Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 9th Sept., 1887.
I, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Publisher and Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to that class of cigars, known as "long filler" cigars in which
the tobacco composing the filling runs from end to end of the cigar, without being
made of what are known as scraps" or "clippings" used only for "short filler
cigars.
"
It has heretofore been proposed to form fillings for cigars by the placing of tobacco
upon a receptacle for holding it, without any special reference to the arrangement of
the leaves and then cutting them with knives, but owing to the uneveness of the leaves,
some portions are heavier or thicker than others; and consequently fillings made from
tobacco so arranged and cut are not of uniform thickness, nor are the several fillings
of equal size and weight. Uniformity of thickness and weight, however, is an
important if not an indispensable requisite in the manufacture of cigars, because the
smoking qualities are judged to a great extent by the evenness with which the cigar
burns, and in fact the burning qualities of the cigar have almost as much to do with
its popularity as the quality of tobacco from which it is made, and the burning property
is controlled to a great extent by the uniformity of the filling.
A cigar with inequalities in the filling cannot burn evenly as the fire will follow the
course of the lighter portion of the filling because of the greater draft.
The object of my invention is to produce evenness of filling and to make the fillings
of a uniform size, while at the same time, I secure expedition in the formation of the
same. To these ends the invention consists in arranging the leaves or strips of tobacco
so that the several layers break joints with each other after which the fillings are cut
therefrom and also in compacting the tobacco after being arranged so as to break
joints as hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In practicing my invention I make use of any suitable device for holding or
retaining the tobacco while being cut, but I preferably employ a board or table as
shown in figure 1 of the drawings.
This figure is a perspective view of a board A, having dove-tail grooves a, a,

page_text: extending cross-wise thereof near each end. At the back is a stationary side or
flange B, which extends upwardly a sufficient distance to permit the tobacco to be
crowded or compacted against the same, before being cut into fillings.
Another board, C, is provided with dove-tail tongues, c, c, which fit in the
grooves a, a, and hold the board, C, while also permitting of its movement toward the
side B, for compacting the tobacco and forming a trough for holding the same while
being cut.
The board C, is shown as being broken away, thus exposing to view a portion of the
tobacco after being compacted.
Figure 2, is a perspective view of a stamp or die of suitable form to cut the fillings
and which is shown as say one fourth the length of the layers of tobacco in figure 1,
thus making the tobacco in the example shown, long enough to permit of the cutting
of four fillings therefrom.
Figure 3, is an enlarged, or full-sized view of a filling D, cut from the tobacco after
being arranged and compacted.
I prefer to make the table or board A, upon which the tobacco is placed several feet
in length in order that the arrangement of the tobacco, the compacting of the same,
and the cutting of the fillings may be more expeditious, but the particular construction
of the receptacle for receiving the tobacco is immaterial. Having provided myself
with a suitable tobacco retaining device, I take the leaves or such parts thereof as it
may be desired to use for filler purposes and arrange the same thereon, or therein, in
layers, each layer being composed of two or more leaves or strips or parts of leaves,
having their ends abutting or overlapping each other. When one layer is formed I
make a second layer in like manner but place it so that the center or body of the
leaves composing the same come over or opposite the ends or joints of those which
form the first layer, and in the same manner all the layers necessary to secure the
requisite thickness are formed and disposed so that each layer is made to break joints
with the ones which are adjacent thereto. While thus forming the layers, or after
they are so formed, the tobacco is crowded, or compacted, upon or within the receptacle
or trough so that it is made sufficiently solid to permit of cutting. If a simple trough
be used the compacting may be accomplished by squeezing the leaves, sufficiently, with
the hands, as they are laid within the same, in layers, and when one layer is so made
and pressed down to the bottom of the trough, another is formed in the same way, but
disposed so as to break joints with the preceding one when it is pressed down upon the
same and so on with each successive layer. If a board as shown in the drawings be
used, the movable side of the trough is drawn away from the stationary one, and the
tobacco leaves or strips are laid flat in layers alongside of each other, and breaking
joints as before, and when a sufficient number of such layers have been so placed the
entire body may be moved with the movable piece toward the stationary upright or
side of the trough and thus compressed or compacted. In fact the crowding or com-
pacting may be effected in any suitable way.
When the tobacco is arranged in layers which break joints and is sufficiently
compressed or compacted, I take a suitable cutter, preferably a stamp or die of the
shape of the filling to be formed, for instance as is shown by figure 2, and cut the
tobacco therewith into as many fillings as will be permitted according to the length of
the layers.
The die shown by Figure 2 has a concavity of about the shape of one half of a cigar
or of a filling, were the same cut through the center in the direction of its length, but
the depth of such concavity is sufficient to contain tobacco enough to form the entire
filling.
The edges of such die are made sharp enough to do the work of cutting without
mangling or unnecessarily tearing or breaking the leaves. As the sections of tobacco
are cut, the die is lifted leaving them to be afterwards taken up, and they only need a
slight pressure to give the shape required for the reception of a binder or wrapper,
When
which pressure may be given while picking the sections up after being so cut.
the cutting is done one side of the trough may be removed for convenience in taking
up the sections or fillings of tobacco.

page_text: The cutting device should be of such form as adapts it to the work with rapidity
but it is not essential that it should be a stamp or die like the. one shown, as other
cutting instruments might be used with advantage when the tobacco is arranged in
layers which break joints as before explained, because such arrangement secures the
necessary uniformity in thickness. By using a die or stamp however, the requisite
shape of the filling may be given during the act of cutting without subsequent
manipulation.
The method of arranging and cutting the tobacco herein explained enables me not
only to prepare the fillings ready for receiving the binder and wrapper, but the work
is performed more expeditiously and with greater uniformity in thickness and size than
has heretofore been possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The improvement in the art of forming long filling for Cigars, which consists in
arranging the tobacco in layers, composed of two or more strips or leaves having their
ends abutting or overlapping each other, the several layers being made to break joints
with the ones adjacent thereto, and, in cutting the tobacco, so arranged in parts of the
desired length whereby fillings are obtained therefrom, substantially as set forth.
2. The improvement in the art of forming long fillings for cigars which consists in
arranging the tobacco in layers composed of two or more strips or leaves having their
ends abutting or overlapping each other, the several layers being made to break joints
with the ones adjacent thereto compacting the tobacco composing such layers, and
cutting or stamping the same in parts adapted to form the fillings substantially as
set forth.
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