Machine for the Manufacture of Cigarettes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1897-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine for the Manufacture of Cigarettes.
1, CHARLES CLIFTON SATTERWHITE, a citizen of the United States of
America, residing at 519 Mosby Street, in the City of Richmond, County of
Henrico, and State of Virginia, in the United States of America, Machinist, 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 has relation to cigarette machines of the class known as endwise
moving filler, or continuous machines, and is designed to provide mechanism of
improved character for performing mechanically the several steps of the operation
of making a cigarette, from the time the loose tobacco is fed into the machine until
the finished cigarettes, cut to proper lengths, are delivered therefrom.
In the present machine the tobacco is first fed onto an endless apron or carrier
from which it is taken by a pair of toothed shredding or carding cylinders of
suitable character and delivered to the action of other and similar cylinders.
By the combined action of these cylinders it is placed in proper condition for the
subsequent operations. The tobacco after leaving these cylinders falls through a
suitable guiding chute into a filler forming conduit, whose lateral walls are formed
by the adjacent portions of two independent endless belts, each of which has a lip
or flange at its upper inner edge portion. The bottom of said conduit is formed by
a horizontally disposed portion of a third endless belt, or it may be, by a narrow
fixed plate placed between the lower portions of the flanged belts. Said flanged
belts are spread laterally from each other at their upper edge portions for a portion
of their length in order to widen the receiving portion of the conduit. Subsequently
they return to edgewise disposed parallel positions, and are pressed together by
laterally acting devices, to form, with the bottom plate or belt, a practically closed
conduit in which the tobacco is shaped into an approximately cylindrical filler rod.
This rod now passes between a pair of mouthpiece rollers of peculiar form, into an
extended open trough or channel, having a coucaved bottom wall. Travelling
through this channel is an endless tape belt.
The wrapping paper is guided from its carrying roll onto this belt at the entrance
to the mouthpiece rollers and the channel, and the filler rod is guided into both
paper and belt which are shaped into trough form by the mouthpiece rollers.
Said channel has a folding lip which turns one edge of the paper over and down
onto the filler, while at about the same time the opposite edge of the paper receives
a coating of paste from paste applying devices. Beyond these pasting devices is a
second and opposite folding lip which turns the pasted edge of the paper over and
down upon that edge portion thereof which was first folded (the tape belt having,
between the two lips regained its normal position) and is thereby secured, and the
wrapping completed. The enveloped filler now passes on to the cutter, which
consists of a rotary head or carrier journaled to rotate in a vertical plane transverse
to the line of feed. Loosely or pivotally attached to said carrier at equi-distant
points are a series of knives or cutters which rotate in a plane parallel with that of
the carrier and which are capable, at the proper times, of an independent movement
due to springs at a speed in excess of that of the carrier, whereby they make an
almost instantaneous draw cut. Each knife in succession has a similar action, and
if, as usually is the case, there are six in the series, six cigarettes will be cut to
го

page_text: lengths.
All moving parts of the machine in contact with the filler and with the enveloped
rod, are driven at as nearly a uniform speed as possible.
A description will now be given pointing out more specifically the construction,
combinations and arrangement of the means which are preferably employed in the
machine for performing the several steps of its operation, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings in which―
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, of a machine embodying the invention; the
tobacco feeding mechanism being removed.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same with the tobacco feeding mechanism
in place.
Figure 3 is an end view of the machine.
Figure 4 is a broken sectional view illustrating the feeding mechanism.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the machine with the feeding mechanism
removed.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section taken centrally through Figure 5.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the cutting mechanism.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 9 is a detail view showing the paste applying mechanism.
Figure 10 is a view showing a modified form of the same.
Figure 11 is a detail view, showing in end and front elevation the guiding device
for the filler forming belts.
Figure 12 is a detail view of the mouthpiece rollers and their gear.
Figures 13 and 14 are sectional views showing succeeding steps in the operation
of wrapping the filler rod:
Figure 15 is a detail view in parts 25, 27, 27 and 28.
In the drawings the numeral i designates the main frame of the machine; 2, the
main shaft thereof from which the operative parts derive their motion, and which
is driven by suitable power connection; 3, is the frame of the tobacco feeding
attachment; 4, the endless feed belt thereof, 5 and 6, the carrying rollers therefor,
one of which is driven positively by gear such as indicated at 7. 8, are the two
smaller positively driven toothed cylinders which seize the tobacco from said belt;
9 and 10 are two larger positively driven cylinders by the action of which the
tobacco is taken from the cylinder 8 and is delivered through a chute 11, into the
filler forming conduit. 12, 12, are the two endless belts having adjacent portions
which form the lateral walls of such conduit, and which are provided with flanges
or lips 13. 14 are the horizontal carrying rollers for said belts, two of which,
which are also the driving rollers, being geared to the main shaft. 15, is a device,
such as an idle pulley, for spreading laterally the upper portions of said belts at
the receiving ends of said couduit (see Fig. 4). 16 and 17 are guiding devices for
said belts (see Fig. 11). 18 is the third endless belt, of narrow form, which is
preferably employed to form the bottom of said conduit. 19 is a plate over which
the operative portion of the belt 18 travels, and which prevents it from sagging.
If desired the belt 18 may be dispensed with and the plate 19 be arranged to form
the bottom of the conduit. 20 are the carrying and driving pulleys for the belt 18,
one of which, which is also the driving roller, as indicated, being geared to the
main shaft.
Said belt is also guided by the device 16 (see Fig. 6). 21 indicates two extended
series of vertically journaled rollers, one series of which is arranged upon each side
of the filler forming conduit and which press against said belts while they are
assuming their edgewise disposed relations to each other, and also a ter they have
assumed such positious. The supports 22 for said rollers are made adjustable
laterally as indicated at 23, whereby their pressure upon the belts may be
regulated. Means are also provided whereby the belts 12 may be adjusted both as
to tension and with respect to their lateral separation at their conduit forming

page_text: portions. 24 designates transverse rollers which bear upon the upper edges of the
belts 12 and prevent the tobacco from working up between them. These belts,
with the flanges and pressure rollers act to shape the filler as it moves forward
with the belts.
25 designates the extended trough or channel in which the wrapping is done,
said channel being in endwise alignment with the filler forming conduit, and
connected therewith by a guide 26. 27 is an endless tape belt which runs through
said channel. 28 are positively driven friction driving rollers for said belt.
29 are idle guiding pulleys therefor. 30 and 31 are the two mouthpiece rollers,
which are of the form best shown in Figure 12, the lower one having a V-shaped
depression therein, and the upper one a projection of complementary form. These
rollers are positively driven by gear 32. 33 is an endless belt which assists the
feed of the filler through the guide 26, and which is driven by roller 30, and also
carried by an idle pulley 34. 35 is the holding roll for the wrapping paper,
journaled underneath the main frame. 36 indicates the web of paper and 37, the
guiding and tension rollers by which it is carried onto the tape belt 27, and
through the mouthpiece rollers which shape the paper and the belt into trough
form (see Fig. 12) 36* is a grooved disk which presses the filler down onto the
paper and belt. 37ª is the first folding device or lip and 38 is the second,
oppositely placed similar device.
The paste applying mechanism between the folding devices preferably consists
(see Fig. 9) in a paste receptacle 39, a wheel or roll 40, turning therein, a vibratory
rotary roll 41 whose surface is in frictional contact with that of 40, and one or
more horizontal, rotary disks 42 which takes the paste from the vibrating roll and
delivers it to the standing edge of the paper. The vibrating roll is loose on its
shaft 41* and has cam shaped ends 41' which are engaged by pins or projections 41°
of said shaft, whereby as the roll rotates it is caused an endwise vibration.
The devices shown in Fig. 10 may however be used instead. They consist of a
paste receptacle 42ª a positively driven disk 43 which turns in the same through
a slot in its walls, and also in contact with the standing edge of the paper,
scrapers 44 which remove the paste from the upper and lower faces of disk 43 and
a scraper or doctor 45 which removes excess of paste from the periphery of
the disk.
The manner in which the pasting and wrapping is accomplished is best shown in
Figs. 9, 13, and 14 which illustrate the several steps thereof.
46 designates a guide in which the enveloped filler rod passes from the wrapping
channel to the cutting mechanism. This cutting mechanism is preferably
constructed and arranged as follows:
47 is a circular head or carrier which is journaled to rotate in a vertical plane,
transverse to the line of feed, in the direction indicated by the arrow, and adjacent
to the end of the guide 46. This carrier has double peripheral flanges 48 in which
are loosely journaled a series of equi-distant shafts 49, which project beyond the
respective faces of the carrier. 50 indicates the knives or cutters, one of which is
rigidly but removably secured to the projecting rear end of each shaft in a suitable
holder 51. 52 are springs, one of which is coiled around the intermediate portion
of each of said shafts, one end being fixed to the carrier and the other to the shaft
by means of an adjustable set collar 53. 54 is an arm which is fixed to each shaft
at the end opposite the knife, and which, as the carrier rotates, is adapted to engage
with a fixed cam 55, whereby said shaft is rotated in its bearings in the carrier, and
the springs 52 thereon is wound, or put under tension, so that as the arm is released
from the cam by further rotation of the head, said spring acts to throw the knife
suddenly forwardly and downward in the direction of the rotation of the carrier,
but at a speed in excess thereof. 56 indicates stop pins, which are so disposed on
the rotary head as to stop the arms 54 at the proper time, after the knife has made
the cut. 57 indicates the gear by which the carrier is rotated from the main shaft
at the proper relative speed.
It is not desired in the practice of this invention that the construction and

page_text: .
arrangement of the several parts shall be limited precisely to that shown and
described, but that the same may be varied somewhat in detail without departing
from the principle thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is-
1. A cigarette machine having a filler forming conduit whose lateral walls are
formed by opposing endless belts which are held for a portion of their operative
lengths to form a trough into which the tobacco is fed, and which have flanges
which assist in shaping the filler rod, substantially as specified.
2. A cigarette machine having a filler forming conduit whose lateral walls are
formed by endless opposing, flanged belts which are held in trough form for a
portion of their lengths to receive the tobacco, the parts which co-operate with
said belts to shape the filler rod, means for feeding the tobacco in said belts, the
devices for feeding and guiding the paper, the wrapping devices, the rotary cutter,
and the necessary driving mechanism, substantially as specified.
3. The combination with the devices which form the continuous filler rod and
wrap the same, of the rotary cutter head having a series of spring actuated cutters
which are successively placed under tension and successively released and thrown
forward to make the cut, substantially as specified.
4. The method and means for making a continuous cigarette and for cutting the
same into lengths, as herein described and shown.
Sloth day of May LOVE.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.