Claims
- 1. A method for feeding layers of tobacco to an intermediate reservoir, includinga) feeding a continually falling, horizontally shifting stream of tobacco to said intermediate reservoir, wherein b) said falling stream of tobacco is deflected by web-type separators, c) below said web-type separators predetermined break points forming in said tobacco in said intermediate reservoir, forming vertical columns of tobacco separable from each other.
- 2. A method for forming vertical columns of tobacco in an intermediate reservoir, comprising:feeding tobacco to a blending trolley from a feeding conveyor; depositing said tobacco from said blending trolley into a blending box; wherein a plurality of separating webs below said blending trolley form separable columns of tobacco within said blending box.
- 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:supporting said blending trolley on a horizontal frame; shuttling said blending trolley along the entire length of said blending box.
- 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:a first and a second side rail forming said frame, wherein said plurality of separating webs extend between said first and second side rail.
- 5. The method of claim 3 wherein said horizontal frame is movable along a first and a second support end rail of said blending box.
- 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:a first and a second side rail forming said frame, wherein said plurality of separating webs extend between said first and second side rail; shuttling said blending trolley along said horizontal frame as tobacco is dispensed from said feeding conveyor; moving said horizontal frame along said first and second support end rail as said blending trolley is shuttled along said horizontal frame.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said webs are formed by two strips connected to each other and having a triangular cross section.
- 8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:sweeping tobacco from said plurality of webs utilizing a sweeping blade on said blending trolley as said blending trolley shuttles on said horizontal frame.
- 9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:conveying said tobacco within said blending box by use of a conveyor belt; dispensing said tobacco from said conveyor belt in said blending box onto a dispensing conveyor.
- 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising retaining said tobacco on said dispensing conveyor by utilizing a plurality of outwardly extending spikes on said dispensing conveyor.
- 11. A method for forming vertical columns of tobacco in an intermediate reservoir, comprising:feeding a continually falling shifting stream of tobacco to a blending trolley from a feeding conveyor; depositing said tobacco from said blending trolley into a blending box; deflecting said falling stream of tobacco by a plurality of separating webs; forming a plurality of vertical columns of tobacco within said blending box, each of said vertical columns separable from each other.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
197 49 933 |
Nov 1997 |
DE |
|
REFERENCE TO PRIORITY
This utility patent application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/186,964, filed on Nov. 5, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,447 which corresponds to German patent application 197 49 933.3-23, filed Nov. 11, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (7)
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