MODIFIED SUPPLY DUCT FOR SUCTION CONVEYORS

• Main Authors: HEINZRISTEN LORENZEN, UWE HEITMANN, WOLFGANG STEINIGER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.04.1987
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: CIGARETTES; CIGARS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES; TOBACCO

The duct which delivers tobacco shreds to the underside of the lower reach of an air-permeable belt conveyor contains a guide with a concave surface which tapers gradually toward the underside of the lower reach, as considered in the direction of advancement of the lower reach. A nozzle discharges a current of compressed air against the concave surface so that the current flows along the concave surface toward the underside of the lower reach in the aforementioned direction and entrains the particles which tend to impinge upon the concave surface so that the current and the particles therein form a fluidized bed which is delivered to the underside of and is attracted to the lower reach because the upper side of the lower reach is adjacent to a suction chamber. The particles which are entrained by the current deposit on the lower reach gently and do not clog the interstices of such lower reach so that the latter can attract additional tobacco particles, either from one or more additional fluidized beds or directly from the duct. This reduces the likelihood of comminution of tobacco particles on impact against the lower reach of the conveyor as well as excessive and premature clogging of the interstices of the lower reach with tobacco shreds. That portion of the current which advances beyond the downstream end of the concave surface flows at least substantially in parallelism with the direction of advancement of the lower reach.