US3776392A

US3776392A - Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks

Info

Publication number: US3776392A
Application number: US00267928A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-30
Filing date: 1972-06-30
Publication date: 1973-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-04

Abstract

A foot treadle operated pivotable cam plate engages the spring locks on each end of a tobacco curing stick simultaneously to release the lock and then move the top member up from the frame so that it may be grasped and manually removed.

Description

United States Patent 1 Williams Dec. 4 1973 [54] APPARATUS, FOR OPENING TOBACCO 3,014,604 12/ 1961 Loomis 214/38 CC CURING STICKS 3,430,555 3/ 1969 DeBruhl 214/300 X Inventor: Delmas D. Williams, Rt. 1,

Robersonville, NC. 27871 Filed: June 30, 1972 Appl. No.: 267,928

US. Cl. 214/1 R, 214/5.5, 214/304 Int. Cl B65b 13/18 Field of Search 214/304, 300, 5.5,

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1964 Danford et al 214/5.5 x

Primary Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney-Laurence R. Brown [57] ABSTRACT A foot treadle operated pivotable cam plate engages the spring locks on each end of a tobacco curing stick simultaneously to release the lock and then move the top member up from the frame so that it may be grasped and manually removed.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 0F 2 PATENTED 4|975 APPARATUS FOR OPENING TOBACCO CURING STICKS angle iron posts 11, l2 and at the bottom frame memi v bers l3, 14. The length of the stick is about 4 feet so This invention relates to tobacco handling machinery Y lt is customary to cure tobacco leaves in frames termed sticks. These sticks are in the form of rectangular frames with tobacco retaining rods held therein. The frame has a top member removable to release to bacco generally after curing. This top member contains the rods and is held in place by a locking means engaging mating locking structure on longitudinally opposite ends of the remainder of the rectangular frame. The locking means are generally heavy metal spring biased clips of perhaps one-sixteenth inch steel strap attached to the top member and extending normally away from it so that when compressed they can slide through mating retaining channel members on the opposite ends of the frame. The top frame member is' held-in place by a tab member on the end of the spring clips which slides through the channel when the'spring tension is compressed and engages the'open lower end of the channel member by spring bias force to retain thetop member in place as one side of the rectangular frame. To release the lock the spring clip must be pushed back at each.

end of the stick enough to" enter the tab intothe retaining channel to be pushed upinto the channel which then retains the lock in released position so that the top frame member can be pushed up for removal.

Because of the length of the stick and the strength of the spring clip this removal process has been cumbersome and time consuming. g

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus for efficiently opening tobacco curing sticks.

Therefore in accordance with this invention a foot treadle through a linkage operatescurved cam plates at both ends of the stick to simultaneously release the locks and push up the top member enough to engage the lock tab in the retaining channel.

Further features, objectives and advantages will be found throughout the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the stick releasing apparatus afforded by this invention,

FIG-2 is a partial rear perspective view of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective cut away view of the locking mechanism and release earn in locked position as seen from arrows 3--3 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial side view partly cut away mid-stroke.

Referring now to the drawing in which the reference numbers are cross referenced in the various views, FIG. 1 outlines the general configuration of the apparatus afforded by the invention. Thus, the stick 5 retains to bacco leaves 6" by means of rods 7 held in the removable top frame member 8 by fasteners 7A. To release the tobacco leaves, the top member 8 is removed from the remainder of the stick which comprises generally a rectangular frame member of which the top portion is removable member 8. The opposite ends of the frame member 9 are held together by bottom frame member 10 when the top member 8 is removed.

To receive the stick assembly 5 in place by the force of gravity, a cradle member comprising at the ends two that the cradle ends are spaced by the length of the stick to hold it firmly therebetween without substantial endwise slippage. For ready entry the open ends l5, 16 of the cradle end members ll, 12 are flanged to provide guide means permitting a funnelling effect as the stick is inserted into the cradle.

On each end member of the stick is a locking channel structure 20, into which is inserted mating spring biased locking clip means 21 attached to the removal top member 8, as will be discussed hereinafter in more de tail. Opposite ends 9 of thestick and cradle mechanism assembly are similar in structure and operation.

To open the stick'the locking means -21 .must be released and the top frame member 8 moved upwardly.

. This is accomplished by a pivoted cam plate member 22, pivoting with rod 23 in bearing holes of

tabs

24, 25 welded'or otherwise affixed to the respective end cradle members 11, 12.

Cam plate 22 is pivoted between predetermined limits of movement by lever arm 26 through linkage 27,

, linkage and cam plate 22 to one limit position at which the cam plate 22 is disengaged from the locking means on the ends 9 of the sticks 5. I

As may be seen from FIG. 2, a platform 40 may be .located on the rear side of the cradle bottom at substantially the level of thebottom member 10 of the sticks 5 to receive and support the tails of the tobacco removed from the stick by withdrawal of the top member 8. h

The apparatus in operation to release the lock and remove the top frame member 8 of the stick performs two types of motion by means of the single pivoted cam I plate member 22, namely an inward motion toward the ends of the stick 8 to release the lock and an upward motion to push the frame top member 8 upwardly to a position where the lockchannel structure 20 retains the lock in released position.

This mode of operation is better understood by reference to the views of FIGSQ3 and 4. The lock comprises (1) the lock tongue member 21 which is spring biased -to force the end 50 with the normally extending tab 5] outwardly away from the ends of the stick and-(2) the engaging mating locking channel structure 20 which constrains and guides the tongue member 21 as the top frame member 8 is inserted into place to a bottomming position at which tab 51 snaps outwardly below the lower open end of channel structure 20 in the position shown in FIGS. This structure locks the top frame member firmly in place.

To release the lock, the lower end 50 of the tongue member 21 must be pushed inwardly as shownby arrow 52 and then pushed upwardly as shown by arrow 53 carrying thereby with it the top frame member 8. As tab 51 slips within channel 20 the top frame member 8 may be frictionally held in a partially open position for further simple manual removal, since the spring action of tongue end 50 will hold the tab 51 against the outer wall of the channel 20 in an unlocked position.

Thus, the cam plate 22 has a curved outer end which frictionally engages thetongue end portion 50 and tab 51 as it is pivoted in the direction of arrow 61.

The initial portion of the pivot arc will serve to push the h reach a position such as that shown in FIG. 4, so that tab 51 may slide upwardly (53) into the mating lock channel structure 20 as the cam plate 22 is pivoted through the final portion of its pivot arc. Thus the curved cam end 60 of pivoting cam plate member 22 serves to engage frictionally the spring tongue end 50 and overcome its spring bias on its inward motion. The curved cam end 60 then engages the tapered lower end of tab and forces the spring biased tongue 21 and its attached frame member upwardly to cock the lock is released position with the tab 51 at least partly inserted inside the lock channel structure 20.

Accordingly, it is seen that the entire function of releasing the lock at both ends of the stick and pushing the top frame member upwardly to an unlocked position ready for manual further removal is accomplished efficiently and simply by operation of foot pedal 30.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks to release therefrom a removable member, wherein the sticks are of the type having a generally rectangular frame with locking means attached to a removable top member and engaging mating locking structure on two opposite ends of the sticks, comprising in combination, a mechanism movable in a first degree of motion to engage and release said locking means from said locking structure on said two ends simultaneously and thereafter in a second degree of motion to move said top member upwards from said frame enough to retain said locking means in an unlocked position, wherein said mechanism comprises a pivotable plate member with a curved end camming portion and means pivoting said plate member to place the curved end cam portion into engagement with said locking structure thereby frictionally sliding both to release said locking means and to move said top member as said cam portion is pivoted. v

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 having a foot operated treadle, and a linkage coupled thereto pivoting said plate member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a cradle for receiving and holding said sticks by force of gravity, said cradle having guide means at said two opposite ends for holding said sticks in place, and means mounting on each guide means said pivotable plate member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a spring biased member and said mechanism comprises said cam plate engaging said spring member to release said lock.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said cam v plate includes means for engaging said locking meansmoved through a pivot are by said leverage system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for opening tobacco curing sticks to release therefrom a removable member, wherein the sticks are of the type having a generally rectangular frame with locking means attached to a removable top member and engaging mating locking structure on two opposite ends of the sticks, comprising in combination, a mechanism movable in a first degree of motion to engage and release said locking means from said locking structure on said two ends simultaneously and thereafter in a second degree of motion to move said top member upwards from said frame enough to retain said locking means in an unlocked position, wherein said mechanism comprises a pivotable plate member with a curved end camming portion and means pivoting said plate member to place the curved end cam portion into engagement with said locking structure thereby frictionally sliding both to release said locking means and to move said top member as said cam portion is pivoted.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said cam plate includes means for engaging said locking means and thereby moving said top member upwards from said frame.

6. Means for releasing a spring lock member on a tobacco stick comprising in combination, a mechanical leverage system terminating in a movable cam member, and means holding said tobacco stick with said lock member adjacent said moving cam member to thereby release said lock through operation of said leverage system wherein said movable cam member comprises a pivoted plate-like member with a curved outer end moved through a pivot arc by said leverage system.