US3176558A

US3176558A - Web feed

Info

Publication number: US3176558A
Application number: US198574A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sterling T Gustavson
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Inc
Priority date: 1962-05-29
Filing date: 1962-05-29
Publication date: 1965-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-06
Also published as: SE316404B

Description

April 6, 1965 s. 'r. GUSTAVSON WEB FEED 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1962 INVENTOR STERLING T. GUSTAVSON Y B A ATTORN EY April 6, 1965 s. T. GUSTAVSON WEB FEED 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1962 NQE INVENTOR STERLING T. GUSTAVSON A'I'I'ORN EY Filed May 29, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR STERLING T. GUSTAVSON BY 5 Z V ATTORNEY April 1965 s. "r. GUSTAVSON 3,176,558

WEB FEED 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 29, 1962 illllllih III" INVENTOR STERLING T. GUS TAVSON ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to a mechanism for transporting a continuous web of tobacco material to a die for cutting a binder or a wrapper for a cigar therefrom. More particularly, the invention relates to a mechanism which permits a binder or a wrapper for a cigar, which binder orwrapper is longer than the web from which it is cut is wide, to nevertheless be cut with its long dimension disposed transversely of the web. Cigar wrapper and binder dies are generally relatively long and narrow. Generally heretofore they have been disposed with their long dimension parallel to the line of motion of a relatively narrow web. in the present arrangement the long dimension is transverse a relatively wide web and the machine is arranged so that the angular relationship may be varied to permit using a number of dies of different dimensions advantageously with a single wide web.

An object of the invention is the improvement of mechanisms which deliver continuous web material to a cutting die.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which permits cutting cigar binders or wrappers which are longer than a web fed to a binder or wrapper die is wide, to be cut transversely of the web.

As is generally well lmown in the machine manufacture of most cigars, the cigar core, or charge, is first produced by separating a measured quantity of filler tobacco from a supply. Then a binder which has previously been cut in another machine, known as the web feed and die cutting machine, is applied to the charge to produce a bunch, which is a relatively film structure having the general shape of the cigar. Thereafter, a wrap er which has also been previously cut by a die is applied to the bunch to complete the cigar.

One of the largest factors in the expense of the manufacture of cigars by machine is a necessity of providing the large number of dies to meet the requirements of the many different shapes of cigars, as well as the many different sizes. Another factor which affects the expense of production of machine made cigars is the necessity for manufacturing and stocking reels of reconstituted tobacco web material in the many different widths necessary for economical die cutting of the wrappers and binders. The web material employed is manufactured from cornminuted tobacco which is mixed in a gelatinous vehicle and dried. The process and product are Well known in the art.

t should be obvious that the provision of a web of optimum width for every one of the very large number of dies would be prohibitively expensive. Compromises are made between the widths of webs provided and the length of dies which are employed therewith with some sacrifice in the percentage of trim or waste material. The present invention is intended to greatly lessen the percentage of waste tobacco Web material resulting from the present method of stocking fewer webs than necessary to provide the optimum web width for each length of cutting die.

In the present invention the web is disposed in relation to the position of the die in such manner that a binder or wrapper longer than the die is wide may be cut from the web. The dies which are used to cut binders or wrappers ordinarily have a length which is about six or more times as long as they are wide. This will be ob- Patented Apr. 6, 19fi5 vious when it is considered that the binder or wrapper is wound spirally about the cigar structure. I-leretofore, generally, when tobacco webs have been employed, relatively narrow webs have been used and the die has been disposed so that it presented its long dimension in alignment with the direction in which the web was fed to the die. At present the use of Wide webs is in prospect and the wide Webs will be fed to the die with the die disposed so that its narrow dimension is in alignment with the diection in which the Web is fed. In order to permit a single width of web to be used advantageously with dies of several dififering lengths, within a range, it is herein proposed to direct the web toward the die at an angle from the normal line of feed. The cuttings by the dies of differing lengths are made with each die displaced at a different angle to the width of the web. In the present invention this is accomplished by arranging the components which comprise the web feed mechanism in an integral unit and providing facilities, so that the entire unit may be pivoted about the die at various angles to provide the optimum relationship affording the greatest economy of web material when used with dies.

A feature of the invention is a web feed mechanism having all of its components integrated into a unit which may be disposed angularly with respect to a die.

It is, of course, to be understood that during the cutting of a particular binder or Wrapper, the web feed mechanism will be adjusted to the predetermined ideal cutting angle and then secured in that position, while the required number of binders or wrappers are cut from the web.

employed. As a result of this, since the die, as described,

, is positioned so that its longer dimension lies generally across the web, and at an angle to the normal, the ends of the die 'are disposed near the edges of the web. The cutting is performed in a well known manner, by rollers, which traverse thedie across its length. However, in the present arrangement, the rollers sever only that portion of the web between the free end of the web and the wrapper or binder. One small section of the web only is, therefore, severed from the web, inaddition to the binder or wrapper which is cut therefrom. It has been found from studies which have been made, that this effects a substantial saving in web material.

' facturing industry in the use of cutting dies has been the removal of the tobacco trim after the cutting operation has been performed. An improved scavenging arrangement is proposed herein for operation in conjunction with the new trimming arrangement. In the present invention, in one embodiment, all of the trim adheres to a suction box at the side of the die over which the leading edge of the web is laid during the cutting operation. This suction box is made displaceable. After the cutting of the binder or wrapper, the suction box carrying the trim is moved away from the die and into the path of a scavenger suction head and cooperates with a scavenging suction head in facilitating the removal of the trim.

A feature of the invention is a displaceable suction box abutting a die, on which box all of the trim adheres, and which permits the trimmed tobacco web to be separated from the die, to facilitate the scavenging operation.

Another feature of the invention is a travelling suction 2 head which reciprocates across a displaceable suction box abutting a die, to which displaceable suction box all of the trim adheres to facilitate the scavenging operation.

Another embodiment of the scavening equipment is a scavenging suction head secured to the swing-type travelling suction carriage which transports the web to the die. When the swing-type carriage is moved forward carrying the web. for a particular die cutting operation, the trimmed material from the last preceding cutting operation is picked up from the rear end of the die by a scavenging suction box secured to the front end of the web feed travelling suction box. Suction is applied at proper times to permit the depositing of the web on the die andthe picking up of the trimming from the last preceding operation by the scavenging suction head.

These and other features will become apparent from a consideration of the following decription and claims when read with referenceto the associated drawings herein.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the present embodiments but may be practiced in other forms which may be suggested to those skilled in the art by the present disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, of a tobacco web feed machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view, partially in section, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a vertical section taken through the cutting die and the travelling suction head of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan View, partially in section, showing the cutting die and the mechanism which separates the rear suction box of the die, carrying the trim for the die; and

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the scavenging arrangement'which comprises a separate scavenging suction head secured to the travelling web feed carriage.

Refer now to FIGS 1, 2, 3 and 4. Secured to the bed p1ate20 of the machine is a base plate, or base 22. The base 22 is rotatble horizontally ina limited are about a vertical shaft 26 which projects through a bearing 24 andthrough the right-hand end of the base 22. The bedv plate 26 is provided with an elongated arcuate slot 28, seen best in FIG. 3. A bolt 30 projects through the bed plate 20 and the base 22 and a nut 31 is provided to lock the base 22 in any desired position afforded by the elongated slot 28 as the base 22 is rotated about shaft 26 as an axis.

As shown in FIG. 1, main shaft 218 of the machine is driven from a power source, not shown. Fixedly mounted on shaft 218 is a bevel gear 216 which meshes with another bevel gear 214 pinned to. the bottom of shaft 26. Pinned to the upper end of shaft 26, as shown in FIG. 3, is a gear 32 which meshes with a gear 34, secured to a shaft 36, which is rotatably mounted in a bearing carried by the base 22. Atfixed to the upper portion of the shaft 36 is a cam 38 having a cam track 40 therein. Follower 42 is mounted to the free end of an arm 44 of a bell crank, the hub of which is mounted on a stud 46 secured in the base 22. The other arm 48 of the bell crank is attached at a free end by means of a stud 50 to an arm 52, the left-hand end of which, as seen in FIG. 3, is connected by means of a bolt and nut 54 in an elongated slot 56 of a crank 58. The lower end of crank 58 is provided with a hub which is mounted on a stud 60 secured in the base 22. The free end of crank 58 is connected by means of a stud 62, a link 64 and a stud 66 to a bracket 68. The bracket 68 is integral with the reciprocable slide 70. The slide 70 is mounted on a shaft 72 which is secured at its left-hand end, as shown in FIG. 3, in a bearing bracket 74. The bearing bracket is secured by screws such as 75 to the vertical up-right bracket 77. The tip-right bracket 77 is in turn secured by bolts such as 79 to the base 22. At its right-hand end, as seen in FIG. 3, the shaft 72 is secured in a bearing bracket 76 which is secured to the base 22; The slide 70 carries a gear rack 80 which is secured .to slide 70 by means of screws such as 78. The left-hand end of rack St), as seen in FIG. 2, engages with a gear 1%. The gear is connected by means of a oneway clutch 1M. to the lower of a pair of coacting web feed rollers. As shown in FIG 1, a pair of gears 162 and 1124 are mounted on the front ends of the feed rollers. The rack 81 is provided with a stabilizer comprising a roller 1G6 mounted on a shaft 108 carried by a bracket 11% secured to the up-right bracket 77. A reel of reconstituted tobacco web material W is mounted on a shaft 112 which is rotatably mounted in the web support 114 secured to the upper portion of the up-right bracket 77. A web tensioning roller 116 is rotatably mounted at the free end of arm 11% which is fastened to the web support 114. A second web tensioning roller 120 is secured in the free end of arm 122 which is rotat-ably mounted on stud 121 secured to up-right bracket 77. The web of reconstituted tobacco 124 is drawn off the reel and passed over roller 116 and under roller 120 and then between the pair of coacting feed rollers, the upper one, 123, of which, is best seen in FIG. 2. Underlying the bottom surface of the web 124 is a supporting plate 125 which is suitably secured to the base 22. The web 124 is drawn over the supporting plate and passed under the travelling suction carriage 130.

As seen in FIG. 3, a cam follower 82 engages the outer periphery of cam 38. Cam follower 82 is mounted on the free end of an arm 84 of a bell crank which is secured by a hub to a stud $6 secured in the base 22. The other arm 88 of the bell crank is provided at its free end with a roller 92 which engages the face of cam 94. The hub of the bell crank is provided with a projection 89 and a spring 90 is tensioned between one perforation in the 7 base 22 and another in the projection 89 to bias the bell crank in a clockwise direction. Cam 94 forms part of the mechanism for separating the end of the wrapper die, with the trimmed tobacco adherent thereto, from the die proper. This may be best seen in FIG. 4 and in FIG. 2A. The die may be considered to comprise three main portions, the central section 146 which is the wrapper or hinder suction head, the front suction head 142 and the rear suction head 144. The main central portion 141 of the die is secured to a vertical shaft 145 by means of a screw 147. The vertical shaft 146 is reciprocated under control of a cam, not shown, in a well known manner. The central section is connected-by means of an air hose 148, as shown in FIG. 2A and in FIG. 1, to an air valve chamber 150 which is connected by means of another air hose 152 to a source of suction, not shown. The front suction head 142 is similarly connected by means of air hose 156, as seen in FIG. 1, and the rear suction head 144 by means of a hose 1% to the valve chamber 150. The travelling suction head which carries the leading end of the tobacco web to the die is connected by means of an air hose to the air valve box 159. The scavenging suction head 162 is connected by means of an air hose 164 to a cyclone separator 156 which is connected in turn by means of an air hose 168 to the air valve chamber 150. The base plate 170 of the die, FIG. 1, is integral with a bracket 172 which is secured to the bed plate 26 by screws such as 174. The base plate 170, FIG. 4, carries fixed bearing brackets 176 and 173 slidably mounted in which are

shafts

186 and 182 respectively. Secured to the front ends of shafts andlSZ, as seen in FIG. 4, are mounting

brackets

184 and 186 to. which the rear suction head 144 is secured. Coiled about shaft 180 and constrained between the

brackets

176 and 184 is the helical spring 183. Similarly coiled about shaft 182 and constrained between brackets 176 and 136 is helical spring 1%. Integral with plate 176 and secured to its front portion, as seen in P16. 4, are bearing brackets 192 and 19 Mounted in bearing

brackets

192 and 194 are ..,r studs 1% and 198, respectively. A yoke 2% provided, near its left and right-hand ends, with hearing brackets 262 and 2134, is secured near the front ends of studs 1% and 198. The yoke 200 is provided at its left and righthand sides with internally threaded brackets 2% and 238, respectively, which receive screws 21% and 212, respec-. tively. Screws 21d and 212 are adjustable in the brackets 2G5 and 203, respectively, so as to properly engage

brackets

184 and 186.

The manner in which that portion of the mechanism, described in the foregoing, operates will now be explained, omitting for the present the manner in which the suction is controlled.

When shaft 218 rotates,

bevel gears

216 and 214, FIG. 1, and shaft 26 are rotated. Shaft 26 rotates gear 32, FIG. 3, which, in turn, drives gear 34. Gear 34 drives shaft 36 which rotates earn 38. Cam follower 42 follows track 40 rocking arm 44 and 48 about stud 46. Arm 48, in turn, actuates stud 50, arm 52 and bolt 54 which rocks arm 58 on stud 6%. Arm 58, in turn, actuates stud 62, arm 64, stud 66 and bracket 63, which imparts reciprocal motion to carriage 79, which slides on shaft 72. As carriage 7t reciprocates on shaft 72, it reciprocates rack 89 which, in turn, engages gear 160 operating it intermittently clockwise and counter-clockwise. Each time rack 89 is actuated in the direction of the arrow 29-52, as seen in FIG. 2, a pair of web feed rollers, of which only the upper roller 123 is shown, in FIG. 2, are actuated to draw the tobacco material 124 off the reel and feed it toward the cutting die. As carriage 70 moves in the direction of arrow 2%, it carries with it bent arm 292 which has at its forward end, a bolt 224 to which the travelling web feed suction head 13% is secured. The leading end of the tobacco web material 124 is carried to a position overlapping the die by the concerted action of the feed rollers, such as roller 123, and the travelling suction head 130.

As shown in FIG. 1, shaft 218 also carries near its left-hand end a cylindrical cam 226 in which there is a cam track 222. A cam follower 224, secured to cam lever 226, engages in cam track 222. The upper end of lever 226, as seen near the upper left in FIG. 2, is connected by means of a stud 239 to a projection 232 on carriage 234. Carriage 234 carries a bracket 236 mounted in which is'a hub 238 which carries a yoke 240 in which are mounted cutting rollers 242 and 244. Carriage 234 is mounted on slides 26% and 262. As shaft 218 rotates, cam 22%) and cam track 222 are rotated, actuating follower 224, which rocks cam lever 226 on shaft 228, reciprocating stud 230, projection 232 and carriage 234 to the left and right, as shown in FIG. 2, over tracks 26% and 2&2. As the carriage is reciprocated, as shown in FIG. 2A, rollers 242 and 244 engage with the cutters 276 and 272, respectively, severing the wrapper or binder from the web.

After the wrapper or binder has been severed, the periphery of cam 38 actuates follower 82 to a position wherein spring 98 rotates bell crank

arms

84 and 88 about stud 86. The roller 22, carried by arm 88, engages the face of cam surface 94 actuating yoke 2% so that studs 1% and 198 slide in brackets 192 and 1%. Screws 21d and 212 engage

brackets

184 and 186, pushing the suction head M4, to which the severed trim is adhering, on studs 18% and 132, against the influenceof springs 188 and 190, into a position wherein the trim may be engaged by the scavenger suction head 162. After the trim has been removed, cam 38 restores bell crank

arms

34 and 88 against the influence of spring 90 and springs 188 and 190 restore the suction head 144 and yoke 2th to their original positions.

As shown in FIG.v 1, an ther cylindrical cam 246 is mounted on shaft 218. Cam 246 has a cam track 243. A cam follower 25d engages in track 248. Cam follower 256 is secured to calm shaft 252 which is rotatably mounted at its lower end, as seen in FIG. 1, on shaft 254. At its upper end, as seen in FIG. 1, cam shaft 252 is connected by means of arm 254 to a stud 256 which is seven 5s cured to the bottom of carriage 258. Carriage 258 is slidably secured on slides'26tl and 262, as seen in FIG, 2. As shaft 218 rotates, cam 2 56 rotates, track 243 actuates follower 251 rocking lever 252 on stud 254. Lever22 rocks arm 254 which reciprocates stud 256 and bracket 253 on slides 26% and 262 carrying scavenging suction head 162 across die 144, removing the trim 211.

At its right-hand end, as seen in FIG. 1, shaft 218 carries four cams, 3%, 362, sea and 3th). Each of these cams has an individual follower which controls an individual slide valve, 319, 312, 314 and 316. These valves control the supplying of suction and the cutting off of suction from the five air hoses.

The supplying and cutting ofi of suction from the various components of the mechanism are controlled as follows.

Assuming that slide 7% and the suction head 136, which transports the web, are in their rearmost positions, the valve controlling the supply through air hose 1% is actuated to a position to permit suction to be applied to suction head 13%). The valves controlling all other air hoses are actuated to a position to cut the suction ofi therefrom. The slide 753 and web carrying head 13% are advanced under control of their cam and linkage mechanisms as explained heretofore. The tobacco web material is transported in the direction of the arrow 29%, FIG. 2, until it reaches a position covering the front suction head 142, the die 14% and the rear suction head 144. During this period, the cam, not shown, which controls shaft 146 will be in such position that the die 14% will proiect slightly above the fixed knives 2'72 and 27d. Suction will then be cut oil from the travelling suction head 13%?) and the valves controlling the air hoses connected to suction heads 1-42 and 144 and the die 14th will be actuated to such a position that suction is applied to these elements. As a result of this, the tobacco web material 124 is released by travelling suction head and transferred to suction heads 142 and rse and die 14%. Slide 79 and suction head 13% are then withdrawn. Die 14% is lowered under control of its cam and vertical shaft 146 exposing knives 272 and 279. Next the cam and linkage controlling carriage 234, to which the cutting rollers 242 and 244 are mounted, is actuated, in the manner explained, to drive the cutting rollers across the die from left to right, as seen in FlG. 2, and then to retract them from right to left to their starting positions. As a result of this, the wrapper is severed from the tobacco web material 124. At this juncture, wrapper transfer mechanism, well known in the art, and not illustrated in the drawings, is actuated to pick up the severed wrapper and transfer it to the cigar wrapping mechanism,

not shown. During the transfer, suction is cut oil from the die 14%} and maintained on its associated suction heads 142 and 144.

Cam mechanism, described in the foregoing, which co ntrols the separation of the rear suction head 144 of the die is now actuated in the manner described to propel suction head 144 away from die 14% and into a position such that it may be engaged by suction head 162 as carriage 258 is actuated toward the left, in FIG. 2. At

this time, suction is applied through air hose 164 to the scavenging suction head 162 and is cut off t'ro-m suction head 144. This permits the scavenger suction head 162 to pick up the trim cut from web 124. The carriage 258 is actuated to the left, as seen in FIG. 2, and then restored to its starting position under the infiuenceof the cam and linkage explained in the foregoing. The trimmed tobacco passes through the air hose 164 and is diverted in cyclone separator 166 into a container, not shown. Suction remains connected to suction head 142, until slide 79 and suction head 1% are in position to pick up the leading end of the web material 124 and advance it over the die. A single slide valve 316, having two ports therein, which are opened and closed alternately, control this transferof suction between suction heads 13% and 142. Suction is cut oif from suction head 162 after carriage 258 has passed over suction head 144 on its return pass to its starting position.

Attention is called to the fact that the principal objective of the present invention is to permit the cutting of wrappers of a wide range of lengths from a Web of a particular width. In this manner, all of the dies throughout the full range of lengths can be served by a smaller num ber of webs since a number of wrappers throughout a range of lengths may be economically cut from a web of a single width. This minimizes the problem of Web production and storage.

The length of web, which is .unreeled and moved to a position overlying the die and its components, is adjustable in correlation with the shorter dimension of the die. This is cared for by the elongated slot 56, FIG, 3, in arm 58, which permits the length of the stroke of carriage 7G to be adjusted.

It was mentioned in the foregoing that the base 22 was rotatable on the bedplate 2G and that this was accomplished by rotating the base 22 about shaft 26 as an axis. The elongated arcuate slot 23 in the bed plate and the bolt 30 and nut 31 permit the base 22 to be directed at any desired angle, throughout a range, to the die. To facilitate this, the die 140 and its associated front and rear suction heads 142 and 144, respectively, together with the mechanism which permits the rear suction head 144 to be separated from the die are mounted on an individual plate 176 which is laterally adjustable on the bed plate 20. The bed plate 20 is provided with an elongated lateral slot 366, as shown in the upper portion of FIG. 3, and the die base plate 170 is arranged so that it may he slid laterally in the slot 360 into any desired transverse position on the bed plate 20. When the machine is to be adjusted to permit use with a new combination of Web and die, the nut 31 on bolt 30 is loosened. The die base plate 170 is pushed to the right or left. The bottom of the die plate 170 has a cut-out therein which receives the forward end of the base 22. The base 22 is provided with a shoulder 36% which abuts a surface of the cutter so that the base 22 and the die plate 170 may engage in proper registry in a new position before the nut 31 is re tightened on bolt 39.

Refer now to FIG. 5 which shows another embodiment of the scavenging mechanism. In this arrangement, the scavenging equipment is secured to the forward end of the travelling suction head 13th The scavenger suction head 350 is secured to the suction head 13% by means of two

bars

352 and 354 and four screws such as 356. It is considered that the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 5 may be understood from the foregoing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar machine, a source of reconstituted tobacco web, a die for cutting a wrapper or a binder from said web, means for mounting said die in a substantially horizontal plane in said machine, a substantially horizontal tobacco web feed mechanism for directing said web to said die in said plane, means in said mechanism for directing said web toward said die at any desired angle throughout a range in said plane-and means in said machine for adjusting the position of said die linearly so as to conform to the angle at which said mechanism is set so that said die lies in the path of said web.

:2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said mechanism comprises a substantially horizontal base surrotuiding a substantially horizontal bed plate, and a substantially vertical shaft projecting through said bed plate, said base being rotatable about said shaft, and in which said die is linearly adjustable on said bed plate.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 2 in which said die is mountable on, and linear-1y adjustable on, aid bed plate, and a reel is mounted on said base and in which said source is mounted on said reel whereby said reel may be rotated to change the line of direction in which the web is fed to said die, and said die may be adjusted linearly to maintain alignment with the web.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 2 having a slide shaft fixedly mounted on said base and a suction head carriage for transporting said Web slidably mounted to said slide, whereby said web may be directed rectilinearly toward said die at any angle at which said base is set.

5. A machine in accordance with claim 2 having a pair of coacting web feed rollers mounted on said base and rotatable with said base on said bed plate.

6. A mach ne in accordance with claim 2 in which said die has a displaceable suction box closely adjacent.

said die, and said box has means for coacting in holding said web in position before trimming, and said box has, connected thereto, other means for thereafter separating trim severed from said web from said die.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 2 having a cam mounted on said base, a linkage actuated by said cam, said linkage mounted on said base, a slide shaft fixedly mounted on said base, said shaft having slideably mounted thereon a slide actuated by said linkage and a suction head carrier secured to said slide for transporting said Web, whereby said web may be directed toward said die rectilinearly at any angle at which said base is set.

8. A machine for manufacturing a smoking article having a source of reconstituted tobacco material and a die for cutting a pattern from said material, a suction box coacting with said die to hold said material in position prior to cuttin-g, means connected to said suction box for securing material trimmed from said web by said die, means operative subsequent to said trimming for separating said suction box with said trim adherent thereto from said die to facilitate scavenging said trim, and scavenging means, operative subsequent to said separating, for collectin g said trim from said suction box.

9. A cigar machine having a mechanism therein for cutting a wrapper or a binder from a web of reconstituted tobacco material scavenging the trim resulting from said cutting, said mechanism comprising a first cutting element for cutting said wrapper or said binder, a second element having means thereinfor cooperating in holding said web position prior to said cutting, means operative subsequent to the cutting of a wrapper or a binder by said cutting element for separating said second element from said first element, with said trim adherent thereto, to facilitate removal of said trim.

10. A cigar machine having a die for cutting a cigar wrapper or a cigar binder from a web of reconstituted tobacco, said machine having a suction head disposed adjacent said die, said suction head having means coacting in holding said web in position prior to cutting, said suction head having means to retain thereon trim resulting from said cutting, scavenging means in said machine, said scavengin means spaced from said die and said suction head and means operative subsequent to said cutting for displacing said suction head with said trim adherent thereto to a position adjacent said scavenging means.

ll. A machine for cutting a cigar hinder or a cigar wrapper from a reconstituted tobacco web, said machine having means for cutting said binder or wrapper from said web, a travelling suction head for transporting said web to said cutting means, and a scavenging suction head secured to said travelling suction head, for scavenging scrap cut from said web.

12. A cigar machine, said machine having a die for cutting a cigar Wrapper or a cigar binder from a web of reconstituted tobacco, means in said machine for securing said die in a substantially horizontal position with its longest dimension substantially transverse said web, means for directing said web substantially horizontally toward said die so that said longest dimension is at right-angles to the line of motion of said web at a first time, means toward said die to any desired angle throughout a range at a second time and means for adjusting said die linearly, as necessary to conform to the angle, so as to lie in the path of the web.

13. A cigar machine having means for cutting a binder or a Wrapper from a Web of reconstituted tobacco, said machine having a substantially horizontal bed plate, said cutting means mountable on said bed plate, a substanti ally vertical shaft protruding through said bed plate, a

substantially horizontal base plate rotatable on said bed' plate about said shaft through a limited arc, a Web of reconstituted tobacco material, said web mounted on a reel rotatable in a bracket fxedly secured to said base plate, reciprocably operable means for intermittently transporting the leading end of said web toward said cutting means, said transporting means mounted on said base plate, and means for adjusting the cutting means linearly on said bed plate so as to lie in the path of the Web when said base plate is rotated about said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,784 4/43 Bladeck 1 83100 2,515,548 7/50 Brogren 83412 2,696,255 12/54 Heywood 83-911 2,846,010 8/58 Wheeler 83-512 2,960,898 11/60 Wheeler 83100 3,016,779 1/62 Gustavson 83--510 3,056,322 10/ 62 Novick 83-911 FOREIGN PATENTS 53,497 1 1/42 Netherlands. 589,491 3/59 Italy.

ANDREW RJUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

Sterling T. Gustavson,

hereby certif that error appears in the above numbered pating correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as Patent No lt is ied ent reqiir oorrectedbelow,

or "surrounding" after "securing insert line El,

with said trim adherent "second elem read surmounting column 8 thereto strike out thereto and ent" same column he same in line 46 insert t of Septembe (SEAL) Anest:

EDWARD J BRENNER Commissioner of Patents ERNEST W. SWIDER Annsting Officer

Claims

1. IN A CIGAR MACHINE, A SOURCE OF RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO WEB, A DIE FOR CUTTING A WRAPPER OR A BINDER FROM SAID WEB, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID DIE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE IN SAID MACHINE, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TOBACCO WEB FEED MECHANISM FOR DIRECTING SAID WEB TO SAID DIE IN SAID PLANE, MEANS IN SAID MECHANISM FOR DIRECTING SAID WEB TOWARD SAID DIE AT ANY DESIRED ANGLE THROUGHOUT A RANGE IN SAID PLANE AND MEANS IN SAID MACHINE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF SAID DIE LINEARLY SO AS TO CONFORM TO THE ANGLE AT WHICH SAID MECHANISM IS SET SO THAT SAID DIE LIES IN THE PATH OF SAID WEB.