Method and apparatus for automatic and continuous pneumatic feeding of tobacco

An apparatus for continuously feeding tobacco from a bulker to two cigarette making machines, comprising:

• means to deposit said tobacco from said bulker into a vibratory feed pan having a first and a second tobacco discharge aperture therein, said first aperture slidably coverable by a first slide gate and said second aperture slidably coverable by a second slide gate;
• a first airlock disposed below said first aperture and a second airlock disposed below said second aperture;
• a first and a second cigarette making machine;
• pneumatic piping connecting said first airlock to said first cigarette making machine and said second airlock to said second cigarette making machine, said pneumatic piping being further connected to a vacuum source;
• means for detecting the level of tobacco within each of said machines;
• and,
• first controller means for dispensing said tobacco into said pneumatic piping operably connected to said detecting means and to said first and second slide gates.

A method of continuously conveying tobacco from a bulker to a cigarette manufacturing machine, comprising:

• dispensing tobacco from said bulker into a feed pan;
• discharging tobacco from said feed pan into an airlock, said discharging being operable in response to a preselected tobacco level in said cigarette maker;
• continuously pneumatically conveying tobacco within piping from said airlock to said cigarette making machine;
• controlling the flow of tobacco within said piping by measuring the velocity of airflow in said piping by opening and closing a flow control valve in response to said measuring.