Improvements in or relating to Cigarette Making Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cigarette Making Machines.
We, LOUIS DAVIS and HERMAN HENDRIKS, Gentlemen, both of 57 and 58,
Broad Street Avenue, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: —
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to machines for the
manufacture of cigarettes, such improvements being mainly applicable to what
are known as continuous cigarette making machines and has for its object to
construct an apparatus which shall enable a more expeditious and efficient work-
ing to be effected than has hitherto been possible.
The present improvements comprise a novel arrangement of combing or dis-
integrating rollers for the tobacco; an improved process and arrangement of
apparatus for forming the rod or roll of tobacco; a folder for wrapping the paper
about the roll or rod of tobacco; a mechanism for pasting the edge of the paper;
a novel cut off" for severing the continuous cigarette into predetermined lengths
and a conveyor for receiving the finished cigarettes and delivering them into boxes.
The tobacco is first placed upon a travelling band which delivers it to the dis-
integrating or combing rollers. These rollers are provided with pins disposed
over their surface and are arranged preferably in two sets situated one above the
other. The pins upon the rollers of each set intercalate, and cleaning rollers
also provided with pins may be provided one for each combing roller. The pins
of the cleaning roller also intercalating with those of the combing rollers prevent
the clogging of the pins of the latter. In order to prevent metallic
fragments or nails from passing into the mechanisms with the tobacco,
a pair of magnetized rollers are situated between the two sets of combing
rollers so that the tobacco passing between the latter, has also to pass between
the magnetized rollers, which attract any such fragments and withdraw them
from the tobacco; they may then be removed from the magnetized rollers by
brushes or scrapers in any suitable manner. The combing apparatus is in a
casing which constitutes a hopper and shoot for the tobacco and the latter is
delivered in a regular and uniform manner into a trough the base of which is
constituted by a travelling band.
This travelling band passes beneath a wide roller which is reduced along its
central portion. The tobacco being carried by the band beneath the roller is
compressed between the latter and a rigid table or base over which the conveyor
band travels. The tobacco is conveyed by the band from under the roller through
a covered guide way whereby it is kept down as it is conducted into a channel,
the sides of which are constituted by converging portions of a pair of bands
travelling around horizontal wheels or pulleys and these compress the tobacco
in a direction transverse to that in which it was compressed by the roller afore-
said as it is conveyed forwards. Two discs, having semi-circular grooves in
their peripheries, are both situated in one plane, one immediately beneath the
other and are also situated between the travelling 'bands, which are caused to
diverge at this point by means of guide rollers. A circular passage way is thus

page_text: formed at the point where the peripheries of the discs are adjacent and through
such passage the tobacco is fed by the compressing bands. The discs being caused
to rotate, the tobacco emerges from between them in a uniform and firm rod or
roll ready to receive the paper wrapping. A cleaning device may be arranged
to operate in the grooves in the peripheries of the discs to free them from the
particles of tobacco and other matter which otherwise would adhere thereto and
clog the passage way.
"
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"
The rod or roll of tobacco is delivered from the final compression wheels on to
the paper wrapper which is supported by a travelling band.
The band and paper
are gradually formed into a trough shape by passing into a "mouth piece" or.
channel, which is wider at the entrance than at the opposite end, where it is
narrowed down to such an extent as to fold one edge of the conveyor band and
paper over on to the tobacco roll or rod. Spring fingers or guide blades are
situated within the mouth piece" and press upon the paper outwards to keep
it from buckling. A guide blade is also provided to keep the tobacco rod from
swelling. The tobacco rod enwrapped by the paper and canvas band passes from
the mouth piece
into the folder proper. The latter may be constituted by
two plates provided with semicircular grooves which coincide when the plates
are brought together and form a circular passage way. The upper plate is
divided into two portions the division extending along one side of the groove, for
half the distance, and then crossing over, is taken along the other side of the
groove for the remainder of its length. The two portions of the top plate are
fixed to the base plate sufficiently far apart so as to leave a longitudinal division
which will consist of two straight portions out of line with one another, and con-
nected by a wider aperture at the point where the division crosses from one side
of the groove to the other. The tobacco roll, enwrapped in the band and paper,
enters the circular passage between the plates; one edge of the paper and band
protrudes from the division and the paper is brought into contact with a pasting
disc or wheel and this edge immediately afterwards arriving at the point at which
the division crosses to the opposite side of the circular passage, is thereby folded
down over the opposite edge of the paper or underlap. Just before the top lap
is folded down, the opposite edge of the canvas band must be lifted from the edge
or underlap of the paper. To accomplish this and also to prevent the edge of the
paper from rising, or the tobacco from swelling, when the edge of the band has
been lifted, a convex guide or presser blade is situated just within the central
aperture of the division herein before described; this blade separates the canvas
band from the paper and presses down the paper and tobacco, to within a minute
distance of the point at which the opposite pasted edge, or overlap, is brought
down upon the underlap. The edge of the canvas band that protruded through
the first portion of the aperture, will now be folded down with the pasted edge
upon the under lap and the pressure set up in the passage of the "rod" through
the remaining portion of the circular passage is sufficient to secure the pasted
edge. The edge of the band which was folded down and then lifted up by the
aforesaid blade now protrudes through the remaining portion of the aperture
upon the opposite side of the passage, and is clear of the opposite edge or overlap
which is being pressed down upon the under lap as before described."
The pasting mechanism consists of an upright cylindrical reservoir having a
weighted piston or float which presses downward upon the surface of the paste.
At the lower part of the reservoir, vertical rollers having roughened peripheries
are revolved in close proximity to one another. The rollers grind the paste into
a mass of uniform consistency and in this state it is communicated to the paper
by a pasting wheel which rotates partly within the reservoir. The pasting is
effected by the periphery of the disc coming into contact with the paper edge
protruding from the division in the folder. In order to guide the paper evenly
along the periphery of the disc, a blade or flange is set up upon the plate.
Scrapers are employed to operate upon the periphery and sides of the disc to
regulate, or to shut off entirely, the supply of paste to the paper.

page_text: The continuous cigarette next passes to the cutting mechanism to which it is
guided by a tube having a flared mouth or entrance. The cutting mechanism
consists of a carriage which is guided to and fro in the direction of the travel of
the tobacco rod or cigarette and the tobacco rod is supported by a tubular guide
upon the carriage. A curved knife blade is bolted to a spur wheel mounted in
the carriage and the forward end of the blade is situated nearer to the centre of
the wheel than the rear end. The knife operates in a plane at an angle to the
travel of the carriage, the spur wheel receiving its motion from another wheel
arranged to move to and fro along its shaft, with the motion of the carriage.
The operation is as follows:-A predetermined length of cigarette being pro-
truded through the tubular guide upon the carriage the knife mounted in the
latter commences its cut by moving across the opening through which the ciga-
rette protrudes. At the same instant the carriage is impelled forward at a speed
identical with that of the travel of the cigarette and at the end of
the travel of the carriage the knife has moved quite across the aforesaid opening,
and has severed a cigarette from the continuous length. The carriage is now
returned and the cigarette is pushed out of the tubular guide way on to a travel-
ling band or into a suitable receptacle. During the return of the carriage the
knife is again brought in to a position in which it is ready to commence another
cut as soon as the proper length has passed through the guide. The spur wheel
carrying the knife blade is mounted upon the carriage preferably above the aper-
ture through which the cigarette protrudes so that the pasted edges will be cut
through at first and will not be liable to part as would be the case if they were
severed last.
The improved delivery mechanism is constituted by a conveyor band provided
with hooks or bent fingers to hold the cigarette in place, and which travels over
wheels mounted at each end of a pivoted frame or lever. One end of the lever is
moved up and down intermittently. At the moment of the severing of a ciga-
rette from the continuous length, the end of the conveyor is moved up to receive
the cigarette and is immediately lowered again, thereby moving the latter out of
the way of the next one to be severed. During this operation the band has
travelled onward and is ready to be again raised to receive the next cigarette.
It will be obvious that as the receiving end of this conveyor is lifted the delivery
end will be lowered and this movement ejects the cigarettes from the band into
boxes or any suitable receptacle.
D
1
" 1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, Louis DAVIS and HERMAN HENDRIKS, Engineers, both of 57 and 58,
Broad Street Avenue, in the City of London, 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 or relating to machines for the
manufacture of cigarettes, such improvements being mainly applicable to what
are known as continuous cigarette making machines, and has for its object to
construct an apparatus which shall enable a more expeditious and efficient work-
ing to be effected than has hitherto been possible.
The present improvements comprise a novel process and arrangement of appa-

page_text: ratus for forming the rod or roll of tobacco; a folder for wrapping the paper
about the roll or rod of tobacco; and a mechanism for pasting the edge of the
paper.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan of one construction of a cigarette machine according to
this invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same on the line 2-2 of
Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show various portions of the machine to a larger scale,
Figure 3 being a plan of the pasting device,
Figure 4 a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,
Figure 5 a plan and an end view of the blade employed in the folder,
Figure 6 a plan of the folder and
Figure 7 a series of sections through the folder on the lines a-a, b-b, and
cc of Figure 6.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The various mechanisms are disposed along the bed-plate A. of the machine
which is supported upon standards A' which may be secured to the floor. The
tobacco after having been treated by combing and disintegrating mechanism-
not shown is fed to a hopper B from whence it passes to an endless travelling
band C.
The endless travelling band C conveys the tobacco from beneath the hopper B
to the compressing and filler-forming mechanism. The band C travels upon two
pulleys CC, one of which C¹ is mounted in a carriage arranged to slide upon a
bracket C³ bolted to the end of the bed A, a screw C being employed to shift the
carriage to adjust the tension of the band. The other pulley C is mounted
between supports A of a table A7, the supports A being bolted to the bed plate A.
The band C travels over a grooved platform A8 from the hopper B to the pulley C³,
the cross-sectional dimensions of the band being slightly smaller than those of
the groove. Flange pieces A2 are secured upon either side of the groove so as
to form a trough from the hopper B to a compressing roller C, the bottom of
the trough being constituted by the band C. As will be seen the width of the
trough is much less than the width of the band C, and is very slightly greater
than the width of the reduced portion C5 of the compressing roller C.
tobacco is carried by the band C beneath the roller C and is compressed vertically
upon the band between the roller and the rigid platform A8. The roller C is
mounted between brackets A 13 screwed to the platform A³.
The
The tobacco is next compressed by a pair of endless metallic travelling bands C
C7 which are caused to pass around horizontal pulley wheels C8 CC10 C. Two
of these pulley wheels, viz. C8 Ce are keyed to vertical spindles C¹ C¹³ journalled
in bosses formed upon the bed A of the machine, and are driven, whilst the other
two wheels C C are free to rotate about pins C C15 adjustably secured in the
table A. The adjusting screws C6 C7 enable the wheels to be shifted when it is
desired to increase or decrease the tension of the bands CC. The wheels C8 C10
are mounted with but a slight space intervening between their peripheries, the
wheels C C however are situated much further apart. The tobacco is conveyed
by the band C into a gradually converging channel between the metallic
bands C C7 which compress it laterally, and carry it forward. The bottom of the
channel is constituted by the table A, one end of which is in close proximity to
the point at which the tobacco leaves the travelling band C, the bands 07 C7 com-
mencing their compressing action upon the tobacco approximately at the same
spot. The space between the bands C7C and the compressing roller C is entirely
enclosed by means of flange pieces C secured to the platform A8 and supporung
between them a top cover plate or apron C20 shaped so as to fit between the
wheels C8 C. The flanges C and cover plate C20 keep the tobacco from expand-
ing atter having been rolled by the roller C. The tobacco is conveyed by the
compressing bands C C7 to grooved filler-forming rollers Cª¹ C² arranged one

page_text: over the other with their grooved peripheries in close proximity so as to form a
circular or similarly shaped passage or opening between them. The tobacco
passing through such passage or opening is finally formed into a filler or rod of
the required shape and dimensions and is ready to receive its paper wrapping.
The pulley C2 over which the belt C runs is keyed to a shaft C33 set at right
angles to the main shaft A³. This shaft C³ receives its motion from the main
shaft through the medium of bevel wheels C2 C2, spindle C25, spur wheel C26 and
spur pinion C, the latter being keyed to the main shaft A³. The compression
roller C is driven from a grooved wheel C keyed to the spindle of the driven
pulley C by means of a crossed belt which runs over a grooved wheel C45 secured
upon the axle of the roller Co. To the lower extremities of the vertical spindles C¹²
C3 of the wheels C8 C10 are keyed bevel wheels C28 C, which gear with other bevel
wheels CC keyed to the extremities of a shaft C3 which is driven from the
shaft C3 through the medium of spur wheels C4 C5 (36. The bands C C7 are
caused to run parallel up to the grooved rollers C1 C22 by means of the friction
rollers C after passing which the bands diverge owing to the distance between
the peripheries of the wheels C. The grooved rollers C21 C2 are driven from
the shaft C through the medium of spur wheels C, C, C and C.
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The operation of the compressing and filler-forming mechanism is as follows:-
The tobacco is carried by the band C beneath the roller C as hereinbefore
described. The roller C compresses the tobacco in a vertical direction and it
then proceeds to the compressing bands C7 C³ passing from off the band C on to
the table A7. The bands C C compress the tobacco laterally and deliver it to
the grooved filler-forming rollers C1 C2 which finally form the tobacco into a
filler or rod of the required shape and size and deliver it to the mouth-piece of a
folding device.
The folding device E and its mouthpiece E¹ are secured to a long narrow plat-
form A supported upon uprights A10 bolted to the bed A. The mouthpiece E¹
is constituted by a plate formed with a tapering groove E2, the width of the
groove at the entrance being almost equal to the width of the paper wrapper F
and narrowing down to a semi-circle in cross section. Spring blades are situated
within the groove E2 and serve in a well known manner to guide the tobacco rod
and to cause the paper F and a canvas tape F supporting it to conform to the
shape of the groove E2. A convex presser blade E is situated within the
groove E2 and serves to press upon the tobacco filler or rod and prevent it from
expanding. This blade is secured to the top of the plate E¹ by means of its
shank E.
The folder E comprises two plates E10 E" (Figs. 6 and 7) each provided with
a longitudinal groove. When the plates E10 E are placed together the grooves
register with each other and form a circular passage E through which the tobacco
rod and its wrapper travel. The top plate E is divided longitudinally into two
portions, such portions being situated slightly apart so that a longitudinal slit E
is formed for a purpose hereinafter described. The slit E as will be seen in
Figure 6 is along one side of the circular passage for a part of its length and
along the opposite side for the remainder of its length. A loop shaped aperture E
is formed at or near the centre of the plate, said aperture being the junction for
the two portions of the slit. Within the aperture E7 a curved blade E8, Figures 5,
6 and 7. is placed. This blade E8 is attached to the top plate E10 of the folder E.
The endless canvas tape F which supports the paper throughout the folding
operation, is driven by the rollers F2 F3 The tape F after leaving the mouth
piece E and folder E, opens out flat and travels along the narrow platform A³
to the end thereof, where it passes around a friction roller F and arrives at the
rollers FF3, being lapped over the first roller F3 and underneath the second
roller F3. The tape passes from these driving rollers over an idle roller F5 and
then beneath a tension roller F3 which is mounted in vertical slots in the
brackets F, so that such tension roller F13 may be adjusted to take up any
slackness of the tape F¹. The tape passes around a second friction roller F' at

page_text: the opposite end of the platform and arrives again at the mouth piece of the
folder. A small space A separates the end of the platform A from the edge of
the table plate A7, and through such space the paper strip F and canvas tape Fl
are passed. The paper is supplied by
a roll beneath the machine and is led
through printing mechanism G if desired around a friction roller F and upwards
over the roller F where it meets with the canvas tape F and passes with the
tape into the mouth piece E. The roller F2 is keyed to a spindle F10 at right
angles to the main shaft and driven therefrom by the bevel pinions Fu Fe. The
motion received by the roller F2 is transmitted to the roller F3 through the spur
wheels FF keyed to the axles of the rollers. In Figure the paper is shown
broken off at . and is not shown in the mouth piece and folder for the sake of
clearness.
The operation of the mouth piece E' and folder E is as follows: The paper
and canvas tape enter the mouth piece E, and as the narrow end of the groove E2
is approached they are formed into a channel in the bottom of which lies the
tobacco filler. Upon entering the circular passage in the folder E corresponding
edges of the paper and tape are folded over, as shown in Figure 7 Section a, the
opposite edges of the paper and tape remaining upright and passing along the
slit Es between the two portions of the top plate. The paper projects through
the slit above the surface of the plate and is pasted by a pasting device herein-
after described. The curved or convex blade Es serves both to separate the folded
'edge of the canvas tape from the folded edge of the paper, and also to press upon
the tobacco and keep it from expanding as it passes beneath the opening E7.
After having been lifted by the blade the edge of the canvas tape passes along
the portion of the slit upon its side of the passage E, the opposite and pasted
edge of the paper, together with the corresponding edge of the
canvas band being folded down over the underlap or folded edge by
contact with the inclined edge E2 of the aperture E7. The pressure to which
the pasted edge is subjected during the passage of the cigarette through the
remainder of the folder serves to effectually seal the freshly made joint. After
emerging from the folder the continuous length of cigarette is carried towards
the cutting mechanism upon the endless tape FI.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the paste pot H is carried upon a base plate H¹
and is provided with a weighted piston H2 to force the paste on to a pasting
wheel H³ A screw H passing through the lid H may be turned by a hand wheel
if it is desired to increase the pressure of the piston upon the paste. The paste
wheel H is rotatably mounted upon a vertical spindle H and is situated partly
within the paste reservoir H. Scrapers H7 for the top and bottom surfaces of
the paste wheel are adjusted by means of the screws H to such a pressure as to
prevent any paste from leaving the roller upon either of such surfaces.
The
pasting edge H of the wheel is slightly bevelled and the amount of paste there-
upon may be varied by means of the scraper H10 operated by means of a screw H".
The spindle of the paste wheel receives its motion from the spindle F10 which
drives a sprocket wheel H2 keyed upon a spindle H, which gears with the paste-
wheel spindle H through the bevel pinions H H. Within the paste pot H
are three vertical grinding rollers H7 H8 H19 the axes of which project through
the base of the paste reservoir and have keyed upon their extremities spur
pinions HH1 H23. The spur wheel H20 is of such a depth as to permit of the
pinions H2 H gearing with it in different planes as shown. The pinion H20 is
driven from the spindle H6 of the paste wheel through the medium of the spur
pinions H16 H23
The action of the pasting device is as follows:-The paste wheel projects over
the folder, its edge carrying the paste being in the line of movement of the edge
of the paper to be pasted, such edge protruding through the slit E6 above the
surface of the folder E. Before the paper edge reaches the blade E8, it comes
into contact with the edge HP of the rotating paste wheel H³, a flange H secured

page_text: to the folder E serving to incline the edge of the paper over so that it comes into
intimate contact with the edge H of the paste wheel and is completely pasted;
as has been shown the rotation of the paste wheel H³ causes the rotation of the
grinding rollers H7 H8 H9, and these rollers serve to crush any lumps or small
particles in the paste, and ensure that the paste is fed to the wheel H³ in a uniform
condition.
The finished continuous length of cigarette passes from the travelling tape Fl
into severing or ** cut-off
mechanism. A flared tubular entrance or guide I
is shown in Figures 1 and 2, but the details of the severing mechanism are not
shown as they may be of any convenient type. The severed cigarettes may fall
on to a traveling conveyor or similar device or may be otherwise disposed of.
Conveniently the main shaft A3 is made in two portions, operatively connected
by a clutch L, one portion of the shaft A driving the picking and compressing
mechanisms and the other operating the remaining devices. By throwing the
clutch L out of engagement the first mentioned mechanisms may be allowed to
run whilst the other apparatus is at rest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1. In a cigarette-making machine means substantially such as described for
pressing the tobacco in two planes at right angles to each other and then forming
it into a filler rod.
2. In a cigarette machine the combination with a travelling band C of a
presser roller C endless compressing bands C7 and grooved filler-forming rollers
substantially as described.
3. In a cigarette-making machine the combination with two endless com-
pressing bands of two grooved filler-forming rollers situated between the bands
the whole operating substantially in the manner described.
4. In a cigarette-making machine the combination with two endless com-
pressing bands and a conveyor band of two grooved filler-forming rollers situated
between the compressing bands the whole operating substantially in the manner
described.
5. In a cigarette-making machine the combination of a compressing roller
such as C compressing bands such as C7 and a cover plate such as C20 for the
purpose described.
6. In a cigarette-making machine the combination with a paste wheel such
as H3 of two or more grinding rollers such as H7 H8 H1 substantially as
described.
7. In a cigarette-making machine a pasting mechanism comprising a paste
reservoir a set of grinding rollers and a paste wheel revolving partly within the
said paste reservoir substantially as described.
8. In a cigarette-making machine the combination with a paste reservoir of a
weighted float such as H2 grinding rolls such as H7 H8 H1 and a paste wheel
such as H3 provided with scrapers for regulating the supply of paste substantially
as described.
9. In a cigarette-making machine the combination with a paste wheel of a
flange or guide blade substantially as described.
10. In a cigarette-making machine a folding device comprising two plates
having coinciding grooves in their meeting faces the top plate being divided for
one portion of its length upon one side of the groove and for the remaining por-
tion of its length upon the other side substantially as described.
11. In a cigarette-making machine a folding device comprising two grooved
plates one of which is divided along portions of its length upon opposite sides
of its groove the said lines of division meeting in an aperture one end of which
constitutes a projection for folding the paper substantially as described.
12. In a cigarette making machine the combination with a folding device con-

page_text: sisting of two plates such as E10 E" of a presser and separator blade such as E8
situated within the aperture substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of January 1900.
LOUIS DAVIS,
HERMAN HENDRIKS.
Boult, Wade & Kilburn,
Agents for the Applicants.