925,585. Applying mouthpieces to cigars. F. FARKAS. April 18, 1961, No. 14036/61. Class 130. A machine for applying mouthpieces 6 to cigars 2 (Fig. 1), comprises means for advancing a cigar to a tipping station 4, means for delivering a mouthpiece to a point in alignment with a cigar at the tipping station, and means 9 for imparting translational and rotational movement to the aligned mouthpiece to effect its application to the end of a cigar. Cigar feed and take-off.-The cigars 2 are intermittently advanced over a table 1 by belts 3 (Fig. 9A), supported on a shaft 28 operated by a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism 23, 24 which is actuated by a cam 17, mounted on a continuously driven cam-shaft 16, and co-operating cam follower 18, mounted on a lever pivoted on a shaft 20. A spring-biased guide strip is provided for holding the cigars on the table 1. At the tipping station 4 the cigar is positioned above an elevator 41 by a flange 49. The elevator 41 (Fig. 9), is actuated through a cam 47 mounted on the shaft 15, and levers 45 and 44 to raise the cigar against a resiliently mounted clamping bar 50. After a mouthpiece has been applied to the cigar, the cigar is removed from the station 4 by fingers.57 (Fig. 2), which are connected to a guide arm 59 having a pin-and-slot connection 60 with the table 1. The fingers 57 are reciprocated by means of levers 62, 63, 64 and cam 65 on the shaft 15. Upon retraction of the elevator 41 the fingers 57 are moved to deliver the cigar on to a ramp 69. Delivery is assisted by a spring 71 and a resiliently supported strip 72. Mouthpiece applying mechanism.-Mouth. pieces or tips 6 (Fig. 2), are delivered from a container 8 to a magazine 5 which feeds them to the tip applying mechanism 9. The mechanism 9 comprises inner and outer sleeve carriers 78 and 77 both of which are cut away to receive a tip from the magazine 5, the inner sleeve 78 being rotatably mounted within the outer. The outer sleeve 77 carries a rack bar which co-operates with a rack segment 82 mounted on a shaft 83 which is oscillated by a cam 84 (Fig. 9), on the shaft 15 through links 86, 88 and 89. The inner sleeve 78 is connected to a slidably mounted shaft 79 which carries a gear 91. Gear 91 meshes with a sector gear 92 on a lever 93 which is oscillated by a cam 94 on the shaft 15 and links 96, 97. When a tip has been delivered to the inner sleeve 78 the rack segment 82 and sector gear 92 cause the outer sleeve 77 to be moved towards the cigar end and at the same time cause the inner sleeve 78 to be rotated. The tip is then advanced to the end of a cigar whilst being rotated in a direction to tighten the cigar wrapper. Mouthpiece delivery mechanism.-The magazine 5 comprises a pair of vertical bars having flanges 113 (Fig. 18), forming a guideway 114. The tips are fed to the top of the guideway by a mechanism 7 and are advanced down the guideway by resilient friction rollers 116, a pair of rollers 118 mounted on L-shaped carriers depending from the shafts 115, 11<SP>51</SP> of the rollers 116, and rollers 125, 125<SP>1</SP>. The rollers are driven through sprockets and chains mounted on the shafts 115, 115<SP>1</SP>, the shafts being geared together. The shaft 115 is driven through gearing from the cam shaft 16. The rollers 118 are urged inwardly by adjustable springs 120. When tips have accumulated in the magazine 5 sufficiently to force rollers 118 away from one another a switch 124 is actuated to effect stoppage of further feeding of tips to the top of the magazine. The tips are fed down the magazine to a finger 139 (Figs. 1 and 9), normally extending across the bottom of the magazine. The finger 139 is pivoted to a lever 140 which is rocked by a cam 142 on the shaft 16 and is actuated to release a tip into the carriers 77, 78 when the latter are positioned below the magazine 5. A second finger 148 may be provided for supporting the remainder of the tips in the magazine when the first finger 139 is retracted. The finger 148 is pivotally mounted on an arm 149 carried at the upper end of lever 140. The finger 148 is given a downward pivotal movement by the action of cam surface 150 on a roller 151 to assist in delivery of the lowermost tip. A third finger 153 is also carried on arm 149, which enters horizontally between the second to the last and the remaining tips in the stack. For forcing the tips between the rollers 116 at the top of the magazine a wheel 154, driven by sprockets and chain from the shaft 115, is provided having thereon pivotal tip-engaging fingers 155. A rotary disc 162 (Fig. 13), having a plurality of radially-extending pockets 163 rotates on a shaft 165 between an outer cover disc 166 and an inner guide ring 167 (Fig. 15). The thickness of the disc 166 is less than the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the tips so that, when properly orientated, the tips project on either side of the disc 162. The drive to the shaft 165 is obtained through a solenoid-operated clutch, the solenoid being controlled by the switch 124. The disc 166 and ring 167 are centred as at 181 and 182 to receive the cylindrical portion of a tip when the latter is properly orientated. Incorrectly orientated tips drop out of the pockets back into a shoot 184 carried by the inner ring 167 and by which tips are fed to the rotary disc from the container 8. Entry of the tips into the top of the magazine 5 is effected by tangential guide flanges provided on the inner ring 167. Gluing.-Preferably the tip of a cigar is glued prior to application of the mouthpiece thereto. For this purpose a glue pot 100 is provided on the table 1 (Fig. 1), in which a roller 33 rotates, the roller being driven via the intermittently driven shaft 28 (Fig. 9A). Glue is taken from the roller 33 and deposited on a cigar which is clamped at the tipping station by a wire 102 (Fig. 9), mounted on a rockshaft 103. The shaft 103 is rocked through pinions 110, 109, a rock-arm 108, rod 106<SP>1</SP>, arm 106, and cam 104 on shaft 16.