Improvements in Machines for Cutting Tobacco and similar Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th July, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Tobacco and similar
Substances.
I, ARTHUR TITLEY of Gravelly Hill in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object certain improvements in the method of constructing
and arranging tobacco cutting machines whereby I am enabled to more efficiently
cut the tobacco leaves and to produce more even and uniform thicknesses of the
substance so that the cut is made finer and more regular in appearance.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a machine for cutting tobacco by
forming a main frame to carry the gearing, which frame I preferably mount upon a
base or bed plate. The motive power 1 transmit by pulleys or gearing driven in any
usual, or ordinary manner, and the main or driving shaft of the machine 1 form as a
crank-shaft or 1 arrange eccentrics or crank plates upon the same for giving motion to
a connecting rod or rods which I attach to an overhead frame for carrying the cutter
or knive or knives.
1 convey the motion of the crank-shaft to the overhead cutter frame by means
of a crank and ordinary connecting rod or I keep the connecting rod movement
rigid and take up the circular motion of the crank pin by causing it to work
within a guided link plate and then attach the connecting rod direct to this link
plate its other end being attached to the cutter frame; by another arrangement, I
employ a crank pin and link plate to drive a spring bar or plate one end of which
I rigidly secure to the crank link plate and the other to the cutter frame direct,
so that while a rigid attachment is made between the crank link plate and the
cutter frame, a slight movement of this cutter frame out of the vertical line is
possible owing to the flexibility of the spring bar or plate. By this latter arrange-
ment am enabled to form a rigid connection between the crank plate and the
cutter frame without any pin joints or surfaces likely to become loose or to cause
trouble by wearing.
The overhead cutter frame I cause to have a rocking movement in addition to
its vertical one by means of spring guiding plates or bars which I carry back
from the cutter frame and secure or anchor to the main frame or standards of the
machine so that when the cutter frame is made to rise and fall under the influence
of the crank movement beneath, it is also caused to describe a curved path due to
the length of the guiding spring plates and bars. By this system of guiding the
cutter frame I am enabled to obviate the difficulty common to a rocking motion
obtained from a shaft or bearing carrying the rocking guide bars, seeing that the
wear and looseness of fit of the shaft within its bearing which causes a slightly
varying movement to be given to the cutter frame is entirely dispensed with and
a positive motion due to fixed spring bars is introduced.
I guide and feed the tobacco leaves in a marner which ensures uniformity by
causing the guiding rollers through which the material passes to vibrate upon a
shaft or spindle carried upon the frames or standards of the machine. the path or
curve formed by the rollers being as nearly as possible the same as that formed by
the knives or cutters.
The feed of the machine I secure as a positive and regular one by arranging
vibrating arms and links which carry pinions for obtaining the feed motion so that
the wheels may be always equally in gear in every position with the main driving
wheel carried by the drum shaft thereby obtaining uniformity of connection and
relation between the arm and the feed roller.
I also introduce a screw or worm wheel motion to reduce the speed of feed
.

page_text: gear and to absorb the vibration or shock due to a rapid reciprocating ratchet motion.
I do not always employ a system of rollers to obtain the feed but sometimes adopt
a driving band or covered chain revolving upon suitable wheels in order that the
material may be drawn through between the band and the drum by this motion and
to ensure a better supply I sometimes fix. the bands or covered chains in an inclined
position the widest part being at the outer extremity while the narrow part adjoins
the knives or cutters.
This system also enables me to compress the tobacco as it passes along between the
two inclined moving surfaces.
Dated this 14th day of October 1889
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Tobacco and similar
Substances.
I, ARTHUR TITLEY of Gravelly Hill in the County of Warwick, 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:
My invention has for its object certain improvements in the method of constructing
and arranging tobacco cutting machines whereby I am enabled to more efficiently cut
the tobacco leaves and to produce more even and uniform thicknesses of the substance
so that the cut is made finer and more regular in appearance.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a machine for cutting tobacco by
forming a main frame to carry the gearing, which frame I preferably mount upon a
base or bed plate. The motive power I transmit by pulleys or gearing driven in any
usual or ordinary manner and the main or driving shaft of the machine I form as a
crank-shaft or I arrange eccentrics or crank plates upon the same for giving motion to
a connecting rod or rods which I attach to an overhead frame for carrying the cutter
or knife or knives.
I convey the motion of the crank-shaft to the overhead cutter frame by means of a
crank and ordinary connecting rod, or I keep the connecting rod movement rigid and
take up the circular motion of the crank pin by causing it to work within a guided
link plate and then attach the connecting rod direct to this link plate, its other end
being attached to the cutter frame; by another arrangement I employ a crank pin
and link plate to drive a spring bar or plate one end of which I rigidly secure to the
crank link plate and the other to the cutter frame direct so that while a rigid attach-
ment is made between the crank link plate and the cutter frame, a slight movement
of this cutter frame out of the vertical line is possible owing to the flexibility of the
spring bar or plate. By this latter arrangement I am enabled to form a rigid con-
nection between the crank plate and the cutter frame without any pin joints or
surfaces likely to become loose or to cause trouble by wearing.
The overhead cutter frame I cause to have a rocking movement in addition to its
vertical one by means of spring guiding plates or bars which I carry back from the
cutler frame and secure or anchor to the main frame or standards of the machine-so
that when the cutter-frame is made to rise and fall under the influence of the crank
movement beneath, it is also caused to describe a curved path, due to the length of
the guiding spring plates and bars. By this system of guiding the cutter frame I
am enabled to obviate the difficulty common to a rocking motion obtained from a
shaft or bearing carrying the rocking guide bars, seeing that the wear and looseness
of fit of the shaft within its bearing which causes a slightly varying movement to be
given to the cutter-frame is entirely dispensed with and a positive motion due to
fixed spring bars is introduced.

page_text: I guide and feed the tobacco leaves in a manner which ensures uniformity by
causing the guiding rollers through which the material passes to vibrate upon a shaft
or spindle carried upon the frames or standard of the machine, the path or curve
formed by the rollers being as nearly as possible the same as that formed by the knives
or cutters.
The feed of the machine I secure as a positive and regular one by arranging
vibrating arms and links which carry pinions for obtaining the feed motion so that
the wheels may be always equally in gear in every position with the main driving
wheel carried by the drum shaft thereby obtaining uniformity of connection and
relation between the drum and the feed roller.
I also introduce a screw or worm wheel motion to reduce the speed of feed gear
and to absorb the vibration or shock due to a rapid reciprocating ratchet motion. I
do not always employ a system of rollers to obtain the feed but sometimes adopt a
driving band or covered chain revolving upon suitable wheels in order that the
material may be drawn through between the band and the drum by this motion, and
to ensure a better supply. I sometimes fix the bands or covered chains in an inclined
position the widest part being at the outer extremity while the narrow part adjoins
the knives or cutters.
This system also enables me to compress the tobacco as it passes along between the
two inclined moving surfaces.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 is a sectional
elevation showing the rollers more clearly. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are detail views of my
improved spring guiding plates.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout.
A is the bed plate or base plate upon which the frames A are secured, either by
screwed bolts and cotters or in any usual ordinary manner. C, C are fast and loose
driving pulleys carried upon the main shaft B. From the crank shaft B connecting
rods D, D' convey motion to an overhead frame E which frame carries knives or
cutters F. The frame E has a rocking motion imparted to it by means of the
spring guide plates G which connect the extreme end of the frame E with the
outer end a of the main frames or standards A, A'. The spring guide plates G
being rigidly bolted or secured to the frame end a by bolts g g and a bolt cap g¹.
Guiding rollers H, H, H² I arrange upon the frame and drive by means of
gearing VV and in order to keep the rollers equally in gear with the main
driving wheel M, I provide links or vibrating arms L L'. The feed motion I
regulate by means of the worm N, and worm wheel O, worked direct from the
main shaft by means of the ratchet P and the jointed connecting lever pl. By
thus reducing the motion of the shaft B immediately, I minimise any unevenness,
or vibrating motion due to the shock of a ratchet driven motion. The frame h I
cause to be kept in proper position with relation to the material passing through,
and at the same time to keep a proper degree of pressure upon the rollers, by
means of the forked lever T, and its connecting links U, the weight W being
suspended at the end of the lever T. I cause the crank shaft or main motion
shaft B to run freely through the hollow gudgeon or drum shaft r, and upon the
shaft I key or secure the drum R and the main gear wheel M. The gear
wheel M receiving its motion from the pinion m secured to the worm wheel shaft O¹.
I sometimes construct my guiding plates G with separate or independent spring
ends G', so that renewal may be the more economically effected, as shown in elevation
and in plan in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. I obtain a more substantial connection by con-
structing my spring plate G with double or forked ends for attachment to the cutter
or overhead frame.
I do not always employ a rigid connecting rod to communicate the motion from
the main shaft B to the overhead frame E, but sometimes construct a spring plate or
bar one end being connected to the crank or eccentric upon the main shaft, while the
other is secured to the cutter frame.

page_text: 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 1
claim is
1st. In a tobacco cutting machine the use of a springing or elastic guiding or con-
necting plate such as G for the purposes set forth and substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a tobacco cutting machine the construction and arrangement of vibrating
links or frames carrying feed rollers and gearing for the purposes, and as hereinbefore
described.
3rd. In a tobacco cutting machine the arrangement and construction of a roller
feed motion, driven direct by a ratchet wheel worked from the first motion shaft
without other reducing gear placed between the main shaft and the ratchet wheel.
4th. In a tobacco cutting machine the use of separate springs such as G¹ connected
to links or plates such as G, for the purposes hereinbefore described and as set
forth.
5th. The combination and arrangement of parts forming a tobacco cutting machine
substantially as hereinhefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of July 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.