Pneumatic separator in tobacco feed

Claim 1

IN A CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE; A FEED HOPPER HAVING A LINEAR CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING SHREDDED TOBACCO TOWARD A CARDED DRUM MOUNTED IN THE HOPPER AND ARRANGED TO BE ROTATED ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A PICKER WHEEL MOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE DRUM ON AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THAT OF THE DRUM AND ADAPTED TO REMOVE TOBACCO THEREFROM AND DELIVER THE SAME TO A PERFORATED HOLLOW BLOWER DRUM ADJACENT TO AND PARALLEL WITH THE PICKER WHEEL AND THE CARDED DRUM, AND ARRANGED TO BE ROTATED ABOUT AN AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THAT OF THE WHEEL, SAID BLOWER DRUM HAVING A STATIONARY MEMBER ADJACENT THE INTERNAL PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF FOR BLOCKING THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH ADJACENT PERFORATIONS OF THE DRUM SO THAT AIR ISSUES FROM SAID BLOWING DRUM ONLY ON THE DESCENDING PORITION THEREOF, AND A PARTITION MEMBER HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE CARDED DRUM, THE PICKER WHEEL AND THE BLOWER DRUM, THE PARTITION MEMBER HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE ADJACENT TO EACH OF THE SAID DRUMS AND THE WHEEL, THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF ADJACENT TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE PICKER WHEEL COMPRISING A BRIDGING MEMBER BETWEEN SAID DRUMS, AND THE PARTITION MEMBER HAVING A LOWER SURFACE HAVING A CONCAVE VANE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREON, SAID VANE EXTENDING UNDER AND ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BLOWER DRUM FOR GUIDING THE FLOW OF AIR FROM SAID BLOWER DRUM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION RADIALLY OUTWARD OF THE BLOWER DRUM AS SAID DESCENDING PORTION THEREOF, A SECOND CONVEYOR SPACED FROM THE BLOWER DRUM FOR RECEIVING TOBACCO BLOWN THEREFROM AND FOR CONVEYING THE SAME TO A ROD FORMING MEANS, THE FORCE AND DIRECTION OF THE AIRISSUING FROM THE BLOWER DRUM AND DIRECTION OF THE AIR AND THE SPACING OF THE SECOND CONVEYOR THEREFROM BEING SUCH THAT HEAVIER PARTICLES OF THE SHREDDED TOBACCO FALL FROM THE BLOW TOBACCO STREAM, AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE HEAVIER PARTICLES.