An Improved Machine for Ripping Cigarettes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept.,
1898
An Improved Machine for Ripping Cigarettes.
I, EDWARD THOMAS POLLARD, of 4 and 5, Gough Square, London, 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 machine for ripping cigarettes and it has
for its object to construct a machine which shall rip or cut open lengthwise the
paper wrapper or cover upon faulty cigarettes and separate the papers from the
tobacco when the cigarette has been cut as aforesaid in a more rapid and efficient
manner than has hitherto been effected, and also to construct the said machine so
that the lengths of cigarette formed by what are known as "continuous cigarette
making machines" may be ripped without the necessity of first cutting the said
lengths into cigarettes.
In order that the invention may be the better understood drawings are appended
in which:-
Fig. 1, is a side elevational view of the machine.
Fig. 2, is a detail showing the arrangement of the knife and presser wheel, and
Fig. 3, is a view to an enlarged scale showing rubber upon the presser wheel.
1, is the frame of any convenient outline, but preferably of the form shown, and
upon which is secured the cigarette box or hopper 2, which hopper consists of a
rectangular box open at the top and having near the bottom an endless band 3,
passing over rollers 4, 5, located respectively at the forward and rear end of the
hopper 2, and which band is operated by means of the sheave 6, shown in dotted
lines Fig. 1, secured to the outer end of the spindle of the roller 4, and rotated by
the cord 7.
The spindle of the roller 4, has mounted thereon in addition to the sheave 6, a
small pinion 8, which is in gear with the pinion 9, driving a pinion 10, secured to
a spindle 11, carried by bearings 12, upon the sides of the hopper, and upon which
spindle between the sides of the hopper is mounted the cigarette feeding device
consisting of a drum or cylinder 13, having formed in its periphery a number of
longitudinal grooves 14, adapted to contain each, one cigarette and carry the same
over until it is in a position to fall by gravity down the inclined chute 15. To
prevent more than one cigaretie being fed to the chute, there is mounted upon a
spindle 16, a circular revolving brush 17, which brush is caused to rotate by ineans
of a belt or cord 18, passing over the sheave 19, secured to the spindle of the roller
4, and also around the sheave 20, secured to the spindle of the circular brush 17.
The various pinions and the drum above referred to are indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 1. Secured to the front end of the cigarette hopper 2, is the inclined chute 15,
formed of sheet metal supported upon a bracket fixed to the frame and having the sides
22, turned at right angles to the bottom, the height of the said sides increasing towards
the upper end of the chute where it is secured by the plate 23 to the bottom of the
hopper. A guard 24, is also secured to the chute at the top to prevent the cigarettes
falling from the cylinder 13, before reaching the chute. The chute is wider
horizontally at the top and narrows towards the lower end as shown in Fig. 2, so

page_text: that the cigarettes ✗, falling transversely upon the chute are caused to arrange
themselves longitudinally thereto prior to their being ripped or cut by the circular
knife 24. An opening 25, is formed in the bottom of the chute through which
projects a certain portion of the perphery of the knife 24, see Figs. 1 and 2, the
cigarette being pressed thereon by the presser wheel 26, consisting of a wheel having
a circumferential V shaped groove 27, which groove, as shown in Fig. 3, is lined
with rubber or the like 28, to increase the grip upon the cigarette during its passage
thereunder. The knife 24, is arranged with its edge in the centre of the groove,
Bee Fig. 2. The knife and presser wheel revolve in opposite directions and the
revolution of the knife is effected by means of the belt or cord 29, passing over the
sheave 30 (shown in dotted lines Fig. 1) secured to the spindle 31, for which a
suitable bearing is provided upon the bracket 32, bolted or otherwise secured to the
frame 1, the cord also passes around a sheave 33, upon the main shaft 34, one end
of which shaft is supported by the frame 1, and the opposite end is supported by a
bracket (not shown) secured by bolts or the like to the side of the frame 1. A
second sheave smaller in size to that already mentioned is also secured to the shaft
34 and by means of a cord 35 imparts motion to the larger sheave 36 secured to
the spindle of the presser wheel 26, a bracket or standard 37 being cast or otherwise
secured to the frame 1, to support the said spindle. In addition to the two sheaves
already described, a third is mounted upon the shaft 34 and by means of a cord 7,
operates the sheave 6, secured to the spindle of the forward roller 4, of the band
within the hopper.
Suitable driving pullies 38, are also secured to the shaft 34, and striking gear 39
are provided for the belt 40, from an external motor.
41, is a guide consisting of a sheet metal trough or tray with sides turned at
right angles to the bottom and which trough is of sufficient width to take a
cigarette. The trough is secured to the frame 1, by a bracket 42 and is arranged
so that the mouth of the trough shall come into position to correspond with an
opening in the bottom of the chute 15, formed to permit of the introduction
therethrough of one end of a length of cigarette such as are made upon continuous
cigarette machines and which sometimes become damaged before reaching the
knife or other means provided upon such machines for cutting the said length into
cigarettes. The length as aforesaid is introduced through the opening in the
chute 15, and is operated upon in the same manner as the cigarettes fed to the
knife by the cylinder 13. When the cigarettes have been cut or ripped they with
their enclosing paper fall down from the chute into a box or frame 43 having
preferably rectangular sides and provided with an inclined sieve 44 with a wide
mesh and which sieve is shaken by means of the rod 44ª, secured at one end to the
crank 45, upon the end of the main shaft and at the other pivotally secured to the
box 43. The box is mounted at the front upon the thin sheet metal plates 46,
secured to the front of the box and at their lower ends attached to an angle
plate 47, secured to the floor. The rear end of the box is mounted upon the
levers 48 pivotally secured to brackets 49, upon the floor, and at their upper ends
secured to the rod 50 for which brackets 51, are secured to the box. A suitable
receptacle shown by dotted lines may also be provided for the tobacco which during
the oscillation of the box 43 falls through the sieve leaving the papers in the said
box from whence they are removed by hand.
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. In a machine for cutting or ripping cigarettes the combination of a feeding
device for the periodical delivery of cigarettes with a cutting device consisting of
a revolving knife and a pressing device for keeping the cigarettes in contact with
the knife, with mechanism for operating same, all substantially as described, and
shown by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. In a machine for ripping or cutting cigarettes a device for separating the
tobacco from the paper consisting of a frame provided with an inclined sieve upon
which the cigarettes fall after the cutting operation, and to which is imparted a
vibratory movement, substantially as described and shown by the accompanying
drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved machine
all actuated and operating, substantially in the manner herein described and shown
by the accompanying drawings.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.