Method and apparatus for comminuting tobacco or the like
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for comminution of fibrous material, particularly in a tobacco shredding apparatus, a combination comprising a source of fibrous material;
- comminuting means spaced apart from said source;
feeding means including conveyor means movable in a first direction to advance fibrous material from said source into the range of said comminuting means and in a second direction to withdraw the material from said range;
means for moving said conveyor means in said first direction; and
control means including means for deactivating said moving means and means for effecting the movement of said conveyor means in said second direction in response to deactivation of said moving means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The chains which condense and advance a continuous cake of compacted tobacco into the range of orbiting knives in a tobacco shredding machine are driven by a reversible prime mover independently of the motor which drives the knives. When the movement of the prime mover in a direction to advance the tobacco cake into the range of the knives is interrupted, the prime mover is automatically started in reverse so that the chains retract the leader of the cake from the range of orbiting knives and thus prevent further comminution and eventual overheating and combustion of tobacco. The operation in reverse is terminated by a time-delay device when the leader of the cake is retracted from the range of orbiting knives to an extent which insures that automatic expansion of the leader toward the knives does not suffice to permit any contact between the cake and the orbiting knives while the chains are not driven in a direction to move the cake toward the knives.
45 Citations
11 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for comminution of fibrous material, particularly in a tobacco shredding apparatus, a combination comprising a source of fibrous material;
- comminuting means spaced apart from said source;
feeding means including conveyor means movable in a first direction to advance fibrous material from said source into the range of said comminuting means and in a second direction to withdraw the material from said range;
means for moving said conveyor means in said first direction; and
control means including means for deactivating said moving means and means for effecting the movement of said conveyor means in said second direction in response to deactivation of said moving means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- comminuting means spaced apart from said source;
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11. A method of preventing overheating of fibrous material, particularly tobacco, on contact with driven comminuting instrumentalities which comminute the leader of a continuous body of compacted fibrous material while the body is moved in a direction toward said instrumentalities and the material of the leader of said body tends to undergo a pronounced heating action as a result of automatic expansion toward and into contact with said instrumentalities on termination of movement in said direction, comprising the steps of retracting the leader of said body in a direction away from said instrumentalities in response to termination of said movement;
- and terminating said retracting step when the leader is sufficiently remote from said instrumentalities to insure that expansion of the leader does not result in movement of the leader into the range of said instrumentalities.
Specification