US2311747A - Apparatus for feeding tobacco and like material - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 23, 1943. v c w GOQCH, ]R 2,311,747

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING TOBACCO AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed Aug. 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Feb. 23, 1943. c. w. GOOCH, JR

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING TOBACCO AND LIKE MATERIAL Filed Aug. 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gbwcm fom M,MMW

a um MA Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claiborne W. Gooch, Jr., Richmond, Va., assignor to Molins Machine Company, Inc., Richmond, Va., a corporation of New York Application August 5, 1941, Serial No. 405,558

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding tobacco and like material, and has for its principal object the provision of means for supplying, to a machine for treating or operating on the same, such quantity of the material as may be required by the capacity of the machine.

Thus the invention is especially applicable to the feeding of tobacco to one or more tobacco cutting machines, in which the tobacco is shredded for subsequent delivery to cigarette making apparatus, and it is one of the features of the present invention that the tobacco supplied to each such machine shall be just suflicient to ensure a constant supply of tobacco thereto. In the event a plurality of tobacco cutters are employed, all may be served from a single source of supply, but the amount of tobacco delivered to each cutter may be determined by the capacity of that cutter.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide, in apparatus for feeding tobacco or like material to one or more machines, means whereby the material is moved along a support having one or more openings therein through which the material is discharged to the machine or machines, in combination with closure means for said openings, the closure means being intermittently and automatically operated to permit the delivery of material to any machine when the supply for that machine falls below a predetermined minimum. In th preferred embodiment of the invention, the tobacco is moved along the support by means of a conveyor provided with spaced vanes, the closure means is moved to closing position in the direction of movement of the conveyor, and such movement is timed with the conveyor movement so that the closure means is displaced along with one of the vanes across the opening, whereby jamming of the material in the opening is prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the character described, a

. continouus conveyor for delivering material to one or more spaced points, wherein the conveyor is supplied from a hopper, and is so constructed and arranged as to return to the hopper any undelivered material.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, showing apparatus embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fi ure 1; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of certain of the moving elements shown in Figure 3.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference will be made to the several embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specific language will be employed. It will nevertheless be understood that various further modifications of the devices illustrated herein, such as would fall within the province of those skilled in the art to construct, are contemplated as part of the present invention.

In Figure 1 the invention is shown as applied to the feeding of tobacco to a plurality of tobacco cutters. These cutters, indicated generally at I0, may each include as the essential elements thereof a hopper ll through which the tobacco is delivered, a travelling belt conveyor 12 feeding the tobacco forwardly toward a mouth, not shown, in which the tobacco is compressed into what is called a cheese, a knife (not shown). which shreds the cheese as it emerges from the mouth, and a chute l3 through which the shredded tobacco is discharged, for example onto a conveyor belt.

It will be appreciated that the details of the several machines form no part of the instant invention, since such machines may assume many forms, for instance as shown in the patents to Molins et 2.1. 1,933,181, granted October 31, 1933, Molins 1,939,511, granted December 12, 1933, or Langrish 2,157,457, granted May 9, 1939. Alternatively, the material ied may be shredded tobacco, and the machines may be cigarette making machines, or material of distinctly different nature may be fed and delivered to one or more machi-ies for treating the same in accordance with the principles hereinafter outlined.

Disposed above the hoppers H is a support l5 which extends lengthwise of the several hoppers and is provided with a plurality of spaced openings, one communicating with the upper end of each hopper. In the preferred form of the invention, the support 15 constitutes the bottom wall of a trough I6 which is formed to provide at one end thereof a supply hopper [1, a continuous convevnr I8 serving to deliver material to the hopper H.

A conveyor 20 is supported on guide rollers 2| disposed within and at opposite ends of the trough Hi, this conveyor being provided with longitudinally spaced fingers or vanes 24 which are so dimensioned as to sweep along the support I5 and carry the material in succession past the several openings over the hoppers ll, excess or undelivered material being carried upwardly at the end of the trough l6 and returned by the conveyor 20 to the supply hopper I1. While the elements 24 are referred to hereinafter for convenience as vanes, each such element may comprise a plurality of rod-like members spaced transversely of the conveyor, the construction of the vanes depending upon the nature of the material to be conveyed.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, it will be observed that a plate 26 is pivoted at 21 adjacent the upper end of each hopper I, the plate 26 lying within the hopper and being supported for swinging movement from the position in which it is shown in full lines, adjacent the side of the hopper, to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines, in which it is spaced from the hopper wall. The plate 26 constitutes one arm of a bell crank lever, the other arm 28 of which is provided with an adjustable weight 29 which may be shifted lengthwise of the arm 28, and which serves to urge the plate 26 toward the dotted line position. The corresponding positions of the arm 28 are likewise shown in full and dotted lines, and it will be noted that in the upper position of the arm 29, corresponding to a position of the arm 28 against the hopper wall, the former engages an electrical switch 3|, whereas in the lower position of the arm 29, a second electrical switch 32 is engaged. The function of these switches will be hereinafter more fully described.

A closure member 35 is associated with the opening in the support l5 above each hopper Each closure member is supported for displacement from the full line or operative position, in which discharge of material into the hopper is prevented, to the dotted line or inoperative position, in which the opening in the support |5 communicating with the hopper is exposed, so that material may fall into the hopper from the trough I6. To facilitate displacement of the closure member 35, the latter may be supported on a horizontal panel 3! by a plurality of rollers 38 rotatably mounted on the closure member. It will be noted that the movement of the closure member toward operative position occurs in the direction of movement of the conveyor 20.

Connected to each closure member 35 is a link 39 which is pivoted to the closure member and to a crank arm 48, the latter being freely rotatable on a shaft 4|. A wheel 42, also mounted on the shaft 4|, and provided with peripheral slots 43, is driven in timed relation with the conveyor 28, for example by means of gearing, not shown, for driving both the wheel 42 and the conveyor 20 from a common source of motive power. Pivoted on the crank arm 40 is a pawl 45 having a nose 46 dimensioned for reception in any one of the peripheral slots 43 in the wheel 42; a spring 48 acts between the pawl and the crank arm 40, normally urging the pawl in a direction to effect such engagement with the wheel slots. Movement of the pawl in the reverse direction about its point of pivotal support is limited by an abutment 5|, mounted on the crank arm 40 and positioned for engagement with the tail 52 of the pawl.

Detents 55 and 56 slotted as indicated at 51 and 58 respectively for reception of the tall 52 of the pawl and the abutment 5| are pivoted on the supporting frame structure and disposed at opposite sides of the wheel 42. The detent 55 is normally urged in such a direction as to engage the tail 52 of the pawl 45 by means of a spring 6|; similarly, a spring 62 urges the slotted arm of the detent 56 toward the path of movement of the tail 52 of the pawl. A solenoid 64 in an electrical circuit, including a voltage source 65 and the switch 32, is connected to the detent to move the latter against the action of the spring 6| when the switch 32 is closed. A solenoid 61, likewise connected in circuit with a voltage source 68 and the switch 3|, rocks the detent 56 in a clockwise direction against the action of spring 62 when the switch 3| is closed.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described will be apparent. Thus material delivered to the supply hopper I1 by the conveyor I8 is moved along the support |5 by the conveyor 2|], past the several openings communicating with the several hoppers II. If the hopper associated with any given machine H] is filled with material up to the point indicated by the dotted line A, the plate 26 will be held by the material in the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figure 3, against the action of the adjustable weight 29. When, however, the supply of material in the hopper |l drops to the level indicated by the dotted line B, the weight 29 will swing the plate 26 away from the hopper wall and into the dotted line position, and the arm 28 will simultaneously engage and operate the switch 32 to close the solenoid 64, so that the detent 55 is swung in a counter-clockwise direction to release the tail 52 of the pawl 45. The nose 46 of the pawl 45 will then engage the periphery of the wheel 42 and will fall into one of the slots 43 on continued rotation of the wheel, under the action of the spring 48, whereby the wheel 42 and crank arm 40 will rotate together, and by means of the link 39 the closure member 35 will be displaced to the right so as to aiford communication between the trough l6 and the hopper Rotation of the crank arm 48 will continue through approximately at which time the tail 52 of the pawl 45 will engage with and be received in the slot 58 in the detent 56, the latter being urged in a clockwise direction by the spring 52 on the opening of the switch 3|. When the tail 52 of the pawl is thus engaged, the nose 46 of the pawl is withdrawn from the slot 43, and since both the tail 52 of the pawl and the abutment 5| are received in the slot 58, the pawl is retained out of engagement with the wheel 42 which continues to rotate, the crank arm 40 being thus held against rotation and the closure member being retained in its inoperative or open position.

As the vanes 24 continue their movement across the opening communicating with the hopper material is delivered into the hopper until it reaches the level indicated by the dotted line A, when the pressure of the material is suflicient to swing the plate 26 to the full line position against the wall of the hopper. The operation is thus reversed, the switch 32 being opened and the switch 3| being closed. The solenoid 61 is now energized, the detent 56 is swung in a counter-clockwise direction to release the pawl 45, and the nose 46 of the pawl drops in the next succeeding slot 43 of the wheel 42. The arm 40 is then again rotated through approximately 180 to displace the closure member 35 to the left, so as to prevent further discharge of material into the hopper ll. Rotation of the arm 40 continues until the tail 52 of the pawl 45 and the abutment 5| are again received in the recess 51 of the detent 55, in which position they are shown in Figure 3. The wheel 42 is once more free to rotate, and the crank arm 40 is retained against displacement by the detent 55.

It will be appreciated that by suitable timing of the speed of rotation of the wheel 42 and the linear speed of the conveyor 20, the closure member 35 may be caused to move at a rate approximating or averaging the linear speed of the conveyor 20, although the closure member will, of course, execute substantially harmonic motion. It will also be appreciated that by proper location of the slots 43 in the periphery of the wheel 42, the initiation of movement of the closure member may be caused to occur substantially as one of the vanes 24 reaches or approaches closely to the opening above the hopper ll. Thus it is possible to ensure that substantially all of the material which is being propelled along the support l5 by the vane 24 in question will fall completely through the opening and will not be wedged or jammed by the movement of the closure member across the opening. The material propelled by the next succeeding vane will, on the contrary, be prevented from falling through the opening by reason of the fact that th preceding vane and the closure member move together across the opening. This is a feature which is especially useful in connection with the feeding of tobacco to cutting machines since the tobacco is, by its nature, likely to jam at this point if not properly fed and discharged.

The material may, if desired, be fed to the supply hopper I1 in quantity just suflicient to ensure the delivery of an adequate supply of material to all of the machines. In this event, the closure member which controls the supply of material to the last machine in the row will be held in inoperative position nearly continuously, by reason of the fact that most of the material is delivered to one or more of the preceding machines before reaching the final machine. Other methods of employing the apparatus herein described, such as would normally be practiced by one skilled in the art, are contemplated as part of the instant invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for feeding tobacco and like materials, the combination with an elongated support for the material having a plurality of openings therein spaced lengthwise of the support, a conveyor having spaced vanes for moving the material lengthwise of said support to effect discharge thereof through said openings, discharge hoppers, one communicating with each opening, closure means associated with each opening for displacement from an inoperative to an operative position in the direction of movement of said conveyor, and means associated with each hopper and the associated closure means and responsive to variation in level of material in the hopper for automatically effecting displacement of said closure means, both to and from operative position, to maintain the level of material in the hopper within predetermined limits, said last named means including mechanism driven in timed relation with said conveyor for effecting displacement of said closure means to operative position at substantially the linear speed of said conveyor.

2. In apparatus for feeding tobacco and like materials, the combination with an elongated support for the material having a plurality of openings therein spaced lengthwise of the support, a conveyor having spaced vanes for moving the material lengthwise of said support to effect discharge thereof through said openings, discharge hoppers, one communicating with each opening, closure means associated with each opening for displacement from an inoperative to an operative position in the direction of movement of said conveyor, and means associated with each hopper and the associated closure means and responsive to variation in level of material in the hopper for automatically effecting displacement of said closure means, both to and from operative position, to maintain the level of material in the hopper within predetermined limits, said last named means including mechanism driven in timed relation with said conveyor for efiecting displacement of said closure means to operative position at substantially the linear speed of said conveyor, and for initiating such displacement when one of said vanes reaches the leading edge of that opening with which the said closure means is associated.

CLAIBORNE W. GOOCH, JR.

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