Patent GB-426528-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to filler feeding mechanism for cigar making machines
IPC: A24C1/02
Filed: 1934-06-04
Abstract: 426,528. Cigar - making machines. INTERNATIONAL CIGAR MACHINERY CO., 5520, 2nd Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. June 4, 1934, No. 16640. Convention date, Jan. 9. [Class 130] In automatic filler-feeding mechanism for cigar-making machines, filler tobacco is fed intermittently by a belt 33 into a charge measuring chamber 46 against the resistance of a yielding member 45 which projects thereinto, said member 45, when pushed back a predetermined distance by the advancing tobacco, disengaging a friction roller clutch, which rotates a drum 13 driving the belt 33, to interrupt the feed. The clutch is located between a driven member 23 secured to the shaft 12 of the drum 13 and a sprocket 16 which is loosely mounted on the said shaft and is rotated continuously by a chain 15 from the main drive of the machine, and it comprises a plate 17, secured to the sprocket 16 and provided with an axially extending flange 18, and a ratchet wheel 19, loose on the shaft 12 and carrying a set of studs 20 with rollers 21 located within tapering notches 22 in the periphery of the member 23. The rollers 21 are normally jammed between the front end of the notches 22 and the flange 18 by a spring 24, secured at its ends to pins 25, 26 fixed in the ratchet 19 and member 23 respectively, but are released by the engagement with the ratchet of a spring-pressed pawl 29. This pawl is pivotally mounted on a stud 30 and is normally held out of engagement with the ratchet by a trip member 58 which is loose on a shaft 52 and is provided with adjustable screws 58<a> engaged by the tail 51b of a weighted arm 51 fixed to said shaft 52. Also fixed on the shaft 52 is an arm 53 connected by a rod 54 to an arm 55 carrying the member 45, the arm 55 being pivoted to a lever 62 adapted to swing on a shaft 63 carried by the machine. In operation, tobacco is carried by the belt 33 under levelling wheels 40 and guides 41 to small wheels 42 which feed it to the chamber 46, constituted by a platform 43 and guides 44, against the yielding member 45 until its density is sufficient to move the member 45 backwards and effect part rotation of the shaft 52 against the resistance of the weighted arm 51. This action causes the tail 51b of the arm 51 to swing away from the pawl 29 and allow the latter to engage the ratchet 19 and release the clutch. The feed belt 33 then stops, the filler charge is cut off by a knife 47, 48, the member 45 is pulled down by a cam-operated rod 60 connected to the lever 62, and finally the severed charge is removed from the chamber 46 by transfer fingers 50<a> and the member 45 returned to its normal position. During the latter operation the continued rotation of the sprocket 16 and flange 18 causes a cam piece 31 carried by the said flange to engage a roller 32 on the pawl 29 and move the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet, thus permitting the ratchet 19 and rollers 21 to move forwardly under the action of the spring 24 to effect rotation of the member 23 and belt drum 13 again to deliver the filler tobacco for the next charge.