Improvements in or relating to Machinery for Providing Cigarettes with a Reinforcement or Mouth-end.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery for Providing Cigarettes
with a Reinforcement or Mouth-end.
I, JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN, of 182, Earls Court Road, in the County of Middle-
sex, 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 machines for providing cigarettes with a reinforcement
or mouth-end and has for its object the construction of a machine which will
remove the tobacco from one end of a cigarette, say the ordinary filled paper-shell
cigarette and insert in lieu thereof paper, cork, or other material, thus forming a
reinforcement or mouth-end in the cigarette, which enables it to be used without
a separate mouth-piece or holder.
Machines made according to this invention comprise a cigarette holder so con-
structed that it grips the cigarette under treatment, a drill, borer, "breaker"
or equivalent device for breaking up the tobacco in one end of the cigarette, and
an " inserter" or other apparatus by which the reinforcement of paper or other
material is held and inserted into the prepared end of the cigarette.
The cigarette holder and the "breaker" are caused to move relatively so that
the latter enters the end of the cigarette and thus the desired amount of tobacco
is broken up and removed, or broken up for removal, in any convenient way.
The cigarette may then be brought under the action of a blower or similar device
which removes any broken tobacco, that may have been left by the "breaker."
The reinforcement is now placed in the drilled end of the cigarette by the
"inserter" or equivalent device, which may if desired be supplied with the
material in strips and roll it up, previously to inserting it.
The cigarette is finally ejected from the holder and another substituted for it,
but previously to this it is convenient. to bring the end of the cigarette into
contact with a "finisher" comprising a stop or the like, in order that the reinforce-
ment may be pushed quite home.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one construction of apparatus
according to this invention:-
Figure 1 is a plan,
=
Figure 2 a front elevation,
Figure 3 a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 show further details of various portions of the apparatus.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is a base plate upon which all stationary portions of the apparatus may be

page_text: rigidly mounted. B are standards carrying a shaft C which can be rotated by
means of a pulley C. The shaft C carries upon it five cams D D D2 D3 and D³,
a gear wheel E, and a toothed quadrant F. G is a frame or support capable of
rotation about the shaft C. It is connected by means of flat springs G¹ to a
disc G2 which is joined through a spiral spring G³ to a collar G4 upon the shaft C,
this arrangement forming a friction clutch between the support and the shaft.
The rotary support G carries five cigarette holding tubes G5, which are equally
spaced round its periphery. Each of the holders G³ contains a spring Go which
prevents the cigarette from revolving in the holder.
A back plate H is placed upon the shaft C free to reciprocate, but not to revolve
upon it. This back plate is provided with a guide rod H¹ moving in guides H².
The motion of the back plate is caused by the cam D upon the shaft C which
The return of the
acts upon a friction roller H³ carried by the back plate H.
back plate H is brought about by means of a spring H*, one end of which is
fastened to the back plate and the other to one of the standards B. A hole H5
is formed near the edge of the back plate H. When the back plate H moves
forward under the action of the cam D it causes the rotary frame G to move
along the shaft C against the action of the spiral spring G³.
J is a hopper into which the cigarettes under treatment are placed. It is sup-
ported on standards J and is preferably, so shaped that the cigarettes tend to
gravitate to a trough J2. The hopper J is furnished with a vertical slide J³
which reciprocates, so as to prevent the cigarettes from sticking and to facilitate
their progress to the trough J³. The back plate H previously described is so
mounted upon the shaft C that the hole H is in line with the trough J2. The
motion of the slide J³ is caused by the cam D2 acting through a friction roller J¹
and a lever J5. This lever J5 is pivotted to one of the standards J¹ and its return
is brought about by the action of a spring Jo.
A plunger K is provided and is mounted in line with the trough J2 in suitable
guides K in which it is free to slide. It is operated by the cam. D acting through
a friction roller K2 and the pivotted levers K³, K+, K5 which are supported on
standards K. One end of the lever K5 moves freely in a sleeve K upon the
plunger K. The return motion of the plunger K is caused by the action of the
springs K and K which act upon the levers K³ and K* respectively.
66
L is a breaker" carried in bearings L¹. It is driven by a pinion L2 from the
gear wheel E, through intermittent gear wheels E1, E2, E3, and E4, the diameters
of which are so arranged that a very high speed is given to the "breaker" L.
M are standards forming supports for various other parts of the mechanism
herein before described.
N is a blower for removing the tobacco dust left in the end of the cigarette
by the "breaker" L. It comprises a bulb N¹ of indiarubber or like material
and a nozzle N2. It is supported as at N³ on one of the standards M. The bulb N¹
is compressed by the sudden upward movement of a lever N pivotally mounted
as at N5 controlled by a spring N8, and operated through a lever N° and friction
roller N from the cam D¹.
An "inserter" O is also provided for rolling up and inserting strips of paper
or other material which form the reinforcement into the ends of the cigarettes.
It comprises a tube O' carried in bearings U upon one of the standards M. The
tube 0 is slotted as at 0 and so arranged that when it is not revolving a portion
of the slot 02 is in line with a guide 03 through which the slips of paper or
the like are inserted. This guide 03 is carried by an arm 0+ fixed to a sleeve O
which is loosely mounted upon the tube 01. A small rod 06 fixed to a plate P
carried by the standards M serves as an additional support for the guide 0³,
which slides freely upon it. The rod 06 also serves to prevent the guide 03 from
revolving when the tube O' rotates. A rod 07 furnished with a head 08 is placed
inside the tube and reciprocates therein, the head 08 working in the slot 02.
Its function is to force the roll of paper from the end of the tube O' into the end
of the cigarette. It is joined by a strap R in the end of which it can rotate, to

page_text: a rod R, sliding in bearings R2 in the standards M. A collar R³ fastened to the
rod R engages with a spring catch He carried by the back plate H when the
latter returns under the influence of the spring H and thus causes the rod 07
to move forward and to detach the roll of paper from the tube 0 by means of
the head 08. An adjusting screw Q carried upon one of the standards M presses
against the spring catch H and effects the release of the rod R', which returns
under the action of a spring 09 operating between one of the bearings U and the
strap R. A pinion 0 and disc " are mounted upon the tube 0 between the
bearings U. The pinion 010 is driven from the toothed quadrant F through the
intermediate gear wheels F1 and F2. The disc O is furnished with a flat which
serves under the action of a spring 012 to keep the tube 0¹ in such a position
that when it is not revolving, the slot 02 is opposite the guide 03. A finger (14
carried by an arm 015 is provided for the purpose of preventing the free end of
the strip of paper from uncoiling after it has been rolled up upon the tube O¹.
The guide O is forced back on the tube O¹ against the action of a spring OB
by the support G during a certain portion of the operation of the apparatus as
hereinafter described, the end of the holder G passing over the tube 0¹ and
finger 014.
The amount of rotation of the rotary support G, is limited by catches S and S¹
which engage with small plates G7 fixed against the cigarette holders G³. The
catch S is mounted upon a rod S6 carried in a bearing $7 and is operated through
a lever S2 and friction roller S by the cam 103, its return being caused by the action
of a spring S. The catch S¹ which prevents the backward movement of the
rotary frame G is held in place by a small spring S³.
T is a guide pin carried by a support T¹, it engages with holes G8 in a ring G
upon the support G and serves to prevent the rotation of the support G until it
is in the desired position. A "finisher" W comprising a pin W having a head W
slides freely in bearings in the standards L' and is provided with a spring W
operating between the head W2 and one of the bearings. The function of this
"finisher" is to force the roll of paper home into the end of the cigarette.
Figure 5 illustrates a modification of the "inserter" in which the finger ()14
is not fixed but is carried by an extension of the guide (³ and consequently moves
with it.
Figures 6 and 7 show two other forms of "breaker" which have been found to
work very satisfactorily.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-
It is assumed that the action of the shaft C has allowed the back plate H and
support G to retire as near as possible to the trough J2, and that the five holders G³
contain cigarettes.
66
The continued rotation of the shaft C causes the cam D to advance the back
plate H and support G to the limit of their travel, and during the first portion
of this forward movement the inserter" winds up a strip of paper which has
been supplied to it, through the guide 03, during the previous retirement of the
support G.
While the support G advances the following operations take place simul-
taneously:
(a) The plunger K causes a fresh cigarette to enter the holder G which is in
line with the trough J², and thus ejects a completed cigarette.
(b) The "breaker" L breaks out the tobacco in the end of the cigarette contained
in the holder opposite to it.
(c) The blower N operates upon the cigarette in line with it.
(d) The inserter enters the prepared end of the cigarette opposite to it,
carrying the roll of paper previously wound up by it, and
(e) The finisher W pushes home the roll of paper forming the reinforcement
in the cigarette in line with it.
During the latter part of the advance of the support G, the cam D³ releases
the catch S, but the rotation of the support G is prevented by the guide-pin T.

page_text: The continued rotation of the shaft C causes the cam D to allow the support G
to recede under the action of the spring G As it recedes it is released from
the guide pin T, and the spring G3 acting through the disc G³ and flat springs G
causes the support G to rotate one step, thereby completing one movement of the
whole machine.
Although in the previous description of the operation of this machine it has
been assumed that the one step has been completed in one movement, it is found
preferable to cause each step or rotary movement of the support G to take place
in two stages, for instance: -when a cigarette has been operated upon by the
breaker "L, the support G does not carry it round at once into line with the
blower N, but first rotates through half the necessary distance and is caught by
the lower part of the catch S. Upon its release it rotates through the second
portion of its travel and brings the cigarette into line with the blower N.
It is obvious that many modifications may be made in this apparatus without
departing from the spirit of the invention, for instance: -The cigarette holder
may rotate axially and come into contact with a stationary "breaker'
or the
66 breaker" may move towards a rotary but non-reciprocating holder, that is
to say the relative movements of the various parts concerned in the operation
of finishing the ends of the cigarette as herein described may be obtained by any
convenient means.
The strips of paper or other material rolled up and inserted by the "inserter"
may be automatically supplied to it if desired.
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. A machine for "breaking" up for removal the enclosed tobacco in one end
of a filled cigarette.
2. In a machine for "breaking" up for removal the enclosed tobacco in one end
of a filled cigarette means for removing from that end the enclosed tobacco.
3. In a machine for "breaking" up for removal the enclosed tobacco in one end
of a filled cigarette means for removing from that end the enclosed tobacco and for
inserting a reinforcement in the space thus provided.
4. In a machine for "breaking" up the enclosed tobacco in one end of a filled
cigarette the combination of a holder by which the cigarette is gripped and a
"breaker" moving relatively to each other for the purpose described.
5. In a machine for "breaking" up in and removing from one end of a filled
cigarette the enclosed tobacco a blower for the purpose described.
6. In a machine for "breaking" up the enclosed tobacco in one end of a filled
cigarette the combination of a series of cigarette holders on a rotary support and
"breaker" for the purpose described.
a
7. In a machine for "breaking" up the enclosed tobacco in one end of a filled
cigarette the combination of a rotary reciprocating support for a series of cigarette
helders and a revolving "breaker" for the purpose described.
8. In a machine for "breaking" up the enclosed tobacco in one end of a filled
cigarette the combination with a "holder of a hopper from which the cigarettes
"
are mechanically supplied in succession to the
plunger.
66
holder"
by a reciprocating
9. In a machine for providing filled cigarettes with a reinforcement or mouth-
end the combination of a holder with a breaker" and an "inserter."
10. A cigarette one end of which has had the enclosed tobacco mechanically
broken up and removed to provide a space thereat.
66
11. A reinforced cigarette one end of which has had the enclosed tobacco
mechanically broken up and removed to provide the space in which the reinforce-
ment is situated.
12. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting apparatus for.
"breaking" up for removal the enclosed tobacco in one end of a filled cigarette

page_text: substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accom-
panying drawings.
13. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete machine
for producing a reinforced cigarette substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of April 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.