US4172515A — Method and apparatus for supplying tobacco to tob…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 173 words

A method of supplying tobacco to at least one cutting station wherein tobacco is comminuted at the rate at which it enters such station, comprising the steps of transporting a stream of tobacco along a predetermined path; accumulating the tobacco of such stream immediately ahead of said station so that the thus accumulated tobacco forms an intermediate supply whose volume fluctuates, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of transport along said path, in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco forming said stream; transferring tobacco from said supply directly to said station at a variable rate; monitoring the volume of tobacco in said supply; and respectively increasing and reducing the rate of tobacco transfer from said supply to said station and respectively increasing and reducing the rate of communition at said station when the volume of tobacco forming said supply respectively increases and decreases so that the rate at which tobacco reaching said station is comminuted varies as a function of changes in the volume of tobacco forming said supply.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 173 words

A method of supplying tobacco to at least one cutting station wherein tobacco is comminuted at the rate at which it enters such station, comprising the steps of transporting a stream of tobacco along a predetermined path; accumulating the tobacco of such stream immediately ahead of said station so that the thus accumulated tobacco forms an intermediate supply whose volume fluctuates, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of transport along said path, in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco forming said stream; transferring tobacco from said supply directly to said station at a variable rate; monitoring the volume of tobacco in said supply; and respectively increasing and reducing the rate of tobacco transfer from said supply to said station and respectively increasing and reducing the rate of communition at said station when the volume of tobacco forming said supply respectively increases and decreases so that the rate at which tobacco reaching said station is comminuted varies as a function of changes in the volume of tobacco forming said supply.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 64 words

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate supply consists of a pile of tobacco and said step of respectively increasing and reducing the tobacco transfer comprises increasing the rate of tobacco transfer when the height of said pile reaches a predetermined upper level and reducing the rate of tobacco transfer when the height of said pile reaches a predetermined lower level.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of transferring tobacco from said supply to said station at a substantially constant rate as long as the height of said pile remains between said levels.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 187 words

A method as defined in claim 1 of supplying tobacco to said one station and to at least one additional cutting station wherein tobacco is comminuted at the rate at which it enters said additional station, further comprising the steps of transporting an additional stream of tobacco along an additional predetermined path, accumulating the tobacco of said additional stream ahead of said additional station so that the thus accumulated tobacco forms an additional intermediate supply whose volume fluctuates, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of transport along said additional path, in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco forming said additional stream, transferring tobacco from said additional supply to said additional stream at a variable rate, monitoring the volume of tobacco in said additional supply, and respectively increasing and reducing the rate of tobacco transfer from said additional supply to said additional station when the volume of tobacco forming said additional supply respectively increases and decreases so that the rate at which tobacco reaching said additional station is comminuted varies as a function of changes in the volume of tobacco forming said additional supply.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 94 words

A method as defind in claim 4, further comprising the steps of interrupting the comminuting of tobacco at said additional station, interrupting the transfer of tobacco to said additional supply and from said additional supply to said additional station, transporting said additional stream of tobacco to said first mentioned supply whereby the volume of tobacco forming said first mentioned supply increases, and increasing the rate of tobacco transfer from said first mentioned supply to said first mentioned station as a result of such increase in the volume of tobacco forming said first mentioned supply.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 162 words

Apparatus for supplying tobacco to at least one tobacco cutting machine having variable-speed prime mover means whose speed determines the output of said machine, comprising a container arranged to store a supply of tobacco in immediate proximity of said machine; means for feeding to said container a stream of tobacco; means for transferring tobacco from said container directly to said machine; regulating means operable to vary the speed of said prime mover means so that the speed of said prime mover means respectively increases and decreases together with the speed of said feeding means and with the rate at which said machine cuts tobacco when the volume of tobacco in said container respectively increases and decreases, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of feed by said feeding means and/or variations in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco forming said stream; and means for operating said regulating means, including means for monitoring the volume of tobacco in said container.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 162 words

Apparatus for supplying tobacco to at least one tobacco cutting machine having variable-speed prime mover means whose speed determines the output of said machine, comprising a container arranged to store a supply of tobacco in immediate proximity of said machine; means for feeding to said container a stream of tobacco; means for transferring tobacco from said container directly to said machine; regulating means operable to vary the speed of said prime mover means so that the speed of said prime mover means respectively increases and decreases together with the speed of said feeding means and with the rate at which said machine cuts tobacco when the volume of tobacco in said container respectively increases and decreases, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of feed by said feeding means and/or variations in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco forming said stream; and means for operating said regulating means, including means for monitoring the volume of tobacco in said container.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said transferring means comprises variable-speed conveyor means receiving motion from said prime mover means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said container is an upright duct and the tobacco of said supply forms a pile in said duct, said monitoring means including detector means arranged to monitor the height of said pile.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 105 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said detector means comprises an upper level indicator and a lower level indicator, said regulating means including an output element arranged to select for said prime mover means a relatively high first speed when the height of said pile increases to the level of said upper level indicator, a relatively low second speed when the height of said pile decreases to the level of said lower level indicator, and an average third speed which is less than said first speed but exceeds said second speed when the height of said pile is between the levels of said indicators.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein each of said indicators is a photoelectric cell having means for transmitting signals as long as the respective cell is above the pile in said container.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 166 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 for supplying tobacco to said one machine and to at least one additional machine having additional variable-speed prime mover means whose speed determines the output of said additional machine, further comprising an additional container arranged to store an additional supply of tobacco, means for transferring tobacco from said additional supply to said additional machine, additional regulating means operable to vary the speed of said additional prime mover means so that the speed of said additional prime mover means respectively increases and decreases when the volume of tobacco in said additional container respectively increases and decreases, particularly as a result of variations in the rate of feed and/or variations in temperature, moisture content and/or size of tobacco which is fed to said additional container, and means for operating said additional regulating means including means for monitoring the volume of tobacco in said additional container, said feeding means further having means for feeding to said additional container an additional stream of tobacco.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said transferring means comprises variable-speed conveyor means receiving motion from the respective prime mover means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for monitoring the speed of said prime mover means and means for interrupting the feed of tobacco to the respective container when the speed of one of said prime mover means reaches a predetermined minimum speed.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 13 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said predetermined minimum speed is zero.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said feeding means further comprises a distributor having a plurality of outlets, one for each of said containers, said outlets constituting said means for feeding said streams of tobacco to the respective containers.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1982-10-29	1983-04-30	1983-10-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1986-10-29	1987-04-30	1987-10-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1990-10-29	1991-04-30	1991-10-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for supplying tobacco to tobacco cutting machines

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