Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th Jan:, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Mar., 1887.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 115 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be aš
follows:-
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention is intended more especially for
the manufacture of cigarettes by hand with paper tubes formed and cut to lengths by
known means.
A mould formed in a block of gunmetal or other suitable material is hollowed out
lengthwise into a trough, the bottom of which is curved to a diameter equal to that
of the plug of tobacco it is intended to introduce into the paper tube. This trough is
terminated at the top by two inclined planes which facilitate the entrance of the
tobacco, which is distributed by hand for each cigarette.
This mould is carried by a support which has formed on it two flanges, forming
with the aforesaid inclined planes or faces, a frame round the entrance of the mould.
The support is cast with four feet connected together, two and two, by means of
cross bars which may be utilized for fixing the apparatus to a table or bench by means
of a cramp, the upper branch of which is formed with two transverse notches
corresponding to the said cross bars.
On the support, and parallel to the mould, but behind it, are placed four lugs to
which are hinged three arms cast with a compression piece for compressing the
tobacco distributed and spread by hand in the mould. A handle forms a prolongation
of the middle arm, and constitutes, with the other arms a kind of hinge jointed lever
centred on an axis; this lever is in one piece with the compressor.
The compressor is of the same length as the mould; its acting surface is concave
and formed to a curve, the radius of which is equal to that of the plug of tobacco.
This acting surface fits exactly into the mould so that it compresses below it every
particle of tobacco it meets.
When the compressor is closed it is held firmly in place by a spring catch which
books under a projection on the support. The spring of the catch carries a finger
piece.
The support is also cast with two front bearing pieces which both form prolongations
of the mould and are intended for the following purposes.
The left hand bearing piece carries a trough in which is placed the paper tube
previously made and cut to length.

page_text: The right hand bearing piece carries a tube in which a ramming spindle works, the
before mentioned trough, the mould and this tube being all three exactly in line, the
axis of curvature of the bottom of the mould also corresponding to that of the tube
and of the trough.
The ramming spindle forms a piston working in a sheath and is furnished at its
outer end with a liandle. The diameter of the part of the ramming spindle which
enters the mould is of a smaller diameter than the other part, and also smaller than
that of the plug of tobacco to be rammed or driven into the-paper tube. A projection
screwed into the spindle, slides in a longitudinal groove in the sheath or tube, and
comes against a stop on the compressor which limits the travel of the ramming
spindle. This limit corresponds to the complete entrance of the plug of tobacco into
the paper tube.
Between the end of the before-mentioned trough and the flange of the mould, is
placed a guide having a funnel shaped hole, corresponding to the axis of the mould,
to receive and guide the front end of the paper tube. The mould is continued in the
direction of this guide by a funnel on which the end of the paper tube is placed.
This tube is held during the filling operation by means of an elastic presser connected
with the compressor and pressing on the end of the tube when the compresser is
pressed down.
The paper tube after being placed in the trough with its end passing through the
funnel shaped hole is pushed by hand on to the funnel, but the tobacco is prevented
from coming out of this tube by the following arrangement.
Beneath the beforementioned left hand bearing piece is placed a rocking lever, an
outer arm of which is bent upwards, and the other arm of which is bent at right
angles, and enters a hole in the support which carries the mould. The lever of the
compressor is furnished with an arm which also enters the same hole in the said
support.
When the compressor is out of the mould the outer arm of the rocking lever falls by
its own weight, and its bent end is completely separated from the trough. But when
the compressor is introduced into the mould, its arm presses upon the bent end of the
inner arin of the rocking lever, and thereby raises the outer end thereof which then
closes the tube.
Action of the apparatus. The apparatus is fixed, as before explained, on a table
by means of a screw cramp. The mould is opened by first unhooking the catch by
pressing upwards the finger piece whilst the handle of the apparatus is raised by
hand. The handle being thrown backwards, and the piston being drawn quite out
of the mould, the tobacco is spread and distributed in the mould; the paper tube is
placed in the trough, care being taken to push it on to the before described funnel.
The handle of the apparatus is then lowered, whereby the compressor is introduced
into the mould, and the tobacco is compressed to the required extent.
On lowering the said handle the compresser is locked in place by a catch hooking
over projection on the support. The right hand is thereby left free to act on the
ramming spindle.
The lowering of the compressor produces simultaneously with the compression of
the tobacco, the raising of the outer end of the rocking lever, which closes or
obturates the end of the paper tube.
It then remains only to push the ramming spindle by its handle from right to
left, in order to ram or force the plug of tobacco from the mould into the paper tube.
The ramming spindle is then drawn outwards, the catch is unhooked, the
compressor is raised, and the rocking lever with its bent end, falls and allow's the
filled cigarette to be removed, and a fresh empty tube to be put in its place.

page_text: New or Improved Apparatus for Manufacturing Cigarettes.
1, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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, reference being had to
the accompanying two sheets of drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention is intended more especially for
the manufacture of cigarettes by hand with paper tubes.formed and cut to lengilis by
known means.
In the drawings hereto annexed
Figure is a vertical section taken through the longitudinal axis of the mould, the
apparatus being represented as closed and at the moment of filling the paper tube
with compressed tobacco.
Figure 2 a plan.
Figure 3 a vertical section on line 1-2 of Figure 2.
Figure 4, a vertical section on line 3-4 of Figure 2.
Figure 5 a vertical section on line 5-6 of Figure 2, the apparatus being
supposed to be open for the reception of the tobacco.
A mould a forined in a block of gunmetal or other suitable material is hollowed out
lengthwise into a trough, the bottom a of which is curved to a diameter equal to that
of the plug of tobacco it is intended to introduce into the paper tube. This trough is
terminated at the top by two inclined planes a² a intended to facilitate the entrance
of the tobacco, which is distributed by hand for each cigarette.
This mould a is carried by a supports which has formed on it two flanges e e¹³
forming, with the aforesaid inclined planes or faces a² a³, a frame round the entrance
of the mould.
:
The support s is cast with four feets connected together two and two, by means of
cross bars which may be utilized for fixing the apparatus to a table or bench by
means of a cramp (Figure 3) the upper branch of which is formed with two
transverse notches corresponding to the said cross bars s³.
C
On the support s and parallel to the mould a but behind it, are placed four lugs
to which are hinged three arms cast with a compression piece for compressing
the tobacco distributed and spread by hand in the mould a. A handle me forms a
prolongation of the middle arm 2 and constitutes, with the other arms, a kind of
hinge jointed lever centred on an axis d; this lever is in one piece with the
compressor b.
The compressor is of the same length as the mould; its acting surface is concave
and formed to a curve the radius of which is equal to that of the plug of tobacco.
This acting surface fits exactly into the mould so that it compresses below it every
particle of tobacco it meets.
When the compressor is closed it is held firmly in place by a spring-catch f which
hooks under a projection " on the support s. The spring of the catch carries a
finger piece f².

page_text: The supports is also cast with two front bearing pieces g and which both form
prolongations of the mould a and are intended for the following purposes:-
9
The left hand bearing piece carries a trough g¹ in which is placed the paper tube
previously made and cut to length.
The right hand bearing piece h carries a tube in which a ramming spindle h
works.
The beforementioned trough, the mould a and the tube being all three
exactly in line, the axis of curvature of the bottom a¹ of the mould also corresponding
to that of the tube and of the trough g'.
The ramning spindle & forms a piston working in a sheath and is furnished at
its outer end with a knob or handle . The diameter of the part of the ramming
spindle which enters the mould is of a smaller diameter than the other part, and.also
smaller than that of the plug of tobacco to be rammed or driven into the paper tube.
A projection screwed into the spindle, slides in a longitudinal groove in the sheath
or tube and comes against a stop on the compressor which limits the travel of
the ramming spindle. This limit corresponds to the complete entrance of the plug
of tobacco into the paper tube.
Between the end of the beforementioned trough g' and the flange e of the mould a
is placed a guide having a funnel shaped hole, corresponding to the axis of the
mould, to receive and guide the front end of the paper tube a. The mould is
continued in the direction of this guide by a funnel n on which the end of the paper
tube is placed. This tube is held during the filling operation by means of an elastic
presser connected with the compressor and pressing on the end of the tube when
the compressor is pressed down.
The paper tube after being placed in the trough g with its end passing through
the funnel shaped hole is pushed by hand on to the funnel n but the tobacco is
prevented from coming out of this tube by the following arrangement.
Beneath the bearing piece g is placed a rocking lever the outer arm of which is
bent upwards at and the other arm of which is bent at right angles at t¹ and
enters a hole in the support s. The lever of the compressor is furnished with an
arme which also enters the same hole in the support s.
When the compressor is out of the mould the lever armr falls by its own weight,
and its bent end is completely separated from the trough . But when the
compressor is introduced into the mould a the arm presses upon the bent end t of
the inner arm t of the rocking lever and thereby raises the outer end thereof which
then closes the tube a.
Action of the apparatus. The apparatus is fixed, as before explained, on a table
by means of the screw cramp 2 (Figure 3). The mould is opened by first unhooking
the catch by pressing upwards the finger piece whilst the handle m is raised by
hand. This handle being thrown backwards, and the piston k drawn quite out of
the mould, the tobacco is spread and distributed in the mould a the paper tube a is
The handle m
placed in the trough gl care being taken to push it on to the funnel n.
is then lowered whereby the compressor is introduced into the mould and the
tobacco is compressed to the required extent.
On lowering the lever or handle m the compressor is locked in place by the catch f
hocking over a projection on the supports. The right hand of the operator is
thereby left free to act on the ramming spindle k.
7
The lowering of the compressor produces simultaneously with the compression of
the tobacco, the raising of the outer end of the rocking lever which closes or
obturates the end of the paper tube ..
ין
It then remains only to push the ramming spindle by its handle & from right to
left in order to ram or force the plug of tobacco from the mould a into the paper
tube a.
The ramming spindle is then drawn outwards, the catch f unhooked, the
compressor raised and the rocking lever », with its bent end, falls and allows the
filled cigarette to be removed and a fresh empty tube to be put in its place.
Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings are respectively front and side views (the latter
partly in section on line 7-8 of Figure 6) of a modification of the above described

page_text: arrangements in which the tobacco compressor instead of being hinged, and moving
in a circular arc, is arranged to move in a right line. Two supports y y' cast with,
or fixed to, the principal support or frame s serve as guides to two rods to which
is fixed the compressor carrying the button or handle m by which the said
compressor is operated. Spiral springs we w¹ placed between the guide sockets of the
supports y y and flanges or collars on the ends of the rods raise the compressor
after each cigarette is made to enable the tobacco to be placed in the mould.
Instead of the rocking lever tshown in Figures 1 to 4, the arrangement shown
in Figure 6 may be employed. In this arrangement the compressor carries an arm
or plate suitably connected thereto, and which follows the rectilinear movements
thereof. This arm & is bent at right angles at 62 for the purpose of preventing the
tobacco from being pushed too far through the paper tube . The arm also carries
the elastic presser which bears lightly on the end of the tube a threaded on to the
funnel n.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First The combination of the mould a with the hinged compressor for pressing
and forming the plug of tobacco intended to fill the paper tube as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the Drawings hercto annexed.
Second The combination of the mould a and the hinged compressor with the
locking instrument for keeping the mould closed as hereinbefore described, and
illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Third-The combination of the mould, the hinged compressor and the
locking instrument with the rocking lever, t, the internal branch t of which is
acted on by the arm of the compressing instrument, and the external branch of
which closes the paper tube by its bent part, in order to prevent the tobacco from
being pushed out of the said tube as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth-The combination of the compresser with the arm having its end turned
at right angles, as herein before described, and illustrated in Figure 6 of the Drawings
hereto annexed and for the purpose specified.
Fifth The combination of the mould a, the hinged compressor 6, the locking
instrument, and the lever for obturating or closing the paper tube, with the
ramming spindle & for forcing the plug of tobacco, compressed between the bottom a
of the mould and the compressor b, into the paper tube z as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Sixth The application of the funnel n, and of the guide funnel for the purpose
of centreing the end of the paper tube at the outlet of the mould, combined with
the elastic presser 7 (Figure 1) or 7 (Figure 6) connected to and moving with
the compressor, as hereinbefore described.
Seventh The combination and arrangement of the apparatus whereby the
compressor, the instrument for obturating or closing the paper tube and the
presser are operated, and the locking of the compressor in the mould by the catch
is effected by the single operation of lowering the lever or handle m, as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Eighth The arrangement of the apparatus in which the compressor is guided and
moved in a vertical rectilinear direction, and is returned to its normal position, after
each cigarette is made, by means of springs, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated
in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings hereto annexed.
W. H. BECK,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.,
Applicant.