Improvements in Oigarette Drawing Mechanism for Cigarette Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct.,
1891
COMPIETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oigarette Drawing Mechanism for Cigarette
Machines.
A communication from OSCAR WILLIAM ALLISON, of 16, Vick Park, Rochester,
in the County of Monroe, State of New York, United States of America,
Inventor.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 improved mechanism for drawing the cigarette-cylinder
in cigarette-machines of the continuous filler type, and in particular to the employ-
ment in such machines of an endless flexible band provided on its exterior with a
continuous longitudinal groove which is contracted by suitable devices to enable
the band to draw or convey onward the cigarette-cylinder contained in the said
groove as hereinafter more specifically described.
In the accompanying drawings representing these improvements,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of such portion of a cigarette machine as is necessary
to illustrate the invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a part of the endless flexible band, the
cigarette cylinder and the presser.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same, on the line 4-4 Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the endless flexible cigarette-drawing band,
showing the groove therein.
Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the operation of the presser roller in
contracting the groove.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a modified form of the cigarette-drawing
band.
Fig. 8 is a similar section, showing the presser guides for contracting the
groove.
In the accompanying drawings, A represents the endless flexible cigarette-
drawing band, which runs over suitable carrying-pulleys B B¹; and is operated by
suitable driving and corner pulleys. It is made of any suitable flexible material,
such as india-rubber, being provided on its exterior with a continuous longitudinal
groove c, of a width which at the outer surface of the band, is normally greater
than the diameter of the cigarettes to be made by the machine. The groove
receives the tobacco-rod or filler D, and the paper E at one end of its horizontal
course, and delivers it at the other. The band A travels over a suitable table or
support F. The band runs over the corner pulleys J J and around the driving
pulley K and the movable tightener pulley L, which is supported by a frame
swinging about the axis of the driving pulley and provided with means for securing
it in place so as to maintain a proper tension on the band. In order to contract
or narrow the groove in the band so as to cause it to grasp the cigarette with
sufficient force to draw it along, any suitable device adapted to close up the groove
by compressing the band or a portion thereof is employed. Such device may
consist of the lateral guides G G³, Figs. 2 and 8, placed on each side of the band,
or of the projecting ribs H H', Figs. 3 and 4, between which the groove is formed.
The ends of the guides are curved or inclined outward where the band enters
between them. The guides are attached to the table so that they may be adjusted
laterally. A series of rollers on each side of the band may be employed instead of

page_text: the guides; in another modification a roller or rollers represented in Figs. 1 and 6,
is employed to contract the groove by pressing the band down into a longitudinal
recess in the table. I, Figs. 1 and 6, represents such presser roller, which is
supported above the table in any suitable manner. Such presser roller is provided
with a peripheral groove, so that it bears on the upper surface of the band on each
side of the groove therein, and operates to narrow on contract the groove by
bending the band downward into a longitudinal recess in the table or support F.
The groove is made slightly wider at the top than the diameter of the cigarette, its
sides flaring inward as indicated in Fig. 5. The contraction of the groove produces
pressure on the sides of the cigarette, and the consequent friction enables the band
to carry the cigarette along. The paper is supplied from the roll M and passes
around the rollers N and under the folder P, as is commonly practiced in machines
of this class. The tobacco rod or filler D is formed by any ordinary or suitable
filler forming mechanism and delivered to the band at the same speed at which the
band travels. The roller R may be employed to press the tobacco and paper down
into the bottom of the groove. A suitable paper-gumming apparatus is applied
to the machine, and the edges of the paper are folded onto each other by the
folders T T', which may be attached to the table For to the guides G G¹. At
the delivery end of the band, a scraper, U, is employed, to remove the cigarette
cylinder from the groove and over which it is delivered to any suitable cutting
apparatus. The pressure requisite to enable the band to convey the cigarette may
also be secured by the movable presser-bar V, which is made of a width corre
sponding with the groove, and concave on its lower surface, to produce an uniform
pressure on the cigarette. It extends along the groove for a sufficient distance to
cause the requisite amount of friction, being supported from the bed or table in any
suitable manner. It is connected to the table or frame by some form of supporting
mechanism, which permits it to yield slightly up and down, so as to adapt itself to
any irregularities in the thickness of the cigarette passing under it, without
producing undue resistance.
One mode of supporting the presser-bar, so that it is movable or self-adjusting,
which I have found to work satisfactorily in practical use, is represented in the
accompanying drawings,-the presser-bar being provided with one or more pivoted
links XX, attached to one or more standards Y Y', and the spring Z, which
forces the presser-bar downward against the cigarette with a gentle pressure. One
advantage of this construction is, that it permits the presser bar to be readily
moved upward out of the groove, to afford access to the cigarette therein. The
spring Z is attached at one end of the presser bar and at the other to one of
the standards, or other convenient part of the machine. It is obvious however that
any other suitable kind of spring may be employed.
It will be observed that the spring is so arranged as to tend to move the presser
bar lengthways of the groove in the band occupied by the cigarette and in a
direction opposite to that in which the cigarette travels, the angular arrangement
of the link or links causing the bar to enter deeper into the groove as it moves
lengthways under the influence of the spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;
-
1. The combination, in a cigarette-machine, of the endless flexible traveling cigarette-
drawing band, provided on its outer surface with a continuous longitudinal groove,
formed between side-walls one or both of which are flaring, and adapted to be bent
inward to contract the groove transversely, and a suitable device constructed and
arranged to contract the groove, whereby the band is caused to grasp the cigarette
to draw it onward, substantially as described.
2. The combination, in a cigarette-machine, of the endless flexible traveling
cigarette-drawing band, provided on its outer surface with a continuous longitudinal
groove, formed between side-walls one or both of which are flaring, and adapted

page_text: to be bent inward to contract the groove transversely, and suitable guides, as G G',
whereby the groove is contracted, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the thick endless traveling band, made of suitable
flexible material and provided on its outer surface with a continuous longitudinal
groove, of the table or support F and the presser-bar V, supported with its lower
surface in the groove on one or more angularly arranged pivoted links, and pressed
against the cigarette by a spring which tends to move it lengthways of the band
in a direction opposite to that in which the band travels, substantially as
described.
4. The combination, with the thick endless traveling band, made of suitable
flexible material, and provided on its outer surface with a continuous longitudinal
groove, of the table or support F, the presser wheel R, and the presser bar V,
supported with its lower surface in the groove on one or more angularly arranged
pivoted links, and pressed against the cigarette by a spring which tends to move it
lengthways of the band in a direction opposite to that in which the band travels,
substantially as described.
5. The combination, in a cigarette-machine, of the endless flexible traveling
cigarette-drawing band, provided on its outer surface with a continuous longitudinal
groove, formed between side-walls one or both of which are flaring, the longitudinally
grooved supporting table F, and the presser roller I, arranged to contract the
groove by pressure in the band, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.