IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGARETTES, AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINES FOR MANU- FACTURING THE SAME."
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Cowman at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1878. A communication from
abroad by Virgil L'Eplattinaire, of New York City, County, and State.
JOHN COWMAN, of the City, County, and State of New York, but temporarily at
the Office for Patents, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGARETTES, AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINES FOR MANU-
FACTURING THE SAME." A communication from abroad by Virgil L'Eplattinairo,
of New York City, County, and State.
This Invention consists,—
First. In the cigarette.
Second. In the machine for making it.
I will describe the latter and most important part first.
The tobacco, which may be finely divided into strips, is placed in a reservoir
having a bottom inclined towards a discharge orifice, with a yielding gate at bottom.
Beneath this bottom slides a plunger at stated intervals, which as it moves forward
pushes the tobacco into the said orifice. The orifice projects like a wide spout,
and through a slot in the upper part of said spout a knife descends and cuts off the
tobacco projecting beyond it an amount sufficient to make one length of cigarettes.
An apron or broad belt on rollers is placed below with other rollers or bars for
distending it. Through another slot in the discharge spout immediately over the
cut off portion of tobacco a pusher projects and forces the strip of tobacco through
the yielding gate on to the apron, at the same time another portion of the pusher
comes down and makes a pocket in the apron for it to fall into. One of the dis-
tending rollers of the apron now moves up and surrounds with the apron the strip
of tobacco. The apron is now put in motion, being wound from one roller on to
the other, condenses the tobacco strip by its friction and pressure into a cylindrical
forin. If it is to be covered with tobacco leaf the leaf is fed in at this stage between
the rollers, and is carried round the filling apron, thus forming a long tube filled
with tobacco, which tube is divided into cigarettes by knives in the machine, upon
which it is thrown by the distending roller going back to its original position.

page_text: When it is desired to use paper wrappers I employ a second series of devices,
namely, a shaft supporting a continuous roll of paper, two feed rolls between which
the paper is passed below a paper cutting knife working through a slot in a broad
guide plate, then below a paste reservoir provided with brush.
The paper is fed intermittently by the feed rolls until its free end is between the
apron distending and winding rollers, as before described, when the paste carrier
moves upwards and deposits a line of paste on the under side, while the paper-
cutting knife descends and cuts the paper near the feed rollers, leaving the outward
strip free to be caught by the moving apron and wrapped round the tobacco,
forming the roll, which is divided by the knives, as before described.
A shaft carrying small discs is arranged adjacent to the distending roller to
prevent the pasted portion of the paper from coming in contact with the apron,
and a wood bar is arranged beneath the lower feed roll to keep the paper from
sagging.
Instead of a distending roller a simple bar can be used.
Different means may be provided for imparting the required movements to the
several parts.
The way I at present prefer is as follows:-The driving shaft arranged in front
of the reservoir carries at each end a segmental toothed wheel, in the centre a cam,
and at each side five cams more. The one segmental toothed wheel engages the
teeth of pinions on the apron winding rollers, thus performing the motion that
moulds the strip and folds the wrapper; the reverse movement is effected by n
spring.
The movements of the distending bar or roller, the pusher, and the tobacco-
cutting and paper-cutting knives are worked by the cams, the pusher and knife
being brought back by springs.
The feed rollers are worked by the other segmental wheel, the paste carrier is
worked by pair of cams and springs, the disc cutters by gearing.
The feed rollers are covered if necessary with gutta percha or india-rubber, or its
equivalent. The end plate of the "orifice" may be adjusted to give fillings of
different sizes, and the various springs made so that their tension can be
adjusted.
The cigarettes made in this machine differ from hand-made ones having leaf
wrappers,-
First. In the position of the seam, which is longitudinal, the wrapper being made
of an oblong piece rolled instead of a long strip twisted spirally.
Second. In having a filling of fine cut tobacco.