US1515941A - Device for removing tobacco leaves from laths - Google Patents

Description

1,515,941 N W24. L. c. EDWARDS DEVICE FOR REMOVING TOBACCO LEAVES FROM LATHS Filed NOV. 5 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 2 1,515.911 1 L. c. EDWARDS DEVICE FOR REMOVING TOBACCO LEAVES FROM LATHS Filed Nov. 5 1923 v 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 L LZ'FMMRDE Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

LOUIS C. EDWARDS, OF ELLINGTO'N, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR REMOVTNG TOBACCO LEAVES FROM LATHS.

Applieation'filed November 5, 1923. Serial No. 672,947.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS O. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ellington, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Removing Tobacco Leaves from Laths; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for removing leaves of tobacco from tobacco laths, upon which they have been cured, one object of the invention being to provide means for operation at spaced points along'the lath, for not only removing the tobacco leaves from prongs of said lath, but for tightly holding such leaves while the lath is being removed, preventing any of the leaves from being caught on the lath prongs and moved aside therewith.

Another object is to provide unique means for guiding a loaded lath into a pair of holders which engage its ends and retain the same during the leaf removing operation.

A still further object is to provide a unique manner of mounting the leafremoving fingers upon their carrying and operating bars. With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a front elevation.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1. I t

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view with the legs of the table in horizontal section.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the leafremoving fingers and their carrying bars, showing the idle positions thereof.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the bars and fingers moved to leaf-removing and stem-gripping positions.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the lath holders and the means for guiding the lath into the same.

FigureS is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line 88 of Fig. 4.

The form of construction selected for illustration in the present application, includes a table having a horizontal top 1 formed with a longitudinal slot 2 and provided with upstanding transverse walls 3 at the ends of said slot, the inner opposed sides of these walls being formed with vertical grooves a which open also through the upper edges of the walls, in order that a tobacco lath 5 may be downwardly inserted into said grooves. The upper edges 6 of the walls 3 incline to the upper ends of the grooves a and are r. bbeted to provide guidetracks 7 along which the ends of the lath 5 may be moved, to easily guide said ends into the holding grooves 4.

Under the table top 1, I slidably mount a pair of parallel bars 8 whose inner opposed edges are provided with upstanding leaf-re moving fingers, the fingers of one of the bars being indicated by the numeral 9, while the others are designated by the character 9. The fingers 9 co-act with the fingers 9 to provide pairs of such fingers movable toward each other to force the stems of tobacco from the prongs 10 at opposite ends of the openings 11 with which the lath is formed. These fingers then grip the stems and hold them while the lath 5 is being removed from the holding grooves 4, so that there is no danger of any of the stems being caught by the prongs 10. When the fingers 9 and 9 are related as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the fingers of each pair are disposed at opposite ends of one of the openings 11, but when the bars 8 are shifted oppositely, said fingers move toward the center of the opening to force the tobacco stems from the prongs 10.

Any suitable means may be provided for slidably mounting the bars 8 and for moving them simultaneously in opposite directions, but I prefer to employ a construction such as that disclosed. The bars 8 have their upper sides in close proximity to the lower side of the table top 1 and their outer edges abut a' pair of parallel longitudinal guide bars 12 which are secured to the frame structure of the table. Transverse bars 13 extend between the guide bars 12 and support the bars 8, said bars 13 being disposed near the ends of the bars 12, while a transverse plank or the like 1 f extends between the central portions of said bars 12 and is secured to the lower edges thereof. Fulcrumedupon the upper side of the member 14, at the point 15, is an operating lever 16, and two links 17 are pivoted to said lever at opposite sides of its fulcrum, one of said links being pivoted to one of the bars 8, while the other link similarly connects with the other bar 8. Thus, when the lever 16 is operated, the bars will he slid in opposite directions-to operate the -lingers'9 and 9.

-Mounted upon the top-of the table 1, I have shownasuitable lath-holdinghead 18 carriedby ahand-lever 19. This head and lever are=operated-to tightly hold the .lath 5- in'engage'ment with-the fingers 9 and 9, which is often essential, when the lath is unusually thin and has a tendency to force away from i the fingers, in the holding grooves 4. If the fingers do not slide along the lath, there is aten'dency to merely bend the stems of the tobacco lea-ves, instead of forcingv such stems from the prongs 10.

To operatethe device, the bars 8 are set to position the fingers 9 and 9 as shown in Figs. 1, '3 and 5. Then, a loaded tobacco lath-is inserted into the upper ends of the grooves 4, the guides 7 being often instrumental in properly guiding the endsof the lath into said groovesn Inthe construction shown,the lower edge of the lath will pass through the slot 2 and rest upon one of the bars 8, but 1t willbe obvious that in some instances, the lath might well rest upon the top of the table. Ifdesirable, the lever 19 is 'now operated to cause the head 18 to hold the lath towardsthe-fingers 9 and 9 Then, thelever 16 isoperated to cause each finger 9-tomove toward its co-acting finger 9 and viceversa; This operation forces the stems of the tobacco leaves from the prongs 10 and said stems will beheld bythe fingers, while the l'ath15 isbeing removed. To facilitate the-stem-holding operation, the upper ends ofithe fingers are preferably curved somewhatas indicated at 20. -"Obviously, the fingers 9 and 9 may be connected with their carrying barsin any desired manner. I prefer however to form the upper sides of these bars with transverse saw-cuts or other grooves 21 and to provide the fingers with elongated bases 221eceived in -said grooves and suitably held, for instance, by staples 23.

By providingthe construction shown and described or a substantial equivalent thereof, a device is produced whichis simple and inexpensive, yet is highly efficient and in every way desirable. l As excellent resultsmay be obtained from thedetailsdisclosed, they may be followed if desired, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

I claim:

1. A tobacco leaf-removing device comprising common means at spaced points for forcing leaves of tobacco from a lalh and for gripping the leaves until released.

'2. A tobacco leaf ren'ioving device comprising a plurality of spaced pairs of lingers for'forcing leaves from prongs of a lath, and means for operating said lingers to move the lingers of each pair toward each other. 1

3. A tobacco leaf removing device coinprising a plurality of spaced pairs of lingers for forcing leaves from prongs of a lath, apair of'parallel bars mounted for longitudinal sliding, each bar carrying one finger of each pair, and means for sliding said bars in opposite directions tomove the lingers of each pair toward each other.

7 4;. A tobacco leaf removing device comprising a plurality of spaced pairs of lingers for forcing leaves from prongs of a lath, a pair of parallel bars mounted for longitudinal sliding, each lmrearrying one linger of each pair, a lever whose fulcrum is stationary with respect to said bars, and links pivoted to said lever at opposite sides of its fulcrum, one link being pivoted to one bar and the other link to the other bar.

5. A tobacco leaf removing device comprising means for stationarily holding a loaded lath on a predetermined line, and a plurality of spaced fingers mounted for movement adjacent to and parallel with said line for forcing tobacco leaves from the lath.

6. A tobacco leaf removing device comprising means for stationarily holding a loaded lath on a predetermined line, a plurality of spaced lingers adjacent said line to extend transversely of the lath, and a slidably mounted bar'carrying said fingers and movable parallel to s-aid line.

7. A tobacco leaf removing device comprising a support, a pair of spaced lath holders rising from said support to receive the ends of a loaded lath, said holders opening horizontally toward each othe and being open at their upper ends for insertion of the lath, and a pair of tracks inclining to said open upper ends of said holders lo guide the lath ends to the latter.

8. A tobacco leafren'ioving device coinrising spaced holders for the ends of a loaded lath, fingers mounted for movement along the lath to force leaves therefrom, and means for forcing the lath laterally in said holders into close relation with said lingers.

9. A tobacco leaf removing device comprising a table, a pair of parallel bars slidably mounted under the table, a plurality of upstanding fingers carried alternately by said bars and extending to points above said table, the latter being slotted to receive said fingers, a pair of lath holders rising from the table to receive the ends of a loaded lath and hold the latter in a substantially vertical plane on the table in close relation 5 With said fingers, and means under the table for oppositely sliding said bars.

10. A tobacco leaf removing device com prising a bar having transverse grooves, and a plurality of leaf-renioving fingers extending from said bar and having bases secured in said grooves.

I11 testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

LOUIS C. EDWARDS.

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