Improved Machine for Making Cigars.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 22nd July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine for Making Cigars.
I, JOHANN RUDOLF SCHMITT, of 33 Frankfurterstrasse, Oberrad, Hessen-Nassau,
Engineer, 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 an improved construction of machine for making
cigars in which the transporting mechanism between the forming press and the
wrapping mechanism is so arranged that the inter-dependent action of the four
indispensable main appliances, namely the feed mechanism, the forming press,
the transporting mechanism, and the wrapping mechanism are brought to a
degree of perfection such as has not been attained before.
In machines as heretofore constructed where the hand moulding and wrapping
have been replaced by mechanical operations, the necessary means for transporting
the material from the one device to the other have only been considered in a
superficial way as a necessary evil. In the present invention I have started from
the essential principle that in a machine for carrying out a series of consecutive
operations, it is not sufficient to consider the effective details for carrying out the
said operations taken separately but that it is essentially necessary to consider
these several detail constructions as a whole in their correlation to each other, in
order to produce a practically effective machine.
To effect this it was necessary to treat the transporting mechanism as an
essential and kinematically dominating function of the machine.
I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in
which
Fig. 1 shews an elevation partly in section of the entire machine; Fig. 2 is a
top view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end view thereof and Figs. 4 to 10 shew detached
details thereof.
On the plate or table A of the framing B is arranged at the left hand the
forming press C and at the right hand the wrapping apparatus 1), while the
plate A forms the main pathway or channel for the transport. In this channel
are formed slots a through which pins project up from below. Above the
upper surface of the pathway are arranged bars E which at the left hand end
are held by a hinge joint, and at the right hand end are held down by a
spring e
The pins are fixed to a frame F which at the left hand is pivotted to a guide
block G which receives a to and fro motion at each revolution of the driving
shaft L by means of the connecting link H, elbow lever I and wiper K on the
shaft. The free end of the frame is carried by a support M, which by means
of the lever N, rod 0, lever P and crank pin Qis raised and lowered once in each
revolution of shaft L.
The frame F, and consequently the pins f thereof perform a combined to and
from and up and down motion, that is to say an oscillating motion, during the
upper travel of which the pins f pass from left to right through the slots and
consequently move forward with a step by motion the tobacco situated in the

page_text: channel between A and E, while during the lower half of the motion they travel
back again to the left underneath the plate A. The forward motion of the pins f,
and consequently the quantity of tobacco fed forward at each stroke can be
regulated by the screw R, by means of which the return stroke of the elbow
lever I, and consequently the action of the wiper K on lever I can be increased or
decreased whereby also the forward feed of the pins is correspondingly altered.
The forming press consists of a hollow mould C, a stamp or hammer S, and a
divider or knife T. The wrapping mechanism I) consists, in one part of the
guides D, the stamper U and the divider or knife V. These three elements are
the necessary devices for the forming press and the wrapping device; their
configuration and size will vary according to requirements, the form shown being
only given by way of example. Also, the feed mechanism supplying the forming
press with tobacco although shown on the drawing as a necessary element of the
machine, may be of any suitable known construction, that shown by way of
example consisting of a double band or apron W X and ratchet device Y. An
essential feature of the machine is however the pusher Z which is connected by
a link to a lever z¹ which is acted upon by the trigger 22, lever and pin 26 in
the following manner: As long as the pusher Z is pushing tobacco forward into
the channel A E, the link z will turn the lever, which will force the trigger 2³
into the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby giving the lever liberty to be forced
into the position shown in the drawing Fig. 1 by finger y of the ratchet-device Y,
if the latter one is actuated by the lever 2. If now the pusher Z returns to its
starting point, the pin 26 of the link forces the lever in a position in which it
arrests the finger y and thereby stops the ratchet-device Y. Meanwhile the link z
has drawn the lever away from the trigger 22, the over weighted upper part
of which causes its notched under part to snap over the lateral nose of lever 2³.
Now, if the pusher Z intends to go ahead again, the pin releases the lever 23
which nevertheless is held in position by trigger and will be kept thus in case
the channel A E were crowded, not allowing the pusher Z to start so far that the
link may force the lever to act upon the trigger 2. Thus the feeding of
tobacco will be interrupted as long as the channel AE remains overcrowded.
The wrapping device is furthermore provided with a clamping piece A¹ into
which the tobacco passes on leaving the channel A E.
After the divider or knife V has separated the quantity of tobacco pushed
forward from the remainder, the clamp A is turned through 90° by a suitable
connection between it and the cutter or stamper motion, so that the now descend-
ing stamper U presses the tobacco out of the clamp A into the trough of the
rolling device d of the wrapping mechanism.
Also in this case the constructions shewn only serve as example. In combination
with the lever D' is a spring smoother which when the lever effects the known
wrapping operation, strokes the wrapping leat smooth that has been laid upon
the trough d. In addition the lever D' carries a clamp D into which when
the lever D is in the extreme position to the right, the completed roll falls; on
the backward motion to the extreme lefthand position, this is brought im-
mediately under the extension bar u of the stamper U, so that by the descent
thereof it can be pressed into a mould placed below it.
All the said mechanism are actuated from the driving shaft L in the usual
way by means of cams, wipers, levers connecting rods etc.; thus for example the
knife T is actuated by the rod t and cam t, Figs. 1 and 4; the hammer S by
the elbow levers rods, weighted lever s² and wiper disc 3, Figs. 1 and 9; the 5
ratchet device Y by rod y weighted lever y² and cam y Figs. 1 and 7; the knife
or separator V by rode lever and cam, Figs. 1 and 5; the stamper U by
lever, rod ², spring u³ and excentric Figs. 1 and 8; the pusher by the
weighted lever and cam, Figs. 1 and 6, and lastly the lever by rod d'
and cam Figs. 1 and 10.
-
The several getuating gears shewn at Figs. 4 to 10 are also only shewn by way
of example, the only characteristic feature thereof being that the mechanism
5

page_text: shewn in Figs. 9, 4, 6 and 7 each produce several (for instance four) motions at
each revolution of the shaft L.
It is practically of particular advantage that the quantity of tobacco required
for one cigar roll should not be conveyed at once but in several consecutive small
portions through the forming press.
It would of course alter nothing in the essence of the invention, if, in place of
the devices 3, Fig. 9, 1, Fig. 4, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7, having a quadruple action
during one revolution of the shaft L on which they are fixed, similar devices
having only a single action during a revolution were arranged upon a second
shaft performing four revolutions for every one revolution of the driving shaft L.
The essential feature of the whole improved construction consists in that the
forming press C and the wrapping mechanism D are rigidly connected to the
base A of the transporting mechanism so as to form together a single operating
device, and that the functions of feed device W X, forming press C, wrapping
mechanism A and discharge device I shall be directly dependent upon the
duration and extent of motion of the transport mechanism A, F, f in order that
a perfect and reliable coordinated and interdependent action of these mechanism
may be produced.
The action of the machine is as follows:
The tobacco is fed to the forming press by the feeding device W X where it
is divided by the knife T and formed by the hammer S; it is then conveyed
to the transporting channel A by the pusher Z, pressed into a compact mass and
moved forward by the pins f. It is then again divided into sections by the
knife pushed into the clamp A and after this has been turned 90°, it is
conveyed by the stamper into the trough of the wrapping mechanism 1), is
passed over the rolling table d in the form of a roll into the clamp 12 which brings
it under the bar u of the stamper U, and is pressed by u into a mould arranged
below.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A machine for manufacturing cigars consisting of a transport channel A
on the left hand end of which is fixed the forming press C, and on the right hand
end the wrapping mechanism I the channel A being enclosed at top by spring
bars E, and the forward motion of the tobacco therein being effected by pins f
fixed to a frame F receiving an oscillating motion from the driving shaft L
through gear G, H, I, K and M, N, O, P, Q, the driving shaft L being at the
same time made to actuate the forming press C and wrapping mechanism by means
of suitable transmitting devices.
2. In a cigar bunching machine such as is referred to in the first claim, the
arrangement of a feeding device W X actuated from the driving shaft L by
means of ratchet gear Y, connecting rod y weighted lever y² and rim cam y³ and
connected by trigger gear, 1, 2, 3, to the pusher Z in such manner as to be
put in and out of action at the proper moments.
3. In a forming press such as C arranged as set forth in the first claim, the
special construction of the actuating gear, consisting: for the knife T of the
rod and cam ; for the hammer S, of the elbow levers connecting rod s weighted
levers and wiper dise ; for the pusher % of the weighted lever and the rim
cam
4./In a wrapping apparatus arranged as set forth in the first claim, the
special arrangement of the actuating gear, consisting for the divider V of the
rod r, lever and the cam ; for the stamper of the lever u', rod u², spring u³
and excentrice ut; for the elbow lever D₁ of the rod and the cam .
5. In a wrapping apparatus arranged as set forth in the first claim the appli-
ration of the clamping piece A which effects the turning of the transport direction
of the tobacco through 90° and of the smoothing device A² on the lever })¹,
6. In a cigar bunching machine such as is referred to in the first claim, the

page_text: arrangement of a delivering device D2 on the lever D¹, into which the finished
roll drops from the rolling table d when in the extreme right hand position and
from which the roll is pressed down into a mould by a bar a combined with the
stamper U when in the extreme left hand position.
Dated this 16th day of January 1899.