| 摘要 |
<p>TOBACCO HANDLING APPARATUS Tobacco handling apparatus that receives tobacco from a source, such as a trailer, and elevates it by a conveyor to a discharge end from which it is discharged in a flow path having a substantial maximum horizontal extent disposed above container means that has a longitudinal horizontal extent aligned with and underneath the flow path for receipt of the tobacco leaves therefrom in condition for subsequent curing. A leaf distributing mechanism is included for varying the horizontal extent of the flow path within the maximum extent and over the aforesaid horizontal extent of the container means in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the container means. The leaf distributing mechanism may be an oscillatable or reciprocable baffle plate deflector or a variable speed drive for the conveyor or for distributing rolls adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor. The container means may be a pair of aligned tobacco containers having a combined horizontal extent in the direction of the flow path corresponding to the variation of the flow path extent with two baffle plate deflectors selectively operable to fill the containers alternately, and with the containers mounted for weighing of the tobacco to provide an indication when the container is full. The containers may alternatively be mounted on a turntable. The tobacco in the containers is secured in vertically disposed tobacco racks and the containers are pivotable to dispose the racks horizontally for sliding removal from the containers. Alternatively, the container means may be a large size bulk curing container, in which case the leaf distributing mechanism can be a plurality of deflectors which are oscillated laterally in cojunction with a longitudinal reciprocating movement. The leaves can be handled after harvesting at the barn or while harvesting takes place in the field.</p> |
