IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR PREPARING AND DISTRIBUTING TOBACCO IN CIGARETTE MACHINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson of 47 Museum Street in the
county of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR
PREPARING AND DISTRIBUTING TOBACCO IN CIGARETTE MACHINES Commu-
Dicated to him from abroad by Eugène Ferdinand Leblond, Mechanician
and Manufacturer of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg in the city of Paris and
Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles Henderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1883.
"
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street, [Oxford Street] in the
county of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR PREPARING AND
DISTRIBUTING TOBACCO IN CIGARETTE MACHINES A communication to me from
abroad by Eugène Ferdinand Leblond Mechanician, and Manufacturer of
2 Boulevard de Strasbourg in the city of Paris and Republic of France.
The object of the invention is to mechanically distribute the tobacco, to equalize
it in portions in accordance with the dimensions of and weight of the cigarettes to
be manufactured and at the same time press it equally into cake so that it is
uniform throughout in bulk
The apparatus for effecting this, consists of an endless band having a continuous
translatory motion communicated to it by two rollers one at each end of the band
or cloth motion being communicated to them by a chain, bevil wheel, and pinions
or endless screw and helical wheel.
Above the band or cloth is a glass or other smooth surface between which and
the cloth the tobacco is made to pass by a feed roller placed at the entrance to the
band and glass, so that the tobacco slides freely along the polished surface and is
thereby equalized
At one end of the apparatus is a roller covered with india rubber whose object
is to assist in the formation of the tobacco into cake to be then delivered in the
proper quantity for a cigarette to the moulding mechanism for filling the
previously prepared paper tubes

page_text: The glass presser can be regulated as to its distance from the band or cloth so
as to admit more or less tobacco as desired
The india rubber roller has an intermittent and partial and alternate motion or
rotation, the object of such movement being to stop the tobacco and allow it to
cake, collect and equalize previous to its passing to the moulding mechanism as
above mentioned. The partial and alternate rotary motion of the roller may be
produced as follows: On the axis of the roller a pinion is fixed which gears with a
toothed wheel loose on the end of the shaft of one of the band rollers this latter
being governed by the reciprocating motion of a sector connected by aid of a shaft
with an oscillating lever communicating with a cam on the driving shaft.
The articulation of the shaft and lever allows of varying and regulating the
extent of notion of the distributing roller
The above named shaft is or may be made in two parts allowing by this means
of the breakage or the restoration of the connection as desired.
This is effected by a muffle worked by a handle within the muffle is a pin
playing in a groove composed of two parts one horizontal the other vertical the
horizontal making the muffle solid with the shaft and the vertical acting
inversely.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th October 1883.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street in the county of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR PREPARING AND DISTRIBUTING TOBACCO IN
CIGARETTE MACHINES A communication to me from abroad by Eugène Ferdinand
Leblond Mechanician and Manufacturer of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg in the city
of Paris and Republic of France
By the present method of distributing tobacco in cigarette machines an operative
places it on an endless cloth having an intermitten motion which conducts it to the
machinery for spreading, and forming it into roll or cake.
This mode of operation has the draw back, that the tobacco drawn along in the
way it has been placed on the cloth, makes the cigarettes of unequal weight.
This is completely obviated by the system forming the present subject of letters
patent; which consists in the employment of two endless cloths one having a
continuous translatory motion, and the other an intermittent one, the two being
surmounted by a smooth surface or plate of glass or other matter, leaving a space
beneath it, which may be regulated as required and in accordance with the quantity
of tobacco it is desired to put into the cigarette.
The tobacco is thrown more or less regularly on the first cloth or forward one,
which by its continuous motion leads it into contact with the second, this latter
which is only intermittent in its movement, is surmounted by the glass or other
plate, so that the tobacco when drawn along by the second cloth, stops, and the
first named cloth continuing its rotary movement heaps it up, and forces it to glide
in front of the second endless cloth, until it is formed into uniform cake.
When the tobacco is sufficiently piled up, the second cloth by aid of a ratchet
and click arrangement is animated with a partial rotary motion, which has the
effect of drawing the quantity of tobacco requisite for the manufacture of a
cigarette, it is then delivered to a cylinder which conducts it to the moulding
organs.
From the foregoing description it will be well understood that the improved
method of manufacture uniformly equalizing the tobacco and converting it into
cake without depending on the ability of the operative to deliver it to the
distributing and moulding mechanism, it follows that cigarettes made by the new
process are always perfectly equal and of the same weight.
Having thus described the nature of the invention, the following description
thereof aided by the accompanying drawings will make it clearly understood.
Figs 1 and 2 are an elevation and plan respectively of a cigarette machine of the
description named. Fig 3 is a vertical section of the same following the line 1-2.
Figs 4 and 5 are full size details of the mechanism for reducing or increasing the
thickness of the cake tobacco
In front of the apparatus is the endless leather or other cloth or band a, having
a continuous movement by aid of gear work arranged on the axis of one of the
rollers b. c, the posterior one c for instance is governed by an endless chain c¹ in
connection with the driving shaft of the cigarette machine.
On this cloth or band the tobacco is distributed in any convenient manner either
by causing it to fall from a transverse canal or duct to the cloth, or by preference
from a table or box t, mounted at one or other side of the cloth a: this latter leads
the tobacco close up to the feed cylinder f, which whilst equalizing the tobacco
compels it to follow the endless cloth or band, and to pass under the glass plate d.
The cylinder f, which turns in the direction of the arrow is actuated by the
cloth itself which bears a pinion 6³, on the axis of the roller b, gearing with a

page_text: second pinion 63, by means of an endless chain 62; this second pinion 63, is mounted
on the axis of a toothed wheel 6, which governs the pinion f¹ solid with the feed
cylinder f.
Thus led under the smooth surface d, the tobacco meets with a certain amount
of resistance caused by the immobility of this surface, which resistance is augmented
when the tobacco encounters the second cloth or band a¹ which as already described
has merely an intermittent movement.
The cloths a. a' are separated by the small brass bridge all placed a little
above, and which allows a¹, to draw only the quantity of tobacco strictly necessary
to form a cigarette.
With this view the cloth a' is mounted on the two rollers (preferably grooved) a³
and a³, that a being loose on its axis and the other a³, bearing on its axis a
toothed wheel r, which gears with 7ª, solid by screws or otherwise with a ratchet
wheel, actuating a bent lever ³, fixed on its centro. This lever bears at one of
its ends a click, falling in the teeth of a ratchet On the other end is articulated
the shaft, connected to an oscillating lover l, which is connected with a cam of
the driving shaft of the machine.
To stop the motion of the cloth a¹ as well as the distributing cylinder, it suffices
to raise the click, which is then held by a spring.
Regarding the extent of rotation of this cloth and of the roller g, it is regulated
by the articulation of the shaft and lever, which permits of varying the
backward and forward motion of the bent lever to the extent desired
The roller g, is governed by the toothed wheel r, by the intervention of the
pinion g', keyed on its axis.
Figs 4 and 5 show the arrangement adopted for varying and regulating at will
the space between the glass d (or other smooth surface) and the cloths or bands.
On the plate d which is of suitable thickness are rivited at its centre the brass
cross pieces d¹. d. bearing at their ends, outside or beyond the plato, openings for
the passage of the screws v, which penetrate a threaded portion of the brass
plates u, having previously passed through small india rubber cylinders m, per-
mitting of lowering or raising the plate d, by the simple play of the screws.
In starting to commence working the machine, or even whilst it is working it
may be required to stop the delivery of the tobacco, so as to allow it time to collect,
or for any other purpose. In this case the following mechanism is brought into
play.
On the axis of the roller c of the first cloth is fixed the toothed wheel h, to
which an endless chain in connection with the machine communicates motion, this
wheel, bears a toothed mechanism in two parts, governed by the lever h³
branching off in two parts at its lower end, each branch bearing a small projection
sliding in a groove of the piece h¹.
It will readily be understood that in ungearing the teeth by aid of the lever l³,
the distribution can be stopped when desired.
Stretchers 8.8 applied to the cloths serve to stretch them more or less when
they become slack or for other purposes.
y represents in dotted lines a wooden plate, which can be adapted to the
governing mechanisin so as to prevent threads of tobacco penetrating to it
Having now described the invention and the mode of carrying it into effect, what
is claimed is 1st The preparing and distributing mechanism herein described,
as well as the moulding or pressing the tobacco into cake, which is effected by
regulating the delivery and pressure of the tobacco uniformly by aid of the
revolving cloths or bands, one of which has a continuous, whilst the other has
an intermittent motion.
2 The glass plate or other smooth surface above the cloths, assisting in piling
the tobacco in conjunction with the cloth a¹, the space between the smooth
surface and the cloth being regulated as already mentioned by aid of the
mechanism described and shown by Figs 4 and 5.
3d The roller for distributing the tobacco when made into cake, which delivers

page_text: it in strictly equal proportions to the moulding mechanism, which shapes the
rolls or cylinders of tobacco.
4th The mechanism described for giving the distributing roller and cloth a' the
necessary intermittent motion, for the proper execution of the work.
5th The mechanism for stopping the distribution of the tobacco: reserving the
right to substitute other means therefore or by modifying this mechanism.
6th Claim is also made to the employment of one cloth instead of two, which has
a continuous translatory motion, and is likewise surmounted by a smooth
surface of glass or other matter in conjunction with a single distributing
roller for serving the tobacco to the moulding mechanism, the said roller being
animated with an intermittent movement by any suitable means.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur Charles Henderson have hereunto set my
and and seal this eighth day of October in the Year of Our Lord One thousand
ght hundred and eighty three.