US2740443A - Cigarette making and cutting machine - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1956 w. R. BROWN ETAL CIGARETTE MAKING AND CUTTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1950 INVE NTORS Mill/am Brown April 3, 1956 w. R- BROWN ETAL 2,740,443

CIGARETTE MAKING AND CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 am I? Brown 11!! 5 Mal/607 United States Patent C) CIGARETTE MAKING AND CUTTING MACHINE William R. Brown and John 'E.Mailhot, Toronto, Ontario,'Canada Application December 23, 1950, Serial No. 202,454

1 Claim. (Cl. 146-168) This invention relates to improvements in hand-operated cigarette-making devices and more particularly to a device for producing a plurality of individual cigarettes simultaneously.

The principal object of the invention is 'to enable the formation of a plurality of extremely uniform properly packedprecise machine made cigarettessimultaneously in a simple and convenient manner.

Another important object is to provide .for the cutting of a formed cigarette length into aplurality of precisely cu't individual cigarettes by the utilization of the ordinary razor blade, rendering the machine and the replacement of the cutting elements relatively inexpensive.

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing-a novel device to receive and cut a 'formed (length intoindivdual cigarettes.

In particular the invention resides in mounting an array of razor "blades with their cutting edges presented and providing a'slide to convey the cigarette length into the blade edges in a manner to effect severance into the individual lengths.

Another feature of importance consists in arranging correct position to be -cut.

These-and other-objects and-features wi1l be apparent from I the following description taken -in conjunction with "the accompanying drawings.

Ref errin g to thedrawings,-Figure 1 'is'a perspective view illustrating the invention randzshowing the cigarette rolling device in position for coaction withthe cutting .unit.

Figure 2 'is"a "perspectiveview dfthe cutting unit of Figure l partly broken away for clarity.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the cutter mechanism partly broken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 with the slide in its outermost position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the slide moved inwardly.

Figure 6 is an enlarged part sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1 showing a detail of the knife holders.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the to the position of Figures 4 or 8.

2,740,443 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the slide moved inwardly.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the cutter device shown in Figures .8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a perspective detail of the blade-holding mechanism.

With reference to the drawings, the complete cigarettemaking unit comprises the rolling or forming component 1 and the cutting component 2. The cutting component comprises a bottom 3 to which is secured the front and side walls 4 and 5, and bridged between the side walls is a longitudinal "flat block 6.

The frame defined by the bottom 3 and the walls and the block 6 includes the cutting mechanism to be hereinafter described and serves additionally as a base or mount for the rolling component 1 which comprises a long strip of wood 7 and a fiat block '8 of appreciable width spaced from the strip 7 by the sides 9 having slots 10 with the metal turned out to form the slots forming the parallel guides 11.

Secured by the ,metal strip 12 at the top of the strip 7 is a flexible apron 13 which extends in a fold down between the strip 7 and block '8 to form a pocket 14, being secured to the rear edge of the block 8 by the clamping strip '15.

Mounted beneath the apron ,13 is a rod 16 adapted to roll inthe guides 11 and provided at the ends with the eularged knurled knobs 17.

In using the devicethe rod or spindle 16 is rolled back The apron 13 is then depressed with the'fingers or the end of a pencil into the pocket 14. Tobacco shreds are then laid in the apron loop or pocket in the required quantity to form a cigarette of the desired bulk or diameter.

As will be appreciated from Figures 1 and 2, the length of the strip 7 and block 8 are such as toproduce a multiple length cigarette form so that while the diameterrequired is equivalent to the ordinary cigarette its length, according to the illustration, will be more than five times the length of the ordinary individual cigarette.

Following placing of the tobacco-the operator, by rotating the knobs *17 moves the rod or spindle 16 towards the positions of Figures 5 and 9. When-the spindle has been rolled 'sufiiciently to form .the'tobacco into a tight symmetrical'cylinder'by'the-rolling action of the apron the operator then places a narrowstripof cigarette paper on the forward flatexposed surface ofthe apron above the block 8 and bycontinued rolling of the spindle towards the "position of Figures'S and 9 the 'tobacco is rolled onto the paper and-the-paper is formed to 'fit snugly around the cylindrical 'packedto'bacco as will be well understood.

Before the spindle 16 has been movedits full travel to the position of 'Figure'S to cover the strip and complete the cigarette 18 to discharge it'fromthe'apron a suitable 'adhesiveis applied, as is well understoodin the art.

*With reference to'Figures2 to-6, it willbe seenthat one "edge of the bottom dis turned'upwardly-and rearwardly 25 to receive the ledges 19 and 21 respectively whereby the blocks 23 are constrained to slide in accurate alignment with the ledges.

Secured to the plate 20 centrally of its length is a rod 26 threaded at its outer end 27. A band spring 28 bent into a closed loop has its two ends and central portion threaded on the rod 26 and is engaged by the compression nut 29, which upon being tightened is adapted to force the band against a stop surface 27' to distort and spread the sides of the spring into engagement with the adjacent blocks 23 spaced on each side thereof to force same 31 forming a cutting element with its shoulders 32 resting on the ledges 19 and 21 and its underside supported on the bearing block 22. The blades 31 are thus securely held by the clamping blocks 23 by tightening of the nut 29 but are instantly releasable for removal by the compression nut.

The blocks 23 are arranged so that the spacing of the I knives 31 is uniform and equalito the desired length of the individual cigarette to be formed.

Arranged beneath the longitudinal block 6 on each side wall 5 of the cutting component is a guide 33 of channel form and these guides receive the arms 34 of a slide 35 provided with a series of slots 36 registering with the blades 31, permitting the slide to be advanced from the showing of Figure 4 to the showing of Figure 5.

From the showings of Figures 2 and 4 it will be seen that the bottom of the slide 35 is immediately above the top of the blocks 23, and with the slide in its outer position there is a space or channel the full length of the slide to receive the cigarette form 13 in the plane of the slide to be engaged by its forward edge 37 which is shown slightly concaved and constituting an undercut lip conforming to the peripheral shape of a cigarette form tending to roll and acting to urge the cigarette downwardly as the slide is advanced to the position of Figure 5.

It will be appreciated from Figures 4 and 5 that the edges 38 of the knives 31 are angled so that as the length of cigarette form 18 is advanced through the cutting device from Figures 4 to 5 a cut of progressively increasing depth is made until the complete severance of the form 18 into the individual cigarettes, which are collected in the chamber 39.

The result is a very precise clean out which would not be provided if the knife edges were arranged perpendicular to the travel of the slide.

The component 1 is simply seated on the block 6 and v is shown with rubber feet or knobs 40 which frictionally grip the walls 4 and 5 to firmly hold this component in position on the cutting component 2. It-will be appreciated however that the cutting component may be utilized with any device for rolling a cigarette form of extended length.

To prevent the slide 35 from pulling free when with drawn to the position of Figure 4 pivotal lock bars 41 are secured to the ends of the arms 34 and are swung transversely of the arms when it is desired to lock the slide in position and into alignment with the arms when it is desired to free the slide.

The modified form of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 11 shows the cutting component 2 of similar form to the component 2 but provided with a longitudinal block 42 in place of the sliding blocks 23. This block 42 is provided at uniformly spaced intervals with saw cuts 43 defining an angled bottom bearing surface 44, Figures 8 and 9. Into thecuts 43 are inserted the holders 45 formed of spring metal to grip a razor blade 46.

These holders 45 present a lateral flange 47 adapted to bear on the upper surface of the block 42 with the angled edge 48 of the holder bearing on the bottom 44 of the saw cut.

A slide 49 having arms 50 received in the end guides 51 and provided with the slots'52 registering with the blades 46 carry the cigarette form 18 through the cutting mechanism as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9; Suitable pins 53 through the ends of the arms 50 retain the slide against accidental removal. I

Again, as will be seen from Figure 9, movement of the slide effects a cutting of progressively increasing depth to give an extremely precise clean cut as desired.

The result of the present invention is that with a substantially continuous operation cigarettes having a machine-made appearance can be quickly formed in a very short interval with simplicity and convenience.

What we claim as our invention is:

In a device for cutting a cigarette form of extended length into individual cigarettes comprising a supporting structure having a pair of longitudinal guides, a plurality of clamping blocks slidably arranged between said guides, stop means at the ends' of said guides, expanding means intermediate the length of said guides and between a pair of adjacent blocks to force blocks on opposite sides thereof in opposite directions towards the ends of said guides, a plurality of cutting elements arranged between said clamping blocks and gripped thereby upon expanding of said expanding means, said cutting elements presenting an array of parallel cutting edges above said blocks and spaced the distance of the desiredv length of individual cigarette, and a cigarette carrying slide movable in a direction parallel said cutting edges and immediately above said blocks to convey a cigarette form of extended length against said knife edges to be cut thereby, said expanding means comprising a rod arranged between said blocks and transverse of said guides and formed with a threaded end, a spring metal band of substantial width of elongated oval form having said rod threaded through the central part and the ends of said band, said band engaging a stop remote from said threaded rod end, and a nut engaging said band to compress same against said step to expand same outwardly into contact with adjacent blocks on opposit'e sides thereof. 1

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,177 Cowman et al. Aug. 1, 1882 599,323 Dreisbach Feb. 22, 1898 813,912 Ray Feb. 27, 1906 1,282,779 Dula Oct. 29, 1918 1,626,550 Miller Apr. 26, 1927 1,932,508 Brown Oct. 31, 1933 2,108,972 Orner Feb. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 370,017 Germany Feb. 26, 1923

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