Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Cigarettes.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Cigarettes.
I, HUGO BILGRAM, of the City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America, 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 a machine for making what is known as Spanish "
cigarettes, that is, cigarettes the overlapping edges of whose wrappers are not secured
together by adhesive material, but which have a wrapper longer than the filler and
the ends of which are tucked in to secure the wrapper in place until such time as it
is desired to smoke such cigarettes, when it is customary to loosen the tucked in ends,
unroll the wrapper and re-roll and re-wrap them again.
Such a machine contains mechanisms for performing, substantially the following
operations: To feed paper to the cutters to cut the paper into suitable wrapper
widths or sizes; to feed measured quantities of tobacco upon wrappers; to fold or
wrap the wrappers around the tobacco; to tuck in the ends of the wrappers; and to
expel the finished cigarettes from the machine.
In all of the cigarette machines heretofore constructed, so far as I am aware, which
feed strips of paper to be cut up into suitable sizes for individual wrappers, a difficulty
has been experienced in starting the successive strips into the machine when in
operation, hence it has been customary to use very long strips of paper wound into
rolls which are unwound as needed by the machine, and it has been deemed
impracticable to use strips of paper cut from ordinary sized sheets without first
pasting their ends together to form a continuous strip or roll, and when this is done
the lapped and pasted ends are objectionable, and they also offer difficulties in
operating the machine.
In machines hitherto used for tucking in the ends of the wrappers of "Spanish"
cigarettes, the tucking-in fingers have moved first up and down, and second inward
towards the centre of the cigarette, the foriner movement being at right angles to the
latter one, but both movements being in straight lines, and when this work is
performed in this way, it is somewhat difficult to re-open the tucked in ends of the
wrappers for the customary operation of re-rolling, owing to the fact that the last
inward movement of the tucking-in fingers necessarily leaves a portion of the paper
forming the ends turned in and back upon the body of the wrapper, to such an extent
that difficulty is experienced in getting hold of such ends, and therefore renders such
cigarettes objectionable.
The present invention has for its objects the improvement of cigarette machines in
the above named respects; and consists of mechanism by which successive strips of
paper are fed into the machine without interrupting the operation thereof, or
interrupting the continuous supply of complete wrappers thereto, and the ends of
the wrappers are tucked in, in such a manner that they are more readily opened for
the operation of re-rolling.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front view of the machine."
Figure 2 is an end view seen from the left.
Figure 3 is a plan section through the line - of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan section through the line y-y of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a section through the line of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a detail view of the paper-feeding and cutting mechanisms and tobacco-
feeding, wrapping and end-tucking-in mechanisms.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of the cutters, ejectors and paper gripper.
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are detail views of devices for tucking in the
ands of the wrons

page_text: In these drawings the letter X represents the frame of the machine, A represents
the driving-shaft carrying a driving pulley A¹ and five double faced cams B.
C, D, E and F, and one single faced cam G, which are connected either directly by
levers, or through rock-shafts, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P and R, or through revolving
shafts Q, with the operative parts above named to give to the various parts the necessary
movements, at the proper times, as hereinafter described.
The paper-feeding mechanism consists of a curved guide S, a support T, having
journaled in it the roller U and is also provided with a bed V, for receiving the
weight W, the under side of the roller being on nearly a line with the surface of the
bed. The support T is secured to the frame X in such position, that the under side
of roller U is near the upper portion of the periphery of wheel 6, hereafter described,
so that as the wheel 6 revolves, the roller U is caused to revolve likewise. The
roller is preferably provided with a surface of india-rubber or similar material.
The weight W is constructed much thinner at the edge furthermost from the roller U
than it is at its opposite edge, the thin edge preferably being curved where its flat
surface meets the surface of the bed, so as to permit a lapping end of paper to readily
enter between them and at the same time forin a stop against which such end can rest
when first placed in guide S. This stop is located the width of one or more wrappers
from the cutter e so that the entering end of each successive strip will, when fed, ho
at or near the cutter and a complete wrapper will be made at the first cut from each
strip. The weight W is preferably constructed with its flat surface of a less width
than that of the bed and with its edge nearest the roller U passing underneath such
roller nearly to its centre but not in actual contact with the surface thereof.
The paper is passed along the curved guide S, between the flat surface of the
weight. W and bed V, thence under the roller U, so that, as the periphery of the radial
arms of the wheel 6 revolves, the paper is seized and fed to the cutters the required
distance, to be severed into wrapper widths.
The weight W, being made thin at its edge furthest from the roller U, exerts but
little pressure on the paper upon its entering under the weight, but as its thickness
increases a correspondingly increased pressure is exerted on the paper, thus increasing
the friction between two adjacent advancing surfaces of paper as the friction of the
paper increases between the surfaces of the weight and bed, so that, such adjacent
surfaces of paper will advance together without slipping on one another.
Preferably a finger Y, which may be curved and of spring material is attached to
rock-shaft P, which is connected by a pitman to lever Z, which is pivoted on shaft J,
and is connected to cam D, by a roller working in a right hand groove therein. This
cam groove is so shaped as to cause the finger Ÿ to press upon the paper in the guide S
a portion of the time that the wheel 6 and roller U remain stationary and then to
release the paper at the proper time for such wheel and roller to feed it forward the
required distance for a wrapper width by their revolution, the paper being held
between wheel 6 and roller U while the gripping device and cutters operate.
The gripping device holds the paper while the cutters sever it, and consists of
fingers a and anvils 6 the latter attached to wrapper-folding wheel 6 against which
the paper is gripped and held. The fingers are attached to rock-shaft O, provided
with arm c connected by a pitman to lever d pivoted on rock-shaft I and is provided
with a roller working in left hand groove of cam .
The mechanism for cutting wrapper widths from the strips of paper, consists of a
cutter blade e mounted in a vertically moving frame f, and openings e¹ in the periphery
of the radial arms of the wheel 6. Preferably the cutter blade is serrated and shears
the paper by a downward stroke against and in front of one wall of openings el.
Vertical movement is given to the frame by connecting the frame by pitmans to
arms g on rock-shaft K, which is rocked by arm h having a roller working in left
hand groove of cam E.
The tobacco-feeding mechanism consists of a hopper provided with stirrers and
feeders, a measurer, a compressor and a forcer.
The stirrers are pins attached to a rock-shaft R at about an angle of 45° to each
other and about midway over the receptacle t, the lower one of the stirrers having

page_text: attached to it one eri ol a reciprocating plate s which extends down into the receptacle
so as to form nearly one side or wall thereof.
The rock-shaft R is provided with an arm & which is connected by a pitman to
arm attached to the frame 3. Motion is given to the rock-shaft R, stirrers j and
reciprocating plates by the frame 3 and its connections with one of the cams on
shaft A, hereafter described, and as the frame 3 moves up and down the plate s moves
correspondingly. This reciprocating movement of the plates tends to push or force the
tobacco entering the receptacle, t, downward towards its bottom in a somewhat compact
and uniform mass from which the slider is to take the desired quantity for each
cigarette.
The measurer consists of the receptacle and slider which delivers tobacco in
measured quantities to the channel. The slider is connected by a pitman to an
arm mon rock-shaft N, which shaft is operated by cam G to which it is connected
through armn, pitman o, arm on rock-shaft M, arm p, pitman and lever » pivoted
on shatt K and provided with a roller working in groove in cam G.
じ
4
The compressor consists of a channel and slider 0, the latter being connected to
shaft M by arm 1 on rock-shaft M.
The forcer consists of a piston 2 attached to the vertically movable frame 3 and
working in the lower end of channel to force the tobacco into the wrapper. This
frame is operated by left hand cam D through pitmans leading to arms 4 on shaft J
provided with arm 5 having roller working in cam.
U
The wrapper-folding mechanism consists of two revolving wheels 6 and 7, piston 2
and presser 21. The wheels are moanted on shafts Q, and consists essentially of
slotted radial arms to receive the wrapper and filler and ejectors. The revolutions of
these wheels is controlled, so that when the wheels are at rest the slot in one of the
arms of wheel 6 will register with the exit of channel and the slot of one of the arms
of wheel 6 will register with the slot in one of the arms of wheel 7. The shafts Q
receive equal and simultaneous motion through wheels 8, pawis 9, and arms 10
journaled together and connected by pitman 11 to lever 12 having a roller working in
left hand groove (shown in full lines in Figure 2) of cam B. The wheels are held in
the registered positions above described, by a holding device, consisting of a vertically
sliding frame 13, provided with two spring-actuated stops 14 engaging with suitable
recesses on the peripheries of ratchets 8, the frame being operated through its
connections by a pitman to lever 15 pivoted on shaft L, and provided with a roller
working in right hand groove (shown in dotted lines in Figure 2) of cam B. The
stops 14 are limited in their movement relatively to frame 13, so as to be readily
withdrawn from engagement with the recesses by the downward movement of the
frame.
The ejectors 16 consist of pieces sliding in the slots in the folding wheel arms and
are provided with spring sides to hold them in place by frictional contact against the
walls of the slots, and with projections 17 beyond the radial arms, and they are
operated to eject the cigarettes from the slots by sliding frames 18, which receive and
engage with the projections 17 and move the ejectors outward. These sliding frames
are operated by cam through forked arms 19 attached to rock-shaft L provided
with arm 20 having a roller working in left hand groove of cam C.
The mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrappers consists of wrapper-folding
wheel 7 (seen in Figures 5, 6 and 8) and presser 21 (seen in Figures 5 and 16) which
holds the cigarettes in the radial arm of wheel 7 during the operation of tucking in
the ends of the wrapper, and the fingers 22 which tuck in such ends. This presser 21
is attached to a sliding frame 23 (seen in Figures 3, 5 and 16), which moves in ways
formed in the frame of the machine and is operated by cam F and is connected
thereto by pitmans attached to the frame 23 and arms 24 on shaft. I, which in turn is
provided with an arm 25 carrying a roller working in right hand groove of cam F.
There are four tucking-in fingers 22, two of which are attached directly to levers 26
which are pivoted on studs 27 secured to the frame of the machine, while the other
two fingers 22 are attached to blocks 28 which blocks are provided with pinions and
are pivoted on studs 29 secured to one end of each of the levers 30, the opposite ends

page_text: of these levers being pivoted on studs 27 on which the levers 26 are also pivoted;
(see Figures 10, 11 12, 13 and 14). Levers 26. are moved on their pivotal studs 27
by being connected at one of their ends to sliding frame 31 through a pin and squared
block on such levers working in suitably constructed slots in said frame.
The frame 31 moves in suitably constructed ways in the frame of the machine and
is moved by being connected by pitmans to arms on rock-shaft II which is in turn
provided with an arm 32 carrying a roller working in right hand groove of cam C.
This frame 31 is preferably arranged to slide or move up and down in its ways at an
angle of about 45 degrees to the sides of the cigarette when such sides form substan-
tially a square; (see Figures 3, 5, 6, 10 and 11).
Blocks 28 have two backward and forward movements, one on their pivots or
studs 29 when moved thereon by levers 26, and the other with the levers 30 when said
levers move or turn on studs 27. The former movement is a rolling one by means of
which the fingers 22 on blocks 28 tuck in the last portion of the wrapper ends, and
this latter movement causes the blocks 28 and fingers 22 thereon to be moved out of
the way of the fingers 22 on levers 26 when the latter fingers are to operate to tuck in
the first portion of the wrapper ends, and also out of the way of the radial arms on
forming wheel 7 when rotating, and back into position to tuck in the last portion of
the wrapper ends. While the fingers 22 on blocks 28 are in position to tuck in the
ends of the wrappers the fingers 22 on levers 26 are moved out of the way by the
movement of levers 26 to bring blocks 28 into such position.
The blocks 28 are removed on their pivots 29 by means of segmental racks, on the
ends of levers 26 opposite to the pin and squared block which connect such levers to
frame 31, engaging with their pinions, and as levers 26 turn on the studs 27,
such blocks turn on their pivots so long as levers 30 are stationary, but when levers 30
move with levers 26, as hereafter explained, blocks 28 do not turn on pivots 29 but
are stationary thereon. Levers 30 are moved with lovers 26 in one direction by
means of projections 33 on levers 30 striking one side of the openings in levers 26 and
in the present instance levers 30 are moved with levers 26 in the opposite direction by
gravity, but they are stopped or limited in their movement by the last named force by
projections 34 striking against one arm of adjustable stops 35, which stops are
provided with two arms, as seen in Figures 12 and 14, the other arm of which limits
the movement of levers 30 in the opposite direction by the striking of the other sido
of projections 34, against such arm when moved by levers 26 as explained above.
The two movements are limited to the two positions at which fingers 22 are to operate
to tuck in the ends of the wrappers as heretofore described.
An exit channel 36, of any desired length, is located to register successively with
slots on arms of wheel 7, and by the action of the ejectors the cigarettes are forced
into and along this channel and expelled from the machine. This channel being of
the proper sizo tends to set and smooth the surfaces of the cigarettes as they are forced
through it.
Preferably springs 37 will be added to the several arms or levers carrying rollers
working on the cams as shown in Figure 2, to keep the rollers in contact with one
wall of the groove, and in such case the opposite groove-wall may be omitted. The
advantage of these springs, in case two groove-walls are used, is to lessen the noise
and vibration resulting from the sudden change of the movement of the rollers, and
these springs may be made weaker than when only one groove-wall is used:
The operation of the machine is briefly as follows:-
The tobacco is placed in the hopper and fed to the receptacle where the
reciprocating side or walls assists in packing or forcing it towards the bottom of
such receptacle into a somewhat compact and uniform mass, where the reciprocating
slider, measures off the desired quantity of tobacco for one cigarette and dis-
charges it into the channel e, from the bottom of which the reciprocating slider w
forces it beneath the piston 2 and directly over a slot in one of the radial arms of
wheel 6. A wrapper of the desired width cut from a strip of paper lies between
the tobacco and the slot of wheel 6, in such position, that when the tobacco and
wrapper have been forced into the siot, pushing the ejector inward sufficiently to

page_text: receive the tobacco, the wrapper will be folded around three sides of the cigarette
and its projecting edge will extend toward wheel 7 far enough to cover the remaining
side and give the desired overlap, which preferably is equal to two sites or half
circumference of the cigarette. As the folding wheels revolve to bring the unfinished
cigarette to register with a slot in arm of wheel 7, the free edge of the wrapper,
by its contact with arm of wheel 7, is folded down to cover the fourth side of the
cigarette; and as the ejectors operate to transfer the cigarette to wheel 7, the
wrapper is again folded down to overlap, and as the wheels are further revolved
the wrapper is brought in contact with the presser 21, which is in position, and
completes the overlap and holds the cigarette for the action of the tucking fingers;
these now operate to tuck in the projecting ends of the wrapper, by an upward and
inward rolling movement of the fingers 22 on levers 26 to fold the ends in these
directions, and then being withdrawn, the fingers 22 on blocks 28 move downward
and inward with a rolling movement to fold the ends in these directions and
complete the cigarette. The fingers being then withdrawn and moved out of
the way.
The wheels are further revolved and arm of wheel 7 carrying the finished cigarette
is brought to register with exit channel 36 into and through which the cigarette are
forced by the ejectors 16.
It will be readily understood that the various shafts, cams, rock-shafts, arms and
levers are to be so formed and timed as to give to the various operative parts of the
machine the necessary extent of movement at the proper time, to perform the several
operations hereinbefore described.
Each revolution of the driving-shaft completes one cigarette, and such machine
has worked successfully with shifts A speeded to forty revolutions per minute making
forty cigarettes. The operative parts, such as paper-feeding and cutting tobacco-
feeding and wrapper-folding mechanism, can be multiplied without increasing those
parts of the machine which give movements to these operative parts, and then multiply
its capacity so that eighty, one hundred and twenty or other multiple of the capacity
of the machine herein described, can easily be produced.
It is manifest that the herein described paper-feeding mechanism can be used
with advantage with machines other than those which make "Spanish" cigarettes, for
its operation is in no way dependent upon the character of the machine; also the
weight W and bed V, can be used with advantage in paper-feeding mechanism where
other means than those herein described are employed for moving the paper through
such mechanisms, and other means are used for cutting the paper into wrapper
sizes.
I have herein described and shown a weight W for exerting an increasing pressure
on two advancing lapping surfaces of paper, and I have found such a device a very
satisfactory one for this purpose, but it is manifest that other means can be employed
for this purpose, such for instance as an arrangement of springs, therefore I do
not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the weight W, or to its particular
shape.
It is also manifest that the tucking in mechanism herein shown and described can
be used with advantage with machines making any kind of cigarettes, the ends of
whose wrappers are to be tucked in, although it is especially advantageous with those
kinds which are to be re-rolled and also that this tucking-in mechanism can be
employed advantageously with other forms of wrapper folding devices or mechanisms
than those herein described, therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the particular
form of wrapper-folding device with which my tucking-in mechanism is to be used,
or to the particular form of cigarette that such device is to wrap or fold.
The rolling motion given the tucking-in fingers as herein shown and described, is
in the are of a circle which is believed to be the preferable way, but other ways may
be substituted for giving the rolling motion to such fingers, even if it to be angular
so long as it is not at right angles to or parallel with the sides of the cigarettes.
It will be found advantageous, if a rolling motion is given to only one of the
tucking-in fingers, even if it be through only a portion of its movement, if such rolling

page_text: motion is employed for the finishing of one of the tucks or folds of the end of the
wrapper, therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the form of mechanism herein
shown and described, for giving a rolling motion to the tucking-in fingers.
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. In a paper-feeding mechanism of a cigarette machine, the combination, sub-
stantially as set forth, of a bed and a weight resting thereon, the weight being
thin or light at the point where the paper enters between it and the bed, whereby
a lapping strip of paper is permitted to enter and be fed between the weight and bed
by the friction of the lapping surfaces of paper in contact with one another.
2. In a paper-feeding mechanism of a cigarette machine, the combination, sub-
stantially as set forth, of a bed and a weight resting thereon, the weight being thin
or light at the point where the paper enters between it and the bed and increasing in
thickness towards its opposite side, whereby lapping surfaces of paper in contact with
one another are held together with an increasing force as the two strips advance in
the act of being fed through the mechanism.
3. In a paper-feeding mechanism of a cigarette machine, the combination, sub-
stantially as set forth, of a bed and a weight resting thereon, the weight being
thin or light at the point where the paper enters between it and the bed and increasing
in thickness towards its opposite side, whereby a lapping strip of paper is permitted
to enter and be fed between the weight and bed by the friction of the lapping
surfaces of paper in contact with one another, and the lapping surfaces are held in
contact, with an increasing force as the two strips advance in the act of being fed
through the mechanism.
4. In a paper-feeding mechanism of a cigarette machine, the combination, sub-
stantially as set forth, of a weight W and a bed V, whereby successive strips of
paper are fed through the mechanism without interrupting the operation thereof.
5. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cutter
blade, a paper-feeding mechanism and a stop located at a distance of one or more
wrapper widths or lenghts from the cutter blade, whereby strips of paper enter the
paper-feeding mechanism at such points of its feed that a complete wrapper will be
made from the first cut from each successive strip.
6. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a paper-
feeding mechanism and a finger Q, whereby the paper is held against displacement
a portion of the time and then released during the feeding of the paper through
the mechanism.
7. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper-
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers, during a portion of its operation moves with a rolling
movement, whereby the paper forming one tuck or fold of the ends of the wrapper is
moved into the desired position by giving it a rolling movement by the tucking-in
fingers.
8. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper-
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers, during a portion of its operation, moves in the are of a
circle, whereby the paper forming one tuck or fold of the ends of the wrapper is moved
into the desired position by giving it a rolling movement.
9. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers, during a portion of its operation moves in the are of a circle
whose axis is at a point formed by the angle of the lines of the tucked in ends and a
portion of the exterior of the cigarette, whereby the paper forming one tuck or fold
of the ends of the wrapper is moved into the desired position by giving the paper a
rolling movement.
10. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of folding

page_text: mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of whose
tucking-in fingers has two movements one of which is a rolling one, whereby the
tucking-in finger is first brought into the position desired relative to the cigarette,
and a rolling motion is then given to said finger to cause the paper forming one tuck
or folds of the ends of the wrapper to be rolled into the desired place.
11. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper-
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers has two movements, each of which is in the arc of a circle,
cach are having a different axis, whereby the tucking-in finger is first brought into
the position relative to the cigarette and a rolling motion is then given to said finger
to cause the paper forming one tuck or fold of the ends of the wrapper to be rolled
into the desired place.
12. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper-
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers, during the whole of its operation moves with a rolling
movement, whereby the paper forining one tuck or fold is tucked into the cigarette.
13. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, one of
whose tucking-in fingers, during the whole of its operation, moves in the are of a
circle, whereby the paper forming one tuck or fold is tucked into the cigarette.
14. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper
folding mechanism and a mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, all of
whose tucking-in fingers during a portion of their operation, move in an are of a
circle, each pair of fingers having a separate arc and axis, whereby the paper forming
the ends of the wrapper is tucked or folded into the desired positions.
15. In a cigarette machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, of wrapper
folding mechanism adapted to fold cigarettes of substantially a square form, and
mechanism for tucking in the ends of the wrapper, whose tucking-in fingers move in
a plane at an angle of about 45 degrees to the sides of the cigarette, whereby the end
of the wrapper is tucked in from two opposite corners of the cigarette.
Dated this 20th day of May 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.