IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING TOBACCO
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Pearce Wilding, of the Firm of Fell and Wilding,
of the City Patent Office, 23, Rood Lane, Feuchurch St., in the City of
London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
TOBACCO." A communication from abroad by G. Albert Reiniger and Chr.
Petri, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Pearce Wilding at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1880.
SAMUEL PEARCE WILDING, of the Firm of Fell and Wilding, of the City Patent
Office, 23, Rood Lane, Fenchurch St., in the City of London, Patent Agents.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING TOBACCO." A communication
from abroad by G. Albert Reiniger and Chr. Petri, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturers.
This apparatus is designed for the purpose of quickly, evenly, and automatically
effecting the cutting and cutting fine of any variety of tobacco.
The apparatus consists of a sloping wooden trough lined with zinc and supported
on two suitable frames or legs. Upon this inclined trough is fitted a sledge or
sliding trough of strong sheet iron, which fits closely within the wooden trough,
and slides on suitable guides on the edge of the fixed trough. By the side of the
fixed trough runs a leading screw carried in suitable bearings at each end of the
trough. A half-nut is fitted to the sledge or sliding trough, so that it can bo
pressed upwards into gear with the leading screw by the action of a suitable lever
and weight. The sledge can at all times be disconnected from the leading screw by
lifting up the weighted lever and thus disengaging the half nut.
The cutting knife properly counterbalanced is keyed to a shaft above, and to one
side of the trough carried on a suitable bearing and standard one at each end of
the fixed trough. Below the knife shaft is fixed a counter driving shaft, which
may be preferably turned by hand, and which is geared to the knife shaft by
gearing 3 to 1.. The top knife shaft also carries an adjustable crank pin, whereby
a reciprocating motion is given to a pawl and ratchet feed motion upon the leading
screw

page_text: By the rotation then of the counter driving shaft the knife shaft above is rotated
by the gearing at three times its speed, and at the same time the knife shaft works
the ratchet feed motion to rotate the leading screw intermittently, and thus to feed
forward the sledge or sliding trough towards the knife.
This sledge or sliding trough carries the tobacco. The tobacco is laid in the 5
sledge at the highest point of its travel, with the tobacco laid longitudinally and a
toothed holder is pushed into the tobacco, and also fixed in a notch of the sledge or
sliding trough. Over this toothed holder, and over the tobacco is placed a cover,
upon which is fitted a bent weighted lever, whose office is to press the cover and
the holder more securely on to the tobacco, and thus to secure a firm grip.
If now the half nut is pressed up into the leading screw the sledge is fed steadily
forward towards the knife carrying the tobacco with it, until the half nut or the
sledge strikes a suitable projection and is thrown out of gear. The feed is thus
stopped, and the sledge must be moved back and refilled.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Pearce Wilding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1881.
SAMUEL PEARCE WILDING, of the Firm of Fell & Wilding, of the City Patent
Office, 23, Rood Lane, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING TOBACCO." A communication
from abroad by G. Albert Reiniger and Chr. Petri, of Stuttgart, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturers.
This apparatus is designed for the purpose of quickly, evenly, and automatically
effecting the cutting and cutting fine of any variety of tobacco.
The apparatus consists of a sloping wooden trough lined with zinc, and supported
on two suitable frames or legs. Upon this inclined trough is fitted a sledge or
sliding trough of strong sheet iron, which fits closely within the woodon trough, and
slides on suitable guides on the edge of the fixed trough.
By the side of the fixed trough runs a leading screw, carried in suitable bearings
at each end of the trough. A half nut is fitted to the sledge or sliding trough, so
that it can be pressed upwards into gear with the leading screw by the action
of a suitable lever and weight. The sledge can at all times be disconnected from
the leading screw by lifting up the weighted lever, and thus disengaging the
half nut.
The cutting knife, properly counterbalanced, is keyed to a shaft above, and to
one side of the trough carried on a suitable bearing and standard, one at each end
of the fixed trough. Below the knife shaft is fixed a counter driving shaft, which
may be preferably turned by hand, and which is geared to the knife shaft by
gearing 3 to 1. The top knife shaft also carries an adjustable crank pin, whereby
a reciprocating motion is given to a pawl and ratchet feed motion upon the leading
screw.
By the rotation then of the counter driving shaft the knife shaft above is rotated
by the gearing at three times its speed, and at the same time the knife shaft works
the ratchet feed motion to rotate the leading screw intermittently, and thus to
feed forward the sledge or sliding trough towards the knife. This sledge or
sliding trough carries the tobacco. The tobacco is laid in the sledge at the highest
point of its travel, with the tobacco laid longitudinally, and a toothed holder is
pushed into the tobacco, and also fixed in a notch of the sledge or sliding trough.
Over this toothed holder, and over the tobacco, is placed a cover, upon which is
fitted a bent weighted lever, whose office is to press the cover and the holder
more securely on to the tobacco, and thus to secure a firm grip.
If now the half nut is pressed up into the leading screw the sledge is fed steadily
forward towards the knife, carrying the tobacco with it, until the half nut on the
sledge strikes a suitable projection, and is thrown out of gear; the feed is thus
stopped, and the sledge must be moved back and refilled.
The cutting apparatus may be modified by using a guillotine knife operated by
a crank. The shape of the main trough may be also modified from semicircular to
a more rectangular form, as desired, and the half nut may be secured in place by &
trigger instead of by a weighted lever.
And in order that the Invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the letters and
Figures marked thereon.
Sheet I., Fig. I. is a front view; Fig. II., a side view; Fig. III., a back view;
Fig. IV., a plan; Fig. V., a longitudinal section; and Fig. VI., a transverse section.
Like parts are represented by like numbers in the different views.
Upon the two standards or feet 1 rest a semicircular trough or board 2, which is
inclined towards the cutting end and lined with zinc, and is strengthened at both
ends by ribs cast on it. The upper part or edges of the trough 2 are provided
with V guides for a sliding carriage or sledge 4. This sledge 4 may be conveniently

page_text: made of cast iron, and is fitted so as to surround, without touching, the semicircular
trough 2, and travels on two sliding pieces 5 that are screwed to it, and are fitted
exactly to the V guides. A further portion of the sledge is a strong semicircular
trough of sheet iron 6, lying inside the other trough 2. These parts of the sledge
must be all so fitted as to allow the sledge to move or slide casily upon the main
trough 2.
Upon one outer side of the sledge are cast two projections or tongues 7 and 8,
which serve as guides for the moveable half nut 9. This half nut 9 is pressed
upwards from beneath upon the leading spindle or screw 12 by the lever 11 that
carries at its further end a weight 10, and is capable of both horizontal and vertical
movements about a centre pin and swivel. So long as this lever 11 presses under
the half nut 9 this nut is forced into gear on the leading screw, but as the sledge
travels, carrying this lever with it, a stop x on the main frame strikes the lever
sido-ways, and removes it from under the half nut 9, allowing it to fall and
disengage from the leading screw or spindle 12; the sledge is thus entirely disengaged
from the leading screw, and can be freely moved up or down on the sliding guides.
The leading spindle 12 rests at each end in an eye or bearing cast on the main
trough, and is fitted with a ratchet wheel 13 that is driven by pawl 15, lever fourteen,
connecting rod 16, and adjustable crank throw 18 and 19, from the counter or
knife shaft 17.
This counter shaft 17 is carried on 2 bearings in standards 26, cast on the
main trough, and is driven by cog gearing 20 and 22 from the hand crank shaft
21. This shaft is conveniently rotated by the hand crank 23.
On the end of the knife shaft 17 furthest from the handle 23 is fixed the cutting
knife arm 24 with a moveable knife 25.
Upon the front standard 26 nearest to the knife is fitted a slide 27, which serves
to support the metallic cover 28 lying upon the tobacco, in order that it may not
be moved forward with the tobacco.
To this
The cover consists of curved sheet iron convexed towards the tobacco.
metallic cover is fixed an iron rod 29 that has upon its hindermost end a
hinged piece 30, a part of which is toothed. The latter catches a lug or projection
The cover is
on the main trough and can be set to suit the height of the tobacco.
squeezed down on the tobacco by a lever 31.
Beneath this cover 28 lies a tobacco holder or fork 32 which rests in a hook or
recess 33 fixed to the sledge. The front part of the tobacco holder is fixed to a
leather plate 34 above it, and below is fitted with spikes or teeth.
An iron rod 34 bent in the form of an elbow rests with its inner end upon the
cover rod 29, and thus serves to press the tobacco together and force the fork or
holder into it. The other end of this pressing lever 35 is fixed beneath to a foot
lever 36, bearing a weight. The front frame bears an arc of sheet iron 37 as a
protection for the knife.
There may also be used an alternative arrangement of my machine as shown in
Sheet II. The inodifications are in the form of the main trough and in the
arrangement of the cutter and motion.
The main trough 38 instead of being semicircular is now more nearly flat.
Instead of the standard 26, Sheet I., the bracket 39 is screwed on the front of the
main trough 40. This bracket 39 is supplied with the guides 40 both on each side
and below.
Between these guides moves the cast iron carriage 41, on both sides of which and
beneath are cast guide pieces 42, corresponding to the guides on the main trough
Fig. XII. On the side of the carriage +1 are cast the ribs 43 on both sides and
above a link piece 44. By means of a bolt, a plate 45 is secured in the latter,
which rests between the ribs 43.
Above the plate 45 is an adjusting apparatus 46, supplied with a pin and straight
slot, and which by means of a clamp screw 47 can be adjusted in position as
desired. The knife 48 is inserted into a catch 49 of the adjusting apparatus, and
is placed between the two guides or plates 45.

page_text: The knife carriage 41 is moved up and down by means of the bent lever 50,
which is connected below by a pivot to the carriage, and at its upper end is driven
by the crank 51. To press the knife when travelling downwards against the
tobacco whilst cutting, a spring 52 is placed before the knife and secured by means
of two rods or pins 53. These are connected to the back part of the main frame.
To raise the knife a little from the box when travelling upwards, the following
arrangement is adopted
On the lower part of the bent lever 50 is fastened a bent rod 54, on both ends
of which are fixed by pins the rods 55 and 56; each of these 2 rods grips under
angle plates 57, which are fastened on plate 45.
By the eccentric motion of the lever 54 and the crank axis 51, the 2 rods 55
and 56 which are connected with the lever are moved upwards and downwards, so
that the projections or wedges behind the two angle plates 57 lift the plate 45 and
the knife from the box. In this way the edge of the knife is pushed away from the
tobacco during the up stroke, and presented to the tobacco again on its downward
travel by the spring 52.
On the front of the crank shaft 51 is placed the fly-wheel 58, by means of which
a regular speed is effected.
Below the tobacco trough and before the mouth is
placed a plate 59 for receiving the cut tobacco.
For inserting and taking out of gear the half nut 60 on the screw spindle 61, a lever
62 is applied instead of the weight 10, Sheet I. This lever is supplied below with a
finger which grasps a pin 63 on the nut 60. Above the lever is applied a movable
trigger 64, which serves for pressing the half nut on to the leading screw 62. If
the trigger 64 is lifted and pulled against the trough, the lever 62 leaves the pin
63 on the half nut, and thus allows the latter to be put out of gear by the hand
lever 65.
And now having particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, be it under-
stood that what I consider novel and useful and desire to protect by my Letters
Patent is,-
1st. The box 2 designed for receiving the tobacco which is to be cut with V
shaped guides 3 cast on it.
2nd. The sledges 4, 5, and 6 designed for the feeding of the tobacco, with the
lugs or projections 7 and 8 cast on them.
3rd. The half nut 9 for the guidance and disconnection of the sledge with lever
11 and weight 10.
4th. The tobacco holder 32, supplied with teeth in combination with the hook 33
and the leather plate 34.
5th. The metal cover 28 designed for pressing the tobacco together, the toothed
link piece 30 with press lever 31, and the bent iron rod 35 for pressing the metal
cover in connection with foot lever 36.
6th. The box 38 designed for receiving the tobacco to be cut, with brackets 39
and 40.
7th. The whole motion and cutting apparatus, comprising the knife carriage 41,
42, 43, 44, the plate 45, the adjusting apparatus 46 and 47, the knife 48, and the
whole lever apparatus 50 to 57.
8th. The whole arrangement or position to one another of the above mentioned
movable machine parts, as shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Pearce Wilding, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WITH ATTA