Improvements in Cigarette Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Cigarette Machines.
I, ROBERT LEGG, of City Engine Works, Eagle Wharf Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of cigarette machines which are adapted to
making a continuous paper covered rod of tobacco and cutting it into suitable
lengths for cigarettes.
The speed of such machines has hitherto been restricted by the limited rapidity
of movement which can in practice be given to the compound reciprocating carriage
of the rotating knife used to cut the lengths of cigarette from the continuously
advancing enveloped rod of tobacco.
According to my invention I employ instead of these reciprocating parts a cutter
in the form of a portion of a screw blade fixed to a shaft continuously rotating
in a line nearly parallel with the course of the enveloped rod of tobacco, the pitch of
the screw and its speed of rotation being duly proportioned to the length of
cigarette required. The necessary amount of penetration is obtained by making
the radial distance of the edge of the screw blade from the axis of the shaft increase
towards the end which last comes into action. A moving guide is provided to resist
the pressure of the knife.
100x
I, ROBERT LEGG, of City Engine Works, Eagle Wharf Road, in the County of
Middlesex, 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 that class of cigarette machines which are adapted to
making a continuous paper covered rod of tobacco and cutting it into suitable
lengths for cigarettes.
-The speed of such machines has hitherto been restricted by the limited rapidity
of movement which can in practice be given to the compound reciprocating carriage
of the rotating knife used to cut the lengths of cigarette from the continuously
advancing enveloped rod of tobacco.
According to my invention I employ instead of these reciprocating parts a cutter
in the form of a portion of a screw blade fixed to a continuously rotating shaft

page_text: nearly parallel with the course of the enveloped rod of tobacco, the pitch of
the screw and its speed of rotation being duly proportioned to the length of
cigarette required. The necessary amount of penetration is obtained by making
the radial distance of the edge of the screw blade from the axis of the shaft increase
towards the end which last comes into action. A moving guide is provided to resist
the pressure of the knife.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a side elevation of the cutting mechanism.
Figure 3 is an edge view, and Figure 4 a side view of the cutting wheel.
a is the paper covered rod of tobacco which is continuously fed forward in the
direction of the arrow Figures 1 and 2 by means of the endless band b onto a fixed
trough c. d is a wheel having a semi-circular groove in its edge, the walls of the
groove being slotted at d by transverse slots. e is a wheel having cutters e¹ on
its edge. These cutters are in the form of segments of screw threads with their
edges gradually advancing outwards from the centre of the wheel. One or more
may be employed but the arrangement shown in which there are two each occupy-
ing one sixth of the circumference of the wheel is convenient. These cutters
traverse in contact with or in close proximity to the rear sides of the slots d¹ the two
together acting somewhat in the manner of shear blades. Two cigarettes are cut
in each revolution of the wheel e which is driven by any suitable gearing.
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. The combination of a continuously revolving helical cutter, with means for
continuously feeding forward and guiding the rod of tobacco.
2. Cigarette machines substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 11th dox of Fabe 1808