Improvements in Continuous Cigarette Making Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDWIN JOHNSON LUMLEY, of 404 Middle Street,
Portsmouth, Virginia, Model Maker, and CHARLES COWLES TUCKER, of
Loan and Trust Building, corner of 9 and F Streets, Washington, D.C.,
Attorney-at-Law, both in the United States of America.]
Improvements in Continuous Cigarette Making Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :--
My invention relates to an improved continuous-cigarette-machine; and it consists
of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, which will be
hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 14 together constitute a plan view of the machine, parts being
broken away, it being understood that Figure 14 is to be placed at the left hand
end of Figure 1.
Figure 2 is a plan and section of the trough.
Figures 3 and 34 together show a side elevation of the machine parts being
broken away, it being understood that Figure 34 is to be placed at the left hand
end of Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the hopper, showing the construction of one
of the feed-plates, the one on the opposite side of the hopper being of similar
construction.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken through the hopper, stripper,
trough and frame, illustrating the manner aud mechanism by which the feed-plates
are alternately operated to feed the tobacco onto the wrapper.
Figure 6 is a broken vertical section through the hopper, stripper, and trough,
these parts being on an exaggerated scale, showing the tape in the channel in
the trough, the wrapper on the tape, and the tobacco on the wrapper.
Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the feed-plates viewed from the
outer side, showing the means by which it is operated.
Figure 8 is a broken horizontal section through one side of the hopper, taken on
the line 88, Figure 5, the crank-mechanism for operating the feed-plates being
shown in elevation and the balance-wheel omitted.
Figure 9 is a detail cross-section of the stripper detached.
Figure 10 is a plan view of so much of the machine as is necessary to illustrate
the wrapper-forming mechanism.
Figure 11 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, illustrating the pasting
mechanism and the means for turning one edge of the wrapper over onto the
pasting-disk.
Figure 12 is a vertical elevation of the paste-cup.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the wrapper-edge turner.
Figure 14 is a longitudinal vertical section of the cutter-operating mechanism,
taken on the line 14 14, Figure 1ª.
Figure 15 is a transverse vertical section through the cutter mechanism.
Figure 16 is a bottom plan view of the cutter-head.
Figure 17 is a top plan view illustrating the cam-plates for operating the

page_text: .
Figure 18 is a front elevation of the two cutting-blades in the retracted position.
Figure 18 is a sectional view on the line 18 18, Figure 18, illustrating the
location and extent of the sharpened edge of one of the cutter-blades.
Figure 19 is a perspective view of a
viewed from the outer side.
portion of the wrapper-carrying tape,
Figure 20 is a perspective view of my improved cigarette.
Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine.
On the frame, at one end, is revolubly mounted an arbor 20, on which is wound
a paper strip 21 to form the wrappers for the cigarettes, the proper tension on the
arbor being given by a thumb-nut 22 bearing against a coil spring 23 in a well
known manner, as seen in Figure 1.
B is the hopper, the sides of which incline toward each other in the downward
direction so as to leave a narrow opening along its entire length, the rear end of
the hopper being closed by a perpendicular wall, while its front end is closed by an
inwardly-sloping wall; all as seen in Figure 1. For the purpose of regulating the
feed of long or short fibre tobacco, I employ in the rear end of the hopper an
auxiliary end-piece b adjustable lengthwise therein. This end-piece is rendered
adjustable by means of flanges 24 on its upper edge, which engage with the sides
of the hopper, and through one of which passes a thumb-screw 25, by means of
which the end-piece can be securely clamped in any desired position, the lower end
of the end-piece being provided with a downwardly projecting pin 26 adapted to
enter one of a series of holes in the stripper, hereinafter described.
Immediately beneath the hopper is a trough C, Figures 2, 4, 5, and 6, which
consists of a block of any suitable material set in the frame A, and having a
longitudinal segmental channel 27, its upper open portion registering with the
opening in the bottom of the hopper; and in the bottom of the channel 27 is
formed a longitudinal groove 28, for a purpose hereinafter described. For some
distance beneath 'the hopper this channel is of a uniform size, somewhat elliptical in
shape, and larger than the continuous-cigarette to be formed, thus permitting a
sufficient quantity of tobacco to be forced into it for forming the filler, while the
remainder of the channel gradually decreases in size, as at 29, Figure 2, until at
the discharge end the channel is of a size to just permit the passage of the tape,
wrapper, and the filler on the wrapper. 30 Figures 4 and 5 represents two paper-
deflectors consisting of metal plates set flush in the sides of the hopper, their
lower edges projecting slightly into the channel in the trough. These deflectors
serve to direct the edges of the ingoing paper strip into recesses 31 formed in the
sides of the hopper, whereby the edges of the wrapper are kept separated to admit
the tobacco from the hopper.
Inside the hopper, slightly above the trough and longitudinal therewith, is fixed
what I term a stripper D, which consists of a cuneal block, on top of which is
secured a metal strip 32, formed with overhanging. toothed projections 33, as
clearly seen in Figure 9, and having a series of holes 34, for receiving the pin 26
on the lower end of the adjustable end-piece b of the hopper.
On each side of the hopper is secured a bracket E, with which is formed or in
which is fixed a stud 35. On the stud 35 on one side of the machine is mounted a
large sprocket-wheel 36, a smaller sprocket-wheel 37, a balance-wheel 38, and a
crank-wheel 39, all these wheels being rigidly secured together in any suitable.
männer, this mechanism being duplicated on the other side with the exception of
the sprocket-wheel 37, each crank-wheel being provided with a headed pin 40, and
working in a recess 41 formed in the outer side of the hopper, for a purpose
hereinafter described.
F" Figures 4 and 5 represents feed-plates, each being pivotally connected at one
end to the respective sides of the hopper by a link 42. These plates are slightly
curved on their lower edges, and are provided with one or more rows of teeth 43,
projecting slightly inward and downward, and preferably, with a number of other
similar teeth 44 set at random. To the back of each plate is secured a box 45,
having a longitudinal central slot 46, the box being closed at one end and open at

page_text: the other, as seen in Figure 7. In these boxes work the heads of the respective
pins 40 on crank-wheels 39, the interior transverse area of these boxes being but
slightly greater than the heads of the pius. The pins 40 are so set in the crank-
wheels 39 that when the mechanism is in operation they will impart an alternately-
reciprocating movement to the feed-plates-that is to say-that as one plate moves
down the other will move up, and while thus reciprocating, the plates by reason of
their pivotal connection with the pivoted lines 42, are oscillated, so that while they
serve to feed the tobacco onto the wrapper, they also draw it on the moving
wrapper in the direction of the contracted portion of the channel 27 in the trough,
whereby the filler is compacted.
On one side of the frame forward of the hopper is secured the paste-cup-G, in
which, near the bottom, is cut a horizontal opening g, slightly enlarged for about
half its length, as at 47, the remaining portion being of a size to just permit the
working of the pasting-disk (hereinafter described) therein, with the exception
that at the extreme end it is slightly enlarged, as at 48, to permit the egress of
paste on the edge of the disk, all as clearly shown in Figure 12.
To the paste-cup are secured two brackets 49, in which is revolubly mounted a
shaft 50, on the upper end of which is fixed a pulley 51. On the lower end of
this shaft is rigidly mounted a pasting-disk 52, adapted to work through opening g
in the paste-cup, all as clearly shown in Figure 11.
Fixed on one end of a shaft 53, mounted in the frame A forward of the paste-
cup, is a large sprocket-wheel 54, this wheel being on the same side of the machine
as the sprocket-wheel 37 and connected with it by a cross sprocket-chain 55.
Centrally fixed upon the shaft 53 is a pulley 56, which operates in a slot 57 cut in
the frame A, for a purpose hereinafter described. One flange of this pulley is
grooved, as at 58, in which works a cord 59, this cord passing upward over
pulleys 60 mounted on a support 61 secured to the frame A, thence rearward
around pulley 51, to operate the pasting apparatus.
H represents a metal plate secured to the frame A. on one side of the slot 57,
and provided on one edge with a wrapper-edge turner h, this plate being so
positioned that the wrapper edge turner overlies the slot 57 and is slightly
beneath the pasting-disk 52, as shown in the drawings. The end of the wrapper-
edge turner toward the hopper is flaring, as at 62, thus insuring the entrance of
the formed filler and its wrapper. From the flaring end one edge 63 of the
wrapper edge turner is extended laterally, forming a projecting lip 64, which
operates to turn one edge of the advancing wrapper down onto the filler. In
advance of this lip 64, the other edge 65 of the wrapper-edge turner is provided
with an overhanging spur 66, which is so positioned as to direct the other edge of
the wrapper toward a horizontal plane. That edge of the advancing wrapper
turned down by lip 64 passes beneath the pasting-disk 52, while the other edge
is so directed by the spur 66 as to contact with the upper surface of the pasting-
disk, thus receiving the paste from the disk. In order to avoid the possibility.of
the edge of the wrapper not contacting with the disk 52, I employ a metal finger 67,
secured at one end to the plate H, its other end being adapted to lightly contact
with the moving wrapper and press the same on the disk, as seen in Figure 10.
After receiving the paste the wrapper passes beneath a laying-brush 68, secured at
one end to the plate H, its brush end 69 bearing on the advancing wrapper and
laying the edge which receives the paste sinoothly and evenly in place on the
edge already turned down by the lip 64, all as clearly shown in Figure 10. In
the bottom of the wrapper-edge turner is a groove 28', corresponding in shape and
size to the groove 28 in the trough and for a like purpose. The wrapper-edge
turner, the pasting apparatus, the finger 67, and the laying-brush, taken all together
comprise what I term the wrapper former.
In the frame A, between the paper roll and the hopper, is revolubly mounted a
flanged pulley 70, having a central groove 28", on which and on pulley 56 on
shaft 53, (this pulley also having a like groove 28) is carried an endless tape I,
on the outer side of which is a central longitudinal rib 71, which I preferably

page_text: form of a cord secured to the tape, this rib in operation, taking into the various
grooves 28, 281, 281, 28111, and serving to at all times keep the tape in proper
alignment. The tape first passes through the channel 27 in the trough, and on
entering it is turned up into about half cylindrical form and on leaving said
channel its shape is about three-fourths cylindrical, in which shape it enters
the wrapper-edge turner; and on leaving the latter it again flattens out and passes
over pulley 56 on its return movement.
The cutting apparatus is located at the front end of the machine, and is constructed
as follows:-
J is the cutter-head, comprising a rectangular bar j, having in its under side a
longitudinal recess 72, in which the cutter-bars are adapted to work. The cutter-
bars K are rectangular and fit side by side in the recess 72 in such manner as
permit their independent longitudinal movement, as seen in Figure 14. To the
side of each bar is secured a cutter blade L, these blades being of a size to project
below the surface of the bars, as seen in Figures 14 and 18. The meeting end of
each blade is cut out in V-shape and these V portions are sharpened from a point
slightly forward of and extending back to the apex, as seen at 1, Figure 18. The
blades are so positioned that in the reciprocation of the bars they will slide against
each other and will at all times overlap each other.
M are guides secured to the cutter-head, one on either side of the blades L, and
so positioned as to maintain the alignment of the continuous-cigarette while it is
being cnt.
N are rectangular plates secured to the frame A near the front end of the
machine, each having a recess O, whose outer edge is straight and parallel with
the side of the plate, and whose inner edge is curved. Pivoted in each of these
recesses is a tapering finger o, whose inner edge conforms to the shape of the inner
edge of the recess, the rear end of this finger having a downwardly-projecting
pin 73, to the lower end of which is secured a coil spring 74, the other end of the
spring being secured to the frame of the machine. This spring normally holds
the forward end of the finger o at a point a short distance from the end of the
recess, as seen in Figure 17. Studs 75 secured one to each cutter-bar work in
these recesses, and as the cutter-head is reciprocated act to advance and retract the
cutter-bars with their attached blades, as hereinafter described.
P is the cutter-operating slide, which consists of a rectangular plate extending
across the machine underneath the frame A, and having a rearwardly-extending
arm 76, which carries a head-piece p in a plane above the plane of the arm.
The cutter-operating slide is attached to the cutter-head by means of screws 77
passing through plates 78 attached to each end of the cutter-head, the screws
passing through longitudinal slots 79 in the frame A and taking into the slide.
A coil spring 80, secured at one end to the frame A and at its other end to
a pin 81 in the slide P, serves to retract the cutting apparatus after the same has
been forced forward to sever the continuous cigarette. A double cam Q fixed on
shaft 53 operates against the head-piece p to force the slide and its attached
cutter-head forward against the stress of spring 80.
The mechanism for operating the machine is as follows: In rear of the hopper
is mounted, in standards 82 rising from the frame A, a power shaft R, on one end
of which is a belt pulley 83, over which passes a belt 84 leading from any suitable
source of power. On the other end of this shaft is mounted a sprocket-wheel 85,
another similar sprocket-wheel 86 being mounted on the shaft near the belt-pulley.
From these sprocket-wheels 85 and 86 sprocket-chains 87 pass to the sprocket-
wheels 36 on the sides of the hopper, for operating the feed-plates. Cross
sprocket-chain 55 leads from sprocket-wheel 37 forward to sprocket-wheel 54, and
drives shaft 53, and, through the mechanism herein before described, operates the
tape and pasting mechanism.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
The wrapper-paper having been drawn from the underside of the roll and laid in
the tape I, its end is passed through the channel in the trough, the edges of the paver

page_text: being directed by the deflectors 30 into the recess 31, tobacco is then placed in the
hopper and the machine started. By the rotation of the crank-wheels the feed-
plates are alternately operated, the teeth carrying the tobacco down onto the
wrapper and packing it thereon in such manner that by the time the wrapper has
passed from underneath the feed-plates the filler has been compacted and shaped,
the stripper D in the meantime serving to strip the tobacco from the plates in their
upward movement. As the filler and wrapper leave the hopper they are carried by.
the tape into the wrapper-edge turner, where one of the edges of the wrapper is.
turned over onto the filler by the lip 64, after which its other edge is turned in
the other direction by the spur 66, in which position the last-mentioned edge of the.
wrapper passes over the pasting-disk 52, and is pressed down over the edge of
the disk by the finger 67, receiving paste from the disk. As the disk revolves in
the opening g in the paste-cup any superfluous paste that may adhere to it will be
readily carried back into the cup through the enlarged portion 47 of the opening,
and then scraped from the disk by the contracted portion of the opening y, paste
leaving the cup on the disk only through the portion 48. After the edge of the
paper has been pasted it is laid over and pressed on the other edge by means of the
laying-brush 68, thereby completely forming the continuous-cigarette.
After the continuous-cigarette has been thus formed it passes directly under
the cutter-head, through one of the guides M, and between the blades L, the latter
being so timed as to sever the continuous-cigarette when a sufficient length has
passed beyond them. As one of the cams Q comes into contact with the head-
piece p, it operates to force the operating-slide aud attached cutter-head forward,
in which movement the studs 7, secured to the cutter-bars, work against the
curved edge of the recesses O, this movement serving to gradually bring the blades.
together until they reach the highest point of the curve, in which position they have
come together and severed the cigarette. The further forward movement, of the
cutter-bead acts to retract the knives, this movement owing to the form of the
cam Q, being faster than that of the advancing continuous-cigarette, thus pushing
the severed cigarettes forward faster than the continuous-cigarette advances. When
the studs 75 reach the forward end of the recesses O, the knives are fully retracted, the
cam Q leaves the head-piece p, and the spring 80 acts to return the operating-
slide and attached cutter-head. During this movement the studs 75 pass down the
straight edge of the recesses O and contacting with the ends of the fingers o push
them aside, and stop at the rear end of the recesses ready to be again operated by
the cam Q. The fingers o after the studs 75 have passed return to their normal
position, which causes the studs in their forward movement to bear against the
curved edge of the recesses.
Owing to the gradual approach of the cutter-blades due to the curved edge of
the recesses, and also owing to the fact that but a small portion of the V-shaped
edge of each blade is sharpened, it follows that as the blades contact with the
continuous-cigarette they gradually force the paper inward without cutting it, which
packs the tobacco tighter in the end of the cigarettes, this pressure continuing until
the sharpened edges of the blades contact with the paper, when they sever it.
this peculiar construction and operation of the blades the tobacco in the end of the
cigarette, when severed, is packed more tightly than the rest of the cigarette, and
the edges of the wrapper-paper are turned inward so as to partially cover the end,
as shown in Figure 20.
By
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
a
1. In a cigarette-machine, trough having along the base of its channel, a
longitudinal groove, in combination with a travelling flexible tape adapted to pass
through the trough and provided with a rib designed to travel in said groove and
guide the tape.
2. In a cigarette-machine, a tobacco-hopper having a narrow longitudinal opening

page_text: in its bottom, a trough arranged longitudinally beneath the hopper, the channel in
the trough being gradually contracted toward its discharge end, a travelling tape
adapted to pass through the trough, links pivoted to the inner sides of the hopper,
feed-plates within the hopper and pivoted to said links, and means for reciprocating
said plates, whereby the plates are caused to feed the tobacco onto a wrapper on
the tape and compress it thereon.
3. In a cigarette-machine, a tobacco-hopper having a narrow longitudinal opening
in its bottom, a trough arranged longitudinally beneath the hopper, reciprocating
feed-plates within the hopper, and stripper above the trough adapted to strip the
tobacco from the feed-plates in their upward movement.
4. In a cigarette-machine, the combination, with mechanism for forming and
moving a continuous-cigarette, of two cutter-blades arranged to bear against each
other, each blade having a V-shaped recess the edges of which are sharpened only
from the apex to a point a short distance forward of the apex, and means for
reciprocating the blades in opposite directions.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.