Apparatus for classifying fragments of tobacco

Claim 1

Apparatus for segregating lighter and heavier tobacco particles which form a mixture of such particles, particularly for segregating particles of ribs and stem from shreds of tobacco leaf laminae, comprising a classifying conveyor including a plurality of rotary elements and an endless flexible belt trained over said rotary elements and having a particle supporting and advancing upper stretch, said upper stretch having a discharge end; drive means for moving said upper stretch lengthwise; a feeding device including a conveyor arranged to accumulate and transport a sliver consisting of a mixture of lighter and heavier tobacco particles and to supply such mixture to said upper stretch whereon the lighter and heavier particles form a layer advancing toward and beyond said discharge end and into a spreading zone located downstream of said upper stretch; a rotary member located in the region of said discharge end and opposite said upper stretch so as to engage at least some of the particles on said upper stretch and to be rotated thereby so that rotation of said rotary member together with movement of said upper stretch of said endless flexible belt cause propulsion of all tobacco particles into said spreading zone at a predetermined speed whereby the flight span of the heavier particles is longer than the flight span of lighter particles with attendant separation of lighter and heavier particles; first collecting means for collecting the thus separated lighter particles, including a conveyor having a moving intercepting portion arranged to collect the separated ligher particles in the form of a carpet; and second collecting means for collecting the separated heavier particles.