IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING AND ROLLING TOBACCO
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Gillan and George Crawford, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Mechanics, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SPINNING OR
TWISTING AND ROLLING TOBACCO."
Sealed the 21st January 1870, and dated the 28th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Gillan and
George Crawford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th July 1869.
We, HUGH GILLAN and GEORGE CRAWFORD, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Mechanics, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SPINNING
OR TWISTING AND ROLLING TOBACCo," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to apparatus designed to simplify, improve, and
cheapen the processes of spinning or twisting and rolling tobacco.

page_text: The spinning or twisting is effected by means of a large bobbin and
flyer, the "twist" of tobacco being led to the flyer from a tube and
groove in the axial line of the bobbin, which line is horizontal or nearly
80. The groove is formed in the upper surface of a metal table or plate,
and is adapted to the size of "twist" to be made, the tobacco leaves
being put together and led into it by hand, with the outside leaves in
a more open form than the core portions in the ordinary way. At or
near the part where the outside leaves are applied the "twist" passes
under a revolving compresser, consisting of a revolving disc fitted with
small rollers, which are arranged in a circle and compress the tobacco
without injuriously rubbing it. There may be two such revolving
compressers, under which the tobacco passes in succession, or it may
pass first under a plain roller and then under a revolving compresser.
From the groove the "twist" passes through a guide tube and thence
to the flyer. The spindle of the flyer passes through the spindle
carrying the bobbin, made tubular for the purpose, and is driven
positively and separately from the bobbin by means of a pulley and
cord from a driving pulley on a parallel shaft, the pulley being con-
nected to the flyer spindle by a key and groove to allow of the
longitudinal movement of the flyer as the "twist" is laid in successive
coils on the bobbin. The bobbin is driven by means of a belt and cones
from the parallel shaft, the belt being shifted by automatic appliances to
adapt the speed to the increasing diameter of the bobbin as the "twist"
is wound on.
In one simple modification of such automatic appliances a slide which
shifts the belt is acted on by a weight that is held up by ratchets, and
as the flyer reaches either end of its traverse it strikes against the
ratchet catch and allows one tooth to slip and the weights to act
correspondingly. The longitudinal transverse of the flyer spindle is
effected by means of reversed screw grooves cut upon it, and which
are acted upon by a small swivelling key connected to the inside
of the tubular spindle on which the bobbin is carried. The two screw
threads are led into each other at each end; and when from the
action of the different speeds of the spindle and bobbin the key has
caused the spindle to travel to one end, the key then passes into the a
other groove and causes it to travel back again. The bobbin is made
with its ends detachable from each other and with separate parts of the

page_text: barrel fixed to each head, so that when these are separated the wound
tobacco may be easily withdrawn. The tobacco removed in this way
constitutes a roll, which is thus obtained without the second winding
process ordinarily employed. The open core left by the removal of the
bobbin is filled up with tobacco "twist," and the roll is then pressed and
finished in the ordinary way.
In another modification of the spinning or twisting apparatus the
"twist" is passed round a pulley or drum before being wound on the
bobbin or on a reel, such pulley or drum being carried in a frame which
is made to revolve about an axis coincident with the groove from which
the "twist" starts. The frame is carried on the guide tube through
which the "twist" passes, and on that tube there is fixed a worm which
gears with a worm wheel carried by the frame, and the spindle of this
worm wheel being connected by spur wheels or by a belt and pulleys to
the spindle of the drum the drum is made to revolve by the movement
of the frame but at a slower rate. Instead of the "twist" being passed
round the drum it may be passed in a straight line between two or more
grooved wheels actuated by means such as are herein-before described
for actuating the drum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HUGH
GILLAN and GEORGE CRAWFORD, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Mechanics, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year-
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give-
and grant unto us, the said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford, Her
special licence that we, the said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford,.
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford, our executors, administrators,.
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 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 APPARATUS POR
SPINNING OR TWISTING AND ROLLING TOBACCO," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Hugh Gillan and George
Crawford, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing; reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to apparatus designed to simplify, improve,
and cheapen the processes of spinning or twisting and rolling tobacco.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a
Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be hercin-after referred to, and repre-
senting a practically successful modification of our improved apparatus.
The same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts in
the various parts of the said Drawings.
.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus
complete, and Figures 3 and 4 are sections of certain details.
The framing of the apparatus is of cast iron, and consists of two
parallel rectangular open side frames 1, 2, connected by transverse end
frames, of which one, 3, is seen in Figure 1, whilst the other is covered
by a table or plate 4. The spinning or twisting is effected by means of
a large bobbin 5 and flyer 6 placed with their axis horizontal at the
level of the top of the framing and in its longitudinal centre line; and
the "twist" of tobacco colored red in Figure 2 passes to the flyer 6 from
a short tube 7 and groove 8 in the same axial line. The tube 7 is fixed
to the table 4, and the groove 8 is formed in the upper surface of the
table 4, and a portion of the surface is inclined downwards towards it at

page_text: and near its outer end and at what is the lower side in Figure 1. The
groove 8 is of course adapted to the size of "twist" to be made, and
the tobacco leaves are put together and led into it by hand, with the
outside leaves in a more open form than the core portions in the
ordinary way, and being guided in on the inclined part of the table
surface. Just in advance of the point where the outside leaves are
applied the "twist" passes under a revolving compresser, consisting of
a revolving disc 9 fitted with three or other suitable number of small
rollers 10, which are arranged in a circle, and which compress the
tobacco without injuriously rubbing it. The tobacco is held down in the
groove 8 at other points by spring blades 11. There may be two of the
revolving compressers for the tobacco to pass under in succession, or
it may pass first under a plain roller and then under a revolving com-
presser; or again, the plain roller when used may be placed at the side
with its axis horizontal or nearly so, and more or less inclined to the
groove 8, so that only the outer or wrapping portion of the tobacco
leaves pass under it, its use in such case being to lead the wrapping
leaves in under the compresser 9, 10, and so that the attendant need
not guide them with the fingers so closely up to the compresser. The
flyer 6 is balanced by an arm and adjustable weight 12 on the opposite
side of its spindle 13. The flyer spindle 13 passes through the spindle 14
(Figure 3) of the bobbin 5, such spindle being made tubular for the
purpose, and is driven positively and separately from the bobbin by
means of a pulley 15 and cord 16 from a driving pulley 17 on a parallel
shaft 18 below the pulley 15, being connected to the flyer spindle 13
by a key and groove to allow of the longitudinal movement of the flyer 6
as the "twist" is laid in successive coils on the bobbin 5. The bobbin 5
is driven by means of a belt 19 and cones 20, 21, from the parallel
shaft, 18, the belt 19 being shifted by automatic appliances to adapt
the speed to the increasing diameter of the bobbin as the "twist" is
wound on.
In the simple modification of the automatic appliances shown a
sliding bar 22, which shifts the belt 19 by means of forks 23, is acted
on by a weight 24, put into action on the flyer 6 reaching each end of
its traverse. The weight 24 acts by means of a cord 25 passing over
guide pulleys to a pulley 26 on a short horizontal shaft 27 mounted in
brackets 28, and having ratchet wheels 29, 30, fixed on each end of it.

page_text: The shaft 27, by means of a pair of bevil wheels 31, drives a transverse
horizontal shaft 32, which has fast on it a pinion gearing with a rack 33
fixed to the belt shifting bar 22. Pawls 34, 35, are set on pins on the
brackets 28 in such a way that when one 34 is holding against a tooth
of the ratchet wheel 29 the other 35 is half way between two teeth of
the other ratchet wheel 30, and vice versa, so that when one pawl 34 is
thrown out by the flyer arm 12 coming in contact with it on the flyer
reaching the end of its traverse, the shaft 27 is set free to turn to the
extent of half a tooth, and thereby effects the requisite shift of the
driving belt 19. This action is repeated whenever the flyer reaches
either end of its traverse. The longitudinal traverse of the flyer
spindle 13 is effected by means of reversed screw grooves cut upon an
enlarged part of it, as shown in section in Figure 3, and which are acted
upon by a small swivelling key 36 jointed to the tubular spindle 14 on
which the bobbin 5 is carried, as shown in the enlarged cross section,
Figure 4. The two screw grooves are led into each other at each end;
and when from the action of the different speeds of the flyer spindle 13
and bobbin spindle 14 the key 36 has caused the flyer spindle to travel
to one end, the key then turning passes into the other groove and causes
it to travel back again. The horizontal shaft 18 is carried in suitable
bearings on the framing, and is fitted with fast and loose pulleys 42 at
one end, whilst it has at its other end a pulley 43, which by means of a
belt 44 drives the horizontal spindle 45 carrying the compresser disc 9.
A can or vessel 46 is provided for supplying a little oil to the tobacco as
it is being twisted.
The bobbin 5 is represented as made with fixed ends, but it may be
made with its ends detachable, so that the wound "twist".
may be
withdrawn in the form of a coil or "roll" without being unwound,
and without requiring rewinding, as ordinarily practised. The open
core left by the removal of the bobbin is filled up with folded tobacco
"twist," and the roll is then pressed and finished in the ordinary way.
In another modification of our improved spinning or twisting
apparatus, the "twist" is passed round a pulley or drum 37, as shown
in the detached section Figure 5, before being wound on the bobbin 5
or on a reel, such pulley or drum 37 being carried in a frame 38, which
is made to revolve about an axis coincident with the groove 8 from

page_text: which the "twist" starts. The frame 38 is cast in one piece with a
pulley 39, which receives a driving belt, and is carried on the guide.
tube 7, through which the "twist" colored red passes, and on that
tube 7 there is fixed a worm 40, which gears with a worm wheel 41
carried by the frame 38; and the spindle of this worm wheel being con-
nected by spur wheels or by a belt and pulleys to the spindle of the
pulley or drum 37, the latter is made to revolve by the movement of the
frame 38, but at a slower rate. Instead of the "twist" being passed
round the drum 37 it may be passed in a straight line between two or
more grooved wheels actuated in the same way as the drum.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated;
but that what we believe to be novel and original and claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, -
.
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of apparatus for
spinning or twisting tobacco in the improved manner, substantially as
herein-before described.
2. The compressing of tobacco "twist" by means of rollers set in a
circle upon a revolving disc or equivalent detail, substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The using of a plain roller in addition to the compresser to act on
the entire "twist" or only on the wrapping part, substantially as herein-
before described.
4. The arranging of the flyer to traverse backwards and forwards,
substantially as herein-before described.
5. The giving of positive motions to the bobbin and flyer respectively
combined with the automatic varying of one of those motions to suit the
increasing diameter of the tobacco, substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
6. The "rolling" of the tobacco or making it into "rolls" without
rewinding, substantially as herein-before described.
7. The producing of the twisting or spinning motion by means of a
revolving frame, which by the action of a stationary worm also effects

page_text: the progressive movement, as herein-before described with reference to
Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Hugh Gillan and George Crawford,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
HUGH GILLAN.
(L.S.)
GEORGE CRAWFORD. (L.S.)