Patent GB-635378-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cigarette making machines
IPC: A24C5/34
Filed: 1947-09-02
Abstract: 635,378. Cigarette-making machines. BEST, C., and MOLINS MACHINE CO., Ltd. Sept. 2, 1947, No. 24178. [Class 130] [Also in Groups XVIII and XXXV] In apparatus for automatically controlling the tobacco feed of a cigarette-making machine to produce cigarettes of constant weight, separate cigarettes are weighed and feelers co-operate with the weighbeam which operate switches to record the weighing operations and control a reversible electric motor which rotates the regulating shaft of the feed apparatus when under- or over-weight cigarettes are weighed. General. In the machine shown in Fig. 4, the tobacco feeding apparatus 101 includes an endless belt 102 which carries tobacco to the paper web 103 at roller 106 and the loaded web is carried forward by endless tape 107. The folder 108, paster 109 and drier 110 produce a continuous cigarette rod which is severed by a cut-off 111, the resultant cigarettes being carried by a conveyer 2 to the weighing apparatus 113. The latter controls a reversible motor 115 which drives the shaft 114 which drives a screwed bush 121 into or out of a bearing bracket 122 thereby adjusting the variable diameter pulley 123, 125, 126, 127 driven by the mainshaft 124 of the machine. A belt drive from the variable pulley rotates the shaft 130 of the tobacco feed apparatus. Weighing apparatus. The cigarettes on conveyer 2, Fig. 1, are swept by deflector wheel 4 to feeler arms 5 forming part of a test apparatus as described in Specification 607,002 from which they are delivered to a suction drum 6. One cigarette in sixteen is removed .from the drum for weighing, or the proportion weighed may be varied by change gearing. The remainder are discharged on to the catcher band 7 by the ends 11 of downwardly depending stripper plates 9 on each side of the drum. When a cigarette is to be weighed, the plates 9 move in and it is carried upward to be stripped by the upper ends 12 of the plates, and to roll on to a pivoted plate 13 which leads it to the pan 14 of the weighing machine (see also Fig. 3). The weighing apparatus has a weighbeam 15 suspended on taut wire 16 with the pan 14 pivoted at one end, the standard weight being counterpoised by a loop 17 of copper, the movements of which are damped by the field of magnet 18. The beam carries a deflection plate 19 with a flat horizontal top and a series of steps on each side edge. Pivoted feelers 20 engage the deflection plate when the beam has reached equilibrium in the weighing operation. Both feelers engage the top of the plate if the cigarette being weighed is of the correct weight. If a cigarette is light one feeler engages the top and one engages a step L (light) or EL (extra light) while if it is heavy one engages the top and the other a step H (heavy) or EH (extra heavy). If there is no cigarette in the pan the second feeler engages the step NC. The downwardly depending rods 37, moving angularly with the feelers, are thus positioned over the appropriate pair of six switches 38 ... 43, which pair are operated when the switch carrier 144 is raised. The closing of two of these switches operates counting and motor control circuits as described later, but in the NC position of a feeler only one switch is operated. A rider 92 is lifted by the weighbeam when an extremely light cigarette is in the pan to prevent the plate 19 from moving into the NC position. Thereafter the pivoted plate 13 lifts the cigarette out of the pan just before it delivers the next to the pan to be weighed, and it is held by projections 27 until it falls on the catcher band 7. The weighing operations may be put into and out of action by a knob 78 adapted to impart longitudinal movement to rod 77 which in its forward "stop" position causes a stop rod 74 to engage pawl 66. The three-armed lever 63 which moves the stripper plates 9 is thus held in the position in which all the cigarettes are stripped by the ends 11 on to the catcher band 7. In order to ensure that only one cigarette is weighed for every two revolutions of the eight-position drum 6, the lever 63 is restrained from moving every other revolution by the stop rod 74 operated by lever 72. Control circuits. The motor 115, Fig. 5, which controls the tobacco feed. is operated from an 8-volt and a 24-volt supply through contactors Cl, C2, and a 100-volt supply operates the counting equipment. The feeler-operated switches 38 ... 43 are shown in the "correct weight" position, switches 40, 41 being closed. In this position, current flows from 100+ through total counter 137, switches 40, 41 and "correct" counter 140, the motor remaining unenergized. If the switches are set to the "extra heavy" position, for example, switches 40, 43 are closed and the total counter 137 and "extra heavy" counter 143 are operated. The latter operates a switch SH which connects the 24+ terminal through main switch S to energize relay RH which energizes shunt field relay SFR and contactor C2 through contact 146. This contactor operates to connect terminal 8+ to the motor armature A and series field SF and start the motor while relay SFR energizes the shunt field ShF. The motor is operated in the reverse direction by contactor C1 when the "extra light" counter 138 is operated. At the conclusion of the weighing operation when all switches 38 ... 43 are opened, the energized contactor C1 or C2 falls back to short circuit the motor armature. The shunt field remains energized for a period, the relay SFR being slugged, so that the motor is instantly stopped. by. dynamic braking. Manual control of the feed-control motor 115 may be accomplished by switch OS. the upper arm of which when moved either to the right or left provides a 24-volt supply for the motor to give rapid adjustment. The coupled switch arm energizes contactor C1 or C2, to provide the alternative directions of motion. Suction drum. The hollow drum 6, Figs. 1 and 7, rotates on a fixed perforated boss 82 with a small clearance, and where the cigarettes are received the boss is cut away at 84 to expose the whole of a set of four suction apertures 8 which communicate with a groove 85. The cut away portion extends circumferentially to embrace three sets of apertures but thereafter a circumferential groove 86 exposes the two inner holes only. Thus strong suction is provided where the cigarettes are picked up and a weaker suction thereafter allowing them easily to be stripped. A tooth 87 is provided in front of each suction groove 85 to sweep cigarettes along the catcher band 7, should the latter become overloaded. To facilitate setting up and adjusting the apparatus by hand, the tooth of the drum following the one corresponding to delivery for weighing comprises a cam surface 93. This prevents a cigarette from falling between the drum and the pivoted feed plate when slow operation is in progress.