US1634718A - Adjusting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

' July 5, 1921.

F. x. MALocsAY ADJus'rING MECHANISM Patented July 5, 19.27.

Unirse STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANCIS X. MALGCSAY, 0F UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NEN JERSEY, *ASSIGNORTO INTER- NATIONAL BANDING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPQRATON OF NEW YORK.

'ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 21,

This invention relates to machines in which a plurality of articles ar-e fed one at a time to a predetermined feeding position and thereafter are transferred automatically from said feeding position to operating position, where the articles are act-ed upon by a second machine. More particularly this invention relates to combined cigar' feeding and banding machines in which a plurality of cigars are adapted to be f-ed automatically one at a time to feeding position and then transferred by automatic means to banding position where the handing :machine operates upon them to Vapply a band.

it will he understood that the mechanism which moves tli-e cigars from feeding position to banding position operates through a predetermined distance each time. So that, if the cigar is properly gaged in feeding position, it will, when moved to banding position, be properly gaged relative to the bandapplying machine. It is ess Aitial that the cigar in banding position should be very accurately gaged, because any deviation from properly gaged position will'cause the band to be applied irregularly or out of centralized position. `The cigar, when in feeding position, is properly gaged by suitable gaging means which limit its movement toward the feeding position. in this position, the longitudinal axis of the cigar occupies a certain definite predetermined position, which may be indicated by a line which may be called B. From this position th-e cigar is moved to banding position, and when properly gaged in banding position, its longitudinal axis will coincide with a predetermined axis of the banding machine, which we may call A. The throw of the transferring means is such that the longitudinal axis of the cigar will be moved from B to A. ^f,now, a cigar of different Width, for example, a much thinner cigar, replaces the thicker cigar and is in feeding position against the same limit of gaging means, it will be apparent that the Ylongitudinal axis of the thinner cigar will be somewhat removed from the position occupiedby the longitudinal axis of the thick cigar. If, now,-the thin cigar is moved by the transferring means to the banding position, the distance through which the longitudinal axis of the t-hin cigar moves is the same as the distance through which the longitudinal i banding position.

1923. Serial N0. 640,464.

axis of the thick cigar moves. So that, if the axis of the thin cigar is'removed from the position occupied by the axis of the thick cigarin feeding positiomthe. axis of the thin cigar will be similarly removed from' the position occupied by the axis of the thick cigar in banding position, so that, if the machine were set for the thick cigar so that the latter were. in properly gaged feeding position and banding posi-tion, the thin cigar will be offset from the properly gaged feeding position and similarly offset from the properly gaged banding position,

so that the band will not be properly applied'. v Y

lt is oneof the objects of this invention, therefore, to provide adjusting means whereby the cigar in feeding position may be adjusted corresponding to the various thicknesses of cigars, so that, regardless of the size of the cigaigit will occupy the properly centralized position when in banding or operating position. F or this purpose i provide means for varying the throw of the feeding meansand gaging means toward feeding positions() as to bring the cigars, regardless of their thickness, always to the saine predetermined feeding position. Thus,'for a thinnercigar, the movement of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position would be decreased so as to move the longitudinal axis of the cigar away from the banding position, while for a thicker cigar the movement of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position would be increased to move the axis of the cigar nearer the banding position.

For transferring vthe cigars from feeding position to banding position, I employ suitable gripping means adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to This gripping means is adapted to engage the cigar substantially over its entire upper and lower surfaces. it isapparent, therefore, that if a thinner cigar were substituted for a thicker cigar, if

the gripping means would extend beyond the cigar in feeding position and engage a part of the second cigar, when the gripping means is operated to banding position, there is a likelihood'A that more than one cigar would be moved at a time to banding position. To obviate this diiiiculty, therefore, it isnecessary to adjust the movement of the gripping members toward feeding position as well as to adjust the throw of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position, whenever cigar of different thickness is inserted in the machine. Thus, Vfor a thin cigar not only is the movement of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position decreased, but the movement of the gripping means toward said position is also decreased, because itl is not necessary for said gripping means to travel quite as far to grip this thin cigar over its entire surface. Similarly, for a thicker cigar, the movement of the feeding and gaging means toward feeding position is increased and the movei'nent of the gripping means toward feeding position is similarly increased, because it is necessary for said gripping means to travel a greater distance to engage the entire surface of the thicker cigar.

Ylt is a further object of my invention to provide means for simultaneously adjusting the movement of the feeding and gaging means and the movement of the gripping means, since, as we have seen, there is a deiinite relationship between the two in that the movement of all of said means toward feeding position is increased together or decreased together corresponding to various thicknesses of cigars.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a single operating member for simultaneously adjusting both the feeding and gaging means and the gripping means. By this construction, it is possible for the operator to make the necessary adjustments rapidly and efliciently.

It is a further object of my invention to provide graduated means whereby the operator can tell at a glance exactly to what degree the adjustments have been made, so that the machine can he set accurately for 'various thicknesses of cigars.

`)ther objects and advantages will appear as the nature ofthe improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of instrumentalities herein fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing considered together or separately and then finally pointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appended claims.

The disclosure made. the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept suggests a practical. enibodiment thereof, but the invention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, standpoint. Y

The inventive idea involved is capable of 'receiving a variety-of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purposes of illustranen, is shawn iaith@ accompanying drawing, in which is shown a front view of my machine with parts broken away for the purpose of clarifying the structure.

The device comprises essentially a feeding mechanism for moving cigars or similar articles up to the feeding position, indicated by the line B, the gripping mechanism for transferring the cigar or other article from feeding position to banding or operating position indicated by line A, and the adjusting,` mechanism for adjusting both of said iirst named devices. Y

A layer of cigars lis adapted to be discharged from a hopper upon a table 2 in such manner that the cigars occupy the same relative positions as in the cigar box when packed.

The feeding mechanism comp ses a plurality of bars 3, which operate in slots out in the table top and which are given both an up-ai'id-down and left-to-right n'iovement. The movement is, therefore, essentially elliptic. ln their upward and right movement, the bars are raised above table 2 to lift the ci jars olf the table and move them forwardly to the right. In the lower and left movement they deposit the cigars on the table and move beneath the table out of contact with the cigars. lWhen they reach their extreme left position they begin if their upward and right movement to feed the cigars forwardly again the distance of one cigar width.

Each bar 3 is provided with a downwardly extending fork 30 vadapted to straddle a shaft 5 at one end of an G of a bell crank 7, pivoted in a hanger 8, fixed to the main frame of the machine. Also pivetcd on the axis of shaft 5, is a gagelinger 9 adapted in its extreme movement to the right to the cigar in'feeding position. The gage linger 9 is also given an up-and-down and a right-and-left movement. The gage 'linger is caused to lag somewhat behind the downward movement of the bars (by mechanism to be hereinafter described) so to hold the first cigar in feeling position B until the left upper and lower gripping lingers il, Ll contact with the ciOar in feeding position preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position Then the gage finger 9 is lov*- ered out of Contact with the cigar in feeding position, and the movement thereof to the left is substantially the same as that of the bars. For the purpose of giving the bars their up-and-down movement there are provided bell cranks l2 pivoted on the fixed frame at 43, having rollers 42 at the end of one arm and having their other arms-connected by link 13 to effect parallel movement of said bell cranks. The bell cranks are rotated by link 14 connected to the pivot of one of lthem (here shown as left bell crank), the said link being connected to a link l5 attached/at 96 to bell crank 1,6, pivoted at lOl) 17 on the main frame of the machine and operated from a cam 92 atthe extreme'right, said cam being continuously rotated from any suitable source of power to provide continuous rocking of said bell crank 16, and hence continuous up-anddown movement of the bars 3. That is, for each revolution of the cam the bars will make a complete up-and down cycle. @ompounded with the rip-anddown movement of the bars is the forward and rearward movement which is effected by means of the bell crank 7, one arm 6 of which engages in the forks 30 on the underside of the bars, said bell crank 7 having a roller in engagement with a cam 26 carried by hub 27 fixed to the extreme left end of an operating shaft 29 adapted to be reciprocated continuously. Shaft 29 fixed at the right end in a hub 46having rollers 47 whereby the shaft and the mechanism carried thereby is supported on rails 48 on the fixed frame of the machine. The shaft 29, together with the hub 27 and cam 26, may be reciprocated by means of a link 30 connected thereto at 31, said link being pivotally connected to a lever 94, adapted to be operated by cam 32 which rotates continuously. At the end of the movement of the cam 26 to the right, the bars 3 drop because of the action ofthe cam 92 and the connecting mechanism. The cam eventually moves so far to the right that gage finger 9 engages the row of cigars on the ,table which'have suflicient resistance toprevent further downward rotation of bell crank 7. The roller 25 may at this time be some distance off the cam 26. By this arrangement` therefore, it is assured thatl the gage finger 9 will in every case come into contact with the next cigar to be moved to feeding' position. The degree of movement of the gage finger to the left is such that said finger engages the row of cigars and moves said rows slightly to the left before it reaches the limit of its left movement. During the movementof cam 26 to the left. bell crank 7 is rotated to move the bars 3 and finger 9 tothe right to feeding position. Not only the bars, therefore, but the finger 9 gets its right and left movement from cam 26, operated by the shaft 29. Finger 9, however, is only pivotally connected toene arm of bell crank 7 and is given a separate independent up-and-down movement, so that when the bars go down to Vdeposit the cigars on the table top 2, the gage 9 still remains upward until the gripping fingers 4, 4.a engage the cigar in feeding position .B Vfhen the fingers 4, 4"1 have engaged the cigar in position B, the gage 9 is drawn downwardly to disengage said vfirst cigar and is moved rearwardly by bell crank 7 together with bars 3 and is later moved upwardly to engage the said cigar after having been drawn back somewhat less than one -cigar width. The movement to the Vleft cigar.

continues so that gage 9 probably moves the row of cigars to the left a trifle, as described, thus ensuring engagement with the next The movement to the right is then accomplished as before by the bell crank 7 the bars being in elevated position, through vthe operation of links 14, l5. To give the gage iinger 9 a separate up-and-down movement there is'pivoted thereto at 45, intermediate `the length thereof a. link 33, whose other end has a universal connection 34 to a hub 3 5, `which' is operated by a bell crank 36 and cam 37, said cam being similar to cam 32, and said crank being similar to .crank 16. The operation of the feeding mechanism, although apparent from the foregoing description, may be described as follows:

Assume gage finger 9 and bars 3 are in their extreme left position-s. The gage finger' is in engagement with the nextc'igar to be moved to feeding position. The bars are then moved upwardly, the finger having been raised during the stroke to the left, to lift the cigars ofi' the table and to the right. The eXtreme right position of the bars and gage finger determines the feeding position of the cigars. rIfhe bars are then lowered to deposit the cigars Von the table top, but the gage finger still remains elevated in engagement with the cigar in feeding position until the gripping fingers 4, 4a come into contact with the said cigar (by mechanism as hereinbefore described). Y finger is lowered out of engagement with the cigar in feeding position and is moved with the bars toward the left. Near the end 0f its stroke toward the left, the finger 9 is elevated -in front of the neXt cigar to be moved to feeding position. This elevation of finger 9 occurs, therefore, before the finger has been moved to the left the distance of one cigar width. The total stroke to the left somewhat exceeds one cigarwidth, as hereinbefore described, to ensure engagement of the finger with the row of cigars. The bars arethen moved upwardly and to the right to feeding position, as before. The timing of the various movements depends, of course, upon t-he shape, size and position of the various driving cams described, and this maybe regulated at will to accomplish the desired results.

Also carried by the. main driving sha-ft29 through a link 5ly is the guide or gripper block connected to said link at 4 9 and which is Yslidable on the shaft 29 for the purposes of adjustment (by means to be yhereinafter described), but once adjusted,

nieves therewith through the connection comprising the link 51 and lever 52 of theV adjustment. Said lever 52 is pivoted on a shaft 53 in the hub 27, the cam 26 moving integrallywith said slaaf-tand lever. Since the hub is carried on and reeiprocated by yShaft 2.9, the link .5l will be Similarly atta- Then the gage ino 4crank 16 to be reciprocat.

ated to move the gripper block to the right as the cam moves to the right, and move it to the left as the cam moves to 'the left. Since, when the cam 26 moves toward the left, the feed bars 3 and gage finger 9 move toward the right, it will be obvious that the gripper block ant gripper lingers carried tnereby will be moved toward the left, or, in other words, in a direction opposite to the bars. That is, as the bars feed a cigar to feeding position, the gripper block and its gripping finger move toward the cigar to engage it preparatory to moving it to the banding position. it is, of course, necessary that the gripping lingers carried by the gripper block should be spread apart vertically before they engage the cigar in feeding position, so that they may come in contact with its upper and lower surfaces. For this purpose the gripper block carries upper lingers 4 which are held elevated while the gripper block is moving to the left by means of gripper bar 62 pivotally mounted at 63 on the hub 46 in which shaft 29 is fixed. Said bar 62 rests upon the upper end 65 of a link 66 within the gripper block and having engagement (by a linkage or gearing, not shown) with a slide 6l carrying the linger 4 at its upper end. As long as gripper bar 62 rests upon the upper end of said link, the finger 4 will be elevated. TWhen the main carriage is moving toward the left to engage the cigar in feeding position B, means are provided for holding the gripper bar 62 in lowered position to keep the finger 4 elevated. The lower finger 41 is carried upon the end of an arm 83 pivoted at 84 upon the upper end of gripper block 60 and having a pin 65 adapted to engage the upper end of block 6() to limit its downward movement. The bar S3 and fingers 4a are adapted to rest upon gripper bar 62 to be raised and lowered as said bar is, raised and lowered. So that, when gripper bar 62 is in lowered position, lingers 4 are elevated and fingers 4a are lowered, so that these lingers may pass over and under the cigar in feeding position preparatory to grasping said cigar. `Then the fingers are in position over and under they cigar in feeding position, the bar 62 is adapted to be raised, thus allowing finger 4 to be lowered into engagement with the cigar and raising finger 4L into engagementwith the lower surface of the cigar. As the main carriage moves toward the right, the cigar in feeding position li will be carried to banding position A. At this point the bar 62 is adapted to be depressed again to raise lingers 4 and permit fingers 421 to drop, thus releasing the cigar in banding position. For raising and lowering the gripper bar 62, there is provided a link 90 pivotally connected at 9i to the gripper bar 62 and connected at itsother end to bell d. by the 'cani which operates said bell crank. The fingers 4 will normally tend to drop by gravity into engagement with the cigars, and, if desired, this movement may be assisted by a spring.

The operation of the device thus described, therefore, is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in the drawing, the next movement will be that of finger 9 which will drop, the bars 3 having previously been lowered, and then the bars and finger 9 will be moved toward the left, while the cigar in position i3 is moved to position A. At this point the bars 3 are elevated in front beneath the next cigar, the finger 9 having been elevated in front of the next cigar during the move-v ment to the left, and after reaching the limit of their movement to the left, move upwardly and to the right to carry the next cigar to feeding position. 62 has dropped this elevating ,finger 4 and permitted fingers 4a to drop out of contact with the cigar which it has carried to banding position, and with the fingers thus spread apart, the carriage moves toward the right until fingers 4 and 4a are above and below the cigar in feeding position. At this point bar 62 rises to lift fingers '4a into engagement with the bottom surface of the cigar' in feeding position and permit fingers 4 to fdrop into engagement with the upper surface of the cigar in feeding position, so that the parts are again in the position shown in the drawing and the operation is repeated.

The adjusting mechanism.

The link 80, operated from the lever 94, is given a certain throw by cam 32, said link 30 being connected to shaft 29, and hence transmitting the throw to cam 26 and gripper block 60 and gripper bar 62. This movement is always constant and is the distance from B to A. As has been described, on the-movement of gage finger 9 to the left, said finger comes up slightly in advance of the next cigar which is to be moved to feeding position and upon continued movement to the left engages said next cigar and thereafter, when the feeding mechanism operates toward the right, the feeding bars and gage, together with the cigar with which the gage contacts, are brought to the feeding position. The gage finger 9 will, without adjustment, always occupy the position shown when in eXtreme right position, so that it is obvious that if a cigar one-half the size of the one shown were to be fed, said cigar would have its axis, instead of on the line B, half way between line B and the finger 9. 'Vhen, now, the gripper head moves the distance equal to the distance from B to A, the axis of the cigar at A 'will be as much to the left of A as' it was to the left of B, Since it is essential that the Meanwhile bar cigar should be properly positioned at the banding machine, forrotherwise lthe band would not be' properly applied, some adjustment must be made whereby the axis of the cigar, no matter what its width, will always be, when in feeding position, upon the line B, so that when the gripper head moves the distance from B to A, its axis, when moved to banding position, wiil always be the amount of throw to the right of 'the gage finger.

An operating handle 116, pivoted at 115 upon a bracket 111, depending from hub 2 7, is formed integrally therewith. an arm 118 engaging in the forked end of the pivoted lever 52, said lever being pivoted at 53 in the hub 27 whih is fixed to the end of shaft 29, pivotal axis 5B having fixed at its other end .the cam 26. Obviously, by rotating the handle 116, cam 26 will be rotated to provide greater or lesser inclination and hence greater or lesser throw of the feed bars and` gage 9 tothe right. An index plate 119 may be provided with index numerals 120 and with openings 121 into which a spring detent 117, carried 'by arm 116, may extend. 'It is'only necessary to adjust the movement of feed bars 3 and gagefinger 9to the right, since,'as we have seen, in its left movement, the cam roller leaves the cam 26 Aand the fingerY 9 is free to swing' into engagement with the next cigar regardless of its width. Bythis adjustment, therefore, it will be seen'that if a narrower cigar is to be fed, the gage finger is adjusted to move so that its extreme right position is nearer the axis B by the desired amount; lin other words, its' throw to the right is diminished. Tf a wider cigar is to be fed, the gage finger is adjusted so that its extreme right position is,` further away from the axis B, that is, the throw to the right is increased.

Since the gripping fingers 4 and 4ar grip the cigar in feeding position preparatory to transferring it to banding position, it will be seen thatif agnarrower cigar iis employed than the one shown, for example, knot only will the first cigar be positioned between fingers 4 and 4a, but said'fingers will also overlap the second cigar and may drag two cigars therewith toward' the banding 'position. It is, therefore, apparent that when the gage finger 9 is adjusted for a wider or narrower cigar, it is necessary also to adjust the extreme left positions of fingers 4 and 4*, that isif the extreme right posi- 'tion of gage finger 9 is moved nearer the axis B for a thinner'cigar, the `extreme left position of gripping fingers 4 and y4a must bemoved toward the right, sothat the ends thereof also approach the axis B; that is, the distance from the ends of the gripper lingers 4 and 4a, and gage finger 9 is reduced to substantially the new width of the cigar, orincreased, as the case may be. To accomplish this thel gripper head carrying the gripper fingers 4 and 4fL is not fixed to the shaft 29 but is slidably mounted thereon and is connected thereto, as we have seen, by the link 51. Said link is connected at oner end to the gripper head v and at the other end to' the lever 52, so that as adjustment is made by handle 116 to Vmove the extreme right position of the gage finger 9 toward or away from ther axis B, the gripper head will be operated in the reverse direction, that is, if the gage finger 9 is moved toward the left by this adjustment, the gripper head is moved toward the right, and vice versa. The gripper head is prevented from yrotating about shaft 29 by means of a downwardly extending straddle member 130, adapted to straddle fixed shaft 131.

The entire machine can be driven from anysuitable source of power, as by a motor, either' directly or from a suitable belting to drive the shaft l40 which carries cam 37. Said shaft may be geared to the shaft which carries the cams 32 and 92 at the rear of themachine, so that all of the cams will be operated in unison, thus ensuring proper timing. f

Suitable springs 100, 101, 102 may be provided for normally holding bell cranks 7 and 16 and link 94'in effective engagement with their cams.

Throughout this specification I have described my iuvention in connection with a cigar feeding and banding mechanism, but I wish it. distinctly understood that this was solely for illustrative purposes and to describe one practical embodiment of my invention, and that the invention herein is capable of a wide variety of uses on other articles.' Thus, for example, the device can be utilized in connection with candy wrapping or banding machinery or generally with any type of wrapping or banding machine wherein a plurality of similar articles are fed to a bandingor wrapping machine and then, discharged.

The subject matter of this application is disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 640,463, filed May 21, 1923.

In accordance with'hthe provisions of the `patent statutes, I have described the principle of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent a practical embodiment thereof, but I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular form of apparatus herein shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are attained, and the new results accomplished, as herein set forth, as it is obvious that the particular embodiment herein shown and described are only some of many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by 'Iietters Patent is: Y

1.'In a device of the character described, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, and means for adjusting said first named means corresponding to various sized cigars.

2. In a device of the character described, reciorocable means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, aud means for adjusting the throw of said reciprocable means in feeding` direction corresponding to various sized cigars.

3. In a device of the character describec, reciprocable means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, reciprocable means for gaging the cigars in feeding` position, and means for adjusting the throw of said reciprocable means in feeding` direction coriesponding to various sized cigars.

li. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a` plurality of articles to feeding posit-ion, means for actuating said first named means, means for adjusting said last named means to vary the extent of operation of said feeding means, said last named means comprising a cam, and means for varying the inclination of said cam.

5. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a plurality of articles one at a time to feeding position, means adapted to move toward feeding position to gage the article in feeding position preparatory to moving said article to operating position, and means for simultaneously adjusting the extentof movement of said first two means toward feeding position corresponding to various sized articles.

6. In a device of the character described, means for feeding` a plurality of articles one at a time to feeding position, means for adjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereof toward feedingl position, gripping lingers adapted to engage the article in feeding position and move it to operating position, and means for regulating the movement of said fingers with respect to the article in feeding position simultaneous with the adjustment of said first named means.

7. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a` plurality of articles one at a time to feeding position, means for adjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereof toward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the article in feeding position and move it to operating position, means for adjusting the position of said fingers relative to the article in feeding position, and a single operating member for both of said adjusting means.

S. In combined cigar feeding and banding` machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted to move toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding position preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, and means for adjusting the extent of movement toward feeding position of said first two means corresponding to cigars of various thicknesses.

9. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted to move toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding position` preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, and means for decreasing` the extent of movement toward feeding position of said first two means corresponding to cigars of lesser thickness and increasing the extent of said movement corresponding to cigars of greater thickness.

l0. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means adapted to move toward feeding position to engage the cigar in feeding positionV` preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position, ineansfor decreasing the extent of movement toward feeding position of said i'irst two means corresponding to cigars of lesser thickness and increasing the extent of said movement corresponding to cigars of greater thickness, and manually operable means for operating both adjustments simultaneously.

ll. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, reciprocable ymeans for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time lto feeding position, reciprocable means adapted to move the cigar in feeding position to banding position, and means for adjusting the limit of throw of both of said reciprocable means toward feeding position corresponding to cigars of various thicknesses.

12. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position,

gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, and means for adjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigar in feeding position.

13. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding' a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, and means for adjustingthe extent of movement toward feeding position of said fingers corresponding to various thicky nesses of cigars.

14. In combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, and means for decreasing the extent of movement toward feeding position of said nngers corresponding to a thinner cigar and increasing said movement for a thicker cigar.

15. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time lto feeding position, means forv adjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereof toward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, and means for adjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigarl in feeding position.

16. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a plurality of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means for adjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereof toward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted to engage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, and means for adjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigar in feeding position and in opposite directions.

17'. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for feeding a ,plurality kof cigars one at a time to feeding position, means for adjusting said first named means to vary the extent of movement thereof toward feeding position, gripping fingers adapted toengage the cigar in feeding position and move it to banding position, means for adjusting the position of said fingers relative to the cigar in feeding position, and a single operating member for both of said adjusting means.

18. In a device of the'character described, a conveyor, means for 'imparting to said conveyor elliptical motion, said conveyor being adapted on its upward movement to raise a plurality of articles from a stationary platform and to deposit the same in an anvanced position on said platform the Width of one of said articles, means for regulating' the distance of advance of said conveyor, means associated with said first means to imp-art an elliptical motion to a finger which Will raise said finger in advance of an oncoming article and retract the finger to position said article at a predetermined point, means independent of saiddmparting means for imposing a lag upon the downward movement of said yfinger and means associated With said regulatory means adapted to vary the distance of retraction of said finger. l

19. In a device of the character described, a conveyor, means for imparting to said conveyor elliptical motion, said conveyor being adapted on its upward movement tok raise aA plurality of articles from a stationary platform and to deposit the same in an advanced position on said platform the Width 0f one of said articles, means for regulating the distance of advance of said conveyor, means associated with said first means to impart an elliptical motion to a finger which Will raise said finger `in advance of an oncoming article and retract theV finger to position said article at a predetermined point, means independent of said imparting means for imposing a lag lupon the downwardv movement of said finger, means associated with said regulatory means adapted to vary the distance of retraction of said finger, means comprising a pair of vertically operable jaws adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontal plane and to grasp the article in the said predetermined position and to advance it into a second predetermined position, meansV beingA provided to vary the amplitude of the horizontal movement of the jaws, as and for the purpose described.

This specification signed this 7 day of May, 1923.

FRANCIS X. MALOCSAY.

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