Improvements in Machines for Cutting or Granulating Tobacco.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cutting or Granulating Tobacco.
I, LOUIS CLAUDIUS JOSSELIN of Varennes (Département de l'Allier) in the
Republic of France, Engineer, 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 improvements in machines for cutting or granulating
tobacco and has for object to provide a. machine capable either of granulating
tobacco to produce picadura (tobacco in coarse grains used for making some kinds
of cigarettes) or of cutting it to form the fillings of cigars. The improved machine
can also be employed in the manufacture of snuff.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved machine, and
Figure 2 is a section on line 1, 2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a part of the machine.
The improved machine comprises a cast iron frame composed of two standards a, a¹
connected together by four crosspieces a³, a³, a, a. Each side of the frame is
provided with a plummer block b, to receive the rotating parts and each of these
sides is also furnished with a column c, c' on which is fixed the case of the machine
which is constructed as hereinafter described.
In the bearings 6 of the plumber blocks b, b' turn the bosses of two cast iron
plates d, d connected to each other by cross pieces e respectively screwed to
lugs & cast integral with the plates d, d'. The cross pieces e are arranged radially
with respect to the centre of rotation and their inner edges are provided with
knives and their outer edges with bands of leather g, as shewn in Figure 3, for
cleaning the wire gauze t with which the case of the machine is provided as
hereinafter described. For the leather bands I can substitute bands of india
rubber, brushes of metal or other suitable material or their equivalents.
The plates d, d¹ turn in the plummer blocks b, b' by means of bosses cast in one
piece with the plates and turned out to receive bearings h, h' in which is adjusted
and turns a shaft o which within the case is provided with radiating arms k, k², k³
which serve to support helicoidal knives m which extend over a sixth of the
circumference.
The helicoidal knives m in turning pass the counter-knives ƒ of the plates d, d¹
with a shearing action. The helicoidal knives m and counter knives f turn in
opposite directions for which purpose the movement of the first named knives is
given by a band driven from a pulley p on the shaft o; the movement of the
counter-knives is obtained by means of another band driven by a pulley 9 keyed
on the prolonged boss of the plate d.
The relative speed of rotation of the helicoidal knives m and of the counter-
knives f, is in the ratio of about one to six, that is to say, if the knives m make
270 revolutions per minute the knives will make about 40 to 45 revolutions during
that time.
These knives and counter-knives turn concentrically within a wire gauze jacket
or casing t, the mesh of which is determined by the cut of tobacco required.
This jacket is fixed by its two ends to wooden side pieces n, n¹ and the space
comprised between these side pieces is closed by a sheet of metal r, (zinc for
example) a space of sufficient size being left between the said sheet of metal and
the wire gauze which space serves to receive the cut or granulated tobacco. The
sheet of metal is formed at its bottom with a kind of funnel r' through which the
tobacco passes.

page_text: The wire gauze jacket t surrounds the rotating parts of the apparatus for about
five-sixths of the circumference and the part not provided with this wire gauze
forms the inlet openings through which passes the tobacco to be operated on
and it further permits of the inspection and cleansing of the knives and counter-
knives.
The tobacco is placed on the table v, the end v', of which is hinged at v³ to
allow of the knives being inspected and cleaned.
The driving belt a, which actuates the pulley p of the helicoidal knives can be
passed onto a loose pulley p', on the shaft o, by means of the belt shipper y,
operated by means of the lever y' which actuates the bar y of the belt shipper
the said bar sliding in mortise guides in the side pieces n and n¹ of the case.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The helicoidal knives m turn in the direction of the arrow 1 and the counter-
knives in the direction of the arrow 2 (Figure 2). The tobacco spread on the
table v, v', is introduced at s, and is carried along to the helicoidal knives by the
counter knives f and the cross pieces e. The tobacco cut between the knives and
counter knives and rubbed over the wire gauze t by the action of the leather bands
or metal brushes g, passes through the meshes; it then falls into the receiver and
thence to the bottom of the case which it leaves by passing through the discharge
opening. The cut or granulated tobacco is received into a suitable receptacle.
The uncut or insufficiently cut tobacco is continually returned and re-submitted
to the action of the kuives and counter-knives until a perfect cut is obtained
when tobacco passes through the wire gauze box into the receptacle as above
described.
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 :-
1. A machine for cutting and granulating tobacco in which
(a) A series of helicoidal knives turn with a central shaft and a series of
counter-knives turn in an opposite direction to the helicoidal knives with two
plates the bosses of which are adjusted in plummer blocks of the frame and
serve as bearings for the shaft of the helicoidal knives.
(b) The counter-knives are fixed on cross-pieces uniting the plates of these
counter-knives and carrying bands or brushes for cleansing the wire gauze
which encloses the knives and counter-knives and for automatically returning 3
the uncut tobacco to the knives and counter-knives.
(c) The wire gauze enclosing concentrically the rotating parts allows by its
ineshes of uniform size the tobacco suitably cut or granulated to pass into
a receptacle formed by the case of the machine and thence to the discharge
opening at the lower part of the case.
2. The improved machine for cutting or granulating tobacco hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 14th day of April 1892.
4
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.