Improvements in Machines for Dressing and Feeding Tobacco for use in the 'Manufacture of Cigarettes.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE BOHLS CIGARETTE MACHINE COMPANY,
a Corporation organized under the laws of the State of Virginia, and having
its principal office at Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.]
Improvements in Machines for Dressing and Feeding Tobacco for
use in the 'Manufacture of Cigarettes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45, Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The invention relates, more particularly, to machines for hackling, disentangling
or dressing tobacco so as to prepare it for introduction to a suitable machine for
the manufacture of cigarettes.
In the drawings;-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the positions of the pulleys
and their shaft for driving the feed belt.
Fig. 2 is a similar elevation, viewed from the opposite side, showing the chain
belt, the picker belt, and the connecting shaft for driving the upper and lower
picker rollers.
Fig. 3 is a plan showing the feed belt, the upper and lower picker rollers,
the picker belt, and the means generally employed for giving motion to the
several parts.
Fig. 4 is a front end view showing the upper and lower picker and presser
rollers, the driving pulleys and the shifting rod.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view showing the gearing for driving the pin presser
roller and the upper rotary clearer or stripper.
Fig. 6 is a side view in section, also enlarged, showing the front or inner end of the
picker belt, the lower plain presser roller, the lower picker roller, and the lower
rotary clearer or stripper.
Fig. 7 is a similar side view in section of the front end of the feed belt, and
showing the top plain presser roller, the pin presser roller opposite the end of the
feed belt, the two upper picker rollers and the upper rotary clearer or stripper.
Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the picker belt, indicating the position of the
pins thereon, and showing the driving pulley therefor, and eccentric bearings for
the shaft of said pulley.
Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts in the respective views.
1 represents the frame of the machine, on which is supported, in suitable
bearings, the main driving shaft 26. 2 and 3 are, respectively, tight and loose
pulleys on the shaft 26, over which a belt 3ª (Fig. 1) runs to drive the machine,
the belt being shifted from one pulley to the other, as occasion may require, by an
ordinary belt shifter 24, operated by the handle 25.
One end of the shaft 26 carries a gear 35 engaging a gear 36 on the adjacent
end of a shaft 37, the latter being supported by brackets 37" secured to the side
of the frame. The other end of the shaft 37 carries a gear 38 which engages a
gear 39 on the adjacent end of a shaft 40 extending across the delivery end of the
machine, and supported in suitable bearings thereon. At its other end, the shaft 40
is provided with a worm 41 which engages the worm gear 42 on the adjacent end
of the shaft 4. This shaft 4 is supported in bearings in the brackets 8, 8 attached
to the machine near each end. The shaft 4 extends nearly the entire length of the
machine, and carries at its other end a bevel gear 5 meshing with a bevel gear 6 on

page_text: one end of the shaft 6ª, supported in eccentric bearings in the brackets 8 attached
to the frame of the machine. These bearings are similar to those for the shaft 18,
shown in Fig. 8, and referred to hereinafter.
The other end of the shaft 6" carries a sprocket wheel 43 (Fig. 2) which drives
a chain belt 44, the latter in turn driving the shaft 18 through the medium of the
sprocket wheel 45 rigidly secured thereon. The shaft 18 is supported in eccentric
bearings 48 carried by brackets 48 bolted to the frame of the machine. See
Figs. 1, 2 and 8. The object of providing eccentric bearings for the shafts 6ª and 18ª
is to enable the position of the shafts to be changed for the purpose of tightening
the belts which run over the pulleys carried by said shafts. The bearings for
the shaft 6 are operated by the lever 8b, and those for the shaft 18 by the
46 represents an ordinary belt tightener adapted to rest upon the
. lever 47.
chain 44.
The shaft 6" carries a pulley 6b (Fig. 3). A pulley 11 is rigidly attached to a
shaft 11, journaled in the frame above the shaft 26, and a feed belt 7 travels
around these pulleys 6 and 11, the belt being driven by the pulley 6". A shaft 10ª
is also journaled in the frame, substantially in the same horizontal plane as that
occupied by the shaft 11, and carries a roller 10 provided on its surface with a
series of pins, and which will be hereinafter referred to as the pin presser roller.
The pins of this roller are of such length as to just clear the belt. The shaft 11ª
carries at one end a gear 12 which engages a smaller gear 13 on the shaft 10º, thus
giving the shaft 10" and pin presser roller 10 a more rapid movement than is
given to the shaft 11ª and pulley 11. The shaft 9 of another roller 9, (which will
be hereinafter called the top plain presser roller) is also supported in suitable
bearings in the frame above the roller 10 and pulley 11, and in such position that it
will press on the tobacco just before it leaves the feed belt 7.
The shaft 26 carries a roller 14 whose surface is provided with a series of pins
which mesh with the pins on the pin presser roller 10. This roller 14 will be
referred to hereinafter as the first upper picker roller. A shaft 15ª, mounted in
suitable bearings in the frame of the machine, adjacent to, and in the same hori-
zontal line with the shaft 26, carries another roller 15 similar to the roller 14, and
which will be alluded to hereinafter as the second upper picker roller. The pins
on the second upper picker roller 15 mesh with those on the first upper picker
roller 14. The shaft 26 carries a gear 33 which engages with a smaller gear 34
on the shaft 15. The shaft 15 is thus driven by the shaft 26, but at a much
higher velocity; and, consequently, the second upper picker roller 15 will have a
much higher rotation than the first upper picker roller 14, and in reverse direction.
Another shaft 29 is journaled in suitable bearings in the frame below and beyond
the shaft 15 (Figs. 2 and 7), and carries a roller 16, similar to the rollers 14 and 15,
and which will be designated hereinafter as the upper stripping roller. The pins
of the upper stripping roller 16 mesh with those of the second upper picker
roller 15.
The shaft 26 carries a gear wheel 27 which engages with a much smaller gear 28
on the shaft 29. See Figs. 1 and 3. The shaft 28 will thus be driven by the
shaft 26, but at a much greater velocity and in an opposite direction. The stripping
roller 16 will therefore travel in an opposite direction to, and at a greater velocity
than, the first upper picker roller 14.
As the relative difference in size between the gears 27 and 29 is greater than
between the gears 33 and 34, and as the gears 27 and 33 are both on the shaft 26,
it will be seen that while the shafts 15ª and 29 will be rotated in the same direction,
the latter will have the greater velocity, and, consequently, the stripper roller 16
will rotate in the same direction as the second upper picker roller 15, but at a
higher speed.
17 represents an endless belt passing over the pulley 18, on the shaft 18%, and a
roller 19 journaled in suitable bearings near the delivery end of the machine.
See Figs. and 6. This belt is provided with a series of pins projecting from its
outer face, which mesh with pins on the surface of a roller 22 mounted on the

page_text: shaft 40. The belt 17 will be termed hereinafter the picker belt, and the roller 22
the lower picker roller. The shaft 40 is driven by the shaft 26, as hereinbefore
explained, the intermediate gears being so arranged that the two shafts will have
substantially uniform speed, but will rotate in opposite directions. The first upper
picker roller 14 and the lower picker roller 22 will, therefore, have substantially
common speed, but will move in opposite directions. 32° represents a shaft, journaled
in suitable bearings at the delivery end of the machine, below and beyond the
shaft 40 (see Figs. 2 and 6). This shaft carries a roller 23 similar to the lower
picker roller 22, the pins of these rollers meshing as seen in Fig. 6. The roller 23
will be referred to hereinafter as the lower stripping roller. The shaft 29 carries
at one end a pulley 30, and on the corresponding end of the shaft 32* is a similar
pulley 32. A belt 31 transmits motion from the shaft 29 to the shaft 32; and, the
two pulleys 30 and 32 being substantially uniform in size, the two shafts 29 and 32*
(and consequently the upper and lower stripper rollers 16 and 23) will have sub-
stantially the same speed.
20 represents a plain presser roller supported in slotted bearings 21, and adapted
to press on the tobacco carried by the picker belt 17 just before the lower picker
roller 22 takes the tobacco from the belt. See Fig. 6. This roller 20, herein-
after called the lower plain presser roller, bears the same relation to the picker
belt 17 that the top presser roller 9 does to the feed belt 7, and both are run by
friction.
.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that all the operative parts of the
machine derive their movement, primarily, from the main shaft 26, but, owing to
the arrangement of gearing described, do not all move at the same speed. It will
also be apparent that the feed belt 7 and picker belt 17 have a slow but substantially
uniform speed; that the pin presser roller 10 has a somewhat greater speed than
the feed belt 7, but not as great as that of the first upper picker roller 14; that
the first upper picker roller 14 and the lower picker roller 22 have substantially
uniform speed; that the second upper picker roller 15 has a greater speed than
the first upper picker roller 14; and that the upper and lower stripping rollers 16
and 23 have substantially a uniform speed; but much higher than that of any of the
other operative parts.
The operation is as follows:
The tobacco is spread evenly on the feed belt 7 and carried by it under the top
plain presser roller 9. The pins of the pin presser roller 10 will imbed themselves
in the tobacco and deliver it slowly to the first upper picker roller 14. As the
first upper picker roller 14 moves at a much greater speed than the pin presser
roller 10, the pins of the latter will offer a certain resistance to the tobacco as the
pins of the former take it off, thereby causing the tobacco to be more thoroughly
disentangled than would be the case if both rollers revolved at the same speed.
Another advantage, arising from the difference in speed of the said two rollers, is
that the pins of the more rapidly revolving picker roller will thoroughly strip the
pins of the slowly moving presser roller of all particles of tobacco which might
otherwise cling to them. The tobacco then passes between the first and second
upper picker rollers 14 and 15 which revolve in opposite directions; and, as the
latter moves at a higher rate of speed than the former, the same advantageous
results are accomplished as attend the conjoint operation of the pin presser
roller 10 and the first upper picker roller 14. Most of the partially dressed
tobacco will fall from between the two picker rollers onto the picker belt 17;
and any fibres that may cling to the pins of the second upper picker roller 15 will
be removed therefrom by the pins of the still more rapidly revolving stripping
roller 16 and thrown onto the belt 17. The picker belt 17 will carry the tobacco
forward slowly under the lower presser roller 20, which will press it down between
the pins of the said belt. The pins of the lower picker roller 22 will take the
tobacco from the picker belt 17; and, as the former moves at a much higher rate
of speed than the latter, the pins of the latter will offer a certain resistance to the
tobacco and prevent the pins of the former from tearing it off irregularly or more

page_text: rapidly than it is fed forward. The same advantages as to thorough and complete
disentanglement of the tobacco and clearing of the pins of the picker belt, will
occur here as have been explained as attending the co-operative action of the pin
presser roller 10 and the first upper picker roller 14. From the lower picker
roller 22, the tobacco, which is now completely dressed or disentangled, is conveyed,
in any suitable manner, to the feed belt of a cigarette machine, any fibres that may
cling to its pins being removed by the pins of the more rapidly revolving lower
stripping roller 23.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
feed belt, a plain presser roller, first and second picker rollers, and a pin presser
roller whose pins mesh with those of the first picker roller, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination with an endless
feed belt given a slow movement, of a plain presser roller, first and second picker
rollers revolving at high speed and a pin presser roller whose pins mesh with those
of the first picker roller, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination with an endless
feed belt, of a plain presser roller, first and second picker rollers, a pin presser roller
whose pins mesh with those of the first picker roller, and a rotary clearer or stripper,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
feed belt given a slow movement, a plain presser roller, first and second picker rollers
revolving at high speed, a pin presser roller whose pins mesh with those of the first
picker roller, and an upper rotary clearer or stripper having pins meshing with those
of the second picker roller, and running at a velocity higher than that of said rollers,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination with an endless
feed belt, a plain presser roller and picker rollers, of an endless picker belt, sub-
stantially as set forth.
6. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, an endless feed belt, a plain
presser roller, picker rollers and a rotary clearer or stripper, combined with an
endless picker belt, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, an endless feed belt given
a slow movement, a plain presser roller, a pin presser roller, picker rollers and a
rotary clearer or stripper, said rollers and clearer or stripper having velocities as
described, combined with an endless picker belt having a movement substantially
uniform with that of the feed belt, substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
picker belt, a plain presser, roller and a picker roller, substantially as set forth.
9. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
picker belt, a plain presser roller, a picker roller, and a rotary clearer or stripper,
substantially as set forth.
10. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
picker belt given a slow movement, a plain presser roller and a picker roller the
latter revolving at high speed and meshing with the pins of the picker belt, sub-
stantially as set forth.
11. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
picker belt given a slow movement, a plain presser roller and a picker roller, the
latter revolving at high speed and meshing with the picker belt, combined with a
rotary clearer or stripper moving at a speed higher than that of said picker roller,
substantially as set forth.
12. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, an endless feed belt, a plain
presser roller, first and second picker rollers revolving at high speed, a pin presser

page_text: roller whose pins mesh with those of the first picker roller and a rotary clearer or
stripper ineshing with the second roller and revolving at still greater velocity, com-
bined with a picker belt given a movement substantially uniform with that of the feed
belt, a lower plain presser roller, a lower picker roller whose pins mesh with the picker
belt, and which revolves at a speed higher than that of said belt, and a rotary clearer
or stripper meshing with said picker roller and revolving at a speed higher than that
of said roller, substantially as set forth.
13. The method herein described of dressing tobacco by subjecting it to pressure
and to a tearing, disentangling or hackling action between roughened surfaces
moving at different velocities, substantially as set forth.
14. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
feed belt, a top plain presser roller journaled above the said belt to press the
tobacco at its point of delivery from the belt, a pin presser roller provided with
pins on its surface to take the tobacco from the feed belt, first and second upper
picker rollers journaled below the pin presser roller and having pins on their
surfaces, the pins on the first upper picker roller meshing with those on the second
picker roller and also with those on the pin presser roller, and suitable gearing to
revolve the second upper picker and the pin presser rollers in a direction opposite
to that in which the feed belt and the first upper picker roller move, and also to
give varying rates of speed to the feed belt, the pin presser roller and the first and
second picker rollers, the relative speeds of the said rollers increasing in the order
in which they are named and all being higher than that of the belt, substantially as
and for the purposes specified.
15. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, the combination of an endless
feed belt, a top plain presser roller journaled above the said belt to press the
tobacco at its point of delivery from the belt, a pin presser roller provided with
pins on the surface to take the tobacco from the feed belt, first and second upper
picker rollers journaled below the pin presser roller and having pins on their
surfaces the pins on the first upper picker roller meshing with those on the second
upper picker roller and also with those on the pin presser roller, an upper stripping
roller journaled below the second upper picker roller and having pins on its surface
meshing with those on the second picker roller, and suitable gearing to revolve the
stripping, the second picker, and the pin presser rollers in a direction opposite to
that in which the feed belt and the first picker roller move and also to give varying
rates of speed to the feed belt, the pin presser roller, first and second picker rollers,
and upper stripping roller, the relative speeds of the said rollers increasing in the
order in which they are named, and all being higher than that of the feed belt,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
16. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco, an endless feed belt adapted
to have a slow movement, a pin presser roller having pins on its surface adapted to
take the tobacco from the belt, and first and second upper picker rollers between
which the tobacco is carried from the pin presser rollers, said rollers being adapted
to have relatively increasing speeds in the order named and all moving faster than
the feed belt, and the second picker and the pin presser rollers moving in a
direction opposite to that in which the feed belt and the first picker roller move,
combined with a picker belt to receive the tobacco from the first and second upper
picker rollers, said picker belt having a movement substantially uniform with that
of the feed belt, and suitable gearing to give the several parts their respective
movements, substantially as described.
17. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco an endless picker belt adapted
to receive partially dressed tobacco from the picker rollers located above it, said
belt being provided with pins on its outer surface, combined with a lower plain
presser roller journaled above said picker belt to press the tobacco down between
the pins on said belt at the point of its delivery, a lower picker roller having pins
on its surface meshing with those on the belt, a lower stripping roller provided with
pins on its surface meshing with those on the lower picker roller, and suitable
gearing to revolve the said picker and stripping rollers in a direction opposite to

page_text: that in which the picker belt travel and also to give varying speeds to the picker
belt, the lower picker roller and the lower stripping roller, the speed of the latter
being greater than that of the picker roller, aud the speed of the picker roller
being greater than that of the picker belt, substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
18. In a machine for dressing and feeding tobacco an endless feed belt, a top
plain presser roller journaled above the feed belt to press the tobacco at its point
of delivery from the belt, a pin presser roller having pins on its surface which take
the tobacco from the feed belt, first and second upper picker rollers journaled
below the pin presser roller and having pins on their surfaces, the pins on the first
upper picker roller meshing with those on the second upper picker roller and also
with those on the pin presser roller, and suitable gearing to revolve the second
upper picker and the pin presser rollers, in a direction opposite to that in which
the first picker roller and the feed belt move, and also to give varying rates of
speed to the feed belt, the pin presser roller, and the first and second picker rollers,
the relative speeds of the said rollers increasing in the order in which they are
named and all being higher than that of the belt, combined with a picker belt
adapted to receive the partially dressed tobacco from the first and second upper
picker rollers, said picker belt having pins on its outer surface, a lower plain
presser roller journaled above said picker belt to press the tobacco down between
the pins on said belt at the point of its delivery, a lower picker roller having pins
on its surface meshing with those on the belt, and suitable gearing between the
feed belt and the picker belt, and between the first upper picker roller and the
lower picker roller to give them, respectively, substantially uniform movement, for
the purposes specified.
Dated this 7th day of March 1202
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.