Improvements in and relating to Tobacco Cutting Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1892-Accepted. 2nd Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Tobacco Cutting Machines.
I, JOHN MACDONALD of 41 Watson Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction,
or arrangement and combination of the parts of a machine or mechanism for cutting
or chopping plug or cake tobacco in large quantity into thin slices or parts ready
for being made up for smoking.
The improved mechanism would be carried on cast-iron open side frames with
fixed planed table above and with side cheeks or standards, at the centre part
carrying a main crank driving shaft in bearings at the top, driven by bands and
pulleys from any adjacent motive shaft of the works. The plug or cake tobacco
would be carried on a horizontal traversing table above the fixed table, and be cut
or sliced into thin parts of any regulated size intermittently and automatically by a
guillotine knife of the breadth of the traversing table. This knife would be
carried on a cross bar to reciprocate vertically in slide guides in the parallel side
checks of the top standards above the table and be actuated by a link connecting
rod from the crank of the main driving shaft above, all so as to cut the tobacco as
it is uniformly fed forward on the traversing table below. Adjustable bars would
be fitted in the slide guides with the points of screws bearing on them from the
outside plates, so as to hold the guillotine knife frame at all times perfectly tight.
The table would consist of a horizontal plate traversing in slide guides above the
fixed table with a flat wooden board on top on which the plug tobacco would rest
to get cut, and would be reciprocated at a regulated speed by a screw spindle and
screw nut from one end of the machine. This screw spindle would be carried on
and under the fixed table and be operated to rotate by a ratchet wheel and pawl.
lever at one end of machine. The pawl lever would be actuated by a link rod
from a slotted lever quadrant, the rod being adjustable on the quadrant to any
distance from its fulcrum to regulate the motion of the pawl and speed traverse of
the table to adjust it for any desired length or size of cut by the guillotine knife.
This lever quadrant would be mounted on the end of an oscillating or vibrating
shaft carried in bearings at the side of the machine and operated through
connecting rods and links from a cam on the main driving crank shaft. This cam
would be formed with a scroll groove round it with a stud pin and antifriction
roller working in same to operate the connecting rod and slotted quadrant lever
to traverse the horizontal tobacco table forward in time unison with the motion of
the vertical reciprocating cutting knife while the latter is raised.
A fork or stop
link would be mounted, behind the moving pawl lever actuating the ratchet wheel,
on a rod carried on the traversing table, so that if the latter should traverse too
far to cut by the knife the stop link will pass under or prevent the pawl lever
moving forward the ratchet wheel any further.
A plate cover is mounted portably over the block of wood on the traversing
table, to come down and press the tobacco plugs to be cut behind the cutting knife,
this plate being adjusted by pinching screws to oscillate at one end, and connected
by a link or links at the front end to short levers mounted on a transverse shaft
above carried to oscillate on the standards, and reciprocated by an outer end lever
and rod linked to an oscillating plate or bell crank lever and having a weighted
lever fulcrumed on a lateral stud on one side frame of the machine. The tilting of
this weighted lever to one side oscillates the plate lever and brings down the top
plate over the plug tobacco to be cut while it is being traversed forward under this
plate towards the knife, and the tilting of the weighted lever in the other direction

page_text: raises the top plate for the insertion of new plugs when the traversing table is
pushed back behind the cutting knife.
Dated the 20th 1001
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Tobacco Cutting Machines.
I, JOHN MACDONALD, of 41 Watson Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction,
arrangement and combination of the parts of a machine or mechanism for
.cutting or chopping plug or cake tobacco in large quantity into thin slices or parts
ready for being made up for smoking.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure is a side elevation of a tobacco cutting machine as constructed in
accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section corresponding to Figure 1, and taken near the
centre of the machine.
Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the machine corresponding and at right
angles to and looking at the left of Figures 1 and 2;. and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section as taken near the line 1-1 Figure 3.
Referring to these drawings
The improved mechanism is carried on cast-iron open side and end frames A., A,
with fixed planed table A' above, and with side checks or standards A", A", at
the centre part carrying a main crank driving shaft B, in bush bearings at the top
driven by the fast and loose pulleys P, P, and bands P", from any adjacent
motive shaft below the floor or other part of the works, or it might be by hand
and a crank handle on a fly wheel P. The plug or cake tobacco T. is carried on
a horizontal traversing table A' and wood tray A3 above the fixed table A' and is
cut or sliced into thin parts of any regulated size intermittently and automatically
by a guillotine knife C of the breadth of the traversing table A². This knife C is
carried on and between cross bars C1, C2, held together by screw bolts a working
through slots c in the knife C so that its length or depth can be adjusted as its
cutting edge gets worn away; and pressing adjustable set screws c³, secured in the
knife frame bear on the top edge of the knife C to hold it firmly in position.
The knife frame C, C1, C2, is mounted to reciprocate vertically in slide
guides A, C, the latter being secured by screw bolts el in the parallel side
cheeks of the top standards A A" above the table and is actuated by a link
connecting rod B₁ from the crank B of the main driving shaft.B above, or it
might be two connecting rods and cranks, all so as to cut the tobacco as it is
uniformly fed forward on and by the traversing table A² below. Adjustable
bars C³ are fitted in the slides between the fixed plates C and the standard
cheeks A" being supported by pins C and have the points of screws bearing
on them from the outside plates C" so as to hold the guillotine knife frame C, C, C
at all times perfectly tight. The table consists of a horizontal plate A², traversing
in slide guides A at the top A' of the fixed frame A. with a flat wooden board A³
on top, preferably with side vertical checks on which the plug tobacco T rests to
get cut, and is reciprocated at a regulated speed by a screw spindle D, and screw
fut D from one end of the machine. This screw. spindle D is carried in

page_text: bearings D under the fixed table A' and is operated to.rotate by a ratchet
wheel d, and pawl lever d', d², at one end of machine. The pawl lever d', d,
is actuated by a link rod d from a slotted segmental lever, the stud centre of the
rod being adjustable in the slot in the segmental lever to any distance from its
fuleruun to regulate the motion of the pawl and speed traverse of the table A' A'
to adjust it for any desired thickness or size, of cut by the guillotine knife C.
This slotted segmental lever d³ is mounted on the end of an oscillating or vibrating
shaft carried in bearings at the side of the machine and operated through a
lever on it, and a connecting rod d from a cam E on the main driving crank
shaft B. This cam E is formed with a scroll groove round it with a stud pin and
antifriction roller E on the upper end of the rod working in same, as shown in
Figure 2, to operate the connecting rod and slotted lever d³ to traverse the
horizontal tobacco table A2, A3, forward in time unison with the motion of the
vertical reciprocating cutting knife C, while the latter is raised. A fork or stop
link is fulcrumed on the front frame A, behind and below the moving pawl d,
actuating the ratchet wheel d, and is operated by a wedge pointed rod e carried
on the traversing table A, as seen dotted in in Figure 2, so that if the latter should
traverse too far to cut by the knife, the rod e¹ will pass through the groove in
the front end of the frame A and raise the stop link e to pass under and lift
the pawl d² out of gear and prevent it moving forward the ratchet wheel any
further until the table A2, A3, is traversed back by hand for inserting a new plug
to be cut.
A plate cover F is mounted portably over the block of wood A³ on the
traversing table A, to come down and press the tobacco plugs T to be cut, behind
the cutting knife C. This plate F is adjusted by pinching screws to oscillate at
one end of the machine. One set of these pinching screws work up from below
the table and plate and press on the blocks F, and another set of screws from
above. The set f' work through bearing brackets F, bolted to the fixed table A',
and their points bear on the slotted blocks F" carrying the joint ends of the
plate F. The plate F is connected by a link G, at the centre of its front end to
a short lever G mounted on a transverse shaft Gabove carried to oscillate in
bearings on the standards A" and reciprocated by an outer end lever G and
rod G³ linked to an oscillating plate or bellerank lever G and having a weighted
lever G both fulcrumed on a lateral stud G, on one side frame A of the machine.
The tilting of this weighted lever G to one side downwards, as shown in Figure 1,
oscillates the levers G, G, G', and brings down the top plate F over the plug
tobacco T, to be cut while it is being traversed forward under this plate F
towards the knife C, and the tilting of the weighted lever upwards in the other
direction raises the top plate F for the insertion of new plugs T when the
traversing table A2, A3, is screwed back behind the cutting knife C by the hand
operating lever D³, on the front end of the screw D.
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:-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of a
imachine for cutting tobacco with guillotine knife, traversing table, and oscillating
top pressing plate operated by a weighted or pressure lever, substantially as herein.
described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In a tobacco cutting machine, the arrangement and use of an oscillating
or movable pressing top plate operated through connecting links or mechanisın, by
a weighted or pressure lever, substantially as and in the manner and for the
purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. In a tobacco cutting machine, the method of hinge regulating the top.
pressure plate by adjustable pinching screws, substantially as and in the manner
herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
"

page_text: =
Fourth. In a tobacco cutting machine the method of regulating or adjusting
the guillotine knife by slide frames movable bars and pinching screws, substantially
as and in the manner herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Fifth. In a tobacco cutting machine, the method of actuating and regulating the
feed of the traversing table by ratchet lever and stop mechanism, operated by a
cam from the crank shaft, substantially as and in the manuer herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 26th February 1892.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.