IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO AND CIGARS
Year: 1877

page_text: :
LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Hyde Andrew, of Stockport, in the County
of Chester, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO AND CIGARS." Partly a communi-
cation from abroad by James F. Tygh, of Philadelphia, in the State of
Pennsylvania, America.
Sealed the 26th June 1877, and dated the 17th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edward Hyde Andrew
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1877.
JAMES EDWARD HYDE ANDREW, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Machine
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO
AND CIGARS." Partly a communication from abroad by James F. Tygh, of
Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, America.
This Invention consists,-
First. In an improved machine for removing the leaf from the stems, and for
splitting or otherwise acting upon the stems.
Secondly. In the moulds for pressing tobacco or cigars.
And, Thirdly. In the application of machinery for pressing and cutting roll or
twist tobacco after it is spun.
The stemming machine consists of feed rollers, crushing rollers, and cutting
rollers, some of which can have elastic surfaces; these rollers are made to revolve
at the same or different surface speeds by toothed pinions or other equivalents. In
the cutting rollers are disc cutters, between which the stem passes; these cutters in
revolving separate the stem from the sides or wings of the leaf. One of the
cutting rollers can be supported in movable bearings to disconnect the cutters when
required.
Additional cutters or tearing instruments may be used to separate the leaf into
strips, or cutters may be used to split or divide the stem. The tobacco leaves are
spread on a feeding table, in which may be a groove to receive or guide the stem;
and after the leaves have passed between the rollers the stems can be guided away
by a tube into a suitable receptacle, or between pressing rollers and cutters, and the
sides or wings of the leaf may be carried forward by endless belts.
Price 6dl

page_text: Band saws, shears, or horizontal cutters may be used instead of or in addition to
the circular cutters described.
The distance between the cutters and the cutting edges is varied by screws on
the axles of the cutting rollers, and the cutters and cutting edges are held when set
by lock nuts.
The improved cigar mould consists of two, blocks connected by steady pins or
hinged together. In one block is a series of semicircular recesses of the shape of
the cigars to be moulded, and in the other is a corresponding series of slots with
followers, also provided with semicircular recesses; the tobacco is first placed in the
slots in one block, and the other block is then closed on to the first; the two blocks
are then pressed together, and the followers are forced against the tobacco or cigars
to consolidate it.
The recesses may be engraved with the name of the maker or with a device,
which name or device would be stamped on the tobacco or cigar.
My improvements in machinery for spinning roll or twist tobacco consist in
applying thereto rollers or other equivalents for compressing or shaping the tobacco
before it is wound on the bobbin, and in applying instruments for cutting the roll
or twist into certain lengths instead of winding it on a bobbin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Edward Hyde Andrew in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1877.
JAMES EDWARD HYDE ANDREW, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Machine
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO
AND CIGARS." Partly a communication from abroad by James F. Tygh, of
Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, America.
This Invention consists,-
First. In an improved machine for removing the leaf from the stems, and for
splitting or otherwise acting upon the stems.
Secondly. In the moulds for pressing tobacco and cigars.
And, Thirdly. In the application of machinery for pressing and cutting roll or
twist tobacco after it is spun.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a front view of the improved machine for
separating tobacco leaves from their stems. The machine consists of the frame
sides a and table b, on which are the stands c supporting the bearings of the
cutting roller d; these bearings can be raised and lowered by set screws.
The cutting roller is shewn detached in Figs. 3 and 4, and it consists of the axle d,
the cutting discs d', which are held at the proper distance apart by the washer d²,
which can be made of any thickness, the bush d³, and the lock nut d. One of the
cutters d¹ can be fixed to the shoulder of the axle, and the other to the bush d³,
which may be screwed on the axle for adjusting the space between the cutters.
When the cutter is in position the bush is secured by the lock nut d*; in this
arrangement the washer d² may be dispensed with. The cutting discs d' act in
combination with the discs c¹ on the axle e, shewn in Figs. 3 and 5, which is also
supported in bearings in the stands c, the discs el are also held at the proper
distance apart by the washer e, and the disc e¹ and washer e³ are secured together
by the busheses and lock nuts e*. In this case also the cutters may be secured to
the bushes e³, which are screwed on the axle, and locked as above described in
reference to Fig. 4, or the bushes e may be of steel or other hard metal, and the
discs el dispensed with. Above the axle e is the axle f, on which are india-rubber
or other rings f¹ bearing upon the bushes e³. The block g fixed to the table b

page_text: serves as a rest for the hand of the operator in spreading and guiding the leaf of
tobacco between the bushes e³ and rings f¹ which form press rollers, between which
the leaf passes, and in order to prevent the stem or the leaf being wrapped round
the cutters and rollers I apply the scraper d³ in the space between the cutting
discs d¹ and the 'scraper e in the space between the discs e¹; the scrapers eⓇ are also
applied to the bushes e³.
Instead of the block ga table may be used, with or without a groove in it, to assist
in guiding the stem of the leaf between the rollers. The roller e is driven by the
pinion h¹ on the driving shaft h, gearing into the pinion e7 on the axle e, and the
cutting roller & is driven by the pinion es on the axle e gearing into the pinion d³ on
the axle d; the relative speed of the rollers & and e can be varied by changing the
number of teeth in the pinions. The driving shaft his driven by the speed pulleys h³
and a friction box.h³, which is moved in or out of contact by the treadles h and h³,
or in any other convenient manner.
When the machine is at work the attendant spreads the leaf on the block g and
.inserts the end of the stem between the discs e¹ and rings f'; the leaf is then caught
between the bushes e and rings f, which carry it forward to the cutting discs d²;
as the leaf passes onwards the stem is cut out and falls away, while the sides of the
leaf drop down the incline b¹ on to the table 62, upon which they may be laid; or
the leaves may drop into a suitable receptacle; or the leaves may be delivered on
the endless belt i passing around guide rollers, as shewn in dots in Fig. 1. The lags.
of the endless belt can be furnished with brushes to clear the bushes es of the
roller e.
In some cases it is desirable to apply a roller clothed with a suitable substance,
such as flannel, or a creeper damped with water, to the rings or bushes f³, or other
rollers, to prevent what is technically called gumming.
After the stem has been separated from the rest of the leaf in the manner above
described, it may be taken through a guide at t to the pressing rollers j, as shewn
in Fig. 6; these rollers flatten the stem and present it to the cutting rollers k and l,
shewn detached in Fig. 7; these rollers consist of any convenient number of discs
or cutters, which divide the stem into shreds, which may be mixed and worked up
with the tobacco. Scrapers can be applied between the discs of the cutting rollers k
and I, as described in reference to Fig. 3; or the stem may be cleared from the
cutters in the manner shewn in Fig. 7*. In this arrangement between each cutting
disc is fixed a washer k¹, l, and on each washer is mounted another washer k², 12,
which are prevented from revolving by a projection or recess coming again a fixed
stop; these washers are partly cut away to allow the stem to pass and to guide it
from between the cutters.
The above is also applicable to Figs. 4, 5, 8, and 10, and in most cases it is desirable.
to apply a lubricator to the washers.
Fig. 8 represents an apparatus for flattening the stem and for dividing it into
shreds, without separating it from the rest of the leaf; in this case j is a pair of
plain pressing rollers, between which the stem passes before it is delivered to the
cutting rollers m, 1; the roller m, shewn detached in Fig. 9, is made with inden-
tations which leave portions of the stem uncut. If it should be desired to use these
cutters for cutting the stem into shreds the rollers must be set deeper in gear. The
shape and depth of the indentations can be varied.
Fig. 10 represents another mode of cutting up the stem into shreds; in this case
the cutters n are knife-edged, and they act in combination with the plain roller o;
this roller may also be made with grooves corresponding to the cutters n. The
rollers m, n, should be provided with scrapers or guide washers, as before described.
Band saws, shears, or horizontal cutters may be used instead of or in addition to
the circular cutters, above described.
As it is sometimes desirable to roll the leaf while the stem is being cut out I make
the rollers e and f, or any other of the rollers, in the manner shewn in Fig. 11. The
bushes e on the roller e are plain, or covered with tubes of india-rubber or other
material, and the roller f is also covered in the same manner; by this means while

page_text: F
the stem is being cut out the sides of the leaf are rolled. The lock nuts are near
the ends of the axles, as shewn. The surface of these rollers may also be damped,
to prevent gumming.
Fig. 12 is an elevation partly in section; Fig. 13 is an end view; and Fig. 14, a
plan of my improved mould for pressing tobacco and cigars. This mould may be
used either to compress the filling before the wrapper is wound on to form a cigar,
or to compress the cigar or tobacco when wrapped.
-The mould consists of the bottom block p and the upper block q, which are hinged
together or connected by steady pins, as shewn. To the bottom block p are fixed
six or other convenient number of followers 7, in which are semicircular recesses of
the shape of the cigar to be pressed, and on each follower is a frame 8, the ends of
which project and rest upon the foundation piece t. In the upper block q are semi-
circular recesses corresponding in shape to those in the followers r.
When the mould is to be used the top block q is removed and the operator, by
pressing down the ends of the bottom block, causes the followers r to slide partly
out of the frames 8, as shewn in Fig. 15; the tobacco filling or the cigars or
tobacco to be compressed are then placed in the mould, and the top block is placed
on the frames 8; the two blocks are then pressed together by hand or otherwise, to
cause the followers to slide up the frames 8, thereby consolidating and shaping
the tobacco or the cigars in the moulds, which may be of any desired shape
or size.
The recesses may be engraved with the name of the maker, or with a device,
which name or device would be stamped on the tobacco or cigar.
Figs. 16 and 17 represent part of a machine for twisting, condensing, and rolling
tobacco, for which Letters Patent were granted to Elijah Robinson and Charles
Frederick Robinson, in conjunction with myself, on the 5th day of March, 1870,
No. 652. In these views g is a frame similar to but smaller than that shewn
and described in the Specification of the said Patent. In the frame g are bearings
for the rollers x and y.; the former has side flanges and the latter is provided with
one or more cutters, and they are turned round by friction or by gearing, as shewn.
These rollers compress and cut the tobacco after it has been consolidated and.
twisted, and the tobacco is then carried through the outer hollow trunnion of the
frame g, and drops down the guide board z into a suitable receptacle.
In some cases the cutters in the roller y are dispensed with and the compressed
roll of tobacco is wound on a bobbin, as shewn in the Specification of the Patent above
referred to. The compressing and cutting rollers x, y, may be applied to all machines
for rolling and twisting tobacco; or the tobacco can be fed between rollers similar
to x and y, revolving in fixed bearings, to consolidate it without being twisted. In
all cases the distance between the rollers can be regulated by set screws or other-
wise, and the grooves in the rollers may be of any required shape or size.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself
to the details given, as the same may be considerably varied, and that what I
claim is,―
First. The general combination and arrangement of the parts forming a machine
for removing the sides from the stems of tobacco leaves, as shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
Secondly. The application of cutting discs to cutting tobacco.
Thirdly. The combination of three pressing and cutting rollers, as shewn and
described in reference to Fig. 3.
Fourthly. The modes of adjusting and fastening the cutting discs, as shewn and
described.
Fifthly. The application of plain or notched cutting discs for pressing, perforating,
or dividing into shreds the stems of tobacco leaves.
Sixthly. Covering the bushes of the cutting discs and pressing rollers with india-.
rubber. or other suitable substance, as described.

page_text: Seventhly. The application of a damping flannel or other equivalent to the
surfaces of the pressing or other rollers to prevent gumming, as described.
Eighthly. The combination of pressing and cutting rollers, as shewn and described
in reference to Figs. 6 and 8.
Ninthly. The application of scrapers to the cutting discs and rollers, as shewn and
described.
Tenthly. The guide washers, shewn and described in reference to Fig. 7* for
clearing the rollers.
Eleventhly. The improved moulds for pressing tobacco and cigars, as shewn and
described.
And lastly. The machinery, shewn and described in reference to Figs. 16 and 17,
for compressing and cutting tobacco.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edward Hyde Andrew, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Fourteenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
J. E. H. ANDREW.
(L.S.).