Improvements in Cigar Bunching Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cigar Bunching Machines.
I, MAX VAN GÜLPEN, Cigar-manufacturer, residing at Mülheim on the Rhine,
kingdom of Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to Cigar-bunching machines that work by means of an apron
fixed at its ends to a table, and of a travelling-frame carrying a roller (which I shall
call the bunching-roller) whereby the tobacco placed in a bight of the apron is caused
to be rolled within the latter.
The object of the invention is to produce bunches that are more perfect and
uniform than those heretofore made by means of machines and ordinary molds, and
which are alike to bunches made by hand, the said object being attained by first
converting the loose tobacco into a molded filler or roll of suitable compactness,
then covering the filler thus obtained with the binder, whereby a bunch is produced,
and finally depositing the bunch by means of the apron in a mold in which it is.
finished relatively to its outer form, and in which it may be conveyed without
deformation to the workman who has to put on the wrapper.
For this purpose the aforesaid travelling-frame is provided with a pressing-surface
formed either upon a roller or upon a plate or block, and arranged to press on the
filler while being rolled, in view of making it more compact and simultaneously
rendering the air-passages of the same more uniform. Moreover, the bunching-
roller is journalled together with an auxiliary roiler in an oscillating frame pivoted
to the travelling-frame, and the apron is conducted by other rollers around the
aforesaid rollers and over the pressing-surface in such manner that the bunching-
roller may be raised and depressed to a certain extent without altering the tension of
the apron, the bunching-roller being depressed during the operation of forming the
filler and raised when the binder is applied to the latter. The machine is provided
with means for actuating it by hand when a filler is made, and by the foot when the
filler is wrapped into the binder. Besides it is fitted at the delivery-end of the table
with brackets or the like for holding the aforesaid mold into which the bunch is
deposited.
Dated the Thirtieth day of Ontahan 1000
CARL PIEPER,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oigar-bunching Machines.
I, MAX VAN GÜLPEN, Cigar-manufacturer, residing at Mülheim on the Rhine,
kingdom of Prussia, 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 :-
My invention relates to Cigar-bunching machines that work by means of an apron
fixed at its ends to a table, and of a travelling-frame carrying a roller (which I shall
call the bunching-roller) whereby the tobacco placed in a bight of the apron is caused
to be rolled within the latter.
The object of the invention is to produce bunches that are more perfect and
uniform than those heretofore made by means of machines and ordinary molds, and
which are alike to bunches made by hand, the said object being attained by first
converting the loose tobacco into a molded filler or roll of suitable compactness, then
covering the filler thus obtained with the binder whereby a bunch is produced, and
finally depositing the bunch by means of the apron in a mold in which it is finished
[Price 8d.]

page_text: relatively to its outer form and in which it may be conveyed without deformation to
the workman who has to put on the wrapper.
For this purpose the aforesaid travelling-frame is provided with a pressing-surface
formed either upon a roller or upon a plate or block and arranged to press on the
filler while being rolled, in view of making it more compact and simultaneously
rendering the air-passages of the same more uniform. Moreover, the bunching-
roller is journalled together with an auxiliary roller in an oscillating frame pivoted to
the travelling-frame, and the apron is conducted by other rollers around the aforesaid
rollers and over the pressing-surface in such manner that the bunching-roller may
be raised and depressed to a certain extent without altering the tension of the apron,
the bunching-roller being depressed during the operation of forming the filler and
raised when the binder is applied to the latter. The machine is provided with means
for actuating it by hand when a filler is made, and by the foot when the filler is
wrapped into the binder. Besides it is fitted at the delivery-end of the table with
brackets or the like for holding the aforesaid mold into which the bunch is deposited.
In the annexed drawings fig. 1 is a side view of the complete machine, the apron
being omitted. Fig. 2 is a top-view corresponding to fig. 1, and fig. 2 a detail top-
view of the frame carrying the bunching-roller and the aforesaid auxiliary roller.
Fig. 3 is a side-view of the upper portion of the machine drawn to a larger scale.
Figs. 4 and 4 are plans corresponding to portions of fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional
view showing the rollers in a position different from that in which they are represented
in fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view showing the rollers at the end of their course, the apron
having delivered the bunch into the mold. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the mold
in closed state. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 show modifications of some parts of the machine.
In Fig. 1, F is the frame of the machine, H the working-table fixed thereto and
formed in an arc of a circle, D the travelling-frame pivoted to the frame F in the
centre of the surface of the table H, E a pulley secured to the frame D, and I a
pulley carrying the treadle G and connected by a chain or strap to the pulley E, so
that the frame D may be moved towards the delivery, or left-hand end of the table by
the foot of the operator. K is a shelf for a supply of tobacco. Q, Fig. 3, is the
apron fixed at s and r to the table H, a the recess in the latter into which the slack
portion of the apron is bent, so as to form the bight for receiving the tobacco from
which the filler a is to be made, and g (see also figs. 4 and 5) the aforesaid bunching-
roller which, on being moved in the direction of the arrow 2, draws the apron around
the tobacco, lifts the tobacco by means of the apron out of the recess a, and, by
repeated motions forward and backward, causes the tobacco to be rolled, so as to form
the filler.
The main parts mentioned are substantially alike to those of other machines of the
same kind. But, in addition to the roller g, the machine is fitted with the roller i
whose lower surface o is the pressing surface, the auxiliary roller h and the guiding
roller k, the apron Q being passed from its point of fixture s around these rollers to
the roller g in the manner shown by the drawing. Moreover, the roller g is not
pivoted directly to the travelling-frame D, but it is centered together with the roller h
in a frame l, mounted in the said frame D on pivots 1, that are in the middle between
the pivots or centres of the rollers g and h. In consequence of this arrangement the
roller g may be depressed during its operation without altering the tension of the
apron, the roller h paying out as much cloth as the roller У takes up, and vice-versa.
The frame is acted upon at its forward end by a spring b, figs. 3, 4, which normally
keeps the roller raised. The pressing-roller i is mounted in another frame, m,
pivoted to the frame D at m¹ and connected by a link to the frame 1, the said link
being composed of the two pivoting parts c c and of the screw c² whereby the length
of the link may be regulated. The position of the roller i is so adjusted, relatively to
the roller g, that, when the latter is depressed for making a filler, the roller i will
press on the filler & by its surface o, as shown in Fig. 5. By means of this pressure
a more perfect filler is obtained. The motion of the frame D required in forming a
filler and the simultaneous depression of the rollers 9 and i is produced by hand
through the medium of the handles T attached to the frame 1.

page_text: After a filler has been made, the frame D is moved back until the former is within
a small distance of the recess a, and the handles T are released. The roller
g being
thus liberated from the pressure of the hands, is raised by the spring b, so that
sufficient space is obtained between the roller and the apron as that the binder may be
easily introduced to the filler. The operator then spreads out the binder on the apron,
and while keeping it smooth with his hands, he moves the frame D forward by a
pressure of the foot on the treadle G and thereby rolls the filler into the binder, the
roller g meanwhile remaining in its uppermost position.
It will have become evident from the foregoing that the movableness of the roller
up and down is not in itself of influence on the individual operations of forming the
filler and applying the binder thereto, but it renders the machine capable of being
used for first making the filler and then enveloping it in the binder, whereby cigar-
bunches are produced which are similar to hand-made bunches, and superior to those
made on machines by rolling the loose tobacco at once into the binder.
At its delivery end the table is provided with a concave holder d, carried by
brackets e, and serving to receive a mold f, having the form of the finished cigar and
to which is hinged a lid or counter-mold-part f¹. The said holder is so arranged that
the bunch on being delivered by the apron (see fig. 6), is deposited in the mold f, and
is thus protected against deformation or an unrolling of the binder. After the lid fi
has been closed as shown by fig. 7, the mold is conveyed with the bunch in it, to the
operator who has to put on the wrapper, and another mold is placed into the holder.
The pressing-surface o, which, according to the foregoing description of the
machine, is the surface of a roller, may be formed by a plate or block i, figs. 8 and 9,
fixed to a frame m' which is an equivalent of the frame m in figs. 3 and 4 In this.
case, however, a special roller, j, is required for conducting the apron away over the
pressing-plate. The said figs. 8 and 9, besides, show another modification consisting
in the omission of the frame and roller h; the roller g being pivoted in the frame D
as usual. This arrangement is available in machines not designed for separately
carrying out the operations of forming the filler and wrapping the same into the
binder, but which are to be provided with the pressing-surface, whether the latter is
formed by the plate or by the roller i (shown in fig. 8 by a dotted circle). For
allowing the pressing-surface to be adjusted to the thickness of the bunch required,
the cheeks of the frame m' are bent outward at their ends and connected each to a
projection of the frame D by a regulating screw n.
Fig. 10 shows a pressing-roller i molded to correspond to the form of the cigar. If
a roller of this form is employed, it is necessary, in all cases, to conduct the apron
away over the same by means of a special cylindrical roller, such as the roller i, fig. 8.
The pressing-plate or roller may be made of any suitable material, but it is advan-
tageous to face the same with india-rubber in view of imparting to it a slight degree
of elasticity.
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 I
claim is :-
1. In a cigar-bunching machine the combination, with the table H having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, apron Q fixed at its ends and r to the table, and
roller of a pressing surface adapted to bear on the filler of the cigar-bunch while
being formed, and a roller or rollers whereby the apron is conducted from its point of
fixtures over the pressing-surface to the roller g, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a cigar-bunching-machine, the combination, with the table H having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, apron Q fixed at its ends s and r to the. table, of the
pressing-surface o, frame pivoted at to the frame D, rollers g and h centered in
the frame and rollers whereby the apron is conducted from its point of fixture s to
the roller / and thence over the pressing-surface to the roller 9, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. In a cigar-bunching-machine, the combination, with the table H having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, roller g, and apron Q, of the roller i adapted to bear on
the filler of the cigar-bunch while being formed, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a cigar-bunching-machine the combination, with the table H, having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, and apron Q, of the rollers i, g, h, k, frame 1 carrying
the rollers g and hand pivoted to the frame D, handles T and spring b, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
.
5. In a cigar-bunching-machine, the combination, with the table H having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, and apron Q, of the rollers i, g, h, k, frames 7 and m
carrying the respective rollers g, h and i and pivoted to the frame D, a link connect-
ing together the frames and m, handles T and spring b, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
6. In a cigar-bunching-machine the combination, with the table H having the
recess a, travelling-frame D, and apron Q, of the rollers i, g, h, k, the frames land m
carrying the respective rollers g, h and i, and pivoted to the frame D, a link connect-
ing together the frames and m, handles T, spring b, treadle G, and means of
connection between the treadle and the frame D, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. In a cigar-bunching-machine, the combination of a table H having the recess a
and the holder d adapted to receive a mold f, the. travelling-frame Ď having the
roller g, and apron Q, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated the Twenty-fifth dow of June 1880
CARL PIEPER,
Agent for Applicant.