IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CIGARS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Prentice, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MAKING CIGARS."
Sealed the 27th September 1867, and dated the 1st April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Prentice at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1867.
I, JOHN PRENTICE, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CIGARS," to be as follows:--
I employ four rollers rotated by gearing all in the same direction; the
space between these rollers is occupied by the tobacco forming the cigar, and
the rollers revolve the cigar to form it, as hereafter described. These rollers
have elastic surfaces formed by a pipe of india-rubber drawn over them, and
are the basis of this Invention. These rollers are mounted so that one may
be lifted and the others separated laterally, so as to give opportunity for
introducing or delivering the cigar. I make use of two machines having the
foregoing novel features of the four rollers fitted to be separated; one machine
is made with special reference to forming the filling tobacco into a bunch with
a binding leaf or strip of tobacco around it, the filling being laid in between
the rollers and formed into a bunch by being revolved between the rollers, and
the binding strip is drawn in and wrapped around the same by the said rollers.

page_text: The other machine is made,with the same character of rollers, but adapted to
As pre-
finishing the cigar by wrapping on the exterior leaf or wrapper.
paratory, however, to the finishing of the cigar it is necessary that the filling
be cut off at one end square, which is effected by two concave cutters; the
other end of the filling is tapered off to form the tip by means of dies the same
shape as the tip that are brought together and force out at their sides the
surplus tobacco that is removed by a cutter. The finishing machine rolls
the oigar, drawing in and winding around it the leaf of tobacco forming the
wrapper. In order to shape and finish the tip I give to the cigar an end
movement that forces the tip of the cigar into a die of the proper shape. This
end movement of the cigar is effected by giving one of the rollers an end
movement as it revolves; this is effected by a worm pinion on the shaft of the
roller. When the cigar is completed it is delivered by moving the rollers
apart laterally. A treadle is employed with rods connecting to levers that
move the said rollers apart laterally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Prentice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PRENTICE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, A.D. One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Preutice, Her special
license that I, the said John Prentice, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Prentice, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING CIGARS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Prentice, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six

page_text: lendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
atent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Prentice, do hereby declare
e nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
erformed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
atement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
tters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine that forms the filling into a bundle.
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2 is an elevation of the gearing at the ends of the rollers.
3 is a section of the rollers in the act of forming a bundle; and,
4 is a section of the rollers as they are opened for discharging the
bundle of filling.
5 is an elevation of the cutting dies that form the shape of the tip and
square the end of the cigar filling.
6 is a section of the tip die and cutter.
7 is an elevation of the cutters that square off the end of the cigar
filling.
8 is a plan of the machine that puts on the wrapper.
9 is an elevation of the gearing and frame; and
,, 10 is a section of the rollers in the position for receiving the wrapper
ad filling, the dotted lines showing the position of the rollers as closed
gether for wrapping the leaf upon the filling. Similar marks of reference
enote the same parts.
My Invention relates to machinery for making cigars, the first operation
ing to compress the filling into a circular form and secure it by a binder,
e second operation being to cut off one end of the filling square across, and
mpress the other end and cut off the surplus material, so as to form the
ling of the proper shape at the tip, the third operation being to put on the
rapper and complete the cigar, including the proper shaping of the tip.
The bundle of tobacco for forming the filling is laid in between the rollers
b, c, d, Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4; these rollers are revolved in the direction
dicated by the arrows by means of the fly wheel e, gearing 1, 2, 3, 4, outside
e frames f, f, and by the gearing 5, 6, inside the frame. The rollers a, b, c, d,
e to be made of metal, with an india-rubber tube drawn over them to form
elastic surface. The roller a is stationary; the roller c is set on arms c¹
om the shaft c, so that it can be lifted, as seen in Fig. 4, by the foot applied
a treadle that acts on a rod 7 and arm 8 to the shaft c; the roller d is
t in slings d' at the ends of the shaft of the roller a, and these slings are
nuected by the cross bar 9, and from this a rod 10 also passes to a treadle.

page_text: A plate g is attached upon the cross bar 9, so that when the filling has been
rolled into a bundle and a binder wrapped around it by the action of the
rollers as they revolve, as in Fig. 3, the bundle of filling may roll down this
plate g as the roller d is drawn down by the treadle into the position shown in
Fig. 4, and the bundle of filling fall away into a basket or receptacle. To give
room for the bundle of filling to pass out I slide the roller b back by the toe
pieces 11 upon the slings d, which act upon the journal boxes of the roller b.
When the pull by the treadle on the rod 10 is relieved the rollers 6 and d
come back by the action of springs to the position shown in Fig. 8, the
roller c being still raised the filling is laid in between the rollers a, b, and d,
and the roller c brought down, and the pressure as the rollers revolve is con-
trolled by the treadles, so as to make the filling more or less compact. The
filling is next laid in the machine, Fig. 5; one end is cut off square, by the
cutters h and h¹, while the tip is pressed between tapering dies i, i, to shape
it, and then a curved knife is moved down outside of the die i¹ and cuts off
the projecting portions of the filling, so as to leave the tip of the proper shape.
The cutters are mounted in stocks k and k¹, and operated by levers l¹ and 1³,
and the cutter and stock k is fitted so that it can be moved towards or away
from the stock k' and its cutter, and thereby vary the length of the cigar.
The die is operated by a spring pressure from the spring 12, and the knife
is attached to the lower end of the pipe 13 that is acted on by the lever 12.
The filling is ready for the wrapper, which is put on by the machine, Figs.
8, 9, & 10. The rollers m, n, and p are rotated by the gearing 14, 15, 16, & 17
from the fly wheel m¹. The roller o is between arms o¹ from the shaft 18, that
is moved by an arm q and rod to a treadle, so that the roller o can be raised,
as in Fig. 10, or allowed to descend into the position shown by dotted lines in
the same Fig. When the roller o is raised crank arms 19 and links to the
journal boxes 20 of the roller p draw that back, as in Fig. 10. The filling is
placed between the rollers when open, and the wrapper is properly introduced;
the rollers are pressed together, and at the same time rotated, which winds
the wrapper properly around the cigar; the rollers, are opened, the cigar
removed, and another filling and wrapper applied. I shape the tip by a die r
at the inner edge of the bed r1; the cigar and wrapper are pressed endwise
into this die as the. wrapper is put on; this is done by means of an end move-
ment given to. the roller p by the screw pinion p¹ that takes into a toothed
wheel below it; to this wheel friction is applied to keep it from turning easily,
so that as the roller p is revolved it will, be moved endways either one way or
the other, according to which way the screw on p¹ is cut. This end motion
causes the cigar. and filling to press either way into one of the tip dies r and

page_text: shape and finish the cigar tip. When the roller o is raised the shaft 18 acting
through the arm s, link s³, ratchet and wheel t on the gears t¹ or t, and on the
gear u at the end of the shaft of the wheel below the screw pinion p¹ drives
the roller endwise back to its former position, the cigar is removed, and the
operation repeated.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First, the manufacture of cigars, or the filling for cigars by pressure
between four revolving rollers having elastic surfaces.
Second, the construction and mode of operating the machine for forming
the tobacco into a bundle for the filling.
Third, the die and cutter for shaping the tip end of the filling.
Fourth, the combination and mode of operating the machine for putting on
the wrapper.
Fifth, the tip die, into which the cigar is pressed endwise by an endwise
movement of the roller.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Prentice, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witnesses,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
121, Nassau St., New York.
GEO. D. WALKER,
121, Nassau St., New York.
JOHN PRENTICE. (L.s.)