WO2010012953A2 - Device for stripping and grading tobacco leaf butts - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a device for stripping and grading tobacco leaf butts P each composed of a stalk T bearing leaves F, comprising a station (10) for feeding in tobacco leaf butts P, a station (12) for discharging selected leaves F and a station for evacuating stripped stalks T, characterized in that it has a carousel (16) for transferring the stalks T of the leaf butts P in a direction of movement S of the feeding-in station (10) towards the discharging station (12) and means (30) for preparing for stripping comprising orientation means (32) and leaf F guiding means (34).

Description

 DEVICE FOR EFFECTING AND CLASSIFYING LEAVES OF

TOBACCO FEET

The present invention relates to a device for ef leafing and classification of tobacco leaves.

It is known that the tobacco feet are each composed of a stem carrying leaves, only the leaves being used for the manufacture of cigarettes. Naturally and in a reproducible way, the leaves are distributed on the foot in a very geometrical way and one can distinguish several leafy stages on each foot. These leaves are all spread in a spiral around the foot, with about three leaves per turn. The leaf stages correspond to different qualities and above all have different degrees of drying and different dimensions, which requires not only lifting of the leaves of the foot but also a classification of these leaves, preferably per leaf stage. In addition, it is necessary to provide for tearing leaves that is of quality that is to say that ensures a complete tearing of the leaf to its peduncle without leaving a leaf surface attached to the foot and which would be lost since the foot is then destroyed by grinding.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to allow tearing of quality sheets, with a very limited loss of leaves on each foot. Solutions have been proposed in the prior art in particular by the French patent application No. 2,899,439 in the name of the same applicant which describes a leaf-stripping device and which mentions means for separating the leaves by leaf stages without indicating any solution. It should be noted that the device must be simple and fast to implement with high speeds with objectives that are found to be increasingly necessary.

These machines are indeed intended to replace a skilled workforce that provided excellent manual work but is of a cost far too high but especially that is no longer available on the job market. In addition, tobacco is a particular product in the sense that it must be worked at a given degree of drying so it must be able to work large quantities of products over a very short period of time and once a year. In fact, these machines must ensure work of a similar quality of manual quality, with the same features and especially with a very fast speed of work because it is necessary to make the machine profitable over a very short period related to that of the harvest of the tobacco. These machines must also be served by a minimum staff and in the best possible ergonomic conditions. The device for leafing and grading tobacco leaves, according to the present invention, is now described in detail according to a particular embodiment, not limiting, with reference to the appended drawings which represent:

- Fig 1: a perspective view of the device according to the present invention, supply side of tobacco feet,

FIG. 2: a perspective view of the device according to the present invention, on the output side of the tobacco leaves, sorted,

FIG. 3: a perspective view of the device substantially identical to that of FIG. 2, without casing, FIG. 4, a side elevational view without casing of the device,

FIGS. 5A to 5C: a schematic view of the block diagram of implementation of the device, FIG. 6: a simplified elevational view of the feed side of the device in feet of tobacco, and

FIG. 7: a simplified top view of the device of FIG. 6.

The device according to the present invention comprises a station for supplying feet P with tobacco, an outlet station 12 for sorting sheets F and a station for evacuating the tapered rods T. The direction of movement of the tobacco feet and more generally the direction of work is referenced S.

The description which follows is carried out indifferently with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The feed station 10 of the device comprises a carousel 16 at the top, intended to transfer the tobacco feet. This carousel has a closed chain conveyor 18, one on each side. Each chain 20 is driven by a motor 22 with a driving ring and driven sprockets 24 guiding said chain, this in a known manner. This carousel comprises transversely arranged bars 26 which are suspended by their ends, on each side, to each of the chains 20, these bars extending over the entire width of the device, regularly spaced apart.

Each bar 26 is secured to the chain so as to have no point of articulation. The direction of rotation of the motor is such that each bar 26 thus moves in the direction S for the lower strand of the chain.

Each bar 26 comprises several hooks 28 for receiving the rods T of the legs P as will be explained further in the description of the implementation of the device according to the present invention. Each hook 28 is open towards the feeding station and more particularly towards the operator, to receive a foot P and more particularly the rod T of this foot, said foot being oriented transversely relative to the direction of movement S, that is to say parallel to the bar 26 supporting said hooks.

Immediately following the feeding station, there are provided means 30 for preparing each sheet of leafing, which means 30 for preparing for leafing include means 32 for orientation and means 34 for guide.

The means 32 of orientation of the sheets are composed of a curtain 36 of flexible strips 38, suspended by one of their ends to a transverse beam 40, perpendicular to the direction of travel and therefore parallel to the bars 26 supporting the hooks 28 and the The other end of each coverslip is free. Thus each slat, suspended vertically can be lifted independently and exerts a pressure related to the component generated by its weight, which component tends to bring it back in the vertical plane. These slats can be made from a thin sheet of metal, from rigid plastic material or from flexible plastic material, which is the preferred embodiment.

The beam 40 supporting these lamellae is advantageously arranged immediately above the lower run of the chain 20 so that each bar 26 moving with the chain come lift these slats which then return to their original position by gravity.

The guide means 34 comprise guides 42 in the form of plates 44 whose plane is oriented vertically but this time in the direction S of movement of the feet P of tobacco. Each plate extends from the supply station 10 to the entrance of the means 46 for leafing.

These plates 44 have a plow-shaped profile namely that the plane is vertical to the right of the supply station 10 so as to let the sheets hang as will be explained further in the description. This vertical plane is curved and partially twisted upwards at an angle of 30 ° to give an order of idea to push the leaves and regroup them.

The means 46 of effeuillaison comprise horizontal slides 48, actually two side slides, slides at which pass the ends of the bars 26, to compensate for the arrow of the chain and to place the bars always at the same height. The chains 20 come to slide on these slides. The slides have a bent end down to prevent inadvertent hooking of the bars and ensure their ascent.

This arrangement has the consequence of seeing the stem T of each foot P tobacco suspended immediately below the reference level of these slides during its movement, but nevertheless driven in translation under these same rails by the hooks 28 of the bar 26 which supports this foot .

The means 46 for stripping include means 50 for tearing the leaves of each rod. These tearing means 50 consist of a fixed motor roller 52. This driving roller is arranged transversely with respect to the displacement direction S, that is to say parallel to the bars 26.

The motor roller 52 is placed immediately below the hooks 28 of the bars 26 and therefore of the rails 48.

The motor roller 52 is driven in a known manner by a gear motor. The tearing means 50 are completed by a pressing arm 54 carrying a driven roller 56 mounted free to rotate. This arm is movable between two positions:

a first waiting position: the driven roller 56 is raised / moved away from the motor roller 52 and above the slideways, and a second pressing position: the driven roller 56 is pressed against this motor roller 52 and rotated by contact, contrarotatively, by the motor roller 52. The means 46 of leafing are supplemented by a conveyor 58 to carpet, covering the entire width of the device that is to say corresponding to the width of the bars 26. This conveyor 58 carpet is horizontal and its direction of travel is The upper part of the conveyor 58 is placed at a distance from the motor roller 52 substantially equal to a height of a small sheet of a foot P of tobacco, so that each sheet comes to rest with its tip at least on said carpet.

The conveyor 58 opens on the station 12 of leaves output, to deliver the leaves F and ripped. Immediately at the outlet of the means 46 of effeuillaison, above the conveyor 58, there is arranged the position 14 of evacuation of the rods T of the feet, free of sheets F.

This evacuation station 14 comprises a trough 60 for receiving the rods, oriented transversely, that is to say parallel to the bars 26. The trough 60 is also located at right and below the end of the carousel where the hooks 28 integral with their bar 26, itself secured to the chain 20, begin to turn, releasing the stripped rods, by simple gravity.

At the bottom of the chute, a conveyor 62 of rods, of small width, receives the released rods T to drive them to means 64 for grinding. This stem conveyor 62 is also located above the conveyor 58 of sheets F.

The implementation of the device is now described in detail with regard to the first four figures and FIGS. 5A to 5C further, FIGS. 6 and 7 being furthermore illustrative.

The operator has the foot P transversely and positions it on the hooks 28 horizontally, but always with the same orientation, for example with the head to the left, this operation being carried out carousel stopped. The carousel, started, ensures the transfer of the feet P in the direction S.

Each foot P then rests in its hooks 28, as shown in FIG. 4, that is to say that the leaves F are oriented downwards for those with the peduncle directed downwards but the leaves that have the peduncle directed upward remain partially upwardly, like a wave, which is not satisfactory for the passage in the means 46 of foliage because such a position causes partial tearing of the leaf surface with a significant loss of valuable material. The present invention overcomes these problems by integrating the sheet preparation means 30.

The bars 26 abut against the curtain 36, ensuring the lifting of the slats 38 which come next, after passage of the bar, resting on the portion of leaves whose peduncle is oriented upwards, at the top of the wave of leaves. The lamellae fold the leaves down the peduncle, so that all the leaves have their leaf surface substantially parallel, the leaves F being dangling below the stem T. This leaf treatment diagram is clearly revealed by the presentation. Figures 5A to 5C. Although these leaves undergo the effect of the slats that fold down, they are oriented downwards but they remain distributed transversely along the stem T, since this geometry is related to the positioning of the peduncles and that it is impossible to perform a translation. Also, after the feeding station 10, during the presentation by the operator, the leaves are classified in rows corresponding to the foliar stages retained, 3 or 4 generally. These rows are delimited by the vertical plates 44 at this location of the device.

The leaves F of the same foliar stage are therefore in the same row. As and when the bars 26 move in the direction S, the sheets come into contact with the corresponding plate 44 which is twisted and decreases the width of the row. This arrangement is intended to bring the sheets of the same floor together or, in other words, results in separating the sheets of different stages by a space.

The leaves F, thus pre-positioned, enter the means 46 of leafing. The rods T are supported and referenced by the slides 48.

Once the leaves in this space, the movement of the carousel is interrupted, which allows the operator to proceed to load a new bar 26 while the arm 54 is operated so as to come to press the sheets F of a foot P previously loaded against the motor roller 52, which is rotating. The sheets F taken between the two rollers 52 and 56 are torn off the rod since it is firmly retained by the slides. These leaves are immediately released and released under the rolls, the leaves being deposited in batches each corresponding to a leaf stage. There are then as many batches of leaves on the conveyor 58 as expected foliar stages.

The rod T remains carried by the hooks 28. These hooks, when they reach the end of the carousel, undergo a pivoting of 90 ° following the vertical strand of the chain, so that the opening of the hook is oriented towards the down, the stem T falls under the sole effect of gravity. The chute 60 ensures a refocusing if necessary of the rod to position it accurately on the conveyor 62.

The rod T is driven transversely by the conveyor 62 to the grinding means 64. It can be seen that the leaves at the exit station are perfectly torn out without loss of leaf area and classified by foliar stages.

Then simply proceed to the capsizing, that is to say, the orientation of the leaves of the same batch in the same direction with the peduncles all superimposed.

Claims

1. A device for the thinning and classification of the tobacco leaves P, each composed of a stem T carrying leaves F, comprising a station (10) for supplying feet P of tobacco, a station (12) of output of the sorted leaves F and a station (14) for discharging the T-shaped rods, characterized in that it comprises a carousel (16) for transferring the rods T of the legs P in a direction of movement S of the station (10) feeding means to the exit station (12) and leaf preparation means (30) comprising orientation means (32) and sheet guide means (34) F. 2. Apparatus for leafing and classification of the tobacco foot of tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that the orientation means comprise a curtain (36) of flexible slats (38) suspended by one of their ends, said curtain being oriented perpendicular to the direction S of advancement and intended to bear on some leaves F of the foot P. 3. Apparatus for leafing and grading tobacco leaves of tobacco according to claim 2, characterized in that the lamellae (38) consist of a thin sheet of metal, rigid plastics material or plastics material. flexible. 4. Apparatus for leafing and grading tobacco leaves according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the guiding means (34) comprise plate guides (42) (44). ) whose plane is oriented vertically in the direction S of movement of the feet P of tobacco. 5. Apparatus for leafing and classification of tobacco foot P according to claim 4, characterized in that each plate (44) has a ploughshare profile namely that the plane is vertical to the right of station (10) to allow the leaves to hang and partially twist upward to push the leaves together. 6. Apparatus for leafing and grading of tobacco leaves according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carousel (16) comprises a closed chain conveyor (18), bars (26), arranged transversely which are suspended by their ends to this chain, each bar (26) comprises several hooks (28) for receiving the rods T of the feet P, said foot being oriented transversely to the direction of movement S. 7. Apparatus for leafing and grading tobacco leaves P according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (46) of stripping including horizontal slides (48) of SEO. 8. Apparatus for leafing and grading tobacco leaves P of tobacco according to claim 7, characterized in that the means (46) for stripping include means (50) of tearing consisting of a roller ( 52) fixed motor as well as a pressing arm (54) carrying a roller (56) driven, rotatably mounted, this arm being movable between two positions: - a first waiting position: the roller (56) led is raised / moved away from the motor roller (52) and above the slideways (48), and - a second pressing position: the driven roller (56) is pressed against this motor roller (52) and rotated by contact, contrarotatively, by this roller (52) motor. 9. Apparatus for leafing and grading of tobacco leaves according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evacuation station (14) comprises a chute (60) for receiving the rods, oriented transversely to the direction S of displacement, and a rod conveyor (62) adapted to receive the rods T guided by said chute to means (64) for grinding these rods T. 10. Apparatus for leafing and classification of tobacco foot P according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor (58) for receiving sheets F classified by foliar stages.