Patent GB-190314557-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for the Treatment of Tobacco Leaves.
Inventor: MARIER GUSTAVE ANTOINE
Filed: 1903-06-30
Granted: 1903-08-13
Abstract: 14,557. Marier, G. A. June 30. Cutting tobacco. - The stems and mid-ribs of the leaves of tobacco are removed by vertical knives pressed up from beneath the leaves, which are thus divided each into two parts. Travelling endless bands on each side of the machine remove the parts of the leaves to damping-sponges on pivoted arms, which are thrown over so as to place the leaves on a folding-apparatus, whence they pass into a drawer. The workman spreads the leaves upon the table d, Fig. 3, and feeds them singly between the endless chains 14, 15. A bar 19, carrying on its head two spring rollers 20, shown also in Fig. 9, is reciprocated longitudinally so that the rollers 20 press the leaf upon knives beneath it, thus removing the mid-rib. The return of the bar 19 causes the chains 14, 15 to remove the mid-rib and drop it through the bed b, and brings another leaf into position for stemming. The separated half-leaves are passed to the tapes 59, which run in grooves 58, Figs. 11 and 12, in the rollers 50, 56, and the frame carrying the rollers 51, 70 is lifted by a lever actuated by the movement of the bar 19 so as to allow the leaf to pass under the driving-belt 72. The apron is driven intermittently by bevel and spur gearing connecting the axis of the roller 56 to the transverse axis r, Fig. 3, of one of the wheels supporting the chain 15, which axis r is rotated by tooth gearing connecting it to the axis 32. The axis 32 is rotated intermittently by the bar 19 by means of the rack 31, pinion 34, and ratchet clutch 36. The half-leaves are transferred from the apron to a pair of aprons 100, 101, Fig. 13, and are damped by sponges placed between the perforated fingers 93, Fig. 10, of the arms 82, which are pivoted on the axes 80, Fig. 9, and normally rest in the grooves 83, Fig. 12, between the grooves 58 on the rollers 56. The arms 82 are thrown over by pins 91, Fig. 9, on the bar 19 engaging with levers 88, which oscillate quadrantal racks 86 engaging with pinions on the axes 80. The upper parts of the aprons 100, 101, Fig. 13, are driven towards each other by pinions 112 connected to their axes by clutches, shown in Fig. 14, consisting of a pair of rollers 115 in tapering curved grooves 114 in the wheels 112. When the pinions are driven in one direction, the rollers 115 rotate in the grooves and act as antifriction rollers ; when the pinions rotate in the opposite direction, the rollers 115 jam and drive the aprons. The pinions 112 are rotated by racks 120, Fig. 13, reciprocated vertically by a crank-pin 125 on the wheel 121. The crosshead 122 also carries a right-angled bar 126, which, as it descends, folds the leaves in the middle, and forces them between the aprons 100,101, which deliver them to a press-plate 127 pivoted at its lower end to brackets 128 and reciprocated by a crank-pin 130 and a rod 129. The plate 127 places the book of folded leaves into a receptacle 144, which, as it fills, moves gradually on its support 145 until it rings the signal bell 147, Fig. 3. The bar 19 is reciprocated by a crank-pin 152, Fig. 9, on the wheel 151, the crank-pin being connected to the arm 155 on the bar by a rod 153. Each revolution of the main shaft 150 causes a tooth 167, Fig. 13, upon it to move the wheel 168 a space, so that, when tobacco leaves in number equal to the number of teeth in the wheel 168 have been cut and placed on the folding-apparatus, the pin 169 strikes the arm 166, Fig. 9, rotating the spindle 163 and straightening the toggle 259, which throws the clutch 159 into gear. The-wheel 156 is thus rotated, and drives the wheel 124, the pin 125 upon which depresses the creaser 126.