Cured leaf separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624384-B2
Application number	US-201615087614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A leaf removal assembly including a frame comprising a front plate having a feed opening, a leaf stripping assembly mounted on said front plate in front of said feed opening and an upper sprocket wheel comprising a plurality of upper socket grippers extending radially outward of the upper sprocket wheel and being disposed behind the front plate. The leaf removal assembly further includes a lower sprocket wheel comprising a plurality of lower sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly of the lower sprocket wheel and being disposed behind the front plate. At least one of the upper sprocket wheel and the lower sprocket wheel may be adjustably attached to the frame. A process for separating a leaf from a stalk comprising at least one leaf is also included.

First claim

We claim:

1. An assembly for removing leaves from a stalk, the assembly comprising:
a frame;
a front plate having a feed opening, the front plate being a part of the frame or attached to the frame;
a leaf stripping assembly mounted on the front plate;
an upper sprocket wheel behind the front plate and including a plurality of upper sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the upper sprocket wheel; and
a lower sprocket wheel behind the front plate and including a plurality of lower sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the lower sprocket wheel,
wherein one of the upper sprocket wheel or the lower sprocket wheel is rotatably fixed within a cradle housing,
the cradle housing supports a first end and a second end of the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing, and the cradle housing is positioned within the frame, and is pivotally fixed to the frame, and
the cradle housing extends at least a length of the upper sprocket wheel or the lower sprocket wheel in the frame.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sprocket configured to adjust a location of the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein a sprocket controller is configured to adjust the location of the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing via a spring loaded device.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines a movement path opening configured to allow adjustment of at least one of the sprocket wheels.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the movement path opening is configured to allow vertical adjustment of at least one of the sprocket wheels.

6. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the movement path opening is configured to allow arcuate adjustment of at least one of the sprocket wheels.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sprocket wheels is adjustable with respect to the other sprocket wheel to change a spacing between two sprocket wheels.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leaf stripping assembly comprises a cutting edge.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cutting edge has beveled surfaces.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leaf stripping assembly comprises at least one adjustably attached stripping plate having a cutting edge and a guide shoe attached to a back of the stripping plate.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the at least one adjustably attached stripping plate includes four adjustably attached stripping plates adjustably attached to the stripping assembly and forming an adjustable aperture.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the guide shoe protrudes behind and past the cutting edge.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shredder disposed downstream of the sprocket wheels for shredding at least a portion of the stalk.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the shredder comprises:
a rotating head assembly having at least one shredding blade.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lever arm configured to pivotally separate the upper sprocket wheel and the lower sprocket wheel.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cradle is biased in a direction such that the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing is biased in the direction of the other sprocket wheel.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lever arm connected to said cradle to pivot said cradle away from one of the sprocket wheels.

18. A process for separating a leaf from a stalk having a stalk end and including at least one leaf, the process comprising:
providing an assembly including,
a frame having a front plate, the front plate having a feed opening;
a leaf stripping assembly mounted on the front plate;
a rotating upper sprocket wheel including a plurality of upper sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the upper sprocket wheel and being disposed behind the front plate; and
a rotating lower sprocket wheel including a plurality of lower sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the lower sprocket wheel and being disposed behind the front plate,
wherein one of the upper sprocket wheel or the lower sprocket wheel is rotatably fixed within a cradle housing, and the cradle housing supports a first end and a second end of the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing, is positioned within the frame, and is pivotably fixed to the frame, and the cradle housing extends at least a length of the upper sprocket wheel or the lower sprocket wheel in the frame;

feeding the stalk end through the feed opening and into the rotating sprocket wheels such that the upper sprocket grippers and the lower sprocket grippers engage at least a portion of the stalk to convey the stalk through the feed opening; and
stripping leaves from the stalk with the leaf stripping assembly.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the feeding further comprises adjusting a location of the upper sprocket wheel, the lower sprocket wheel, or both the upper sprocket wheel and the lower sprocket wheel to allow further engagement of the stalk end between the sprocket wheels.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein the conveyance of the stalk through the feed opening engages the leaves with the leaf stripping assembly.

21. The process of claim 20 , wherein the engagement of the leaves with the leaf stripping assembly cuts at least one leaf from the stalk.

22. An assembly for removing leaves from a stalk, the assembly comprising:
a frame;
a front plate having a feed opening, the front plate being a part of the frame or attached to the frame;
a leaf stripping assembly mounted on the front plate;
an upper sprocket wheel behind the front plate and including a plurality of upper sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the upper sprocket wheel;
a lower sprocket wheel behind the front plate and including a plurality of lower sprocket grippers extending radially outwardly from the lower sprocket wheel,
wherein one of the upper sprocket wheel or the lower sprocket wheel is rotatably fixed within a cradle housing, and
the cradle housing supports a first end and a second end of the sprocket wheel that is rotatably fixed within the cradle housing, and the cradle housing is positioned within the frame, and is pivotally fixed to the frame;
a pivot tube connected to a first lateral sidewall and a second lateral sidewall of the cradle housing; and
a pivot shaft extending through the pivot tube, penetrating through the first lateral sidewall and the second lateral sidewall, and supporting the cradle housing within the frame.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Evans James David
• Jain Ashish
• Duvekot Loren Theodore
• Haller David C

Classifications

• A24B5/16

  Other treatment of stems or ribs, e.g. bending, chopping, incising (humidifying A24B3/04) · CPC title

• A24B5/04 Primary

  by cutting out the stem · CPC title

• A24B5/12

  Auxiliary devices for stripping · CPC title

• A24B5/06

  by stripping leaf-parts from the stem · CPC title