A tobacco feeder is coupled to two multiple cigarette maker systems through two tubes, one for each system. The feeder is driven by a two-speed motor. When only one system requires tobacco, the feeder is driven at low speed, whereas it will be switched to the higher speed when both systems require tobacco simultaneously.
The chains which condense and advance a continuous cake of compacted tobacco into the range of orbiting knives in a tobacco shredding machine are driven by a reversible prime mover independently of the motor which drives the knives. When the movement of the prime mover in a direction to advance the tobacco cake into the range of the knives is interrupted, the prime mover is automatically started in reverse so that the chains retract the leader of the cake from the range of orbiting knives and thus prevent further comminution and eventual overheating and combustion of tobacco. The operation in reverse is terminated by a time-delay device when the leader of the cake is retracted from the range of orbiting knives to an extent which insures that automatic expansion of the leader toward the knives does not suffice to permit any contact between the cake and the orbiting knives while the chains are not driven in a direction to move the cake toward the knives.
Apparatus for feeding tobacco particles to one or two cigarette rod making machines has a magazine with a duct having an open lower end above the upper reach of an endless belt conveyor. The conveyor can be driven to advance tobacco particles in the duct toward an outlet of the magazine where the particles are removed by one or more rotors which are driven to move the particles upwardly and away from the upper reach of the conveyor before the particles are caused or permitted to descend into a hopper. The bottom portion of the hopper admits tobacco particles into one of two suction-operated pneumatic conveyors each of which supplies tobacco particles to a discrete rod making machine. The conveyor is driven at a first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to a single rod making machine, and at twice the first speed when the hopper supplies tobacco particles to two rod making machines.
Tobacco feeder (10) consists of a conveyor belt (12), vibrating collecting pan (26), and control flaps (22a-b, 24a-b). Metering tube (16) delivers tobacco to conveyor belt (12), the speed of which varies depending on the number of cigarette making machines in operation. Conveyor belt (12) deposits tobacco on vibrating collecting pan (26) which has an inclined portion (28) to cause the tobacco flow to increase in velocity, thereby decreasing in density, as tobacco moves down the inclined portion (28). Control flaps (22a, 22b, 24a, 24b) direct the flow of tobacco to vacuum tubes (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) depending on which cigarette makers are in operation.
