IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING TOBACCO
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ward, of King's Lynn, Engineer, and
Walter Shaw Black, of King's Lynn, Surgeon, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING TOBACCO."
Sealed the 9th October 1869, and dated the 16th August 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Thomas Ward and Walter
Shaw Black at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition and Declaration, on the 16th August. 1869, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WARD, of King's Lynn, Engineer, and WALTER SHAW BLACK, of
King's Lynn, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TWISTING TOBACCO," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
twisting tobacco, and the improvements relate to the machine described

page_text: in the Specification of a previous Patent granted to us on the First day of
July 1868, (No. 2100).
In the Drawings hereunto annexed is shown a machine embodying
our various improvements.
In the machine described in the Specification of this former Patent
the leaf to be twisted around a core of tobacco was held down by the
workman on to a flat table, and as the leaf was rolled up by the twist it
was drawn forward along the table, and at the point where it was rolled
up into a twist a mallet was caused to strike it rapidly and press it into
a groove formed in a fixed stop at the end of the table.
According to our present Invention the leaves to be twisted into a roll
are placed on to the surface of a drum, which is caused to revolve as
nearly as may be at the same surface speed that the leaf placed upon it is
taken up to the twist. And in place of the fixed grooved stop I employ
a small cylinder to which a quick revolving motion is given at the time
when the mallet is pressing the twist down towards the point where the
cylinder and drum meet one another, the cylinder being caused to
revolve in the opposite direction to the drum; by this means an even
polished surface is given to the twist and a firmer twist is also produced.
The machine may either be employed for forming a twist composed of a
core of tobacco leaves, around which covering leaves are wrapped, or for
forming a twist without any such core.
Figure 1 shows a plan view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figures 3
and 4 end views of the machine.
a is the framing of the machine; b, the drum on to which the leaves
to be twisted around a core or to be by themselves formed into a
twist are placed one by one, each leaf as it is placed on to the drum
being made to overlap the end of the leaf that is being taken up on to
the end of the twist; c is the cylinder placed above the drum b, and
nearly in contact therewith; this cylinder has an intermittent quick
revolving motion given to it, as will be herein-after explained. d is the
mallet, which is caused to strike rapidly upon the twist, and e is the
capstan by which the twist is rotated, and at the same time drawn
forward, as described in the Specification before mentioned; fis the reel
on to which the twist is wound as it is produced. The capstan and reel
are both carried by a revolving frame, as described in the before-men-
tioned Specification, and this frame is caused to revolve by a strap
passing around the driving pulley g. The manner in which the reel fand

page_text: capstan e are caused to revolve on their own axes at the same time that
they are carried around with the revolving frame is similar to that
described in the before-mentioned Specification, so that it is unnecessary
to give here any description of it.
The arrangement we now employ for instantly stopping the
machine when desired is clearly shown by the Drawings, it consists
of a lever handle h on an axis h', which passes across the framing
of the machine. On the axis h¹ is a lever arm, which by a
connecting rod i gives motion to a slide k; this slide carries a fork k¹
embracing the driving band, so that when the slide is shoved end-
wise the driving band may be thrown from the fast driving pulley ġ
on to the loose pulley g'. 'The slide k has also an incline formed upon
it, upon which rests the free end of a bent lever / which carries a break
block partly encircling the wheel d³ on the end of the revolving frame.
When the slide k is shifted endwise the incline upon it raises the end
of the break lever and forces the break block against the periphery of
the wheel d³, so instantly arresting the motion of the revolving frame.
The bent lever is formed of two parallel curved bars, between which
the break block is held. In order to arrest the motion of the vibrating
mallet at the time when the motion of the revolving frame is arrested
an arm h on the axis is by a cord passing around a guide pulley
connected to a lever break m, which acts against the periphery of the fly
wheel n¹ upon the axis n which carries the crank n² by which the mallet
is actuated, as is clearly shown by Figures 1 and 3. The axis of the
mallet is so carried from the frame of the machine. that the stroke of the
mallet can be adjusted according to the thickness of twist being formed,
as described in the Specification before mentioned.
We will now describe the manner in which an intermittent quick
revolving motion is given to the cylinder. The axis of the cylinder is
supported by short standards p, p, on the framing of the machine. On
the axis q is a ratchet wheel r, and pivotting around the axis is a slotted
lever arms, carrying a pawl which engages with the teeth of the
wheel r. To the lever arm is connected the rod of an eccentric t on the
axis n, and the rod can be fixed to the arm at varying distances from
the axis n, so as to give any required amount of motion to the cylinder
at each revolution of the axis n. In order to prevent the cylinder
turning backwards when the ratchet lever 8 is moving upwards we
employ a ratchet arrangement (such as is shown on an enlarged scale

page_text: at Figure 5), which is carried by one of the standards p which support
the axis
q. The eccentric t and crank n' are so set upon the axis n that
at the time when the mallet is pressing upon the twist the cylinder c
shall be caused to revolve, and shall continue to revolve for a time after
the mallet has been raised away from the twist; the first movement of
the cylinder will thus act to polish and give an even surface to the twist,
whilst the latter portion of the revolving movement of the cylinder will
aid to wind up the leaf on to the end of the twist by which the mallet
and cylinder are driven. The axis n has a revolving motion given to it
by an endless band passing around a grooved pulley upon it, and also
around a grooved wheel on an axis v, which is driven by a band passing
around the pulley at the end of the revolving frame which carries the
reel and capstan, as is described in the before-mentioned Specification.
From the axis motion is also transmitted to the drum 6 through a
train of change wheels, shown separately at Figure 6. The speed at
which the drum is driven can thus be regulated as desired.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim
is, the combined arrangement of a revolving drum b with a revolving
cylinder c and vibrating mallet, substantially as herein described.
We also claim the general combination or arrangement of machinery
herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Ward and Walter. Shaw
Black, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day
of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.