US531259A - The norhis peters - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 'l s sheetssheet 1. vJ. E. BUCKLIN.

TOABACO DRESSING AND PEEDING MACHINE. v l\0.5311,259. Patented Dec. 18,1894.

(No Model.) ssheenssneet 2.

' J. E. BUCKLIN. TOBAGO@ DRESSING lAND BEBDING MACHINE.

No. 531,259. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

(No Model.) s sheets-sheet s.

JQE. BUGKLIN. TOBACCO'DRBSSING AND PEB'DING MACHINE.l No, 531,259. Patented Deou 18,1894.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets- Sheet 4.

, lJ.'I|3. BUCKLIN. 1 '1101311000 DRESSING AND PERDING MACHINE.

No. 531,259. Patented Deo. 18, 1894.

Tm: Norms mns no.. movou'mo.. wAsmNmon u c u 8 'Sheets-Sheet 5..

(No Model.) i J. E. BUCKLIN.

` TOBACCO DRESSING AND FBBDING-MAGHINB; N0.1531,Z59.

Patented Deo. 18, 1894'.

(NoModel.) v* i i SSheets-Sheet 6.

J. E. BUGKL-IN.

TOBAGGO DRESSING AND PEEDING MACHINE.

'NN0. 531,259; Patented Dem-18, 1894.

J. E. BUGKLlfN. '1301311000 YDRESSING AND PBEDING MACHINE.

No. 531,259.i l Patented Deo. 18,1894.

UNITED STATES JOHN E. BUOKLIN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

vTOBACCO DRI-:sslN'o AND FEDING' MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No.y 531,259, dated December 18, 1894.

Application nea september 16,1893, 'sens No. 485,708. aromas.)

. and I do hereby declare the following to be a central vertical section of the same.

is an enlarged vertical section of the central` Fig. 5 is an enlarged located therein.

full, clear, and exact description of the inven# tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to devices for automatically\presenting tobacco to the;cigV

arette forming devices of cigarette machines and consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts forming an improved tobacco dresser and feeder.

The best form in which I have contemplated embodying Vmy invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and the invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure lis a right side view of my improved device. Fig.`

2 is a left side view of the'same. Fig. 3 isa Fig. 4

portion ofthe machine. view of the tobacco receiving hopper and its adjunctive mechanism.'` Fig. 6 is atop plan view of the central portion of the machine. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section through the delivery passage of the machine. Fig. 8 y

is a top planview of the tobacco receiving hopper and the tobacco separating devices Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged vertical sectional views of the tobacco hoppershowing the separating devices. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional-view' of, said separating devices, and Fig. l12 is an enlarged view show ing the parts of said devices indetail.

Much difficulty is experienced in the mechanical feeding of tobacco in cigarette and like machines as the tobacco is liable to be hunched and impacted together causing clogging Of the feeding devices and imperfect and uneven feed and resulting in a loss by reason of imperfect articles of the class manufactured.

The object of my invention Visto provide a machine for feeding tobacco that will have little or no liability to clog and which will be able to feed thetohacco in a layer of substantially uniform volume. To do this I employ a series ofk three groups of devices, one of whichI term the separating devices and which is firstv to act on the tobacco. The next I denominatethe feeding devices, which receive the tobacco from the separating devices, and the third group I term the delivery devices and which condense the tobacco into a layer of the size and thickness desired and dis-- charge the same from the machine.

` The different groups of devices Will be par- ,Vticularly described in the order in which they are here named.

A represents the frame work of the machine which is constructed so as to receive and support the various parts of' the mechanism.

to force the tobacco depositedin the .hopper toward the front of the same and into engagement with the separating devices.

In the front part of the hopper adjacent 'to the front end of theconveyer b is a picker C 5 consisting in this instance of a roller provided .with straight or curved spikes or teethfor separating the tobacco as it passes from the conveyer b. This picker is rotated'in such a manner that its teeth pass in an upward direcftionl when they engage the tobacco and carry l.direction as the picker teeth but at a greater speed thereby brushing and cleaning all of ICO which is rigidly secured to a rock shaft d and is mounted in the sides of the hopper, and said comb is provided with teeth d whichlie between adjacent rows of the picker teeth. The rock shaft cl is provided with an arm d2 outside the hopper and said arm is provided with adjusting devices consisting in this instance of a link d3, see Fig. l, pivoted to the arm Pand having aslot engaging a stationary pin on the side of the hopper which is provided with a screw threaded adjusting nut, d4. By this means the position of the comb D can be varied so as to allow the teeth of the picker to project a greater or less amount beyond said comb and take up a greater or less amount of tobacco, as will be readily understood. The comb D also assists the picker teeth in separating the tobacco and preventing the passage of bunches or masses of tobacco from the picker.

In order to prevent the tobacco from becoming packed at` the bottom of the hopper, as it otherwise would, I provide a stirrer B2 for agtating the tobacco in the hopper and holding the bulk of it back from the separating devices, allowing only a comparatively small quantity to fall upon the conveyer b at a time, and I also provide a rake for positively feeding the tobacco on the forward end of the conveyer b up to the picker teeth. These devices are shown best in Figs. 5, 8, 9, l0, 11 and l2. The stirrer B2 is of the form of a multi-tined fork and consists of a series of teeth on the lower end of a vertically disposed rod b2 pivoted at its upper end to a horizontal link b3 which is pivoted at b4 to a stationary part connected with the hopper. The vertical rod b2 connected to the fork stirrer is provided intermediate its ends with an eccentric strap h5 which engages an eccentric b on a cross shaft B3 mounted in bearings at the upper part of the hopper and operated to imparta backward raking movement to the stirrer B2. The teeth of the stirrer are inclined forward slightly so as to engage the tobacco adjacent te the front end of the belt or cenveyer b and draw it backward, allowing only a certain part of the tobacco to remain upon the conveyer and be carried to the picker.

Forward of the stirrerB2 is apair of guides or waysfpivoted to the sides of the hopper atf and adapted to receive and guide the vertically moving feeding rake F which is provided with a series of depending teeth, f2. See Figs. 5, 1l and l2.

To the feeding rake F is secured a pair of arms f3 which extend upward and are con nected with eccentric straps ftengaging eccentrics f5 on the cross shaft B3 as shown. See particularly Figs. 5, 9 and IO. It will thus be seen that the eccentrics will impart to the rake F an upward and downward movement in the gudesf and that the said guides will also oscillate upon their pivots f thus imparting a forward feeding movement to the rake causing the points of its teeth to move in an ellipse, as will be readily understood,

and enabling the rake teeth to positively feed the tobacco up to the teeth of the picker C. I also provide means for regulating the action of the feeding rake F and to this end I provide a plate F see Figs. 11 and 12, which engages the rear face of the rake F and is connected thereto by a pin f6 engaging a slot f7 in the plate F', said pin having a head on the outside of said plate.

The lower end of the plate F is provided with a forwardly extending flange f8 which carries a series of tubular guides fg and the teeth f2 of the rake F extends through said tubular guides f 9 and the flange f8 as clearly shown in Fig. 1l. The upper end of the plate F is provided with an extensionf10 having an aperture therein which is engaged by a rigid arm (Z5 secured tothe rock shaft d of the comb D and projecting rearwardly. It will thus bo seen, by reference to Fig. Il, that when the rock shaft d is adjusted to vary the position of the comb D, the rigid arm d5 will cause an upward or downward movement of the plate F carrying the tubular guides f and adjust said plate and guides with respect to the rake F, thus exposing a greater or less amount of the rake teeth f2. The tubular guides f also assistin the clearing or stripping of the teeth f2 of the rake.

The feeding devices of the machine are as follows: Below the picker C and clearing brush E is located an inclined board or chute e which guides the tobacco dropping upon it from the picker, to a pair of feeding and macerating rolls G G which feed it forward to a beater I-I located just in advance of the feed rolls. The beater II consists of a roller provided on its periphery with a series oli' projections or teeth 71. which loosen n p the tobacco still more and feed it downward along an inclined chute or slide 7i' supported from the sides of the machine frame. Adjacent to its lower end this chute or slide 7L' is slightly concave or trough shaped and above it is a pneumatic feeding cylinder or roller K which has its periphery provided at intervals alternately with transverse brushes 7c and transverse fan blades k capable of producing a current of air, when the cylinder or roller is rapidly rotated, which assists the forward feeding movement of the tobacco which has been thoroughly loosened by the separating devices and the beater H.

I denominate the cylinder or roller K a pneumatic feeding roller as the tobacco passes between the roller and the bottom of the chute 7L and is fed forward positively by direct contact with the roller. At the same time it creates a blast and assists the further forward movement of the tobacco after it has left the roller.

The beater II and the pneumatic feeding cylinder K are covered in by a portion A of the frame or casing which I prefer to make removable so that the parts can be'readily inspected when desired.

Immediately in front of the lower end of TIO izr'

ber into'a stream or ribbon which passes out through the delivery passage M.

Beneath the condensing chamber L is a large pulley Z, engaged by a conveyer belt m passing around said pulley through the lower part of the delivery passage M around a pulley mx at the front end of the same and rearward over'suitable idle pulleys m 'm' to the pulley Z, one of said idle pulleys being preferably provided With a belt tightening device as indicated at fm2 provided with a Weight to maintain the desired tension of the said belt. The belt m forms the bottomeof the condensing chamber L for a greater portion of its length,the lower wall of said chamber being cut away as indicated at Z for this purpose. At each end of the delivery passage M above the same is a roller m3 carrying a horizontal conveyer belt m4 which passes along the upper part of the delivery passage M above and at a uniform distance from the lower belt m. It will thus be seen that the tobacco after it has been condensed in the condensing chamber L will be passed out through the delivery passage M by the upper and lower conveying belts m4 m, the adjacent portions of which will be caused to travel in the same direction and at the same rate of speed. From the delivery passage M the tobacco will pass in a uniform compact sheet or ribbon to the cigarette forming devices of a cigarette machine and it will be observed that while the greater portion of the air forced into the condensin g chamber will escape through the apertures in the top wall of said chamber, the influence of the current of air will be felt throughout the length of the delivery passage and will assist in the uniform delivery of the tobacco therefrom.

I prefer to provide the side walls of the delivery passage with glass plates M as indi- ,cated in the drawings so that the thickness and compactness of the sheet or` stream of tobacco passing through the same may be seen from the outside of the machine, thus` enabling the operator to adjust the tobacco separating devices kso that they will furnish a greater or less amount of tobacco to the feeding and delivery devices of the machine.

Itis desirable to provide the upper feeding roll G with a tension device to h`old it yieldingly in close proximity to the lower roll and for this purpose I prefer to employthe construction shown inthe drawings. See Figs. 1 and 3. A pair of levers g g is pivoted to the casing and engage the bearing to the upper feed roll. Springs g are secured to the levers g g and to a stationary part of the frame in such a manner as to exert a constant pressure upon the upper roll and upon any tobacco passing between the rollsG G.

N represents the driving shaft of the maf chine provided with a driving pulley N to which power may be applie'd in any desired way. From this driving shaft N power is transmitted to the various working parts of the device in such a manner as to give each the required movement in the desired direction. In the drawings I have illustrated the /operative connections of the various parts with the driving shaft and I have indicated the direction of rotation of the various parts by arrows.

The operation of the device is `as follows:

The tobacco to be treated is deposited inthe hopper-B and falls upon the endless conveyer 'b located in the bottom thereof. The stirrer l52 will constantly operate to draw back the tobacco from the forward end of the hopper and allow only a small portion of it to remain upon the belt by which it is carried forward 1 into engagement with the feeding rake F which 'positively feeds it up to theipicker C. The teeth of the picker Creceive the tobacco from the conveyer b and carry it through the teeth of the comb D up and over the picker to the clearing brush E which brushes it from the teeth of the picker and deposits it in a loose and lightened condition upon the inclined chute e which conveys it tothe feeding rolls G G. The group of devices which act upon the tobacco until it passes from the clearingY brush E I term the tobacco separating devices The tobacco next passes to the group of devices which I term the feeding devices. Passing through the feeding and mac- IOO erating rolls G G itis delivered t0 the beater v the inclined chute hto the pneumatic feed' ing rollK bywhich it is'delivered with a volume of air to the next group of devices which I term the delivery devices. Fromthe pneumatic feeding roller K the tobacco is delivered to the condensing chamber 'L where it is gradually compressed and condensed by the expulsion of the air through the series of apertures in the upper walls of the chamber and by the tapering form of said condensing chamberand it is then carried by the conveyer belts fm mtthrough the delivery passage M.

As before stated the tobacco separating devices can'be adjusted in such a manner that the picker will take up a greater orles's amount of tobacco in a given time and in this way the stream or ribbon of tobacco may be delivered in a more or less thick and compact condition.

What-I claim, and desire to secure by Let` ters Patent, is-

1.. The hereiny described tobacco dresser and feeder, comprising among its members a-pneumatic feeding roller, substantially as described.V

2. The herein described combination with devices for separating and lightening the tobacco of a pneumatic feeding roller, substantially as described.

3. The herein described tobacco separating devices comprising a movable rake, and a stirrer cooperating therewith to divide olf a part of the tobacco and move it forward.

4. In a tobacco dresser,a hopper provided with tobacco feeding devices consisting of a movable rake for moving a portion of the tobacco toward the delivery side of the hopper and a fork stirrer cooperating therewith, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the pneumatic feeding roller, of the condensing chamber and the delivery passage, substantially as described.

6. The combination with thepneumatic feeding roller, of the delivery passage and condensing chamber one of the walls of the two latter devices being provided with an air outlet, substantially as described.

7. The combination with devices for separating and lightening the tobacco, of the pneumatic feeding roller, the delivery passage and condensing chamber, substantially as described.

8. A tobacco dresser provided with tobacco separating devices, a picker, a conveyor and a feeding rake movable upon and longitudinally of the conveyer, substantially as described.

S). In a tobacco dressing and feeding mechanism, the combination with a hopper, of an endless conveyer located at the bottom thereof, a feeding rake having a downward movement upon the conveyer, a forward movement upon said con veyer and then a backward and upward movement, and astirrer cooperating with said rake to separate the tobacco in the hopper, and actuating devices substantially as described.

10. In a tobacco dressing and feeding device the combination with a hopper, of an endless conveyor in the bottom of the same and tobacco separating devices consisting of a rake moving toward the delivery side of the hopper and a stirrer moving in the opposite direction,and actuating devices substantially as described.

11. A tobacco dresser provided with tobacco separating devices consisting of the picker, the movable feeding rake for feeding the tobacco toward said picker and the stirrer for forcing portions of the tobacco away from said picker and the endless carrier for conveying tobacco from said stirrer to the picker, substantially as described.

12. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the pneumatic feeding roller, of the condensing chamber having tapering walls and an air outlet other than the discharge passage, substantially as described.

13. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the pneumatic feeding roller, of the condensing chamber provided with tapering walls, one of said walls being perforated to allow the escape of air, substantially as described.

14. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the pneumatic feeding roller, of the condensing chamber provided with tapering walls, a deliverypassage communicating with said condensing chamber and a conveyor forming a portion of the walls of the condensing chamber and delivery passage, substantially as described.

15. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the picker, of the adjustable comb, and the conveyer, the feeding rake movable upon and longitudinally of said conveyer and adjusting devices for said rake, substantially as described.

16. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the picker, of the comb and the feeding rake, adjusting devices for said comb and adjusting mechanism for said rake connected with said comb adjusting mechanism, substantially as described.

17. In a tobacco dresser the combination with the hopper, of the conveyer, the pivoted guides, and the rake moving in said guides, and the adjustable plate provided with a stripper flange, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. BUCKLIN.

Witnesses:

E. P. BURKET, GEO. A. SMALL.

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