Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1892

page_text: .
roller being arranged to press or bear against the upper surface of the endless
belt 5. Directly in rear of the roller 8 is arranged the revolving brush 9. The
endless belt. 5 constitutes the feeding-belt, upon which the loose tobacco is
placed by the operator.
The roller 8 serves to compress and compact the tobacco, and the revolving
brush 9 has for its object to distribute the tobacco evenly upon the endless
belt.
At the rear end of the table 6 is arranged a vertically movable roller 10, the
shaft of which is journaled in suitable bearings in a yoke 11, which is suitably
arranged in such a manner as to be capable of moving vertically. The frame of
the machine below the table 6 is provided with bearings for vertical shafts 12 and 13
upon which are mounted the conical pulleys 14 and 15. The shaft 13 is also
provided with a band-wheel or pulley 16, which may be driven by a belt 17 from
any suitable source of power.
18 and 19 represent a pair of levers, which are suitably pivoted in the frame,
and the meeting ends of which are provided with segmental racks 20, meshing
with each other. The outer ends of the levers 18 and 19 are provided with
fingers 21 engaging the belt or band 22, which connects the conical pulleys 14
and 15.
23 is a bracket having a slotted arm 24, in which is pivoted a link 25, the upper
end of which is pivotally connected with a lever 26. The opposite end of the latter
has a laterally extending stud 28, the outer end of which engages slot 29 in the
lever 18. A connecting-rod 30 connects the yoke 11 with the lever 26. The ends
of the link 25 are adjustably pivoted in their respective slots, in order that the
throw of the lever 26 may be regulated as may be desired. The upper end of the
shaft 12, carrying the cone-pulley 14, is provided with a worm 31, meshing with a
gear 32 upon the end of the shaft 3, thus transmitting motion to the said shaft and
to the endless belt 5.
By the mechanism which has been just described, it will be seen that when
tobacco is supplied to the machine too rapidly or in too great quantities, the
vertically-movable roller 10 will be raised or lifted. The end of the lever 26
which is connected by the stud 28 with the lever 18, will thus also be lifted and the
levers 18 and 19 will be manipulated to shift or move the belt 22 in an upward
direction upon the cone-pullies 14 and 15, the latter of which is mounted with its
large end or base downward, while the former is inverted. The speed of the feed
mechanism will thus be instantly slackened. If, on the other hand, there is an
insufficient supply of tobacco, the operation is reversed and the speed of the feed
mechanism is instantly increased. It will thus be seen that by this mechanism the
tobacco will be fed evenly and regularly under the roller 10.
32 designates a supplementary feed-table, at the ends of which are mounted
rollers 33, carrying an endless belt 34. Between the flanges 35 of this table are
mounted the pressure-roller 36 and revolving distributing-brush 37. To the latter,
as well as to the roller 8 and brush 9, motion may be transmitted in any suitable
manner from the driving mechanism. The tobacco passing under the brush 37 will
be distributed evenly and accurately over the surface of the feeding-belt 34.
At the rear end of the table 32" is a spout or hopper 38, the mouth of which is
contracted so as to fit between the endless chains 39, by means of which the
tobacco is to be compacted into a continuous rod or filler for a cigarette. The said
chains 39 are composed of links 40, suitably connected and provided in their
opposing faces with semi-cylindrical grooves or recesses 41, having sharp edges 42.
The said chains are mounted upon horizontally-arranged wheels 43 and 44, the
former of which are grooved to accommodate the chains and the latter of which are
provided with teeth or sprockets 45 to engage recesses 46 in the rear sides of the
links 40, which are thereby prevented from slipping. The wheels 43 are placed a
suitable distance apart, so as to space the chains 39 sufficiently to admit the spout
of the hopper 38. The wheels 44 are placed closely together, so as to press the
sharp meeting edges of the links of the two chains 39 into contact with each other.

page_text: Intermediately between the wheels 43 and 44, at a point directly in rear of the
opper 38, idlers 47 are arranged to press the chains 39 in the direction of each
other.
In the frame or table of the machine, below the front ends of the chains 39, are
ournaled a pair of shafts 48, carrying rollers 49, over which passes an endless
belt 50, the upper portion of which travels over the table 51 directly below the
chains 30. The rear ends of the latter are covered by a plate 52, between which
and the table 51 the said chains are closely fitted. The semicircular recesses in
the said chains will thus, together with the table 51 and covering-plate 52, form a
close passage, in which the tobacco is gradually compressed until it issues from the
meeting-ends of the chains in the form of a cylindrical rod or filler, which is now
ready to receive the paper cover.
The spool or roll from which the paper is supplied as a continuous ribbon is
suitably arranged under the table of the machine, as shown at 53, and the ribbon 53b
is carried in an upward and rearward direction under the wheels or pulleys 44. In
rear of the said wheels is arranged a slightly-curved trough 54, over which the
paper ribbon passes, so as to receive the rod or filler as the latter issues between
the said wheels 44.
Suitably mounted in the frame of the machine, in rear of the wheels 44, are two
pairs of shafts 55 and 56 which are placed slantingly or inclined, with their upper
ends tilted in an outward direction. Upon the said shafts are mounted the band-
wheels or rollers 57 and 58, the former of 'which are larger than the latter and are
placed a greater distance apart, so as to receive the paper ribbon containing the
filler from the trough 54. The latter, being slightly curved, as above described,
will impart to the ribbon a slight curve as the latter enters between the endless
belts 59, which are mounted upon the rollers 57 and 58. The rear ends of the
belts 59, passing over the rollers 58, are placed a distance apart at their lower ends
which is equal to the diameter of a cigarette. It will thus be seen that the belts 59
will serve to fold the edges of the paper ribbon in an upward direction against the
sides of the rod or filler.
Suitably mounted upon the table or frame of the machine near the rear end of
one of the belts 59 is a series of brackets 60, which are curved over the upper edge
of the belt 59 and serve to support a curved shield or rider 61, which serves to fold
one edge of the paper ribbon down against the rod or filler. In order to retain
the paper
in this position, an additional shield or rider may be suitably arranged
in rear of the rollers 55, so as to bear against the folded edge of the paper as the
latter issues between the endless belts 59. This additional rider, however, may be
dispensed with when desired.
The frame or table of the machine is provided with grooves to accommodate the
lower edges of the endless belts 59, which latter are thus prevented from becoming
Between the belts 59 the bed of
entangled with the paper and injuring the same.
the table supporting the paper and tobacco is flat, as will be seen in Fig. 10 of the
drawings.
The lower ends of the shafts 55 are provided with bevel-pinions 62, meshing
with pinions 63 upon a transverse shaft 64. The latter is provided at one end with
a gear-wheel 65, meshing with and receiving motion from a gear-wheel 66 upon a
transverse shaft 67, having pinions 68 meshing with pinions 69 upon the lower ends
of the shafts 70, carrying the chain-wheels 44. The pinions 68 are placed on the
outside of the pinions 69, while the pinions 63 are placed on the inside of the
pinions 62, so that motion shall be transmitted in the proper direction to the chains 39
and belts 59. The shaft 67 is also to be provided with a band-wheel 71, which is
connected by a belt 72 with a pulley 73 upon a counter-shaft 74, which is suitably
journaled in brackets 75, extending upwardly from the sides of the frame of the
machine. The counter-shaft 74 is driven directly from the source of power, and it
is provided with a wheel or pulley 76, from which motion is transmitted by a belt 77
to a pulley 78, mounted upon a short shaft 79, which has an additional pulley 80,
connected by the quarter-twisted belt 17 with the pulley 16, to which motion is in

page_text: this manner transmitted to drive the feed-belt 5. The belt 34 is driven from one
of the transverse shafts 48. The revolving brush 37 may be driven directly from
the counter-shaft 74, and the revolving brush 9 may be driven from the counter-
shaft 74. The carrying-belt 50 is driven from the gear-wheel 66 upon the shaft 67
by interposing a pair of idlers 81 between the said gear-wheel 66 and a spur-
wheel 82 upon one of the shafts 48, carrying the rollers 49, upon which the said
belt is mounted.
The frame of the machine is provided in rear of the endless belts 59 with
bearings for a pair of transverse shafts 83, carrying rollers 89, over which passes
an endless belt 84, which is made of leather of about five-eighths of an inch in
thickness and which is provided with a central semicircular groove 85. A similar
belt 86, having a groove 87, is mounted upon rollers 88, the shafts of which 90 are
suitably mounted in the frame. The belt 86 is shorter than the belt 84, the rear
portion of which only is in contact with the said belt 86. The meeting faces of
the said belts are in contact with each other, and the grooves 85 and 87 together
form a cylindrical tubular passage. The two rear shafts 83 and 90 are provided
with gear-wheels 91 and 92, meshing with each other, and motion is thus transmitted
to the upper shaft 90 from the lower shaft 83. The gear-wheel 91 of the forward
shaft 83 is driven by an idler 93, interposed between itself and the gear-wheel 65
upon the transverse shaft 64. The gear-wheel 94 in turn meshes with the gear-
wheel 66 upon the shaft 67, from which it receives motion.
95 designates a paste-box, which is located adjacent to the front end of the
belt 84. At each side of said paste-box is located a pulley 96, and a third pulley 97
is mounted in a bracket 98, which extends over the edge of the belt 84. An endless
band or ribbon 99 which is preferably made of steel, is mounted to run over the
pulleys 96 and 97 and through slots 100 in the sides of the paste-box, where the
said band thus receives a coating of paste. The shaft of one of the pulleys 96
carries an additional pulley 101, which is connected by a band 102 with a
pulley 103 upon the transverse shaft 64, from which the endless pasting-band is
thus driven. A bracket 104, extending over the opposite edge of the belt 84,
carries an idle-pulley 105, which simply serves to retain the partially finished
cigarette in the groove 85 of said belt. The unfolded edge of the paper receives
by contact with the endless pasting-band a light coating of paste, and it is sub-
sequently folded down over the edge which has previously been folded by a suitable
brush 106, which is extended over the edge of the belt 84, directly in front of the
superimposed belt 86. The latter, in connection with the belt 84, serves to
compress and to finish the cigarette. An annularly-grooved guide-roller, as 162,
may be arranged in front of the belt 86 to guide the cigarette between the latter
and the belt 84.
On issuing from the belts 84 and 86, the cigarette is to be cut into pieces of
proper length, and this cutting operation is performed by mechanism which will now
be described.
Suitably mounted in the frame of the machine adjacent to the rear ends of the
belts 84 and 86, are a pair of vertical shafts 107, the upper ends of which carry
eccentric disks 108. 109 designates a longitudinally-reciprocating plate, which is
mounted to slide in suitable bearings, which may be dovetailed to retain the said
plate in position. The plate 109 is provided with slots 110, engaging the
eccentrics 108, which will thus serve to impart a reciprocating motion to the said
plate. The shafts 107 are geared together by an interposed idler 107", so as to
rotate in unison. The reciprocating plate 109 is provided with brackets 111,
carrying the guide-tubes 112, the front ends of which are made slightly flaring or
funnel-shaped for receiving the cigarettes.
113 is a box having circular holes 108¹ in its bottom, wherein fit loosely the
eccentrics 108. The box stands above the reciprocating plate 109 and carries a
transverse shaft 114, having an eccentric 115, upon which is mounted a strap 116,
having an arm or connecting-rod 117, which is pivotally connected with an arm 118,
extending downwardly from a rock-shaft 119, which is journaled in one of the

page_text: upper corners of the box. The rock-shaft 119 has an additional arm 120 extending
through a slot 121 in the box, and carrying a curved knife or cutter 122, which
extends between the guide-tubes 112. One end of the shaft 114, which extends
through the side of the box, is provided with a pulley 123, which may be driven
by a band 124, passing over suitable guide-pulleys 125 to a pulley 126 upon the
counter-shaft, the guide-pulleys 125 being sufficiently remote from the pulley 123
to allow the belt to yield slightly as the plate and box move, and thus not interrupt
the rotation of the shaft 114. Shafts 107 may be suitably geared to gear-wheel 91
upon shaft 83.
By the mechanism which has just been described it will be seen that only a
longitudinal reciprocating motion is imparted to the plate 109, while to the box 113
a curvilinear motion is imparted by the eccentrics, which extend through its bottoni.
The speed of the said plate and box which have these different movements in
unison, is so gauged as to correspond with the speed at which the cigarette issues
between the belts 84 and 86. To the knife or cutter 122 a rapid vibratory motion
is imparted, which enables it to cut through the cigarette whenever by the motion
of the box the said cutter is carried into contact therewith. The cutting mechanism,
it will thus be seen, moves along with the cigarette while the latter is being severed,
and the length of the pieces that are cut off may be determined by the degree to
which the disks 108 are mounted eccentrically upon the shafts 107.
From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto
annexed, the operation and advantages of the improved cigarette machine will be
readily understood. The loose tobacco is placed by the operator upon the feed-
belt 5, by which it is conveyed under the roller 10 to the belt 34, said roller 10
serving to actuate the mechanism whereby the quantity of tobacco permitted to
pass over onto the belt 34 is regulated. The tobacco then passes under the roller 36
and brush 37, whereby it is evenly distributed over the surface of the belt 34.
From the latter the tobacco passes through the hopper 38 to the endless chains 39,
which serve to compress and compact the tobacco into the continuous rod, which,
on issuing from said chains, is delivered upon the paper ribbon. The latter, by the
action of the inclined belts 59 and the shield or rider 61, is partially folded upon
the filler, and the unfolded edge is subsequently supplied with paste from the
band 99. The brush 106 next serves to fold the pasted edge of the paper upon
the edge which has been previously folded, and the endless grooved belts 84 and 86
serve to compress and carry forward the cigarette, which is finally cut by the
mechanism described above into pieces of the desired length.
Suitable covers are to be provided at the proper places to protect the operating
parts of the machine. Such covers are especially to be applied over the revolving
brushes 9 and 37, in order to prevent the said brushes from scattering the tobacco.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, it is to be understood that, while in the foregoing Specifica-
tion the preferred construction of the cigarette machine has been given, the right to
any modifications which may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the
invention is reserved, and I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the endless feed-belt, a pressure-
roller, and a revolving brush arranged above and in contact with the said belt, a
vertically movable roller mounted above the delivery end of the said belt, the conical
pulleys connected by an endless belt, a worm mounted upon the shaft of one of said
pulleys, a gear-wheel mounted upon the shaft of one of the rollers carrying the feed-
belt and meshing with said worm, and belt-shifting mechanism actuated by the verti-
cally-movable roller to regulate the speed of the feed-belt, substantially as set forth.
2. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the feed-belt, a vertically-movable
roller arranged above the delivery end of said feed-belt and adapted to press against,
the tobacco passing over the latter, and mechanism for regulating the speed of the

page_text: feed-belt actuated by said vertically-movable roller to decrease the speed when the
roller is elevated and vice versa, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of a feed-belt, the vertically-movable
roller mounted in a suitable yoke, the cone-pulleys, the belt connecting the latter, a
pair of levers having fingers engaging the belt connecting said cone-pulleys and
provided with segmental racks meshing with each other, a lever connected pivotally
and adjustably with a link which is mounted pivotally and adjustably in a slot in a
suitable bracket, a connection between the said lever and the vertically-movable
yoke carrying the roller, and a stud adjustably connecting the free end of said lever
with one of the belt-shifting levers, substantially as and for the purpose herein set 1
forth.
4. In a cigarette-machine, the horizontally-arranged endless chains composed of
links having grooved opposing faces provided with sharp meeting edges held in
contact with each other for a portion of the length of the chains and arranged to
receive between them the tobacco from the feed-belt and to compress or compact
the tobacco into a continuous rod or filler, substantially as herein set forth.
5. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the horizontally-arranged endless
chains composed of grooved links, of the supporting wheels or disks, two of which
are provided with sprockets to engage recesses in the rear sides of the links, the
supporting-table, the idlers arranged to force the said chains into contact with each 2
other, an endless band arranged under the front ends of said chains, which are
spread apart, a hopper arranged to supply tobacco between the front ends of the
chains and a top-plate forming a cover for the rear ends of the latter, substantially
as set forth.
6. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the mechanism for forming the 2
rod or filler and the paper supply, of the endless folding-belts mounted upon slanting
or inclined rollers, the upper ends of which are tilted in an outward direction, and
means for drawing the paper, carrying the paper and the rod or filler between said
folding-belts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the curved guide-trough, the s
means for forming and feeding the rod or filler, and the paper-supply, of the endless
folding-belts mounted upon slanting or inclined rollers, the front ends of said belts
being spaced to receive the paper ribbon upon which the rod or filler of tobacco has
been placed and the rear ends of said belts being spaced at their lower edges a
distance apart equal to the diameter of the cigarette, substantially as and for the 3
purpose set forth.
8. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the endless folding-belts mounted
upon slanting or inclined rollers, of the curved guide-trough, and the supporting-
table having grooves to receive the lower edges of said belts, substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
9. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the endless grooved chains arranged
horizontally and adapted to compress the tobacco into a continuous rod or filler, the
curved trough or supporting-plate arranged at the delivery-ends of said chains and
adapted to guide the paper ribbon under the rod or filler as the latter issues from
between the said chains and to impart to the said paper ribbon a preliminary fold or 4
curve, and the endless folding-belts mounted upon slanting or inclined rollers, the
rear ones of which are placed more closely together than the front ones, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the folding belts mounted upon
slanting or inclined rollers, the rear ones of which are placed more closely together 5
than the front ones, and a curved shield or rider supported upon suitable brackets
between the rear ends of said folding-belts to fold one edge of the paper ribbon over
the rod or filler, substantially as set forth.
11. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of an endless supporting-belt having
a semi-circular groove to receive the partially-finished cigarette as it issues from 5
between the folding-belts, and endless metallic band mounted upon suitable

page_text: supporting-pulleys, a paste-box, the sides of which are provided with slots for the
passage of said band, and suitable operating mechanism, one of the supporting-
pulleys of said endless band being journaled upon a bracket extending over the
supporting-belt to hold the said endless band in contact with the unfolded edge of
the paper ribbon by which the rod or filler is partially enveloped, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
12. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the grooved supporting-belt, of
an endless pasting-band mounted upon suitably arranged pulleys, the paste-box
having slotted sides for the passage of said band, and a wheel or idler mounted in a
bracket extending over the edge of the supporting-belt, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
13. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the endless supporting-belt having
a semi-circular groove, and the superimposed correspondingly-grooved carrying-belt,
the under face of which is in contact with the upper face of the supporting-belt, and
the pasting and folding mechanism, said mechanisin comprising essentially the paste-
box having slotted sides, the endless band mounted upon suitable rollers, holding
it in contact with the unfolded edge of the paper cover of the cigarette, and the
folding-brush, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
14. In a cigarette-machine, the cutting mechanism comprising a longitudinally
reciprocating plate carrying a pair of guide-tubes, and a box moving on said plate
in a curvilinear path and carrying a rock-shaft provided with an outwardly-extending
arm having a knife or cutter, and mechanism for operating the said reciprocating
plate and box and for imparting motion independently to the rock-shaft carrying
the knife or cutter, substantially as set forth.
15. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the eccentrics 108, moving in
unison, and the plate 109, having slots 110 engaging said eccentrics, said plate
carrying the guide-tubes, of the longitudinally and laterally reciprocating box
mounted on said plate and carrying a vibrating cutter, and mechanisms for indepen-
dently operating the said box and cutter, substantially as set forth.
16. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the eccentrics 108, moving in
unison, the plate 109 mounted in guides longitudinal of the machine and having
lateral slots 110 through which said eccentrics project, and aligned guide-tubes on
said plate, of a box resting on said plate and having holes in its bottom loosely
fitting said eccentrics, a rock-shaft journaled in the box and supporting a knife, a
pulley on said shaft, and a belt leading from said pulley upwardly to a source of
power at some distance above the plate and box, substantially as described.
17. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with the mechanism for feeding the
tobacco and the paper ribbon for compressing the tobacco into a cylindrical rod or
filler and for folding and pasting the paper wrapper, of a pair of vertical shafts
arranged at the delivery end of the machine and having eccentric disks at their
upper ends, mechanism for rotating the said shafts in unison, a longitudinally recipro-
cating plate having transverse slots engaged by the said eccentrics, supporting and
guiding devices for the said plate, and a box mounted upon and moved in a curvi-
linear path by the said eccentrics above the reciprocating plate and having a
vibrating knife or cutter and mechanism for operating the same, substantially as
and for the purpose herein shown and specified.
D
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.