Patent GB-415670-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to tobacco feeding mechanism for cigar making machines
IPC: A24C1/02
Filed: 1933-07-28
Abstract: 415,670. Cigar - making machines. TRIGGS, W. W., 57, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.-(International Cigar Machinery Co. ; 5520, 2nd Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.) July 28, 1933, No. 9539/34. Divided on 415,571. [Class 130.] A tobacco-feeding mechanism for cigarmaking machines includes mechanism for advancing the forward end of a layer of tobacco over a supporting surface 71, and a projectable and retractable element such as an endless chain belt 72 which engages the upper surface of the tobacco layer and is projected forwards with the tobacco layer over the supporting surface and then retracted from above the surface of the tobacco. As shown, tobacco leaves T are placed on a cross-feed belt 24 supported by a feed table 25 and actuated by a roller 26 on a shaft 27 driven intermittently through bevel and spur gearing 32, 33, 35, 36, 39, 40 from a shaft 41 ; a ratchet 42 on the shaft 41 is actuated by a pawl pivoted on a loose gear 44 oscillated by a gear sector 45 connected to a lever 48 carrying a roller 50 engaging in the track 51 of a cam on the shaft 23. Side belts 53, 54 are driven by rollers geared to the shaft 27. The belt 24 feeds the tobacco step-bystep to the platform 71, and disturbance of the layer of tobacco is prevented by the chain belt 72 resting on the tobacco and travelling in synchronism with the belt 24. The chain belt 72 travels over sprockets 73, 80, a roller 81 and a tension roller 101, the sprocket 73 being driven by a belt 78 from the shaft 27. To enable the forward end of the chain belt to move out over the platform 71 during the feed movement of the belt 24, the sprockets 80 are carried by arms 86, 87 actuated by a cam 90 on a shaft 91 driven through bevel and sprocket gearing 92, 93, 97 from the shaft 23. The chain belt is kept flat upon the tobacco layer by a jointed guide plate 99 resting loosely on the bottom loop of the belt, the joints being such that the plate cannot be folded upwards beyond a substantially horizontal position on the retreat of the belt. The tobacco on the platform 71 is cut by the descent of a corrugated cutter 104 passing through a cutter plate 105 forming a bridge between the feed belt 24 and the platform 71. The tobacco is held during cutting by a die 106 which is mounted on spring-controlled guide rods 115 and acts as a stripper on the return of the cutter. A support 107 for the cutter is adjustably mounted on a slide 108 actuated by a lever 110 having a roller 112 engaging in the track of a cam 114 on the shaft 94. The platform 71 is pivotally mounted by means of lugs 119 on a rod 120 supported by a bracket 121 on the feedway plate 122, and is lowered into a horizontal position, on the operation of the cutter, by means of a link 126 and a lever actuated by a cam on the shaft 23. As the platform reaches its horizontal position, a set of ribbed forwarding fingers 135 move into engagement with the surface of the tobacco layer and slide it at right angles to its previous direction of travel, on to the feedway plate 122. The fingers 135 are carried by a slide carriage 142 provided with a pair of rollers 144 running on a guide rail 145 mounted on a rod 147, which is vertically reciprocated by a cam on the shaft 23. The horizontal reciprocation of the carriage 142 is effected by links 155 actuated by an arm 156 on a shaft 157 having an arm 158 actuated by a cam 160 on the shaft 94. The layer portions successively forwarded along the feedway 122 are formed into a second layer, from which bunch charges are separated, by mechanism described in Specification 415,571.