APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGAR BUNCHES

• US 3,703,902 A
• Filed: 02/17/1969
• Issued: 11/28/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Adolph Sargrove
• Original Assignee: John Adolph Sargrove
• Inventors: Sargrove, John Adolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Koren, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US04/799,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 131/21,21C,22,81,81A,22A,39,41,44 177/122,123
• US Class Current: 131/39
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 1/02 Tobacco-feeding devices with or without means for dividing the tobacco into measured quantities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 131/91 Sensing or detecting malfunction in cigar or cigarette maker

Abstract

An apparatus for making cigar bunches including means for preparing charges of filler tobacco which fall short of the target weight, means for determining how short the charges are, and means for adding a number of topping up units of tobacco of predetermined size according to the amount by which the charge is short of the target weight.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making cigar bunches with a predetermined target weight of filler tobacco wherein there are provided:

a. a variable volume chamber in which filler tobacco is contained;

b. weighing apparatus for weighing the filler tobacco from the variable volume chamber;

c. a control device for varying the volume of the chamber, the control device comprising, d. an eccentric shaft on which a movable base of the chamber is mounted so that rotation of the shaft causes movement of the base of the chamber; and

an electric motor for rotating the eccentric shaft in accordance with control signals determined by the difference in weight determined by the weighing apparatus and the predetermined target weight.

2. Apparatus for making cigar bunches with a predetermined target weight of filler tobacco, comprising:

a. a magazine for holding filler tobacco;

b. a rotatable cylinder disposed at the lower end of the magazine;

c. a variable volume chamber formed in the periphery of the cylinder providing an extension to the lower end of the magazine, the volume of the chamber being such that the weight of tobacco therein is not more than the target weight;

d. a weight slidably mounted within the magazine for maintaining in compression a column of tobacco within the chamber;

e. means for rotating the cylinder about its axis, thereby i. rotating the chamber out of alignment with the ii. obturating the lower end of the magazine with the cylinder;

iii. when the chamber is filled with tobacco, providing for a cigar bunch a charge of filler tobacco;

f. means for weighing the charge of filler tobacco;

g. means for determining by how much the charge is lighter than the target weight;

h. means for storing a supply of topping-up tobacco stored in units of predetermined size;

i. means for adding to each light weight charge a number of units of topping-up tobacco proportional to the amount by which the charge is short of the target weight;

j. means for varying the volume of the chamber in accordance with control signals determined by the difference in weIght between the weight of the charge of filler tobacco and the predetermined target weight.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the variable volume chamber is a channel tapering from each of its ends towards its middle.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower face of the weight is of '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'V'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' section.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said chamber volume varying means comprises a. a movable chamber base, being movable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotatable cylinder;

b. an eccentric shaft on which said movable base of the chamber is mounted; and

c. an electric motor for rotating the eccentric shaft in accordance with control signals determined by the degree of imbalance of the weighing operations.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein there are provided;

a. a common chute to receive the charge from the weighing means and to receive the units of topping-up tobacco; and

b. means for transferring the charge from the weighing means to the common chute.