IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING CIGARS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lanc, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING CIGARS."-A com
munication from abroad by Richard Austin Bright, junior, of
Providence, Rhode Island, and Lucien Bonaparte Stone, of the
City and State of New York, both in the United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th November 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING
CIGARS," a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a machine for making.

page_text: and completing cigars of suitable size and shape, that is to roll the
filling, wind the inner and outer wrapper around it to form the point,
and cut off the end so as to make a perfect cigar.
The said Invention consists in the general construction of the machine,
and more particularly in the application, form, and arrangement of a
number of non-elastic rollers, between which the cigar is formed, and in
the use of a follower to prevent the cigar from being too long, of a
header for forming the point, and of a cutter for cutting and trimming
the thick end of the cigar. The said machine is constructed with a
metal or other frame consisting of a slotted bed plate, two uprights or
end pieces, a front face plate, and a rear plate. In the uprights or end
pieces are the bearings of two horizontal non-elastic rollers, each of
which carries at one end outside of the frame a small pinion. A short
horizontal spindle is supported in bearings in one of the uprights and in
an arm projecting therefrom; the inner end of the said spindle extends
through the inner face of the said upright. The said spindle carries a
toothed wheel (which meshes into the roller pinious), and carries also
a fly wheel and a crank or pulley for receiving rotary motion by suitable
mechanism. Between the uprights is an adjustable frame consisting of
a long curved plate and two vertical end pieces resting with their lower
edges on shoulders formed on the end pieces of the main frame. In the
end pieces of the adjustable frame are the bearings for three horizontal non-
clastic rollers whose axles project through the upright, and carry pinions of
the same size as the pinions which gear with the wheel on the horizontal
spindle. The lower edges of the end pieces of the adjustable frame are
provided each with two curved projections with a rounded recess between
them, and on the aforesaid shoulders of the uprights are formed a corre-
sponding projection and recesses. The adjustable frame is provided with
a projecting handle, by means of which the said frame can be swung to
turn around either of the projections on its end pieces. When the
adjustable frame is so set that its projections and recesses are all in
contact with the corresponding parts of the main frame the pinions of
its rollers will be in gear with the toothed wheel on the horizontal
spindle, but otherwise they will not be in gear. Each roller is provided
with two shoulders between the uprights of the main frame, the one
shoulder being near the horizontal spindle and the other near the
opposite upright. Between these shoulders the surface of each roller is
curved, that is, it is thinner in the middle than near the shoulders, so
that between the five rollers a cavity is formed corresponding with the

page_text: shape of the cigar. Opposite the short horizontal spindle and in line
with it is fitted through the upright a pin, on which the point former
or header is secured. This header is an open cone-shaped piece with
two projecting lips which fit respectively under the face plate and
curved plate, and prevent the turning of the header. The inner end of
the header abuts against the last mentioned of the two shoulders of the
rollers. Upon that portion of the short spindle which projects from the
inner side of the upright is fitted the follower, the same being a
cylindrical shouldered block. Between this block and the upright is
interposed a spring which serves to push the block forward, so that its
shoulder is always in contact with the first-mentioned shoulder of the
rollers, while at the same time the spring will allow the block to yield
to pressure against its inner end. A spring or springs may be fastened
to the main frame to hold the adjustable frame in any desired position
either by friction or by fitting in notches that may be formed in the
curved plate. A curved bar is pivoted to an adjustable ear which is
fitted upon the curved plate. One end of this bar has a weight, while
the other end carries a knife. The weight keeps this bar is an elevated
position, but the bar can be swung so as to bring the knife between
the rollers to sever anything held between them. By making one of
the uprights detachable from the plate of the main frame, rollers of
various forms for various kinds of cigars, as well as headers and followers
of suitable form, may be inserted. From the front of the adjustable
frame tongues may be fitted into corresponding recesses of the main
frame to keep, the adjustable frame steady when the machine is in
operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8 Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake,
Her special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING
CIGARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a machine for making
and completing cigars of suitable size and shape that is to roll the
filling, wind the inner and outer wrapper around it to form the point,
and cut off the end so as to make a perfect cigar.
The said Invention consists in the general construction of the machine,
and more particularly in the application, form, and arrangement of a
number of non-elastic rollers, between which the cigar is formed, and
in the use of a follower to prevent the cigar from being too long, of a
header for forming a point, and of a cutter for cutting and trimming the
thick end of the cigar.

page_text: Figure 1 is a detail plan view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections of the same taken
on the plane of the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of the same taken on the
plane of the line z, z, Figure 1. Similar letters of reference indicate
like parts.
A, in the Drawing represents a metallic or other frame consisting of
a slotted bed plate a of two uprights b, b, at the ends of the bed plate of
a front face plate c and of a rear plate d. The front and rear plates
extend from between the two uprights and to the bed plate as shewn.
In the end pieces b, b, are the bearings of two horizontal non-elastic
rollers B and C which carry each at one end outside of the frame a small
pinion e as shewn in Figure 1, and by dotted lines in Figure 5. D is a
short horizontal spindle having its bearings in one of the uprights 6 and
in an arm fprojecting therefrom, the inner end of said spindle extending
some distance, say about one inch, beyond the inner face of the upright b
as shewn. The spindle D carries a toothed wheel g which meshes into
both pinions e, e, as in Figure 5, and carries also a fly wheel and a crank or
pulley for receiving rotary motion by suitable mechanism. E represents
a frame consisting of a long curved plate h, and of two vertical end
pieces i, i, attached thereto, the said end pieces resting with their lower
edges respectively on shoulders formed on the end picces b, b, of the
frame A, the frame E being thereby fitted between the thin upper parts
of the uprights b as shewn in Figure 1. In the end pieces i, i, of the
frame E are the bearings for three horizontal non-elastic rollers F, G,
and H. The axles of these rollers project through one of the perforated
uprights and carry pinions j, j, of the same size as the pinions e as
indicated in Figure 5. The lower edges of the end pieces i, i, are
provided each with two rounded projections k, l, shewn in Figure 4, and
between them a rounded recess m. Corresponding to them are formed
on the aforesaid shoulders of the uprights b, rounded recesses k, l, and
between them a rounded projection m', as in Figure 4. The frame E is
provided with a projecting handle I by means of which the said frame

page_text: can be swung so as to turn around the projection k or as may be
desired. The upper part of the front plate c is bent somewhat over the
roller B and that of the back plate d is bent in as shewn in Figures 3, 4,
and 5. When the frame E is so set that its edges k, l, m, come all in
contact with the parts k, l, m³, of the frame A, the pinions of its
rollers F, G, H, will be in gear with the wheel g as in Figure 5, other-
wise they will not be in gear. Each roller B, C, F, G, H, is provided
with two shoulders n, o, between the uprights of the frame A, the one
shoulder n being near the spindle D, the other o near the opposite
upright as in Figure 1. Between these shoulders n, o, each roller is
formed with a curved side that is thinner in the middle than near the
shoulders, so that between the five rollers a cavity of such shape is
formed as to be the form of the cigar. Opposite the spindle D and in
line with it is fitted through the upright 6 a pin P on which the point
former or header J is secured. This header is a sheet-metal or other
plate bent into the shape of an open cone with two projecting lips r, r,
which fit respectively under the plates c and h as shewn in Figure 2.
By these lips the header is prevented from turning. The inner
end of the header abuts against the shoulders o of the rollers.
Upon that portion of the spindle D which projects from the inner side
of the upright B is fitted a cylindrical block L which has a shoulder 8.
Between this block and the upright is interposed a spring t which
serves to push the block forward, so that its shoulder 8 is always in
contact with the shoulders 12 of the rollers, as in Figure 1; while at the
same time the spring will allow the block L to yield to pressure against
its inner end. A spring or springs M may be fastened to the frame A
to hold the frame E in any desired position, either by mere friction or
by fitting in some notches that may be formed in the plate h. N is
a curved bar pivoted to an adjustable ear u which is fitted upon the
plate h, one end of this bar N has a weight V, while the other end carries
a knife O as shewn in Figure 5. The weight keeps this bar N always
in the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 5, that is, out of the
way, but the bar can be swung so as to bring the knife between the
rollers to sever anything held between them as shewn in Figure 5.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The frame A is set up
so as to be stationary and immoveable during operation. The frame E
is by means of the handle I swung back so as to swing around the

page_text: projections k, thereby the rollers B and H are brought far apart as in
Figure 3, to allow the insertion of the tobacco for forming the filling
between the rollers. Then the frame E is swung forward into the
position shewn in Figure 5 to bring all rollers in gear with the spindle,
the rollers are then all revolved and roll the filling into the desired form.
The follower L will yield to the tobacco if there should be so much as
to make the cigar longer than required. The inner and outer wrappers
are then with their ends inserted between the rollers B, H, and will be
wound around the cigar. The header J causes the required form of
point to be formed on the cigar. When the cigar has been completely
rolled the knife is brought down to cut the broad end off and to trim
it, so that the cigar will be of a certain desired length. To vary the
lengths of the cigars the ear u should be adjustable on the plate H as
indicated in Figure 1. The cigar is now complete, and by swinging the
frame E forwa as in Figure 4 to bring the rollers C and F apart
it will be discharged from between the rollers and will drop through
the slot of the bed plate a into a suitable receptacle. The machine
is by making one of the uprights 6 detachable from the plate a and face
plates c, d, so arranged that the parts can be taken apart so that the rollers
of various forms for various kinds of cigar as well as headers and
followers of suitable form may be inserted. From the front of the
frame E may project some tongues W, fitting into corresponding
recesses of the frame A as shown in Figure 1, to keep the frame E
steady when the machine is in operation.
Having thus described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I claim,-
First. A cigar machine consisting of the stationary frame A carrying
rollers B, C, of the swinging frame E carrying the rollers F, G, H, of the
header J, follower L, and cutter O, all made and operating substantially
as and for the purpose herein shewn and described.
Second. The sliding follower L fitted to the end of the spindle D and
made yielding by means of the spring t, substantially as described, and
operating for the purpose specified.
Third. The header J formed on a pin P and having the lips r, as
set forth for the purpose specified.

page_text: Fourth. The cutter O formed on the swinging weighted lever N,
substantially as set forth, the same being adjustable on the frame E as
described for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in t
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
ninc.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)