Improved Process and Machine for Manufacturing Cigarettes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 11th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process and Machine for Manufacturing Cigarettes.
I, CONRAD GLOEDEN, of Friedrichshagen, near Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
According to the machinery hitherto in use for manufacturing cigarettes in large
quantities the tobacco is pressed together between a fixed and a moveable cheek or
jaw of a press of semicircular cross section and then pushed out of the press cheeks
into the paper wrapper by means of a so-called stopper or filler.
The roll of tobacco is pressed together or rendered compact at one end by means
of the stopper whereas it is loose at the other end so that the paper wrapper can
never be filled in a uniform and compact manner. This drawback is less per-
ceptible in the treatment of dry tobacco than when using moist tobacco. For this
reason, only the dry inferior tobacco is treated in stopping or filling machines
whereas the moist tobacco of better quality is treated by hand.
According to the process of the present invention, moist and dry tobacco can be
treated with perfect reliability; by this process cigarettes are obtained which by
far surpass the best hand-work in which also stoppers or fillers are employed. The
essence of this invention consists in dispensing with the stopper or filler and in
pressing the tobacco into a roll between two movable semi-tubes of sheet-metal
which lie against the cheeks of the press and then pushing the roll of tobacco to-
gether with the semi-tubes out of the press whereupon after the paper wrapper has
been slipped over, the semi-tubes are drawn out of the paper wrapper one after
the other.
For carrying out this process by machinery on a large scale, it is necessary
that the movable press-cheek and each of the two semi-tubes be moved forward
and backward by lever or crank mechanism which is operated by hand, foot or
motor. Each of these three parts viz:-the press cheek and the two semi-tubes,
may be moved individually by means of separate mechanism or two of them or
even all three parts together may be operated by the same mechanism.
A machine of the latter description in which all three parts are operated by
one rotation of a single driving shaft is shown on the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation
Fig. 2 a plan and
Fig. 3 a cross sectional view of the machine.
Fig. 4 represents both semi-tubes separately and
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent the various phases of the operation.
At
On the base plate a are mounted the bearings b b for the driving shaft c.
one end of the shaft is provided the fly wheel & having a handle in the centre
of the shaft two rollers c e¹ and at the other end, the disc f are mounted such
disc being provided with the endless groove or cam f¹. This groove or cam is
formed partly circular and partly straight and bulges out at fa. The rollers e e¹
are likewise provided with guide grooves or cams gg' which run partly in an

page_text: inclined and partly in a straight direction. The pivot h engages in the groove f¹
and is connected by a link h¹ with the sliding block i. This sliding block carries
the semi-circular press-cheek and slides on the support k provided with the fixed
or stationary press-cheek k¹.
The pivots of the crank levers mm² engage in the roller grooves g g¹, such
crank levers m m¹ rotating on the upper pivots of the standards o o¹ and provided
at the upper end with the slots pp. The pivots gq' of the rods r r engage in
the slots p¹, such rods protruding into the semi-tubes ss¹. The pivots gq¹ more-
over, engage in guide slots t t¹, of the upper frame-plate u. Furthermore, guide
pins or pivots are provided below the rods rr which engage in guide grooves
of the frame block w.
Finally, another standard is mounted on the frame w through which a pin r
moves. This pin is situated between the interior rod r¹ and a cam 2 of the
roller e.
The machine operates as follows:-
At the commencement, the wheel d rotates in such manner that the sliding
block and the semi-tubes ss¹ assume the retracted position shown in Fig. 2. In
this position the cam pushes the movable pin ¹ against the rod r so that the
semi-tube s pivoted at is placed in an inclined position. The tobacco for one
roll is now placed between the open semi-tubes ss upon the upper plate of the
support and distributed lengthwise. The hand-wheel d is now turned half round
whereby after the first quarter the position as shown in Fig. 5 and after the second
quarter the position as shown in Fig. 6 of the parts is attained. The groove fi
turns in the first quarter-rotation as far as the bulged out part 2, moves the
pivot hand sliding block i forward whereby the tube s¹ is pressed against the
tubes and the roll of tobacco thus formed. The rear tube attachment or rod
has its pivot at q¹ and moves the pin backward, the cam
On the other hand the tubes s s¹ are not moved longitudinally
parts of the roller grooves or cams g g pass along the pivots
same, the levers mm¹ thus being stationary.
being also rotated.
because the straight
without operating
In the second quarter-rotation the pivot h and sliding block i are moved a little
backward since the groove f¹ passes behind the bulged out part 2 and then runs
in a circular direction. The semi-tubes s s¹ now lie loosely between the press-
cheeks so that during the second quarter-rotation, they may be easily forced
onwards, the inclined parts of the grooves or cams g gl moving the pivots back-
ward (Fig. 6).
The paper wrapper y is slipped on to the free end of the semi-tubes s s¹ now
forming a complete tube; a hollow metal pointed piece y', may be used as guide
and the wheel & further rotated until it has assumed its normal or starting position.
During the third quarter-rotation an inclined part of the groove or cam g forces
the pivot forward so that the rod r is moved backward and the semi-tube s drawn
from the paper wrapper y.
The parts mp and s¹ are stationary on account of
the straight part of the groove g¹ (Fig. 7).
During the last quarter-rotation an inclined part of the groove g¹ again forces
the pivot forward so that the semi-tube s¹ is also drawn from the paper wrapper
and the finished or complete cigarette is delivered. The parts 1 m r and s are
stationary on account of the straight part of the groove g. The straight part of the
groove again moves against the pivot and the cam against the pin al so
that the sliding block is drawn backward and the semi tube s' again placed in
an inclined position (Fig. 8).
The operative parts have again assumed their normal position and the above
described operation can be repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Process for manufacturing cigarettes by machinery consisting in inserting

page_text: the tobacco between two semi-tubes by means of press-cheeks lever or crank
mechanism, forming the tobacco into a roll and then forcing the latter, along with
the semi-tubes, out of the press, whereupon the paper wrapper is slipped onto the
tubes, which are drawn from the paper wrapper one after the other substantially
as described and shown in the drawing.
2. Machine for manufacturing cigarettes according to the process described in
Claim 1, characterised by the combination of three cams f¹ g g¹ upon the shaft c
for operating the semi-tubes s s¹ and the movable cheek ¹ of the rolling press ik
respectively in such manner that the semi-tubes ss, on the-rolling press ik being
open, are situated opposite. the cheeks of the latter such semi-tubes being
brought together during the pressing, protruded from the press on completion of
the pressing and finally individually drawn out of the paper wrapper after the
same has been slipped on to the former substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.
Dated this 13th day of April 1898
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.