Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 10th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th June, 1887
I ELIOT ARTHUR DE PASS, of No. 3, Coleman Street, in the city of London,
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a novel and simple apparatus for cutting
or shaving plug, cake or twist tobacco whereby the tobacco is cut or shaved off in a
more simple easy and expeditious manner than hitherto.
The improved apparatus is constructed of a hopper having a moveable cover provided
with a guide for conducting the tobacco to be cut onto a horizontal disc within the
hopper carrying a number of adjustable knives or cutters fitted over slots in the disc
for the passage of the cut tobacco. The disc with its knives is revolved by a bevel
wheel operated by hand or power the teeth of the bevel wheel gearing with teeth on
the disc.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Cutting Tobacco.
1, ELIOT ARTHUR DE PASS, of No. 3, Coleman Street, in the city of London,
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by A. Hen of New York, in the United States of America, Merchant) 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 the construction of a novel and simple apparatus for cutting
or shaving plug, cake or twist tobacco whereby the tobacco is cut or shaved off in a
more simple, easy and expeditious manner than hitherto.
The object of the invention is to provide a portable machine of a simple and compact
form that will be an efficient and durable article. Further the invention seeks to
facilitate and lessen the expense of casting and constructing the principal parts of this
class of machines.
To the above purpose this invention consists in certain new and peculiar arrange-
ments and constructions of parts as hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, figure 1, represents a front elevation of my
improved cutter with the pan 37 broken away in front; figure 2 represents a side
elevation of figure 1 with pan 37 entire; figure 3 represents a top plan view of
figure 1 with the cover of the cutter disc removed; figure 4 represents a sectional
view on line 4-4, figure 3 of the cutter shewn in part; figure 5 represents a
perspective view of the catch-pan detached; figure 6 represents a modified form of
the device. In the said drawings like numbers designate like parts throughout.
Referring to the drawings the standard 5, has the broad flat base 6, extending to one
side of it and perforated for the reception of the screws 7, which bind it down to any
desirable object to hold the machine firm in its operations.
About the centre of the length of the standard 5, is located the bearing 8, which is
a tube-like body extending horizontally with the main portion directly over the base 6.
In this bearing 8, is journalled the shaft 10, which has keyed to its outer end the
hand-wheel 11, for operating the cutter and which has on its inner end the bevel-
gear 12, fixed thereto by its collar 13.
At the upper end of the standard 5, is the arm 14, which extends horizontally and
to the inside of the standard and over the bearing 8, beyond which it projects a little
further and upon this arm are fixed the small pins 15 and 16.
Near the end of arm 14 is a perforation in which the shaft 17 is journalled. The
shaft 17 has a hub 18, which rests upon the collar 19 placed upon the upper face of
the arm 14. Upon the lower end of the shaft 17, is keyed the bevel-gear 20 which
5

page_text: meshes with the bevel-gear 12, and is thereby revolved and rotates its shaft 17. The
cutter disc 21, is securely mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 17, and has its
upper face smooth and flat with the openings 22, therein which look rectangular shaped
in top view.
Referring to figure 3, the cutter disc 21, rotates in the direction opposite to that of
the hands of a watch, and the openings 22, are cut under and slant in a direction
opposite to the rotation and are provided upon the under face of the disc with
the shoulders 23 which are slanting and have the screw-threaded sockets 24 therein to
receive the small screws 25, which bind the blades 26, in position in the openings 22.
The blades 26, have transverse slots through which the screws 28, pass and are
designed for the adjustment of the blade relatively to the upper surface of the cutter
disc 21. Upon the under face of the disc 21, is the rim 27, which is made rather
heavy in parts in order to give a certain momentum and balance to the action of
the disc.
The flap 28 is made of thin metal or any material suitable to act as a wiper to brush
over the upper face of the arm 14, for the purpose hereinafter described. This wiper
is fixed upon the outer face of one of the blades by the screws 25, which hold the
blades in place and depend as shewn.
Upon the head of the standard 5, is secured by the bolt 29, the curved neck 30,
which carries the pocket or hopper 31, which is placed somewhat eccentric thereto and
is box-like and open at top and bottom and is situated almost directly over the bevel-
gear 12. The bottom of the hopper 31, is just clear of the upper face of the cutter
disc 21, the blades of which sweep across the entire bottom of the hopper.
The hopper has upon two opposite sides the little fixed pins 32 and 33 which are
designed to support the cover 34, which has the ears 35, which take over the pins 32,
and the lugs 36, which take under the pins 33, and thus the cover 34, is supported in
position above the cutter disc 21, as shewn in figures 1 and 2.
The catch-pan 37 is in general form a circular pan having its sides perpendicular to
the bottom and provided with a spout 38. This pan 37, has a radial slot 48, which
fits about the arm 14, and is shaped to fit around the sides and end of the same and has
a perpendicular flange 39 extending around this slot and which is just the height of
the width of the arm 14, as shewn in figure 1. This pan 37 is set in position by means
of the indentations 40, fitting over the pins 16, on the arm 14, and the cut away
points 41, fitting under the pins 15. on the arm 14.
In the modified form illustrated in figure 6, the bevel-gear 12, is placed con-
centrically upon the inner face of the hand-wheel 11. The catch-funnel 37, is fixed
upon the inner end of the bearing 8, on which the shaft of the hand-wheel 11, is
journalled and is shaped like an inverted hollow truncated cone across the interior of
which extends the arin 14, supporting the rotary shaft 17 which carries the cutter-
dise 21, upon the upper end. The bevel-gear 20 and the rotary cutter disc 21
constructed as before described are in this form merged into one and the bevel-gear
projects through an opening 50, in the side of the catch-funnel 34 and at that
point it is in mesh with the bevel-gear 12, so that the revolutions of the hand-
wheel 11, serve in an obvious manner to rotate the cutter disc as described. The
hopper 31 is here set down through the cover 34 which has a pair of forks 51,
located diametrically opposite upon the edge and which are engaged and locked by
the latches 52, which are pivotted on the lugs 53, fixed upon the outside of the
catch-funnel. In the positions shewn the latches 52 are in their upward or locked
positions and thereby hold the cover 34, firmly in place. When the latches are
thrown down in opposite positions from those shewn, the cover with the hopper may
be readily removed. The view in figure 6, shews only one of the latches described,
the other latch lies out of sight in a line directly back of the latch shewn on the other
side of the cover.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The plug of tobacco 42, is placed in the hopper 31, and pressed down therein by the
weight of the plunger 43, which may also be pressed upon by hand if its weight is

page_text: not sufficient to keep the plug of tobacco in engagement with the blades. The hand-
wheel 11 is turned and this, by means of the shafts and gear wheels before described,
rotates the cutter disc in a direction opposite that of the hands of a watch and forces
the cutting blades through the plug of tobacco which is pressed down upon the cutter
disc. The shavings of tobacco drop through the openings 22, off the blades 26, and
into the catch-pan 37. Some of these shavings fall upon the arm 14 and are then
swept off into the pan by means of the wiper 28. This operation is continued till it
becomes necessary to remove the catch-pan for emptying the same when it is
replaced and the operation of cutting the tobacco is repeated.
In the modification the cut tobacco ready for use falls through the catch-funnel from
the open bottom of which it may be received in a bag or receptacle suitable to be used
in trade.
The machine is an efficient and rapidly operating device; it is of simple construction
and is durable.
The standard 5 is preferably shewn with the base 6, bearing 8, and arm 14 as cast
in one piece; also the neck 30, and hopper 31 as of one casting. The cutter disc 21
and its shaft 17, may also be made of a single casting, thus it will be seen that this
device can be cheaply and strongly made.
The several parts of the machine may be constructed of any well known and suitable
material that is best adapted for the purpose.
There may be various modifications made in the several parts of the device without
a substantial departure from the spirit of the invention as herein described and
claimed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
1. The combination of a standard or support, a rotary cutter-disc provided with one
or more cutting blades and mounted on said standard, a hand-wheel mounted on said
standard, intermediate gearing between said disc and hand-wheel, a hopper fixed
adjacent to said cutter disc and feeding on to the cutting face thereof in the field of
the passing blades substantially as described.
2. The combination of a standard or support, a rotary cutter-disc provided with a
set of cutting blades and mounted on said standard, a hand-wheel mounted on said
standard, intermediate cog-gearing between said disc and hand-wheel, a cover housing
the cutting face of said disc and a catch or chute arranged upon the opposite face of
said disc, a hopper superposed upon the cutting-face and feeding on to the blades,
substantially as described.
3. The combination of the standard provided with a horizontal shaft and a cog-wheel
and a hand-wheel keyed thereon, an arm fixed to said standard and provided with a
bearing, a rotary cutter-disc having a set of blades and provided with a shaft, a cog-
gear fixed upon the shaft of the disc, said cog-wheel and cog-gear in mesh, a hopper
set upon the standard and feeding on to the cutting face of the disc, a removeable
cover housing the cutting face of the disc and a removeable catch-pan arranged upon
the opposite face thereof all substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of a standard or support and a hand-wheel mounted thereon and
provided with a cogged gear, a chute or catch fixed upon said standard and provided
with a cross piece set across the interior, a rotary cutter-disc having a set of blades
and provided with a shaft journalled in said cross-piece, a cogged gear arranged
upon said disc, a removeable cover housing the cutting face of the disc and provided
with a hopper feeding on to the blades, said cogged gears in mesh, all substantially as
described.
5. The combination of the standard 5, having a base, the horizontal extension 8 and
the hand-wheel 11, provided with the gear 12, the rotary cutter-disc 21, provided
with blades and the cog-gear 20 and suitably journalled in the body 14, the cover 34
and the hopper 31, and the catch 37, substantially as described.
6. The combination of the standard 5, provided with a resting base and having the

page_text: horizontal extension 8, the hand-wheel 11, provided with the bevel-gear 12, the body
or arm 14, the rotary cutter-disc 21, provided with blades and having the shaft 17,
and the bevel-gear 20, the removeable cover 34, the removeable catch 37, the super-
posed hopper 31, provided with the presser or plunger 43, all substantially as
described.
7. The combination of the standard 5, provided with a resting base, and having the
extension 8, thereon, the hand-wheel 11, provided with the bevel-gear 12, the
frustro-conical shaped chute 37, fixed upon the standard, the body 14, the rotary
cutter-disc 21, provided with blades and a shaft 17, and having the bevel-gear 20, the
cover 34 provided with the hopper 31, latches 52, locking with lugs 53, all substantially
as described.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.