IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Musto, of the East London Iron Works,
Cambridge Road, Mile End, Engineer, and Frederick Bear, of 43,
Northampton Street, Mile End, Tobacco Manufacturer, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO.
Sealed the 20th March 1855, and dated the 24th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Musto and Frederick
Bear at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 24th September 1855.
We, JOHN MUSTO, of the East London Iron Works, Cambridge Road,
Mile End, Engineer, and FREDERICK BEAR, of 43, Northampton Street, Mile
End, Tobacco Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO " to be
as follows:-
These improvements are designed for the purpose of rendering useful the
ribs or stems of the leaves of the tobacco plant, which parts in manufacturing
tobacco have hitherto been comparatively useless, or, at most, of little value.
The mode heretofore practised of treating the said ribs or stems has been to
crush them between revolving pressure rollers and then make them into snuff,
or in the manufacture of certain description of tobacco to mix them therewith;
and the principal feature of novelty in these improvements consists in certain

page_text: novel mechanism, by the use of which, the ribs or stems when subjected to the
action thereof are finely shredded, or torn into long filaments, instead of being
crushed only, as heretofore. The "ribs" or "stems" thus operated upon may
then be mixed with the leafy portions of the tobacco, and will be found not
only to improve the quality thereof but the color also, since the ribs or stems
when shredded and steeped are found to imbibe a larger quantity of moisture
than the leafy portion, and being more pungent, contribute largely to improving
the flavor of the tobacco.
The objects of this Invention may be effected by the use and employ-
ment of mechanism of the following construction, that is to say:-Upon
the periphery of a wooden or other roller, and in the direction of the axis
thereof, are securely fixed at equal distances asunder serrated pieces of
metal. The roller thus formed is placed in a flame, in which it is caused to
revolve at a proper speed by gearing or other suitable means. There are also
plain or grooved rollers revolving in bearings attached to the aforesaid frame
for feeding and guiding the "ribs" or "stems" to be shredded over the
serrated roller, which, revolving at a quicker speed than the feeding rollers,
causes the ribs or stems of the tobacco plant to be torn into shreds.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Musto and Frederick Bear in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MUSTO, of the East London Works, Cambridge Road, Mile End, Engineer,
and FREDERICK BEAR, of 43, Northampton Street, Mile End, Tobacco Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Musto and Frederick Bear, Her special licence that we,
the said John Musto and Frederick Bear, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Musto and Frederick Bear, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF TOBACCO," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Musto and Frederick Bear, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office.
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Musto and Frederick Bear, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Our improvements are designed for the purpose of rendering useful the ribs
or stems of the leaf of the tobacco plant, which parts in manufacturing tobacco
have hitherto been comparatively useless, or, at most, of little value. The
mode heretofore practised of treating the said ribs or stems has been to crush
them between revolving pressure rollers and then make them into snuff, or in
the manufacture of certain descriptions of tobacco to mix them therewith:
and the principal feature in our said improvements consists in certain novel
mechanism, by the use of which the ribs or stems when subjected to the action
thereof are finally shredded, or torn into long filaments, instead of being crushed
only, as heretofore. The ribs or stems thus operated upon may then be mixed
with the leafy portions of the tobacco, and will be found not only to improve
the quality thereof but the colour also, since the ribs or stems when shredded
and steeped are found to imbibe a larger quantity of moisture than the leafy
portion, and being more pungent, contribute largely in improving the flavour
of the tobacco.
The objects of our said Invention may be effected by the use and employ-
ment of mechanism of the following construction, that is to say:-Upon
the periphery of a wooden or other roller, and in the direction of the axis
thereof, are securely fixed at equal distances asunder serrated pieces of metal
or points. The roller thus formed is placed in a frame, in which it is caused
There are
to revolve at a proper speed by gearing or other suitable means.
also plain or grooved rollers revolving in bearings attached to the aforesaid
framing for feeding and grinding the ribs or stems to be shredded over the

page_text: serrated roller or points, which, revolving at a quicker speed than the feeding
rollers, causes the ribs or stems of the tobacco plant to be torn into shreds.
In order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we now
proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing
annexed to these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved machine or apparatus for the
manufacture of tobacco; Figure 2 shows the opposite side of said machine;
Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof; Figure 4 is a transverse and vertical
section through the line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 5, a transverse and vertical
section through the line C, D, at Figure 2; Figures 6 and 7 are detached
parts, herein-after referred to, drawn to an enlarged scale.
At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to
denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at
each of such said Figures respectively. A, A, is a cast-iron skeleton framing,
the top whereof, as also the sides, end, and bottom, are enclosed with wood;
B is a hollow cylinder, formed of strips.of wood b, b, which are severally con-
nected together by screws, taking into screwed holes formed in the castings
C, C, keyed upon the axis or shaft D, said shaft being supported by bearings
or plummer blocks d, d, in which it revolves; E, G, H, I, is spur gearing,
arranged and disposed in the following manner, and for the following purpose :-
The wheel E is keyed upon the axis or shaft D, and gears into a larger wheel
G, the axis whereof is a stud at g. There is a smaller wheel H (fixed to or
formed upon the wheel G, which gears into another wheel I, fixed upon one
end of a plain feeding roller K, the other end of said roller having a pinion
fixed thereon, and gearing into a corresponding pinion fixed upon another
similar feeding roller L. The above rollers are supported by and work in
suitable bearings at M, and are firmly held in position by screws m at each
side of the machine. N, N, are pieces of steel or other suitable material, fitting
over half the diameter of each roller, for the purpose of stiffening the same,
and preventing springing of the rollers as the material is fed or drawn together
into the machine; O is a revolving fan, mounted in suitable bearings, and
having a small pulley P fixed upon the axis thereof, as at Figures 2 and 3,
motion being imparted to said fan through the agency of a cross gut p
passed over the grooved pulley P, and another larger pulley Q, fixed upon

page_text: 5
the axis or shaft D, the machine being set in motion in the direction of the
arrows flight by a strap or band passing over a rigger R fixed on the shaft
D, as at Figure 3, and connected with any suitable prime mover; S, S,
are a series of tempered metal points or teeth, arranged and disposed in the
pieces of wood or lags b, b, in the order exhibited at Figure 6, as follows:-
Having first drawn a centre line along each separate piece of wood in the
direction of its length, I set out about half an inch, more or less, from the end
of the piece of wood, and an eighth of an inch on one side of the aforesaid
centre line, the first point or tooth which I drive through the wood from the
back side thereof. I then insert the second point about half an inch from
the first, and one-eighth of an inch on the other side of the centre line, and I
proceed in this manner to within about half an inch of the other end of the
piece of wood. I then take the strip of wood which is to be fixed next to the
former one, and insert the points or teeth therein in the above order, excepting
that I set each tooth as much beyond or on one side of the former teeth as the
thickness or diameter of the wire of which they are made, and in this manner
I proceed until the whole of the picces of wood are fitted with teeth, so that
when fixed side by side and formed into a cylinder, as at Figures 1 and 3, the
several points or teeth occupy as near as may be the entire surface of the length
of the cylinder, each row being successively brought into action during each
revolution of the cylinder, the intention of thus arranging the points or teeth
being to prevent the whole of the teeth acting upon the stems at one time.
The operations of the above machine or apparatus are as follows:-The ribs
or stems to be shredded are placed by hand between the feeding rollers, and
the machine set in motion, the effect of which is to draw the stems forward,
and as the cylinder revolves, the teeth thereof coming into contact with the
stems will divide them into shreds or filaments, which fall by their weight into
a receiver below, the lighter portions being carried off by the action of the fan
blast into another receiver suitably placed. The opening to said fan is provided
with a sliding shutter U, by raising or lowering which the force of the blast
can be regulated as desired. In order to get the teeth of the cylinder as near
as may be to the centre of the feeding rollers, we so arrange said rollers as that
the teeth just clear the same, for which purpose the bearings of the axle D are
made adjustable.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention of
"Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Tobacco," together with
the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, we would remark, in conclusion, that we do not intend to limit or confine

page_text: ourselves to the precise details of construction above described and represented.
as the same may be varied without departing from the principle of our said
Invention, which we hereby declare to consist in, and we claim, the use and
employment of revolving points or teeth for shredding or tearing the ribs or
stems of the tobacco plant, in whatever manner such said teeth may be
arranged, or the ribs or stems fed or advanced thereto.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Musto and Frederick Bear, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JOHN MUSTO.
(L.S.)
FREDERICK BEAR. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.