Apparatus for sorting tobacco leaves
OwnerEmil S. Asfourinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved apparatus for grading and sorting of tobacco wherein the tobacco is dropped onto a continuously moving conveyor from which it is passed over an end plate and is scanned by one or more detectors suitably located in a housing mounted above the end plate, the detectors producing a signal indicative of the reflectivity of the desired tobacco leaf which signal controls an ejection system for separating the desired from the undesired leaf. The invention includes new structure for the end plate, detector housing and light source housing.
Claims29
Apparatus for sorting tobacco leaves, comprising a conveyor for moving leaves, an end plate comprising a substantially horizontally disposed surface over which said leaves pass, said plate being arranged in cooperation with the forward end of said conveyor to receive said moving leaves therefrom, means for resiliently mounting said end plate to be movable away from said conveyor on accumulation of leaves between said conveyor and said end plate, said end plate being adapted to provide a preselected level of light reflection, a photoelectric sensor spaced above said end plate adapted to provide a signal indicative of the reflection of light from the leaves passing over said end plate and means responsive to said signal to classify said leaves.
Apparatus for sorting tobacco leaves, comprising a conveyor for moving leaves to a discharge end, an end plate comprising a substantially horizontally disposed surface arranged at the discharge end of said conveyor in cooperation therewith to receive said moving leaves passing thereover, said end plate being supported by a housing comprising a frame mounted at the end of said conveyor, said frame including a pair of laterally spaced side supports, and means for removably mounting said plate on said side supports.
Apparatus for sorting tobacco leaves comprising a linear conveyor for moving leaves, a housing mounted at the forward end of said conveyor, said housing having a pair of laterally spaced side supports, an end plate extending between said side supports on which said tobacco leaves are supported as they pass forwardly from said conveyor, a sensor spaced above said end plate adapted to provide a signal indicative of the reflection of light from said passing leaves, a plurality of first air jet nozzles secured to said housing below the front end portion thereof, said first nozzles being connected to a compressed air system responsive to a signal from said sensor to provide an air current in the forward direction through said nozzles.
Apparatus for classifying tobacco leaves comprising a conveyor for moving leaves, a planar surface disposed in conjunction with said conveyor over which said leaves pass and a sensor spaced opposite said end plate to provide a signal indicative of the reflection of light from said leaves passing thereover, said planar surface being formed of three layers
- a. a topmost layer made of glass adapted for permitting maximum light diffusion,
- b. a middle layer which is black and which is perforated over its entire surface, and
- c. a bottom-most layer which is white and is provided with black markings arranged to coincide with the perforations of said middle layer when the middle layer and bottom layer are positioned in matched superposed relationship.
A testing member for the quality of individual tobacco leaves and adapted for determining the reflectivity of the individual leaves comprising an end plate comprising a substantially horizontally disposed leaf supporting surface in combination with scanning or detector means mounted in vertically spaced relation over said end plate wherein said end plate is supported in a box-like housing comprising a frame including a pair of laterally spaced side supports with said end plate extending between said side supports, including a plurality of air jet nozzles arranged below said housing at the front end portion thereof, said nozzles being connected to a compressed air system so that an air current of adjustable force can be obtained in the forward direction through said nozzles for effecting classifying of said leaves, said end plate being formed of three separate layers,
- a. a topmost layer made of glass adapted for permitting maximum light diffusion,
- b. a middle layer which is black and which is perforated over its entire surface, and
- c. a bottom-most layer which is white and is provided with black markings arranged to coincide with the perforations of said middle layer when the middle layer and bottom layer are positioned in matched superposed relationship, and wherein at least one of said middle and bottom layers is mounted in said frame for movement with respect to the other whereby the relationship of said perforations with respect to said black markings on said white bottom layer may be varied from a position where they completely coincide and provide an entire overall black appearance to one where only white is seen through said perforations to provide a mixed white appearance.
A system for classifying tobacco leaves having a conveyor for said leaves, a surface disposed in conjunction with said conveyor and comprising a diffused combination of white and black, over which surface said leaves pass, a photoelectric sensor being arranged spacedly from said surface and being adapted to provide a signal indicative of the light level reflected thereon by the sensed leaf having thereunder the diffused white and black combined surface.
A system for classifying tobacco leaves having a conveyor for said leaves, a surface disposed in conjunction with said conveyor and comprising a diffused combination of contrasting colors, over which surface said leaves pass, a photoelectric sensor being arranged opposite said surface for receiving light reflected thereon and to provide a signal indicative of the level of the light reflected by the sensed leaf having thereunder the diffused background of contrasting colors provided by said surface, said surface comprising at least a pair of members each having means reflecting the levels of light of said contrasting colors, wherein at least said means reflecting said levels of light are adjustable with respect to each other to selectively vary the combined level of light reflection of said surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.