Tobacco cake subdividing apparatus for use in cut tobacco expanding system

Abstract

A subdividing apparatus for use in an cut tobacco expanding system comprises a primary de-clumper arranged to receive a tobacco cake of impregnated cut tobacco taken out of an impregnation container and subdivide the received tobacco cake into tobacco loaves, and a secondary de-clumper arranged to receive the tobacco loaves from the primary de-clumper, subdivide the received tobacco loaves first into tobacco chunks and then further subdivide the tobacco chunks into tobacco lumps. The secondary de-clumper includes paired rotary rakes and a rotatable drum rake 26 located below the rotary rakes.

1 . A tobacco cake subdividing apparatus for use in an cut tobacco expanding system, the expanding system being arranged such that cut tobacco is impregnated with liquid carbon dioxide within an impregnation container and a tobacco cake of the impregnated cut tobacco taken out of the impregnation container is fed to said subdividing apparatus, 
 the dividing apparatus comprising:    a primary de-clumper arranged to receive the tobacco cake, for subdividing the received tobacco cake into tobacco loaves and delivering the tobacco loaves; and    a secondary de-clumper arranged to receive the tobacco loaves from said primary de-clumper, for subdividing the received tobacco loaves,    said secondary de-clumper including    paired rotary rakes located horizontally with a space between, for subdividing the tobacco loaves into tobacco chunks and delivering the tobacco chunks downward, and    a movable rake wall located below the paired rotary rakes, the movable rake wall being moved from one side where one of the rotary rakes is located to the other side where the other of the rotary rakes is located while the movable rake wall vertically overlaps the rotary rakes so that the movable rake wall cooperates with the rotary rakes to subdivide the tobacco chunks into tobacco lumps.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said paired rotary rakes overlap said movable rake wall in the manner such that the rotary rakes engage with said movable rake wall.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 said secondary de-clumper further comprises a lap adjustment device for adjusting overlap between said rotary rakes and said movable rake wall.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 said secondary de-clumper further comprises a speed adjustment device for adjusting a rotational speed of said rotary rakes and a moving speed of said movable rake wall.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 each of said rotary rakes includes a rotatable roller and a plurality of rake rows provided on a cylindrical surface of the roller.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the rake rows are disposed in a circumferential direction of the roller with spaces between, and each of the rake rows has a large number of rake pins arranged along an axial direction of the roller with space between.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 between said paired rotary rakes, the rake pins are in phase with respect to the axial direction of the roller, while the rake rows are different phase in the circumferential direction of the roller.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 said movable rake wall is located below said paired rotary rakes and middle between said paired rotary rakes, and includes a rotary shaft extending parallel to said rotary rakes, and a large number of rake discs provided on the rotary shaft, and    the rake discs are arranged along the axial direction of the rotary shaft with spaces between, in the manner such that each rake disc is located between the rake pins of each rotary rake.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 said movable rake wall is located below said paired rotary rakes, and includes a conveyer extending across said rotary rakes, and a plurality of rake rows provided on the conveyer.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the rake rows are disposed in a width direction of the conveyer with spaces between, and each of the rake rows has a large number of rake pins arranged in the direction of traveling of the conveyer with spaces between, so that as the conveyer travels, each of the rake rows passes between the rake pins of each rotary rake.