An Improved Compound Cigarette Making Machine.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Compound Cigarette Making Machine.
We, ANTOINE GROUVELLE and EMILE BELOT both of 16, Rue Drouot,
Paris in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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:-
The compound cigarette machine which forms the object of the present invention
is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation;
Figure 1 an elevation of one of the separate parts;
Figure 2, a partial front elevation;
Figure 3, a plan view; and
Figures 4, 5 and 6, views in transverse section made respectively on the
lines A-B, A-B', S-S', of Figure 2.
The machine is combined in order to make cigarettes with even fresh tobacco
with less paper than any other machine, and to turn out a quantity double that of
similar machines by means of special parts for preparing the tobacco and the
compound arrangement which will be hereinafter described.
A table T supports all the operating parts of the machine which are driven by a
series of cams fixed on the main driving shaft A and by means of bevel gearing B,
by cams fixed on the secondary shaft B¹.
The tobacco is drawn into the machine by a leather belt C operated by a drum C¹
keyed on a shaft C, the intermittent forward movement of which is obtained by
means of a ratchet C operated by a pawl C. This pawl is operated by a
rod CC and a lever pivoted on a fixed point C, said lever being raised by
a roller C bearing on the cam C' (the axes of the rods and levers as well as a
portion of the cams relating to the movement shown, are alone indicated in the
drawings for the sake of clearness).
The tobacco is thus brought under the parts DE which ensure its proper
preparation by repeatedly beating it under progressive pressure which has the
effect of imparting to the layer of tobacco a regular density favourable to the
action of the knife and the compressor. The plate D carries by means of spring
rods D' other plates D' more or less numerous, the lower surfaces of which may be
smooth or provided with teeth d in a direction transverse to or longitudinal with
the tobacco in order to equalise or level down the clots or lumps which this latter
contains. The whole of the beater parts D D are carried by a rod D receiving
a vertical oscillating movement from a rod D hinged on rods D-D and D-D
pivoting on fixed points D and D' and actuated by a roller D8 bearing on a cam D'
in such a way that the beaters never bear on the tobacco during the movement
forward of the latter.
The tobacco then passes under the part E which has for its function to beat
evenly the tobacco, imparting to it an advancing movement concurrent with that
of the conveying belt. For this purpose a presser E, the lower surface of which
is formed like that of the beaters D is pivoted on a movable axis E' and is
prolonged by a lever E' E' so that a roller E operated by a cam E' raises said
lever and consequently, the pressing device E during the backward return of said
presser, whilst during the period when the tobacco is moving forward the presser E
presses the tobacco by the action of the same cam E. In order to impart to the

page_text: presser E a horizontal alternating movement corresponding to the advance of the
tobacco, the spindle E' is operated by levers E'-E pivoting on fixed points E
and prolonged by a lever E-E which carries a roller E' operated by a
cam E.
The tobacco then passes under a spring plate f, the oscillating vertical movement
of which is effected by a knife F. This knife not merely separates in an
incomplete manner the fibres of the tobacco which would injure the regularity of
the distribution, but it cuts them completely and for that purpose descends on a
plate of hard wood F' mounted in a fixed cross piece F.
The knife is fixed on a counter blade F, Figure 3, which by means of levers F
pivots on an axis F to which a movement of oscillation is imparted by means of
a lever carrying the roller F operated by a cam F7. In rising, the counter
blade F lifts, by means of a roller F, a plate F and consequently the spring
plate f, the spiral springs of which are lodged in the sockets F10, Figure 3.
The cut tobacco is enclosed in a cage G limited at the back by a fixed plate G¹
and in a plate G which is movable vertically and has transverse bars G G³.
The plate G receives a vertically oscillating movement by levers G G G', the
latter of which pivots on a fixed point G and has a roller G bearing on a cam G³,
so that by said movement the tobacco comes alternately on the upper horizontal
plane of the bar G and on that of the bar G'. The tobacco is thus carried
sometimes to the level of the horizontal pusher H, sometimes to the level of the
horizontal pusher I. These pushers, the operating mechanism of which H H' H'
HH and cam H, and I 1' 1' and cam 13 may be easily followed in the drawing,
convey alternately the tobacco into one of two sockets J (which is always open)
where it is compressed by a double acting compressor K. This compressor, fixed
on a plate K, receives an alternating movement from levers K' K' and K' K', the
latter of which pivots on a fixed point K and bears a roller K actuated by a
cam K*.
The whole of the distribution by the oscillating slide plate G, the pushers H' L'
and the double acting compressor K acting at each extremity of its course
constitutes the compound distribution of the tobacco.
The pushing of the tobacco into the tubes is performed alternately by each of
the spindles L L acting as in similar machines by means of levers L L pivoting
on points Land L respectively and actuated by rollers L' L' operated by helicoidal
cams fixed on the shaft A.
The "compound" distribution of the paper tube is shown in Figure 1' in
elevation taken in a plane parallel to the plane of Figure 1 and in Figure 2 in
side elevation, and Figure 3 in plan view. In Figure 1, the projection of all the
parts which bring the tube, is made on a plane parallel to the plane of Figure 1,
so that the axes O MM N of Figure 1' are projected on Figure 1 at O' L' LI¹.
The paper tube formed as will be hereinafter described is indicated by m. It is
received on one of the pairs of holders M M, M³ M, Figure 1, fixed on levers
oscillating on the spindle O. The gearing 0 0 0 0 0 and cam O' produces
this oscillation. The tube m received sometimes on M2 M1, sometimes on Ms M's
is alternately carried in front of M and M', that is to say opposite the spindles L L'
for insertion of the tobacco.
The oscillating part OM M¹³, M³ M¹s forming a distributing slide characterises
the "compound distribution of the paper tubes. In order to withdraw the
finished cigarettes produced alternately in M and M', a lever N provided with
pallets or wings N N oscillates below M and M' and removes by means of the
inclined planes of the pallets the cigarettes which are thus discharged into slides
bringing them to an ordinary sorting device such as is usually employed. The
spindle of the lever N (1' in Figure 1) is operated by a roller Ns and cam N.
It is needless to give details as regards the inverted funnels P, the funnels P¹
serving for guiding the paper tubes, and the pushers P for the said paper tubes,
all these parts being identical with those employed for some time past in similar
machines.

page_text: Figure. 2 shows the driving mechanism P P P and cam P of one of the.
pushers P the cam P' being keyed on the shaft B¹.
The formation of the paper tube and the way it is brought into the holder m
will now be explained. The continuous band of paper drawn from a spool arrives.
upon a table which guides it by its two edges. One of the edges of the paper
passes above an opening Q' formed in the table Q and receives there a very
narrow strip of gum from a roller Q' revolving on a spindle Q3 operated by a
pulley Q receiving its motion by a belt from a pulley Q' keyed on a shaft S. The
roller Q2 dips into a gumming vessel Q and passes through a scraping device Q
having the form of a V fitting close to the roller and capable of being moved more
or less away from it so as to regulate the thickness of the gum distributed.
The support, in the form of a reversed U, which sustains the table Q carries at
the point R the end of a long knife or blade R' with rounded edges passing over
the paper above a table R, this table has two ridges or edges R³ raising the edges.
of the paper and commencing to fold it round the blade R'. The place where
this blade rests on the table R2 has the same form as the blade, and has also.
rounded edges as is shown in sections Figures 4 and 5 on the lines A-B', A-B*.
The paper is then successively bent over by the folders R' R' pivoting and
adjustable on studs R' R'. The paper tube thus formed is not creased in
consequence of the rounded shape of the parts serving to form it.
At a certain distance in front of the end R there are arranged devices for
drawing forward the tube and the paper, the unwinding of the latter being
continuous and not intermittent.
The
A shatt B communicates its rotary movement by gearings B B to the shaft S
which transmits it by similar gearings B to a shaft. Si, the said shafts SS' turning
in supports S carry round similar rollers S S having rounded edges.
roller S is of metal, the roller S has its periphery covered with indiarubber or
other suitable material so that the gripping of the two rollers causes the tube to
be drawn forward, it being gripped only at the middle and not at the sides in
consequence of the shape of the rollers (see the section of the tube at S S¹
Figure 6). The formation of the tube, by the means hereinbefore described,
allows of paper being employed two millimetres narrower than with other
cigarette machines (even those where the paper is fastened without gum) for the
following reasons:-
1st. The use of a flat blade R R¹ for the formation of the tube ensures, better
than any other form of mandrel, regularity of the rolling an overlapping of the
gummed seam;
2nd. The drawing of the tube by rollers S S taking place particularly in front.
of the forming parts R R' to R' avoids the lateral displacement of the paper
whilst suppressing by the continuity of the movement any slipping or abnormal
strain tending to tear the paper.
The finished tube is cut off by shears T¹ T', the arms of which are pivoted on an
axis T arranged in a fork T oscillating on To under the action of a roller Te
bearing on a cam T. The oscillation in the direction of the movement of the..
tube is produced whilst the shears are cutting it, and the inverse oscillation whilst
the opened shears return to their first position. The movement of the blades of
the shears is produced by the insertion of a piece T8 between two rollers T
terminating the arms of the shears. The piece Ts is drawn from right to left by
the lever T8 To actuated by a roller T" bearing on a cam T".
The forms, dimensions and proportions of the accessory parts may be varied at
will and any suitable. materials may be employed for their construction without
affecting the principle of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
nvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
ve claim is :-
1. A cigarette machine combined in such a way that with a single belt (C) for

page_text: distributing tobacco and a single formation of tube (R R¹ to R') there is obtained
a simultaneous and alternating formation of two cigarettes by the play of a slide
plate (G) and an oscillating slide (O M M M M13) the whole characterising a
"compound" working of the machine and allowing of the production of cigarettes
being doubled in a given working time substantially as described.
2. As a constituent element of our improved cigarette machine, the arrangement
of parts D E enabling the mechanical preparation of the tobacco to be effected by
the production of a repeated beating, drawing forward and progressive compression
by means of plates D, toothed or otherwise, in such a way that the tobacco may be
placed in a thick layer on the belt C and be advanced a short distance to each
cigarette, instead of being spread out in a thin layer combined with a long advance
as hitherto which rendered the work of the attendant slower substantially as
described.
3. The application of parts such as described for beating, compressing and
spreading the tobacco where the thickness of the tobacco distributed is greater
than the thickness of distribution effected by hand substantially as set forth.
4. The application to a cigarette machine of a knife F adapted to cut completely
and perfectly the required portion of tobacco previously compressed whereby
instead of a horizontal movement in front of the knife intended generally to tear
off the shreds of tobacco not cut, a vertical movement may be set up substantially
as described.
5. As a constituent element of our improved cigarette machine, the slide plate G
characterising the "compound" distribution of the tobacco in two different sockets
substantially as described.
6. As a constituent element of our improved cigarette machine a double acting
compressor K K' acting to compress the tobacco at the two extremities of its
course, which compression is also considerably diminished in consequence of the
preliminary compression of the tobacco which facilitates its action substantially as
described.
7. As a constituent element. of our improved cigarette machine the oscillating
lever O M M M M¹³ forming an alternating distributing slide for the paper
tube and characterising the "compound" distribution which dispenses with the
complicated parts generally employed for conveying the tubes substantially as
described.
8. In order to obtain the formation of a paper tube gummed at the edge by a
gumming wheel (Q), the combined application of a flat blade R R1 with rounded
edges and folders R R* in such a manner that the traction effected by rollers S³ S
in front of the folding produces no crease in the paper tube substantially as
described.
9. As a constituent part of our improved cigarette machine the combined use of
parts for the continuous and uniform advance of the paper tube, the cutting of said
tube by means of oscillating shears T₁ T', and an intermittent distribution; the
whole substantially as hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of July 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.