Improvements in Cigar Bunching Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigar Bunching Machines.
I, RICHARD INGER DEXTER, Havana House, The Park, Nottingham, Cigar Manu-
facturer, 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 machine consists of a hopper into which the scrap tobacco is put, at the bottom
it is formed into a flange, which is fastned to another flange with a hollow boss on the
lower side of it, which fits into a circular chamber in a bracket or table joining the
two standards, and is capable of adjustment vertically in the chamber; by this means
the amount of tobacco in the bunch is regulated.
In the hopper there is a stirer which keeps the tobacco agitated & also assists to fill
the chamber.
Between the two flanges at the bottom of the hopper the scissors work for cutting
off the tobacco in the chamber from that in the hopper & when they are closed prevent
any more tobacco passing into the chamber.
At the bottom of the chamber is a slide which closes & opens it as required thus
allowing the tobacco to fall from the chamber at the right time.
After the tobacco has been measured & cut off in the chamber it drops into a funnel
(the bottom part of which is somewhat like the shape of a cigar) & on to a binder
placed ready for it on the apron, then a pressor comes forward & prosses it ; & the
tobacco is then rolled in the binder by a roller and apron in the usual manner.
In my improved machine by only having one chamber I am better able to get the
exact quantity of tobacco into the bunch, the machine is much less likely to get out of
order, & less likely to clog as nearly all of the working parts are on the outside & easily
cleaned & adjusted.
This invention is an improvement on that described in the provisional specification
of an application for a patent for Improved Cigar Bunching Machine by John Hogg
& Walter Thomson No. 13467 Aug. 27th 1889.
In order that my invention may be better understood I have annexed 3 sheets of

page_text: direction of the arrow K whichcloses the two cutting edges together, & are opened
again by the lever moving in the direction of the arrow K. The part of the circles
of the scissors which is not sharpened is left square to prevent any tobacco from
working out between the flanges & clog the scissors which would happen if they were
not made of this shape.
L is the slide which opens & closes the bottom of the chamber, & is worked by
levers & links from the cam L'. When the slide L is withdrawn from the bottom of
the chamber, it allows the tobacco which has been measured & cut off in the chamber
to drop through the funnel M, the two slides M1, M2, & onto a binder placed ready for
it on the apron M³ in the hollow M*.
M is the funnel over the lower part of which the slide M' is caused to slide actuated
by the lever M which is connected by other lovers & links to the cam M. Over the
slide M another slide M works actuated by the lever M' connected to the cam M³,
but differs from the slide M by having the bottom part of it with only three sides, the
fourth or back being cut away to allow of the presser P entering. The action of
the slides & their use will be better understood by referring to Figs. 4 & 5 which show
the slide M in its highest position & the slide M in its lowest position, these are the
positions they occupy during the time the presser P comes forward & presses the
tobacco.
When the slide L withdraws and allows the tobacco to fall both the slides M' M* are
in their lowest position, that is with the lower parts of then touching the apron M³ ;
when the tobacco has dropped the slide M risos to its highest position which
leaves the back part of the slide M open for the presser P to pass in & press the
tobacco during which process the slide M³ rises to its highest position & immediately
after the presser returns to its former position, then the roller M³ comes forward
& rolls the binder round the tobacco (which would then be in the apron at X) &
so finishes the bunch in the usual manner.
On the top of the hopper J is a bar through which works a vertical rod J
which has fixed to it one or more suitably shaped wires, and has a rotating
movement given to it by means of bevil wheels & an upright shaft from the main
shaft F.
The presser P has a double motion being able to move horizontally & vortically,
both movements being able to take place at the same time, the vertical movement is
caused by means of the lover P¹ being made to rock on the axle P2 by means of the
cam P³ to which it is connected by suitable links and levers. The lever P at the
end towards the presser is so fitted as to allow the presser P to slide upon it,
being caused to do so by the link P' connected by levers & links to the cam P
I do not bind myself to the exact details herein described which may be modified
without altering the principle thereof.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
(1) The general arrangement of a hopper with a single chamber so that much larger
fillers can be used, & the general arrangement of the parts connected thereto.
(2) The arrangement of the scissors & the mechanism by which they are worked.
The arrangement of the funnel & two slides so that the presser may be made to
press the tobacco while it is still confined to a certain space.
(4) The arrangement of the presser & the method of working it.