Tobacco handling apparatus

Tobacco leaf handling apparatus for facilitating the loading of tobacco leaves into successive bulk curing structures each of which includes a plurality of parts movable with respect to one another between a tobacco leaf receiving and loading position and a tobacco leaf supporting and curing position, said apparatus being operable to transfer harvested tobacco leaves from a source into contained relation with successive parts of successive tobacco curing structures positioned with an area having a substantial horizontal extent, said apparatus comprising

• conveyor means adapted to receive harvested tobacco leaves from a source and arranged for discharging the leaves from an end thereof with a force sufficient to propel the leaves through the air along and to the end of a flow path above said area having a greater horizontal extent than the horizontal extent of said area,
• means for supporting successive curing structure parts within said area in a position below said flow path so that discharged tobacco leaves flowing in said path are available to be moved downwardly out of said path into contained relation with respect thereto,
• tobacco leaf deflecting means mounted above said part supporting means within said flow path for generally horizontal cyclical movements in the direction of extent of said flow path,
• means for effecting continuous cyclical movements of said deflecting means,
• said tobacco leaf deflecting means including leaf engaging surface means open in a horizontal direction toward the discharge end of said conveyor means operable during the cyclical movement of said leaf deflecting means to intercept by engagement therewith successively available leaves propelled through the air along the flow path at different horizontal positions determined by the position of cyclic movement of said leaf deflecting means when engagement occurs so as to effect a substantially uniform distribution of the leaves in the direction of extent of the flow path with respect to said part supporting means therebelow.