Mobile tobacco receiving station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12175509-B2
Application number	US-202016785749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Nov 20, 2007
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A system, method, computer program product, and mobile receiving station for receiving and processing leaf tobacco at a location of a tobacco farmer, including processing the tobacco leaf at the location, including means for weighing and grading of the received tobacco leaf and, optionally, determining moisture content and transmitting information relating to the optionally determined moisture content, the weight, and the grade of the received tobacco leaf to a tobacco product manufacturing facility over a communications link.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A mobile receiving station comprising:
a loading ramp configured to load at least one tobacco leaf bale into the mobile receiving station, the loading ramp arranged along a first direction;
an unloading ramp configured to unload the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the mobile receiving station;
a scale configured to measure a bale weight of the at least one tobacco leaf bale; and
a conveyor belt and a lateral transfer, wherein
the conveyor belt is configured to receive the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the loading ramp,
the lateral transfer is configured to receive the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the conveyor belt and transfer the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the unloading ramp, and
the unloading ramp is further configured to unload the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the mobile receiving station, the unloading ramp arranged in a second direction different from the first direction of the loading ramp.

2. The mobile receiving station of claim 1 , further comprising:
a moisture sensor configured to determine moisture content of the at least one tobacco leaf bale; and
a communications link configured to communicate with a tobacco product manufacturing facility.

3. The mobile receiving station of claim 2 , further comprising:
a scanner configured to read a unique identifier corresponding to the at least one tobacco leaf bale.

4. The mobile receiving station of claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one processor configured to execute computer readable instructions to,
assign a tobacco leaf grade to the at least one tobacco leaf bale,
associate the unique identifier of the at least one tobacco leaf bale with information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale, the information including at least one of the determined moisture content of the at least one tobacco leaf bale, the measured bale weight of the at least one tobacco leaf bale, and the assigned grade of the at least one tobacco leaf bale, or any combination thereof,
transmit the information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the tobacco product manufacturing facility over the communications link, and
add the information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the unique identifier of the at least one tobacco leaf bale.

5. The mobile receiving station of claim 4 , further comprising:
a display configured to display the information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale.

6. The mobile receiving station of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable instructions to:
receive a determined value for the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the tobacco product manufacturing facility based on the transmitted information.

7. The mobile receiving station of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer readable instructions to:
generate a bill of lading for shipment of the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the tobacco product manufacturing facility based on the transmitted information.

8. The mobile receiving station of claim 1 , further comprising:
a toter, the toter including,
at least one of a safety shower, an eye wash station, a fire extinguisher, a furnace, or any combination thereof.

9. The mobile receiving station of claim 1 , wherein the lateral transfer is a 90° transfer.

10. The mobile receiving station of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The mobile receiving station of claim 1 , further comprising:
a trailer including the loading ramp, the unloading ramp, the scale, the conveyor belt, the lateral transfer, or any combination thereof.

12. The mobile receiving station of claim 11 , wherein the trailer is attached to a motor vehicle.

13. A method comprising:
receiving at least one tobacco leaf bale into a mobile receiving station via a loading ramp, the loading ramp arranged along a first direction;
transferring the at least one tobacco leaf bale to a conveyor belt;
measuring a bale weight of the at least one tobacco leaf bale using a scale;
transferring the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the conveyor belt to an unloading ramp using a lateral transfer; and
unloading the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the mobile receiving station using the unloading ramp, the unloading ramp arranged in a second direction different from the first direction of the loading ramp.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining a moisture content of the at least one tobacco leaf bale using a moisture sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a unique identifier corresponding to the at least one tobacco leaf bale using a scanner;
assigning a tobacco leaf grade to the least one tobacco leaf bale;
associating the unique identifier of the at least one tobacco leaf bale with at least one of the tobacco leaf grade, the bale weight, the determined moisture content, or sub-any combination thereof; and
adding information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the unique identifier, the information including at least one of the tobacco leaf grade or the bale weight.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
displaying the information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale on a display panel.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting information related to the at least one tobacco leaf bale to a tobacco product manufacturing facility over a communications link; and
receiving a determined value for the at least one tobacco leaf bale from the tobacco product manufacturing facility based on the transmitted information.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
generating a bill of lading for shipment of the at least one tobacco leaf bale to the tobacco product manufacturing facility based on the transmitted information.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lateral transfer is a 90° transfer.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Teegarden Hal L
• Ray David Scott
• Livesay John Stewart
• Gomez Isidro

Classifications

• G01G19/40

  with provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight (indicating means for weighing apparatus G01G23/18; recording means for weighing apparatus G01G23/18; computers in general G06) · CPC title

• G01G17/00

  Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property (determining weight by measuring volume G01F) · CPC title

• B60P1/00

  Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading (vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G) · CPC title

• A24B1/00

  Preparation of tobacco on the plantation · CPC title

• G06Q40/04

  Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange · CPC title