Patent GB-299162-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in cigarette making machine drive
IPC: G05G13/00
Filed: 1927-09-23
Abstract: 299,162. Marks, E. C. R., (American Machine & Foundry Co.). Sept. 23, 1927. Cigarette-making machines. -In a high-speed continuousrod machine, the main shaft is driven from a constantspeed source of power through variable-speed gearing, and controlling means are provided for starting at a subnormal speed and accelerating to a maximum speed. The machine described has two rod-forming mechanisms and corresponding tobacco-feeding, printing &c. mechanisms driven by the main shaft and selectively controlled so that one or other set of mechanism can be stopped when the machine is running at subnormal speed. As shown in Figs. 2, 2a, and 6, the main shaft 21 is driven from a motor M through chain gearing 15, 19 and a variable-speed gear 17 of the Reeves type controlled by a speed lever 285; and a main clutch 265 is operated by a lever 276 through linkage 273, 274 and a sliding cam 271, or by a lever 282 connected by additional linkage 277 - - 281 to the lever 276. The two sets oi rod-forming, feeding, printing, &c. mechanism are operated by shafts 29, 30 driven from the main shaft 21 through gears 26 - - 28, and by a jack shaft 44 driven from the main shaft through gears 41 - - 43. The shafts 29, 39 have each a clutch 236, 237, Figs. 4, 6, arranged so that only one clutch can be disengaged at a time or both clutches can be in engagement. Each clutch comprises a sleeve 238 carrying a clutch member 258 and enclosing a spring 239 bearing against the end of the sleeve and against a collar 240 on the shaft 29 or 30. The sleeve is held in disengaged position by a spring-controlled catch 241 pivoted in a slotted sleeve 240a and released by a sliding sleeve 244 having a central collar for engagement by collars 247, 248 on a rod 246. The rods 246 are pivotally connected to a lever 249 on a shaft 250 actuated by means of a hand lever 256 and gear sectors 253, 254. The clutches 236, 237 can also be manipulated by means of a lever 304 connected by linkage &c. 306 - - 311 to the gear sector 254. Disengagement of either of the clutches is effected by a shifting fork 262 engaged by a slotted head 260 on the corresponding rod 246, and the collars 247, 248 on the rods 246 are so spaced that only one clutch at a time can be disengaged. In operation, the machine is started at low speed by engaging the main clutch 265 and is brought up to high speed by means of the speed lever 285. If it is desired to stop one of the cigarette rods, the machine is brought back to low speed, all levers for disengaging clutches being connected to the change-speed gearing. A cam 299 moving with the gear sector 253 of the lever 256 actuates a lever 301 acting on the change-speed gear through a shaft 293, lever 297, and rod 298; and the slide cam 271, operating the main clutch 265, actuates an arm 303 on the shaft 293 acting on the change-speed gear. Feeding tobacco. In order that the corresponding tobacco feed may be stopped when either of the cigarette rods is stopped, feedcontrol clutches 166 are connected through a rod 317, Figs. 3 and 9, to an arm 316 on a shaft 314 carrying a gear sector 313 meshing with a sector 312 on the shaft 250 controlled by the lever 256. Either feed can also be stopped independently of the rod-forming mechanism by means of a handactuated rod 318, Fig. 3. The feeding-mechanism is driven from a gear 153 on the main shaft 21 through gearing 154 - -- 163, Fig. 3, and a gear 164 on a shaft, 165 having a clutch 166 for each cigarette rod. The shaft 170 of each lower feed drum and the shafts 178, 179 of the short and long feed belts are driven from the shaft 165 through sprocket gearing 167 - - 177, which also drives the shaft 180 of a concave roller for feeding the cigarette rod. Each tobacco chamber E has an adjustable wall mounted on rods 192, 193 connected by chain gearing to a hand-adjusted shaft 200. The shaft 208 of the upper feed drum is driven intermittently by a ratchet gear 209, 210 actuated from an eccentric 202 on the shaft 159, the ratchet 209 being held by a drum brake 211 during the return stroke of the pawl 210. A top fan and a winnower common to both feeds are driven continuously by belt gearing. The printing mechanism comprises printer drums 37, 40, Fig. 2a, driven from the shafts 29, 30 through worm gearing 31 - - 34 and ratchet mechanism, and dies 55, 56 and ink distributors driven from the jack shaft 44 through gears 45 - - 52 and 57 - - 60 &c. respectively. Pasters H are driven from the shafts 29, 30 through bevel gearing 64, Fig. 1, and tape-wheels 87, 94 through worm and ratchet gearing 78, 81, &c., Fig. 2. The jack shaft 44 drives rod sealers J through belt gearing 95 - - 97, cut-off mechanism K through a clutch 98 and bevel gearing 99, 102, cigarette separator belts N through bevel gearing 106, 109, a delivery drum 0 through bevel gearing and helical gearing, and a ripper Q for defective cigarettes through the clutch 98 and chain &c. gear 117, 121.