Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of Cigars.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of Cigars.
1, OTTO WARTMANN, of 73 to 75 Cowcross Street in the County of London,
Cigar Manufacturer and Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The machine which I have invented and which forms the subject of this
application has been devised for the purpose of manufacturing in one operation
cigars fully shaped and tapered and so that the resultant product shall very closely
resemble those made by hand.
My machine comprises an arrangement of rollers of peculiar construction which
are driven by suitable mechanism and between which the materials to form the
cigars are rolled and fashioned.
These rollers which constitute the central feature of my machine are formed in
the shape or nearly so of the cigar to be made and of soft or flexible material each
with a central longitudinal passage through which is passed a wire which does not
revolve, but ou which the roller revolves, and if the material of which the roller is
made requires it I finish the ends of the roller with metallic or other tips or
ferrules and bushes and I line it throughout with, or construct it upon or round a
flexible lining either metallic or otherwise to cause it to run easily on its central
wire and prevent undue wear, and I find a convenient lining may be made either of
canvas lubricated within, say with plumbago or other like lubricant, or of a closely
wound metailic helix either of which forms a flexible lining or foundation where-
upon the flexible material of the body of the roller may be built up or formed, but
rollers possessing the essential features indicated may be obtained by other
combinations than that with the helical lining just described.
The wires which pass through the rollers are not straight but each is bent in
such wise that when the roller is placed on it the latter is so bent that one side of
it will exactly fit against a cigar of the desired shape. Several of such rollers,
preferably four, are mounted each on its central wire, in a frame, in such wise that
one of the required cigars will exactly fill the space between them, and such rollers,
or each pair of them may be covered with an endless apron or mantle, as herein-
after mentioned.
The most convenient method of driving the rollers is by means of friction wheels,
one placed above the upper, and one below the lower pair, and such friction wheels
may be faced with india rubber or other material suitable for producing friction
between them and the rollers.
Я
The friction wheels may be driven by any of the ordinary devices for producing
rotation provided only that the operator has complete control over the motion, and
one form of apparatus for accomplishing this which I find well suited for the
purpose consists of a treadle operating pawl which engages with aud rotates a
ratchet wheel the rotation of which is transmitted to the above described friction
wheels. The ratchet wheel is turned only as the operator's foot causes the treadle
to descend, the pawl passing over the ratchet teeth on its return stroke so that the
rotation is intermittent and thoroughly under the command of the operator and so
that he can stop it at the exact moment he may desire.
The frame carrying the rollers is so jointed as to allow of the upper part of it,
carrying the two upper rollers, being turned back, lifting the two upper rollers

page_text: away from the two lower ones and giving free access to the cigar between
them.
The cover or endless aprons may either enclose two rollers only, in which case
two such covers are employed, one for the upper and one for the lower pair of
rollers, or one cover only may be used in which case it surrounds the four rollers
and is of sufficient amplitude to allow of a portion of it being turned inwards
between two of the rollers to form a "pocket" or fold within which the cigar in
process of formation is rolled.
In forming a cigar in this machine a proper quantity of rough tobacco is first
placed between the rollers where it is rolled and formed into a bunch by a few
strokes of the foot on the treadle.
The bunch wrapper is then introduced between the rollers which, the rotation
being continued, is caught and drawn in and wound round the bunch after
which the leaf or outer covering is similarly applied so as to form a complete
cigar.
A cutting arrangement is provided for trimming the ends while the cigar is in
-the machine.
Dated the 26th day of March 1896
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of Cigars.
1,-OTTO WARTMANN, of 73 to 75 Cowcross Street in the County of London,
Cigar Manufacturer and Merchant 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 :-
The machine which I have invented and which forms the subject of this
application has been devised for the purpose of manufacturing cigars fully shaped
and tapered so that the resultant product shall very closely resemble those made
by hand.
My machine comprises an arrangement of rollers of peculiar construction which
are driven by suitable mechanism and between which the materials to form the
cigars are rolled and fashioned.
These rollers which constitute the central feature of my machine are formed as
exactly as is practicable in the shape of the cigar to be made, and of soft or
flexible material, each with a central longitudinal passage through which is passed
a wire which does not revolve, but on which the roller revolves, and if the material
of which the roller is made requires it I finish the ends of the roller with metallic
or other tips or ferrules and bushes and I line it throughout with, or construct it
upon or round a flexible lining either metallic or otherwise to cause it to ruu easily
on its central wire and prevent undue wear; and I find a convenient lining may be
made of a closely wound metallic helix which forms a flexible lining or foundation
whereupon the flexible material of the body of the roller may be built up or
formed, but rollers possessing the essential features indicated may be obtained by
other combinations than that with the helical lining just described.
The wires which pass through the rollers are not straight but each is bent in such
wise that when the roller is placed on it the latter is so bent that one side of it will
exactly fit against a cigar of the desired shape. Several such rollers, preferably
four, are mounted each on its central wire in a frame, in such wise that one of the
required cigars will exactly fill the space between them.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of my machine showing parts in section: Fig. 2, is

page_text: a plan of the same: Fig. 3, is an end elevation: Fig. 4, an elevation of the
opposite end:
Fig. 5, is a transverse section of the rollers with a cigar in process of manufacture
between them, taken nearly in the middle of their length: and Fig. 6, is a similar
section near one end of the same:
Fig. 7, is one of the rollers detached, and which also represents the shape of the
cigar which the rollers represented are fitted to produce:
Figs. 8 and 9, are respectively a vertical elevation and plan of one of the wires
on which the rollers work, showing Fig. 8, the vertical and Figure 9, the horizontal
components of the curvature of the wire.
A is a frame bolted through its base plate a to the operating table, and formed
with a joint at B by which the upper portion may be inclined backward as shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The part e of the frame is rigidly fixed to, or forms one
piece with, the base plate a, and the corresponding upper portion e' is jointed
thereto. The part is adjustably attached to the plate a by the screws d d which
pass through slots in the piece . The part of the frame is jointed to c³ at B and
is adjustably attached to the part c' by the screws d', d', passing through the slots d³ ³
shown in Fig. 2 whereby the length of the frame may be varied to carry rollers, and
produce cigars of different lengths.
Motion is given to the rollers by two friction wheels D and D' which may be
conveniently faced with rubber and which are carried on spindles E, E' respectively,
which carry, and are driven by the wheels F, F' which gear with the wheel G which
works on a pin g which is carried by the bracket h and one end of which pin serves
to unite the parts c and d of the frame, and forms the centre of the joint.
A ratchet wheel H is keyed to and concentrically with the wheel G, and on the
same pin g is mounted an arm K which carries a pawl j and which is operated by a
link L connected at its lower end with a treadle not shown in the drawings. By
the descent of the link L and arm K the pawlj carries the ratchet wheel forward,
rotating the mechanism. The rising of the link and arm causes the pawl to
pass backwards over the teeth while the wheel remains stationary, and an inter-
mittent rotary motion is thus produced which is very thoroughly under the control
of the operator.
The rollers m, n, o, p, are required to combine flexibility with sufficient firmness
of texture and the best materials for and method of constructing them which I am
acquainted with are as follows:-
take a closely wound coil g of preferably brass, copper or white metal wire and
mould over it a body r of india-rubber of the shape of the cigar to be formed, with
conical metal ferrules s at the ends. The rollers m, n, o, p are mounted each on a
sufficiently rigid wire t passed longitudinally through the central coil and which
wires are permanently bent in such wise that the central space between the four
rollers will exactly fit a cigar of the required shape.
The wires carrying the two upper rollers m, n, are rigidly fixed at one end
to a sliding piece u which is adjustably attached to the frame by a screw, fixed to
the frame and passing through a slot in the piece s with clamping out thereon.
The other ends of these wires are removably fitted into eyes in a similarly mounted
and adjustable slotted piece u' at the opposite side of the machine secured with a
similar screw nut v'.
The wires carrying the two lower rollers o, p, are mounted in the same manner on
the lower half of the frame.
A lever pressed forward by the spring and carrying a pin, with one
inclined face, engages with an extension y of the lower part of the frame and
locks the upper portion in its forward, i.e. its normal position as shown in full lines
in Fig. 4. When the tail end of the lever to is pressed inwards the locking pin
is withdrawn and the upper half of the machine can be inclined backwards as show
in dotted lines in Fig. 4 in order to allow of the introduction of the raw material or
the removal of the cigar.
The pawl I prefer to construct with a second arm j which is brought into

page_text: action and the arm thrown out by placing the spring on the opposite side of the
stud and if then the arm K be brought over so that the link L is on the other side
- of the centre g the direction of rotation is reversed.
A small table shown, in dotted lines in Figs. 1 & 3 is removably attachable to
the frame and serves to facilitate the introduction and manipulation of the
covering leaf.
In using this machine the operator places his or her foot on the treadle connected
with the link L, the upper portion of the machine is turned back and a proper
quantity of filling tobacco is placed in the central space between the rollers. The
upper part of the machine is pulled forward and the foot raised and depressed a
few times by this the filling is sufficiently rolled and then the bunch wrapper or
binder is introduced between the rollers and by further rotation rolled smoothly round
the fillers. The covering leaf or wrapper is introduced and rolled round the bunch
in the same way, it being stretched by the operator as it passes in between the rollers.
Before that part of covering leaf which forms the point of the cigar enters the
rollers it is slightly pasted and then allowed to enter thus forming a neat point to
a well finished cigar.
1. It will be observed that by using rollers which are in every part of the
same diameter as the corresponding part of the cigar a perfect rolling contact is
obtained and freedom from the objectionable slipping and twisting between the
surfaces which necessarily takes place in machines in which similar proportions do
; not obtain.
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. The improvements in machines for the manufacture of cigars hereinbefore
,.described.
2. A machine for the manufacture of cigars substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown on the drawings.
3. A machine for making cigars characterised by flexible rollers each of which
is of the size and shape of the cigar to be produced and which rollers are so bent as
to fit against and shape the cigar in process of formation substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. In cigar making machinery the use of flexible rollers mounted on curved rods
or wires substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a machine for making cigars the flexible rollers m, n, o, p mounted on
fixed curved ceutral wires and driven by friction wheels D D₁ operated by ratchet
and pawl gearing connected with a treadle substantially as described and shown on
the drawings.
6. Flexible rollers for cigar making constructed substantially in the manner and
for the purpose described.
Dated the 25th day of January 1897.
OTTO WARTMANN.