Cigarette making machine hopper
AssigneeMolins Limited
InventorFrancis A. M. Labbe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hopper for a cigarette making machine includes a tobacco feeding device which delivers tobacco into a downwardly extending channel in which a column of tobacco is formed, and means for feeding tobacco continuously from the lower end of the channel, characterised in that the tobacco feeding device includes means for feeding tobacco onto a conveyor which carries the tobacco to a position at which it drops off the conveyor and enters the upper end of the channel, a spiked conveyor which is spaced slightly from the first conveyor and is arranged to pick up any lumps of tobacco of significant size from the firt conveyor, and means for opening up the lumps of tobacco and for returning the opened up tobacco into the main stream of tobacco.
Claims9
A hopper for a cigarette making machine including a tobacco feeding device which delivers tobacco into a downwardly extending channel in which a column of tobacco is formed, and means for feeding tobacco continuously from the lower end of the channel, characterized in that the tobacco feeding device includes means for feeding a stream of tobacco onto a first conveyor which carries the stream of tobacco to a position at which it drops off the conveyor and enters the upper end of the channel, said first conveyor, channel and means for feeding tobacco from the lower end of the channel being arranged along a main path, a spiked conveyor which is spaced slightly from the first conveyor and is arranged to selectively pick up any lumps of tobacco of significant size from the stream of tobacco on the first conveyor, and means for opening up the lumps of tobacco and for returning the opened up tobacco into the main path of the tobacco, said spiked conveyor and means for opening up the lumps of tobacco and for returning the opened up tobacco being along a second path.
In a hopper for a cigarette making machine:
- (a) means for directing tobacco along a main path and means for directing selected of said tobacco along a second path extending between spaced locations along said main path;
- (b) said means for directing tobacco along a main path comprising:
- 1. means defining a downwardly extending channel for forming a column of tobacco,
- 2. first conveyor means for feeding a stream of tobacco into the upper end of said channel, and
- 3. means for feeding tobacco continuously from the lower end of said channel;
- and
- (c) said means for directing selected of said tobacco along said second path comprising:
- 1. a spiked conveyor adjacent said first conveyor means, the distance between said spiked conveyor and said first conveyor means being such that said spiked conveyor selectively picks up any lumps of tobacco of sufficient size from said stream of tobacco on said first conveyor, and
- 2. means for opening up said lumps of tobacco and for returning the opened up tobacco to said main path;
- (d) whereby jamming of said channel by lumps of tobacco is avoided and the tobacco dispensed from said hopper is free of lumps of significant size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.