Powell Manufacturing Company

Other

Robert W Wilson

Olin C Trull

Gary E Johnson

John H Wunderlich

Thomas Huempfner

Kenneth A Krausert

A transverse folding apparatus for folding cut web products into web wipes, napkins, and the like includes a tucker blade which follows a hypocycloidal path for folding the web products. A cutoff roll and an anvil roll cut a web into cut web products. The cut web products are conveyed along a first web path by first and second belts. The second belt also extends along a second web path which extends transversely from the first web path. The first belt extends along the first web path beyond the second web path. The tucker blade moves transversely past the first belt into the first web path to engage each web product and transversely fold the web product into the second web path. A creasing roll along the second web path engages the folded edge of each web product. A pair of stacker infeed belts extend along the second web path and convey the web produts from the second belt to a stacker.

Transverse folding apparatus

An articulating ergonomic support apparatus is disclosed for supporting an individual's forearm, wrist, and palm of the hand while performing repetitive tasks such as operating the keyboard of a computer. The apparatus can be adapted to a variety of mounting devices depending on the particular work-place environment, but preferably it is adapted to an articulating arm assembly which permits the user to freely adjust the apparatus for position, height, and horizontal and vertical tilt. The forearm rest portion of the apparatus supports the user's arm in a feeder tray, while the hand rest portion supports the palm and wrist of the hand with a cylindrical rest which rotates about an axis between extending through the ends of the cylindrical rest, the axis being offset in relation to the axis extending through the center of the cylindrical rest. Alternatively, the hand rest portion supports the palm and wrist of the hand with an inverted spoon-shaped member having a convex platform which fits the natural curvature of the palm of an individual's hand and an elongated arm which supports the wrist.

Articulating ergonomic support system

A gas generator having a reservoir from which liquid is fed to a gas generating chamber in selective feeding arrangements. In one method the liquid is poured into the reservoir for feeding at a decreasing pressure head. In a second selective feeding method a bottle of supply liquid is inverted in the reservoir for feeding at a generally uniform pressure head. In another method liquid is first placed in the reservoir and the inverted bottle is partially submerged in the liquid for initial feeding at a decreasing pressure head during depletion of the liquid in the reservoir between the bottle and the walls of the reservoir, followed by feeding at a generally uniform pressure head during depletion of liquid from within the bottle. The liquid can also be selectively fed by first filling the reservoir and then placing an inverted large bottle of liquid on top of the reservoir with the neck of the bottle submerged below the level of the liquid in the reservoir, resulting in initial feeding at a generally uniform pressure head during depletion of liquid from within the bottle, followed by feeding at a decreasing pressure head during depletion of liquid from the reservoir below the bottle.

Gas generating apparatus and a method of feeding liquid thereto

A dropout file storage drawer is slidably mounted on a bearing track assembly and includes a forwardly positioned cam and follower arrangement which permits the drawer to slope slightly downwardly while it is being pulled out of its associated cabinet. The slope angle continually increases as the drawer is pulled farther out of the cabinet, while a rearwardly positioned stop limits the distance of drawer removal. If desired, the drawer can be moved over the stop so as to permit the drawer to be turned downwardly to a substantially vertical angle while still being attached to the bearing track assembly.

Horizontal dropout file storage drawer

A tobacco combine comprising a frame operable to be moved along a row of tobacco plants in a tobacco field, a pair of cooperating power driven mechanical tobacco defoliating units mounted on the frame for (1) movement therewith along the row of tobacco plants on opposite sides of a predetermined vertical extent of the stalks of the tobacco plants for removing tobacco leaves attached to the portion of the stalks within the predetermined vertical extent and (2) vertical movements with respect to the frame within (a) an operative range for varying the predetermined vertical extent of the stalks and (b) above the operating range for clearance purposes, a power driven longitudinal conveyor assembly disposed laterally outwardly from each defoliating unit for receiving leaves directed laterally thereby and moving the same rearwardly, a manually adjustable strut assembly for supporting the forward end of each longitudinal conveyor from the frame against a downward movement below a selected position of adjustment but permitting upward movement above the selected position of adjustment, and a lost motion connection operatively connected between the defoliator units and the forward end of each of the longitudinal conveyor assemblies.

Tobacco combine with selective conveyor raising

A tea harvester in the form of a wheeled vehicle adapted to straddle at least one row of plants carries therebeneath a horizontal transverse cutter bar in position to clip the tops of the plants in a row. Blower and manifold means are carried by the vehicle for emitting a horizontally-elongated vertically narrow stream of air rearwardly and downwardly across the cutter bar for blowing clippings rearwardly off the bar into the mouth of a conveyor means. The undersurface of the manifold means and its airstream-defining outlet are spaced above and forwardly of the bar to enable the tops of the plants to stand upright in the path of the airstream while being clipped. The conveyor means extends upwardly and rearwardly to convey the clippings to a collecting receptacle. The cutter bar, the blower and manifold means, and the conveyor means are all mounted to vehicle for vertical adjustment to adjust the above-ground cutting height of the cutter bar.

Harvester for tea or the like

Apparatus for bulk curing tobacco comprising a barn having a heat exchanger therein defining interior flow paths for heated water and exterior heat exchange surfaces disposed within the curing air flow path within the barn, hot water storage tank unit, a power operated pump for circulating hot water between the hot water storage tank unit and the heat exchanger, a hot water heating unit and a power driven pump for continuously circulating water between the hot water heating unit and the hot water storage unit. The hot water heating unit comprises an inner casing structure defining an interior combustion chamber, an outer casing structure extending over a portion of the exterior of the inner casing structure and defining therewith a water circulating space communicating with the continuous circulating pump, a grate assembly within the combustion chamber for supporting solid fuel for combustion therein, a forced draft blower for establishing a forced flow of combustion air into the combustion chamber, an induced draft blower for inducing a flow of combusted gases from the combustion chamber, and the operation of the blower being controlled to control the combustion rate of the supplied solid fuel and hence the amount of heat added to the water circulating in the water circulating space.

Bulk curing with solid fuel

An apparatus for priming tobacco plants having stalks and leaves extending outwardly therefrom comprising a pair of intermeshing defoliating units each of which includes a plurality of elongated members having sharp upper cutting edges extending generally in directions both longitudinal and transverse with respect to the row of plants. The units are driven such that the elongated members are moved through an orbital translational cycle in a direction such that the cutting edges of each elongated member will be moved inwardly toward the stalks, upwardly to sever the leaves from the stalks and then outwardly to carry the severed leaves away from the stalks. The improvement of the invention consists essentially in arranging the units with respect to one another such that the longitudinal extent of the cutting edges associated with the elongated members of each unit during their movement inwardly toward the stalks pass into a common vertical plane disposed closely adjacent the associated side of the stalks of a row of tobacco plants. The distance between the aforesaid vertical planes associated with both units is less than the transverse extent of the cutting edges of the units so that the free ends of the transverse extent of the cutting edges of each elongated member associated with each unit during their movement inwardly toward the stalk moves inwardly a distance beyond the vertical plane associated with the other unit so as to insure that leaves attached to stalks at positions other than at opposite sides thereof with respect to the row will be severed.

Tobacco defoliating units with overlapping cutting edges

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 a container that has an elongated horizontal extent aligned with and underneath the flow path for receipt of the tobacco leaves in condition for subsequent curing. An oscillatable or reciprocable baffle, or a variable speed conveyor or feed roll is included for varying the horizontal extent of the flow path within the maximum extent in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the elongated extent of the container. A pair of aligned tobacco containers may be used 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 each container is full.

Tobacco handling apparatus

A tobacco supporting tine structure comprising an elongated rod bent to define a relatively long longitudinally extending leg portion having a free end thereof shaped to facilitate a piercing movement thereof through a bulk mass of tobacco leaves, a bight portion extending transversely from the other end of the leg portion, a relatively short parallel section extending from the opposite end of the bight portion from which the leg portion extends in the same direction as the latter, a locking section extending transversely from the short parallel sections in a direction toward and at an angle of approximately 45.degree. with respect to the leg portion and a relatively long leg section extending longitudinally from the locking section in generally coextensive parallel relation to the leg portion and having a free end shaped to facilitate a piercing movement thereof through a bulk mass of tobacco leaves.

Tobacco supporting tine structure with improved locking means

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 a container 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 in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the container. The container is preferably a large size bulk curing container and the leaf distributing mechanism is preferably a plurality of deflectors which are oscillated laterally in conjunction with a longitudinal reciprocating movement. The leaves can be handled after harvesting at the barn or while harvesting takes place in the field.

A tobacco bulk curing barn construction including a furnace section and a plurality of portable barn sections each having imperforate side walls and top wall that form substantially complete exterior walls and roof of an integral transverse section of a composite curing part of the barn construction. Flanges and sealing gaskets are provided along edges of each section to provide sealing engagement of adjacent sections in a series row formation. A screen is secured across one end of the barn section to define with the side walls a full section open curing space for receiving tobacco filled in bulk therein when the section is disposed flat on the screened end. A pair of open frames is mounted between the side walls for movement from open positions after an initial amount of tobacco has been filled into position on top of the leaves to limit the amount of compression which can subsequently be applied to the initial tobacco by virture of the subsequent full loading of leaves into the curing space. A pair of cross frames is pivoted to the side walls at the end opposite the screen for pivoting from open positions during tobacco loading into closed tobacco retaining positions across the end of the section. U-shaped tines each having a pair of legs and a connecting base are inserted into the bulk tobacco and are supported in tobacco supporting position by the tip ends of the tines projecting into the screen and the base ends of the tines being supported on the cross frames. The screen, cross frames, and tines combine to support tobacco in the full section of the full width of the barn and the full height except for air circulation voids at the top and bottom when the section is joined with other sections to form a composite barn.

Growing community of inventors

Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Robert W Wilson