Year: 1887

page_text: I, AMBROSE BOULTON BIGGS, of 56 Eagle Street, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Tobacco manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to machinery, by means of which cigarettes can be manufac
tured at a high rate of speed, and in a perfect and economical manner, and consists of
improvements upon the machine as described in the specification patented to Frank
Hipgrave and William Skinner Rendle, under date the 2nd of June 1885, and
numbered 6669.
The apparatus employed for the feeding of the ribbon of paper, the cutting off of the
said ribbon into suitable widths for cigarettes, and the pasting of the same, is
practically the same as that already described in the aforesaid specification No. 6669
of 1885.
The feed of the tobacco is effected in the following way:-
The tobacco is led upon and distributed over an endless band of silk or other
suitable material, which is caused to travel by a roller, to which a suitable inter-
mittent and regular feed is given by a ratchet wheel and pawl worked by an eccentric
off the main shaft, which I consider an improvement upon the feed mechanism as
shown and described in the aforesaid patent. The tobacco is cut by a single stroke of
a knife, operated by a cam, attached in a suitable position to the main rotating
shaft.
One of the tables shown in the aforesaid patent for delivering the cut tobacco to
the pocket of the band is dispensed with, one table being found to answer all
required purposes. I may, by an alteration in the position of the cutting knife with
regard to the band, dispense-also-with-the other table-so as to allow the cut tobacco
to drop direct into the pocket of the band.
I make several important modifications in the driving and operating mechanism of
the endless band by which the cigarette is rolled, to effect the following improvements
in the operation of the machine..
1st. To ensure a better rolled cigarette with least chance of destruction of the
cigarette paper and with best roundness of form, I arrange to roll the tobacco in the

page_text: band before the paper is rolled around the tobacco to form the cigarette. I effect
this by giving an improved movement to the pressing roller which closes up the pocket
as follows:-
This roller I mount on a bell crank which is operated by an inside cam on the main
shaft, so as to close the mouth of the pocket and press upon the tobacco before the
paper is introduced into the pocket. Then the said roller is caused to open the mouth
of the pocket to receive the paper, and to descend and re-close the mouth of the
pocket with a final grip upon the paper for the combined rolling of the paper and
tobacco together, to form the cigarette. Between this aforesaid movement of the
roller in the first and second closing of the pocket, this roller is caused to travel
upwards upon the band to press the tobacco while being rolled into shape. This
secondary motion of the said roller is effected by the said bell-crank (carrying the
said roller) being mounted, as regards its pivot, upon the arm of another lever or bell
crank; which, receiving motion from a suitable cam upon the the main rotating
shaft, communicates the required compound motion to the said pressing roller.
2nd. I have further improved the facility and certainty of the discharge of the
cigarette when completed by the following modifications.
The roller which opens and closes the band instead of being, as in the aforesaid
specification, applied to that side of the band towards which the cigarette falls when
thrown out is now applied to that part of the band farthest from the side in which the
pocket is formed and towards which the cigarette is discharged, thus leaving the band
in a vertical position at the time of discharge of the cigarette.
Further, I drive the driving roller of the band by an alternate fast and slow move-
ment, effected by a pair of pinions being applied to the said shaft of different diameter,
and gearing into segmental wheels of correspondingly different diameter on the main
driving shaft, which engage alternately for parts of the revolution into their respective
pinions. By this arrangement the speed of the band is greatly accelerated after the
cigarette is rolled, and it is thus thrown out more quickly.
In order to effect the cutting of the ends of the cigarettes automatically and
mechanically, I arrange that the cigarettes, when made, pass down a shoot on to a
grooved suitably driven revolving drum. I apply rotary knives driven so as to meet
the rotation of the drum upon either side or cheek of the said drum, and I apply a
pad of india-rubber or other suitable material outside the circumference of the said
drum, between which and the drum the cigarettes are driven and held in position on
the periphery of the drum, whilst their ends are trimmed by the aforesaid rotary
knives.
Other details not specifically mentioned remain practically the same as in the afore-
said machine patented under No. 6669 of 1885.
T
1
2 T 1
1000
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Cigarettes.
I, AMBROSE BOULTON BIGGS, of 56 Eagle Street, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Tobacco manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to machinery by means of
tured at a high rate of speed and in a perfect and
improvements upon the machine as described in
Hipgrave and William Skinner Rendle, under
numbered 6669.
which cigarettes cau be manufac-
economical manner, and consists of .
the specification patented to Frank
dato the 2nd of June 1885 and
The apparatus employed for the feeding of the ribbon of paper, the cutting off of
the said ribbon into suitable widths for cigarettes, and the pasting of the same is
practically the same as that already described in the aforesaid specification with
general modifications of the driving mechanism to the paper knife, and of pasting the
roller hereinafter more fully described.
The feed of the tobacco is effected in the following way :-
The tobacco is led upon and distributed over an endless band of silk or other
suitable material, which is caused to travel by a roller, to which a suitable intermittent
and regular feed is given by a ratchet wheel and pawl worked by an eccentric off
the main shaft, which I consider an improvement upon the feed mechanism as shown
and described in the aforesaid patent. The tobacco is cut by a single stroke of a
knife operated by a lever and cam attached in a suitable position to the main rotating
shaft.
One of the tables shown in the aforesaid patent for delivering the cut tobacco to the
pocket of the band is dispensed with, one table being found to answer all required:
purposes. I may, by an alteration in the position of the cutting knife with regard to:
the band, dispense also with the other table so as to allow the cut tobacco to drop:
direct into the pocket of the band.
I make several important modifications in the driving and operating mechanism of
the endless band by which the cigarette is rolled, to effect the following improvements:
in the operation of the machine.
1st. To ensure a better rolled cigarette with least chance of destruction of the
cigarette paper and with best roundness of form, I arrange to roll the tobacco in the
band before the paper is rolled around the tobacco to form the cigarette. I effect this.
by giving an improved movement to the pressing roller which closes up the pocket as
follows:-
This roller I mount on a bell crank which is operated by an inside can on the main
shaft, so as to close the mouth of the pocket and press upon the tobacco before the
paper is introduced into the pocket. Then the said roller is caused to open the mouth
of the pocket to receive the paper, and to descend and re-close the mouth of the
pocket with a final grip upon the paper. for. the combined. rolling of the paper and

page_text: tobacco together to form the cigarette. Between this aforesaid movement of the roller
in the first and second closing of the pocket, this roller is caused to travel upwards
upon the band to press the tobacco while being rolled into shape. This secondary
motion of the said roller is effected by the said bell crank (carrying the said roller)
being mounted, as regards its pivot, upon the arm of another lever or bell crank;
which, receiving motion from a suitable cam upon the main rotating shaft, communi-
cates the required compound motion to the said pressing roller.
2nd. I have further improved the facility and certainty of the discharge of the
cigarette when completed by the following modifications:-
The roller which opens and closes the band instead of being, as in the aforesaid
specification, applied to that side of the band towards which the cigarette falls when
thrown out, is now applied to that part of the hand farthest from that side in which
the pocket is formed, and towards which the cigarette is discharged, thus leaving the
band in a vertical position at the time of discharge of the cigarette.
Further, I drive the driving roller of the band by an alternate fast and slow move-
ment, effected by a pair of pinions being applied to the said shaft of different diameter,
and gearing into segmental wheels of correspondingly different diameter on the main
driving shaft, which engage alternately for parts of the revolution into their respec-
tive pinions.
By this arrangement the speed of the band is greatly accelerated after
the cigarette is rolled, and it is thus thrown out more quickly.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe
the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed reference being had to the
letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts throughout the
drawings.
Figure 1 is a general elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections through the centre of the machine showing
the right and left hand sections respectively.
Figures 5 and 6 show a side and end view respectively of the compound
mechanism controlling the rolling operation of the tobacco and cigarette in the
band.
Figures 7 and 8 are an elevation and plan respectively of the lever motion operating
the stretching of the band to throw out the cigarette.
Figure 9 is a large scale sectional detail of the mechanism operating the tilting table
and pasting roller.
Figure 10 is a large scale sectional detail of the mechanism operating the paper
knife.
Figure 11 is a detail of the two speed driving segmental wheels and pinions con-
trolling the travelling of the band.
A is a roll of paper fed down the inclined table a by the feed roller B. This roller
is fitted on the main driving shaft b, which receives its motion through the gearing e c
from the first motion shaft and pulleys C. The roller B is covered for part of its
circumference with a pad of gutta percha, leather or other suitable material, which
seizes the paper and draws it from the roller A intermittently down the feed table.
When that portion of the roller B which is uncovered with this coating passes over
the paper it no longer grips the paper, and the paper remains stationary, held by the
weighted guide rollers 1 and 2. The paper is cut when stationary by the knife D,
which is operated by the lever 3 and cam 4 shown in sectional detail figure 10. The
cut piece of paper then rests upon the tilting table d and is held while resting there
by the finger 5. This fingers pivots on a centre, and is allowed to press upon the
paper and is lifted when required by the cam 6 and pivotted connection 7 (figure 9).
When the paper, so cut, rests upon the tilting table d, one edge is brought up to the
pasting roller e fitted in the mouth of the paste trough E by the pivotted lever F
operated by the cam f. The paper when pasted as described is now ready to be seized
by the tobacco on the travelling band G after the tobacco has been rolled.
The tobacco is fed on the endless band H of silk, glazed linen, or other suitable
material, which is caused to travel by a roller h; h¹ being the carrying roller. A

page_text: suitable intermittent and regular feed is given to the driving roller by a ratchet wheel 8
and pawl 9, figures 1 and 2, the pawl being attached to a lever which receives its
necessary intermittent motion from the eccentric 10 on the main shaft. The inter-
mittent movement of the ratchet 8 is transmitted through the gearing 11, 12, 13, 14
and 15. Upper pressing. rollers h² h³ and a further under roller to press the
tobacco as it is delivered to the knife, are mutually geared together in pairs and
are connected to the driving wheel h by a carrying pinion 16 of double width.
The tobacco is cut by the single stroke of a knife J, figure 3, operated by a lever j
and a slotted cam in a disc 17 on the main shaft b (figure 1) and falls into a trough
For table k on an oscillating standard K. The oscillation of this table is effected by
the bell crank and the pivotted lever 18 operated from the cam 19 (figures 1 and 4)
on the main shaft. This oscillation of the table delivers the cut tobacco into the
pocket of the travelling band G, the pocket being formed by fingers 20, dead weighted
and sliding in the slotted guides 21, so as to form a pocket in the slack of the band
when the tightening roller L permits the pocket to be so formed. The endless band G
is constantly rotated by the rollers 22 and 23 which are geared together (figures 3,
4, 5 and 7). The roller 22 receives its motion by the double pinion 24 gearing into
two segmental wheels 25 and 26 upon the main driving shaft (figure 1, and detail
figure 11). By the alternate gearing of these segmental wheels 25 and 26 of
different diameter into their respective pinions, the band driving roller, 22 and 23 are
caused to vary in their speed of revolution, so that the travel of the hand is greatly
accelerated after the cigarette is rolled, and it is thus thrown out more quickly.
To ensure a better rolled cigarette with least chance of destruction of the cigarette
paper, and with best roundness of form, I cause the band to roll the tobacco before the
paper is seized and the paper is afterwards rolled around the tobacco to form the
cigarette. I effect this by giving a compounded motion to the pressing roller 27
(figures 5 and 6). This roller is mounted so as to turn freely on the extremity of
the bell crank M. The pivoted motion of the pressing roller is effected by the bell
crank arm 28, which provided with an anti-friction roller engages in a slot of another
oscillating lever 29 (figures 1 and 5). The oscillation of the slotted lever 29 is
effected by the link 30 connected to the pivotted lever 31 operated by the slotted
cam 32 on the main shaft, (figure 5). This motion causes the pressing roller 27 to
approach or to recede from the opposite side of the pocket in the band as desired.
At the same time the pressing roller 27 receives a vertical motion by the rock
of the bell crank M, on one extremity of which the said pressing roller is
mounted, the other end of M receiving a reciprocating motion by a cam 33
(figures 1 and 5.) This compounded vertical and horizontal movement of the
pressing roller 27 causes it to close the mouth of the pocket in the band so soon as
the tobacco is received, and to press upon the tobacco before the paper is introduced
into the pocket. Then the said roller is caused to open the mouth of the said pocket
to receive the paper, and to descend and re-close the mouth of the pocket with a final
grip upon the paper by the tobacco, for the combined roll of the paper and tobacco
together to form the cigarette,
To effect the discharge of the cigarette whon completed in an improved manner, I
tighten up the slack of the band so as to throw the cigarette out of the pocket by a
roller L, which, situated on rocking levers 1, receives the necessary movement to com-
municate the tightening to the band by the set screw 34 from the bell crank N. The
set screw 34 permits adjustment as to the throw of the roller L as compared with the
throw of the bell crank N, which, by varying the tightness of the band, enables the
apparatus to roll and make cigarettes of various diameters with a uniform pressure
upon the tobacco and cigarette in the different cases. The bell crank N receives its
movement from another bell crank O through the link n and the latter bell crank O
receives its movement through the link p and pivotted lever P (figures 1, 4 and 7). This
stretching or discharging roller L is now applied to the part of the band farthest from
the opposite side towards which is the pocket and over which the cigarette is
discharged, thus maintaining the band as perpendicular as possible below the pocket
to permit perfect freedom of discharge to the cigarette.

page_text: 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:
1st. The combination of parts forming the tobacco feed mechanism consisting of the
gearing 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, the ratchet wheel 8 and pawl' 9, and the eccentric and
rod 10 in order to operate an endless band H and tobacco feeding and pressing
'rollers h, h2, h3 h with an intermittent motion, substantially as described.
2nd. In such a cigarette making machine an endless band, rolling the cigarette,
which has a variable movement as hereinabove described, the pocket receiving the
tobacco closing first to roll the same, then opening to receive the paper and finally
closing again to grip and roll the paper and tobacco together, substantially as
described.
.
3rd. The combination of parts forming the cigarette rolling apparatus consisting of
an endless band G. and roller 27 pressing thereon, mounted on a pivotted bell crank 28,
the latter being itself mounted at one extremity of a second bell crank M both bell
cranks receiving distinct motions from suitable connecting levers, links, and cams, so
that the said pressing roller 27 receives a compounded vertical and horizontal move-
ment, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. The tightening by suitable mechanisin as hereinabove described of the cigarette
rolling band towards the side opposite to that on which the cigarette is discharged to
avoid interference as heretofore with its fall.
5th. The combination of mechanism operating the driving rollers of the endless
rolling band G consisting of a pair of pinions 24 thereon, gearing respectively into
segmental wheels 25 and 26 of different diameters, so as to obtain an especially
accelerated motion to the band at the moment that the cigarette is to be discharged,
substantially as described.