Method and apparatus for regulating output in tobacco cutting machines

Claim 2

In a method for regulating the cut output of a tobacco cutting machine, said machine comprising means for providing flow of tobacco input thereto, tobacco cutting means, and a feed channel adjacent said cutting means in flow relationship between said cutting means and said tobacco input means, the steps comprising measuring the density of tobacco within said feed channel irrespective of the height of said tobacco, generating a control signal representative of said density measurement, and applying said control signal to said tobacco input means for controlling said tobacco input flow in response to said density measurement.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 wherein the density of the tobacco is sensed at a plurality of points, and wherein the density values sensed at said points are averaged to generate said control signal.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 wherein said tobacco density is sensed upstream from said feed channel and proximate thereto.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1 including the steps of generating a reference density signal, comparing said reference signal with a signal representative of the actual sensed density of the tobacco stream, and generating said control signal as representative of said comparison.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1 wherein the quantity of cut tobacco produced by said cutting machine is maintained generally constant.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 wherein said tobacco input flow is intermittently stopped and started in response to said density measurement.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1 wherein said tobacco input flow is continuously maintained with the rate of flow being raised and lowered in response to said density measurement.

Claim 9

Apparatus for regulating the cut output of a tobacco cutting machine, said cutting machine comprising means for providing tobacco input flow thereto, tobacco cutting means, and a feed channel defined between side walls and located adjacent said cutting means in flow relationship between said cutting means and said tobacco input means, said regulating apparatus comprising: density measuring means mounted upon said feed channel side walls for generating a signal representative of the density of tobacco flowing through said feed channel irrespective of the height of said tobacco in the feed channel; and control means coupled between said density measuring means and said tobacco input means receiving said representative density signal for regulating said tobacco input flow in response to the measured density of tobacco flowing through said feed channel

Claim 10

Apparatus for regulating the cut output of a tobacco cutting machine, said cutting machine comprising means for providing tobacco input flow thereto, tobacco cutting means, and a feed channel defined between side walls and located adjacent said cutting means in flow relationship between said cutting means and said tobacco input means, said regulating apparatus comprising: density measuring means mounted upon said feed channel side walls for generating a signal representative of the density of tobacco flowing through said feed channel irrespective of the height of said tobacco in the feed channel; and control means coupled between said density measuring means and said tobacco input means receiving said representative density signal for regulating said tobacco input flow in response to the measured density of tobacco flowing through said feed channel

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said density measuring means are mounted in a position proximately upstream of said feed channel.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said density measuring means are mounted on opposite sides of said feed channel to sense the density of flowing tobacco in a direction transversely of said flow.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said density measuring means comprise radiation absorption measuring means.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said radiation absorption measuring means comprise a nuclear radiation source and a nuclear radiation detector.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nuclear radiation source is mounted upon one of said feed channel side walls with said radiation detector being mounted upon an opposed side wall.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said density measuring means comprise a radiation backscatter instrument having a radiation source and a radiation detector both mounted upon the same one of said feed channel side walls.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nuclear radiation source comprises a gamma ray source.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nuclear radiation source comprises Co60.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nuclear radiation source comprises Tm170.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nuclear radiation source comprises Cs137 + Ba137.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said radiation detector comprises on ionization chamber.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said radiation detector comprises a radiation-sensitive semiconductor.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said control means comprise: means for generating a reference density signal; a comparator for comparing said representative density signal and said reference density signal and generating a comparison signal proportional to the difference therebetween; and means for applying said comparison signal to said tobacco input means to regulate tobacco input flow in response to said comparison signal.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said reference density signal is generated by nuclear radiation means.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said reference density signal is generated by electrical means.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said comparison signal applying means comprise means for intermittently starting and stopping said tobacco input flow.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said tobacco input means is operated to maintain a continuous flow of tobacco, said comparison signal applying means comprising means for increasing and decreasing the rate of tobacco input flow.