Improvements in Cigarette Making Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigarette Making Machines.
I, ALBERT LEROY MUNSON, of No. 122 Centre Street, in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to cigarette making machines of that kind in which the
tobacco in the form of a continuous filler rod is enveloped by a continuous wrapper.
strip, the edges of which are united, thereby forming a continuous cigarette ready
to be severed into short lengths or individual cigarettes.
The union of the edges of the paper wrapper strip is usually effected by paste,
but this is objectionable as the paste in burning impairs the flavour of the
tobacco.
My present improvements relate to means of dispensing with paste for the above.
purpose,
and yet effecting a secure union of the edges of the wrapper.
For this purpose, I first envelope the filler in the wrapper strip, I then fold the
edges of the strip so that they interlock forming a seam, upon the exterior of the
cigarette, which I secure by crimping.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of a portion of a cigarette
machine embodying my invention, that part of the machine being shewn at which
the forming and crimping devices are situated, and the paper wrapper strip is
applied to the filler.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the wrapper crimping
devices, the cigarette being shewn in section.
Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views of the wrapper strip, illustrating the mode
of joining and interlocking its edges.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the former.
Fig. 7 is an end view of the same, also showing a portion of the crimping device.
Figs. 8 to 22 are sectional views of the former, respectively on the successive
transverse planes indicated by the dot and dash' lines.
Before describing those parts of the machine which embody my present improve-
ments, I should remark that the complete machine to which these improvements
are applied, comprises first, means by which the tobacco is prepared and fed in
condition to be operated upon by the cigarette forming devices, known as the
tobacco feeding devices; second, means by which the loose tobacco delivered from
the tobacco feed is prepared in the form of an endless filler rod and fed forward,
known as the filler former or filler forming devices; third, means by which a
wrapper strip is fed from a roll or other source of supply to meet the filler rod and
to envelop it, known as the wrapper strip feeding devices; fourth, means by which
the wrapper strip is curved and turned over the continuous filler to envelop it,
known as the wrapper former or guide; fifth, means by which the continuous
cigarette or wrapper strip with the enclosed filler is advanced, known as the
cigarette carrier; and sixth, means by which the continuous cigarette is severed
into cigarette lengths, known as the severing device.
As all these devices are found in existing machines, they require no description
here except in so far as they have to be modified to suit my present improvements,
which I shall describe as applied to a machine such as is set forth in my previous
Specification No. 17,704 of 1893.
In the accompanying drawings, F indicates the cigarette former, comprising the

page_text: means by which the wrapper strip is dealt with and the cigarette is formed. The
paper wrapper strip 1 supplied from a roll or other source of supply is directed
over a guide roller 2, and thence to a delivery roller 5 which guides it into the end
of the former. These guide rollers and the former are supported upon a frame 3,
secured upon the main body of the machine. To the former F and upon the
wrapper strip 1 the filler forming devices deliver a supply of tobacco in continuous
rod form constituting the filler of the cigarette.
The former F may be secured to the frame 3, by a slotted lug 6, engaging a
pin 7 on the frame, and a second lug 8 engaged by a swinging latch 9. At its
end, where the strip 1 is received, the part of F is formed with a flat guide
engaging the edges of the paper wrapper strip 1 under bent over edges or
fingers 10 shewn in Fig. 2, or, it might be, by a transverse bar 11 shewn in
Fig. 6.
From this point onwards the edges of the former F are bent over as indicated
at 12 and 13, and its bottom becomes more and more concavely curved as shewn in
Figs. 10 to 21, thus causing the strip gradually to enfold the filler rod, also a top
plate 14 from about the middle of the former arches over it.
At 15 the wrapper guide begins to contract laterally and the flange 13 is bent as
shewn in Fig. 10 so as to turn upward the edge of the wrapper as the guide becomes
narrowed. At this point also the flange 13 is cut so to present a slit 16, through
which one edge of the wrapper strip emerges being directed upwards-and inwards
by the said bend at 15 and by the flange 17 which is somewhat nearer to 12 than
the flange 13. Beyond the slit 16, for some distance, there is left a tongue 18 part
of the edge flange 17, which is more nearly parallel to the edge 12 than the flange 17
beneath which its forward end lies. The upwardly and inwardly curled edge of the
wrapper is caused to be folded partly over the tongue 18, as is indicated in Fig. 12.
Beyond the end of the tongue 18 the wrapper guide continues to contract laterally,
the folding flange 17 being succeeded by a guiding flange 19, which completes and
flattens the fold of the edge of the wrapper strip. Thence the paper wrapper strip
with one inwardly folded edge is, by the increasing concavity of the former, bent
into a semi-circle or curve, partly enveloping the filler advancing with it and passes
under the arched top plate 14, beneath which the flanges 12 and 19 continue for
some distance still holding the edges of the wrapper strip as is shown in Figs. 14,
15 and 16. Where, as in Fig. 16, the edges of the wrapper have been brought
around the filler and near to each other, the former has an opening or slit 20
through which the unfolded edge of the wrapper strip emerges as shewn in Fig. 17,
and, at the other side of the former and preferably a little nearer the entrance,
another slit 21 is made through which the folded edge of the wrapper passes, as
shewn in Fig. 18.
Between the slits 20 and 21 the top of the former is a tongue 22 outside of which
the wrapper strip edges lie. 23 is a rib on the tongue 22 which enters beneath the
folded edge of the wrapper strip and opens or lifts it a little as shewn in Fig. 19.
At 24 is a shoulder on the former which throws the unfolded or straight edge of
the wrapper strip towards and against the rib 23 so that it is engaged beneath
the folded edge as shewn in Fig. 20; 25 is a deflecting or folding plate beyond the
end of the tongue 23, by which the united edges of the wrapper strip are bent
and folded over, as shewn in Fig. 21, so as to produce a fold on that edge
which was previously without a fold. The fold thus produced is an outward
one, entering into and interlocking with the former fold, so as to produce on
the cigarette an exterior seam, as shewn in Fig. 22. Beyond the plate 25 is
situated a flat folding plate 26 which may be the extremity of the plate 25, by
which the seam is finally flattened towards the surface of the cigarette, as it passes
to the action of the crimping devices, shewn in Fig. 3. As the continuous cigarette
emerges from the former with its edges interlocked as described, the seam is
crimped, so as to secure the engagement of the folds with each other.
Two crimping surfaces are arranged the one to enter beneath the seam and
operate upon its underside, and the other to act upon the exterior of the seaṁ.

page_text: These crimping surfaces have teeth or projections alternating with and entering
between each other producing crimps, corrugations or flutings across the seam.
27 is the inner or under crimping device in the form of a wheel having a thin
edge 28 adapted to enter beneath the wrapper seam and above the body of the
cigarette, and on its upper or outer surface having crimping or corrugating
projections 29. The wheel 27 is concave on its periphery to correspond with the
cigarette, as shown at 30 in Figure 3; this concave portion may extend over half
the circle of the periphery of the cigarette, and a similar concave wheel without the
crimping surface may be placed opposite to the wheel 27 holding the cigarette in
position during the crimping process, and aiding in drawing the cigarette forward.
31 is the upper or outer crimping device in the form of a wheel having upon its
periphery crimping projections 32 fitting and engaging between the projections 29
on the wheel 27. These crimping wheels are fixed on the shafts 33 and 34 and are
geared together by bevel wheels 35 and 36.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The herein described method of securing the edges of the wrapper of a
cigarette by turning the one edge of the wrapper outwards the other edge inwards,
and around the former edge, folding the interlocked edges down to form a seam,
and crimping the seam transversely, substantially as set forth.
2. For securing the edges of a cigarette wrapper in the manner above referred
to a folder constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to
Figures 6 to 22 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
3. For crimping the seam of a cigarette wrapper, the combination of the two
crimping wheels 27 and 31 substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of June 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.