An Improved Filler Forming Device for Cigarette Machines,
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Filler Forming Device for Cigarette Machines,
I, FRANK JAMES LUDINGTON, of 10 and 11, Stonecutter Street, Farringdon
Street, London, 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 an improved filler forming device for cigarette
machines and it is designed to be used in conjunction with what are known as
continuous cigarette machines" and it has for its object to construct a device
whereby the filler rod may be formed from tobacco fed directly upon the paper
by which the said rod is afterwards enveloped to form the cigarette length which
is afterwards cut up into convenient lengths by mechanism forming part of the
machine to which the filler forming device is applied.
In carrying the invention into effect the tobacco is fed directly from the device
for arranging the fibres of the same on to the paper which passes in front of the
discharge orifice of the said device.
The paper rests upon a band of cloth or any other material and is caused by
suitable means to advance carrying with it the tobacco- until the same is sub-
mitted to the action of two horizontally disposed circular discs, the paper passing
under the disc allowing the tobacco thereon to be compressed until it assumes
a rectangular cross section, an endless band or belt running over suitable pullies
and bearing upon the top of the tobacco which is then enclosed at the sides by
the two horizontal discs at the bottom by the paper, which is supported by the
frame of the machine and at the top by the endless band or belt aforesaid. After
leaving the compressing device last described, the paper travelling forward is
caused to be raised at the sides forming an approximately U shaped trough at
the bottom of which is the tobacco, the sides of the paper being turned up by a
plate having suitable channels cut therein and adapted to turn the sides up and
at the same time to protect the paper whilst the tobacco is being pressed by two
vertically disposed discs arranged in the path of the tobacco and having a cir-
cumferential groove of semicircular section, the adjacent runs of which grooves
travel in the same direction as the tobacco, which after this stage will be alluded
to as the filler, the upper of the two discs has its periphery at the lowest point
bearing directly upon the tobacco and is preferably driven at a somewhat higher
speed than the travel of the said filler so as to slip somewhat, the lower disc,
the peripheral groove of which is milled, travels at the same rate of speed as the
filler and is in contact with the band supporting the paper, upon the upper sur-
face of which is the tobacco. The object of the milling within the groove is to
ensure the regular advancement of the filler, which after leaving the discs is
enveloped by a suitable device with paper and then cut into lengths, and it is
to ensure the equality of such lengths that the serrations of milling is formed
upon the lower disc.
In order that the invention may be the better understood drawings have been
onded in which: -

page_text: Fig. is a front view of the device.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same..
Fig. 3 is a section showing more clearly and to an enlarged scale a detail. of
the arrangement of the circumferentially grooved discs.
Fig. 4 is an elevational view illustrating an alternative arrangement of the
device.
Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4, and
Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5.
1 is the frame of the cigarette machine upon which is secured the bracket 2,
provided with a vertical adjustment 3, for the block 4, which has a bearing 5,
formed thereon, through which passes the spindle 6, the front end of the said
spindle being supported by the extending curved arm 7, forming part of the
block 4. Secured to the spindle 6, is a pulley 8, and upon either side of the
pulley are mitre wheels 9, 10, engaging with similar wheels 11 and 12, secured
to the upper end of the spindles supporting the two horizontal discs 13, 14, one
spindle that of the disc 13, being carried by a suitable bearing formed in the
frame 1, and the other 14, is secured by a suitable fly nut 15, to the horizontal
plate or extension 16, projecting from the flange 17, upon which runs the paper
upon a belt of cloth or other material indicated by dotted lines X, in Fig. 1,
which band passes beneath the lower surface of the discs so that the tobacco
thereon is compressed by the said discs, the adjacent runs of which move in the
same direction and at a speed coincident with the travel of the said band X.;
Supported by the pulley 8, is an endless belt or band of leather or other suit-
able material 18, the lower surface of which is in contact with the upper surfaces
of the discs 13 and 14, thus giving to the tobacco at this point a rectangular
section. The band 18 is also supported by the smaller sheares 19, 20, one of which
19, is secured to a spindle 21, carried by a bearing 22 Fig. 2, secured to the
frame 1, and the other is secured to one end of the swing arm 23, attached to the
bracket 2, by a bolt 24. The line of the belt at the forward end is somewhat
depressed as shown in Fig. 1, so as to further compress the tobacco at that point
and blocks 25, 26 are secured upon either side of the tobacco to prevent it
spreading.
The pulley 8, is actuated by the chain wheel 27 indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1,
to which motion is imparted by the chain 28, also shown dotted which chain
receives motion from any convenient part of the machine to which the device is
applied, and which chain after actuating other parts of the device, which will be
subsequently described, passes under the idle tension wheel 29, carried by the
swing arm 30", secured to the bracket 2. Secured to the spindle 6 at the back
end thereof is a pinion 30 actuating through an intermediate wheel 31, a smaller
pinion 32 secured to the spindle of the wheel 19.
The band X after leaving the discs 13, 14, is engaged by the blocks 25, 26
within which are formed channels adapted to turn up the edges of the said belt until
it reaches the position indicated at Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that the
band at the sides is protected by the downwardly extending projections 33, 34,
whilst the centre of the band is in contact with the upper portion of the periphery
of the grooved disc 35, which disc projects slightly above the semicircular
groove 36, formed in the plate 37, secured to the flange of the bracket 38, bolted
to the frame 1. The disc 35, is supported by a bearing in the frame 1, and has
formed in the groove upon its periphery a series of transverse indentations or
milling adapted to engage with the belt and ensure its regular lineal advancement.
Superposed to the disc 35, is a second disc 39, carried by a bearing secured to
the block 40, adjustably secured to the bracket 41, the vertical adjustment of
which is effected by the milled head upon the screw 42. The disc 39, is actuated
by the chain 28, before referred to, which passes partly around the chain wheel 43,
and also partly around the chain wheel 44, secured to the spindle of the disc 35.
The motion of the adjacent runs of the two discs is in the same direction but the
speed of the upper disc, the groove within the periphery of which is smooth, is

page_text: preferably higher than that of the lower disc, thereby causing the same to slip
upon the tobacco.
After leaving the two. discs the tobacco is wrapped by any one of the usual
forms of wrapping devices, and is then cut by the device forming part of the
machine.
"
[T
Referring to Fig. 4, in which is shown an alternative arrangement which I
may employ in cases where the tobacco is found to be particularly coarse and
where it is desirable to give to the same a certain amount of compression prior
to submitting it to the compressing action of the two discs 13 and 14, and the
belt 18. In this case the discs 13 and 14 have running round their peripheries
two continuous vertically disposed steel bands 45, 46, supported at their rear
ends by two similar discs 48, 49, to those already referred to and which discs are
preferably undercut upon their edges to receive the bands as shown by dotted
lines in Fig. 5, to which motion is imparted by the discs 13, 14, operated by the
wheels 11 and 12, as aforesaid, the rear discs being loosely mounted upon.
spindles 50 51, adjustably secured to the bracket 52, by screws 53, 54. The
bracket 52, is secured to the frame 1, by bolts or screws passing through the
vertical plates or extensions 55, 56, 57, and also by studs or screws passing through
the vertical plate 58, which plate in the present instance is shown as being secured
to the side of the frame 1. The bracket 52, would also carry the spindles of the
discs 13, 14, the disc 14, being adjustably secured to the extension 59, by means
of the fly nut 60. It will be seen on reference to Fig. 5, that the adjacent or
inner runs of the belts or hands 45, 46, diverge towards the outer end of said
runs so that as the tobacco Z is discharged upon the paper X from the tobacco
hopper indicated by y, Fig. 4, (the mouth of which hopper is superposed directly
over the inner runs of the belts or bands so that the tobacco falls between the
said runs and directly on to the paper) and the belts travelling in unison with
the paper, the tobacco is gradually compressed as it is carried along until after
passing the end of the belts it is submitted to the action of the belt 18, by which
it is compressed as aforesaid, giving it a rectangular cross section. To prevent
any longitudinal deflection of the belts from the straight line, guides 61, 62, are
provided upon the horizontal plate 63, of the bracket 52, and which guides bear
against the outer faces of the said bands. One guide 61, may form part of the
plate 63, and the other 62 may be adjustably secured thereto by means of the
studs 64, passing through slots 65, formed in the said guide.
Although I have described and illustrated the device as being provided with
two vertically disposed discs for giving the filler its round shape, I do not wish
to confine myself to such arrangement as the filler could be formed without the
use of the lower serrated disc, the groove in the plate 37, being sufficient to
complete the formation of the filler, and further I do not wish to limit myself to
the precise form and arrangement herein described as I may duplicate or further
increase the number of compressing devices should it at any time be found
desirable, and the general structural details may also be varied to suit the par-
ticular form of cigarette machine to which the device is to be applied..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a filler forming device the combination of two horizontally disposed
discs underneath which and in close proximity to which runs the paper for wrap-
ping the tobacco in conjunction with a compressing band travelling across the upper
face of the said discs, all substantially as described and shown by the accompany-
ing drawings.
2. In a filler forming device for use with continuous cigarette machines a
pressing device consisting of a disc or wheel having formed upon its edge a groove
or channel adapted to press directly upon the tobacco and moving in the same

page_text: direction as the filler but at a slightly higher speed, substantially as herein
described and illustrated by the appended drawings.
3. The combination of protective guides for the paper with one or more com-
pressor wheels or discs disposed vertically to the filler rod and having their
adjacent runs travelling in the same direction as the said filler and arranged
the periphery of one bearing directly upon the tobacco and the periphery of the
other or lower one in contact with the band upon which is placed the paper sup-
porting the tobacco, all constructed and operating substantially in the manner
shown and described by the accompanying specification and drawings.
4. In a filler forming device for cigarette machines, the means employed for
ensuring the regular lineal advancement of the filler and which is effected by
milling or otherwise roughing the groove formed upon the periphery of the lower
presser disc, substantially as described and shown by the accompanying drawings.
5. In a filler forming device for cigarette machines forming the filler rod of
tobacco directly upon the paper by which it is subsequently enveloped.
6. In a filler forming device for cigarette machines, the auxiliary device for
compressing the fibres of the tobacco consisting of two steel belts or bands, having
their faces at right angles to the paper, the adjacent runs of which are caused to
travel in the same direction and at the same speed as the paper and which runs
diverge towards their rear ends all constructed, arranged, and operating substan-
tially as herein set forth and shown by the accompanying drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a filler forming
device for cigarette machines, substantially as herein described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1898.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.