯(南京)智慧农业研究院有限公司 一种可差速分离叶类农产品的全程吸附型分拣设备

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2006198331A (ja) * 2005-01-24 2006-08-03 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd 郵便受函

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US37147A (en) * 1862-12-16 Improvement in cider-mills
US734631A (en) * 1902-05-23 1903-07-28 Riley Asbury Stubbs Feeding device for bolting or other machines.
US1469635A (en) * 1922-06-23 1923-10-02 Wright S Automatic Tobacco Pac Tobacco-measuring machine
US2674396A (en) * 1949-12-17 1954-04-06 St Regis Paper Co Deaerating device for pulverulent material
US3284140A (en) * 1963-12-21 1966-11-08 Neu Ets Separating-distributing device for textile fibers
US3497113A (en) * 1967-12-22 1970-02-24 United States Steel Corp Distributor for falling granular material

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US37147A (en) * 1862-12-16 Improvement in cider-mills
US734631A (en) * 1902-05-23 1903-07-28 Riley Asbury Stubbs Feeding device for bolting or other machines.
US1469635A (en) * 1922-06-23 1923-10-02 Wright S Automatic Tobacco Pac Tobacco-measuring machine
US2674396A (en) * 1949-12-17 1954-04-06 St Regis Paper Co Deaerating device for pulverulent material
US3284140A (en) * 1963-12-21 1966-11-08 Neu Ets Separating-distributing device for textile fibers
US3497113A (en) * 1967-12-22 1970-02-24 United States Steel Corp Distributor for falling granular material

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4056463A (en) * 1976-08-19 1977-11-01 Amf Incorporated Tobacco/paper sorter method and apparatus
DE2737512A1 (de) * 1976-08-19 1978-02-23 Amf Inc Verfahren und vorrichtung zum aussondern von papierteilchen aus schnittabak
WO2006120370A1 (en) * 2005-05-12 2006-11-16 Garbuio Ltd Tobacco feed apparatus
US20120192766A1 (en) * 2009-08-06 2012-08-02 Francesco Ferraiolo System and method for metering and adding fibres to a cement matrix
CN112058697A (zh) * 2020-08-21 2020-12-11 农芯(南京)智慧农业研究院有限公司 一种可差速分离叶类农产品的全程吸附型分拣设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA987698A (en) 1976-04-20
JPS5082299A (OSRAM) 1975-07-03
FR2252973B1 (OSRAM) 1977-09-23
BR7405605D0 (pt) 1975-08-26
DE2413480A1 (de) 1975-06-05
FR2252973A1 (OSRAM) 1975-06-27
GB1410572A (en) 1975-10-22

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