Patent GB-190410780-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Apparatus for Wrapping Cigarettes with Tin Foil or the like.
Inventor: GODFREY ALFRED
Filed: 1904-05-10
Granted: 1905-06-10
Abstract: 10,780. Godfrey, A. May 10. Packeting or parcelling cigarettes &c.-The machine described in Specification No. 18,267, A.D. 1902, is improved to effect a better closing of the packets, to avoid danger to the mechanism from the presence of tobacco dust, and to provide means for quickly starting and stopping the machine. The wrapper and cigarettes, which rest on the table d, Fig. 2, supported horizontally by the parallel rods i<1>, Fig. 1, are pressed into the matrix w by the descent of the plunger, thus folding two parallel sides of the wrapper round the cigarettes. A broad pivoted folder e, operated by the lever e<1> and cam e', bends one of the upright flaps over the cigarettes. The pusher c, operated as described in the prior Specification, now advances, the narrow fingers f<1> of the piece f passing through recesses in the underface of the folder e. The pusher c forces the packet under the depending piece g, thus forming a loose fold in the remaining upright flap. The packet now lies in the horizontal tunnel x. The pivoted slide c<9> carrying the pusher c is smartly raised by the lever c<4> to cause projections on the pusher c to rise up and complete the bottom folds of the packet by gripping them against the side folders c<6>. At the same time, the movable top a of the tunnel is lowered, to grip the packet, by means of the cam a<1> and lever a<2>, and the piece b is raised by the action of the cogs b<2> so as to remain at the entrance to the tunnel and prevent loose cigarettes from falling back into the matrix should a wrapper not have been placed beneath the cigarettes. The pusher c now forces the packet forwards to the next position, the roof a being lifted, and the remaining folds are formed in the manner described in the prior Specification, the packet being forced from the tunnel by the access of another packet. When stiff material is used, the side folders, Fig. 3, may have projections h to grip positively the edges against the base of the tunnel. The end-folding mechanism is mounted on standards k, Fig. 1, in an open-sided box k<2>, having a shallow tray at the bottom in which tobacco dust may collect. The feeding-grippers for the wrappers, Figs. 11 and 12, have one solid end m<1> and one spring end m<2>. If tobacco dust comes beneath the spring end m', the wrapper is gripped by the solid end m<1>, and vice versÔ. The plunger guide m, Fig. 11, is placed at the back of the plunger to allow the loading-chamber beneath the plunger to be open to the observation of the operator. The machine may be started and stopped by the pedal l operating the lever l<2> connected to the clutch l<4>. In the Provisional Specification, it is stated that the clutch is of special construction, having crown teeth which gradually engage by a wedging-action and being provided with a spring to absorb shocks. It is also stated in the Provisional Specification that a pusher is provided opposite the discharge opening at such a height that it engages only completed packets and allows loose cigarettes &c. to fall into a separate receptacle.