Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept.,
1899
'
I, ALFRED CHARLES MARCHAL, of 6 and 8, Rue Roger, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Managing Director of La Société Anonyme des Usines A.E. Decouflé,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
66
-
These improvements relate to an arrangement for cutting off the excess of
tobacco from machine-made cigarettes and are applicable to Decouflé" cigar-
ette-making machines and to cigarette machines of all kinds in which the
cigarettes, when formed, do not present cleanly-finished ends.
This arrangement comprises essentially two cutting devices, one of which first
trims the end of the cigarette opposite to that at which the tobacco is introduced,
whilst the second acts afterwards for trimming the other end, these cutters acting
successively so as to cut-off the tobacco level with but without damaging the
paper.
The first movable cutter arranged opposite to a fixed counter-blade is guided
vertically by a suitable guide and receives a vertically reciprocating movement
by a suitable lever and cam device operated from the shaft of the machine. The
said movable cutter works opposite to the filling plunger or rod of the paper
tubes but from the opposite side.
The second cutter may have either a rotatory movement or an alternating
rectilinear movement.
In the first arrangement a circular cutter turns with great speed opposite to a
transporting drum having an intermittent rotatory movement imparted to it by
a pawl and ratchet and which brings the cigarettes (which are delivered to its
periphery by a suitable transporting device) successively in front of the cutter.
The cigarettes are maintained in an exact position on the transporting drum by
means of a bevilled plate fixed to a disc and by a spring pressing lightly upon the
uncut end of the cigarette, in such a manner that the trimming takes place exactly
at the end of the paper tube.
In the second arrangement the reciprocating cutter, which cuts the second
end of the cigarette, is similar to the first described reciprocating cutter and
receives in the same manner a vertically reciprocating movement by means of a
lever transmission and cam. The cigarettes are brought from one pair of cutters
to the other by a transporting device and are guided laterally by a stop and a
blade spring.
Dated this 14th
£ T 1
1000
A. C. MARCHAL,
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London.

page_text: Improvements in Cigarette-making Machines,
I, ALFRED CHARLES MARCHAL, of 6 and S, Rue Roger, Paris, in the Republie
of France, Managing Director of La Société Anonyme des Usines A. E. Decouflé
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 follow-
ing statement:
:-
These improvements relate to arrangements for cutting or trimming off the
excess of tobacco from machine-made cigarettes, and are applicable to Decouflé
cigarette making machines, and to cigarette machines of all kinds in which the
cigarettes, when formed do not present neatly finished ends.
According to this invention the cutting or trimming is effected in two successive
operations, the first taking place at the moment when the cigarette tube is still
held on the funnel through which the tobacco has been introduced into it, so that
the accurate position of the tube in relation to the first cutting or trimming
devices is assured however much the superfluous tobacco may project beyond the
tube at the end opposite to the funnel. The second cutting or trimming opera-
tion takes place afterwards at the funnel end of the tube, the cigarette being pre-
viously brought into a position exactly corresponding to the devices for making
the second cut; this second position can be very accurately defined because the
end of the cigarette which has been first cut is made to bear against a suitable
stop or guiding surface.
This arrangement of mechanism differs from those heretofore in use, which cut
both ends of a cigarette at once, in that it allows of greater accuracy of cut from
whence there results an important economy, the waste of paper being nil, and
that of tobacco a minimum.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates two methods of applying the
invention to a Decouflé cigarette machine. The first, shown in Figures 1 and 2,
comprises two reciprocating cutters, the second, shown in Figures 3 to 6, com-
prises a reciprocating cutter and a rotating one. In these drawings the well
known parts of the machine are not shown, but it will be understood that the
new arrangements can be adapted to and combined with them in any suitable way.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the first named arrangement, Figure 2 a
plan of same, Figures 3 and 4 are respectively similar views to those shown in
Figures 1 and 2 but showing the second named arrangement, Figure 5 is a front
view taken at right angles to Figure 3, Figure 6 shows a part of Figure 4 to a
larger scale.
In both arrangements the first cutting device consists of a cutter h having a
vertical reciprocating motion, and operating against a fixed counter-blade i. The
stem that carries the cutter is guided in a bearing 2 (Figures 3 and 5) fixed
to the table of the machine; it is actuated from the cam shaft by means of a
lever oscillating on a fixed support 2, and one end of which lever is operated
by the grooved cam 3 while the other is connected to the stem h¹ by a connecting
link j.
The fixed counter-blade i has at its upper part one or more semi-circular
notches adapted to receive the ends of the tubes filled with tobacco. The position
of the counterblade is regulated so that the tube comes exactly flush with its
outer edge when the tube is fixed on the funnel e.
The cutter operates while the tube is still held on the funnel e, and thus cuts
or trims the shreds of tobacco exactly level with the end of the paper tube with-
out tearing or injuring the latter.

page_text: The cigarette is then driven-off the funnel e by the well known device for that
purpose, until it comes in contact with a suitably placed stop to be hereinafter
described, and it is then conveyed to the second cutting device.
In the drawings the mechanism for holding the cigarette tube on the funnel e
whilst the tobacco is being rammed in and trimmed-off is not shown in order to
render the figures clearer and for the same reason the carrier or transporting device
is only represented by the fixed part b.
In the first arrangement, shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reciprocating cutters,
which effects the second cut, works against a counter-blade s fixed to the frame
of the machine. The carrier bis prolonged so as to bring the cigarettes, cut at
one end by the cutter h, opposite the cutter s; each cigarette being guided from
the end first cut, by a stop t with a vertical face (Figure 2) against which it is
pressed by means of a blade-spring fixed to the frame of the carrier b. Its
position is thus accurately assured at the moment when it is subjected to the
action of the second cutter. This stop t is not shown in Figure 1, nor is the front
end of the carrier b so as not to hide the counter-blade s¹. The cutter s is mounted
on a stem s sliding vertically in a bearing fixed to the frame of the machine.
The stem is caused to reciprocate by an arrangement of mechanism similar to
that which operates the cutter h, namely by a cam u fixed on the shaft j, a
lever u oscillating on a fixed support u² and operated by the cam u, and a link w³
connecting the lever u¹ to the stem s².
In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 to 6 the second cutting or trimming
device consists of a circular cutter m rotated from the shaft ; by means of any
suitable gearing, for example, by means of grooved pullies m¹, m³, m³, m², and
cords m³, m. In order to bring the cigarette in front of the cutter m a second
carrier is placed in line with the carrier b and has imparted to it a circular inter-
mittent motion. This second carrier consists of two discs nn¹ mounted on an
axis n² rotated by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl gear operated by the
cam shaft c. This pawl gear consists of a rod sliding in a bearing p¹ fixed to
the table of the machine, a grooved cam p² acting upon one end of the rod
a stem 3 furnished with a spring pawl and fixed in any desired position in
the rod by means of a set screw p³.
and
In the periphery of the two discs nn are formed notches n in which the
cigarettes are received when they are thrown out by the carrier b. In order to
assume the exact position of the cigarettes on the discs n there is fixed on the
disc na slightly conical or rounded flange n for the purpose of guiding the
cigarette sidewise by that end of it which has first been cut by the cutter h; the
opposite end of the cigarette is held lightly pressed longitudinally by a blade
spring . fixed to the frame of the machine, in such manner that the position
of the cigarette is accurately determined with reference to the cutter m, however
much the tobacco may project from the uncut end. Furthermore in order to
prevent the cigarette quitting the discs during a part of their revolution a bent
spring is placed concentric with the discs at a suitable distance from their axis
This spring, shown in Figure 3, is supposed to be removed in Figure 4 to 6.
By the intermittent motion transmitted by the ratchet gearing to the carrier
discs, the cigarettes are brought one by one in front of the circular cutter m which
rotates with great speed and cuts off the superfluous tobacco as close as possible
to the end of the paper tube, but without breaking or otherwise injuring the
latter.
The rotation of the discs continuing, the cigarettes cut or trimmed at both
ends, are brought clear of the spring r and fall on to an inclined plane or suitable
placed travelling apron which conveys them out of the machine.
It will be understood that the forms and dimensions of the cutters, whether
reciprocating or rotating, the details of the mechanism for actuating them, and
devices for the lateral guidance of the cigarettes on the carrier may all be varied
without departing from the nature of the invention, and that the said invention

page_text: may be applied to cigarette machines of every kind in which tobacco is rammed
into tubes previously cut to length.
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. Mechanism for cutting or trimming the superfluous tobacco from the
ends of mechanically manufactured cigarettes, which consists essentially of two
cutting devices one of which cuts or trims the end of the cigarette opposite to that
from which tobacco has been introduced, while the tube is still held upon the
filling fun: and the other of which cutting devices acts afterwards to cut or
trim the oti ad of the cigarette whilst the end already cut or trimmed is
pressed against stop or guiding surface, substantially as described.
Second. In an arrangement of mechanism of the kind forming the subject-
matter of the first claiming clause hereof, the combination with the tube or cigar-
ette-carrying mechanism of a Decouflé or other similar cigarette making machine
of a reciprocating cutter acting upon the end of the cigarettes remote from the
filling funnel and of a second reciprocating cutter acting upon the opposite end
of the cigarettes, the said cigarettes being brought from the first cutter to the
second by an intermittently acting carrier or transporter furnished with suitable
guiding devices for assuring the exact position of the cigarettes opposite the
second cutter, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawings.
Third. In an arrangement of mechanism of the kind forming the subject-
matter of the first claiming clause hereof, the combination with the tube or
cigarette carrying mechanism of a Decouflé or other similar cigarette making
machine of a reciprocating cutter acting upon the end of the cigarettes remote
from the filling funnel, and of a circular cutter acting upon the opposite end of
the cigarettes, the said cigarettes being brought from the first cutter to the second
by an intermittently acting carrier or transporter furnished with suitable guiding
devices for assuring the exact position of the cigarettes opposite the circular
cutter, substantially as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
प
A. C. MARCHAL.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.,