US973228A

US973228A - Tobacco-cleaning machine.

Info

Publication number: US973228A
Application number: US52971309A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Moses Spierer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-11-24
Filing date: 1909-11-24
Publication date: 1910-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1927-10-18

Description

G. M. SPIERER.

TOBACCO CLEANING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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0. M. SPIEBER. TOBAGGO CLEANING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1909.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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C M SPIERER Tomaso CLEANING MAGHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909. Y

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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' WITNESSES v QMQRMM CHARLES MOSES SPIERER, OF CAIRO, EGYPT.

TOBACCO-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 18, 1910.

Application filed November 24, 1909. Serial N 0. 529,713.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CHARLES M. SPIERER, a citizen of Switzerland, and a resident of Cairo, Egypt, have invented a new and Improved Tobacco-Cleaning Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a machine whereby the surface dust may be positively removed from tobacco leaves; to provide a structure wherein the leaves are held in position while being forcibly brushed; to provide means whereby the dust or dirt as removed from the surface of the leaf is carried away or received in a receptacle; and to provide a construction which is simple, durable, efiicient and easy to repair.

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section, of a machine constructed in conformity with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, partly in section, with the top of the dust casing removed; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the construction of the carrier drums; Fig. 4 is a detail view in section, of the dusting brushes, carrier belts and drums, and side wall of the dust receptacle; Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation, of the means employed for supporting the bearings of the dusting rolls; and Fig. 6 is a detail plan, partly in section, of the securing plates for mounting the bearings of the dusting rolls.

The particular use to which the present invention is applied is for the removal of contamination or dust from tobacco leaves.

During the various steps of manipulation the leaves of tobacco are exposed in the presence of dust under conditions wherein the dust is deposited and adheres to the leaves. Also the leaves are exposed to contamination from insects, as well as personal contact with the operatives. And further, the leaves offer peculiar desirability for the deposit of certain forms of eggs of insects, which lie dormant until conditions becoming favorable the larvae germinate, destroying the commercial value of the article manufactured from the tobacco.

tamination becomes the principal object of the present invention.

With the various objects above stated in view the drums 7, 7 and S, 8 are joined by a continuous belt, which is formed of a plurality of strands or strings which are sup ported centrally to permit the passage of I air through them, and also the contact of the fibers of brushing rolls. In the preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I construct the belt from

endless strings

9, 9 and 10, 10. To receive and guide the wrappings of the said strings the drums 7 and 8, are provided with a series of

parallel grooves

11, 11. The separation of the

grooves

11, 11 form the spaces between the various stretches of the

strings

9, 9 and 10, 10, these spaces being wide or narrow as the ends of the tobacco being handled admit. The drums 7, 7 are mounted upon

horizontal framing beams

12, 12 in suitable bearings formed in

standards

13, 13. The

framing beams

12, 12 are supported on uprights 1%, 14 upon which are suspended the drums 8, 8, which are mounted in suitable bearings in

brackets

15, 15. The drums 7, 7 are disposed much closer to each other than are the drums 8, 8. Further, the disposition of the drums 7, 7 is intermediate or between the drums 8, 8. With this position of the two pairs of drums 7 7 and 8, 8 the bottoms of the

grooves

11, 11 formed in each pair aline, or the grooves of the pairs pass, those of the pair 7, 7 extending past the line between the bottoms of the grooves in the pair 8, 8. By this means, when the

strings

9, 9 and 10, 10 are reeved upon the drums 7, 7 and 8, 8 they are, within the space between the drums 7, 7, brought together with greater or less tension, as the case may be. At one end of the frame constituted by the

beams

12, 12 and uprights 14, 14]; the under roller of the pair 8, 8 is removed from the under roller of the pair 7, 7, forming thereby an exposed section of the belt formed by the

strings

10, 10 which constitutes a feeding table for receiving the leaves of tobacco. The

strings

9, 9 and 10, 10 are reeved upon the drums 7, 7 and 8, 8 in a manner similar to that employed in certain forms of rope transmission devices. That is,the string is passed from the groove in the near drum over a corresponding groove in the far drum, to be returned through and in the same to the first drum and there extended To remove the above stated dust and conaround a groove succeeding the groove just previously occupied. This arrangement fills successive grooves on one of the drums and necessitates a transfer device whereby the string returning from the far drum and out of the last groove therein is returned across the drumsto the first groove of the so-called near drunr' In this case, this is accomplished by means of guide pulleys 16, 16. It is also desired to maintain a constant stretch or pull on the various strings forming the belt between the different pairs of drums, and for this purpose, the strings being crossed on the drums, as just above described, they are passed under a suspension pulley 17 upon which is mounted a tension weight 18. The weight 18 may be varied to suit any desired condition of tautness desired to be exerted upon the

strings

9 and 10 of the belt.

Interposed between the drums 7, 7 and 8, 8 is a chamber 19. This chamber is formed of any suitable material and is provided with slot-s 20, 20 and passages centrally located and closed by

gates

21, 21. These slots and passages are intended to pass the

strings

9 and 10 of the belt in their single and double arrangement. At the upper end of the chamber 19 and extended therefrom is an air duct 22 which is suitably connected with an aspirator or air suction system. The lower end of the chamber 19 is given a conical form, in the lower portion of which is an aperture closed by a gate 23. The conical lower portion of the chamber 19 is adapted to receive and hold until extracted therefrom the detritus removed from the tobacco leaves which is too heavy to be lifted by the draft of air passing through the duct 22.

Extending across the combined

belts

9, 9 and 10, 10 are

dusting rolls

24, 24 and 25, 25, the former two being disposed above the belts while the latter two are disposed below the belts. These rolls are mounted in

bearings

26, 26 which are adjustably mounted upon screw threaded

standards

27, 27. The

standards

27, 27 are suitably provided with

hand wheels

28, 28 and are mounted in screw thread engagement with

plates

29, 29 bolted to the

beams

12, 12 by means of

lag bolts

30, 30. Each standard 27 is provided with a

lock nut

31, 31 which is set hard down on the plate 29 after the standard is adjusted to raise or lower the bearing 26, as desired. By the mounting of the

rolls

24, 24 and 25, 25 such as just above described, it will be seen that the approximation of the said rolls .may be varied to impart to the brushing action a greater or less pressure on the bristles.

Any suitable driving mechanism may be employed for rotating the drums 7, 7 and 8, 8 and the dusting rolls 24, 24 and 25, 25. The various shafts of the

rolls

24, 24 and 25, 25 may be suitably connected to produce a differentiation in the rotary speed. This is preferred by me as it produces upon the leaves at the instant of friction a variable contact upon the leaves which slightly as sists in the extraction of the adhering materials from the said leaves. The attach.- ment of the driving mechanism to the drums 7, 7 and 8, 8 need be to one of the shafts only, the

strings

9, 9 and 10, 10 being sufficient to rotate the far drums. Further, if the pressure between the drums 7 7 and the

strings

10, 10 be suflicient no connection need be formed between the shafts of the drums 7, 7 and the drums S, 8.

Vith a machine constructed as above described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings the operation is as follows: The operative, one or many, feeds leaves of the tobacco to be treated upon the extension of the belt 10 above referred to as constituting an extended section to form a feed table. Prior to being treated the leaves are made suitably humid or flexible so that they will not crack or break under the ripping strain of the

belts

9 and 10. From the extended section of the belt 10 the leaves are carried forward in the direction shown by the arrow under the first of the drums 7 and there overlaid by the strands of the

strings

9, 9 constituting the belt for the drums 7, 7 In this position the leaves are firmly retained and are delivered to and passed between the first pair of dust-ing rolls 24, 25. The

rolls

24, 25 are traveling much more rapidly and if desired in a rotary direction, such that the fibers 'of the brush are traveling in a direction opposite to that traveled by the leaves. Any adhesives upon the surface of the leaves are by the brush fibers dislodged. 'The leaves are passed from the first to and through the second pair of

rolls

24, 25, the more stubborn adhesives being there removed. The detritus thus removed is lifted by the draft of air and carried through the duct 22 into an airsystem wherein the detritus is either ejected into the surrounding atmosphere or through sultable arresters common to all air exhaust systems. Vhen the leaves are passed through the chamber 19 and on and between the last pair of drums 7 and 8, they are delivered by the belt 10 to a suitable receptacle, cleaned of dust and other contamination.

Vhile I have herein described the

belts

9 and 10 as being constructed from endless through which the brushes could act. upon the surface of the leaves, might be used instead of belts constructed from strands of strings, such as herein described. Further,

while I have described the

brushes

24, 24, and 25, 25, as being constructed in the shape of rolls, 1 do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use of such brushes only, as I am well aware that fiat or motionless brushes, or flexible brushes secured on suitable drums, might be used instead of brushing rolls, such as herein described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A tobacco cleaning machine, comprising a plurality of belts adapted to travel together in contact to hold the leaves between the same and having elongated openings in said belt; and a plurality of rotary brushes operating on both sides of the joined belt to extend the bristles of said brushes through said openings to contact with the held leaves.

2. A tobacco cleaning machine, comprising a plurality of belts having elongated openings and adapted to travel in contact to hold the leaves between the same; cleaning brushes mounted across the said belts where the same travel together and operated to extend their bristles through the openings to operate upon the held leaves; and adjustable bearings for said brushes adapted to increase the impingement of said bristles on said leaves.

3. A tobacco cleaning machine, comprising a plurality of grooved drums suitably mounted .so that their peripheries aline; a plurality of belts composed of endless strings reeved upon said drums, the strands whereof are adapted to connningle from the operation of the travel of said belts; and a plurality of rotary brushes mounted to extend across the said belts and the section thereof where the strands commingle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES MOSES SPIERER.

W'itnesses LOUIS BELRosn, AMEEN ABADEN.