Improvements in Cigarettes, and in Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigarettes, and in Method of and Apparatus
for Manufacturing the same.
I, BERNHARD BARON, foot of 52nd Street and East River, City, County, and State
of New York, U.S.A. Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to facilitate the manufacture of cigarettes and
especially the molding of the cigarette rod from a constant supply of tobacco,
and to the method and means of making a cigarette rod and cigarette of elliptical
cross-sectional form.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of sufficient of a cigarette machine to illustrate.
the improvements in the devices for molding a continuous round cigarette rod.
Fig. 2. is a plan view of the devices shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the bed-plate adjacent to the inolding wheels, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. is an elevation in part section illustrating the construction and arrangement
of molding devices for molding the continuous tobacco rod for the manufacture of
cigarettes elliptical in cross-section.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the folding or wrapping tube, of the elliptical cigarette
device.
Fig. 5. is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4^.
Fig. 6. is a transverse section on the line 4-4, Fig. 4^.
Fig. 7. is a transverse section on the line 6-6, Fig. 4.
Fig. 8. is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig. 5.
Fig. 9. is a similar section illustrating the molding wheels with different shaped
grooves from Fig. 8.
Fig. 10. is a perspective view illustrating the improved elliptical cigarette.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, illustrate the construction of the parts as used for molding a
continuous tobacco rod from a mass of tobacco for the purpose of manufacturing
regular round cigarettes.
It will be understood that certain features of the machine, the driving devices,
and so on, are such as are commonly used and need not be described.
Beneath a suitable frame or table turn two rolls 12. 12. carrying a travelling
belt 10. the upper portion of which passes above the table between two guides m.
Two driven shafts 14. carry at their upper ends grooved wheels 13. above the endless
belt 10. In brackets 5. 5. turns a shaft 6. carrying a pulley 17. and on wbich
swings loosely a frame B. forked at the outer ent and carrying a pulley 18. and
around the two pulleys 17, 18, passes a continuous band 16.
The shaft 6. is provided with a gear 7. which is driven in any suitable manner,
and from a feeder Y. (Fig. 4) tobacco is supplied to the upper face of the belt 10.
by which it is carried below the band 16. and then to and between the grooved
molding wheels 13. which mold the continuous stream of tobacco into a solid uniform
continuons tobacco rod.
A plate 15. overlies the wheels 13. at the point where the tobacco passes between
the same and is molded, so that the tobacco carried to the wheels is compresseil
laterally between the same, and vertically between the lower belt 10 and the plate 15.
and to prevent the tobacco from swelling and rising above the upper surfaces of
the wheels 13. before passing beneath the plate 15. it is necessary to compress the

page_text: tobacco vertically upon the belt 10 by meaus of feed rollers, or the feed band 16.
This gradually compresses the tobacco to a thickness say one-half the thickness of
the wheels 13. so that before the tobacco can swell to a position above the upper
surfaces of these wheels it will have passed beneath the plate 15.
The plate 15. may be supported by any suitable means in proper position above
the wheels 13. but as it is necessary frequently to obtain access to the space wherein
the tobacco is molded, the plate is secured to the projecting end of the frame B.
so that when the frame is swung upward with the band 16, swinging on the
shaft 6, the plate 15. is also lifted. To properly adjust the height of the pulley 18.
the plate is connected to the frame by means of a slotted bracket 8. upon the
plate, through which a screw 9. passes into the frame. By loosening the screw
the end of the frame may be raised or lowered after which the screw may be
tightened to clamp the parts together. To collect the tobacco upon the belt 10 to
the centre of the belt, the guides m. on the table X. have lips n. which draw the line
of tobacco upon the belt from the sides towards the centre.
As the continuous rod is molded, it passes to wrapping devices of usual character
and the wrapper is applied and pasted and the rod cut into cigarettes.
The apparatus for making cigarettes elliptical in cross-section is shown in
Figs. 4-9 in which the main features of construction correspond generally to those
shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. the grooves in the molding wheels, however, instead of
being semi-circular as in Fig. 1. are V-shaped Fig .8. or U-shaped as shown in
Fig. 9. for the purpose of molding a solid tobacco rod substantially elliptical in
cross-section.
For many years it has been recognized as desirable that cigarettes should be
elliptical in shape in cross section, as this form fits better between the lips and
avoids the necessity of moistening and flattening the ends of the ordinary round
cigarettes. Heretofore, such cigarettes have been made by hand, as no means of
effectively manufacturing them by machinery has been devised. Such elliptical
cigarettes as made by hand, have, however, proved to be defective in certain
particulars. They are exceedingly expensive so that the use and sale thereof are
comparatively limited; inasmuch as the tobacco filler in the process of hand-making
is first brought to a cylindrical shape and then flattened, the structure is by the
flattening operation more or less broken so that the cigarette will not retain its formi
if handled to any great extent, while as the filler is forced longitudinally into the
tubular wrapper after the latter has been pasted, the tobacco does not closely fill the
tube; it can readily be displaced longitudinally by pushing it out of the tube, and its
flattened form is apt to be injured by manipulation in forcing it lengthwise into
the tube.
An elliptical cigarette, having none of the above recited objections is provided by
this improvement by taking a mass of tobacco and molding it directly at a single
operation into a continuous cigarette rod elliptical in cross section and of the
proper desired dimensions, and then also molding or shaping a continuous travelling
wrapping strip into a tube also elliptical in cross-section and retaining the wrapper
and its contained rod under unyielding pressure during the operation of wrapping,
pasting and sealing the wrapper, thereby forming a continuous cigarette rod elliptical
in cross-section which is subsequently divided into proper length to constitate an
elliptical cigarette.
An elliptical cigarette made as above described can at once be distinguished from
the hand-made cigarettes not only by its more regular and finished appearance,
but by the firmness and regularity of the form of the filler which can be
recognized at once by the touch; iurther by the fact that the tobacco completely
fills the wrapper tube so that it can not be readily forced longitudinally therefrom,
and also by its improved smoking qualities resulting from the even burning of
the tobacco without any tendency of the fire to run up along one side of the
cigarette.
The elliptical cigarette rod is molded by the wheels 13. having V-shaped or
semi-elliptical grooves, Figs. 8 and 9.

page_text: After the tobacco rod is compressed to its greatest extent between the proximate-
portions of the wheels it passes between the edges of two scraper plates 31, 32,
Figs. 5. which fit closely to the wheels and prevent any portions of the tobacco.
from being carried around and away from the rod, which then passes over a.
bridge 23, and on to the wrapper strip . Fig. 4. which is carried with a narrower
endless belt 24. into the trough C. of the wrapping device.
In order to make the paper tube or wrapper of an elliptical or approximately
elliptical form, corresponding to that of the rod or filler, the trough C. has a curved
bottom face w. Figs. 6 and 7. the curve being greater or flatter than the semi-
circular curve of the trough of an ordinary cigarette machine, and from one side.
of the trough extends an overhanging flange or portion 26. nearly to the opposite.
side of the trough, leaving a space s. for the standing edge of the wrapper; the
under face of the flange 26, being curved (but reversely) to the same degree as the-
bottom w. of the trough. The opposite edge of the wrapper to the standing edge
is turned in upon the tobacco rod by the flange 26. while the rod is held in shape.
under compression, and the standing edge is then carried against the edge of a
paster wheel D. Fig. 54. which is supplied with paste from a suitable reservoir Z..
and which applies a line of paste to the said edge, which latter edge is then turned
down by a folder wheel E. on to the opposite inturned edge of the strip which is.
thus formed into a tube. The said tube with its tobacco rod or filler is then carried
along the trough beneath an overhanging flange 27, which slightly compresses the
cigarette rod and holds the parts in place until the paste has thoroughly set and
dried when the rod will pass out of the trough having a permanent elliptical shape-
in cross section. Suitable cutting devices, not necessary to be here shown, then
sever the rod into cigarettes of proper length.
It is preferable to make use of a short curved plate 30 suspended by a bracket 29..
in such a position as to press upon the tobacco rod, keeping it condensed and in
elliptical shape as it enters the trough and before one side of the wrapper is turned
down, the said side of the wrapper passing into the trough then being turned down
upon the top of the plate 30, and under the flange 26.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination in a cigarette machine, of horizontal grooved wheels arranged
in line opposite each other to compress and carry the tobacco between them, a
belt travelling beneath and in contact therewith a stationary plate extending across.
and above the wheels to cover the molding space between them, and means for
pressing the tobacco as it approaches the stationary plate, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination in a cigarette machine of the travelling belt 10. wheels 13.
plate 15. and means for compressing tobacco upon the said belt to bring the upper
surface of the tobacco below the plane of the upper surfaces of the wheels and below
that of the plate to prevent it from swelling above the wheels, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination with the travelling belt 10. and grooved wheels 13. of a feed
band 16 supported in position to bring the lower face below the plane of the upper
faces of the wheels to compress and prevent the rising of the tobacco above the
wheels, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the belt 10. wheels 13. and plate 15. of a swinging frame,.
rollers thereon, a band carried by the rollers, and connections between the frame
and the plate, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the belt 10. grooved wheels 13. swinging frame B. having
rollers 17, 18, and band 16, and plate 15, connected adjustably with the frame,
substantially as specified.
6. The within described improvement in the art of making elliptical cigarettes,.
the same consisting in reducing a mass of tobacco directly to the form of a
continuous rod elliptical in cross-section, in molding
a wrapper strip into a

page_text: continuous elliptical tube, and enclosing the rod therein, the tobacco being maintained'
under compression in its elliptical shape during and after the wrapping, molding,
and pasting of the wrapper strip, substantially as described.
7. The combination with means for feeding a continuous stream of tobacco, of
devices for operating upon the tobacco to convert it into a continuous rod elliptical
in cross section means for applying a wrapper strip to the rod, and for forming the
strip into a tube elliptical in cross section, and means for maintaining the rod under
unyielding compression in its elliptical shape during and after the folding and pasting
of the strip, substantially as described.
8. The combination of the two molding wheels, grooved to form a substantially
elliptical molding space at the meeting point of their peripheries, means for feeding
the continuous stream of tobacco to said wheels, a wrapping trough beyond the
wheels having a bottom with a flattened curved face and an overhanging flange
with its under face similarly curved, and a continuous belt
.said trough, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of February 1896.
travelling through
J. E. EVANS JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.