Machine for Making Mouthpieces for Cigarettes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Making Mouthpieces for Cigarettes.
I, ALBERT LEROY MUNSON, of No. 122 Centre Street, New York, in the
United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to a machine for making mouthpieces for cigarettes,
consisting of paper, a strip of which is fed into the machine, cut, shaped and
completely formed into a holder of tapering form, and either provided, or not, with
a surface coating of wax; the mouth piece thus formed being adapted to receive
at its larger end a cigarette, which is smoked through it.
My present invention relates to means for more rapidly forming such mouth
pieces from a continuous roll of paper; cutting a blank therefrom, pasting and
winding the blank into a tapered form, trimming the formed article to accurate
length, and applying a coating of wax to its surface, all in one continuous and
automatic operation.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of its rear end.
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the rear part of the machine taken on the line x-
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line of the main driving shaft..
Fig. 6 is sectional view taken on the line a x-x in Fig. 4.
Fige. 7 and 8, are detached sections to an enlarged scale of the winding and
tapering device, Fig. 8 being a cross section on the line 100 in Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line o o-o o in Fig. 2 showing the operation
of the blank cutting devices.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the cutters or shears.
°
Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged views of the devices for delivering the paper and
blank to the cutters and the winding devices.
Fig. 13 shows the process of applying paste to the paper blank.
Fig. 14 shows the completion of the winding process upon the tapered former,
and the means of removing the spirally wound blank therefrom and
Fig. 15 shows the process of trimming the top of the spirally wound blank at
the completion of the winding process.
Before describing those parts of the combined machine which embody my present
improvements, I should remark that the complete machine in which these improve-
ments are applied comprises the following elements, a device for drawing and
measuring a strip of paper (taking it from a continuous roll) and delivering it to a
severing device; a device for severing the strip of paper into blanks of pre-
determined length; a device for winding the severed blanks into a spiral form
upon a tapered former; a device for applying paste to the rear end of the severed
blank before winding; a device for trimming the top of the spirally wound blank
as the process of winding upon the tapered former is completed; a device for
removing the tapered blank from the tapered former and delivering the same to a
travelling carrier ; a carrying device for removing the tapered blank and

page_text: delivering it to a device for applying wax thereto; a device for eventy PPLY
melted wax to the base of the paper tube; and finally a device for removing and
delivering the completed article.
Existing machines may show some of these features in part and applied in a
different manner, but in all such cases the machines operate upon a peculiarly
shaped blank cut in dies and fed singly to the machine, but there is no con-
tinuously operating machine taking the paper from a roll, as according to the
present invention,
A is the main bed of the machine supported upon the legs A¹.
A is the main driving shaft, B is the driving pulley and C is a clutch lever for
stopping or starting, the machine consisting of the following parts-
THE PAPER FEEDING DEVICE.
The
The strip of paper D is drawn from a roll D₁ which is mounted upon a
suitable frame rising from the bed A of the machine. This paper strip is
delivered through inclined guides F to the carrier feeder which carries it through
the cutting shears and delivers it to the action of the winding devices. The
inclined' guide F is composed of two parts c and d (see Fig. 9) so arranged that it
may be adjusted to varying thicknesses of paper, this guide is bolted. to a
projecting frame a attached to legs E¹ E which rise from the main bed A.
carrier feeder is composed of two jaws cand c, which are mounted upon a sliding
carriage which reciprocates in V-shaped ways and slot c' formed in the rear face
of the frame of the guide F, see Figs. 4 and 11. The carrier feeder carriage is
reciprocated by means of a slide e operated by a lever e¹ and a slotted cam €3 upon
the main shaft. The inner jaw of the carrier feeder is mounted upon the end
of a lever c which vibrates upon a stud c, the movement of this lever
governed by a stationary cam c' attached to the bent end of a sliding bar &
operated by a lever s which is moved by a cam on the main shaft, this. jaw c
closes upon the jaw cat the extreme forward movement of the carrier feeder
carriage, and releases its grip upon the strip of paper at the commencement of its
retreating movement: At the completion of the forward movement of the carrier
and the jaws, the end of the paper strip, projecting from the jaws, is delivered
into a slot formed longitudinally in the tapered former, the shears. then sever the
paper in front of the jaws and the feeder at once returns to its normal position
and again grasps the paper strip. The forward movement of the carrier
determines the length of the paper blank to be cut from the paper strip.
is
A small clutching dog is inserted into the paper guide for the purpose of
locking the paper in place during the movement backward of the carrier feeder.

page_text: quantity. g is a pot which holds the paste. It is mounted upon an adjustable
arm g which slides up and down in the. stand bolted to the bed A of the
machine. It is sealed by a cover which has an upright. extension g' through
which the supply of paste is introduced. The paste wheel 9 revolves through
an opening in the top of the cover and thus takes up on its periphery a
layer of paste, suitable scraping devices being arranged to remove any surplus.
This paste wheel is mounted upon a shaft g which is supported in bearings g
attached to the auxiliary frame a. It is rotated by means of a belt g³ operated
by a grooved pulley g' on the main shaft A².
h is a flying wiper whose office is to wipe the rear end of the severed paper
blank against the revolving paste wheel and cause it to take at the proper
point the necessary quantity of paste. This wiper is mounted upon a swinging
arm pivoted upon a stud 2 which projects from an auxiliary frame E of the
machine, this swinging arm is operated by means, of a lever h³, levers h
and h; auxiliary shaft 8, lever he operated by a cam ' on the main shaft.
The paste is applied to the paper at the instant the feeder carriage has
reached its normal position after delivering the front end of the paper blank to
the grasp.of the winding device.
THE WINDING DEVICES.
These consist mainly of' a tapered winding, spindle of the exact taper and size
that determines the taper and diameter of the finished mouthpiece. The tapered
part of the spindle is slotted longitudinally to receive from the jaws of the feeder
the end of the paper blank. It has lengthwise through its centre a small 'half
round clutching rod which locks the end of the paper blank into the centre of
the spindle in order to ensure the proper start of the winding operation.
I is the tapered 'winding former or spindle is the longitudinal slot see Figs. 7
and 8. is the clamping rod extending through the entire length of the spindle
and its shaft which is mounted and rotates in bearings in the frames E and E.
Near its upper end it is provided with gear teeth which engage with teeth in
a large wheel 12. This wheel receives a step by step rotary motion by means of
a pawl and ratchet wheel I attached to arm 1: The arm I is actuated by
means of a lever 16 which swings on a pivot I7 and is operated by the cam [ on
the main shaft. As the large wheel I' is advanced one step and reaches the proper
point it is locked in position by means of a stop pin 10 which enters a hole
provided for that purpose in the wheel 12. This pin is raised by means of the
sliding wedge cam which is operated by lever attached to an auxiliary.
shaft M geared to the main shaft. J is an auxiliary folding blade whose office is
to press the paper blank closely to the winding spindle during the operation of
winding. It is simply'a flat metal blade curved at its outer edge to coincide with
the tapered outside of the spindle. It is mounted upon a shaft which rotates in
bearings in the frames E and E. This shaft at its upper end is provided with a
toothed segment J' which is operated by a segment J³ attached to the end of a
shaft J which is mounted in bearings J and operated by means of a lever Je and
cam Jou' the main shaft:
The action of the clamping rod is as follows; at its top there is attached a
lever 2 which' turns freely with 18 and the revolving tapered spindle. 3 is a stop
lever attached to the shaft J and operated thereby. Until the paper blank is
ready to enter the slot of the spindle I the rod i rotates loosely in its position,
but when ready to receive the blank the lever 3 is dropped into position to stop
the rotation of the rod by intercepting the lever 2, this sets the clamping rod i
into the position shown in Fig. 8: The spindle I being at 'rest to receive the paper's
blank which enters the slot i. The spindle I commences to revolve and nips the
paper between the rod and its inner wall, the lever 3 lifts and the spindle and
rod revolve in unison winding the paper blank in spiral form upon the spindle,
the folding blade also performing its office. When the paper blank has been fully

page_text: wound upon the spindle the stop lever 3 again engages the lever 2, the spindle I
stops rotating and releases the paper from the grasp of the rod 1¹.
The stages of operation of the winding devices upon the paper blank are as
follows. Fig. 4 shows the carrier feeder in its normal position ready to advance
the paper strip. Fig. 11 shows the carrier advanced to its extreme position and
at the point of delivering the forward end of the paper strip into the slot i of the
winding spindle I. Fig. 12 shows the position of the paper blank in the spindle I
ready for winding, Fig. 13 shows the winding in progress and at the instant the
paste is applied. Fig. 14 shows the paper blank completely wound 'upon the
spindle in spiral form. Fig. 15 shows the position of the paper at the time of
trimming the upper end.
As the blank is presented obliquely to the winding devices it takes a spiral form
upon the spindle as it is wound thereupon. The device for trimming the surplus
paper from the top of the spirally wound blank consists of a rotating circular
knife k on the end of a shaft k¹ which is mounted in bearings in the frames E E³.
It is provided at its upper end with teeth gearing with the teeth of the
winding spindle causing it to rotate in unison therewith. This trimming operation
is shown in detail in Fig. 15.
THE DEVICE FOR REMOVING THE SPIRAL TUBE FROM THE SPINDLE AND
TRANSFERRING IT TO THE WAXING DEVICE.
This device is essentially a reciprocating clutch which encircles and grasps the
paper tube at its apex, after being wound upon the tapered former, and draws it
therefrom and delivers it into a perforated carrying belt for transmission to the
device for applying the wax.
M is a pair of clutching jaws (seen bent in Figs. 11 and 12) they are attached
by means of a screw to a hollow shaft m which slides up and down in a guide
arm M bolted to the frame of the machine. At the top of the hollow shaft m
there is a slotted guide M³ through which there is guided and travels an endless
belt m³ having at regular fixed intervals holes m³. The slotted guide M³ has also
a circular opening large enough to permit the passage through it of the top of the
hollow shaft m. This shaft m is raised and lowered by means of the shaft M*
pivotted at M³ and operated by means of a cam M' on the main shaft A². The
endless belt m³ passes around the pulley m at the rear end of the machine thence
forward the entire length of the machine around the pulley m at the front end, as
shown in Fig. 1. A step by step advance movement is imparted to this belt by
means of the lever N which at its forward end is provided with a finger n which
enters and fits the holes m³ in the belt m². This lever N is moved by means of
the rocking lever N'N' moving on a fulcrum M³ and operated by a cam N³ on the
main, shaft. When the belt m³ is pushed forward one step by the lever N the
hole m³ in the belt halts directly beneath the base of the spindle upon which is
wound the tapered paper tube. The hollow shaft m is then pushed up carrying
with it the jaws M and the slotted guide M' with the belt m³ until they attain
the position as shown in Fig. 14, and in this position the jaws M grasp the
paper tube.
The hollow shaft m is then dropped down to position (as in Fig. 4) below the
slotted guide M³, this action leaves the paper tube in the hole in³ in the endless
belt, this hole m² being slightly smaller than the top of the paper tube in order to
hold it. The belt m' is then advanced one step and the operation is. repeated so
that there is a procession of advancing tubes as is shown in Fig. 1. On the
descent of M³ the spindle I is caused to descend to its normal position by a
spring i².

page_text: retained in a liquid condition by means of steam heat, or by a gas or other flame.
The carrying belt with its procession of paper tubes is advanced step by step over
this vessel of melted wax, the belt is then depressed dipping the tube into the wax,
a portion of which adheres to it, the tube is instantly withdrawn and the belt again
advanced bringing another tube into position for dipping. As the tube is withdrawn
from the wax it tends to bring away too much wax, I have therefore provided
means of removing the surplus by an air blast. O is a vessel containing the
melted wax,
it is mounted upon a stand O¹ which is bolted to the bed A as shown
in Fig. 1. Heat is applied in any approved manner. P is an air pump bolted to
the bed A, at its top it opens directly below each paper tube so that the air blast
acts directly upon it. By means of pipes a portion of the blast may be made to
impinge upon any desired part of the paper tube. The air is driven from the
pump P by the upward movement of the plunger P' which is actuated by the
lever P which in turn is operated by a cam on a counter shaft R* operated by a
wheel R' gearing with wheel R' on the main shaft A².
4
As the line of paper tubes passes over the pot of wax, each tube in turn is.
depressed into the melted wax by the carrying belt m' being forced down the
proper distance by means of the lever 03 pivotted at 0³, the lever 02 being
operated by link O and lever O' which is actuated by a cam on the main shaft A³.
An automatic feed is applied to the wax pot in order to maintain the melted wax
at a uniform level so that the amount of waxed surface on each of the tubes shall
be regular and uniform. For this purpose the wax is melted in a separate pot
and pumped therefrom into the dipping pot which is provided with an overflow
thus maintaining a constant level in the dipping pot. ·
As the carrying belt m² continues its travel, it passes around the pulley 08 which
is deeply slotted to give room for the free passage of the tubes.
As they emerge
from the pulley they are advanced in inverted form as is shown in Fig. 1, and in
that position are presented to the action of the delivery devices.
THE DELIVERING DEVICE.
R is a tapered tube inserted through the bed of the machine. R' is a fixed guide
over which the belt m' passes this guide keeping the belt at a fixed height from the
bed of the machine. R' is a curved arm provided with a round head R³ slightly
larger than the top of one of the paper tubes. The curved arm R² is guided in a
slot in the stand R' which is bolted to the bed A. It is caused to ascend and
descend by the lever O' connected to it at R. The action of the head R³ as it
descends is to press the waxed tube out of the carrying belt into the delivery tube R
from which it falls into a suitable receptacle below.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim in a machine for making paper mouthpieces for cigarettes is :-
.
1. The mechanism for drawing paper ribbon from a roll and feeding a definite
length to the winding spindle substantially as described.
2. The mechanism for shearing the length of paper fed substantially” as
described.
3. The mechanism for applying paste to the end of the fed paper substantially
as described.
4. The mechanism for clamping the paper in the winding spindle and winding it
substantially as described.
5. The mechanisin for removing the wound tube from the winding spindle and
lodging it in a hole of a travelling belt substantially as described.
6. The mechanism for dipping the paper tubes carried by the belt successively
into melted paraffin wax substantially as described.
7. The mechanism for discharging the mouth pieces from the travelling belt
substantially as described.

page_text: 8. The machine comprising the several mechanisms above mentioned arranged
and operating in combination substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of April 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.