Device for detacking tobacco leaf material from a flexible, belt-shaped carrier

Abstract

 A device for detacking tobacco leaves or parts thereof from a flexible, belt-shaped carrier (1) retaining said leaves, wherein said belt-shaped carrier is led over a supporting face (4) having a relatively narrow, gap-shaped opening (7), a guiding member (12) is arranged behind said opening with respect to the supporting face (4) for the carrier (1), said device further comprising means for passing the carrier over the supporting face and via the guide member through the gap forward and backward, whereupon the tobacco material with be drawn loose at the gap and be further conveyed without deformation at a further place of the belt because the leaf material bridges the gap.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for detacking tobacco leaves or parts thereof from a flexible, belt-shaped carrier retaining said leaves.

[0002] In processing tobacco material it is frequently stored temporarily on a belt by winding this material with the belt. In order to maintain the leaf material in the desired condition during storage, the belt has to be wound relatively firmly. Unwinding the belt involves the problem of a difficult removal of the tobacco material from the belt because this material adheres to the belt surface during storage.

[0003] The invention has for its object to provide a device by which tobacco leaf material can be loosened in a simple manner from the belt-shaped carrier without change of the shape of the tobacco leaf or part thereof.

[0004] The device according to the invention is distinguished by a supporting face having a relatively narrow, gap-shaped opening, by a guiding member arranged behind said opening with respect to the supporting face for the carrier and by means for passing the carrier over the supporting face and via the guide member through the gap forward and backward.

[0005] Owing to the conveyance of the flexible, belt-shaped carrier through the gap and the return of the belt-shaped carrier via the guide member the tobacco material will be drawn loose at the gap and be further conveyed at a further place of the belt because the leaf material bridges the gap. Deformation of the tobacco leaf is thus excluded.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment the devide is for- thermore characterized by a winding-off reel for the carrier wound to form a bobbin, by a leaf pick-up member arranged behind the gap in the supporting face with respect to the direction of conveyance and by a winding-up reel for winding the leaf carrier.

[0007] In order to retain the tobacco leaf material on the belt during transport over the supporting face, the supporting face according to the invention is constructed in the form of a perforated wall of a suction box.

[0008] According to the invention the propelling means are formed by a driven, perforated, endless belt over at least part of which, forming part of the supporting face, is guided the carrier.

[0009] In order to facilitate disengagement of the tobacco leaf material from the carrier the invention proposes to arrange a screening member opposite the leaf pick-up member so as to be movable towards and away from the supporting face.

[0010] The invention will be set out more fully in the following description of two embodiments shown schematically. The drawing shows in:

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 perspective side elevations of two embodiments

[0011] Referring to fig. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a belt-shaped, flexible carrier wound into a bobbin 2. The bobbin is arranged on a reel 3. The belt carrier 1 is passed over a supporting face 4 and subsequently to a winding-up reel 5.

[0012] From left to right in fig. 1 the supporting face 4 comprises the top wall of a suction box 6' and of a suction box 6", a gap-shaped opening 7 being left between said suction boxes. The suction box 6" is adjoined by an endless, belt-shaped element 8, which is passed around two reversing rollers 9, 10. The front and rear sides of the rollers or belt 8 respectively are screened by a wall (not shown) providing a sealing relationship such that the space between the belt runs can be exhausted, for example, through an orifice 11 in the rear wall.

[0013] The belt-shaped element 8 is also perforated.

[0014] Behind the supporting face 4 is arranged a tape guiding member 12 formed by a roller, the axis of which is parallel to the gap-shaped opening 7.

[0015] Above the belt-shaped element 8 is movably arranged a tobacco leaf pick-up member 13, which can pick up each leaf part from the belt carrier 1 and convey it to a leaf processing station, for example, a bobbin nest (not - shown).

[0016] The device depicted above operates as follows:

[0017] After the belt carrier 1 is passed from the bobbin over the suction box 6' and via the gap 7 behind the reversing element 12 back over the suction box 6'', the belt can be further guided over the belt-shaped element 8 towards the winding-up reel 5. By driving one of the rollers 9, or 1.0 of the belt-shaped element 8, the belt is moved in the direction of the arrows P1 so that the bobbin is unwound and the tobacco leaf material is released from between the turns of the bobbin and deposited on top of the suction boxes 6' and 6". Since the gap 7 is relatively narrow, the tobacco leaf material will bridge the gap 7 whilst the tape will disengage from the tobacco material. Thus without being deformed the leaf material arrives at a different place on the belt carrier 1 and can subsequently be removed without disturbance by the leaf pick-up member 13.

[0018] The removal can be further facilitated by arranging a screening member 14 opposite the leaf pick-up member 13 on the other side of the belt-shaped element 8, said member 14 being movable up and down in the directions of the arrow P2 so that when a leaf is picked up the screening member 14 is moved upwards and the effect of the vacuum or suction respectively on the tobacco leaf parts is eliminated. By exhausting the leaf pick-up member 13 the leaf is drawn, on the contrary, to the underside of the box of the pick-up member 13.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows al alternative embodiment and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0020] The belt conveyor of fig. 1 is replaced herein by a prolonged, stationary suction box 6" , the supporting face of which is at an angle to the supporting face of suction box 6'.

[0021] A diving roller 10' drives the belt-shaped carrier 1.

[0022] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

Claims

1. A device for detacking tobacco leaf or parts thereof from a flexible, belt-shaped carrier to which the leaf is adhering, characterized by a supporting face having a relatively narrow, gap-shaped opening, by a guide member for the carrier arranged behind said opening with respect to the supporting face and by means for passing the carrier over the supporting face and via the guide member through the gap forward and backward.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 characterized by a winding-off reel for the carrier wound into a bobbin, by a leaf pick-up member arranged behind the gap in the supporting face with respect to the direction of conveyance and by a winding-up reel for winding up the belt-shaped carrier.

3. A device as claimed in claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the supporting face is constructed in the form of a perforated wall of a suction box.

4. A device as claimed in claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the propelling means are formed by a driven, perforated, endless belt, over at least part of which forming a portion of the supporting face is guided the carrier.

5. A device as claimed in claims 1 to 4 characterized in that a screening member is arranged opposite the leaf pick-up member so as to be movable towards and away from the supporting face.

6. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the supporting faces located in front of and after the gap respectively are at an angle to one another.

Drawing