Patent GB-985057-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cigar making machines
Inventor: GUEST EDWIN THOMAS
IPC: A24C5/47
Filed: 1962-07-12
Abstract: 985,057. Cigar tipping machines. IMPERIAL TOBACCO CO. (OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND) Ltd. July 2, 1963 [July 12, 1962], No. 26774/62. Heading A2C. In a method of manufacturing tipped cigars in a bunch rolling machine the stubs (e.g. of cellulosic material, coiled of paper, hollow tubes, in tobacco) are stored in parallel arrangement in a hopper and oscillation of the knife to separate a filler of tobacco from the remainder of the tobacco in the tobacco magazine acts also to deliver a stub ready for inclusion with the separated filler in the binder and said filler and stub are subsequently rolled together in the apron and into the binder to provide a tipped cigar. The hopper 72 (Figs. 1 and 2) is continuously supplied with stubs and tobacco is delivered to the magazine 11. The mechanism is set in operation so that the magazine 11 and ram 25 rise and fall to supply fillers of tobacco to the apron 32. When the magazine 11 reaches a position about ¥ inch from the bed 2 the knife 23 starts to move rearwardly the knife reaching its fully rearward position when the magazine 11 reaches the bottom of its stroke, that is about a cigar diameter from the bed 2. Movement of the magazine 11 to which is secured the mounting plate 40 (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) of the tip applying mechanism acts to slide the plate 47 up or down through the roller bearing and cam slot 64 oscillating the lever 56 between the position shown in full and chain lines in Fig. 4 and so sliding the rods 61, 62 transversely. Tip plunger arm 70 mounted on slidable rods 61, 62 carries a stub plunger 71 the length of arm 70 being such that the plunger 71 is in line with the open mouth of the bottom of the magazine 11 and also in line but below the mouth of a stub hopper 72 bolted to the rear face of the magazine 11. The lower end of the hopper 72 is closed by a bent blade 75 and is secured to a slideable block 76 (Fig. 3) by means of a screw 77. The block 76 is slidable on screws 78 screwed into the front wall 79 of the hopper and it is biased by springs 80 to assume the position shown in Fig. 3. A pin 82 projects from the side of the block 76 so that when the magazine 11 is at or near its lowermost position the pin lies in the path of the arm 20 of the oscillating knife 23. When the magazine 11 reaches a predetermined position from the bed 2, knife 23 starts to move rearwardly, reaching its fully rearward position when the magazine 11 reaches the bottom of its stroke that is about a cigar diameter from the bed 2. In this condition the slide 47 is fully down to the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the roller bearing is at the top of the cam slot 64 and plunger 71 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 to the right of the mouth of the hopper 72. After descent of the ram 25 and the delivery of the filler of tobacco on to the apron 32 the knife moves forward to cut off the filler. The forward cutting edge of the knife then moves a short distance beyond the front edge of the magazine 11. During this movement arm 20 strikes pin 82 thus moving block 76 against spring action and moving the bent section 81 of the blade 75 clear of the lowermost stub in the hopper thus permitting it to fall on the bed 2 below the mouth of hopper 72 ready for inclusion with a tobacco filler. The knife returns to the position in which its cutting edge is flush with the front edge of the magazine 11 and the bent section of the blade 75 returns to the position below the mouth of the hopper 72 preventing further delivery of stubs when the magazine 11 starts to rise during which movement plate 47 also rises and through lever 56, rods 61, 62 and plunger 71 are moved to the left thus delivering the stub to apron 32. Binder is delivered to the apron on the table 28 and arms 29 move clockwise to roll the stub and filler together into the apron and within the binder so that the tipped cigar is finally delivered to the channel 35. In a modification used when manufacturing cigars with invisible tips the stub delivery mechanism is dispensed with the stub being delivered direct into the filler. In this case each time the oscillating knife moves clear of the open bottom of the magazine 11 to permit a long filler of tobacco to be delivered to the apron a short filler (i.e. stub) is caused by means actuated by the knife to fall with the tobacco. In a further modification the tobacco filler is pressed out from a horizontal magazine and the knife oscillates up and down to separate the filler. The apron table is pivoted at its forward end so that its rear end below the magazine may move relatively up and down. The filler is pressed out when the table is in its upper position and a stub is delivered by oscillation of the knife to separate the filler from the remainder of the tobacco. The table and apron fall to permit the rolling arms to operate to roll filler and stub in a binder. A modified machine is also described for delivering a double length stub between two tobacco fillers which is subsequently cut through the middle.