US1647694A - Cigarette and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

Nove L i927.

W. J. HAWKINS CIGARETTE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME INV TOR. MM

Filed A1111. 29 1924 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. l, 1927.`

UNITED STATES y 1,647,694 PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORD J'. HAWKINS, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MA- CHINE .AND EOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIGARETTE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed August 29, 1924. Serial No. 734,950.

This invention relates to an improved cigarette and method of making the same. In making cigarettes having fillers of shredded tobacco, it has heretofore been customary to arrange a mass of tobacco leaves in superposed condition in a shredding machine, and then slice from the mass a series of straight shreds, by means of a reciprocating knife having a flat surface and a straight edge, the mass being advanced about of an inch between knife reciprocations, so that shreds of this width are produced. The shreds so produced receive further treatment which lies outside the range of the present l5 invention but during which they are separated and then reassembled in a more or less iiufl'y entangled mass.

In open end cigarettes having shredded filler, whether produced by hand, or by machine, methods, the tobacco must so adhere to the paper wrapper that the tobacco will not fall out thereof. It does this by eX- panding within the wrapper after having been introduced thereinto in a slightly compressed condition and then released. But in order to effect this adherence an excess of. tobacco filler or shreds is essential which,

Aotherwise, would not be required. The inclusion of the excess tobacco interferes somewhat with the free draft that is desirable.

It has now been discovered that a saving of upwards of 10% of the tobacco filler or shreds heretofore required, and improved draft, may be effected by making the ciga- :15 rette of a wrapped filler containing crinkly shreds of tobacco, instead of the straight shreds heretofore used. Crinkly shreds, as

used herein, means shreds having a series of short, artificially-produced, inherent A10 bends or wrinkles. Such a cigarette may be produced by first cutting tobacco to form crinkly shreds, which of course are longer than straight-cut shreds and therefore better, and subsequently forming filler containing such shreds and wrapping said filler,

either simultaneously as in, making cigarette* of the continuous rod type, or consecutively as in making individual cigarettes.

The main object of the present invention is the Aproduction of such a cigarette and method of making the same, in order to effect the industrial economy above indicated, and in order to produce better cigarettes.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which like vcharacters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of a shredding machine, the section being taken on the linev 1 1 in Fig. 2 which is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the slicingknife and ledger plate used in the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a mass of superimposed tobacco leaves as placed in the shredding machine, and illustrating two shreds separated from the mass; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a cigarette made in accordance with` the invention, the same being partly broken away to show the crinkly-cut shreds of the filler within the wrapper.

Referring to the drawings, 8 and 9 are the coacting feed rollers of a tobacco shredding machine having a feed throat 10 just ahead of said rollers. Following the usual practice in the operation of such shredding machines, a mass of superposed tobacco leaves 11 is placed in the shredding machine just behind the rollers 8 and 9, and this mass is compressed and forced through the feed throat 10 at proper intervals, the feeding movements being approximately. 11@ of an inch each.

This shredding machine has a reciprocating knife for slicing the tobacco into shreds. The knife itself, however, differs-from the flat-surfaced and straight-edged knives heretofore used to shred tobacco. It is shown at 12 as having not a flat surface and a straight edge but a serrated surface and edge. The surface and edge of such knives may be varied to vary the exact form of the shreds produced thereby. The knife coacts with a .ledger plate 13 having a serrated, or other,

surface corresponding to that of the knife. The plate 13 surrounds the feed throat 10 through which the mass of tobacco is forced. The knife is reciprocated by means of a crank shaft 14 and connected yoke 15, in the usual manner. The reciprocations occur during the intervals between feed movements, and the result of each knife operation is the production of a shred which is crinkly-cut without stressing the tobacco, so that the shred will retain its crinkly characteristic during subsequent operations. It is to be understood that when the knife operates on a mass of superposed tobacco leaves, e nloer oi similar shreds will he ont simultaneously therefrom during each knife operation. Such collocations ot shreds ere shown at itl in Fig. 6.,

' After the tobacco has heen ont into crinhly shreds, it is subjected to the saine treatment as straight-cut shreds, lont subsequently when the crinkly-cut shreds are re-assemoled in the filler ot a cigarette, as at 317, their form and their entanglement revente them 'from packing as closel;T es straight-cnt shreds. As a result of the crinkly characteristic ot the f shreds, as they are entangled in re-asserndecrees 2., .d method of producing cigarettes, con' I sisting in assembling e mass of superposed tohecco leeres, then cutting therefrom, on crooked lines crossing the mass, slices ot snperposed crooked shreds, then separating the crooked shreds, then diderently assembling separated crooked shreds to form a dntiy filler, then encasing the ludy filler in a Wrspper.

3. A method of producing cigarettes, con sisting in assembling and compressing a mass oi snperposcd tobacco leaves, then cutting from the compressed mass, on crooked lines crossing the mass, slices of superposed crooked shreds, then separatin the crooked shreds, then did'erently assemb in the separated crooked shreds to form a indy iller, then encasing the dudy iiller in a Wrapper.

ll. A cigarette comprising a wrapper and en assemblae Within said Wrapper of shreds cnt on crinkbly lines from assembled tobacco leaves, separated, and dierently assembled to form a duy ller.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specication,l g

' 4WILFORD J. HWKINS.

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