Improvements in Machinery and Apparatus for and connected with the Manufacture of Cigars.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery and Apparatus for and connected with
the Manufacture of Cigars.
I, CONRAD LUDOLF DRIEFER of 34 Millman Street, Bedford Row, in the County
of London, Engineer 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:―
My improvements refer to machinery for measuring out the "scrap" used in the
manufacture of cigars, pressing the said scrap into form winding the binder thereon
cutting the wrappers into the desired shape and wrapping and finishing the cigar.
According to my invention the scrap is contained in .a hopper from which it is
periodically delivered by means of a measuring device and is conveyed through a
shoot into the depressed part of an apron and while lying in this depression the scrap
is pressed by a plunger in order to render the mass of scrap somewhat more compact.
After the plunger has sufficiently risen the apron is brought over the scrap by the
forward motion of a traversing roller which has been situated at the rear of the
depressed part of the apron and underneath the latter and thus a rolling motion is
communicated to the scrap, and at the same time a binder is laid on the apron and
becomes wound around the scrap and on the return motion of the traversing roller the
completed "bunch" is left in front of the apron in a receptacle. The bunch is then
placed by the operator in a mould and pressed into shape and is subsequently placed
in the wrapper-winding apparatus so that one end ("the point") is carried in a
thimble and the butt between pulleys or rollers connected by elastic bands as hereafter
described and while the bunch is rotated by this apparatus the operator feeds on the
finishing wrappers which 1 preferably cut to shape by apparatus constructed according
to my invention and as hereafter described and the point is formed by the thimble
aforesaid.
The apparatus and machinery_constructed according to my invention will be
fully understood by reference to Figures 1 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 to 9 shew my cigar making machine or so much of same as to enable
any person skilled in the art to readily carry the same into effect, Figure 1 being
a side elevation of the left hand side of the machine, Figure 2 a side elevation of
the right hand side of the same machine.
Figure 3 shews in sectional elevation the right hand side of the upper portion
of the machine, detached and drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures,
and Figure 4 is a front view of the hopper and parts connected therewith, the
framework having been removed, Figure 5 shews in elevation the left hand side
of the upper part of machine.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the mechanism for winding the finishing wrapper,
Figure 7 is a cross section of Figure 6 on the line X Y of the latter figure and
Figures 8 and 9 are diagraphical views shewing the rollers and bands for holding
the butt end of the bunch.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the Figures.
The various parts of the mechanism are mounted and carried by suitable frame-
work marked a; is the prime motion shaft which is rotated through crank disc b¹
connecting rod bracket arm band treadle 6 operated by the foot: on the
shaft b there is a fly wheel b provided on one side (Fig. 1) and there is also
keyed a pinion c in gear with spur wheel d keyed on and giving motion to the
shaft e
On the right hand end of shafte (Figure 2) there is mounted a sprocket wheel f
which by chain f¹ gears with sprocket wheel f keyed to a shaft g the latter
turning on bearings in the upper central part of the framework of the machine..

page_text: The apron by means of which the bunch is rolled, is situated in the upper part
of the machine and is marked it is secured to the framework in front at h*
Figure 1 and at the rear is attached to a roller ¹ Figure 1 with ratchet gear by
means of which the tension of the apron h can be adjusted. The said apron / lies
on a fixed plate or table throughont the front part of its length, it then spans a
short distance unsupported and passes over a roller k and down to the aforementioned
roller and ratchet /.
The roller is mounted in a travelling carriage Figure 1, free to slide on
runners in grooves on the frame a; the rear end of the carriage is connected by
link to lever ** fulcrummed at and the lower arm of the lever carries a bowl
or roller running in the oval groove of a cam m which is keyed on to shaft e and it
is by this mechanism that the carriage k¹ receives a reciprocating motion.
The "scrap" is contained in a hopper as aforesaid, marked n and clearly shewn
at Figures 1 to 5. Through the hopper n there passes a shaft n¹ provided with
beater arms n³ and rotative motion is communicated to this shaft by the pulley n³,
Figures 2 and 3, mounted thereon and in gear by band n³, Figure 2, with pulley
keyed on shaft e, by these means the beater arms n³ are revolved and the scrap kept
in motion and prevented from clogging. The exit aperture of the hopper n is entirely
closed by means of a cylinder p which forms a principal factor of the quantity mea-
suring mechanism. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be observed that the cylinder
is formed with grooves p¹ which are somewhat scoop-shaped and extend along the
length of the cylinder; the grooves p¹ are provided at their ends with adjustable stop
pieces p shewn in dotted lines at Figure 4.
The cylinder is partially rotated intermittently by the following mechanism: on
the shaft Figures 1 and 5 there is keyed a cain q acting on a bowl or roller q
carried on lever fulcrummed on the framework; on to the lever q' there is pivotted
an arm q the upper end of which is shaped and takes onto the pins of a pin wheel q*
mounted on the shaft of the cylinder p and the lower extended end of the arm q³ and
of the lever q' are drawn towards each other by a spring q* which thus retains the
arm in contact with the pin wheel; r Figure 3 is a knife or scraper fixed to the
side of the hopper and extending the length of the cylinder, and s is a sboot also
fixed to the hopper and so placed as to discharge into the depression or pocket of the
apron h.
In the front of the hopper n there is provided a vertically sliding plunger t carried
in guides fixed to the hopper, and after the delivery of a measured quantity of scrap
from the hopper into the depressed part or pocket of the apron it is compressed by
the plunger being caused to descend by the hereinafter described mechanism.
On the shaft g and near either side of the machine are keyed two cams t¹ acting on
bowls or rollers carried by levers the front ends of which are fulcrummed to the
framework and the rear ends are jointed to bent connecting links and the upper
ends of these latter take onto trunnions projecting from each side of the plunger t.
The mechanism for winding the wrapper and finishing the point is arranged as
follows, the said wrapper having been previously cut to required shape by for example,
mechanism as hereinafter described.
Fulcrummed to the frame a above the shaft e is a rock lever u, weighted at one
end, and the other end being controlled by a treadle u' through connecting rod u*.
Mounted on a stud axle carried by the lever u is a pinion u³ and there is also on the
same axle a pulley u³; the pinion u may by depressing the treadle u¹ as shewn at
Figure 1 be caused to gear with a spur wheel ux on shaft e and when the treadle is
not so depressed the pinion u ceases to gear with spur wheel u²x and consequently
the pulley is stopped. The said pulley u³ drives by an elastic bandua pulley
mounted between the frames a on a shaft u passing through the machine at the upper
rear part of the same, and on the same shaft at either side of machine are
pulleys u one of which latter, Figure 2, drives by a band u the pulley us of the
winding apparatus.
༣;
The connection of the driven pulley.us with the winding apparatus is shewn in front
elevation at Figures 6 and the said apparatus is also shewn in vertical cross section.

page_text: at Figure 7 taken on the line X Y of Figure 6. The pulley n is mounted on a
shaft o revolvable in frame to; above and on either side of the shaft vare two other
shafts and, and the three shafts extend through the two standards of the frame w
and are each provided with two grooved pulleys one on either side of the standards and
the pulleys on either or each side are connected together by elastic bands v
and which pass around each three pulleys. The two upper shafts ¹³ are mounted
in slots on the standards of the frame w made concentrically or thereabouts with the
fulcrum of a lever wo. The lever w¹ is fulcrammed between the standards w and
extending downwards carries two bowls or rollers which come between the shafts v,
,. The upper part of the lever w¹ is provided with a crosshead w² connected by a
rod 3 (Figure 2) to a treadle wo; by these means when the treadle 10 is depressed
the bowls rollers or runners will act on one of the shafts v' or (on the shaft v¹ in
the case shewn at Fig. 2) and that particular shaft will be separated from the other
two by being lifted up in one of the concentric slots this being rendered practicable
by the elasticity of the bands connecting the shafts.
The shafts v, vl, o² are extended for a short distance beyond the standards to and are
formed each with three grooves therein in which there are three elastic bands which
connect the various shafts, thus the band marked a runs in the grooves between and
connecting shafts 1 and 3, the band ¹ between and connecting shafts and v³ and
the band between and connecting shafts o' and v².
By reference to Figure 7 it will be seen that the shafts v, 1, 2 are arranged
triangularly and opposite the centre thereof, and at the other end of the frame w there
is a tip-forming thimble y carried by a stem y' mounted loosely between the ears y³ of
an adjustable bracket yx. Between the ears y' and around the stem y' there is a
spiral spring y, this spring normally presses the thimble outwardly away from the
shafts v, v¹,
by bearing upon the inner side of one of the ears and against a collar y
held to the stem y' by a pin passed through same.
On the outer end of the
stem y is screwed a knob or push button y whereby the thimble may be pushed
forwards.
y
The thimble is made hollow and of such a shape as to form a mould for shaping
the tip of the cigar, y is a slot communicating with the interior of the mould and
through which the tip of the leaf passes when the winding is taking place. Now
supposing the apparatus to be arranged to wind a leaf left-handedly and it is desired
to wind right-handedly instead ; the frame wo with its parts is detached from its bed
and is reversed, and for this purpose convenient devices are provided for securing and
ensuring the placing of the frame w in its correct position, such for example as the
two pins wx Figure 6 on the frame wo and the frame wo may be secured by a set screw.
When the apparatus is thus reversed it becomes necessary to turn the thimble y half
way round so as to bring the slot y' which allows of the entrance of the end of the leaf
into the thimble to face the operator.
To provide for this turning of the thimble and to prevent the same rotating on
its axis at an improper time I secure underneath the bracket y a flat spring y
having a projecting pin y on its free end which engages normally in either of
two longitudinal grooves that are formed in the stem y₁ of the thimble y.
When
it is desired to rotate the thimble to accord with the reversed position of the
apparatus the spring is drawn down, the thimble partially rotated and the spring
released when the pin y will enter the second of the longitudinal grooves and the
thimble will be secured.
Previous to its application to the bunch the finishing wrapper is cut to shape
and this operation I perform by means of a cutting mechanism which may or
may not be fitted to the same frame as the machine shewn at Fig. 1 but I have
shewn such an apparatus when separately fitted to and supported by a frame or
stand.
Figure 10 shews in side elevation the cutting apparatus constructed according to
my invention. Figure 11 shews a vertical transverse section of the cutting block drawn
to a larger scale than the previous figure, and Figure 12 is a plan view of the said
cutting block.
: I

page_text: 1. is the supporting frame, 2 is a treadle counter weighted at the back and connected
by rod 3 and arm 4 to rock shaft 5. On the shaft 5 is an arm 6 connected by rod 7
to lever 8 fulcrummed to frame 1 at 9 and the said lever 8 is counterweighted at 10.
The upper end of the lever 8 is jointed to the arm 11 which carries at its end the
pressing roller 12; the arm 11 passes through a guide 13 where it is pressed in a
downward direction by a roller 14 which latter is acted upon by a spring 15. Mounted
near the front end of the arm 11 there is a roller 16 which when the arm is drawn
backwards comes onto an incline 17 and raises the roller 12 from contact with the
cutting block 18.. Referring more particularly to Figures 11 and 12 the cutting
block is composed of a wooden or other block 18 the edges of which are bevilled or
sloped and the knife 19 which is bent to the form required to be cut is inserted in the
centre. The roller 12 is provided with flexible flanges 20 which press the edges of the
leaf which is to be cut down the inclined edges of the block 18 and the leaf is thus
stretched smooth while the roller 12 presses it onto the knife edge 19 and the cut
piece falls through the knife hollow into a suitable receptacle for same the roller 12
is brought forward over the block 18 when the treadle 2 is depressed by the foot
of the operator.
As before mentioned the cutting mechanism is shewn mounted on a separate frame
although it might be combined with the same frame as at Figure 1 and would here.
remark that without departing in an way from my invention I may also mount
the mechanism for wrapping and finishing also on a separate frame especially
when it is desired to operate the bunching, the cutting and the wrapping simul-
taneously.
The cycle of operations for the manufacture of a cigar by the apparatus constructed
according to my invention is as follows:
A quantity of scrap tobacco is placed in the hopper n and the machine is set
in motion by operating the treadle 6. The beaters n³ of the shaft n¹ move in
the reverse direction to the surface of the measuring roller p and keeping the scrup
in motion causes it to enter and fill the scoop shaped grooves p' and those grooves
are somewhat contracted towards their ends and will contain just the quantity of
scrap necessary to form the bunch and in fact the hollow or groove p¹ although
larger, is somewhat of the form that the bunch is intended to be.
As the grooves p¹
pass the knife any excess of the scrap collected is kept back. The groove passes
round and empties its contents into the shoot s from which it is delivered into the
depressed part of the apron h and by reason of the form of the grooves pl and
the mouth of the shoots being similarly shaped the quantity of scrap is so
disposed when delivered onto the apron as to form the proper shaped bunch
and the plunger t then descends and presses the scrap into a somewhat more com-
pact form.
The attendant then lays the binder leaf on the apron and the carriage then
moves forwards and the roller k carried thereby contracts the top of the depressed
part of the apron and the scrap enclosed therein receives a rolling motion while the
binder is wound around the scrap. The roller k arriving at or near the front end of
the apron his then returned and leaves the bunch lying on the apron or at the end
thereof and the attendant removes the said bunch and places the same into an ordinary
mould box and then immediately places another leaf onto the apron preparatory to the
roller again advancing to wind another binder.
The bunches are then while in the mould boxes as aforesaid placed under pressure.
When the wrappers are to be wound around the bunch that part of the apparatus.
is employed which is shewn at Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, the same apparatus being
shewn combined with Figures 1 and 2 whereby any sized cigar may be wrapped
with either a right or left wrapper and also the tip of the cigar may be perfectly
formed.
To effect the wrapping the tip of the bunch is placed within the hollow of the
thimble y and the treadle wo is depressed by the attendant, one of the rollers vor
being thus raised up in one of the concentric slots and in this manner.distanced from
the remaining two rollers.

page_text: Let it be supposed that the roller v¹ is thus lifted the butt end of the bunch is
then pressed in between the rollers at the projecting ends of same that is at
the part where the bands x, x¹³ pass around. The underneath part of the elastic
band will be stretched upwards and will partially embrace a portion of the upper
part of the circumference of the bunch as may be better understood by reference to.
Fig. 9 and the band will be stretched in the same manner as the band a while the
band will be stretched away from the attendant and will partially embrace a portion
of the under circumference of the butt end of the bunch. The bunch being thus .
held in between the elastic bands, ¹³, x³ the treadle w* is immediately released and
the treadle u¹ depressed to give motion to the rollers v, v¹³. The wrapper is then
fed in, it being laid on the guide plate z Figure 1 and advanced towards the rollers
and it will pass underneath in the direction of the arrow Figure 9 and being seized
between the band and the bunch, the wrapper will become wound about the
revolving cigar bunch being guided by the fingers of the attendant until it comes
nearly to the tip and then the action of the rollers v, v v³ is discontinued by allowing
the treadle to rise, and the attendant touches that part of the leaf which is to form
the tip with a little adhesive material and immediately depresses the treadle u¹
guides the leaf through the slot or opening into the thimble y and presses the
knob of the spindle y¹ so that a perfect tip, conforming to the shape of the thimble-
cavity is formed.
The spiral spring will bring the thimble back to its former place when pressure on
the knob or push button is removed. By using such an adjustable thimble no friction
on the bunch will take place before the wrapper is on it or before the thimble is applied,
thereby not spoiling the end of the bunch by the pressure of the thimble and con-
sequently a perfect tip or point can be made.
When a reverse handed leaf is to be wound the frame w is turned round so that
instead for example of the driving pulley us being on the right hand side as is shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 the said pulley would come on the left hand side and the frame w
having been secured the band u Figure 2 is changed from the right hand side and
placed on the corresponding wheel us on the other side of the machine. The thimble
spindle is then turned to bring the slot into the required position and is then fixed all
as aforesaid when a reverse handed leaf may be wound with facility.
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. In machinery and apparatus for and connected with the manufacture of cigars
the hopper and measuring devices and mechanism connected therewith whereby the
scrap is fed into the hopper and the quantity required for each cigar is measured out
and delivered ready for bunching, consisting essentially of the hopper n the agitator
or beater shaft n² n² the scraper r, the measuring roller p p' and shoots and the
mechanism for operating same substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In cigar making machines the hopper and mechanism connected therewith in
combination with plunger t apron and travelling roller k substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In cigar making machines the grooved rollers v, vl, o³ carrying the bands x, .², 22
for holding the butt end of the bunch and rotating same and for taking hold of and
winding the wrapper, in combination with the means described and shewn for
separating the rollers to insert the bunch all substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated especially with reference to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In cigar making machines the grooved roliers v, vv the bands, ¹, ² and
parts connected therewith in combination with the adjustable thimble all constructed
arranged and acting substantially as herein before described and illustrated with
reference to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In cigar making machines the roller 12 having flexible flanges in combination

page_text: with the inclined cutting block 18 carrying knife 19 for cutting the wrappers sub-
stantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. In cigar making machines the mechanism described and shewn with reference to
Figure 10 for driving the machine in combination with the roller 12, and parts con-
nected therewith as claimed in claim 5 and substantially as set forth.
7. In cigar manufacture, the combination of apparatus for measuring and delivering
the scrap compressing, rolling and binding same, the mechanism for winding the
wrapper and for finishing the tip together with the mechanism for cutting the wrappers
all combined or separately and substantially as herein before described and illustrated
with reference to Figures 1 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
T
1000
BREWER & SON,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.