Improvements in Machines for Making Continuous Cigarette Rods and Cigarettes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Continuous Cigarette Rods
and Cigarettes.
I, SAMUEL MOSBACHER, of No. 105, Water Street, in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: --
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cigarette
machines having for its object to provide a machines capable of manufacturing
cigarettes economically, in a perfect manner and at an exceedingly high rate of
speed. With this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction,
combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth with more
particularity.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which
like letters of reference designate corresponding parts:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, parts being in
section; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the feeding, folding and pasting
mechanism, parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is a similar view with parts re-
moved; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the feeding, folding
and pasting devices; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the feeding and compressing
devices taken on the line 5-5, of Fig. 2; Fig. is a similar view with the
parts in a different position: Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the
pasting mechanism taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is an enlarged
detail view of the cutting mechanism, parts being in section; Fig. 9 is a plan
view of the same mechanism; Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view thereof on the
line 10-10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of a part of the cutting
mechanism; Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the feed hopper and its
inclosed mechanism; Fig. 13 is a similar view taken on the line 13-13 of
Fig. 12; and Figs. 14 to 19 are detail sectional views of wrapper, folding and
crimping mechanism.
The frame a, a, is suitably constructed to support the feeding devices, b, the
compressing devices, c, the crimping or pasting apparatus, d, and the cutter, e.
Beneath the feeder extends a trough, f, which receives the tobacco from the
feeder and through which extends the wrapper strip, a, the latter passing through
the compressor, c, and into a folding trough, j, above which are arranged folder
devices, m, of any suitable character, by means of which the edges of the wrapper
strip are turned down, and after being pasted or crimped the cigarette rod then
passes through the cutting apparatus, e.
The compressor, c, consists of two lower wheels, 17, 18, around which passes a
conveyor belt, g, the face of which is level with the bottoms of the troughs, f, j,
and of an upper belt, h, which passes around rollers 15 and 16, and which travels
with the lower belt and the wrapper strip to conduct the tobacco positively
between the edges of two compression plates, i, i, which converge at the ends
nearest the trough, j, so as to gradually compress the tobacco laterally to form the

page_text: filler, which passes from above the lower conveyor belt, g, into the trough, j,
where the sides of the paper are turned upward to a standing position. In
passing into the trough, j, the tobacco rod meets an inclined plate, n, which
folds down the loose fibers so as to prevent them from being folded into the
seam of the wrapper, the plate, n, also tending to prevent any undue expansion
of the filler.
In order to facilitate the forward movement of the wrapper, an endless
tape, 2, passes round the belt, 9, on the wheel, 17, and over the belt and
through the trough, j, to a drive wheel, 30, round which it passes, back to the
wheel, 17.
A
It is very desirable to be able to obtain access to the tobacco at all points
between the feeder and the point where the filler is wrapped, and I, therefore,
provide means whereby the parts which make contact with the tobacco may be
readily swung out of and into position. Thus, the upper wheels, 15, 16, carrying
the upper belt, h, are mounted upon a frame 24, carried by a bracket 19, which
is hinged at 20, to an adjustable block, 31, bolted to the top of the frame, a. A
bracket, 21, supporting the lower wheels, 17, 18, is also hinged at 20 to the
plate, 31, and thus the parts carrying both the upper and lower belts may be
swung away or either may be swung away from normal position, as desired.
screw bolt, 26, passing through the bracket, 21, and through the top of the table
and into the bracket, 19, serves as a means of holding the parts in place, as
indicated in Fig. 5. As it is seldom necessary to remove the lower belt while the
upper one must be frequently swung to one side, the lower bracket, 21, is supported
in position by means of a pivoted cam, 27, provided with a handle, o. By loosen-
ing the bolt, 26, therefore, the upper belt may be swung to one side while the
lower one is held in place, but by swinging the cam, 27, the lower bracket
may be
dropped. Inasmuch as the plate, 31, is adjustable the belts may be shifted
laterally to any desired position, and the frame, 24, is adjustable upon the
bracket, 19, by means of a screw, 25, to regulate the pressure of the upper belt
upon the plates i, i. These plates i, i, are pivoted at 22, 22, to plates 33, 33,
bolted adjustably to the top of the frame, a.
The shafts of each pair of wheels carrying the belts g, h, are carried by
blocks 35, 36, connected by a screw pin 37, which may be turned by means of a
head, 37, so constructed that it may be grasped between the fingers or be
operated by a suitable tool to thus separate the blocks to tighten the belts.
Before reaching the paster one edge of the wrapper is turned in, while the other
standing edge is presented to the paster wheel, 37. This wheel, 37b, has a
beveled edge corresponding to the beveled end of the paste tube, 38, which is set
at such a distance from the face of the wheel as to permit only a thin film of
paste to flow to the edge of the wheel. To effect this adjustment, the wheel
turns in a bearing, 41, having a threaded extension, 42, onto which screws a
collar, 43, at the lower end of the paste tube, so that by turning the collar, 43, the
tube may be raised or lowered to secure the nice adjustment required.
To feed the paste down towards the wheel the propeller, 40, is arranged within
the tube, 38, being mounted on the shaft, 44, of the paste wheel, which shaft
extends downward through a bearing carried by the frame. By the means
described a film of any desired thickness may be deposited on the paste wheel
and conveyed to the standing edge of the paper. To prevent any undue accumula-
tion of paste, however, I provide a revolving blade, r, on a shaft, s, so arranged
that as the blade rotates its edge will pass close to but not in contact with the
paste wheel and will remove therefrom any surplus material, a brush, t, serving
to remove the paste from the blade, r.
After the wrapper passes from the paste wheel, the standing edge is turned
down onto the edge below, and the tube is thus sealed, thus forming the cigarette
rod.
To avoid the difficulty incident to the use of a vibrating cutter, means are
provided for cutting the rod into short sections or cigarettes by bringing it against

page_text: the edge of a rotary cutter wheel, which may be effected without injury to the
rod by moving the parts more rapidly than where a vibrating cutter is employed,
and without any detrimental jarring of the machine.
The cutting devices are best shown in Figs. 8 to 11, where 50 represents a
funnel of rigid material, to which is connected a flexible funnel, 51, of wound
wire, gradually contracting and extending to a conductor tube, 52, into an
annular recess in which extends the forked end of a lever, 53, the lower end of
which projects into an inclined slot, a, in a bracket, 54.
The lever, 53, is pivoted to and carried by a T-lever, u, pivoted at v to a
bracket, 55, and the opposite end of the lever, u, is forked and enters an annular
groove in a pulley, 56, secured to the shaft, 57, of the cutter wheel, ¹, which shaft
turns and slides in bearings, w.
The T-lever, u, carries an anti-friction wheel, 56, which bears against a
cam, 57, upon the end of the driving shaft, 58, and a toe, y, of the cam, 57",
comes at intervals against the wheel, 56", and swings outward the lever, u, which
carries with it the conductor tube, 52, and the cutter wheel, v. As the conductor
is carried outward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9, the lower end of the
lever, 53, sliding in the inclined slot, a, will be swung outward and the upper end
will be swung inward carrying with it the conductor tube, 52, and bringing the
cigarette rod against the edge of the cutter wheel, which instantly shearing
As both the conductor tube and
against the edge of the tube, 52, cuts the rod.
the cutter wheel are carried in the direction of the arrow as the lever, u, swings
outward, the cutter and tube maintain their relative positions, and the cutter
travels with the traveling rod so that there is a straight shear across the tobacco
rod, and as both parts move back to their normal position, the tube, 52, is
carried away from the cutter, permitting the tobacco rod to travel continuously
without interruption. By this means the cigarette rod may be sheared when
traveling at any desired rate of speed.
While any suitable feed devices may be employed, there is illustrated in
Figs. 1, 12 and 13 a feed apparatus that has proved to be extremely effective.
This apparatus is provided with a cylindrical casing 60, with flat ends, 61, the
sides converging at the bottom towards an outlet, z, which is above the trough, f,
which latter is secured to the table so as to be laterally adjustable by a screw, 62,
as shown in Fig. 12. The casing, 60, is open at the top, above which is a
hopper, 63, into which the tobacco put so as to rest upon the face of the
cylindrical drum, 64, which rotates with a shaft, 65, passing through the ends of
the casing.
The drum, G4, is somewhat smaller than the interior of the casing, and is
provided with radial pins, GG, which are arranged in rows inclined as shown
in Fig. 13, the pin at one side at the end of one row being in line with the pin
at the opposite side at the commencement of the next row.
On the outer face of the hopper, 63, is an adjustable plate, 67, slotted at the
lower end for the passage of the pins, and at the opposite side of the hopper is
an adjustable plate, 68, and upon cross plates 69, 70, are secured adjustably at
suitable distances apart, plates 71, 72.
The plate, 68, is set with its edge at some distance above the ends of the
pins, 66; the plate, 71, is set with its lower edge closer to the ends of the pins,
while the plate, 72, is set with its edge so as to barely escape contact with the
pins. As a result of this arrangement the pins, 66, carry from the mass of
tobacco in the hopper a certain portion of the latter, nearly all the surplus above
the points of the pins being scraped off by the plate, 68, and as the pins pass below
the plate, 71, any projecting portion of the tobacco above the pins will be removed,
as will also any portion which may swell out from above the tops of the pins in
passing below the plate, 72, so that by the time the pins have passed beneath
the plate, 72, the tobacco will be evenly and regularly disposed over the surface
of the drum and will be carried downward and fall onto the inclined side of the
drum into the outlet, z, and will pass thence onto the wrapper strip traveling

page_text: through the trough, f. If desired to secure a still more regular and even dis-
tribution of the tobacco, a rotating roller, 73, may be arranged between the
converging sides of the casing and below a guard, 74, so as to pick up the tobacco
as it slides towards the roller and throw it in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 12 to
the opposite side of the casing, down which it will slide towards the opening, z.
The above described parts may be driven in any suitable manner. As shown,
the shaft, 58, extends longitudinally beneath the top of the table and is provided
with a pulley, 80, from which a belt passes to a pulley, 81, on the shaft, 65, of the
feed device, which shaft, 65, carries a pulley, 82, from which a band passes to a
pulley on the end of the shaft of the roller, 73.
The wheels supporting the lower belt, g, of the compressor are driven through
the medium of gears, 83, while gears, 84, 85 communicate motion from the
wheels of the lower belt to those of the upper belt, h, as shown in Fig. 4.
The paster wheel, 37, is driven from the shaft, 58, through the medium of
gears, 86, 87, as shown in Fig. 7, and the shaft, 57, of the cutter, v, is driven from
the shaft 58, through the medium of gears, 88, Figs. S and 9.
When a crimper is to be substituted for the pasting device, the following
described arrangement is used:
The trough, j, Fig. 14, has an overhanging portion, 90, which bends up the
edges of the wrapper strip to form two long flanges, 91, Fig. 15. Prior to such
bending, however, the tobacco is again compressed by a blade, 93, arranged
beyond the blade, n, as shown in Fig. 16.
Side blades 94, 95, then bend the flanges, 91, with a bend first to the right
and then to the left, as shown in Fig. 17 and continuations 96, 97 bend the flanges
again to the right, as shown in Fig. 18, after which the bent or folded portions
are brought over the flange, 98, of a crimping wheel, 99, against which said
portions are compressed by another crimping wheel, 100, as shown in Fig. 19,
the material being thus formed into a compressed rib which is so crimped as to
hold the laminae together, forming a tight seam which cannot be opened without
rupturing the paper. It will be seen that the crimping mechanism may be
substituted for the pasting mechanism by removing the paster and the folding
devices m, n, and replacing them by the devices 90, 93, 94, 95, 96, 99 and 100.
In the manufacture of cigarettes heretofore, time has been lost and the effective
speed of the machine reduced from the necessity of frequently re-sharpening the
cutter. To avoid this, I combine with the cutter blade, va hone or sharpening
stone, 105, adjustably supported by a bracket, 100, so that it may be brought
against the cutter during its operations at intervals, or if desired, maintained in
continuous contact therewith so as to always preserve it in effective condition.
Much loss of time and efficiency in the operation of machines is apt to result
from the occasional gumming up of the material in the conducting trough so that
the tobacco and wrapper become wedged in place, necessitating the stopping
of the machine and the opening and unobstructing of the channels. To avoid
this there is combined with the machine a stop device, preferably electrical, which
either sounds an alarm or stops the machine as soon as the cigarette, rod fails to
feed properly.
One form in which such device is made, Fig. 9, consists of a governor, 107, the
shaft of which turns in bearings, 108, carrying a grooved wheel, 109,
with a rubber periphery bearing upon the cigarette rod. When the cigarette
rod travels at a normal speed, the balls, 110, of the governor which are upon
spring arms, 111, fly out but when the speed of the cigarette rod is reduced the
balls will approach the spindle of the governor and make contact with a ring, 112,
which is in the circuit including a battery, 113, and an alarm, 114, which,
therefore, begins to sound. A suitable switch, 115, may be used to break the
circuit when the machine is at rest. Instead of the alarm any of the well-known
stop mechanisms adapted to shift the driving belt or otherwise stop the machine
may be employed.

page_text: 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
1. A cigarette machine provided with upper and lower traveling belts and with
compression plates arranged between said belts and converging towards one end,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of the upper and lower traveling belts, converging com-
pression plates arranged between the belts, a folding trough, and a traveling
tape passing over the lower belt and through the folding trough, substantially
as set forth.
3. The combination in a cigarette machine, of compressing devices and fold-
ing or wrapping devices, a conducting tape passing through both the compress-
ing and folding devices, and a feed trough, and means for conducting the wrapper
strip through the feed trough to the compressing devices, substantially as set
forth.
4. The combination of the upper and lower traveling belts, and intermediate
compression plates pivotally connected to be swung into and out of position.
substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the upper and lower belts and compression plates,
plates 33 to which the compression plates are pivoted, and means for securing
the plates 33 adjustably upon the frame of the machine, substantially as set
forth.
6. The combination of the lower belt and its supporting wheels, and a frame
supporting said wheels and pivotally connected to the frame of the machine,
substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of the pivoted frame 21 supporting the wheels carrying the
lower belt, and a retaining cam, substantially as set forth.
S. The combination with the upper belt and supporting wheels, of a frame 24,
and means for adjusting the same vertically, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination of the frame 24, its supporting bracket, and adjusting
screw 25, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination with the lower traveling belt, of an upper belt passing
around wheels, and a support for said wheels pivoted to the frame of the machine
to swing laterally, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with an adjustable plate 31, of frames pivotally connected
to said plate, and supporting wheels carrying the upper and lower belts,
substantially as described.
12. The combination of the upper belt and pivoted frame supporting the same,
the lower belt, and pivoted compression plates, substantially as described.
13. The combination with the folding trough of a cigarette machine, of a
pasting wheel 37 having a beveled edge, and a paste tube beveled at the lower end
to correspond to the edge of the wheel, and means for varying the space between
the beveled faces, substantially as set forth.
14. The combination of the paster wheel having a beveled edge supported in
a bearing having an annular projection 42, and a paste tube having a beveled
end and supported by a nut 43 engaging said projection, substantially as set
forth.
15. The combination of the paster wheel and paste tube having beveled faces,
and the propeller wheel 40, substantially as set forth.
16. The combination with the paster wheel, of means for removing the surplus
paste therefrom, substantially as described.
17. The combination of the paster wheel, and a revolving paste remover r,
substantially as set forth.
18. The combination of a rotating and sliding shaft, and disk cutter supported
thereby, a guide for the cigarette rod, a vibrating lever u engaging both the
guide and the shaft, and means for vibrating said lever, and for carrying the
guide to and from the shaft, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 19. The combination of the lever u, connected to impart longitudinal movement
to the cutter shaft, a guide for the cigarette rod, and a forked lever 58 pivoted to
the lever and engaging the guide, and extending into an inclined slot x,
substantially as set forth.
20. The combination in a cigarette machine, of a governor and means for
driving the same from the moving cigarette rod, a stop device, and means for
operating the same from the governor, substantially as set forth.
21. The combination in the feed device of a cigarette machine, of a revolving
drum provided with radial pins, a hopper above said drum, and a casing extending
downward and converging towards an outlet z, substantially as set forth.
22. The combination of the casing having a discharge opening 2, a drum
rotating in said casing and provided with projecting teeth, a hopper above the
drum, and a plurality of plates adjustable to bring their lower edges at different
distances from the pins of the drum, substantially as set forth.
23. The combination of the casing, drum provided with pins, and a rotating
roller 73 arranged at the bottom of the casing and provided with pins, sub-
stantially as set forth.
24. The combination of the casing, drum, roller 73, and guard 74, substantially
as set forth.
25. The combination with the casing and drum, of the trough f, and means for
adjusting the same, substantially as described.
26. The within described improved crimper mechanism compressing the parts
with side blades 94, 95, 96, 97 combined with the horizontal flanged crimper
wheel 99, and vertical flanged crimper wheel 100, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of July 1899.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London.