Tobacco leaf feeding device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of tobacco processing, in particular to a tobacco leaf feeding device and method. The tobacco leaf feeding method comprises the following steps: in the last step of feeding, clamping tobacco leaves by using the redundant number of clamping jaws, measuring the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by each clamping jaw, calculating the sum of the weights of the tobacco leaves clamped by any different number of clamping jaw combinations, obtaining the weight of the required tobacco leaves, and comparing to obtain the clamping jaw combination closest to the weight of the required tobacco leaves. And corresponding clamping jaws in the clamping jaw combination are controlled to put down the tobacco leaves. The weight of the lower part which can be realized can be conveniently counted; after the weight of the needed tobacco leaves is obtained, the weight of the tobacco leaves which need to be put down by the clamping jaws is close to the needed weight as much as possible, the total weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by different clamping jaw combinations is compared, the combination closest to the needed weight is found, and the clamping jaws in the clamping jaw combinations are correspondingly controlled to put down the tobacco leaves. And the problem that in the prior art, the feeding weight of the tobacco leaves cannot be accurately controlled in a pouring mode is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of tobacco processing, and in particular to a tobacco leaf feeding device and method. Background Art

[0002] During the production process of cigarettes, leaf threshing and redrying are required. Specifically, a leaf threshing machine is used to separate tobacco leaves into leaves and stems, and then they are dried separately. Before the leaf threshing and redrying process, the tobacco raw materials in the tobacco frame need to be cut and fed. The accuracy of cutting and the stability of feeding weight control will have a great impact on the processing quality of subsequent processes.

[0003] At present, the feeding method is to use a flipping structure to flip and dump the cigarette frame, dump the tobacco leaves in the cigarette frame onto the conveyor line, and transport the tobacco leaves to the cutter through the conveyor line, and cut them by the cutter. For example, a Chinese invention patent application with application publication number CN104323417A and application publication date February 4, 2015 discloses a loose tobacco leaf cutting processing system and method, which includes a box flipping feeder, a storage material conveyor and a multi-stage cutter (i.e., a cutter assembly), wherein the cigarette frame with tobacco leaves is flipped by the machine in the box flipping feeder, and the tobacco leaves in the cigarette frame are dumped onto the storage material conveyor, and are transported to the cutter assembly along the conveyor belt for cutting.

[0004] However, in the above technical solution, the tobacco leaves in the tobacco frame are poured out, and the pouring amount of the tobacco leaves cannot be controlled during the pouring process, and the weight of the tobacco leaves cannot be accurately controlled. In some special occasions, the weight of the tobacco leaves needs to be accurately controlled to achieve a fixed tobacco leaf ratio. In addition, the pouring method will cause the tobacco leaves to be too concentrated on the storage cloth conveyor, resulting in uneven feeding. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tobacco feeding device to solve the problem in the prior art that the tobacco feeding weight cannot be accurately controlled by pouring the tobacco leaves; the purpose of the present invention is also to provide a tobacco feeding method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the tobacco leaf loading method of the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: A tobacco leaf feeding method, in which the last step of feeding is to clamp tobacco leaves with redundant clamps, measure the weight of tobacco leaves clamped by each clamp, calculate the sum of the weights of tobacco leaves clamped by any different number of clamp combinations, obtain the weight of required tobacco leaves, compare and obtain the clamp combination closest to the weight of required tobacco leaves, and control the corresponding clamp in the clamp combination to put down the tobacco leaves.

[0007] The beneficial effects of the tobacco leaf feeding method of the present invention are as follows: the present invention pioneers a tobacco leaf feeding method, which adopts a redundant number of clamps to clamp tobacco leaves in the last step of feeding, so that in the last grab, it is ensured that the amount grabbed is enough to reach the required weight, and the clamping method of the clamps can better control the weight; by measuring the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by each clamp and obtaining the total weight under different clamp combinations by calculation, it is convenient to count the achievable lower weight; after obtaining the required weight of the tobacco leaves, the weight of the tobacco leaves put down by the clamps is as close to the required weight as possible, and the total weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by different clamp combinations is compared to find the combination closest to the required weight, and the clamps in the clamp combination are controlled accordingly to put down the tobacco leaves, and the weight of the tobacco leaves can be accurately controlled at this time, that is, in the last step of feeding, the weight of the grabbed tobacco leaves is greater than the required weight of the tobacco leaves, and by controlling the clamps, only the weight close to the required tobacco leaves is put down, so that the last feeding meets the production demand, thereby solving the problem that the weight of the tobacco leaves cannot be accurately controlled by dumping in the prior art.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the tobacco leaf feeding device in the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: A tobacco feeding device comprises a clamping mechanism for clamping tobacco leaves, the clamping mechanism is provided with claws for clamping tobacco leaves from a tobacco basket to a desired position, at least two claws are provided, each of which has a weighing unit and can be controlled individually to measure the weight of the clamped tobacco leaves. The tobacco feeding device also comprises a controller for obtaining the gripping weight of the claws and calculating the sum of the masses of tobacco leaves clamped by any combination of different numbers of claws.

[0009] Furthermore, a mounting plate is provided on the clamping mechanism, and a plurality of clamping claws are fixedly arranged on the mounting plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the clamping jaws have at least two specifications, and the upper limits of the weights that can be clamped by clamping jaws of different specifications are different.

[0011] Furthermore, the tobacco feeding device also includes a frame, and the clamping mechanism includes a horizontal movement mechanism that pushes the clamping mechanism to move horizontally relative to the frame and a lifting movement mechanism that controls the lifting movement of the clamping claw.

[0012] Furthermore, the frame is provided with a track, and the horizontal moving mechanism is guided and arranged on the frame to drive the clamping body to move relative to the frame.

[0013] Furthermore, the tobacco feeding device also includes a frame, the clamping mechanism includes a horizontal movement mechanism that pushes the clamping mechanism to move horizontally relative to the frame and a lifting movement mechanism that controls the lifting movement of the clamping claw, and the lifting movement mechanism includes a scissors-type telescopic member with one end connected to the clamping body and the other end connected to the mounting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the lifting movement mechanism includes a traction rope with one end connected to the mounting plate, and the other end of the traction rope is connected to the rotating power source.

[0015] Furthermore, the tobacco feeding device also includes a cutter assembly, and the cutter assembly is located below the guide rail.

[0016] Furthermore, a conveyor is provided below the cutter assembly, and a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of tobacco leaves on the conveyor is provided on the conveyor.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the tobacco feeding device in the present invention are as follows: the present invention pioneers a tobacco feeding device, which can transfer tobacco leaves by clamping by setting clamping jaws, avoiding the need to transfer tobacco leaves by tipping over the tobacco basket; at least two clamping jaws are set so that each clamping jaw can clamp a certain amount of tobacco leaves, and the number of clamps clamped by the clamps of different combination brackets is different. Since each clamping jaw can be controlled individually, different numbers or types of clamps can be released to obtain different feeding weights; a weighing unit is set to facilitate measurement of the clamping weight of each clamping jaw and obtain any combination of the weights of the clamping jaws through a controller, so that a variety of different feeding weight options can be obtained during a single grabbing process, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that the tobacco feeding weight cannot be accurately controlled by tipping the tobacco leaves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a tobacco leaf feeding device in the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the tobacco basket placement structure of an embodiment of the tobacco leaf feeding device of the present invention (with a tobacco basket attached); Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism of an embodiment of the tobacco leaf feeding device of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a side view of the clamping mechanism of the embodiment of the tobacco feeding device in the present invention; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a cutter assembly of an embodiment of a tobacco leaf feeding device in the present invention; Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of a buffer weighing conveyor of an embodiment of a tobacco leaf feeding device in the present invention; Figure 7 A top view of a buffer weighing conveyor of an embodiment of a tobacco leaf feeding device of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the dynamic speed regulating conveyor of an embodiment of the tobacco feeding device in the present invention.

[0019] In the figure: 1. frame; 11. track; 2. clamping mechanism; 21. clamping body; 22. travel motor; 23. travel wheel; 24. electric hoist; 25. traction rope; 26. scissor-type telescopic member; 27. pushing cylinder; 28. mounting plate; 29. ​​clamping claw; 291. weighing unit; 3. cigarette basket placement structure; 31. lock; 32. swing cylinder; 33. rotating shaft; 34. cigarette basket; 4. cutter assembly; 41. blade; 42. cutting cylinder; 5. buffer weighing conveyor; 6. dynamic speed control conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The features and performance of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0021] In this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are transferred by providing a clamping mechanism with a horizontal moving mechanism and a lifting movement mechanism, and the clamping claws are provided to facilitate direct grasping of the tobacco leaves in the tobacco basket, thereby avoiding the problem caused by tipping.

[0022] In Embodiment 1 of the tobacco leaf feeding device of the present invention: like Figure 1 As shown, the tobacco feeding device in this embodiment includes a tobacco basket placement structure 3 for placing a tobacco basket 34, a clamping mechanism 2 for clamping tobacco leaves, and a frame 1 on which the clamping mechanism 2 is provided, wherein a cutter assembly 4 is also provided on one side of the frame 1 located at the tobacco basket placement structure 3 to facilitate cutting of the tobacco leaves clamped by the clamping mechanism 2. A conveyor is also provided below the cutter assembly 4 to transport the cut tobacco leaves. Of course, in other embodiments, the tobacco feeding device may also only include a frame 1 and a clamping mechanism 2, and when needed, the tobacco basket 34 is placed close to the frame 1, and the cutter assembly 4 and the conveyor are configured by the user. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the clamp 29 may also be a multi-degree-of-freedom clamp.

[0023] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the clamping mechanism 2 includes a clamping body 21 and a clamping jaw 29, and a horizontal moving mechanism and a lifting and lowering mechanism for controlling the lifting and lowering movement of the clamping jaw 29 are also arranged on the clamping body 21. The clamping body 21 is a frame-type shell, and a travel motor 22 and a travel wheel 23 driven by the travel motor 22 are fixedly arranged on the clamping body 21. A track 11 for the travel wheel 23 to move is arranged on the frame 1, and the travel wheel 23 is rolled on the track 11 of the frame 1. Under the drive of the travel motor 22, the clamping mechanism 2 can be driven to move relative to the frame 1, and naturally the clamping jaw 29 can be driven to move relative to the frame 1. Of course, in other embodiments, the horizontal moving mechanism and the frame 1 can also be slidably matched by setting a slider and a slide groove, and the horizontal moving mechanism is controlled by setting a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. A photoelectric sensor is arranged on the track 11 of the frame 1, and the position of the clamping mechanism 2 is monitored in real time. When the clamping mechanism 2 is transported to the corresponding position, the photoelectric sensor will be triggered, and then the clamping mechanism 2 will be controlled to stop moving.

[0024] The lifting and lowering mechanism is also arranged on the clamping body 21. The lifting and lowering mechanism includes a scissor-type telescopic member 26 and a mounting plate 28 arranged at the bottom of the scissor-type telescopic member 26. The clamping claw 29 is installed on the mounting plate 28 and can move with the mounting plate 28. The scissor-type telescopic member 26 is provided with a push cylinder 27. The push cylinder 27 drives the movement of the scissor-type telescopic member 26, so that the scissor-type telescopic member 26 controls the relative movement of the mounting plate 28 and the clamping body 21, thereby controlling the lifting and lowering of the mounting plate 28, so that the clamping claw 29 can be lifted and lowered relative to the clamping body 21. In addition, in order to provide safety redundancy, an electric hoist 24 is also arranged on the clamping body 21. The electric hoist 24 is provided with a traction rope 25 with one end fixed on the electric hoist 24, and the other end of the traction rope 25 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 28. The mounting plate 28 can also be lifted and lowered by winding the electric hoist 24, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering control of the clamping claw 29. Of course, in other embodiments, only the scissor-type telescopic member 26 or only the electric hoist 24 and the traction rope 25 may be provided. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a telescopic cylinder may be provided on the clamping body 21, the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder being fixedly provided on the clamping body 21, and a mounting plate 28 being fixedly provided on the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the horizontal moving mechanism may be provided on the lifting mechanism, and the mounting plate 28 may be fixedly provided on the horizontal moving mechanism. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the mounting plate 28 may no longer be provided, and the clamping claw 29 may be directly provided on the scissor-type telescopic member 26 of the lifting mechanism.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the cutter assembly 4 and the tobacco basket placement structure 3 are both arranged below the track 11 of the frame 1, below the horizontal movement path of the clamp 29, so that the clamp 29 can clamp the tobacco leaves in the tobacco basket 34 to the cutter assembly 4 to achieve the transfer of the tobacco leaves. And because the clamp 29 can directly clamp the tobacco leaves to the cutter assembly 4 and put them down, the tobacco leaves can be protected as much as possible in the process of transfer by the clamp 29, avoiding the confusion of the tobacco leaves during the process of transfer, which affects the cutting quality.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cigarette basket placement structure 3 is a frame structure, and the cigarette basket placement structure 3 can place the cigarette basket 34 inside and achieve position limiting. Specifically, the cigarette basket placement structure 3 is a cubic structure with four faces, one of the side faces and the top face of which has no cover plate, and a lock 31 for locking the cigarette basket 34 is arranged on the upper surface of the cigarette basket 34 structure. The cigarette basket placement structure 3 includes a rotating shaft 33 hingedly arranged on the frame 1, and a swinging oil cylinder 32 is arranged on the rotating shaft 33, and the rotation of the cigarette basket placement structure 3 relative to the frame 1 can be controlled by the swinging oil cylinder 32. The setting of the lock 31 ensures that the cigarette basket placement structure 3 will not throw out the cigarette basket 34 during the rotation process. It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the tobacco leaves are mainly transferred by the clamping claw 29. When the remaining amount of tobacco leaves in the cigarette basket 34 is small, the tipping method is adopted, and the tobacco leaves in the cigarette basket 34 can be effectively utilized. Since there are fewer tobacco leaves in the cigarette basket 34 during the flipping, the rotating shaft 33 is also prevented from being subjected to excessive torque during the flipping process.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the cutter assembly 4 is arranged adjacent to the tobacco basket placement structure 3, and a plurality of blades 41 arranged in parallel are provided on the cutter assembly 4. Under the action of the cutter assembly 4, the tobacco leaves are divided into multiple sections. The cutter assembly 4 is arranged according to actual needs, and may be provided with only one blade 41, or may be provided with two or three blades 41 arranged in parallel. The cutter assembly 4 is also provided with a cutting cylinder 42 that drives the blade 41 to reciprocate for cutting.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, after the cutter assembly 4 cuts the tobacco leaves, they need to be transported to the next station for processing. Therefore, a conveyor is also provided below the cutter assembly 4, and the conveyor is used to transport the cut tobacco leaves backward. In this embodiment, the conveyor is a belt conveyor, and the cutter assembly 4 moves intermittently, so the cut tobacco leaves will also change intermittently over time. In this embodiment, the belt conveyor is a cache weighing conveyor 5 with a weighing function, and the cache weighing conveyor 5 is provided with a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of the tobacco leaves on the cache weighing conveyor 5, so that the weight on the cache weighing conveyor 5 can be monitored at all times, which is convenient for controlling the clamp 29 and controlling its feeding speed. In the process of transportation, not all tobacco leaves can be transported at one time, and multiple groups of conveyors are required to work. Therefore, the cache weighing conveyor 5 is arranged upward with the transportation direction tilted, providing space for the arrangement of the next conveyor. A dynamic speed regulating conveyor 6 is also provided downstream of the cache weighing conveyor 5, and the running speed of the dynamic speed regulating conveyor 6 is variable, which facilitates the real-time control of the transported flow through the dynamic speed regulating conveyor 6.

[0029] like Figure 4 As shown, in order to accurately control the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by the clamp 29, a weighing unit 291 is provided between the clamp 29 and the mounting plate 28. The weighing unit 291 can weigh the weight of the clamp 29 and the object after the clamp 29 clamps the object, and obtain the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by the clamp 29. There are multiple clamps 29, and different clamps 29 may grab different weights in the same grabbing, so a weighing unit 291 is provided between each clamp 29 and the mounting plate 28. In addition, a controller for counting the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by each clamp 29 is also provided on the clamping mechanism 2. Different clamps 29 can grab different weights, and the total weight grabbed by different clamp combinations is naturally different. The controller can calculate the total weight clamped by different numbers and types of clamp combinations. At the same time, the controller can also control each clamp 29 individually to control it to be in an open or clamping state. Of course, in other embodiments, the weighing unit 291 may not be provided, and the weight control may be performed by controlling the opening or clamping of different quantities. In addition, when the clamping jaws 29 are provided, two specifications may be provided, one of which can clamp more tobacco leaves, and the other can clamp less tobacco leaves, so that when more tobacco leaves are missing, the clamping jaws 29 with a larger clamping amount are used, and when less tobacco leaves are missing, the clamping jaws 29 with a smaller clamping amount are used, so as to facilitate precise control.

[0030] When the production of cigarettes involves multiple tobacco leaves, the multiple tobacco leaves have a ratio, that is to say, the weight of the tobacco leaves put in needs to be precisely controlled. When feeding tobacco leaves, the required weight of tobacco leaves is obtained, and the tobacco leaves are grabbed using the clamp 29. When the clamp 29 moves to the top of the cutter assembly 4, all the tobacco leaves are not released immediately, but are counted by the controller, and the sum of the masses of tobacco leaves clamped by any different number of clamp combinations is counted. The sum of the masses under different combinations is compared with the mass of the required tobacco leaves to obtain the form of the clamp combination closest to the required weight, and then the controller is used to release the tobacco leaves to the clamp 29 in the clamp combination that meets the requirements. It is worth noting that if the required weight is still not met after a single delivery, the clamp 29 is controlled to grab a second time until the required weight is met. It is worth noting that the feeding method for making cigarettes with multiple tobacco leaves in this embodiment is also a tobacco feeding method.

[0031] In an embodiment of the tobacco leaf feeding method of the present invention: In the last step of loading in this embodiment, it is necessary to measure the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by each jaw, calculate and count the sum of the weights of the tobacco leaves clamped by any different number of jaw combinations, and obtain the required weight of the tobacco leaves. The sum of the weights of the tobacco leaves clamped by the different jaw combinations obtained previously is compared with the weight of the required tobacco leaves to obtain the closest combination, and the jaws in the combination are controlled to release the clamped tobacco leaves, thereby obtaining tobacco leaves of a specified weight for loading.

[0032] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The patent protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the claims. All equivalent structural changes made using the contents of the description and drawings of the present invention should also be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tobacco leaf feeding method, characterized in that: In the last step of loading, the tobacco leaves are clamped with redundant jaws, the weight of the tobacco leaves clamped by each jaw is measured, the sum of the weights of the tobacco leaves clamped by any different number of jaw combinations is calculated, the required weight of the tobacco leaves is obtained, and the jaw combination closest to the required weight is compared to control the corresponding jaws in the jaw combination to put down the tobacco leaves.

2. A tobacco leaf feeding device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a clamping mechanism for clamping tobacco leaves, wherein the clamping mechanism is provided with clamping claws for clamping tobacco leaves from a tobacco basket to a desired position, wherein at least two clamping claws are provided, and each clamping claw has a weighing unit and can be controlled individually to measure the weight of the clamped tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaf feeding device also comprises a controller for obtaining the gripping weight of the clamping claws and calculating the sum of the masses of tobacco leaves clamped by any combination of different numbers of clamping claws.

3. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism is provided with a mounting plate, and a plurality of clamping claws are fixedly arranged on the mounting plate.

4. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The clamping jaws have at least two specifications, and the upper limits of the weights that can be clamped by the clamping jaws of different specifications are different.

5. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The tobacco leaf feeding device also includes a frame, and the clamping mechanism includes a horizontal movement mechanism that pushes the clamping mechanism to move horizontally relative to the frame and a lifting movement mechanism that controls the lifting movement of the clamping claw.

6. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The frame is provided with a track, and the horizontal moving mechanism is guided and arranged on the frame to drive the clamping body to move relative to the frame.

7. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tobacco feeding device also includes a frame, and the clamping mechanism includes a horizontal movement mechanism that pushes the clamping mechanism to move horizontally relative to the frame and a lifting movement mechanism that controls the lifting movement of the clamping claws. The lifting movement mechanism includes a scissor-type telescopic member with one end connected to the clamping body and the other end connected to the mounting plate.

8. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises a traction rope with one end connected to the mounting plate, and the other end of the traction rope is connected to a rotating power source.

9. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The tobacco leaf feeding device also includes a cutter assembly, and the cutter assembly is located below the guide rail.

10. The tobacco leaf feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: A conveyor is arranged below the cutter assembly, and a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of tobacco leaves on the conveyor is arranged on the conveyor.

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