Machinery for Cutting Out "Wrappers" for Cigars or the like Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Machinery for Cutting Out "Wrappers" for Cigars or the like
Purposes.
I, FRANK REGINALD KEYES of 20, Susquehanna Street, Binghampton, Broome
County, State of New York U.S.A. Merchant, at present residing at 13 Torrington
Square, London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine or machinery for cutting out wrappers for
cigars or the like purposes and primarily has for its object to cut out each such
wrapper singly from tobacco leaves-accurately to gauge-for rolling (either by
hand or by machinery) onto cigar bunches or onto cheroot bunches and particularly
to cut out wrappers for being rolled on to bunches by machinery of the character
for which I (jointly with C. A. Baker) received the grant of British Letters
Patent No. 4700 of 1895-although I wish it to he clearly understood that my
present invention may be used to cut out any suitable shapes for any purposes for
which same may be applicable.
My present invention is as follows:-
On a table or other suitable support 1 arrange a die or hollow cutter or trough-
like device of either regular or irregular shape according to the shape to be given
to the wrapper, the said trough or die being knife-edged or sufficiently sharp at
its edge to readily cut the tobacco leaf and such trough or hollow cutter is
advantageously arranged and mounted with said cutting edge upwards.
For the sake of brevity I shall hereinafter refer to this dic or cutting device
as the "hollow cutter."
This hollow cutter may either be provided with a bottom thereto or not as
desired and same is secured in any suitable manner to the table (so as to be readily
removable therefrom to be replaced by other hollow cutters of the same or different
sizes or same or different shapes etc.) for instance by two screw or other clamps
which engage (in nicks or shoulders or equivalent) in or on the ends of other
part or parts of said hollow cutters and such. clamps may be adapted to move
laterally (or otherwise) in slots or be otherwise adjusted and fixed tightly-and
thereby fix the hollow cutter tightly-in any desired position on the table."
Adjacent to this said hollow cutter (advantageously along the opposite side
thereof to the operator) I arrange means for pressing or holding the edge or part
of the tobacco leaf by forcing same against the outside of the hollow cutter or other
suitable rest at a point close up to the cutting edge of said cutter such means con-
sisting advantageously of hinged or sliding or otherwise movable blocks or
gripping devices which may be in one or a number of parts but advantageously
consisting of two horizontally hinged blocks or flaps adapted to turn or be rocked
on their horizontal axis the said flaps or blocks being adapted to be independently
moved a sufficient distance clear of the aforesaid hollow cutter or cutting edge
thereof to thereby permit the tobacco leaf to be placed in position on the said
hollow cutter and thereupon the flaps or blocks are returned and caused to grip

page_text: and hold the leaf both while adjusting same in the exact position required and
while the cutting out is effected.
These leaf-holding flaps or blocks may be rocked or moved in any suitable way
but advantageously by a, bell-crank or bell-cranks or equivalent mechanism just
below the table and operated by the knee or knees of the operator or by a treadle or
equivalent and either against the action of a spring or springs or equivalent such
as a weight or not as desired to expedite or maintain the closing of the said flaps
on the tobacco leaf.
Any suitable connection or gear being used between the treadle or part moved
by the operator and the said flap or block so that the latter may be readily operated
by said operator.
These flaps or blocks are advantageously an exact counterpart of the contour of
the hollow cutter and like the latter are arranged and mounted so as to be readily
changed or replaced and also easily adjustable.
The actual cutting of the leaf is caused by running or rolling any suitable roller
or pressure device over-or so as to bear or press against-the aforesaid cutting
edge and thereby the wrapper is cut out.
This contact or pressing device may advantageously consist as follows:-
Behind the hollow cutter and at some distance therefrom a vertical axis (or
equivalent or suitable turning point) is arranged on said table on which turns a
radial arm or radially extending device of a length about equal to the distance of
said hollow cutter from said vertical axis or turning point.
On the free end of this radial arm a suitable handle (advantageously an upwardly
extending knob) may be provided the said outer end also carrying two
horizontally and radially arranged rollers journalled in a frame or otherwise
suitably mounted on the outer end of this swinging radial arm-such rollers being
advantageously conical rollers their conicity being in opposite direction to one
another and the larger cone end of each such roller spring-mounted and the smaller
cone end arranged and so mounted as to permit play to the other end of each said
roller respectively-the position and travel of the said spring end of these presser
rollers when the radial arm is swung being normally in a horizontal plane a little
lower than the cutting edge of the hollow cutter so that as said free end of the
radial arm is oscillated or swung in either direction the spring end of these two
rollers will bear on said cutting edge and thereby will be forced upwards (against
the action of a spring if desired) and consequently as they roll over said cutting
edge will exert the desired amount of pressure to cut the leaf through on said
cutting edge.
Furthermore these said rollers are vertically or otherwise adjustable in or on
the said free end of the radial arm to suit different heights or shapes of the hollow
cutters, etc.
The presser rollers instead of being conical as aforesaid may be straight and set
at a slight angle to one another i.e. in transverse diagonal directions.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1896.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machinery for Cutting Out "Wrappers" for Cigars or the like
Purposes.
I, FRANK REGINALD KEYES of 20, Susquehanna Street, Binghampton, Broome
County, State of New York U.S.A. Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this

page_text: invention 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 a machine or machinery for cutting out wrappers for
cigars or the like purposes and primarily has for its object to cut out each such
wiapper singly from tobacco leaves accurately to gauge-for rolling (either by
hand or by machinery) on to cigar bunches or on to cheroot bunches and
particularly to cut out wrappers for being rolled on to bunches by machinery of
the character for which I (jointly with . A. Baker) receive the grant of British
Letters Patent No. 4700 of 1895,-although I wish it to be clearly understood that
my present invention may be used to cut out any suitable shapes for any purposes
for which same may be applicable.
And in order that my present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation i.e. looking in the direction of the arrow 1
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Figs. 1 and 2.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views on an enlarged scale Fig. 4 showing the rollers
for pressing the tobacco leaf on to the hollow cutter of the machine, Fig. 5 being
an end view of said rollers in their support and Fig. 6 is a plan of one form or
shape of hollow cutter.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
On a table or other suitable support a I arrange a die or hollow cutter or trough-
like device b of either regular or irregular shape according to the shape to be
given to the wrapper for instance of the shape shown in Fig. 6 the said trough or
die 6 being knife-edged or sufficiently sharp on its edge b' to readily cut the
tobacco leaf and such trough or hollow cutter b is arranged and mounted with said
cutting edge upwards see Fig. 4.
For the sake of brevity I shall hereinafter refer to this die or cutting device as
the "hollow cutter" b.
This hollow cutter b may either be provided with a bottom thereto or not as
desired and same is secured in any suitable manner to the table a (so as to be
readily removable therefrom to be replaced by other hollow cutters of the same or
different sizes or of the same or different shapes etc.) for instance by two screw cor
other clamps which engage (in nicks or shoulders or equivalent) in or on the
ends 6 or other part or parts of said hollow cutters and such clamps may be
adapted to move laterally (or otherwise) in slots a¹ or be otherwise adjusted and
fixed tightly and thereby fix the hollow cutter tightly-in any desired position
en the table a.
Adjacent to this said hollow cutter (advantageously on the side opposite to
the operator) I arrange means for pressing or holding the edge or part of the
tcbacco leaf by forcing same against the outside of the hollow cutter b or other
suitable rest at a point close up to the cutting edge of said cutter such means con-
sisting advantageously of hinged or sliding or otherwise movable blocks or
gripping devices which may be in one or a number of parts but advantageously
consisting of two horizontally hinged blocks or flaps d d adapted to
turn or be rocked on their horizontal axis the said flaps or blocks d'd each
being adapted to be independently moved a sufficient distance clear of the aforesaid
hollow cutter b or cutting edge thereof to thereby permit the tobacco leaf to be
placed in position on the said hollow cutter 6 and thereupon the flaps or blocks d
are returned and caused to grip and hold the leaf both while adjusting same in
the exact position required and while the cutting out is effected.
These leaf-holding flaps or blocks d d may be rocked or moved in any suitable
way but advantageously by a bell-crank or bell-cranks e e¹ or equivalent mechanism

page_text: just below the table the end e of each such crank being operated by the knee or
knees of the operator or by a treadle or equivalent and either against the action of
a spring or springs or equivalent such as a weight or not as desired-to expedite or
maintain the closing of the said flaps d on the tobacco leaf.
Any suitable connection or gear being used between the treadle or part moved
by the operator and the said flap or block d d so that the latter may be readily
operated by said operator.
These flaps or blocks d d' are advantageously an exact counterpart of the contour
of the hollow cutter or of part of the latter and (like the latter) are arranged and
mounted so as to be readily changed or replaced and also easily adjustable.
The actual cutting of the leaf is caused by running or rolling any suitable roller
or pressure device over-or so as to bear or press against-the aforesaid cutting
edge and thereby the wrapper is cut out.
This contact or pressing device may advantageously consist as follows:-
Behind the hollow cutter and at some distance therefrom a vertical axis (or
equivalent, or suitable turning point) f is arranged on said table on which turns
a radial arm or radially extending device g of a length about equal to the distance
of said hollow cutter & from said vertical axis or turning point f
see
On the free end of this radial arm y a suitable handle (advantageously an
upwardly extending knob) & may be provided the said free end also carrying two
rollers journalled in a frame k or otherwise suitably mounted on the outer end
of this swinging radial urm 9 such rollers being advantageously conical rollers
their conicity being in opposite direction to one another and the larger cone end
or one end of each such roller spring-mounted as shown in Fig. 4 and the smaller-
cone end or other end arranged and so mounted--for instance on a hinge pin
Fig. 5-as to permit play to this other end of each said roller respectively-the
position and travel of the said spring end of these presser rollers i j when the
radial army is swung being normally in a horizontal plane a little lower than the
cutting edge 6 of the hollow cutter so that as said free end of the radial arm g is
scillated or swung in either direction the spring end of these two rollers will bear
on said cutting edge as shown in Fig. 4 and thereby will be forced upwards
(against the action of a spring if desired) and consequently as they roll over said
cutting edge will exert the desired amount of pressure to cut the leaf through on
said cutting edge.
Furthermore these suid rollers are vertically or otherwise adjustable in
or on the said free end of the radial arm to suit different heights or shapes, of the
hollow cutters etc.
The presser rollers i and j instead of being conical as aforesaid may be straight
and set at a slight angle to one another i.e. in opposite diagonal directions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in a machine for cutting out "wrappers" for cigars or the
like purposes of a hollow cutter such as b and rollers such as i į arranged and
mounted in a radial frame and adapted to force tlie tobacco leaf against the cutting
edge of said hollow cutter and thereby cut out the wrapper all substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
2. The combination in a machine for cutting out "wrappers" for cigars or the
like purposes of a hollow cutter such as 6 hinged blocks or flaps such as d d to
hold the tobacco leaf in position and means to operate same, and rollers such as ij
arranged and mounted in a radial frame and adapted to force the tobacco leaf
against the cutting edge of said hollow cutter and thereby cut out the wrapper all
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in
the drawings hereunto annexed.
for cigars or the like purposes-
3. Machinery for cutting out
" wrappers

page_text: constructed combined and arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1897.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southamptou Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.