Improvements in Compressing and Serving or Binding Tobacco, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compressing and Serving or Binding Tobacco, and
in Apparatus therefor.
I, ARCHIBALD KENNEDY IRVINE, M.D., of 3 Newton Terrace, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the compressing of tobacco by mechanical means into
the form of a more or less hardened stick, a form valued by consumers of tobacco,
and hitherto generally produced by winding cord by hand as tightly as possible upon
an elongated bundle of tobacco leaves.
In carrying out my said Invention the tobacco which has been more or less com-
pressed in hydraulic presses or otherwise and is by preference in the form of a square
stick is wrapped in cloth and one end of the cloth wrapper is tied securely upon a
leader of wood or other suitable material. The end of the stick of tobacco with the
leader on it is inserted into the outer end of a short tube carried in bearings in the
framing of the machine and by preference of a square form internally but cylindrical
on its onter surface. The entering end of this tube is flared or made with a curved
enlargement to facilitate the entrance of the stick of tobacco. The leader on the end
of the stick of tobacco projects through the short tube and is secured by means of
pins to a head on the end of a long screw spindle. The long screw spindle extends
through a second tube of similar form to the short tube but considerably longer a
narrow space being left between the ends of the two tubes. The outer end of the
screw spindle works in a stationary screw nut made in halves arranged to be opened
to allow of the removal of the screw spindle. Both tubes are fitted with spurwheels
which gear with pinions on a shaft carried in bearings in the framing and extending
parallel to the two tubes, this shaft being fitted with fast and loose pulleys for a
driving belt. The cord to be wound upon the stick of tobacco is led from a bobbin or
coil first through a guide eye on one end of a detector lever formed in a piece with
the forked lever which shifts the belt from the fast to the loose pulley and vice versa
so that any knots or twists on the cord entering the guide eye will immediately shift
the belt and stop the machine. The cord passes from the guide eye to and round a
grooved pulley carried by an arm. hinged to the sole plate of the machine beneath the
space between the inner ends of the two tubes and from this pulley it passes to and
round the stick of tobacco. The grooved pulley is prevented from turning too easily.
by means of a thumb screw on its spindle and bearing on its side, or by other suitable
known device for regulating tension.
In working the machine the leader on the end of the stick of tobacco is, as herein-
before stated, passed through the short tube and fastened by pins in the head of the
screw spindle which is then in the longer tube the pins encountering the sides of the
tube so that when the machine is in operation the screw spindle will turn with this
tube. The belt is then shifted to the fast pulley and the tubes are made to rotate by
the spur gearing, the screw spindle whilst rotating with the tube travelling through
it by the action of the nut in which its outer end works and which does not rotate.
Four or other suitable number of small rollers are arranged in the inside of the
short tube at its inner end the peripheries of these rollers being shaped to suit the
form intended to be given to the stick of tobacco; .and as it issues from the short
tube an additional small roller carried by the hinged tension pulley arm may, if
desired bear on the stick its pressure depending on the tension of the cord. As
the stick issues from the short tube and before it enters the longer tube the end
of the cord from the tension pulley is led once round the stick and fastened in
any suitable manner and the tubes continuing to rotate the cord is wound. on in

page_text: regular convolutions until the stick has entered entirely within the longer tube. To
prevent the stick from being twisted on entering the end of the longer tube this
tube is fitted with a number of small rollers running lengthways of the tube these
rollers being carried in small holders fitted in slots in the tube and hinged at one
end so that the rollers will bear with only a predetermined pressure on the stick
of tobacco which pressure is by preference applied by means of split rings laid in
grooves on the holders and round the outside of the tube. On the winding of the
cord being completed the half nuts at the outer end of the longer tube are opened,
and the long screw spindle and stick of tobacco withdrawn from the outer end, the
end of the cord fastened and the stick set aside to lie with the cord wound on it for
the usual time.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compressing and Serving or Binding Tobacco, and
in Apparatus therefor.
I, ARCHIBALD KENNEDY IRVINE, M.D., of 3 Newton Terrace, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the compressing of tobacco by mechanical means into
the form of a more or less hardened stick, a form valued by consumers of tobacco,
and hitherto generally produced by winding cord by hand as tightly as possible upon
an elongated bundle of tobacco leaves.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and showing my improved apparatus.
Figure, 1, on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a side elevation, figure, 2, a
horizontal section and figure, 3, an end elevation of my improved apparatus. Figure, 4,
is a view of a detail to be hereinafter referred to. The drawings show the stick of
tobacco as having been partly acted on. In these drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my Invention the tobacco which has been more or less compressed
in hydraulic presses or otherwise and is by preference in the form of a square stick
is wrapped in cloth and one end of the cloth wrapper, 5, is tied securely upon a
leader, 6, of wood or other suitable material. The end of the stick of tobacco with
the leader, 6, on it is inserted into the outer end of a short tube, 7, carried in bearings
in the framing, 8, of the machine and by preference of a square form internally but
cylindrical on its outer surface. The entering end of this tube, 7, is flared or made or
made with a curved enlargement to facilitate the entrance of the stick of tobacco.
The leader, 6, on the end of the stick of tobacco projects through the short tube, 7,
and is secured by means of pins, 9, to a head, 10, on the end of a long screw
spindle, 11.
The long screw spindle, 11, extends through a second tube, 12, of
similar form to the short tube, 7, but considerably longer a narrow space, 13, being
left between the inner ends of the two tubes, 7, 12. The outer end of the screw
spindle, 11, works in a stationary screw nut, 14, made in halves in holders, 15,
(figure, 4) hinged together at one end, and with a catch at the other end to allow the
holders to be quickly removed at the end of one operation and to be replaced at the
commencement of a fresh operation. The screw nut, 14, is formed with a cup shaped
piece which enters a bush at the outer end of the longer tube, 12. Both tubes, 7, 12,
are fitted with spurwheels, 16, 17, which gear with pinions, 18, 19, on a shaft, 20,
carried in bearings in the framing and extending parallel to the two tubes, 7, 12,
this shaft, 20, being fitted with fast and loose pulleys, 21, for a driving belt, 22.
The cord, 23, to be wound upon the stick of tobacco is led from a bobbin or coil (not

page_text: shown) first through a guide eye, 24, on one end of a detector lever, 25, formed in a
piece with a forked lever, 26, which shifts the belt, 22, from the fast to the loose
pulley, and vice versa so that any knot or kink on the cord, 23, encountering the
The
guide eye, 24, will immediately shift the belt, 22, and stop the machine.
cord, 23, passes from the guide eye to and round a grooved pulley, 27, carried by an
arm, 28, on a lever, 29, hinged to the sole plate, 30, of the machine, beneath the
space, 13, between the inner ends of the two tubes, 7, 12, and from this pulley, 27, it
passes to and round the stick of tobacco. The grooved pulley, 27, is prevented
from turning too easily by means of a thumb screw, 31, on its spindle and bearing on
its side or by other suitable known device for regulating tension.
In working the machine the leader, 6, on the end of the stick of tobacco is, as
herein before stated, passed through the short tube, 7, and fastened by the pins, 9, to
the head, 10, of the screw spindle, 11, which is then in the longer tube, 12. The
belt, 22, is shifted to the fast pulley, and the tubes, 7, 12, are made to rotate by the
spur gearing, 16, 17, 18, 19. The pins, 9, then encounter the sides of the tube, 12, so
that the screw spindle, 11, will turn with the tube, 12, and whilst rotating the spindle
will travel through the tube by the action of the screw nut, 14, in which its outer
end works and which does not rotate.
Four or other suitable number of small rollers may be arranged in the inside of the
short tube, 7, at its inner end the peripheries of these rollers being shaped to suit the
rounded form intended to be given to the stick of tobacco; or as shown in the drawings
a plain stationary bush, 32, may be substituted for the shaping rollers. As the stick
issues from the short tube, 7, and before it enters the longer tube, 12, the end of
the cord, 23, from the tension pulley, 27, is led once round the stick and fastened
in any suitable manner and the tubes, 7, 12, continuing to rotate the cord, 23, is
wound on in regular convolutions until the stick has entered entirely within the
longer tube, 12. To prevent the stick from being twisted on entering the end of
the longer tube, 12, this tube is fitted with a number of small rollers running
lengthways of the tube these rollers being carried in small holders, 34, fitted in
slots in the tube and hinged at one end so that the rollers will bear with only a
predetermined pressure on the stick of tobacco which pressure is by preference
applied by means of split rings, 35, laid in grooves on the holders, 34, and round
the outside of the tube, 12. On the winding of the cord, 23, being completed the
catch on the frame, 15, is released the half nuts, 14, opened and the long screw
spindle, 11, and stick of tobacco withdrawn from the outer end, the end of the
cord, 23, fastened and the stick set aside to lie with the cord wound on it for the
usual time.
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 1
claim is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved apparatus
for compressing and serving or binding tobacco substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown on the accompanying drawings.
2. Compressing a stick of tobacco by causing it to pass through and be turned by
two revolving tubes between which a cord is guided on to it so as to bind it, substan-
tially as herein before described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.