US2737217A - Cigarette machine cutoff mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1956 J. w. GEIER IGARETTE MACHINE CUTOFF MECHANISM 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed April 5, 1952 INVENTOR JOHN W. GEIER BY Q W4 ATTORNEY March 6, 1956 J. W. GEIER 2,737,217

CIGARETTE MACHINE CUTOF F MECHANISM Filed April 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlG.6

INVENTOR JOHN w. GEIER BY v I Q N United Stres Patent QIGARETTE MACHINE CUTOFF MECHANISM John W. Geier, St. Albans, N. Y., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 3, 1952, Serial No. 280,430 13 Claims. (Cl. 146-101) This invention relates to cigarette cut-off mechanism and more particularly to a device for severing a cigarette rod into se'gments of predetermined length.

"There have been numerous cigarette cut-off developmer ts in the cigarette machine art. As the cigarette machine art has developed, the machinespeed has also increased until now cigarette machines operate at from 120010 ISOOcigarettes per minute.

"(Cigarette cut-offs used at this rate of operation have Ofitin been of rather intricate design. Where cut-off of simpler design have been used they have caused the formation of collars or dented ends on the cigarette, due fro-the knife and cigarette rod crowding on each other during the cutting operation. Another disadvantage of such structure has been that they do not stand up satisfactorily in the field.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cut-,ofi which will be both of simple design and durable construction.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a cut-off which will utilize a pair of parallel springs for maintaining a cut-off housing horizontal by means of a stem projecting from the housing through a bearing supported by said springs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring support'for the ledger wherein the springs and the elements supported thereby will have a natural frequency close to the operating frequency of the cut-off.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a simpl'ified knife support which permits the cutting knife to be quickly removed and replaced.

" Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the' description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

m Figure 1 is a side elevation of a three crank type cutoff in conjunction with a spring mounted guiding and aligning device, taken on line 11 of Figure 2. e

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, partly in section, taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same, taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

V Figure 4 is a front elevation of a modified spring mounted guiding and aligning device.

f Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the same, taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of another modified form of a spring mounted guiding and aligning device, wherein thestern slides in the cut-off housing.

With reference to the drawings, the cut-off illustrated is an improvement over the type cut-off as disclosed in the 'co-pending application of Paul Slysh, Serial 'No. 247,911, filed September 24, 1951, now Patent No. 2,711,764, issued June 28, 1955. In the present cut-01f there is an improved guiding and aligning device which assures that the cut-off knife housing remains parallel with the cigarette rod at all times and an improved device for imparting motion to the ledgers 66.

. The crank type cut-off shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 consists of a knife housing 10 which carries a knife shaft 12 to which, by means of a holder 14, is attached a knife 16. Knife housing 10 is mounted on a crank pin 18 (Figs. 2 and 3) which moves in a circular path about a crank shaft 20 as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 2.

Crank pin 18 at each end is secured to a crank 22 and 24 respectively, the latter being integral with a shaft 26 while the former is secured to crank shaft 29. Shaft 26 is supported in suitable bearings of a housing 28 while shaft 26 is supported by a bearing bracket 30 attached to and suspended from housing 28 to keep both shafts in perfect alignment.

In order to properly balance the knife housing 10 both cranks 22 and 24 are provided with suitable counterweights 32 and 34 respectively. Housing 28 is secured to a suitable cut-off supporting member 36 which projects upward from the bed or main frame (not shown) of the cigarette machine. 1 To crank shaft20 within housing 23 is secured a bevel gear 38 (Fig. 3') which is continuously rotated by means of a bevel gear 40 also within housing 28 mounted on a vertical shaft 42 connected to and driven from the main drive (not shown) of the cigarette machine. To crank pin 18 which, as mentioned above, is secured to cranks 22 and 24, is mounted a hypoid gear 44 which meshes with a hypoid gear 46 mounted on the knife shaft 12. This provides rotary motion to the latter as well as the knife 16 carried by the same.

The bottom portion of knife housing 10 is provided with a hub 48 (Fig. 2) to which is secured and from which projects vertically downward a guide rod or stem 50 which at its lower free end slidingly engages with a sleeve bearing member 52 which by means of a pair of projecting cars 54 is secured between the upper free ends of a pair of parallelled spaced long vertical leaf springs 56 the lower ends of which are rigidly secured to a suitable bracket 58 mounted to the main frame of the machine.

The leaf springs 56, bearing member 52, and the ledger plate 66, and holders 64 are of such thickness, width, and length design that the assembly has a natural frequency close to the operating frequency of the cut-off. This has been found to reduce to a minimum the side forces acting on the bearing.

It will be appreciated that the purpose of the guide rod 50 is to prevent the housing 10 from rotating on its own axis, while allowing the housing to have circulatory or translatory movement in a predetermined path. T herefore, the rod 50 does not necessarily have to be vertical as shown but could also be arranged horizontally or at any other angle which is desirable to adapt it to the cigarette machine ,on which this device is to be used.

One of the cars 54 of the guide sleeve member 52 is provided with a suitable lug 60 (Fig. 2) from which projects a horizontal pin 62 to the free end of which is secured a ledger plate holder 64 which carries the conventional ledger plates 66 between which the knife 16 passes when severing the individual cigarettes C from the continuous rod R guided to said plates by means of a conventional stationary guide sleeve 68.

The guide stem 50 projecting downward from the knife .housing 10 remains in sliding engagement with the guide sleeve member 52 while the knife housing 10 follows a circular path about the crank shaft 20. Since said guide sleeve also carries the ledger plates 66 through which passes the continuous cigarette rod R, the knife housing 10 always remains parallel to the cigarette rod and the knife 16 always remains in a degree angle in relation to the same.

The springs 56 permit the guide sleeve member 52 to oscillate in a horizontal plane corresponding to the horizontal component of the knife housing movement. The length of the springs are such that the arc in which the sleeve member 52 is reciprocated has such a large radius that a vertical movement of said member 52 is practically non-existent. The great advantage of such arrangement is that the ledger plates being practically a part of said sleeve member 52 receive reciprocating motion corre sponding to the motion of the knife and thus assuring perfect alignment and a square cut of the cigarette rod at all times. In order to prevent loss of lubrication and also to prevent foreign matter such as dust and grit from entering the bearing of the sleeve member 52 a protection accordion pleated booth or cover 70 (Fig. 2) is provided and suitably attached between the upper end of stem 50 and the upper end of sleeve member 52.

As may be well realized the initial installing and consequently the aligning of the stem 50 projecting from the knife housing It) with the sleeve member 52 requires the greatest of accuracy especially its lateral alignment.

To overcome this difiiculty, the stem 50, projecting from the knife housing 10, may at its lowermost end be provided with a square or rectangular extension 72 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Said extension 72 of course is integral with the stem 50 and engages with a parallel slot 74 of a suitably made guide member 76 which is substituted for the guide sleeve 52 shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

Guide member 76, like sleeve 52, is provided with ears 78 by means of which said member is attached to the upper free ends of the two parallel spaced vertical springs 56. One of the cars 78 is also provided with a lug 8b which carries a horizontal pin 82 to which the ledger plate is fastened.

A modified form of the guiding and aligning means for the knife housing is illustrated in Figure 6. In this form the stem 50 does not project from the bottom of the knife housing but instead the bottom end of said stem is rigidly secured in the guide member 84 while the upper free end of said vertical stem slidingly engages with the knife housing 10. The guide member 84 in this case also carries the ledger plate holder and is mounted to the upper free ends of the two parallel spaced vertical springs 56. As mentioned hereinbefore the stem can be arranged either vertically, horizontally, or at any angle desired to accomplish its purpose.

The knife 16 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is mounted between a pair of supporting plates 90 forming a complete assembly which is provided with a rectangular longitudinal slot 92 one end of which engages with a slanted groove in a head 94 of a spindle 96 which is rotatably supported in a pair of spaced lugs of the knife holder 14. The other end of slot 92 engages with a slanted groove of member 98 which is rotatably attached to a threaded supporting sleeve 160 engaging with the threaded free end of spindle 96.

A threaded lock ring 102 also carried by the threaded end of spindle 96 is employed for the purpose of keeping the threaded supporting sleeve 100 and therefore the member 98 which supports the knife assembly in proper place during operation. The knife assembly can easily be removed for replacement by loosening lock ring 102 and then backing up the threaded supporting sleeve 100 until the end of the slot 92 of the knife assembly disengages from the slanted slot of member 98. The other end of said knife assembly slot can then easily be lifted out of the slanted groove of head 94 of the spindle.

in replacing the knife assembly one end of the slot is placed in engagement with the groove in head 94 and the threaded sleeve 100 is advanced on spindle 96 until the groove in member 98 engages snugly with the other end of slot 92 of the knife assembly after which the lock ring 102 is brought in contact with the shoulder of the threaded sleeve to prevent banking of the same during operation.

In order to take care of the wear of the knife and permit adjusting of the same, a knurled threaded sleeve or nut 104 (Figures 1, 2, and 3) surrounding the threaded portion of the spindle 96 which carries the knife assembly may be turned clock or anti-clockwise to effect proper setting of the same. A sleeve 1G6 loosely surrounding the spindle is provided as a spacer and a tension spring 108 prevents the knurled unit 104 from turning or wandering during cut-off operation.

The invention hereinbefore described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A cut-off mechanism for a cigarette making machine comprising, a housing, a rotary knife supporting shaft extending from said housing, a cut-off knife mounted transversely on said knife supporting shaft, a drive for moving said housing in a translatory path of travel, driving means interconnected with said knife supporting shaft for imparting rotary movement thereto when said housing is moved in a translatory path of travel, a pair of flat springs for maintaining said housing free from rotary movement, means interconnecting one end of said springs to a stationary part of a cigarette making machine,,a stem connected to the opposite end of said flat spring and extending through suitable bearings formed insaid housing to allow said housing to move in a translatory path of travel while maintaining said housing free from rotary movement.

2. A cigarette machine cut-off comprising, a cut-off knife for passing through a travelling cigarette rod at predetermined intervals, a spindle supporting said knife, a stem connected with the spindle and slideable relative thereto for maintaining said spindle and said stem at a constant relationship to one another, a pair of leaf springs connected at one end to a fixed portion of the cigarette making machine, and means interconnecting the other end of said springs to said stem to maintain the axis of said spindle in a predetermined angular relationship to the cigarette rod.

3. A cut-off housing, means for moving said cut-ofi housing in a translatory path of travel, a shaft mounted in said cut-off housing, a drive driven from said means for rotating said shaft While said cut-ofl housing moves in a circular path of travel, a stern extending vertically from said cut-off housing for maintaining said cut-ofi housing and the shaft supported therein free from rotation with respect to the means which moves the housing in a circular path of travel, a bearing in which said stem reciprocates, and a pair of parallel springs connected at one end to said bearing and at the other end to a stationary sup port for maintaining said bearing vertical at all times while allowing said bearing to have free lateral movement.

4. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a housing, driving means for imparting translatory movement to said housing, a knife shaft supported in said housing, means imparting rotary movement to said shaft from said driving means, a knife mounted transversely on the end of said shaft, a stem fixedly connected to said housing and extending outwardly therefrom, a pair of parallel spaced leaf springs fixedly connected at one end to a stationary part of the cigarette making machine, and a stem receiving bearing connected at opposite sides to the other end of each of said leaf springs for maintaining said stem and housing free from rotation with respect to said driving means.

5. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a pair of spaced leaf springs connected at one end to a stationary part of the cigarette making machine, a shaft receiving bearing connected at the other end of said leaf springs,

a knife supporting shaft, a housing supporting said knife supporting shaft, an actuating device for moving said housing in a translatory path, and an elongated member extending outwardly from said housing and engaging with said shaft receiving bearing at its far end for preventing said housing from rotating While moving in said translatory path of travel, a cigarette cut off knife mounted transversely on said knife supporting shaft, and a drive driven from said actuating device for imparting rotary movement to said knife supporting shaft.

6. A cut off for a cigarette making machine comprising a housing, a rotary shaft extending from said housing, a cut off knife mounted on the end of said shaft, a support for said housing for moving said housing and shaft in a translatory path of travel, connections between said housing support and said shaft to impart rotary movement to said shaft when said housing is moved in a translatory path of travel, a stem extending from said housing, a bearing for receiving the free end of said stem, a pair of spaced parallel springs fixedly supporting said bearing to allow said housing through said bearing to have translatory movement while preventing said hearing from having rotary movement, a means connecting the opposite ends of said leaf springs to a stationary part of the cigarette making machine.

7. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a traveling cigarette rod, a cut off knife for passing through the traveling cigarette rod at predetermined intervals, a spindle supporting said knife, a stem, means interconnecting said spindle with said stem to maintain said spindle and said stem at a constant relationship to one another, a bearing in which said stem is reciprocably mounted, and a pair of leaf springs connected at one end to a fixed portion of the cigarette making machine and connected at the other end to said bearing to maintain the axis of said spindle in a predetermined angular relationship to the cigarette rod.

8. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a traveling cigarette rod, a cut off knife for passing through the traveling cigarette rod at predetermined intervals, a spindle supporting said knife, a stem, means interconnecting said spindle with said stem to maintain said spindle and said stem at a constant relationship to one another, a bearing in which said stem is reciprocably mounted, a pair of leaf springs connected at one end to a fixed portion of the cigarette making machine and connected at the other end to said bearing to maintain the axis of said spindle in a predetermined angular relationship to the cigarette rod, said leaf springs being of a length sufficient to make the vertical component of movement of the bearing negligible, a ledger plate, and a ledger plate holder connected to said bearing and receiving reciprocatory movement therefrom.

9. A ledger support for a cigarette making machine comprising a traveling cigarette rod, a ledger positioned adjacent the path of travel of the cigarette rod, cut off knife coacting with said ledger to sever a moving cigarette rod at predetermined intervals into cigarette lengths, a drive for turning said out off knife, a cut off knife support for moving said knife back and forth along the length of said rod to facilitate cutting said rod, a ledger holder, a pair of springs supporting said ledger holder,

and means for reciprocating said ledger holder from said cut off knife support.

10. A ledger support for a cigarette making machine comprising a traveling cigarette rod, a ledger positioned adjacent the path of travel of the cigarette rod, cut off knife coacting with said ledger to sever a moving cigarette rod at predetermined intervals into cigarette lengths, a drive for turning said out off knife, a cut off knife support for moving said knife back and forth along the length of said rod to facilitate cutting said rod, a ledger holder, a pair of springs supporting said ledger holder, said springs being of such length, width, and thickness that the natural frequency of the springs and the ledger holder is close to the operating frequency of the cut off, and means for reciprocating said ledger holder from said cut off knife support.

11. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a housing, a shaft extending from said housing, a cut off knife mounted on the end of said shaft, a stern mounted in said housing and extending therefrom, a pair of parallel springs connected to a non-moving part of the cigarette machine, means interconnecting the other end of said parallel springs to said stem for restricting said housing and knife-supporting shaft to movement in a predetermined plane and a drive for simultaneously imparting rotary movement to said shaft and translatory movement to said housing.

12. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a cut off knife, a shaft supporting said cut off knife for rotary movement, a support for said shaft, a stem extending from said support, a pair of parallel springs connected at one end to a stationary member, means interconnecting the other end of said springs with said stem for restricting said stern for movement in a predetermined plane to thereby restrict said knife shaft for movement in a predetermined plane.

13. A cigarette machine cut off comprising a cut off knife, a shaft for supporting and imparting rotary movement to said knife, a housing for supporting said shaft for rotary movement, a stem mounted in said housing and projecting therefrom, a pair of parallel leaf springs connected at one end to a fixed portion of the cigarette making machine and connected at the other end with said stem to maintain said shaft in a constant plane, and a drive for rotating said knife shaft while simultaneously imparting a translatory movement thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,436 Bronander Sept. 24, 1929 1,824,393 Chandler Sept. 22, 1931 1,850,050 Ruau Mar. 15, 1932 1,992,722 Smith Feb. 26, 1935 2,214,430 Molins Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 432,785 Germany Aug. 14, 1926 667,445 France June 17, 1929 349,030 Great Britain May 19, 1931 463,577 Great Britain -1 Apr. 2, 1937

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