Patent ID: 9038641
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: A24C

Abstract:
1. A device for filling a cigarette tube with an optimal quantity of a loose tobacco, said device partially comprising a moveably-conjoined dual-plate injection/compression/compression-assessment assembly, which said dual-plate assembly provides for an injection of as well as a metering of a quantity of loose tobacco from a hopper to a compression chamber of said device, as well as for a compression of said loose tobacco within said compression chamber, said moveably-conjoined dual-plate injection/compression/compression-assessment assembly component comprising in part an upper plate injection/compression member as well as a lower plate injection/compression/compression-assessment assembly member; said upper plate being in a slideably movable connection with an element of a motive mechanism, which element passes through a slot in said upper plate, and, with a movement of said element within said slot, creating a provision for an alternating tobacco-compression forward stroke and a returning stroke of said upper plate as said motive mechanism element acts as a driving force of said double plate injection/compression/compression-assessment assembly; said upper plate further comprising in part a plurality of tabs on a rear end of said plate, a pair of which tabs, are in a contact position with a leaf spring of said lower plate; which said leaf spring is in an affixation at a rear end of said lower plate; said contact between said tabs and said leaf spring being of a nature such that a forward movement of said upper plate generally results in a simultaneous forward movement of said lower plate in said forward compression-direction towards said compression chamber of said device; when said upper plate is in a fully forward compression position, a central tab of said upper plate is brought into an engagement with a termination end of said lower plate; said moveable conjoinment of said upper plate and said lower plate comprising a relationship wherein said lower plate is in a position sandwiched between said top plate and a horizontal structural surface of a lower block portion of said device, with an upper block portion forming an upper housing bordering a top surface of said upper plate of said dual-plate assembly; forming thus a cavity within which is made an allowance for said lower plate to engage in a conjoint movement with said upper plate; and, a totality of a relationship between (i) said upper plate tabs, (ii) said lower plate leaf spring, alternatively providing for an allowance for said lower plate to move either conjointly with or separately relative to said upper plate (iii) when an optimal density of a tobacco rod in said compression chamber of said device creates a rear-ward pressure sufficient to overcome a bias of said leaf spring of said lower plate, thereby making an allowance for and a separate movement of said lower plate in a rearward direction from said compression chamber; said overcoming of said leaf sprig bias, following a successive series of said compression strokes of said dual-plate assembly, in an incremental manner leading to a rearward movement of said lower plate such that said rearward movement creates a separation between a pair of elements of a cigarette roll compaction completion assessment monitoring array of said device; said separation of said elements providing a signaling of an end of a metering/compression action and readiness of a start of an injection action of said device; said device further partially comprising means for a transfer of a rod of compressed tobacco from said compression chamber into a cigarette tube held in a removable affixation at a termination end of said injection means.