IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING AND CUTTING TOBACCO
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING AND
CUTTING TOBACCO."-A communication from abroad by William Woodman
Huse, of the City of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States
of America.
Sealed the 14th March 1865, and dated the 14th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th January 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING
AND CUTTING TOBACCO," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a machine that can be used for
pressing tobacco preparatory to cutting it and then for cutting it up fit for use,.
it being necessary that tobacco should be pressed into a compact state before
it is subjected to the cutting operation.
It has been the practice heretofore to use two independent machines, one to
press and the other to cut, but by simply changing the position of some of the

page_text: parts of the improved machine both operations can be efficiently performed
by it.
The Invention also relates to an improvement in the cutters for cutting
tobacco. The cutting of tobacco while in a state of compression, as it must
be, has heretofore presented a very serious difficulty. The juice which is
forced out of the tobacco by the pressure to which it is subjected, and by the
cutting action, accumulates on the face of the cutter to such an extent as to
stop the cutting action until cleaned. To prevent this the inner face of the
cutter, which is towards the mass of the tobacco, is made to incline outward
from the plane of motion of the cutting edge.
The Invention also relates to a simple and efficient combination of machinery
for readily adjusting the feeding motion which advances the tobacco to the
knives by which it is cut, to cut it fine or coarse as may be desired. The
framing of the machine carries a horizontal bed with parallel vertical sides,
forming a trough to receive the tobacco to be cut after it has been pressed,
and along which it is moved towards the cutters. To this trough is fitted a
cap plate which, after the tobacco has been placed, is held down by a wedge
key. At the side of the trough is mounted a horizontal shaft, to the front
end of which is secured a fly wheel fitted with cutters, the cutting edge of
which is made convex to obtain a gradual draw cut, and either smooth or
serrated, according to the purpose for which the tobacco may be intended.
The inner face of these cutters is inclined, as explained, from the plane of
motion of the cutting edge. The front edge of the trough should be of steel
with a sharp square edge to facilitate the cutting operation. The tobacco is
fed forward by a follower on the end of a screw which passes through a
rotating nut mounted in the rear end of a saddle piece which is free to swing
on trunnions from the sides of the main framing.
When the machine is used for cutting, the saddle piece is held in a horizontal
position. The nut carries a ratchet wheel which is actuated by a pawl which
receives motion through a connecting rod and crank connected with the cutter
shaft. To regulate the extent of feed an adjustable cam plate mounted on
the screw nut lies against the outer face of the ratchet wheel. A portion of
the periphery of this plate is of less diameter than the ratchet wheel, and the
rest of greater diameter, so that as the pawl is vibrated the, cam form of the
edge of the cam plate will determine when it shall act on the ratchet teeth.
The horizontal bed of the trough is movable and rests on an open part of the
framing.
Preparatory to cutting tobacco it is to be pressed, and for this purpose the
connecting rod is disengaged and the saddle piece, together with the screw
.

page_text: shaft, is turned up in a vertical position, and the nut is secured' by means of a
set screw to prevent it from turning. The bed is then removed and a portable
trough is placed on the base of the framing. The tobacco is then piled into
the trough and a moveable top is put on it; then by turning the screw by a
crank handle on its outer end pressure is made on the moveable top until it
is pressed.down to the required extent, and there it is fastened down by wedges
or other suitable means, the screw turned up, and the moveable trough taken
out. After being so pressed and held the tobacco can be taken out of this
trough and put into the trough to be cut as first described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRESSING AND CUTTING TOBACCO," being a
communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a machine that will press tobacco
preparatory to cutting it, and then cut it up fit for use in an efficient and
expeditious manner, it being found necessary to press the tobacco into a com-
pact state before the cutting commences.
It has been the practice heretofore to use two independent machines, one.to
press and the other to cut, but by the adoption of the present Invention
both operations can be efficiently performed by one machine.
The Invention also includes an improvement in the cutters for cutting
tobacco. The cutting of tobacco while in a state of compression, as it must
be, has heretofore presented a very serious difficulty. The juice which is
forced out of the tobacco by the pressure to which it is subjected, and by the
cutting action, accumulates on the face of the cutter to such an extent as to
stop the cutting action until cleaned. This tendency to accumulation is due
to the practice of forming that face of the knife or cutter which is towards the
mass of tobacco flat, and in the plane of the cutting edge, giving all the bevil
to obtain a cutting edge to the outer face; the difficulty therefore is obviated
by making the inner face of the cutter, which is towards the mass of the s
tobacco, incline outward from the plane of motion of the cutting edge.
The Invention also includes a simple and efficient combination of machinery
for readily adjusting the feeding motion which advances the tobacco to the
knives by which it is cut, to cut it fine or coarse as may be desired.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine as a
adapted for cutting tobacco; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal
vertical section; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rear end of the machine;
Fig. 5 shews in vertical section the machine arranged for pressing. The same
letters indicate like parts in all the Figures.
a is a frame or standard in the upper part of which is fitted a horizontal s
bed b with parallel vertical sides c, c, forming a trough to receive the tobacco
to be cut after it has been pressed, and along which it is moved towards the
cutters. To this trough is fitted a cap plate d, which after the tobacco has
been placed in the trough is held down by a wedge key e. At the side of the
trough is mounted a horizontal shaft f, to the front end of which is secured a
fly wheel g. with arms and a crank handle, and to the inner face of the hub
and rim of this wheel are secured cutters h, h, which stand off from the inner
face of the arms sufficiently for the passage of the cut tobacco. The cutting
edge of the cutters is made convex in the form of a segment of a circle to

page_text: obtain a gradual draw cut, and either smooth or serrated, according to the
purpose for which the tobacco may be intended. The inner face of these
cutters, that is, the face towards the front edge of the trough, is bevilled
outward from the cutting edge to the back, so that this entire face from the
cutting edge is inclined outward from the plane of motion of the cutting edge.
This effectually prevents the cutters from being gummed by the juice which is
forced out from the tobacco. The front edge of the trough should be of steel,
with a sharp square edge to facilitate the cutting operation. The tobacco is
fed forward by a follower i on the end of a screw j, which passes through a
rotating nut k mounted in the rear end of a saddle piece 7, which is free to
swing on trunnions m, m, from the sides of the frame a for a purpose to be
presently described.
When the machine is used for cutting, the saddle piece l is held in a
horizontal position by a securing pin n, or other equivalent means. The
nut k carries a ratchet wheel o, which is actuated by a pawl p on an arm 9,
which turns on the rear part of the nut k; and this arm 9 receives a vibratory
motion through a connecting rod r from a crank s on the rear end of the fly
wheel shaft f. To regulate the extent of feed there is a cam plate t against
the outer face of the ratchet wheel, and mounted so that it can turn on the
nut . A portion of the periphery of this plate is of less diameter than the
ratchet wheel, and the rest of greater diameter, so that as the arm q vibrates
the pawl p, the cam form of the edge of the cam plate will determine when
the pawl shall act on the ratchet teeth. The cam plate is held by a
screw passing through a segment slot u to admit of setting it, so that by
turning and setting the plate the extent of feeding motion can be readily
adjusted. The horizontal bed 6 of the trough is moveable, and rests on an open
part of the frame a.
Preparatory to cutting tobacco it is to be pressed, and for this purpose the
connecting rod ? is disconnected from the ratchet arm q, the securing pin n is
taken out, and the saddle piece turned up in a vertical position, as represented
at Fig. 5. The nut is also secured in the saddle piece 7 by means of a set screw v
to prevent it from turning in its bearing. The bed b is then removed, and a
portable trough w is placed on the base plate x of the frame a; the tobacco
is then piled into the trough, and a moveable top y is put on it; then by
turning the screw by a hand wheel on its outer end pressure is applied to
the moveable top y until it is pressed down to the required extent, in which
position it is secured by wedges or other suitable means, the screw raised,
and the moveable trough is taken out. After being so pressed and held the
tobacco can be taken out of this trough and put into the trough to be cut, as

page_text: first described. By the same means tobacco can be pressed into other forms.
The same machine is thus made available for pressing the tobacco and for
cutting it.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in
machinery for pressing and cutting tobacco, as communicated to me from
abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim
the arrangement of mechanism. above described, whereby I am enabled to
press and cut tobacco in an efficient manner in one and the same machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)