IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING, PRESSING, AND STAMPING CAVENDISH AND OTHER TOBACCO INTO ANY DESIRED FORM BY SUITABLE DIE PIECES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cope and George Cope, both of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Tobacco Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOULDING,
PRESSING, AND STAMPING CAVENDISH AND OTHER TOBACCO INTO ANY
DESIRED FORM BY SUITABLE DIE PIECES."
Sealed the 28th October 1868, and dated the 29th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cope and
George Cope at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 29th April 1868.
We, THOMAS COPE and GEORGE COPE, both of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Tobacco Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MOULDING, PRESSING, AND STAMPING CAVENDISH AND OTHER TOBACCO INTO ANY
DESIRED FORM BY SUITABLE DIE PIECES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for
moulding, pressing, and stamping tobacco into any desired form by

page_text: suitable die pieces, and consists of a machine constructed in the
following manner: -In the first place we construct a strong frame or
standards of cast iron or other metal fitted with the necessary provisions
for attaching pedestals, shafts, and wheelwork, and secured firmly to a
foundation plate. To this frame we bolt and key a turned face plate or
table of any required dimensions having a hole bored out in its centre to
receive a turned bolt or spindle or it may be fitted with slides for a
travelling table. And on this face plate or table we mount a movable
or rotating circular, octagonal, hexagonal, or other suitably formed
plate or travelling table of any required thickness, fitting close to
the under one and moving round its centre, or made to travel from
side to side or to move in a vertical or horizontal direction. Around
the outer circumference of this plate or table we form the various
die holes of any device required to be pressed. This plate or table,
or travelling plate or table, as the case may be, is moved from one
die to the other by a projecting stud from the main driving wheel,
and is so arranged by the action of a lever as to move it into
exactly a right position for the die whatever be the distance required
to move. Above this last-named plate and attached to the frame-
work is the die frame corresponding to the die hole in the plate or
table, and this frame or die piece is actuated by a cam of peculiar
shape, so that for a quarter of its revolution it ceases to give any
motion to the die at the top and bottom of its stroke so that the
tobacco may be under pressure for a certain time at the bottom of
its stroke and so as to allow time for the movement of the plate
Attached to the die
or travelling table at the top of its stroke.
frame is a projection of metal carrying a standard for the purpose of
thrusting the tobacco out of one die while it undergoes pressing in
the next or last one filled. The machine is actuated by powerful
wheelwork and is driven by steam or other motive power, we
also wish it to be understood that the above named die plates may be
made in duplicate of any. form or shape to suit the work, required
and may be readily changed, thus making one machine answer all
purposes.
Also we may state that hitherto manufacturers have had to partly
press the tobacco and afterwards subject it to hydraulic pressure before
being put in the pot moulds; now in the above machine this is entirely

page_text: dispensed with, thereby producing a greater. quantity of formed tobacco
in less time..
Now having arranged the machine for its particular work the
attendant sits in front of the machine and fills one of the dies with
the proper quantity of tobacco, and at the proper time the table moves
by its motion one die at a time, the machine presses the moved one,
and during that time the attendant fills another one and at the same
time the metal projection named above pushes out the pressed
tobacco which falls on to a travelling apron or into any other
receptacle..
Lastly, we may add that the machine is applicable to various uses
in tobacco manufacturing beyond what is described in the above
Specification, such as making rifle cake tobacco, stamping various new
devices that may be required and which are about to be introduced
into the trade, and which will be more fully described and explained
with Drawings in a Complete Specification.hereafter..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Cope and George Cope in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th October 1868..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
COPE and GEORGE COPE, both of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Tobacco Manufacturers, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-.
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Cope and George Cope, Her
special license that we, the said Thomas Cope and George Cope,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others- as we,
the said Thomas. Cope and George Cope, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein.
expressed, should and lawfully might make,. use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MOULDING, PRESSING, AND STAMPING CAVENDISH AND OTHER
TOBACCO INTO ANY DESIRED FORM BY SUITABLE DIE PIECES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Cope and George Cope,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, 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 Thomas Cope and George Cope,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings and to the figures and letters thereon,
that is to say :-
Our Invention, which relates to mechanism for moulding, pressing,
and stamping tobacco, consists of machinery or a machine constructed
in the following manner :-We construct a strong frame with standards
of cast or other metal fitted with the necessary provisions for attaching
pedestals, shafts, and wheelwork, and secure it firmly to a foundation plate.
To this frame we bolt a turned face plate or table of any required dimen-
sions, having a hole bored out in its centre to receive a turned bolt or
spindle, or it may be fitted with slides for a travelling table. Over or on
the said face plate or stationary table we mount a movable or rotating or
travelling circular, octagonal, hexagonal, or other suitably formed plate
or table of any required thickness. The said movable plate or table
is made to move on or with the before-mentioned turned bolt or spindle,
or is made to travel from side to side, or to move in any desired
direction. Around its outer diameter or in any other convenient part
we form die holes of the required shape; motion is given to bring
forward the discs in succession by a projecting stud from the main
driving wheel, and is so arranged that by the action of a lever it moves
into exactly the right position for the die whatever be the distance it is
required to move.
Above the last-named plate or table and attached to the framework. is
the die from on H
anding in outline to the die holes in the

page_text: movable plate or table. The said die frame or presser is actuated by a
cam of peculiar shape so that for a quarter of its revolution it ceases to
give motion to the die when at the top and bottom of its stroke, the
tobacco is thereby subjected to and left under pressure for the required
time at the bottom of the stroke. Attached to the die frame is a
projection of metal carrying a standard which serves the purpose of
forcing the pressed tobacco out of one die whilst the tobacco in the
following one undergoes pressing and shaping. The said machinery or
machine is actuated by powerful wheelwork and is driven by steam or
other motive power.
We wish it to be understood that the above-named die plates may be
made in duplicate with the die holes to suit the work required, and may
be readily changed, thus making one machine answer all purposes.
We may state that hitherto manufacturers have partly pressed the
tobacco and afterwards subjected it to hydraulic pressure before putting
it into the pot moulds, now by the above machinery the double pressing
is not necessary, consequently a greater quantity of formed tobacco is
produced in less time at less cost. Having arranged the machinery for
its particular work the attendant sits in front and fills the dies with the
proper quantity of tobacco one after the other; these dies with the
movable plate or table move or travel underneath the die piece and
receive the requisite amount and continuance of pressure. At the time
the tobacco in one of the dies is being subjected to pressure another die
is being filled, and a third is being releived of the pressed tobacco
by the metal projection or thrust plate above referred to. The formed
tobacco falls on to a travelling apron or other carrier or into any
suitable receptacle.
This machine is useful for various purposes in manufacturing tobacco,
it can be advantageously employed in stamping or forming devices of
various kinds on tobacco, and shaping tobacco for sale in new forms, but
it is particularly well adapted for use in that manufacture of tobacco
invented by us and called "rifle cake tobacco," that is to say, cut or shag
tobacco so pressed into small cakes that its keeping properties are
improved and the flavor retained for a greater length of time.
That our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
we have hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration of its practical
application, like letters and figures marked thercon being used to denote
similar parts.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of our improved machine
for pressing and forming tobacco into any desired shape; Fig. 2 is a
front elevation of the same.
A is a strong framing of cast metal standing on a solid foundation
having bolted to it B, a circular stationary plate or table of metal (in
this case) turned on the top side to a true surface and formed with an
opening in it a little to the left to allow the thrust plate b to push out
the formed and pressed tobacco. Upon this plate is mounted the die or
moveable plate or table C (also circular in this case) having arranged near
its circumference a number of die holes D of any required size or form,
through this plate and the lower one B the shaft or spindle E passes.
Upon E is the wheel F gearing into the wheel G on the shaft H, which
latter passes through the framing A and carries the pawl wheel I. I is
actuated by the pawl K and the stud L secured in the driving wheel M.
Every revolution of M. the stud L comes into contact with the lever N,
and by the parts just mentioned moves the die table C, and brings
another die D under the die piece or presser P. Fitted into the driving
wheel M is the cam shaft O actuating the die P the required stroke for
pressing the tobacco and at the same time pushing out the previously
pressed tobacco through the openings in the lower plate B on to a
travelling apron or into a receptacle.
By reference to the Drawing it will be seen that the cam o' for a
quarter of its diameter is turned from the same centre as the shaft,
so that the slide or die piece P ceases its motion for a time at the top
and bottom of its stroke, and the tobacco remains under pressure for a
quarter of this revolution, the same takes place at the top of the
stroke, thus giving the die table C sufficient time to move from one die
to the other before the die piece P descends again upon the tobacco Q
in the next die. The tobacco is usually covered over by a thin metal
plate R which fits the die exactly and keeps the tobacco in position
until the die piece P comes down upon it and presses it to the required
thickness, when on the next move it is pushed out by the thrust plate b.
The full pressure of P should be exerted with ordinary shag tobaccos
for two seconds on each die full. The machine is driven by the pinion S
on the shaft T, and set in motion by the pulleys U, as is well understood.
The die plate C can be easily removed and another fixed in its place by
removing the nut e and washer f.

page_text: Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and how we beleive the same may be most advantageously
used in the manufacturing of tobacco, we wish it to be understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details or relative dimensions
of the various parts of the machine herein-before described, as it will be
readily seen that the machine may be variously modified without
departing from the leading features; what we claim is, the self-acting
circular or travelling die tablo C, or its equivalent, for containing the
various designs and forms of dies for producing cavendish, rifle cake, or
other tobaccos in combination with the die piece P, actuated by the
cam o¹, together with the general combination and arrangement of
the machinery substantially as herein described and illustrated on the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Cope and George Cope,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.
THOMAS COPE. (L.S.)
GEORGE COPE. (L.S.)
In the presence of
J. T. KING.