Cigar feeding device

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEQUENTIALLY FEEDING CIGARS TO THE INTAKE STATION OF A CONTINUOUSLY OPERABLE WRAPPING MACHINE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND CONTINUOUSLY CONVEYING A PLURALITY OF CIGARS ALONG SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR PROVIDING AN ABUTMENT TO OBSTRUCT THE CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF SAID CIGARS AND TO CAUSE SAID CIGARS TO ACCUMULATE IN A ROW AT A FORWARD POSITION ALONG SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A FIRST MEMBER PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOVEABLE FROM BENEATH TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEADING CIGAR, A SECOND MEMBER PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOVABLE FROM ABOVE TO ENGAGE THE UPPER SIDE OF THE LEADING CIGAR, MEANS FOR COOPERATIVELY MOVING SAID MEMBERS IN A PATH TO ENGAGE THE LEADING CIGAR AND TO CARRY THE SAME TO A POSITION ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE OVER AND FORWARD OF SAID ABUTMENT, SAID MOVING MEANS BEING SEQUENTIALLY OPERABLE TO CAUSE SAID MEMBER TO SERIALLY REMOVE THE LEADING CIGAR FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ABUTMENT AND TO PLACE THE SAME FORWARD THEREOF.