Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Cigarettes and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Cigarettes
and Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HERBERT WILLS of the Firm of W. D. & H. O. Wills of the
City and County of Bristol Tobacco Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (which has been communicated to me from abroad by The Bonsack
Machine Company of Salem, Virginia in the United States of America) to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of cigarettes and
includes improved methods, modes or processes, by which a longitudinal joining, of
the cigarette paper or wrapper is effected and devices or apparatus to be employed
therein.
According to this invention cigarettes are produced (that possess certain
advantages over those previously manufactured) by first forming a tobacco filler
which may be done in any of the ways heretofore employed and this filler is
associated with a continuous paper strip by wrapping the strip around the filler and
bringing its edges into contact with each other which may be done by any of the
well known devices for this purpose. The projecting edges of the paper are then
curled or rolled together and they are crimped so to form a projecting seam by
means of a crimping device such as an exterior crimping wheel or disc and anvil or
two crimping wheels or discs. There may or may not then be applied to one side
of this seam a small quantity of paste or cement and the seam be then bent over and
caused to adhere to the body of the cigarette. If crimping and pasting both be
done a cigarette is produced having a stronger and narrower seam or joint than is
obtained by the use of paste alone, or by the simple operation of crimping.
The devices by which the joining of the cigarette paper or wrapper are effected
may be constructed and arranged as follows:-
A former is provided, generally tubular in section, but which is flattened and
open at one end.
A belt, generally an endless belt, drawn by suitable power runs
through the "former" entering it after passing over a roller.
A strip of paper (or the like) to form the wrapper is brought upon the belt as,
or soon after, it enters the "former" and is carried along by it through the
"former." Tobacco in regulated quantity and in condition to form a filler is
deposited upon the paper as it passes over the flattened portion of the "former."
The tobacco as it is fed to the paper strip in the "former" may be compressed into
a rod of about the diameter of the filler in the completed cigarette, or it may be
only partially compressed, the rest of the compression being effected by drawing
the partially formed filler through the tapered portion of the former.
By the shape of the former and of guides along its edges, the paper drawn
onward by the belt is caused to unfold or encircle the tobacco filler until it has
been brought into the condition of a tubular envelope with its edges projecting out
through a slot along the top of the "former."
Further on their course the projecting edges enter a snail by means of which
they are curled or rolled together. After leaving the small end of the snail the
rolled or interlocked edges pass between a pair of crimping wheels or discs driven
at a peripheral speed the same as that at which the paper is moving. By means of
these discs the edges of the paper are crimped and united forming an upright rib
or seam. After leaving the crimping mechanism the projecting and crimped seam
of the wrapper (if pasting is to be done) passes in contact with a pasting mechanism
of any suitable character that applies to one side of the seam a line of paste. This
device may consist of a paste reservoir a dise upon the edge of which paste is

page_text: constantly delivered, and a second disc or paste roller revolving in contact with
the first and also with the crimped wrapper seam.
After receiving the paste the standing seam is turned or folded over by an incline
guide or finger into contact with the body of the cigarette and being then drawn
through the tubular die the said seam is firmly united to the body of the cigarette
making a smooth and ornamental seam which coincides with the cylindrical contour
of the cigarette.
As it issues from the. tubular die the continuous cigarette may be cut up into
suitable lengths.
The improved features in the cigarettes thus made result largely from the fact
that the edges of the paper are locked together by the snail and crimping devices
and the seam thus formed is made very strong and durable by the operation of
pasting it down on the body of the cigarette.
Instead of turning the standing seam down upon the body of the cigarette the
cigarette may be completed except cutting it up into the requisite lengths as soon
as the interlocked edges of the wrapper strip have been crimped together leaving a
narrow outstanding scam. It is to be observed that the seam of this cigarette is
formed by curling or rolling the opposite edges of the wrapper over upon each
other causing them to interlock and then incorporating them together by crimping
devices. This produces a seam very different from that made by bringing the
opposite edges of the wrapper into single contact and crimping such edges together
thereby forming a seam of but two thicknesses of paper with no interlock with
which disposition of the edges of a wrapper strip of the extremely thin paper
generally used they cannot be crimped together to form a reliable seam as there is
not sufficient thickness of paper present to receive the requisite pressure of the
crimping devices without cutting paper and destroying or injuring the seam but by
curling or rolling the edges together to give a sufficient number of thicknesses of
paper the necessary pressure may be received to form a perfect and strong seam
without materially impairing the strength of the paper.
When the complete cigarette with the outstanding scam is to be made the pasting
device and the device for turning down the seam will of course be omitted but the
tubular die may be retained for the purpose of assisting to smooth and finish the
cigarette and to bring the drawing belt into intimate contact with the cigarette
whereby the work will be more effectually drawn through the "former but in
such case the said tubular die should be provided with a slit in its upper part
through which the outstanding seam can project.
22
I do not limit myself to the use of the precise construction and arrangement of
devices or apparatus for joining the cigarette paper or wrapper according to this
invention as the construction and arrangement may be considerably varied without
departing from the nature of this invention.
Dated this 9th day of December 1892. '.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Cigarettes 4
and Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HERBERT WILLS of the Firm of W. D. & H. O. Wills of the City
and County of Bristol, Tobacco Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature-of
this invention (which has been communicated to me from abroad by The
Bonsack Machine Company of Salem, Virginia in the United States of America), 5
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 improvements in the manufacture of cigarettes and

page_text: involves a novel method or process of associating a tobacco filler and a paper
wrapper to form a complete cigarette, and a new combination of devices for per-
forming the several steps of the same.
In order to define more precisely the nature of the improvements which are
embraced in this invention I will state generally what may be regarded, for
purposes of this case, as the prior state of the art.
Cigarettes have been made by a continuous process of forming a tobacco filler,
encircling it with a continuous wrapper, pasting the edge or edges of the wrapper
and securing them together by passing the cigarette through a die or tube.
A continuous tobacco filler and paper wrapping strip have also been associated
in substantially the same way, the opposite edges of the strip being brought
together into a seam projecting outward from the cigarette, by being crimped
between two serrated discs operated exteriorly to the paper tube or wrapper.
Paper tubes have been formed in continuous lengths by rolling together the
edges of the paper strip, crimping the interlocking edges between an exterior wheel
and interior roller, cutting the tube into individual cigarette wrappers, and then
filling such wrappers with tobacco.
Finally, a continuous tobacco filler and paper wrapper have been made by rolling
together the edges of the wrapper when surrounding the filler, and crimping the
interlocking edges between a wheel operating outside of the wrapper and an anvil
or wheel operating inside of the wrapper and of such shape as to permit the tobacco
filler to pass it.
According to this present invention cigarettes which possess certain advantages
over those previously manufactured can be produced by the following series of steps.
A tobacco filler is first formed in any of the ways heretofore employed, and this is
associated with a continuous paper strip, by wrapping the strip around the filler
and bringing its edges into contact with each other which may be done by any of
the well known devices for this purpose. The projecting edges of the paper are
then curled or rolled together and crimped by means of an exterior crimping wheel
and exterior anvil or two external crimping wheels to form a projecting seam.
Next there is applied to one side of this seam a small quantity of paste and then
the seam is bent over and caused to adhere to the body of the cigarette. By these
steps a cigarette can be produced having a stronger and narrower seam or joint
than is secured by the use of paste alone, or by the simple operation of crimping.
In carrying out this process certain devices may be employed which are well
known and commonly used in the art, and I do not describe each device that
constitutes an element in the new combination with any greater particularity than
is required for an understanding of the combination as a whole.
Referring to the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the parts of a cigarette machine more directly
concerned in the association of the filler and wrapper, being that portion of the
machine as a whole to which this invention relates. Figure 2 is a top plan view of
the same.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are cross sections of Figure 2 on the lines
marked respectively x-x, x-x¹, x²—x², x³—x³, x4 — x², x³-25, 20—¿ª, and æ³—x²;
and
Figures 11 and 12 are views in perspective of finished cigarettes.
Figure 13 is a plan view of a modification of the construction shown in the above
named figures; and Figure 14 is a cross section through the line 3-Y of
Figure 13.

page_text: the paper as it passes over the flattened portion F of the former. The tobacco as
it is fed to the paper strip in the former may be compressed into a rod of about the
diameter of the filler in the completed cigarette, or it may be only partially com-
pressed, the rest of the compression being effected by drawing the partially formed
filler through the tapered portion of the former A.
By the shape of the former A and the guides D along its edges, the paper drawn.
onward by the belt is caused to enfold or encircle the tobacco filler until at the
point it has been brought into the condition of a tubular envelope with its
edges projecting out through a slot G along the top of the former A, as indicated
in Figure 4.
Further in their course the projecting edges enter a snail H, by means of which
they are curled or rolled together as indicated in Figure 5.
After leaving the small end of the said snail, the rolled or interlocked edges pass
between a pair of crimping wheels or discs L on vertical spindles, and both
situated outside the tubular envelope and driven at the same peripheral speed as
that at which the paper is moving. By means of these discs, or any other similar
devices, external to the tubular envelope, the edges of the paper are crimped and
united forming an upright rib or seam as shown at M.
After leaving the crimping mechanism the projecting and crimped seam of the
wrapper passes in contact with a pasting mechanism of any suitable character that
applies to one side of the seam a line of paste. I have shown as an illustration of
this device a paste reservoir N, a disc N upon the edge of which paste is constantly
delivered, and a second disc or paste roller N2 revolving in contact with the disc N¹
and also with the crimped wrapper seam.
After receiving the paste the standing seam is by an inclined guide or finger O
turned or folded over into contact with the body of the cigarette, and being then
drawn through the tubular die P the said seam is firmly united to the body of the
cigarette making a smooth and ornamental seam which coincides with the cylindrical
contour of the cigarette.
As it issues from the die P the continuous cigarette may be cut up into suitable
lengths as is usual in such cases.
The desirable features in the cigarettes thus made result largely from the fact
that the edges of the paper are locked together by the snail and crimping devices
and the seam thus formed is made very strong and durable by the operation of
pasting it down on the body of the cigarette to form a flat seam as seen in
Figure 12 of the drawing.
Instead of turning the standing seam M down upon the body of the cigarette, as
shown in Figure 12, the cigarette may be completed except cutting it up into desirable
lengths, as soon as the interlocked edges of the wrapper strip have been crimped
together leaving a narrow outstanding seam, as shown in Figure 11. It is observed
that the seam of this cigarette is formed by curling or rolling the opposite edges of
the wrapper over upon each other, causing them to interlock and then incorporating
them together by crimping devices which each act from the exterior of the tubular
envelope and one on either side of the projecting or seam portions of the envelope.
This produces a seam very different not only from that made by bringing the
opposite edges of the wrapper into single contact and crimping such edges together
thereby forming a seam of but two thicknesses of paper with no interlock but also
from that made by crimping devices acting one outside and another inside the
tubular envelope. The first named disposition of the edges of a wrapper strip
cannot, with extremely thin paper generally used, be crimped together to form a
reliable seam, as there is not sufficient thickness of paper present to receive the
requisite pressure of the crimping devices without cutting the paper and destroying
But by curling or rolling the edges together to give sufficient number
of thicknesses of paper, the necessary pressure can be applied to form a perfect and
strong seam, without materially impairing the strength of the paper and by using
crimping devices both acting at the exterior of the tubular envelope to secure a
projecting seam as described a more perfect cigarette can be made than with machines
the seam.

page_text: wherein there is a crimping device inside the tubular envelope necessitating parts.
which interfere with the filler in the tubular envelope.
When the complete cigarette with the outstanding seam as shown in Figure 11
is to be made, the pasting device and the device O for turning down the seam will
be omitted;
the tube P may be retained for the purpose of assisting to smooth and
finish the cigarette and to bring the drawing belt B into intimate contact with the
cigarette whereby the work will be more effectually drawn through the former A,.
but in such case the tube P should be provided with a slit R in its upper part
through which the outstanding seam can project. This modified construction is
shown in Figures 13 and 14 of the drawings.
In Figures 2, 7 and 13 of the drawings the peripheries of the crimping discs L
are not shewn in such proximity to each other as they must be in order to force the
edges of the wrapper together and unite them into a reliable seam. In these
figures the discs have been drawn as shewn for the purpose of illustrating the
interlocked edges between the discs, but it will be readily understood that in
practice the discs run close enough to each to secure the edges into a seam.
Figures 2 and 13 the serrations of the discs I are shewn much larger than they
generally will be in practice.
In
It will be understood from the foregoing description that the several elements of
the device used in carrying out these improvements can be considerably modified,.
and their many well known equivalents which are now in use in machines organized
for the manufacture of cigarettes may be substituted for them without departing
from the nature of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described manufacture of cigarettes, which consists in associating
a tobacco filler and a wrapper, bringing together, curling and interlocking the
opposite edges of the wrapper together upon the outside thereof while the wrapper.
encircles the tobacco filler, and crimping the projecting and interlocked edges into
an outstanding seam by means of crimping devices situated outside the wrapper
and acting on each side of the outstanding part of the wrapper substantially as.
hereinbefore described.
2. The herein described manufacture of cigarettes, which consists in associating
a tobacco filler and a wrapper, bringing together, curling and interlocking the
opposite edges of the wrapper together upon the outside thereof while the wrapper
encircles the tobacco filler, crimping the projecting and interlocked edges into a.
seam by crimping devices situated outside the wrapper and acting on each side of
the outstanding part of the wrapper, applying paste to one side of the seam, and
then folding the seam down upon the body of the cigarette, and securing it thereto.
3. In a cigarette machine, the combination with a tubular former and carrier
belt passing therethrough of a device for curling or rolling the projecting opposite
edges of the wrapper together while it encloses the filler so as to interlock the same.
and a crimping mechanism situated entirely outside the wrapper for uniting the
interlocked edges into an outstanding or projecting seam all being arranged and
operating substantially as herein before set forth.
4. In a cigarette machine, the combination with a tubular former and a carrier
belt passing therethrough of a snail or device for curling or rolling the opposite
edges of the wrapper together while it encloses the tobacco filler so as to interlock
the same, crimping mechanism situated entirely outside the wrapper for crimping
the interlocked edges of the wrapper and securing them into a seam, and pasting
mechanism adapted to apply a line of paste to one side of the crimped seam and a
die or former for securing the pasted edges to the body of the cigarette all being
arranged and operating substantially as herein before set forth.
5. The combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth with the mechanism
for enclosing a tobacco filler and a wrapper with the edges projecting, of a snail

page_text: or spiral guide for curling, rolling or interlocking the projecting edges together,
crimping discs external of the wrapper between which discs the said edges pass
after leaving the snail to form a crimped seam, a pasting mechanism for applying
paste to the side of the said seam, and a guide for turning the said seam down upon
the body of the cigarette and securing it thereto substantially as herein before
described.