An Improved Machine for Cutting Wrappers for Cigars or other Sheets.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Cutting Wrappers for Cigars or other
Sheets.
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by The Universal Cigar Rolling Machine Company, of Jersey City, State of
New Jersey, United States of America) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for cutting, in the
desired shape, the wrappers for cigars or other analogous sheets.
The Invention consists in the details of improvement and the combinations of parts,
that will be more fully hereinafter set forth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion; in which figure 1 is a plan view of a machine for cutting cigar wrappers or
other analogous sheets constructed according to this invention, and figure 2 is a vertical
cross-section on the line c-c figure 1.
In the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents a die or cutter for the tobacco
leaves. The die or cutter A may be of approved outline for forming the wrapper or
things to be cut. For wrappers, the outline substantially as shewn in figure 1 is
preferred. The die or cutter A instead of being open centrally with tapering vertical
sides, as shewn, may be a solid piece having the proper outline. Said die or cutter is
adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally, and for this purpose it is mounted on a
sliding support or block B that is guided in a grooved or other suitably arranged
base D. EE, are two rollers preferably concave, as shewn, that bear upon the
cutting edges of the die or cutter A, at an obtuse angle. These rollers E E, are
mounted on spindles a a that are secured to short shafts bb suitably journaled in a

page_text: bracket F. The bracket F is supported on the base D and extends over the die or
cutter A, as clearly shewn. The spindles a a are carried above the die or cutter A at
an obtuse angle, so that the rollers E E will bear upon the outer side of the cutting
odge of the die, as shewn.
The rollers E E, are designed to be vertically movable above the die or cutter A
and exert a certain pressure upon the die.
For this purpose, to the shafts bb are
secured upwardly extending arms or cranks dd, as shewn in figure 2. To the outer
or free ends of the cranks dd, springs e e are attached, the other ends of which springs
are secured to the bracket For other support. These springs e e, by drawing down
the outer ends of the cranks d d, serve to press the rollers E E upon the die or
cutter A. To regulate the downward movement of the rollers E and also their
pressure upon the die A, to the bracket F are pivoted plates ff that abut at one end
against the cranks d d. These plates ff. at the ends that abut against the cranks d
are preferably bevelled. The plates are also provided with slots g that receive screws/
which screws pass into the bracket F and serve to hold the plates f in position. By
turning the plates on their pivots i, so as to bring a different part of their
bevelled ends opposite the cranks, the downward movement of said cranks, and
thereby the rollers E E and the pressure of said rollers on the die or cutter A,
may be limited and regulated. But instead of pivoting the plates f, as shewn, they
could be moved longitudinally towards the cranks d. In this case, their ends need
not be bevelled.
To cut or crease a wrapper by this improved machine, the operation is as follows
The die or cutter A is drawn from beneath the rollers E or the rollers moved over the
die. The wrapper G is first preferably moistened and then laid upon the die. The
die or cutter carrying the wrapper is then advanced under the rollers or the latter over
the die, so that the rollers by pressing upon the wrapper and cutter, cut or crease the
wrapper in the proper outline. The wrapper is now removed from the die and will be
found of the desired form.
As shewn, the rollers E E do not bear directly upon the extreme upper edge of
the die but bear upon the side thereof at an obtuse angle. By this means, the wrapper
is readily cut, the roller at the same time acting to sharpen the edge of the die. With
this construction, the die or cutter may be used continuously without being sharpened
by other means than that shewn.
Although two rollers E E are shewn as bearing upon the side of the cutting edge,
it is evident that one roller could be used solely. In this case, the die or cutter would
be passed under the roller, or the roller over the die, said roller bearing upon the die
or cutter at the obtuse angle, as shewn. After the die has passed from under the roller,
or the roller from over the die, said die or roller, whichever is moved, will be turned
around and then passed back to its first position. In this backward passage, the roller
will bear upon the opposite edge of the die. Thus the two sides of the wrapper will
be cut in succession.
I do not claim a horizontal pressure roller combined with a cutter. Such rollers
have been used; but they blunt the cutter and are themselves creased in operation.
The inclined rollers tend rather to sharpen than to dull the cutter and are themselves
not creased or injured in the operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The combination with a cutting die, of the roller E that bears upon the cutting
edge of the die at an obtuse angle, substantially as described.
2. The cutting die A, combined with the roller E that bears upon the cutting edge
of the die at an obtuse angle, spindle a carrying the roller E, and spring-actuated
crank d for pressing the roller E upon the die, substantially as described.
3. The cutting die A, combined with the roller E, spindle a carrying said roller,
spring actuated crank d, and plate for regulating the movement of the crank d,
substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The combination of the cutting die A, with the inclined rollers EE that bear
upon opposite sides of said die, spindles aa that carry said rollers and means, sub-
stantially as described, for pressing the rollers upon the die and for regulating such
pressure, as specified.
5. The combination of the cutting die A, that is guided on the base 1), bracket F,
that extends over said die, shaft 6, spindle a carried thereby, roller E carried by said
spindle, spring-actuated crank d, and adjusting plates, substantially as herein shewn
and described.
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.