Improvements in Cigarette Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigarette Machines.
I, MICHAEL KIRSHNER, in the Town of Salem, in the County of Roanoke,
State of Virginia, United States of America, Machinist, 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 present invention relates to improvements in cigarette machines of the class
which are adapted to make continuous cigarettes by progressively wrapping a long
or continuous wrapper strip around a tobacco filler, bringing the opposite edges of
the wrapper into suitable engagement with each other and incorporating them
together by indenting or crimping to form a completed seam.
The various devices which make up these improvements are preferably united
upon a frame to form a single part or piece which can with but little trouble and
expense be attached to cigarette machines which operate to make continuous
pasted cigarettes, by removing certain parts of such machines and substituting
therefor these devices; and this can be done without seriously affecting the
construction or operation of the main parts of such machines. The well-known
Bonsack machine is one of this class, in which by removing the pasting devices and
the tube by which the wrapper is folded around the filler and attaching in their
place the present improvements, a continuous crimped seamed cigarette can be
produced in place of the pasted one.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings (five sheets) in
which
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine containing the improvements secured to the
frame of a cigarette machine.
Fig. 1 is a cross section through the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, part of the frame being shown in
section.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the broken line 3--3 of Fig. 2.
Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged longitudinal central sections through the line 4-4 of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal horizontal section through the line 6-6 of
Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section through the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, certain
parts being omitted.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the devices for directing the opposite edges
of the wrapper and for folding the same into a seam when in position for
operation.
Fig. 9 is a detailed view of devices for folding the opposite edges of the wrapper
when such devices are separated from each other.
Fig. 10 containe detailed views of the oil chamber and devices for lubricating
the small crimping roller.
Fig. 11 to 23 inclusive, are cross-sections taken through cross lines of Figs. 4, 5
and 6, such lines being numbered respectively to correspond to the numbers of the
cross-sections.
It is remarked at this point that the tobacco is properly prepared and formed
into a filler or rod before it is presented to the devices shown in the accompanying
drawings, and any suitable mechanisms may be used for this purpose, as for instance
those shown in the said Bousack Patent above referred to.
It is further noted that where the words "forward" and "rear," or other words

page_text: of similar meaning, are used in this Specification, they generally refer respectively
to the entrance or head and to the exit or tail of the machine.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
A represents the frame on which the various devices are mounted, and this frame
may be attached in any desirable way to the main frame B B of a cigarette
machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
C is a channel extending longitudinally over the frame through which the
wrapper strip D, taken from any convenient source and passed over the roller E,
and the tobacco filler F, previously formed and delivered upon the wrapper, are
advanced. The forward part of this channel is trough-like in shape, gradually
growing deeper by the depression of its central portion as distinguished permits
the edges of the wrapper to remain in substantially the same horizontal plane and
greatly facilitates bringing the strip progressively from a flat into a U-shape
without straining or tearing the delicate paper. This part of the channel is
conveniently made of sheet metal secured in proper position by supports attached
to the frame A, and is provided with side guides a for the edges of the wrapper.
Side walls b, Figs. 11 and 12, serve to keep the filler in a central position of the
wrapper until the latter has been brought into approximately a U-shape as seen
in Fig. 13. This trough may be provided with a cover c secured to its edges,
as seen in Fig. 13, which afterwards may terminate as a tongue d, as seen in
Fig. 14.
The rear portion of the channel C is conveniently formed in a block or piece H
fixed in a groove H¹ of the frame A as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and in plates H²
and H arranged above and secured to piece H, in the edges of which guides a for
the wrapper edges, and guides e for the edges of an endless belt are conveniently
formed.
As the filler is advanced through the trough-like portion of the channel it
encounters little obstruction or friction, and the advance of the wrapper easily
carries the filler along at an equal speed, but as the filler is to be compressed and
subjected to considerable friction in its passage through the rear part of the
channel, it is necessary to provide additional means to carry it and the wrapper
along. For this purpose, an endless belt G runs through the channel and encircles
the wrapper and filler sufficiently to carry them along at the same speed with the
belt, through the channel and past the devices hereafter described. This belt
passes over rollers H and H near the entrance end of the trough-like portion of
the channel, and thence under the bottom of the channel until it enters the same
and is brought in contact with the wrapper at the point shown in Fig. 4 of the
drawings, and thence through the rear part of the channel, being properly guided
in its course relatively to the wrapper by means of the side guides e, and thence
over a return wheel (not shown in the drawings) which may be secured to the main
frame of the machine and be positively driven at any desired speed.
The top or upper portion of the channel C is nearly closed for a considerable
portion of its length by a revolving wheel I, whose periphery, preferably grooved,
dips into the upper portion of the channel and revolves therein, and by a support J,
whose lower face is concaved to correspond substantially with the groove of the
wheel I. This support forms a hood over the filler under which the filler is
advanced while the sides of the wrapper and the edges of the belt pass along in
narrow grooves or openings between the outer wall of the support and the upper
inner wall of the channel C.
'
The forward end of the support J is brought into close proximity with the
periphery of the wheel I and is preferably rounded off so that it will fit closely into
the groove of the wheel, and its concaved under surface is elevated slightly above
the groove of the wheel at its lowest point so that the revolution of the wheel will
compress the filler slightly below the entrance of the support and thereby enable
the filler to pass readily under it. This support extends from the wheel I to or
slightly beyond the crimping mechanism hereafter described, and carries upon or
near its rear end a small crimping roller. The sides of the support, throughout a

page_text: considerable portion of its length, are cut away or grooved out to permit the edges
of the wrapper to gradually approach each other, as seen in Figs. 18 and 19, and
the support is thinned down to an edge upon its top and gradually decreases in
height till it disappears in the rounded surface of the support as seen in Fig. 22, so
that the edges of the wrapper are gradually brought in contact with each other in
their passage between the points designated by Figs. 19 and 20, and the opposite
edges of the wrapper are gradually turned over the edge i, which is preferably at
this point deflected laterally to a slight extent in order to provide a properly
located abutment over which the wrapper edges are turned. This support J is held
in its position by being closely fitted into a slot or groove f, formed near the
top of the frame and is held in position by one or more screws g as seen in
Figs. 3 and 5.
The wheel I is revolved in the direction of the arrow and preferably at a peripheral
speed slightly greater than the advance of the tobacco filler so as to give to its
upper portion, with which the wheel comes in contact, a smoothing effect.
It has been found advantageous, especially when the filler is in a dry condition,
to provide the periphery of wheel I with cross serrations or corrugations h, of slight
depth and at a considerable distance apart, as shown in Fig. 1, which construction
materially assists to feed the tobacco. At the point where the wheel I revolves the
inner walls of the guides a are extended down to the periphery of the wheel to
prevent the sides of the wheel from coming in contact with the wrapper to crumple
it or prevent its uniform and steady advance.
The devices for folding the opposite edges of the wrapper, when they have been
brought into contact with each other by passing beyond the interposed top of the
thinned down edge i of the support J, consist of a gradually spiral-shaped grooved
edge and face j, formed on the edge of plate N, which turns the two edges of the paper
over the edge i and over an edge or part & formed on the edge of plate M which is
the interposed between one of the turned over edges of the paper and its body part,
and as this edge & gradually thins out and disappears, the edge of the wrapper
which was in contact with it is brought in contact with the body of the wrapper, as
seen in Figs. 20 and 21, where the lower portion of the part i still remains to
separate, for the time being, two of the thicknesses of paper from each other until.
the edges are still farther turned over and brought in contact with each other by
the disappearance of the edge i. Still further along, as shown in Fig. 22, by a
change in the shape of the operative folding parts, the thicknesses of paper
are gradually brought in closer contact with each other and are still further
folled over to form a seam or joint of four thicknesses, and farther on these thick-.
nesses are laid over by the shape of the folders to form a seam in substantially a
horizontal position of five thicknesses as shown in Fig. 23. The plates N and M
are conveniently mounted upon plates L and K, the four plates being secured in
place by screws passing into the piece H as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. The plates L
and K preferably extend forward and rearward of the folding plates M and N and
their edges operate to direct and keep the wrapper and belt in proper position.
DEVICES FOR SECURING THE SEAM.
Upon the support J and near the rear end thereof is mounted a small roller O,
which is arranged to revolve upon an axle secured in the walls of the support.
This roller is provided upon its surface or periphery with fine serrations running
in the direction of its axle, as seen in Figs. 5, 6, 10 and 23. The wheel P, whose
periphery is preferably serrated to correspond with the serrations of the roller O,
is mounted to revolve above the said roller as shown in the figures last referred to,
and the wrapper seam m, formed as above described, passes directly between the
periphery of the said wheel P and the roller O. By an adjusting arrangement,
hereinafter described, the wheel P can be brought to exert any desired pressure
upon the wrapper seam, which will be resisted by the roller O, to incorporate the
several thicknesses of which the seam is composed together to form a completed

page_text: seam. The roller O is frictionally driven by the pressure exerted upon it by the
wheel P through the seam m, the latter wheel being preferably driven at the same
peripheral speed at which the belt G and the wrapper and filler are advanced.
It has been found very desirable, if not absolutely essential, to provide the
operative face of the roller O with a constant supply of oil or other fluid lubricant,
aud, inasmuch as this roller is completely enclosed within the wrapper while the
machine is in operation and cannot be reached without breaking the wrapper, the
supply of the necessary lubricant thereto by ordinary means is impossible. It is
also absolutely essential that the quantity of oil supplied should be very small,
otherwise, it will stain through the paper and spoil the appearance of the
cigarette.
To accomplish this important result a chamber Q is formed in the support J in
proximity to the roller O, and preferably separated therefrom by a partition n, to
prevent the direct flow of the lubricant to the roller. This chamber is preferably
provided with waste or other proper material o, which will absorb or take up the
oil. A strand p, or a few threads of the waste or other textile material, are led
from the chamber over the partition and beneath the roller O so as to come in
contact with its operative face. By capillary attraction the oil will be carried from
the chamber Q to the face of the roller in sufficient quantity to furnish the
necessary lubrication, but not to seriously stain or injure the appearance of the
wrapper. The partition n is preferably provided with a slit or notch q, to retain
the oiling strand or threads in proper relation to the face of the roller. The
absorbent material in the chamber will hold and impart sufficient oil to keep
the roller in operative condition for a considerable period of time. This
construction is especially shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings.
While it is preferred, as above stated, to stuff the chamber Q with fluid
lubricant-absorbing material, this is not absolutely essential, since the lubricant-
conveying strand or threads may dip into oil or other fluid lubricant contained in
the bottom of the chamber; nor is it essential that there should be a partition
between the oil chamber and the roller O, provided the chamber is supplied with
waste or other lubricant-absorbing material and a strand be led to the face of the
roller.
As the roller O revolves in the direction of the arrow as seen in Fig. 10, the
strand of waste interposed between its face and the bottom of its receptacle will
be retained in the desired position, and will not interfere with the crimping action
of the roller which takes place at a point opposite the contact of the oiling
strand.
The lubrication of the roller O is to prevent the adhesion of the paper of the
wrapper thereto when the folded edges of the wrapper strip are pressed together
between the peripheries of the roller O and the wheel P to form the complete
seam, as well as to reduce the friction between the roller and the paper, this
friction being considerable owing to the rapid revolution of the roller by reason of
its small diameter. It is not intended to limit the application of a lubricant to
the face of the roller O to the special construction herein described and shown in
the drawings, inasmuch as it is simply necessary to provide a supply of lubricant
and a suitable passage leading therefromn to the face of the roller; and for this
purpose a narrow passage may be formed in the support J leading from the
roller O forward of the point where the edges of the wrapper come together and
communicating with the open air where the fluid lubricant can be introduced and
passed by gravity to the roller.
DRIVING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM.
The crimping wheel P and the filler compressing wheel I may be mounted and
driven by any desirable means or mechanism to produce the required results of

page_text: The wheel P is attached to its shaft s, which revolves in a sleeve s¹, which is
hung by an arms, to a sleeves, which is secured to a pin s', which rotates in a
bearings, formed in the top of a bracket & secured to the frame A of the machine
as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
The wheel I is attached to its shaft r, which revolves within a sleeve, which
forms the upper part of a bracket r³, secured to the frame A of the machine.
The crimping wheel P is driven from a belted pulley R, through the meshing
gear wheels S, S¹, S2, S* S*, and S, the latter being fixed to the shafts of the
wheel P, and the filler compressing wheel I is driven by the intermeshing of the
wheel S with the wheel S6, which in turn meshes with wheel S, the latter being
fixed to the shaft of the wheel I.
The wheel P is adjustable to produce a greater or less pressure upon the
wrapper sean to crimp the same by the following means:-A spring rod T is
secured to the sleeves from which the sleeve carrying the wheel P is hung
through arms, and a thumb screw t, threaded through a projection t¹, takes
against the lower end of the rod T, so that, when it is screwed outward against the
end of the rod, it will cause the pin s and the sleeve 88 fixed thereto to rock, and
through the arm & force the sleeve s¹ and the crimping wheel rotating therein
downward upon the wrapper seam to be operated upon. The construction is in
fact a bell-crank lever pivoted to rock in the bearings, its upper arm being
rigidly connected to the suspended wheel P while its lower spring arm T is
controlled by the abutting screw t. As the rod T is preferably of spring steel,
the pressure exerted by this mechanism will be a spring pressure, so that the
wheel P will be at liberty to rise up slightly should it meet with any unusual
obstruction or variation in the thickness of the wrapper seam operated upon. By
this means, also, the crimping pressure can be very finely regulated, that is, the
wrapper seam can be at any moment subjected to. a very slight increase or
decrease of pressure.
น
The gear wheel S³ revolves on axle u, and the gear wheel S is secured to a
hub of the wheel S³ to revolve with it, the axle u being fixed in the top of the
standard us, which is pivoted on the stud u fixed in the frame of the machine
which also serves as the axle on which wheel S2 revolves. The gear wheels S³
and S' are adjustable to and from the wheel S' by means of the screws u³ and u
which pass through the foot of the standard u and take against the bottom plate
of the frame. This adjustment provides for the substitution for the wheels St.
and S, the latter of which directly drives the crimping wheel P, of slightly
smaller or larger wheels whereby the speed of the crimping wheel can be
regulated.
The function and operation of the various parts above referred to are
sufficiently set forth in connection with their description.
It is specially stated that the present invention is not limited to any particular
construction of the parts or devices which co-operate to produce the desired
results, except as recited in the Specification and claims.
It will be understood that the finished continuous cigarette X as it emerges from
the devices, by which the engaged wrapper edges are incorporated together by.
crimping or indenting, may be cut into inarketable lengths by any well-known.
devices adapted for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. In a cigarette machine of the kind described, the combination substantially.
as set forth, of a filler compressing wheel arranged to revolve in the filler channel:
and a support forming a hood over such channel, whose forward end is in close.
proximity with the periphery of the compressing wheel and whose rear end carries
a small pressure-resisting roller arranged to operate within the wrapper and to
co-operate with a crimping wheel arranged to operate outside of the wrapper.

page_text: 2. In a cigarette machine of the kind described, the combination substantially as
set forth, of a grooved wheel arranged to revolve in the filler channel to compress
the advancing filler, and a support having a concave under surface raised. slightly
above the grooved periphery of the wheel at its lowest point and arranged to form
a hood above said channel, the forward end of the support being rounded and
fitted to the periphery of the grooved wheel and its rear end carrying a small
pressure-resisting roller arranged to operate within the wrapper and to co-operate
with a crimping wheel located outside of the wrapper.
3. In a cigarette machine which operates to advance a wrapper and a super-
imposed filler under a pressure-resisting support and to wrap the wrapper around
the filler and fold its opposite edges into a seam, the combination substantially as
set forth, of a thinned-down edge of the support and a device arranged on either
side of such thinned-down edge, for the purpose of folding over the opposite
edges of the wrapper, when brought into contact with each other into a scam.
4. In a cigarette machine which operates to advance a wrapper and a super-
imposed filler under a pressure-resisting support and to wrap the wrapper around
the filler and fold its opposite edges into a seam, the combination substantially as
set forth, of the support J and plates K and L whose edge faces are shaped to
direct and hold the wrapper to the outer wall of the support, and the plates M
and N whose edges faces are properly shaped and operate to fold the wrapper
edges over to form a seam.
5. In a cigarette machine which operates to secure the opposite engaged wrapper
edges into a seam by crimping or indenting, the combination substantially as set
forth, of a support and a revolving pressure-resisting roller mounted thereon and
arranged to operate within the wrapper and a passage formed in the support for
supplying a fluid lubricant to the roller to prevent the paper wrapper from adhering
thereto when the wrapper edges are being formed into a seam.
6. In a cigarette machine which operates to secure the opposite engaged
wrapper edges into a seam by crimping or indenting, the combination substantially
as set forth, of a support, a roller mounted thereon and arranged to revolve within.
the wrapper and a lubricant chamber constructed in said support and adapted to
contain textile waste or other fluid lubricant-absorbing material and separated
from the roller by a partition, and means to convey the lubricant from the chamber
to the roller.
7. In a cigarette machine which operates to secure the opposite engaged wrapper
edges into a seam by crimping or indenting, the combination substantially as set
forth, of a support, a roller mounted thereon and arranged to revolve within the
wrapper, and a lubricant chamber constructed in said support and adapted to hold
oil or other fluid lubricant and separated from the roller by a partition, and a
strand or threads of textile material passing from the lubricant chamber over the
partition to the face of the roller, for the purpose described.
8. In a cigarette machine which operates to secure the engaged wrapper edges
into a seam by pressure, the combination substantially as set forth, of a revolving
wheel arranged to act upon the wrapper seam, a bell-crank lever, one of whose
arms carries a revolving pressure wheel P and its other arm T is a spring arm, and
a device to adjust the arm T to increase or diminish the pressure of the wheel
upon the wrapper seam.
9. In a cigarette machine in which the wrapper edges folded together are
operated upon by a pressure device to complete the same, the combination of a
pressure resisting support located within the wrapper, a revolving pressure wheel P
focated outside of the wrapper, gear wheel S2, S3, S, and S for driving the wheel P,
a standard u² on which the wheels S and S are mounted and means for adjusting
such standard concentrically with the axis of the wheel S2, whereby the wheels S³
and S are moved to or from wheel S and wheels of greater or less diameter can
be substituted for wheels S' or S', for the purpose set forth.
1
10. The combination of the following named devices when constructed and
secured to a frame and adapted to be attached to a cigarette machine as a single

page_text: part or piece, namely; a channel through which the wrapper and superimposed
filer are advanced, a filler compressing wheel arranged to revolve in the channel,
a support forming a hood to the channel, its forward end being in proximity with
the compressing wheel and its rear end carrying a pressure-resisting device,
devices to wrap the wrapper around the filler and bring its opposite edges into
Angagement with each other, devices for folding the engaged wrapper edges
into a seam, a crimping wheel arranged to revolve outside the wrapper and to
co-operate with the pressure-resisting device within the wrapper to secure the
scam, devices to transmit power to revolve the filler-compressing and crimping
wheels in the desired direction and devices for applying and regulating the
pressure of the crimping wheel.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1895.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.