US2316213A - Mechanism for forming dense end cigarettes - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1943. c. ARELT 2,3I6,213

MECHANISM FOR FORMING DENSE END CIGARETTES .Filed Dec. 9', 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT ATTORNEY April 13, 1943. c; ARELT MECHANISM FOR FORMIliG DENSE- END CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 9, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 13, 1943. CQARE LT 2,316,213

' MECHANISM FOR FQRMiNG DENSE END CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 9, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet .3-

Q CHARLES ARELT Q N ATTORNE April 13, 1943. c. ARELT 2,316,213

MECHANISM FOR FORMING DENSE END CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 9, 193B 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT BY I ATTORNEY April 13, 1943. c. ARELT 2,316,213 MECHANISM FOR FORMING DENSE END CIGARETTES- Filed Deg. 9,- 193a e Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR CHARLES ARELT TTORNEY April 13, 1943. c. ARELT 2,316,213

MECHANISM FOR FORMING DENSE END CIGARETTES I Filed Dec. 9, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR CHARLES RELT v I {TTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1943 MECHANISM FOR FORMING DEN SE END CIGARETTES Charles Arelt, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 9, 1938, Serial No. 244,792

22 Claims.

This invention relates to the fabrication of cigarettes, especially to the formation of dense end cigarettes, and more particularly to a tobacco feed having mechanism designed to form individual charges of filler tobacco from a supply thereof, and to density said charges individually and deliver them successively into the range of action of a moving element of the cigarette rod former in a cigarette machine, by which each cigarette is formed with a dense end of the desired consistency, the pre-formed charge being embodied with the full charge of filler tobacco.

is made of mechanism to form cigarettes in which each: cigarette has a full charge of filler tobacco, and an added densifying charge increasing in density progressively and regularly to a maximum desired density at the mouth end of the cigarette, such a cigarette constituting a new article of manufacture.

As an ancillary object of the invention may be mentioned a tobacco feed. having a. charge former with the above features and in which the charges are formed in the course of passage along a path concave in cross-section, and for the purpose of tapering their ends the charges are pushed along the path by pushers having a complemental contour.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of pushers with means to actuate them in such fashion as to cause the pushers to approach each other and alternately to recede from each other, thereby providing constantly recurring intervals for charging the spaces between the pushers, compressing the charges successively, and discharging the compressed charges.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a forming path in such a charge forming mechanism with rugosities adapted to retard the advancement of said charges and thereby aid in their densiiication. 1

A further object is to mount a series of such pushers upon an endless chain running alongside of the path and to provide a housing for said chain, with tracks serving to prevent lateral tilting movements of the chain. 7

An object of the invention is to provide a series of such pushers extending radially from each of a pair of rotors of substantially equal radius,

mounted to rotate about a common axis with their peripheral edges in contiguous relation, forming an arcuate path adapted to receive continuously a supply of filler tobacco from a source thereof, a concave being mounted adjacent to said path to confine the stream of filler tobacco as it progresses along said path, and the pushers on one rotor alternating with those on the other.

As a cognate object, the invention contemplates the provision of means to drive said rotors inthe same direction, and intermittently at different speeds, causing cyclical approach of certain pushers on one rotor relatively to some adjacent pushers on the other rotor, and concurrent separation relatively to other pushers on the lastnarned rotor, thereby to form the desired peripheral pockets for charges of filler tobacco; also to density said charges in the pockets, and eventuallyto deliver said densified charges successively into the range of action of a traveling conveyor leading to the cigarette rod former.

Other objects and features of theinvention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment of the invention selected for illustration progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of an auxiliary tobacco, feed adapted to supply the desired increments to the normal: tobacco feed;

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the mechanism showing the drivingmeans;

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3;

Fig. '5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the chain supporting means;

Fig. 6 is. a sectional end elevation of a modified form of mechanism for feeding additional tobacco to produce dense portions in the cigarette rod;

Fig. '7 is a sectional side elevation taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

I feed is provided comprising a pin wheel in and shower tobacco into the main chute, or may be driven by separate means.

The illustrative disposition of the chute l2 at' the front end of the main chute is not intended to exclude the disposition of the chute [2 at the rear end of the main chute 13 so that the spaced increments of tobacco are received by the cigarette paper web l4 prior to the normal supply of tobacco issuing from the main chute, substantially as described and illustrated in the Letters Patent to Podmore, No. 1,977,998. 7

At the base of chute I2 is situated a V-shaped trough l5 adapted to receive the tobacco shower issuing from pin wheel l8 and picker roll H. Adjacent this trough there is provided a chain it having spaced V-shaped inclined pusher H which in their travel project into the chute l2 and fit into the V-shaped trough to push the tobacco through the same and expel the small piles of tobacco through an elongated opening IS, in the base of the trough,'onto the paper or onto the tobacco stream on the paper, depending upon Whether the auxiliary chute l2 be located at the front or rear of the main chute i3.

The increments of tobacco are delivered in spaced relation by the inclined pushers l1, upon the tobacco charge previously supplied to the paper web from the main chute I3, whereby the cigarette rod is formed with uniformly occurring irregularities in the density of the tobacco, so that when the rod is severed into cigarette lengths,

each cigarette will be formed with denser portions at its ends, the increments of tobacco, as will be understood, being delivered at the positions along the rod corresponding to the severance of the rod.

As the tobacco charges are V-shaped in crosssection, and the pushers I! are inclined so as to give a tapered or diagonal rear surface to the charges of tobacco, this shaping prevents the occurrence of any abrupt change from the dense end part which would create a shoulder in the cigarette.

A partition l9, secured to a plate 23, which constitutes the front wall of both the main and auxiliary chutes, is provided to separate a portion of the shower of tobacco and direct it into the chute l2 and the remainder is directed into the main chute iii. A rear wall 2| of chute I2 is attached to a bracket 22 (Figs. 3 and 4) suspended from a web 23 of a housing 2d, and the rear wall of the main chute consists of plates 25 and 25 (Fi 2).

The V-shaped trough I5 is part of a casting 21 carried by the web'23 of housing 24. A Wedge shaped portion 28 of member 21 serves to separate the auxiliary and main chutes, and also provides means for supporting the walls 26 and 26.

The increments of tobacco falling into the trough l5 accumulate in a more or less long, uniform layer, and in pursuance of the invention, provision is made of means to reduce the length of this layer and to pile the same as it is being advanced by the pushers [7. To accomplish this scored as at 29 (Figs. 1 and 2) which effects a retarding action of the leading end of the tobacco as it is being advanced by the pushers, and this results in forming small successive piles of tobacco, to be delivered onto the tobacco'stream upon a traveling web.

A circular brush 3D is provided to remove tobacco strands which gather on top of the pushers Ii as they pass through the conveyor l2, thereby preventing said strands from becoming entangled in the conveyor. A cover 3| serves to prevent tobacco from clinging to the conveyor and also serves to support the brush 30.

Referring to Fig. 2, the lower end of the walls 2%) and 26, and also the trough 15, have beveled surfaces as at 3, matching the corresponding beveled portion of guide pieces 32, it being understood that the tobacco from the main chute is delivered into the chamber formed between the vertical Walls of the guide pieces and rests upon the paper web It overlying the usual'traveling tape 33. Themembers 32 are secured to a plate 34 which has a depressed surface i3 3 permitting movement of the tape and paper web,

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the triple chain Iii is synchronized with the drive of the cut-01f (Fig. 9) and printer units of the cigarette machine (not shown). A shaft 35, driven by suit able means from the cut-0E unit, is equipped with a bevel gear 36 meshing with a bevel gear 3! mounted on a shaft 38 supported in bearingsof housing 2 3. Shaft 38 is also provided with a spur gear 39 (Fig. 4) meshing with a spur gear lil mounted on a stud 4| supported in housing 2 3. A triple sprocket 42, on the end of stud 4|, drives the chain It which runs over an idler sprocket 43, on a stud 44, and over a take-up sprocket 45 freely mounted on a stud Z8 engaging in a vertical elongated slot 4'! of web 23.

The lower loop of chain I6 is guided in a horizontal plane for a portion of its travel between sprockets 12 and 43 by a lower support 48 and an upper abutment i9, both of which are secured to web 23. The center of rotation of sprocket 42 is positioned slightly higher than the center of rotation of sprocket 43,.as shown in Fig. 3, so

that as the lower loop ofchain l5 finishes its travel along the horizontal path just mentioned, it commences to travel along a slightly inclined path of travel. This causes the pushers to withdraw gradually from engagement with the tobacco increments after they have been deposited upon the traveling collecting conveyor M to avoid disrupting the filler. Members 48 and 49 have spaced salient portions or tracks 50 which engage the rollers ZIBv on pins 231] of the chain having links H5, as seen in Fig. 5, thus maintaining the horizontal alignment of the chain belt and assuring-the proper engagement of the pusher H with the V-shaped trough l5.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows: The tobacco feed showers the tobacco into a chute 12 located at the front end of the main chute I3, as shown in Fig. 1,

1 side bars'M which hold between them the rod object, the V-shaped surfaces of the trough are 7 former tube 95111120 which the wrapper M with itstobac co layer T is guided by a ro d former tongue 96 inserted between thebars 94, and from which it emerges in the form of a continuous cigarette rod, ready to be sealed and finally cut into individual cigarettes.

As shown in Fig. 9, a cigarette rod cut-off, which may be of the oblique rotary type such as disclosed in U. S. patent to Rundell, No. 1,888,774, is provided with a ledger plate 91 and an eccentric wafer blade 98 mounted for rotation obliquely to the cigarette rod on a shaft 99. The shaft 99- is driven through members I00, IOI, I02, I03 and I04 from a gear I05 on a drive shaft I06 which also carries the tape wheel I0I supporting tape belt I08, so that the cigarette rod is forwarded in timed relation to the operation of the cut-off. Shaft I06 is suitably geared for operation in timed relation thereto to the same drive shaft as the shaft (Fig. 3) from which the chain conveyor I6 is driven. Thus the operation of the chain I6, the forwarding belt 33, and the cut-off knife 98, is timed to cause said knife to cut through the center of the dense portions D of the cigarette rod to produce dense end cigarettes.

In the modified arrangement (as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8), the shaft I06 (Fig. 9) is suitably geared for operation in timed relation thereto to the same drive shaft as the shaft I'I (Fig. 7) from which the split wheel 6566 receives motion.

Thus the operation of the split wheel, the forwarding belt, and the cutoff knife, is timed to cause said knife to cut through the center of the dense portions of the cigarette rod to produce dense end cigarettes. i

In carrying the invention into effect according to a modified arrangement, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, a chute is provided into which tobacco is showered by means of a pin wheel I0 and picker roll II of the type shown inFig. 2. Chute 55 leads into an upper opening 56 of a housing 51 integral with a bracket 58, said housing also having an opening 59 at its bottom portion permitting the charge to be delivered onto the cigarette paper web I4 or upon a full cigarette charge on said web.

Bracket 58 is provided with a bearing 60 and housing 51 has a bearing 6I, the first-named bearing supporting a loosely mounted sleeve 62 and the other bearing supporting a loosely mounted sleeve 63. A cross shaft 64, which is free to turn within said sleeves 62 and 63, is equipped at its right-hand end with one-half 65 of a wheel, while the other half 66 of the wheel is secured to the endof sleeve 63, and when members 65 and 66 are assembled they form a split wheel having a V-shaped periphery. The wheel member 65 is provided with a plurality of spaced wedge shaped pusher vanes 61 and member 66 also is provided with a plurality of spaced pusher vanes 68. Members 65 and 66 are adjusted while being assembled so that the vanes 61 and 68 are disposed in the relative positions seen in Fig. 8, this being the charge compressing position.

The wheel 6566 as seen in Figs. 6 and 8, is

situated within the housing 5! in a position to receive the shower of tobacco issuing from chute 55. The tobacco is deposited in the V-shaped groove between the pusher vanes 61 and, 68, and the pusher vanes by relative movement ofthe wheel faces are brought together to compress the tobacco, in a manner to be presently described. Since the vanes have inclined operating surfaces, they produce tapered ends at both ends of the charge, and thus cooperate to produce a dense end which has no abrupt transition between the main part and the end parts of the cigarette. It is to motion to its coacting parts.

be understood that the aforementioned structure of a split wheel, having a V-shaped periphery, is provided for forming a half-diamond-shaped increment of tobacco, and the scope of the subjoined claims is not intended to be limited to this specific structure because various modifications may be made by a skilled mechanic to obtain this same result by split wheels not having V-shaped peripheries.

A housing I0 (Figs. 6 and '7), which consists of end walls II and I2 and a band 13, encloses the driving means which impart motion to the split wheel 65-66. Wall I2 supports a sprocket wheel I4 which is driven by a sprocket chain 15 (Fig. 7 running over a sprocket wheel I6 mounted on a shaft 11 which is driven in synchronism with the cut-off (Fig. 9) and printer units of the machine by connections not shown.

The walls II and I2 support an upper stud I8 and a lower stud I9, an arm being mounted pivotally on the former stud and connecting with an arm 8| which is operated by an eccentric 82 integral with sleeve 62. The movement imparted to arm 8| transmits motion to a gear 63, in mesh with a gear 84 keyed on shaft 64, thereby giving intermittent movement to the member 65. The lower stud I9 supports a pivotally mounted arm 85 connected to an arm 86 operated by an eccentric 8I integral with and opposing the eccentric 82. The movement imparted to arm 86 transmits motion to a gear 88 on arm 65 which is in mesh with a gear 89 keyed on sleeve 63, thereby giving intermittent motion to the member 66.

The eccentrics 82 and 81 are driven by means of a sprocket wheel 90 (Fig. 7) mounted on shaft 11 which drives a chain 9| running over a sprocket wheel 92 (Fig. 6) secured on the sleeve 62.

It will be understood from the description of the opposed eccentrics 828'I that as one leccentric imparts driving motion to its co-acting parts, the other eccentric is operating in its idle portion of the stroke and will not impart driving For a short period of each cycle of the eccentrics, the wheel members 65-66 will advance rotatively together, but the eccentric which has been driving will then stop imparting motion while the other, which has only started to transmit motion, will continue to do so. In this manner, intermittent motion is imparted to the pusher vanes 61 and 68 of the respective members 65 and 66, and therefore, to the tobacco deposited in the groove of wheel 65-66, between the pusher vanes, and by the relative differential movement of their Wheels the faces 61 are brought together to compress the tobacco and to advance the same toward the opening 59 wherefrom it is delivered onto the traveling cigarette paper web I4.

The various embodiments of the present invention above described are merely illustrative, and are not intended to exclude the numerous other physical embodiments which may be utilized in carrying into effect the basic idea of means which underlies the invention. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for directing a continuous stream of tobacco toward said conveyor, a compressing mechanism for compressing individual incre ments of tobacco and forming the longitudinal ends thereof with a uniform and progressive taper comprising a pair of complemental pressure members mounted to'move one after the other in an upright path common to both of said members, and means to cause unidirectional alternating cyclical movements of said members successively in said path with intracycle variations in speed of at least one of said members whereby the leading member alternately moves faster in said path than the following member during a predetermined phase of the cycle and then moves slower thanthe following member for a succeeding phase, thus causing successive separation and approach of said members relatively to each other in said path, and thereby providing constantly recurring intervals: for charging the space between said members, compressing the charges successively and delivering the compressed charges to said travelingcollecting conveyor at predetermined spaced intervals, a rod former for forming said increments and continuous stream of tobacco into a cigarette rod, and means for severing said rod at the densified portions to form cigarettes having dense ends in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in the severed or free end of the cigarette.

2. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which provision is made of a plurality of series of said pressure members, all mounted to move after each other in the same path, and in which each member of each series recurrently approaches the adjacent leading member of a second series and concurrently separates from the adjacent following member of said second series, and then each such member of each series is approached by the adjacent following member of said second series and is separated from the adjacent leading member of said second series.

3. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which provision is made of a plurality of series of said pressure members, all mounted to move after each other inthe same path, and in which each member of each series recurrently approaches the adjacent leading member of a second series and concurrently separates from the adjacent following member of said second series, and then each such member of each series is approached by the adjacent following member of said second series and is separated from the adjacent leading member of said second series, whereby the number of compressing operations accomplished during any complete cyclical movement equals the product of the number of said approaching and separating movements multiplied by the number of pressure members.

4. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which alternate pressure members are formed upon rotors mounted side by side, each with a series of said members arranged to project laterally over the periphery of an adjacent rotor, the members of one rotor alternating with the members of another, adjacent, rotor.

5. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which alternate pressure members are formed upon rotors mounted side by side, each with a series of said members arranged to project laterally over theperiphery of an adjacent rotor, the members of one rotor a1- ternating with the members of another, adjacent, rotor, and the path being constituted by the circumference of at least one of said rotors. I 6. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which alternate pressure members are formed upon rotors mounted side by side, each with a series of said members arranged to project laterally over the periphery of an adjacent rotor, the members of one rotor alternating with the members of another, adjacent, rotor, and the path being constituted by the adjoining circumferences of at least two adjoining rotors. V

'7. A cigarette machine having the features claimed in claim 1, in which alternate pressure members are formed upon rotors mounted side by side, each with a series of said members arranged to project laterally over the periphery of an adjacent rotor, the members of one rotor alternating with the members of another, adjacent, rotor, and the path being V-shaped in crosssection, extending circumferentially around at least one of the rotors.

8. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for directing a continuousstream of tobacco toward said conveyon means for form ing compressed individual tobacco increments and imparting thereto a uniform taper at the axial ends of said tobacco increments and for delivering said increments to said conveyor at predetermined spaced intervals, said means comprising a pair of rotors of substantially equal radius, mounted to rotate about a common axis with their peripheral edges in contiguous position, forming an arcuate path adapted to receive continuously a supply of cigarette filler tobacco from a source thereof, a concave mounted adjacent to said path to confine the stream of filler tobacco as it progresses along said path, radial pushers on each rotor extending over the path from side to side, the pushers on'one rotor alternating with those on the other, and means to drive said rotors in the same direction and intermittently at different speeds, causing cyclical approach of certain pushers on one rotor, relatively to some adjacent pushers on the other rotor, and concurrent separation relatively to other pushers on the last named rotor, thereby to form peripheral pockets for charges of said filler tobacco, also to den'sify said charges in the pockets, andeventu'ally to deliver said densified charges successively to said traveling collecting conveyor at predetermined spaced intervals, a rod former for forming saidincrements and 0on tinuous' stream of tobacco into a cigarette rod, andmeans for severing said rod at the densified portions to form cigarettes having dense ends in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density atv the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in the severed or free end of the cigarette.

9. A dense end device for continuous rod cigarette machines in which a continuous narrow stream of tobacco for forming the filler of the rod'is forwarded endwise, comprising a feed mechanism for'feeding elongated increments of tobacco for association with said stream at spaced positions therealongincluding means for compacting said elongated increments of tobacco,

saidmeans "tapering the end portions of said increments to provide tapering dense end portions in the completed cigarettes.

10. The mechanical method of forming dense end cigarettes which consists in showering tobacco to form a continuous stream of cigarette filler tobacco, adding to said stream at predetermined intervals densified increments of tobacco having tapered forms substantially the same at the front and rear of said increments, then forming said stream and increments into a cigarette rod and severing said rod at the center of the portion having said tapered densified increment to form a cigarette having a dense end in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in adjacent ends of successive cigarettes.

11. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for showering a supply of tobacco on said conveyor, mechanism cooperating with said conveyor fordelivering to the 'same'at predetermined intervals compressed increments of tobacco having a tapered form, said mechanism consisting of a revolving member, pushers having an inclined surface for pushing increments of tobacco and imparting a tapered form thereto,

a channel cooperating with said pushers for confining said increments of tobacco as they are advanced by said pushers fordelivery to said conveyor, said channel having a serrated portion tending to hold back said increments as they are advanced by said pushers to compress the increments of tobacco; a rod former for forming said filler and increments into a cigarette rod, and a cutter for severing said rod at said densified portions to form a cigarette having a dense end in which the filler tobacco in creases in density progressively and regularly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in the end of the cigarette containing the added tobacco increment.

1 2. In a tobacco feed for a cigarette machine having a traveling surface for feeding a continuous stream of tobacco to a rod former, a hopper, means for receiving tobacco from said hopper and conveying it to and depositing it on the traveling surface at spaced intervals in the form of charges, said means includingpushing and retarding elements, one of which has an inclined surface, a trough coacting with at least one of said elements and said inclined surfaces whereby a substantially triangular shaped'charge of tobacco will be deposited on said traveling surface, and means for severing said charge in a plane passing through the apex of the triangle, during the cutting of the cigarette rod whereby substantially one-half of the triangular shaped charge will constitute the end of one cigarette and the other one-half of the charge will constitute the end of a successive cigarette.

13. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for showering a supply of tobacco on said conveyor, mechanism cooperating with said conveyor for delivering to the conveyor at predetermined intervals increments of tobacco, means for shaping said increments so that a longitudinal cross section of said increment would depict substantially a three-sided figure, a rod former for forming said showered tobacco and increments into a cigarette rod having densified portions at spaced intervals, and a cutter for severing said rod at the region of maximum density to form cigarettes having dense ends in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in the severed or free end of the cigarette.

14. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for showering a supply of tobacco on said conveyor, mechanism cooperating with said conveyor for delivering to the conveyor at predetermined intervals increments of tobacco comprising, a traveling member, pushers connected to said member having inclined tobacco contacting surfaces for engaging with elongated increments of tobacco delivered into the range of action of said pushers and delivering them at spaced intervals to said collecting conveyor, a

sively from normal rod density to maximum density at the free end of the cigarette.

15. In atobacco feed for a cigarette machine having a traveling surface for feeding a continuous stream of tobacco to a rodformer, a hopper, means for receiving tobacco from said hopper and. delivering it to the traveling surface at spaced intervals in the fornrof charges, said means including a trough having a substantially horizontal tobacco confining portion, aplurality of pushingelements having inclined pushing surfaces for forwarding individual charges oftobacco along said trough above said traveling surface, means for piling said increments of tobacco up against said pushers as they are being forwarded thereby, and a guide means for said pushing elements adapted and arranged to cause said pushers to travel along a horizontal pathof travel for a predetermined distance and then travel gradually away from said horizontal path and out of engagement with said charges at the completion of the charge forwarding operation. i i

16. A tobacco feed fora continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense-end type, said feed including a traveiing collecting conveyor, means for showering a supply of tobacco on said conveyor, mechanism cooperating with said conveyor for delivering to the conveyor at predetermined intervals increments of tobacco comprising, a traveling member, pushers connected' to said member having inclined tobacco contacting surfaces .for feeding increments of tobacco, a tobacco confining chamber cooperating with said .travelingmember and pushers to limit said tobacco to a predetermined path of travel, means adapted and arranged to retard the forward movement of said tobacco increments by said pushers to impart a uniform and progressivetaper to the front and rear of said increments as they are forwarded for delivery to said collecting conveyor by said pushers, a rod former for forming said showered tobacco and said increments into a cigarette rod, and a cutter for severing said rod at said densifiecl portions to form a cigarette having a dense end in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and increment to the maximum desired density in the severed or free end of the cigarette.

l7. A tobacco feed for a cigarette machine of the class having a rod former, and to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including means for supplying a shower of filler tobacco from a source thereof, a traveling surface to receive from said shower a full supply of cigarette filler tobacco, and acting to convey the same in a stream to said rod former, a mechanism disposed in position to receive a moiety of said shower and to deliver the same-in predetermined quantities onto said'traveling surface, said mechanism including a trough 7 into which said moiety is delivered, an endless chain conveyor having at intervals pushers with slanting pushing surfaces adapted to impart a taper to successive increments of tobacco derived from said moiety while pushing them along said trough onto said traveling surface, guides for said chain conveyor to confine the chain to a predetermined path of travel, and a rod former positioned in the path of travel of said traveling surface for forming said filler and tapered increments into a continuous cigarette rod having densified'regions.

18. A tobacco feed having the features claimed in claim 17, in;which said endless chain is of at least two links in breadth, with transverse pivot pins extending through the links from side to side, and with spacer rollers on the pins between the links.

19. A tobacco feed for a cigarette machine of the class having a rod former, and to be used in the fabrication'of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including means for supplying a shower of filler tobacco from a source thereof,

a traveling surface to receive from said shower a full supply of cigarette filler tobacco, and acting to convey the same in a stream to said rod former, a mechanism disposed in position to receive a moiety of said shower and to deliver the same in predetermined quantities onto said traveling surface, said mechanism including a trough into which said moiety is delivered, an endless chain conveyor having at intervals pushers with slanting pushing surfaces adapted to push along said trough, and over an end thereof onto said traveling surface, successive increments of filler tobacco derived from said moiety, means constructed and arranged to engage with said increments to compress them against said slanting pusher surfaces and impart to said increments a tapered form as they are pushed along, said chain conveyor and pushers being constructed and arranged to deliver said increments in compressed and tapered form to said traveling surface and remain partially in contact therewith while said increment travels along on said traveling surface, and then gradually withdrawing from engagement with said increments, and a rod former positioned in the path of travel of said traveling surface for forming said filler and densified increments into a continuous cigarette rod having densified regions.

20. A tobacco feed for a continuous rod cigarette machine of the class to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including a traveling collecting conveyor, means for showering a supply of tobacco on said conveyor, mechanical means constructed and arranged to compress individual charges of tobacco into a shape which tapers progressively and uniformly in two opposite directions longitudinally thereof, means for depositing said charges upon said collecting conveyor while maintaining the shape of said charge substantially free from disruption, a rod former for merging said showered tobacco and said charges into a cigarette rod having spaced densified portions, and a cutter for severing said red at substantially the region of maximum density of said portions to form cigarettes having dense ends in which the filler tobacco increases in density progressively and uniformly from normal rod density at the juncture between rod and charge to the maximum desired density in the free end of the cigarette.

21. A tobacco feed for a cigarette machine comprising, a housing, an endless conveyor provided with pushers and moving in an upright closed travelway in said housing to forward densifying charges of tobacco, said travelway having the form of an elongated trough, and also having transverse rugosities therein to retard the advancement of said charges and thereby aid in their densification, and a feed trough extending along the lower part of said conveyor and adapted to be traversed lengthwise by said pushers, said pushers being constructed and arranged to receive a supply of filler tobacco and to segregate and densify auxiliary charges of filler tobacco from said supply, said housing having a feed opening extending into communication with cigarette rod machine, and said feed trough having an outlet disposed at a region thereof remote from said feed'opening, in position to discharge said individual densified charges into the range of action of said endless feeding element, said pushers acting to impart a taper to one end of each of said charges substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

22. A tobacco feed for a cigarette machine of the class having a rod former, and to be used in the fabrication of cigarettes of the dense end type, said feed including means for supplying a shower of filler tobacco from a source thereof, a traveling surface to receive from said shower a full supply of cigarette filler tobacco, and acting to convey the same in a stream to said rod former, and a mechanism disposed in' position to receive a moiety of said shower and to deliver the same in predetermined quantities onto said traveling surface, said mechanism including a trough into which said moiety is delivered, and an endless chainconveyor having at intervals-pushers adapted to push along said trough,

the chain against lateral tilting movements, said pushers acting to segregate between said pushers charges of filler tobacco and impart thereto a tapered form as it is pushed along, means for densifying each charge as it is pushed along said trough, to form in said trough for deposit upon said traveling conveyor, a series of charges having individual mass of like value, and all characterized by a density of the desired order, to be carried by the stream of filler tobacco into the rod former at intervals suitable to create the desired densified regions in the continuous rod and in the cigarettes produced therefrom.

CHARLES AREL'I.

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