US99372A - trowbridge - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. l, 1870.

J. H. TRCWBRIDCE. MACHINE FCR` PACKING TOBACCO.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

i fjwanr, 9.1M

No, 99,372.` A PATENTED PEB. 1, 1870.

J. H. TROWBRIDGB.

MACHINE POR PACKING TOBACCO.

thtird gister A @anni dtyiiliw.

` Letters Patent No..99,372, dated February 1, 1870.

MACHINE FOR PACKING- TOBACCO.

The Schedule referred to n` these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, JOHN H. TROWBRIDGE, of the city and countyl of -New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have in- .vented certain Improvements in Machines for Automatically Packing 'Fine-Cut Tobacco into metal foil or paper wrappers, of which the following is a specicatlon.'

Natur-e and Objects of the Inception.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of packing fine-cnt` tobacco, either smoking or chewing, into metal foil or paper wrappers without the aid of manual labor.

The tobacco being fed, the quantity to be packed -separated and measured, and the entire operation of packing performed and completed by automatic machinery. The metal foil or paper for the wrappers is\ aso supplied4 to the folding-device in a simi-lar manner.

Theentire-mach'ine is constructed and arranged iu a compact and simple form, and the packages produced are regular and exact in.shape, as well as even iny quantity and weight;

In the d-rawings, which form a part of this specification- Figure lis a plan or top -view of a machine ein# bodying my invention. l

Figure 2, a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3, a side elevation of the carrying-trough and device for separating and measuring the tobacco.

Figure 4, a side elevation of the folding-device, showing the operation of the knives.'

'Figure 5, a side elevation of the device for supplying and feeding the wrappers to the folding-device.

Figure 6, -a sectional view of the self-feeding hopper, taken on the line a; x infig. 2.

Figure 7 "s a modication of the device shown in iig. 5. g

A is the frame or bed'of the machine. ,B is the main shaft, from which motion is communicated to the various operating parts. The pulley for drivingthe same may be located at eitherend of the shaft, as may be most convenient.

C the hopper, into which the tobacco t o be packed is deposited.

This hopper contains a feeding-device fol-'conveying the tobacco in regular and even quantities into the carrying-trough E.

This feeding-device consists of a revolving drum, a, carrying a series ofcomhs or fingers, b. These combs or "fingers .have a reciprocating motion imparted' to them at certain periods during each revolution of the drum a, by means of the eccentric cams al and a3 in the sides ofthe hopper-frame.

These combs ortingers are, by the action of the cams al a2, forced out of the drum as it revolves. through the hopper, entering the tobacco and carrying it, as the drum-revolves, through the lower end of the hopper into the carrying-trough E. The combs or. ngers'are at this point retracted into the drum, leavingthe tobacco free to be carried forward in and by the. carrying-trough E.

Motion is imparted'to the drum a from' the cam D1 on the main shaft, which. actuates, the. rack (l2 andcog dathrough thelever d, causing the drum to revolve such distance as may be necessary to supply the carryingtrough with the quantity of tobacco desired. During the reverse motion of the rack di `and oog cl3, the drum is held at rest by means of a pawl and ratchet.

The carrying-trough E is composed of the ange- A box orguide El, and the three endless belts or bands Ac1, e2, and e3'. These endless belts operate-on the inte" rior of the box i, (it being open at the top,) passing around the pulleys c4 'e4 ee and e5 e5.

on the Amain shaft,'the cam actuating thelever d, and", by means of the rack. als and cogr d6, causes the endless belts forming' the carrying-trough to move forward at thesame time, and at each revolution of the main shaft, the length of a package of tobacco, or such distance asA may be desired.

` This carrying-trough andthe feeding-hopper operate in unison with each other; that is, the drum a in the hop'- per feeds the tobacco only as the carrying-trough is in operation to receive and carry it forward.

During the reverse motion of the rack and cog d, the belts are held at rest by a pawl and ratchet.

The carrying-trough E also acts as a means of measuring the tobacco, the carrying-space within the belts being only large enough to receive the quantity requiredin a package. The tobacco is compressed as it is received from the hopper, (passing under the rolle'rE2,) which presses down upon it as itpasses under it from the hopper into the trough to the consistency desired in a` package.

During the process of folding the wrapper, and while the charge of tobacco is being carried forward by the comb F1' and plunger' G, the carrying-trough and feeding-hopper are at rest.

The combs o'r separators Fand F are the means- 'Comb or separator E has simplya rising'an'd falling motion, which is imparted to it by cam D2, through the lever di. lts oilice is to assstcomb E" in separating .the quantity of tobacco-required to make the package from that moved forward' inrand by the carryingtrough.

Comb FIhas also a-falliligmotion in thefsame time.

asv comb F, imparted toit by ca'm Di, through the lever da' and its connections. .Afle'r dropping into poagain repeats its forward movement-,carrying with it A connecting-lever, made to dropinto the carrying- `trough E, and to ,take a position behind the quantity .a forward motion,`carrying and forcing the tobacco y completes the bottom and side folds of the wrapper.

sition with comb F, it is, bythe action of the same cam and lever, caused to move forward in the trough E--tlie trough then being at rest-carrying with it the tobacco toa point under and beyond the plunger G. Itis then liftediand returns to its first position, and

any of the tobaccothat may have been lett during its first forward movement. This completed, it is returned to its original position.

lIn lieu of the combs just described, knives of similar-sliape may be substituted to separate the tobacco, but I prefer the combs for that purpose, it being desirable to detach and separate the tobacco without cutting its fibres.

The plunger G is, by the action of the cam D4 and of tobacco carried forward by cam F1. It is then given into a receiving-case, H, which is in position on the same horizontal plane with the carrying-trough to receive it.

This receiving and forming-case H is made the same size (excepting length) as the package to be made. It must be constructed of very thin, yet strong sheetbrass or other suitable metal. This receiving-case is opjen at both ends, and isl held iu position to receive the charge of tobacco by means of the connecting-rods h and h1, fastened to the carrier-holder h2. 4

The receiving-case is also partially open its entir length on the top, (seen plainly in fig. 4.) This is for the purpose of allowing the arm carrying the plunger G (also plunger L) to enter and carry the tobacco to the extreme end of the case; the case.being constructed somewhat'longer than the-package to be made.

When in position to` receive the tobacco from the carrying-trough, the receiving and forming-ease H 'is held or rests inside the hollow bed I, (seen more plainly in iig? 5,) which is made open at both ends, and of depth enough so that .its top at the' sides, when the case H is in position, (as in fig. 4,) is on the same plane as' the top of the case H.

At the propertime, and before the charge of tobacco is forced into the case H, a sheet of metal foil or paper, or both, if desired, is drawn by a device that will be hereinafter described, over the 'top of the bed I and deposited in position for folding. -l

-The case H is then, by action of cam Ds and connecting-lever d, dropped down into its position inside the hollow bed I, carrying with andbeneath it-the wrapper-sheet previously deposited over the bed. This vThe folding-knives b1 and b2 then in turn complete the top folds, by carrying down on to the top 0f the case H the sides of the wrapper-sheet left projecting by the action ofthe forming-case, when dropped into position in the bed I. The knife b then makes the upper or first end-fold, the knives bi-and b5 then turn in the side-folds at the end, the knife bil-completing the foldingJ by turning up the last or lower end-fold.

As soon as the folding-operations described are compiet-ed, the plunger G at once forces the charge of tobacco into the case H, and after completing it's'oice, returns to its iirst position.Y During the forcing of the tabacco into'the case, the folding-knives remain in position as folded over the case, holding it firmly in position in the bed I, until the plunger G is retracted; they a re then returned to their iirst position prior to folding.

, These folding-knives are operated, in the proper' time, by the action ofthe cams D7, s, 9, and 1 on the riiain sliaft actuating the levers and connecting-'levers to which -the knives are fastened. I

The wrapper of foil or paper being now folded around the receivingaudtbrming-case H, containing the charge of tobacco to be packed, and furnished it from the carrying-trough E by the means described, the left-hand folding-operation.

end ofthe package being folded and completed, thereceiving-case H, with its contents and wrapper, is lifted by the action of cam D6 on the lever df, which lever raises thev slide g, to which the carrier-holder' h2 vis firmly attached, (the receiving-case being hung to the carrier-holder by the connecting-rods'h and 711,) tothe top of the guide-frames K and K1, and is carried forward to the groove k2, at the left-hand end of the guide-frames, and is dropped down into position, (the slide g following the groove kt) on the same plane as in its first position. The plunger L is then, by action of cam D, through the lever l and slide m, caused to enter the right-hand and open end of the case H. It is then given a forward motion, and forces the tobacco out of the case H, carrying with it the wrapper, folded on the outside of the case.

As the#partially-completed package leaves the case H, it enters the box M, provided to receive it. This box is made large enough to receive thev package witbout offering resistance to its entrance. The package is thus forced intothe box M until its unfolded end is in the desired position, prior to being closed bythe folding-knives at N.

The operation -of these knives is the same as that of knives b, b4, b5, and bs, as described, for closing the left-hand end of the package. p

The box M holds the package firmly during this last The folding being completed, the knives .retract to their first position, leaving the com pleted package to be forced out of the box by the entrance of the succeeding package.

As soon as the partially-made package is delivered..v from the case H into the box M, the case is carriedv back to' its first position in the bed I, by the same cam, levers, and guides as described in its forward movements. A sheet of. paper or foil having been deposited on the bed I, prior to the return of the case, the upper sheet is then folded, and the tobacco,

againintroduced, as previously described.

As the packages completed in the box Mareforced from it by the entrance of the succeeding packages,

they may be dropped into any proper receptacle provided.

` The sheets of paper or metal foil provided for the wrappers ofthe packages, are deposited, inv any desired number, upon the rising and falling carrying-bed O, which is held in position by the standards and guides n nl n2 n. .This carrying-bed is raised and lowered, at the proper time, by the action of the cam I on the lever P', which causes the bed to rise, pressing (at the close of its upward movement) the uppermost sheet of paper or foil firmly against the lips or fianges o o o o, whichproject from the top of the standards over the carrying-bed. The lower surfaces of these lips or flanges are provided with a proper adhesive substance, which may be supplied in any suitable manner. These adhesive surfaces, as the wrappers are forced up against them, retain the uppermost sheet, the carrying-ned immediately dropping down to its first position.

A spiral spring, S, is providedmn the under side of the carrying-hed, between the bed and lever, for the `The paper or foil wrapper being now held by the lips o o o o, the jaws-R are made to advance, by the action of cam P on the leversT and T. These jaws, prior to reaching the wrapper, are made to open, by the ac tion of the stud/r on the arm t. The jaws being open, the forward motion is continued, until the edge ofthe wrapper is between them. They are then closed by a spring, on being released from the stud r', and grasp the wrapper firmly. They are then made to retract, carrying the wrapper to the desired position over the bed I, where it is released from the jaws by a similar method to that described for grasping it.

The wrappersheet being now deposited in position, the folding-operations are performed, as ,hereinbefore described.

A modication of lthe wrapper-feeding device is shown in iig. 7 but I prefer the operation previously described.

In case t-be endless belts forming the carrying-trough should become loose, by the stretching of the leather, or from other causes, they can be readily tightened by means of the set-screw V, tig. 2, and after tightening, are held in place by the nuts \V, which slide in va groove in the movable bed, to which the shafts on which the pulleys at the right-hand cud of the carrying-trough are pii'oted. These nuts serve to l'asten/ the movable bed firmly to the bed ot' the machine.

The levers actuated by tbe variouscams on the main shaft are all held to the face of the cams by a series ot' spiral springs, fastened to suitable standards on the bed of themachine.

It is obvious that by the improved machine hereinbefore described, a large quantity of packages `can be rapidly produced, no manual labor heilig required, other than the attention necessary to keep the hopper supplied with tobacco, and the wrapper-feeding device with paper or foil-sheets.Y

The principle on which this machine is constructed can, by modifications, be adapted tothe packing of other materials and substances, ,such as are now packed in -small paper wrappers, and it is my inten' tion to so apply my invention.

Claims.

I do not claim, as fny invent-ion, the packing of fine-A eut tobacco int-ometal-foil or paper wrappers by machinery.; but A I do claim as'new, and as' my invention- 1. Automatica-ily packing finecut tobacco, or other material, into paper or metal-foill wrappers, or both, by lnaehinery,vwhen the various operations of feeding, measuring, and wrapping, necessary to complete the package, are performed in union with each other, substantially as heieinbefbrc shown -and described.

2. AThe hopper (l and the drum a, with the feedingcombs or fingers b, having a reciprocating or eccentric motion imparted to them as the. drum revolves, all arranged aud operating as luireinbeibre shown and described.

3. The carryingtrough E, composed of the endless belts c, e?, and e, in combination with the hopper'O, the separating and measuring-combs l and I1", and the receiving and forming-case l-I, all arranged and opcr-V ating substantially as and foi-the purposes hereinbefore shown and described.

4. The/separating and nieasnring-combs or fingers F and lf", arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbeibre shown and described.

lhe plnngers (lr or L, in combination with the carrying-trough ll, the receiving and thrilling-ease H, and the casel M, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbelore shown and described'.

(i. The receiving and fbrining-ease H, constructed and operated asl and for the purposes hereinbeiore shown and described.

7. The employment, in machines for making packages of'fine-ent tobacco or other material, of the bed I, as constructed and arranged for receiving the'rnetal foil or paper sheets for wrappers, and operating as an assistant folding-device, in combination with the case H, and the tblding-knives b, b2, b, b, b5, and be, substantially as hereinbefbre shown and described.

8. The folding-knives b, b2, b, bi, b5, and b, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes 'hereinbet'ore shown and described.

9. The box or holder M', arranged for the purposes hereinbefm'e shown and described.

JOHN H. TROWBRIDGE Witnesses A. L. MUNsoN, E. B. Munson.

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