Patent GB-315778-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for stripping tobacco leaves
IPC: A24B5/02
Filed: 1928-04-17
Abstract: 315,778. Wade, H., (Aktiebolaget Formator). April 17, 1928. Stripping and booking. - In a machine for stripping the stems from tobacco leaves, a feeding device consists of belts 19, 38 arranged to grip the leaf between them and passing over pulleys 37, 39, and the stem of the leaf is seized by a gripper 1 located in front of the pulleys 37, 39 and moved at an angle to the belts to effect stemming. As shown, the gripper comprises shanks 2, 4 and a knife 3 fixed on the holder 1, and a shank 5 mounted on a holder 6 rotatable on a shaft 7 on the holder 1. The parts are initially in the position shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 8 and the stem of a tobacco leaf is placed between the gripper shanks with the tip of the leaf towards the pulleys 37, 39. On depressing a treadle 14, connected by a link 15. a lever 16 and a rod 13 to a bellcrank lever 10, 12 having a lug 9 engaging an arm 8 on the holder 6. the arm 8 is released and a spring 17 moves the shank 5 towards the shank 2, the stem 20 being severed by the fixed knife 3 at the edge of the shank 5. The severing movement of the shank 5 is assisted by a lug 21 on the lever 10, acting upon an abutment 22 on the arm 8. The machine is started by further depression of the treadle 14, a coupling rod 23 being released from an arm 24 on the shaft 25 of a booking drum 39. and a friction clutch 27, 29 on the driving shaft 28 being released by a strap 119 on the rod 23. The booking drum 39 is then driven through one revolution through toothed and sprocket gearing 31 - . 35, whereupon the friction clutch 27, 29 is released by the engagement of the arm 24 with the rod 23, which is raised by the spring 66 when the pedal 14 is released. In order to move the gripper for tearing out the stem of the leaf, the holder 1 is secured on a shaft 46 rotatable in arms 47, 48, Figs. 1 and 2, mounted on a shaft 152 and actuated by a cam 58 on the shaft 25 through an arm 56, pivoted on a frame member 54. and a link 55. An arm 49 on the shaft 46. Figs. 5 and 6, is held by a spring 52 in engagement with an abutment 51 on the arm 48 to maintain the gripper in an upright position. When the entire stem has been torn out, a roller 59 on the arm 49 engages a fixed guide bar 60 in the frame, turning the gripper about the shaft 46 into engagement with a picker 61 to remove the stem, which falls down a shoot 128. The picker 61 is pivoted upon an arm 62. For removing any leaf portions remaining upon the stem, toothed cutter wheels, 67, 68, Fig. 13, are provided, a. circular opening 70 being left between the tips of the teeth of the wheel 67 and the roots of the teeth of the wheel 68. The wheel 67 is carried by a shaft 71, Fig. 1, driven by sprocket gearing 73 from the shaft 28, and the wheel 68 is carried by a forked arm 77 on a shaft 78, which is oscillated by means of an arm 84 and a rod 83 actuated by a cam 80 on the shaft 25. The wheel 68 is driven from the shaft 71 through gear wheels 87, 88 when the two wheels are in the position shown in Fig. 13. The feed belt 38 passes over pulleys 39, 40 carried by arms 41 mounted on this shaft being held by a spring in the shaft of the pulley 40, an arm 45 on engagement with a cam 44 on the shaft 25. When the machine is started, the arms 41 and bell 38 move from the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in broken lines, the belt 38 then being driven from the belt 19 and feeding the tobacco leaf to the booking drum. The belt 19 passes over the pulleys 37, 45, 91, around the drum 36, and over pulleys 92 - - 97, so that the stripped leaves are superposed on the drum 36. When a suitable number of leaves have been collected on the drum, arms 99 carrying the pulley 92 are raised against the action of a spring 129 by means of a handle acting through a pull rod 107 and arm 108, allowing the leaves to be removed. The booked leaves can be cut up by means of a fixed knife co-operating with a knife 110 pivoted at 111 and actuated from a pedal 113.