Patent GB-599875-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in filler feed for cigar bunch machines
IPC: A24C1/02
Filed: 1945-09-24
Abstract: 599,875. Cigar-making machines. INTERNATIONAL CIGAR MACHINERY CO. Sept. 24, 1945, No. 34736. Convention date, Aug. 31, 1944. [Class 130] A cigar-making machine has means for automatically removing tobacco leaves individually in succession from a bulk supply of leaf tobacco and mechanism which receives the leaves from the removing means and assembles them in a magazine in overlapping shingled formation. The machine consists of a tobacco leaf feed drum D, associated in some cases with an auxiliary feed drum DA for a blending leaf such as Havana, a feed channel and conveyer F, a magazine M and a cigar machine crossfeed C. The rotary feed drum has an opening 32, Fig. 1, through which the leaves T are manually inserted. A chain passing round the drum is driven by a sprocket 52 connected by further chain gearing and reducing gear to a driving motor 70. A series of conical cups 88 in the drum communicate with ducts 40 which for part of their circular travel are connected to a segmental suction channel 94. In this way, as the drum rotates, one or more leaves are picked up on each cup and moved to position L, Fig. 1, where it is dropped by relief of the suction into a fixed inclined shoot 92. Deflectors 91 prevent accumulation of leaves at a position away from the suction cups. Where a blending tobacco is used, the auxiliary drum DA therefor has screened suction openings which are connected to the suction duct 94 of the main feed drum. The auxiliary drum is driven by a chain 232 from a branch gear train. The shoot 92 of the main drum and the guide plate 252, Fig. 5, leading from the auxiliary drum conduct the leaves to conveyer F, the sides of which are formed by guide plates 142, 144 and the bottom by a belt 106 passing round pulleys driven from a motor 124, Fig. 1, mounted on the frame 76. The belt speed is such that the tobacco leaves falling on the belt are arranged with their axes longitudinal of the belt travel. The top of the feed channel may be closed by a pivoted gate G operated through lever mechanism from a cam 192 on the main camshaft 194. The gate is closed (dotted lines in Fig. 5) except when at the required time in the cycle a cam segment 190 becomes effective and a further feed to the magazine is to be initiated. The feed drums are stopped automatically while the gate is in closed position. The belt 106 of the feed channel transfers the leaves to a magazine M, Fig. 7, consisting of a stationary bottom plate 254 and vertical side plates 256, 258. The top of the magazine may be periodically closed by a plate 284 pivoted at 280, Fig. 7, and operated through lever mechanism from a cam 300 on the main cam-shaft 194. A stop rod determines the closed position of the cover plate. The magazine is provided with a pusher 310, Fig. 16, also operated by lever mechanism from the main cam-shaft. After a predetermined quantity of leaves has been deposited in the magazine, the feed drums are automatically stopped and the magazine cover closed, Fig. 16. The pusher is then operated to transfer the layer to the feed channel K of the cigar machine cross-feed.. For this purpose the magazine layer is first pushed in pleated form, Fig. 17, on to a plate 324 beneath a plunger P fitted with a slidable side wall 328. The plate 324 is then withdrawn, whereupon the layer drops into the feed channel on to a previously deposited layer. The plunger P then descends and compresses the layer in channel K, whereupon it is withdrawn and the plate 324 returned to its Fig. 16 position. The bottom of the channel K consists of a belt 378, Fig. 11, and the sides are provided by vertical belts 418. The plunger P which has side plates 328, can move angularly about a stud 338, Fig. 11, on a plunger bar 340 operated through lever mechanism from a cam 300 on the main camshaft. Since the feed belt of the channel K advances intermittently by one bunch length, the front S of the layer in the channel is of greater thickness than the rear and the plunger, Fig. 11, tilts to accommodate this disposition of the layer. The bridge plate 324 is pivoted on arms 388 operated from a cam and its tilting movements are effected at opposite ends of its travel by stops 410, 414 coacting with lugs 382 on the bridge plate. The cross-feed belt 378 is driven intermittently by a pulley on a shaft 422, which is also connected by bevel gears to vertical shafts driving the belts 418. One of the shafts of this gearing carries a spur gear 446 connected to a shaft 460 driven by a ratchetwheel coacting with a pawl 464, Fig. 2A. The latter is oscillated by an arm 470 operated from a crank-shaft 480 driven through chain 484 from a shaft 488 having a clutch device comprising a spring-engaged tooth and recess 494. Fig. 26. To actuate this mechanism, the power driven main shaft 518 of the cigar machine is connected by a chain 514 to the cam-shaft 194, Fig. 2A, and also to a sprocket 512 which is loose on shaft 480 and integral with a sprocket 510 connected by chain 508 to a loose sprocket whose hub carries the clutch arm 502. The cigar machine cross-feed C is as described in U.S.A. Specification 2,284,472, the tobacco being fed intermittently beneath a hinged guide plate 522, Fig. 9, beneath a compressor foot 528. The cross-feed is also provided with a corrugated cutter 530 which severs a bunch length from the tobacco stream as described in U.S.A. Specification 2,284,472. The severed length is advanced by a rake 540 on to a gate 534 of a filler magazine, whereupon an elevator 560 and the entire filter supply are lowered to a position wherein a thin charge is severed from the bottom of the column by a knife 564 as described in U.S.A. Specification 2,255,054. Means are provided for stopping the cross-feed if the column TC is too high. For this purpose a plunger 566 carrying the pressure plate 558 is connected by linkage to a control lever 578, Fig. 26, carrying a block 586, the underside of which coacts with a normally engaged latch arm 590, which may be integral with a resetting arm 596 coacting with a roller 598 on an arm 600. A weight 604 acts through pressure plate 558 on the tobacco column TC except when it is lifted by a cam-operated slotted link 608 to permit the addition of a new bunch length. As the magazine fills, link 576 is gradually depressed until it reaches a point where the latch 590 is disengaged from the lower step of block 586 and removes surface 616 from the path of roller 618, thus maintaining the clutch tooth 494 in engagement so that the drive to belt 378 is effective. The latch is re-engaged by the roller 598 and if on the next cycle sufficient tobacco is in the magazine, the latch remains in engagement and surface 616 releases the tooth 498 to disengage the driving means of the cross-feed until the tooth engagement is re-established as above described by lowering of column TC. If the cross-feed is stopped in this way, the feed drums must also be stopped. For this purpose, a mercury switch 622 is held in open position when the latch 590 is engaged, thus cutting off current to the motor 70. A further control is responsive to the amount of tobacco in the cross-feed channel K so as to keep the quantity fed by the feed drums in step with the requirements of the cross-feed. The plunger operating lever 346 has an extension 626 connected through lever mechanism to a cam bar 648 adjacent a second cam bar. The upper edges of the cam bars have recesses coacting with the roller 708 of one arm controlling a switch 712, the switch being closed when the roller drops into said recesses. In operation, the amount of tobacco in the channel K regulates the descent of the plunger P and this through lever 642 determines the setting of bar 648, Fig. 2A. Both bars are then moved inwardly by cam lever 676, closing the switch 712, whereupon the feed drums are driven until the roller is carried upwards by one of the cam bars and stops the feed drums. The bar 668 (not shown) is fully returned independently by its cam mechanism, while the bar 648 is subsequently returned to a position determined by the descent of the plunger. A hand lever 720 for starting and stopping operates a main clutch, but is arranged through a mercury switch to interrupt the supply to motor 70 to stop the machine.