IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY. FOR PRESSING, CUTTING, DRYING, AND OPENING TOBACCO
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Fisher, of No. 12, Ranelagh Road, Thames
Bank, Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY.
FOR PRESSING, CUTTING, DRYING, AND OPENING TOBACCO."
Sealed the 1st April 1856, and dated the 24th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Fisher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th January 1856.
I, DAVID FISHER, No. of 12, Ranelagh Road, Thames Bank, Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRESSING, CUTTING, DRYING, & OPENING TOBACCO," to be as
follows:-
The mode of pressing consists in arranging on stationary bearings a series
of rollers, parallel with and in such a relation to the periphery of a flanged
wheel, that the tobacco, passing between this periphery and those of the rollers,
and driven by the revolution of the rollers and the wheel, shall be gradually
allowed less space so to pass until it arrives at the last three of the series, or,
if desired, at the outlet of delivery, and is thus compressed to the required
state.
The arrangement for cutting is comprised in the application at the place
of delivery above mentioned of a circular knife attached to a revolving shaft,

page_text: which is also raised and lowered on a sliding frame to keep the knife always
vertical by the action of a crank shaft, in order to give to the knife the down-
ward movement in combination with the drawing knife motion, necessary to
operate it effectively.
The apparatus for drying & opening, consists in the employment of a
steamer to steam the material when necessary; next, in the use of an inclined
revolving cylinder, the interior surface of which is perforated by and studded
with numerous short, hollow, cylindrical, projections or pegs, proposed to be
arranged diagonally in longitudinal rows, for the purpose of receiving &
transmitting by radiation the heat received, either direct from the fire, or
through the medium of a curved plate beneath it, heated for the purpose, and
also for the purpose of stirring up the material within the cylinder. The
tobacco introduced at the upper opening of the cylinder is at the same time
gradually dried and carried to the lower outlet, where it is received upon the
opening apparatus, consisting of two flanged drums studded with pegs or
fingers set promiscuously. These drums are placed at right angles to and
below the mouth of the cylinder, one below the other, & in advance of it, in
a position to receive the tobacco upon its surface as the upper, drum carries it
forward. Both are made to revolve slowly, but in opposite directions, in
order that the fingers may act with effect upon & open the tobacco.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,,filed
by the said David Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
24th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,--I, DAVID
FISHER, of No. 12, Ranelagh Road, Thames Bank, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said David Fisher, Her special licence that I, the said David Fisher,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
David Fisher, 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 lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and. Ireland,

page_text: anel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RY FOR PRESSING, CUTTING, DRYING, AND OPENING TOBACCO,"
upon the
(amongst others) that I, the said David Fisher, my executors or
rators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
d seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
ention, and in what' manner the same was to be performed, and cause
e to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
next and' immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
KNOW YE, that I, the said David Fisher, do hereby declare the
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
ascertained in and by the
d, to be particularly described and
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
s, in which,
e 1 represents the side or end view of the pressing and cutting
apparatus.
e 2
"
e 3
"
e 4
0 5
the front view of the pressing machinery.
the end and side view of the cutting apparatus, and
mode of driving the same.
the end and front views of the cylinder and rollers in
section, in connection with a section of the knife,
and apparatus for driving same.
the section of the drying cylinder and opening appa-
ratus in a side and' end view, with the manner of
driving the same.
ame parts are designated by the same letter or numeral in the
ature of my 'Invention consists in effecting by mechanical means the
of pressing, cutting, drying, and opening tobacco, or other similar
, so that they are effected consecutively either at one operation, or, if
, at two, considering the pressing and cutting as one, and the drying
ing as the other operation. And also in improvements in the con-
of certain parts of the apparatus hereafter mentioned.
pparatus for pressing may be thus described:-A is a flanged drum
er on a shaft, supported horizontally upon bearings in a frame B, B.
me also supports several arms that hold the stationary bearings of
of rollers, say, in number 7, 'marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, placed
d parallel with cylinder A. On each end of the several cylinder and
afts spur geer are attached. The geer C, C, of the cylinder shaft
her directly or by intermediates, into those of the rollers, and operate

page_text: them. These rollers are placed in respect to the cylinder, so that between
the cylinder and roller No. 1 a space of about eight inches is proposed to be
left, six inches at No. 2, four inches at No. 3, three inches at No. 4, and two
inches at Nos. 5, 6, and 7. The geer C, C, are operated by pinions D, D.
On the shaft of. D, D, is a worm wheel E, worked by the worm F on a shaft
also holding worm wheel G. This wheel is worked by worm II, whose shaft
is turned by a lever operating a changeable ratchet wheel I upon it, or other
similar mode, from the prime motor Q. This ratchet wheel by the number of
its teeth regulates the speed of the cylinder, and gives to it a very slow,.
precise, and regular movement.
The cutting apparatus consists of a circular knife J, attached to a revolving
shaft K on bearings in a sliding frame O, which is moved up and down upon
grooves in stands. P, P, for the purpose of giving better action to the knife by
a crank shaft .M and connecting rod S. This shaft K is revolved by power
communicated in the usual way to pulley L or its substitute. N is a stone or
grinding wheel, mounted on a shaft, which is revolved at quick speed in the
usual way. This stone is set against the bevel and edge, or either, of the
knife, to keep it sharp while at work.
The drying apparatus is a hollow cylinder A', laid in an inclined position, &
each end is supported upon two friction pulleys or wheels B, C, D, E¹, and
revolves upon them by motion given to the toothed wheel F¹ on the outside
of the cylinder through a small geer on a shaft driven by pulley G' on said
shaft. The interior surface of this cylinder is perforated by and studded with
numerous short hollow cylindrical projections or pegs a, a, proposed to be
arranged diagonally in longitudinal rows, for the purpose of receiving and
transmitting by radiation and contact the heat received upon the outer surface,
either direct from the fire, or through the medium of a curved plate H³,
covering about one-fourth of the cylinder, and extending as far as the fire acts
beneath it, heated for the purpose from the oven or furnace. These pegs also
serve to stir up the material within the cylinder. 1' is a top plate, forming
about half of a circle, for the purpose of confining the hot air round the
cylinder.
The opening apparatus consists of two flanged drums J, J", the outer
surfaces of which are studded with projecting pegs or fingers e, e, f, f, set in
a promiscuous manner. These drums are placed at right angles to and below
the lower mouth of the cylinder, one " below and in advance of the other j',
and their shafts are so mounted on bearings that when revolving slowly they
receive also a zig-zag or side motion by the action of a crank motion attached
to the end of each shaft, and worked by the pulleys or geer K', K'. These

page_text: drums revolve in opposite directions, and the fingers of the one acting against
those of the other, and both having the side movement, effect a movement.
'similar to that used by two hands in opening the tobacco.
The mode of operation may thus be described:-The tobacco or other
material to be operated upon is placed to the thickness of about ten inches
upon an endless feeding belt or apron; and is brought up to the pressing
machine, and entering it between the cylinder and No. 1 roller, while the
flauge of the cylinder confines it laterally, is gradually compressed as it
proceeds from eight inches at No. 1 down to about two inches in thickness at
No. 5, and after passing Nos. 5, 6, and 7. is forced out and delivered through
the aperture T, where the knife, circular or otherwise, is placed. 'Regulated
by the ratchet wheel I, the tobacco presents itself, and. is cut by the knife as
many cuts per inch as required. It is then carried by hand, or otherwise
directed, if required, into, a vessel. M used in the trade, called a steamer,
placed over the back end of the furnace where it is steamed. If steamed, the
tobacco is taken thence, or if not, direct from the cutting receiver and put
into the drying cylinder. As it gradually descends it is exposed to the heat.
passing in through the hollow pegs and the other surface, and being suf-
ficiently dried, falls out at the lower end on to the upper opening cylinder J',
and is carried round upon it until it meets the lower cylinder J" turning in
the reverse direction, and the action of the fingers of the two cylinders open it.
to a degree sufficient for commercial purposes.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be used, I would observe, that in lieu of the mode of
arranging and using the knife, herein-before described, and the form of the
same, there may be substituted several modifications, which may briefly be
described as follows:-One mode is by supporting the circular knife and stone
on the end of a rod, suspended by the other end from the shaft that drives
the knife and stone in their revolutions, and playing loosely upon it like a
pendulum. By a rod connected with the shaft Q a crank motion is given,
causing the pendulum to vibrate to and fro, and two cuts to be given to each
revolution of the crank. If a straight-edged knife be used, the pendulum
should be operated in an oblique direction, instead of from a vertical point,
that a diagonal or draw cut may be given. Another mode is by attaching
the bar, to which a straight-edged or curvilinear knife is fixed to two cranks,
one at either end, so that the knife makes, according to the sweep of the
cranks, a greater or less circular movement. A third mode is by working
the bar, last described as a lever, one end of which is attached as a fulcrum
to the end of a suspended rod or pendulum, while the other, operated by a

page_text: a' crank, takes a circuitous motion, giving to the knife an oblong rotary
movement, and making a diagonal or draw.cut.
What I claim as my Invention is, first, the mode of pressing tobacco or
other material, substantially as within described.
Second, the apparatus by which rotary knives are sharpened while in
motion, substantially as described:
Third, the combination, arranged substantially as described, by which the
tobacco is fed to the knife. and cut.
Fourth, the arrangement, substantially as described, for drying and opening
tobacco.
.., Fifth, the combination of apparatus, substantially as-described, by which
tobacco is pressed, cut, dried, and opened.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said David Fisher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, 'this' Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
HER. (..)
ALATTIOLT CULLUA