IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGARETTE MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ETIENNE MAVROGORDATO of 53 Palmerston Buildings Old Broad Street in the
City of London Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CIGARETTE MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention has for its object improvements in cigarette machines.
The tobacco is brought down from a receiver between two endless bands which
run at different speeds to equalise the thickness of the layer. The tobacco thus
carried forward enters laterally into a mould the bottom of which rises to detach
and compress the quantity to form a cigarette. A strip of paper to form a mouth
piece is twisted into form within the mould and is carried upwards with the
tobacco when the mould closes. A piston then advances and pushes the contents
of the mould out end wise through a tube or sheath on which a paper wrapper has
previously been arranged.
Nippers hold the wrapper upon the sheath and at the proper time allow it to
pass forward so that it may receive the tobacco within it and also the mouth piece
in its proper position as these are thrust out of the mould by the piston.
The end of the cigarette is received by scissor like cutters which remove the
superfluous tobacco.
The wrappers to be filled are taken from a magazine by a skewer like instrument
which passing through a wrapper removes it endwise from the magazine and carries
it to the sheath; then a slider on the skewer pushes the wrapper off endwise and
transfers it to the sheath.
The parts are geared together to operate in proper sequence as I will proceed to
describe with the aid of the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Figure 5 the part where the mouth piece is rolled up between the lines B B
and C C.
Figure 6 the tobacco magazine and parts between the lines C C and D D.
Figure 7 the pincers for the cover papers between the lines D D and E E.
Figure 8 the scissors to cut the tobacco between the lines E E and F F.
Figure 9 the magazine for the cover papers between the lines F F and G G.
Figure 10 the longitudinal section of some of the parts.
First This machine is composed of a mould of chilled iron Figures 1, 2, of the
Drawings.
5
The piece 1 is fixed. The piece 2 is moveable in a vertical direction with the 1
slide 3 by the action of the elbow lever 4, 5, 6 of which the fulcrum is the axis 7
fixed to the saddle 8. A long slide 9 slides upon the frame 10, to it are fixed the
pieces which operate the different parts of the machine.
Amongst these pieces are the two cams 11, 12, which successively move forward
and draw back the elbow lever 4, 5, 6 at each end of the course of the slide 9 to 1
open and close the mould 1. 2.
At one of the ends of the mould is fixed a plate 15 in which a sheath 14 of very
thin steel is arranged. The interior of the sheath corresponds exactly with the
cylindrical hole which the mould 1, 2, when closed forms.
To this same plate 15 is fixed a rod 16 upon which slide nippers composed of 2
the piece 17, 18, 19, 20.
It is upon the sheath 14 that the paper wrapper is placed and the nippers 17, 18,
are intended to retain it there whilst the tobacco and the mouth piece are caused
to enter into it by the thrust of the piston and the rod 25, 26.
At the other extremity of the mould 1, 2, is a bearing 22 pierced with two
holes; in the first a hole which is aligned with that of the mould there slides with
little friction the piece 23 through the centre of which the skewer 26 passes freely.
In the second hole, which is underneath a tubular piece of steel 30 is adjusted;
it turns freely and is driven by the gear wheels 31, 32, 33.
it.
Through the piece 30 a steel skewer works easily turning with it.
This skewer 36 terminates in a split end with two very small branches, between
which the point of the paper to form the mouth piece enters, and it is rolled up by
Afterwards this skewer retires from the mould and from the rolled up mouth
picce by the action of the bridle 24 which is fixed to the end of the tubular
sliding piece 23 which recedes when the piston 25 places itself at the bottom of
the mould to allow the piece 1 to remove the mouth piece and the tobacco which
it conveys into the mould in front of the piston, which is completely withdrawn.
Second-The mechanism serving to bring forward and to regulate the entrance
of the tobacco into the mould 1. 2.
This mechanism is composed of a magazine 40 in which the tobacco is put, of
two platens 41, 42 fixed to the frame and between which the four rollers 43, 44,
45, 46 are arranged.
The two lower rollers 45, 46 are enveloped by an endless band 48 which passes
over the bottom of the magazine to draw the tobacco forward under the band 47
where it is equalised by the difference in speed of the two bands 47, 48 which is
produced by the differerice of speed of two gear wheels 49, 50, which are fixed
upon the axis of the rollers 44, 45 carrying the bands 47, 48.
The roller 45 is controlled by the wheel 51 on which are ratchet teeth with
which the pawl 52 engages by the action of the levers 53, 54, 55, it takes at each
motion the number of teeth required to cause tobacco to advance.
The lever 55 to the end of which is fixed the roller 56, receives movement from
a cam surface 57, fixed to the slide 9.
The roller 56 with the lever 55 is brought back by a spring surrounding the axis
of the levers 54, 55.
The tobacco after having been passed between the two bands 47, 48, is pushed
between the two plates 58, 59 and thence between the two pieces 1, 2 of the mould.

page_text: Hence when the piece 2 rises it separates the tobacco moulding it into the form of
a cylinder and placing it before the mouth piece which has been rolled up and
raised to the bottom of the mould at the same time as the tobacco.
If the piston 25 now advances in the mould it pushes before it the mouth piece
and the tobacco in front of it out of the mould 1, 2, and supposing a wrapper
placed upon the sheath, the tobacco and the mouth piece enter into the wrapper in
passing into the interior of the sheath 14.
At the moment when the mouth piece corresponds to the edge of the paper
wrapper placed upon the sheath -14 the pincers 17, 18, advance with the wrapper
being moved by the lever 21 which is fixed upon the slide 9 in such manner that
when the mouth piece is completely out of the sheath 14 the wrapper is level with
it. To finish the cigarette it is only necessary to cut the tobacco which extends
beyond the paper.
Third-The scissors to cut the tobacco which extends beyond the paper wrapper;
this mechanism is composed of pieces 60 to 69.
To the piece 60 fixed to the frame a blade 61 is adjusted, of which the cutting
edge is in the form of a half moon. Against this blade another similar blade 62
operates; it is fixed to the piece 63 which is held to the piece 60 by the axis 64.
When a cigarette comes out of the sheath, the tobacco which extends beyond
the paper enters into the mouth formed by the two blades 61, 62, and when the
cigarette is completely out of the sheath 14, the other extremity of the wrapper is
level with the cutters.
At this moment the slide 9 which is at the end of its course in returning causes
the cam 65 fixed upon the slide to raise the blade 62 resting against the roller 66
and link 67 which is jointed to the lever 63.
The tobacco extending beyond the wrapper is by this movement cut off, and the
finished cigarette falls upon an incline plane 68 and thence into a box-69.
Fourth. The magazine 70 for wrappers is carried from the frame 10 by the
Bupport 71.
This magazine forms a sort of case in sheet metal, of which the top and one
side are open to allow of the wrapper being put in.-At one of the lower angles
a shoot 72 is arranged, it is of such dimensions as. to admit only one series of
wrappers lying horizontally and resting one on the other.
The moveable partition 74 can be advanced or drawn back to suit the length of
the wrappers. The lowest wrapper rests upon the bottom of the shoot 72 formed
by the inward curvature of the two sides, which leave between them a space of
two millimetres for the passage of the guide 81 described further on.
To facilitate the descent of the wrappers from the magazine 70 into the shoot 72
the magazine is furnished with a vibrating false bottom 73; against the back of
the shoot 72 slides a plate; this plate and this vibrating false bottom are operated
by a connecting rod 76 from the cranks and gearing 77, 78, which is put in motion
by the racks 79 fixed to the slide 9.
Fifth. The mechanism for passing the wrappers from the shoot 72 on to the
sheath 14.
This mechanism is composed of the pieces 80 to 88.
The support 80 is fixed to the slide 9 and receives its movement, and also to the
guide 81 in which the skewer 82 slides with little friction. To the skewer 82
a steel head or gland 83 is screwed its end fits exactly into the sheath 14 and it
has a shoulder beyond of the same diameter as the exterior of the sheath upon
which the wrapper can thus pass safely and without being creased.
At the other extremity of the skewer is fixed a bridle 84 which regulates its
course by abutting against two double nuts 85, 86, on the screw 87, which causes
the piece 81 to slide along the skewer 82 with the spring and the stopper 88, 89.
When the slide 9 returns, the gland and the skewer 82, 83 enter in a wrapper
which is held at the other end by two bands of india rubber 90 which separate
when the gland passes between them.

page_text: When the wrapper has completely passed on to the skewer 82 it is pushed out
of the guide groove 72 by the steel stopper 89; then the gland 83 comes up to the
sheath 14.
The skewer 82 being stopped by the bridle 84 abutting against the double
nut 85; compels the guide 81 to slide upon the skewer, thrusting on the spring
and the stopper 88, 89 as well as the wrapper, which then passes over the gland 83
and the sheath 17 where it is stopped by the ring 13.
At this moment the pincers 17, 18 close to hold the wrapper firmly upon the
sheath by the pressure which the spring 19 exerts upon it.
The pincers are closed by the regulating screw of the stirrup 28 fixed under the
shoulder of the slide 3. They are opened by the piece 20 when they advance
with the wrapper.
Sixth. The transmission of movement to the parts is effected simply.by
communicating a to and fro motion over a distance of about 26 centimetres to the
slide 9, which causes the different parts of the machine to operate.
This movement is obtained by the aid of a sleeve 92 upon which a groove is
made having two turos to the right and two turns to the left. In this groove
slides a roller on an axis 93 which is received into a bearing 94 fixed to the
lever 29.
The pulley communicates a movement of rotation to the sleeve 92, which causes
the slide 9 to move to and fro.
At the extremity of the axis of the sleeve is fixed the pinion 95, which controls
the two wheels 96-97-communicating a movement of rotation to the india rubber
covered roller 98 which by its adhesion causes the paper for the mouth piece to
advance at the proper time.
The point of this paper enters into the forks 36-which rolls up the mouth piece
in the mould.
The to and fro movement of the slide may also be obtained by acting simply
with the left band upon the handle 99, putting in the mouth pieces with the
right hand.
It is this arrangement of the machine which is represented in the Drawing N° 2
-(elevation).
Seventh To make the cigarettes in this machine the magazine 70 is filled with
wrappers made by hand or by another machine; then there is placed upon a small
table in the receiver placed over the elastic roller 98 some hundreds of mouth
pieces cut to the necessary form and dimensions, after which there is put into the
magazine 40 an even layer of tobacco. The machine is then set to work either by
the aid of a motor by passing an endless band around the pulley 91 or it may be
worked by hand.
This machine can make about 15000 cigarettes in a day, either with or without
mouth pieces, and it can make all the ordinary sizes.
When it is desired to make cigarettes larger or smaller in diameter the
mould 1, 2. has to be changed, the sheath 14, the piston 25 and the gland 83.
As to the length of the cigarettes that can vary from 50 to 90 millimetres.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination in a cigarette machine of feeding apparatus by which
the tobacco is brought forward in an uniform sheet a divided mould detaching and
moulding portions from the said sheet; a piston or pusher traversing the mould
and ejecting its contents; and a "sheath or tube receiving the cigarette wrapper
upon it and forming a channel through which the contents of the mould are
expelled and passed into the cigarette wrapper.
"
Second. The combination in a cigarette machine of a divided mould to which
tobacco is supplied; an instrument arranging a mouth piece within the sail mould,

page_text: and a piston or pusher passing the said mouth piece and tobacco together out of
the mould into the cigarette wrappers.
Third. The mechanism by which the wrappers are successively taken from the
magazine and placed upon the sheath substantially as described and illustrated by
the annexed Drawings.
Fourth. The combination in a cigarette machine of a sheath through which the
tobacco is passed forward and which receives the cigarette wrappers upon it; and
nippers regulating the passage of the wrapper with the tobacco from the said
sheath.
Fifth. A cigarette machine substantially as described and illustrated by the
annexed Drawings.