US2873746A - Device for loosening up tobacco - Google Patents

Description

Y Filed June 8, 1955 Feb. 17, 1959 H. sCHLossMAcHER 2,873,746

DEVICE FOR LOOSEINING UP TOBACCOY 2 Sheets-Shelet 1 72 Ff 2 INVENTOR.

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DEVICE FOR LoosENING UP TOBACCO Filed June 8, 1955 A2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unid States .Patent "2,813,748 DEVICE FOR .LOOSENING UP TOBACCO Hiibert Schlossma'chen Hamburglergedor Germany,

assignor toV Kurt Krber & C0., K.-G., Hamburg- Bergedorf, Germany Application June s, i955, serial No. 514,053 Claims prin-ity, apparati@ 'France :June 9, 1954 @Claims (Cl. 1an-109) This invention relates to a device Afor loosening up tobacco inwhich the tobacco is discharged from a discharge device onto .aslowly moving,v endless band, lcontin-uously removed from theend Vof :sa-id band and, if desired, conveyedffurtherin order to deliver in a loosened up 'condition from conveyors, silos, `mixing plants, or i other similartransportation and .storage y'devices tobacco that has been stored Vto great heights and that is thoroughly moistened, -and todose out said tobacco so that a treatment ldevice associated withfsaid transportation :and storage deviceis supplied with a given amount of tobacco per unit of time.

It is known per se to deliver tobacco piled to great heights and thoroughly moistened to a further treatment device by means of suitable transportation devices such as slowly moving conveyor bands, in connection with such storing and moistening. However, untilnow it has been dilicult to deliver the tobacco at the discharge end in sufficiently loosened condition and particularly in satisfactorily uniform quantities.

This work was originally done by hand by means of suitable discharge tools. However, it has been attempted to eliminate the resulting differences in discharge and looscness through suitable devices as, for example, by building in a rake band at the discharge end. Said embodiment turned out, however, not to fulfill the requirements for such an installation.

According to this invention, therefore, a device is used for the loosening up which is characterized by rotating rake wheels arranged in staggered position at the front end of the layers of tobacco. Said rake wheels are journalled in stationary bearing frames which may be adjustable in relation to each other. Furthermore, the arrangement can be such that a rake wheel disposed at a higher level may rotate at a higher speed than a lower wheel so that the tobacco is removed from the front wall in quantities that are not too great. The tobacco removed by the rake wheels is discharged into a swinging conveyor chute which moves the tobacco ahead or-in the case of a plurality of devices for loosening up the tobacco-the tobacco may be discharged onto a collector band.

The embodiment described below as an example of the invention relates particularly to a loosening and remover` device in an elongated mixing machine for cut tobacco without, however, limiting the subject matter of the invention, specifically to such a machine. For illustration, reference is had to the diagrammatic views in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of the device provided with a swinging transport chute,

Fig. 2 is an elevation in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 1, with parts broken away,

Fig. 3 shows a swinging transport chute of different construction, and

Fig. 4 shows the chute of Fig. 3 viewed from the righthand side of said ligure.

2,8 7 3,745 Patented Fes. 17, 1959 In .the only partially `shown mixing machine, for exampl`e,rcut tobacco 1 is mixed by known means on aconveyor 2 which moves slowly 'in the direction of the arrow 1. In front of the discharge end for the tobacco 1, three rake wheels 3, 4 and 5 are arranged in staggered relation and driven so that the'wheel at the highest level rotates vat a greaterspeed thanA the wheel therebelow. The rake wheels 3, -4 and 5 rotate iinthe direction in which the pins are bent 'and ih substantially the same direction as shown 'in Patent 260,958, C. G; Emery, July ll, 1882. The pins which, for example, are arranged along a screwl line on the wheels 3, 4 and S'are provided can Abe secured tothe machine frame by means of blade or coil springs in a manner known per se. The oscillatory movement can be achieved by means of a crank drive in vany known wayand provided with a connecting rod v13 pivoted to 'the vchu-'te at the centerof gravity thereof. The 'chute is guided -by means f profile 'rolls 1b" mounted between two brackets 14 on the chute and adapted to run on short rails 16. In order to further loosen up the tobacco, an additional rake device 17 may be disposed in the chute 12 and said rake device 17 comprises vertically and horizontally adjustable rake pins 18 xedly secured to a shaft. Said shaft is fixedly connected to the chute 12 in bearings 19 and the chute is given an oscillatory movement either transversely to the direction of transportation in the mixing machine or in said same direction.

When a plurality Of mixing machines with such rake wheels are arranged beside each other, the falling tobacco may move onto a common collector band (not shown) from which the tobacco is conveyed to the treatment units i mentioned above.

What I claim is: v

l. In a device for loosening cut tobacco which is deposited in the form of a thick layer Iupon a slowly moving endless conveyor band and at one end of the latter is discharged into a funnel, a frame arranged at the diswheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the lower half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, and another rake wheel being arranged in a still lower plane for receiving and loosening tobacco previously loosened by said two iirst mentioned rake wheels before said tobacco drops into said funnel.

2. In a device for loosening cut tobacco which is deposited in the form of a thick layer upon a slowly moving endless conveyor band and at one end of the latter is discharged into a funnel, a frame arranged at the discharge end of said conveyor band and above said funnel, a plurality of rake wheels rotatably supported in said frame in a downwardly stepped fashion above and in front of the discharge end of said conveyor band, the uppermost rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the upper half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, the next lower rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the lower half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, and another rake wheel being arranged in a still lower plane for receiving and loosening tobacco previously loosened by said two rst mentioned rake wheels before said tobacco drops into said funnel, all of said rake wheels having the same diameter.

3. In a device for loosening cut tobacco which is deposited in the form of a thick layer upon a slowly moving endless conveyor band and at one end of the latter is discharged into a funnel, a frame arranged at the discharge end of said conveyor band and above said funnel, a plurality of rake wheels rotatably supported in said frame in a downwardly stepped fashion above and in front of the discharge end of said conveyor band, the uppermost rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the upper half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, the next lower rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the lower half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, and another rake wheel being arranged in a still lower plane for receiving and loosening tobacco previously loosened by said two rst mentioned rake wheels before said tobacco drops into said funnel, all of said rake wheels having the same diameter, and rotate in a direction in which they tend to lift the tobacco upwardly as it is removed from the charge end of the conveyor band.

4. In a device for loosening cut tobacco which is deposited in the form of a thick layer upon a slowly moving endless conveyor b and and at one end of the latter is discharged into a funnel, a frame arranged at the discharge end of said conveyor band and above said funnel a plurality of rake wheels rotatably supported in said frame in a downwardly stepped fashion above and in front of the discharge erid of said conveyor band, the uppermost rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the upper half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, the next lower rake wheel being arranged to engage and loosen substantially the lower half of said tobacco layer as it reaches said discharge end, and another rake wheel being arranged in a still lower plane for receiving and loosening tobacco previously loosened by said two irst'mentioned rake wheels before said tobacco drops into said funnel, all of said rake wheels having the same diameter, and each higher positioned rake wheel being rotated at a greater speed than the next lower rake wheel.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,958 Emery July 11, 1882 485,146 Bazerque -a Oct. 25, 1892 575,774 Allison Jan. 26, 1897 726,607 Allison Apr. 28, 1903 1,647,255 Stein Nov. 1, 1927 1,876,012 Leary Sept. 6, 1932 i FOREIGN PATENTS 324,930 Great Britain Feb. 5. 1930 846,007 France May 27, 1939

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