24,488. Beno¯t, A., GuÚniffet, J., Nicault, J., and Danger, E. Feb. 13, [date applied for under Patents Act, A.D. 1901]. Cigarette-making machines.-Tobacco on the endless apron a, Fig. 1, is compressed between wheels 3, 4, 5, 6 which feed it as a continuous core through the funnel c, in front of which is a drum d, moved intermittently along and around its axis, and carrying paper tubes f to receive the tobacco from the funnel c. The knife h cuts the tobacco a little behind the paper tube, and the drum then carries the cigarette past the ramming-rod i, Fig. 4, and ejecting-rod j. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the compressing-wheels b, which are also shown in front elevation in Fig. 1. The first vertical wheel 3 has a straight profile, but the first pair of horizontal wheels 4 have the lower part curved outwards as shown, and the second vertical wheel 5 and the second pair of horizontal wheels 6 have a semicircular profile. On the front end of the fixed funnel c is a telescopic tube 10 fixed to a plate 11 which is mounted loosely on the boss 13 of a shaft 12 between the drum d and the loose collar 14. The plate 11 is prevented from rotating by a pin 16 moving in a fixed sheath 17, but is oscillated laterally with the drum d by the lever 20, connected to the collar 14 and oscillated by a cam 21. The drum d, Fig. 4, carries a circular row of tubes 23, cut on the bevel and adapted to receive the paper tubes f and to be placed successively in front of the funnel c. The drum supports a crown 24 having grooves 25 to guide the tubes f. A guard 26 also carried by the drum keeps the tubes f in their grooves, and supports the shaft 28 of the knife h and moves it laterally with the drum d by means of collars 29. The knife h is continuously revolved, and passes into the narrow space between the plate 11 and the drum d. The mechanism producing the intermittent rotation of the drum shaft 12 is shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 9. Mounted loosely on the same shaft 12 as the driving-wheel 30 and stop wheel 31 is a lever 32, given an oscillating motion by the pin 35 on the rod 33 working in a cam-slot 36 in a disc 37 carried by the rotating shaft 34. The lever 32 carries a slide 39 actuated by a roller 42 and slot 41 in the cam-plate, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 12 but is driven by gear wheels 43 from the shaft 34. The slide 39 carries a tooth 40 adapted to engage the wheel 30. A cam 46, Fig. 9, on the shaft 34, actuates a stop lever 44, having a tooth 48 adapted to engage with the wheel 31. The arrangement of the various cams is such that the following sequence of movements occurs : - (1) the tooth 40 engages the wheel 30, (2) the tooth 48 is disengaged from the wheel 31, (3) the oscillation of the iever 32 turns the wheel 30 and the shaft 12, (4) the tooth 48 engages with the wheel 31, (5) the tooth 40 is disengaged from the wheel 30, (6) the lever 32 moves backwards, and (7) the tooth 40 again engages the wheel 30, and so on. At each revolution of the shaft 34, the shaft 12 is thus turned through an angle corresponding to the distance apart of two consecutive grooves 25, the drum d being rotated by pins 18 carried by the support 19 fixed to the shaft 12. The lateral and rotary movements of the drum d are so co-ordinated that, immediately a tube f has arrived opposite the funnel c, it is pushed backwards so as to surround the core of tobacco. When the filling is completed, the tube is moved forwards, and during this movement the knife h cuts off the tobacco. The drum d is then again rotated and the next tube brought opposite the funnel f. The cigarette is then brought opposite the reciprocating ramming-rod i, being held in place in this and the previous positions by the pincers 50, 49, respectively, supported by springs on the guard 26.