Improvements in Machines for Making Cigarettes.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Cigarettes.
I, JAMES ALBERT BONSACK, of 1326 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical 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:-
The present invention relates to that class of cigarette machines that are adapted
to produce continuous cigarettes, that is, to produce continuously or progressively
a closed and sealed paper tube containing a filler of tobacco.
The invention relates particularly to that kind of a cigarette machine that is
adapted to produce a continuous cigarette wrapper tube which is closed and sealed
by a longitudinal seam, the wrapper being tubularly formed with its opposite edges
joined, brought to lapping contact, or otherwise suitably engaged, which joined
edges are finally sealed by being crimped together, compacted or incorporated one
upon or one within the other.
The invention consists of parts, and combinations of parts, in a cigarette machine,
which are adapted to produce a continuous cigarette by tubularly forming a ribbon
or strip of wrapper paper around a filler of tobacco and bringing the opposite edges
of such wrapper to joining or engaging contact, and by then crimping such edges
of the wrapper together and compacting the same upon the body of the wrapper,
whereby the edges or seam parts are incorporated and permanently sealed to each
other in the form of a flat, longitudinal seam coinciding with the tubular body of
the wrapper, and without the use of adhesive material.
In the drawings accompanying this description :
Fig. 1 is an elevation view of one form of machine embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing in elevation, and partial vertical
section along the plane a a of Fig 4, the seam-sealing mechanism and adjacent
parts.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing in plan the essential parts of the
seam-sealing devices, portions of the supporting and operating parts of the same
being in horizontal section on plane 66 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is an end elevation view of the machine as seen from the right-hand end
of Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, looking toward the left-hand or front end of
the machine, of the parts of the machine cut by the vertical plane c c of Figs. 1,
3 and 4.
Figs. 7-14 are enlarged detail views showing cross-sections of the wrapper
or cigarette tube former on the respective planes d-j of Figs. 2 and 4, as herein-
after will be more fully referred to and explained.
In these views 1 represents the base of the machine, which may be of any
suitable form, and on which are properly supported the various pillars, brackets
or arms that carry the working parts of the machine.
2 represents a helicoidal wrapper-former, through which the strip or ribbon
of paper is fed and during its forward movement is brought to tubular form with
its opposite edges joined or in lapping contact, the mandrel part of this former
being the tube which serves to deliver the tobacco into the sealed wrapper-tube.
3 represents a continuous belt, which is adapted to hold the completed and continuous
cigarette and draw it forward, thus also effecting the feed of the wrapper ribbon
through the former and assisting the feed of the tobacco through the former
mandrel or filler tube into the wrapper tube. 4 indicates a presser wheel by

page_text: which the joined edges of the paper ribbon are during the forward feed of the
ribbon flattened down upon the paper tube previous to being finally sealed by
crimping. 5 is a crimping wheel that is intermittently brought to contact with
the joined edges of the wrapper tube, and is driven along the same for a short
distance to crimp together such edges and thereby finally seal them, between
succeeding steps of the feed of the wrapper ribbon or while the wrapper is stationary
or practically so.
Referring in detail to these parts and their actuating mechanism, the wrapper
former 2, which at its rear or left-hand end and at about the middle of its length
is supported on the uprights 6, consists substantially of a flat, shallow tubular guide
adapted to loosely enclose the wrapper ribbon when in flat form (see Fig. 7, which
shows a section of this end of the former and of the contained wrapper). From
the rear end of the former to the plane f (Figs. 4, 8, 9 and 10) the edges 7 of the
former gradually converge spirally, thus producing two concentric tubes joined
together by the edge parts 7 of the flat rear end of the former. At or about the
position of the plane f the edges 7 are cut away, as seen at 8 (Figs. 4 and 10), and
the inner or mandrel tube 9 is completed circularly, while the outer or forming
tube 10 is slotted along its central upper part to its forward end. These concentric
tubes are slightly coned from plane g to about plane h, and the edges of the slot 8
in the outer tube correspondingly converge till at plane h their separation is about
the same or slightly more than that of the thickness of the two edges of the wrapper
paper; from plane h the tubes preferably are cylindrical to their forward ends, and
from end to end the two parts of the former are held separated by a practically
uniform wrapper space. On the outer tube and at one edge of the slot 8 is mounted
an edge former, which consists of a slender sheet metal snail or convolute 11,
conically shaped from plane i to plane j, and is arranged so that its longitudinal
opening or throat corresponds in position to the slot 8. Beyond planej, and to the
end of the former, the slot 8 is of a width about the same as that of the seam of
the paper tube, to permit the presser wheel 4 and the crimping wheel 5 to bear
upon the wrapper seam parts.
The paper ribbon or wrapper 12 is fed in at the rear end of and through the
former, and as it is drawn forward it is gradually brought into tubular form and
its edges brought together until, when they begin to emerge at the rear end of
slot 8, they meet as seen in Fig. 10. The further movement of the wrapper along
the conical portion of the former, from 7 to i, contracts the wrapper tube and
projects the edges thereof out of the slot 8 as seen in Fig. 11. These projecting
edges now enter the snail 11 and are coiled or curled one within the other, in form
like the inner end of the snail, Fig. 13, and as the coil emerges from the snail it
passes first under the wheel 4, which flattens it down upon the inner tube 9 of the
former, and then it passes under wheel 5 which crimps it against the inner tube and
thereby finally seals or fixes it; the feeding and seam-sealing actions being performed
intermittently and alternately.
The mandrel or filler tube 9, particularly at its front end, is made as thin as
proper strength and rigidity will permit, and the surface of its bore is to be as
smooth and regular as practicable, so as to offer but little resistance to the passage
of the tobacco filler. The filler is fed upon the rear end of the former-that is,
upon the opened out rearward continuation of the mandrel tube-and is moved
forward through the mandrel into the wrapper tube in any suitable way. Preferably,
however, the filler is first compacted into the form of a continuous rod of proper
size, and such a tobacco rod is fed into and through the mandrel to within the
sealed wrapper tube, which being fed by other devices and having a clinging
contact with the expanded tobacco rod also helps to feed the latter through the
mandrel. The mechanism for continuously producing such tobacco rod and feeding
it into the tobacco conduit of the former is no essential part of this machine and is
not therefore described in full.
The forward end of the former tube 10 is cut away from below to conform to
the edges of the periphery of the grooved side wheel 12, while the mandrel or

page_text: tobacco tube continues in plain tubular form to its forward end, these tubes ending
preferably at or about the position of the guide wheel, the groove in the periphery
of which is slightly larger, by the thickness of the wrapper, than the exterior of
the tobacco tube. The tobacco tube is notched or serrated at 13 for a short
distance along its forward end, and just under the slot 8 in the former tube (Figs. 2
and 4). These serrations constitute a fine rack and are of size and space to conform
to and mesh with similar serrations on the periphery of the crimping wheel 5, which
wheel has a motion rearwardly in meshing contact with said rack (except for the
wrapper between), then rises therefrom and returns to the forward end of the tube.
Thus it will be seen the seam is crimped down upon the body of the wrapper by the
co-operation of the rack and crimping wheel, and this while the cigarette is
stationary. At the same time the guide roll 12 resists any downward tendency
of the tobacco tube under the pressure of the crimping wheel. This guide
wheel being in contact with the sealed wrapper tube, it serves to assist as a feeding
device to draw the wrapper through the former, it being driven coincidently with
the feeding belt 3.
The feeding belt 3 is of any suitable flexible material. It passes through the
tubular guide 14-14, in line with the axis of the tobacco tube, in which guides it is
tubularly shaped to a size about the same as the cigarette, and is thereby adapted
to enclose the cigarette, which extends from the forming and crimping devices to
and within the contracted portion of the belt, and feed or advance the same forward.
This belt passes continuously over drum 15 on shaft 16, up over the idle pulley 18,
and through the guides 14.
On the end of shaft 16 is carried a beveled gear wheel 19, which meshes with
the pinion shaft 20, mounted in journals on the side of the machine and gearing
with the shaft 21 which carries the guide wheel 12. On shaft 21 is the gear 22,
which meshes with the driving pinion 23 on the axis of the presser wheel 4. Thus
the presser wheel is caused to rotate conformably with the movement of and at the
time of the forward feed of the cigarette and the forming wrapper.
24 is the main driving wheel or pulley. Its shaft 25 carries the eccentric 26,
the pitman 27 of which is pivotally attached to the upper end of rock arm 28, which
in turn is pivotally carried on shaft 16. On this arm is hung the pawl 29, which
engages the teeth of the wheel 30 fixedly carried on the shaft 16.
By these
means, it will be seen that, for one-half revolution of the main driving wheel,
shaft 16 is partially rotated, thus effecting the forward feed of the cigarette and
the forming wrapper, while during the other half rotation of the driving wheel
shaft 16 and the feeding devices are stationary, and pawl 29 is carried over one
or more teeth of the wheel 30 preparatory to re-engaging the same for another
operation of the feeding devices.
The crimping wheel 5 is fixedly mounted on the inner end of the rotating shaft 31
pivotally carried in the slide 32, which slide reciprocates in ways 33, these ways
being carried on a rocking plate 34, which is supported at its rear end by
pivot 35 on the upright 36 secured to the bed of the machine. A plunger
rod 37 also mounted at its rear end on pivot 35 enters at its forward end a hole
in the rear end of the slide 32, a spring 38 being interposed between the slide and
the plunger and acting to tend to push the slide forward. On the back of the
lower way 33 is mounted a rack 39 which is in mesh with the pinion 40 fixed to
the outer end of the crimp-wheel shaft 31, and serves to cause the crimp wheel to be
positively driven, and also to be brought to proper meshing relation with the
crimping rack on the tobacco tube. The rack 39, while preferably employed to
ensure the positive action of the crimp wheel, is not, however, essential. Attached
to the upper way of the slide 32 is an arm 41 carrying a friction roller 42 that
rides on a cam 43 mounted on the main shaft 25. The peripheral form of this cam,
as seen in Fig. 2, consists of two semicircular parts of different diameters, whereby
the revolution of the cam causes the forward end of the way-plate 34 and its carried
parts to rise and be held at one position vertically during the half revolution of the
main shaft, and then to drop and remain at a lower position during the second half

page_text: of the shaft's revolution, a spring 44, attached to the lower way, serving to depress
the way plate, and thereby hold the crimp wheel to working contact. At the
forward end of the slide 32 is mounted a friction roller 45, which bears
against the peripheral face of the eccentric wheel 46, also carried on and rotated
by the main shaft 25, and this cam acts to reciprocate the slide backward and
forward in its ways.
The positions on the main shaft of the eccentric 26, cam 43 and eccentric
wheel 46 are such that, during that half revolution of the shaft when the feeding
mechanism is stationary, Fig. 2, the way plate is lowered and the slide moved to
the limit of of its backward movement. This brings the crimping wheel to contact
with the turned down edges of the seam, and as the slide is moved backward the
crimping wheel is passed along the seam of the formed wrapper and thereby finally
seals the folds of the same together, and down flat upon the body of the wrapper.
When the crimping wheel has reached the end of its backward movement, the way
plate is raised so that the crumping wheel leaves the wrapper and returns to its
forward position, preparatory to being again depressed to contact with another
portion of the wrapper seam. As the crimp wheel thus returns, it is rotated
backwardly by its guide rack, and thus it is brought to be, when at its forward
point, in position to mesh with the crimping serrations upon the tobacco tube when
next it is depressed to act on the wrapper seam parts. During this retura of the
-crimp wheel, the forward feed of the cigarette and forming wrapper is effected,
so that a new portion of seam is presented ready for the immediate repetition of
the crimping action.
I do not deem it essential that the tobacco tube be serrated so as to co-operate
with the crimp wheel to help form crimps, for the crimp wheel may act against a
tube having a plain opposing or anvil-like surface, or vice versa.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a cigarette machine the following mechanisms arranged in combination
and organized to produce a continuous cigarette: A wrapper-forming device adapted
to tubularly shape a ribbon or strip of wrapper paper around a tobacco filler and
to join the opposite edges of the wrapper; a seam-sealing mechanism comprising
two conjointly-acting crimping devices, one located within and one without the
wrapper tube, and adapted to crimp the joined edges of the wrapper upon the body
of the wrapper tube and thereby compact and seal the same; and a feeding
mechanism adapted to feed forward the wrapper and tobacco filler.
2. In a cigarette machine, organized to produce a continuous cigarette, the
combination of the following instrumentalities or mechanisms: A wrapper former
adapted to tubularly shape a ribbon of wrapper paper around a tobacco filler, and
to join the opposite edges of the wrapper; an intermittently operated seam-sealing
mechanism comprising two crimping devices, one located within and one without
the wrapper tube and adapted to crimp the joined edges of the wrapper and thereby
seal the same together; and a feeding mechanism adopted to feed forward the
wrapper and tobacco filler.
3. In a cigarette machine, organized to produce a continuous cigarette, the
combination of the following instrumentalities: A wrapper former adapted to
tubularly shape a wrapper ribbon around a tobacco filler, and to join the edges of
the wrapper; an intermittently operated seam-sealing mechanism, comprising two
crimping devices, one located within and one without the wrapper tube, and adapted
to crimp the joined edges of the wrapper and thereby seal the same; and an
intermittently acting feeding mechanism adapted to advance the wrapper and
tobacco filler.
4. In a cigarette machine organized to produce a continuous cigarette, the
combination of the following instrumentalities: A former device adapted
to tubularly shape a wrapper around a tobacco filler and join its edges; an

page_text: intermittently operated seam-scaling mechanism, comprising two crimping devices,
one located within and one without the wrapper tube and adapted to seal the joined
edges of the wrapper by crimping action; and intermittently operated mechanism
for feeding the wrapper and filler through the machine, which mechanism is
adapted to operate alternately with the seam-sealing mechanism.
5. In combination, in a cigarette machine adapted to produce a continuous
cigarette, the following instrumentalities: A wrapper former adapted to tubularly
shape a wrapper around a tobacco filler and to join its opposite edges; a seam-
sealing mechanism comprising a support for the wrapper edges and which is
located within the wrapper tube, and an exterior crimping device adapted to
move along the joined edges of the wrapper and crimp the same against the inner
support; and a feeding mecbanism adapted to feed forward the wrapper and
tobacco filler.
6. The combination, in a cigarette machine for producing a continuous cigarette:
A wrapper former provided with a tobacco conduit or guide and adapted to shape
the wrapper around such conduit and join its edges; a seam-sealing mechanism
comprising two parts, one part being borne on the filler guide within the wrapper
tube and one being located without the wrapper tube, the two parts acting together
to crimp the joined edges of the wrapper and thereby seal the same; and feeding
mechanism adapted to advance the wrapper and filler.
7. In combination in a cigarette machine for producing a continuous cigarette :
A wrapper former provided with a tobacco conducting tube, and adapted to
tubularly shape the wrapper around said tube and join its edges; a seam-sealing
mechanisin composed of a crimp wheel located without the wrapper tube and a
support borne on the filler tube, these parts being adapted to crimp the joined
edges of the wrapper and thereby seal the same.
8. In combination, in a cigarette machine: A wrapper former adapted to
tubularly shape a paper wrapper around a tobacco filler and join its edges; a seam-
crimping mechanism adapted to compact and seal the joined edges of the wrapper
upon and to the body of the wrapper in the form of a flat seam; a feeding
mechanism adapted to feed or advance the wrapper and filler; and a driving
mechanism adapted to operate said crimping and feeding mechanisms.
9. In combination, in the wrapper-sealing mechanism of a cigarette machine:
A support positioned to be within the wrapper tube and adapted to sustain the
seam parts of the same; a crimping device located to be without the wrapper
tube and adapted to operate intermittently on the joined edges of the wrapper
and against the support within the wrapper, and thereby to seal the edges of the
wrapper.
10. In combination, in the wrapper-sealing mechanism of a cigarette machine:
A support positioned to be within the wrapper tube and adapted to sustain the
seam parts of the same; a crimping wheel located to be without the wrapper tube
and adapted to move along the joined edges of the wrapper, and to crimp the
same against the support within the wrapper, and thereby seal such edges.
11. In a cigarette machine for producing a continuous cigarette, the combination
in the wrapper former thereof as follows: A tube adapted to conduct the tobacco
filler to within the wrapper tube; a guiding device located adjacent to the tobacco
tube and adapted to guide the wrapper and tubularly shape it around the
tobacco tube and join its edges; and a seam forming device adapted to bend the
joined edges of the wrapper one within the other and thereby cause such edges to
become engaged.
ليم
1
11 100
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.