US3886952A

US3886952A - Cigarette making machine

Info

Publication number: US3886952A
Application number: US441956A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arnold Kastner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-11-07
Filing date: 1974-02-13
Publication date: 1975-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-03

Abstract

A cigarette making machine of the domestic do-it-yourself variety wherein a wad of tobacco of elongate generally cylindrical shape is injected into a cigarette paper tube is disclosed. Machines of this type utilize a cam plate operable upon a toggle link means consisting of a toggle arm and toggle links with movement of the toggle link means moving a tobacco compacting member to tobacco receiving and tobacco compacting positions. There is a first pair of toggle links having their outer ends pivotally secured to casing of the machine, with outer ends of a second pair of toggle links pivotally secured to the tobacco compacting member with the inner ends of both first and second pairs of toggle links being pivotally secured to the toggle arm which is moved by the cam plate. The inventive concept resides in molding the toggle arm, toggle links, casing, and tobacco compacting member from plastic material and providing circular bearing surfaces on the casing, toggle links, and tobacco compacting member to bear forces resulting from the compaction of a supply of tobacco into a wad. By molding the circular bearing surfaces integral with the various component parts involved, it is thus possible to produce a machine substantially completely molded from plastic material and this results in quicker and more economically produced machines inasmuch as the precise machining of individual metal parts is not necessary.

Description

June 3, 1975 United States Patent [1 1 Kastner paper tube is disclosed. Machines of this type utilize a Arnold Kasmer, 10220 Armand cam plate operable upon a toggle link means consist- Lavergne Montreal North, Quebec, ing of a toggle arm and toggle links with movement of Canada the toggle link means moving a tobacco compacting member to tobacco receiving and tobacco compacting 1974 positions. There is a first pair of toggle links having their outer ends pivotally secured to casing of the machine, with outer ends of a second pair of toggle links pivotally secured to the tobacco compacting member 131/70 with the inner ends of both first and second pairs of A246 toggle links being pivotally secured to the toggle arm CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

[2]] Appl. No.: 441,956

[52] US. Cl'.

[51] Int.

[58] Field Of Search........................... which is moved by the cam plate, The inventive concept resides in molding the toggle arm, toggle links,

[56] References Cited casing, and tobacco compacting member from plastic UNITED STATES PATENTS material and providing circular bearing surfaces on the casing, toggle links, and tobacco compacting member to bear forces resulting from the compaction of a supply of tobacco into a wad. By molding the circular bearing surfaces integral with the various component parts involved, it is thus possible to produce a machine substantially completely molded from plastic material and this results in quicker and more economically produced machines inasmuch as the precise ma- ABSTRACT A cigarette making machine of the domestic do-it- ///2 .111 333/ I111 n m Tm n. t mmm :5

mmn SSyp 333a KKPK 6403 5677. 9999 111.1 1411 10 1 706 1 1 3294 2333 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerJohn F. Pitrelli chining of individual metal parts is not necessary.

yourself variety wherein a wad of tobacco of elongate generally cylindrical shape is injected into a cigarette 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SHEET FIG.

FIG. 5

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE The present invention relates to manually operated cigarette making machines and particularly, but not exclusively, relates to cigarette making machines of the domestic do-it-yourself variety of the type disclosed in my Canadian Pat. No. 723,945 dated Dec. 21, 1965, and entitled Adjustable Tube Release Mechanism for a Cigarette Making Machine and in my Canadian Pat. No. 643,473, dated June 26, 1962, and entitled Cigarette Machine.

In a machine according to the present invention, and in accordance with these two Canadian patents, a cigarette is obtained by positioning a tube of cigarette paper onto a nipple provided on the machine, and positioning a small supply of tobacco in an opening provided in the casing of the machine, with rotation of a handle on the machine first compacting the tobacco into a cylindrical elongate wad against an injection spoon member which has a concavely curved crosssection with continued rotation of the handle then causing the spoon to displace the wad of tobacco into the cigarette tube.

To compact a small supply of tobacco for one cigarette into an elongate cylindrical wad, a compacting member is moved laterally with respect to the spoon member and the tobacco wad is formed therebetween. In accordance with the present invention, and the prior patents noted above, this is accomplished by means of a toggle link assembly which moves the compacting member from tobacco receiving position to tobacco compacting position and the toggle link assembly consists of a number of pivotally mounted toggle links secured together by a toggle arm with longitudinal movement of the toggle arm effecting transverse movement of the compacting member. Two of the toggle links are pivotally secured to the compacting member at one of their ends, while their other ends are secured to the toggle arms, while two further toggle links are secured to one of their ends to the casing of the machine with their other ends being pivotally secured to the toggle arm.

During compaction of the tobacco susbstantial pressure is transmitted to the various pivot points of the toggle links and toggle arm, and until the present, such apparatus has had to be made from metal strong enough to withstand the forces encountered during compaction and durable enough for repeated operation, and in view of the fact that many of the metal component parts have had to be specifically machined, the machines have had to be priced accordingly.

I have made various attempts to utilize material other than metal in the construction of such apparatus, but until now, all such attempts have failed because it has been found that materials other than metal do not have sufficient strength to withstand repeated operations of the device under the high forces developed during compaction of the tobacco.

These past attempts at utilizing a material, such as plastic material, other than metal have all failed because the pivots around which the various toggle links and toggle arm pivot do not have sufficient strength to withstand repeated usage under the pressures present, and it is riot practical to make, for example, pivot pins of a metal material and the toggle links and toggle arm out of another material such as plastics because of the high precision necessary for the operation of such a machine, and the fact that by providing one bearing surface of a material which is much harder than the material forming a mating bearing surface the material of lesser hardness soon becomes worn, and the necessary precision is lost.

I have now found that it is possible to construct a cigarette making machine of this type completely of plastics material and which will be capable of functioning for thousands and thousands of repeated usages without failure or loss of precision and which can be molded from plastic material using conventional plastic molding techniques with the result that the machine may be more quickly and more economically produced with lower cost to the consumer.

I have overcome the problem of high forces developing at the pivot stud by providing circular bearing surfaces or shoulders adjacent each pivot stud or pin with the result that the forces encountered during tobacco impaction are borne by the bearing surfaces and not by the pivot studs themselves, with the result that it is now possible to construct a machine oflong life and at lower cost thus resulting in an improvement in machines of this general type.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cigarette making machine of domestic do-it-yourself variety which is made substantially completely of molded plastic material and which is economical in construction and durable in operation.

It is a further object to provide a cigarette making machine of the type described made substantially completely of molded plastic material and having pivotally mounted toggle links, toggle arm and tobacco compacting member all molded of plastic material and wherein pivot studs around which these component members rotate are provided with spaced adjacent circular bearing surfaces bearing the forces encountered during compaction.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective view a cigarette making machine according to the present invention, which is partially shown in sectioned exposed detail for a better understanding thereof;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1 with the operating mechanism of the machine shown in tobacco receiving position;

FIG. 3 shows the machine in bottom plan view with the operating mechanism thereof in a position injecting a cylindrical wad of tobacco into a cigarette tube positioned on the nipple thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of portions of the compacting assembly of the machine to provide a complete understanding thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V' of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the machine consists of a casing 2 having an opening 4 opening into a tobacco compacting chamber 5 provided therein and into which opening tobacco which is to be injected into a hollow cigarette tube (depicted at phantom lines in FIG. 1) is filled. The casing is provided with a vertical shaft 6 carried thereby intennediate its ends, and a handle 8 is carried on the upper end of the shaft and is secured thereto by means of a cap nut 10.

The lower portion of shaft 6 carries cam plate 12 which is secured in rotation therewith with the result that cam 12 is rotated as a result of rotation of the handle. The lower end of the shaft 6 also carries an operating arm 14 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft, and these various components are maintained on the lower portion of the shaft by means of a nut 16.

The cam 12 is provided with a cam slot generally indicated at 18 with this cam slot providing

cam surfaces

20 and 22 respectively. The cam surface 20 extends partially around the outer periphery of the cam as at 20 and these cam surfaces are adapted for camming action with respect to a stud 24 provided on toggle arm 26. The cam 12 is also provided with

upstanding flanges

28 and 28, the purpose of which will be explained in more detail hereafter. The toggle arm 26 is pivotally secured to the inner ends of a first pair of

parallel toggle links

30 and 32 by means of pivot studs 31 and 33 respectively molded integrally with the toggle arm, and the inner ends of a second pair of

parallel toggle links

34 and 36 are also pivotally secured to the toggle arm by pivot studs 31 and 33 respectively. The casing 2 may be provided with curved recesses 37 and 39 to receive the ends of the pivot studs 31 and 33 resspectively. The toggle links 30 and 32 are also pivoted at their other or outer ends to pivot

studs

38 and 40, respectively, while the other or outer ends of the

toggle links

34 and 36 are pivotally secured to a tobacco compacting member 42 at 44 and 46, respectively. The tobacco compacting member 42 is slidable in the

guide edges

48 and 50 as shown in FIG. 4, and it will be appreciated that reciprocal movement of the toggle arm 26 in the directions indicated by double-headed arrow 52 in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, will result in movement of the tobacco compacting member 42 from the open or tobacco receiving position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the closed tobacco compacting position shown in FIG. 3. The cam 12 is securely and non-rotatably positioned on the shaft 6 which in turn is non-rotatably connected to handle 8 with the result that movement of handle 8 in the direction indicated by arrow 54 in FIGS. 1 and 2 will result in

cam surfaces

20 and 20 successively bearing upon cam stud 24 to move the toggle arm 26 to the right as shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 wherein the tobacco compacting member is in tobacco compacting position. Reverse movement of the handle 8 in a direction indicated by arrow 56 in FIG. 3 will, of course, cause cam surface 22 to engage with cam stud 24 to cause movement of the toggle arm 26 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The operating arm 14 carried by the shaft 6 is pivotally secured as at 58 to a plunger link 60 which in turn is pivotally secured to one end of a plunger 62 by means of a screw 64. The plunger 62 is formed at its other end as an injection spoon 66, having a concave semi-circular configuration (see FIG. so that when the plunger 62 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the tobacco compacting member 42 compacts tobacco between itself and the spoon in a manner to provide a cylindrical elongate wad. It will be seen from FIG. 5 that the leading edge 42 of the tobacco compacting member 42 is provided with a concave section so that then the compacting member and the spoon approach, the tobacco compacted the tobacco compacted therebetween assumes an elongate cylindrical form.

Movement of the handle from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3 not only effects movement of the tobacco compacting member to tobacco compacting position, but also effects movement of the plunger to the right as shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 where the spoon is in tobacco injecting position. A cigarette tube is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3 as being positioned on a nipple 68 provided on the machine and it will be appreciated that in the position shown in FIG. 3, the spoon has injected a wad of tobacco (not shown) into the tube.

During injection of the wad of tobacco into the tube, the tube end is held on the nipple 68 by means ofa bellcrank shaped cigarette tube retaining lever 70 which is pivotally secured to the lower surface 72 of the tobacco compacting chamber by means of an integrally molded pin 76. The lever 70 is urged to a position where its tube engaging end 78 is held in contact with the nipple 68 by means of the action of spring 80 acting on stud 82 provided on the operating end 84 of the cigarette tube retaining lever 70. However, in the position shown in FIG. 2, a stud 86 provided on toggle link 36 holds the cigarette tube retaining lever 70 against the action of the spring to hold the tube engaging end 78 of the lever away from the nipple 68. It is in this position that a cigarette tube is positioned on the nipple. However, it will be appreciated that when the handle 8 is moved in the direction of arrow 54 as shown in FIG. 2, that the hold ing action of stud 86 will be released, and the spring 80 will cause rotation (clockwise in FIG. 2) of the cigarette tube retaining lever so that the tube retaining end 78 contacts the nipple and maintains the cigarette tube on the nipple during the full injection of the spoon and tobacco into the tube.

Although a full appreciation of the operation of the machine according to the present invention can be ob tained through a reading of Canadian Pat. Nos. 643,473 and 723,945 mentioned above the following brief description is provided. When one wishes to make a cigarette, a hollow cigarette paper filter tube (shown in phantom lines) is positioned on the nipple as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and with the position of the handle as shown in these Figures, the tobacco compacting member 42 is in open or tobacco receiving position, and the tube engaging end 78 of the cigarette tube retaining lever 70 is in a non-contacting position with respect to the nipple 68 as a result of stud 86 bearing on the operating end 84 of the cigarette tube retaining lever. A supply of tobacco is then placed through the opening 4 provided in the casing onto the lower surface or floor 90 of the tobacco compacting chamber 5 and the handle 8 is then rotated in an anti-clockwise direction in the direction of arrow 54 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and this rotation results in the compaction of the supply of tobacco between the leading edge 42 of the compacting member 42 and the spoon member 66 and also permits spring 80 to pivot the cigarette tube retaining lever so that the tube engaging end 78 secures an end of the cigarette tube between itself and the nipple 68. Continued rotation of the handle in the direction as indicated by arrow 54 maintains the tobacco compacting member in tobacco compacting position and also pivots operating arm 14 by means of flange 28 to cause movement of plunger 62 to the right as shown in FIG. 2 to inject a wad of tobacco into the cigarette tube as shown in FIG. 3. After injection, rotation of the handle is reversed (see arrow 56 in FIG. 3) and this causes withdrawal of the spoon 66 from within the tube and also loosening of the tube on the nipple so that the filled cigarette tube can be removed from the nipple and also effects opening of the tobacco compacting member to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Movement of the operating arm 14 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 2 may be assisted by spring 67.

Attached FIG. 4 which is a perspective view of a por tion only of the operating mechanism of the machine will now be described more clearly set forth the bearing surfaces provided upon the tobacco compacting member 42, the toggle links 30, 32, 34 and 36, and the toggle arm 26. As will be appreciated in FIG. 4, only links 32 and 36 are shown but it will be appreciated that a similar arrangement for

links

30 and 34 is also be provided. The pivot stud 40 upon which link 32 rotates is molded integrally with the casing -2 and in order to withstand the high stresses encountered during operation, the outer end of the toggle link 32 is provided as a circular convex bearing surface 32', with the circular arc of the surface being received within a correspondingly circular concave bearing surface 92' provided on a raised portion or protuberance 92 which is also molded integrally with the casing of the machine. The outer end of toggle link 36 is pivotally secured to the compacting member 42 by means of a pivot stud 46 which is integrally molded with the compacting member. The outer end of the toggle link 36 is provided with a convex circular bearing surface 36 which is in sliding engagement with a concave circular bearing surface 94 provided on the contacting member.

The inner ends of both

toggle links

32 and 36 pivot around a stud 33 which is molded integrally with the toggle arm 26, and the inner ends of the

links

32 and 36 are provided as circular bearing surfaces 32" and 36" respectively, and the

links

32 and 36 are also provided with circular concave bearing surfaces 32" and 36" against which bearing surfaces 36" and 32" bear. In operation, force encountered during compression of the tobacco act in directions indicated by arrows F F F and F and it will be appreciated that the force is borne by the surfaces of the machine and not by the pivot studs. This arrangement enables the

pivot studs

36 and 40 to be molded integrally with the casing, and also the

pivot studs

44 and 46 to be molded integrally with the compacting member in an economic manner not before possible when various metal parts, exclusively, have had to be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the underside of the casing 2 is 7 provided with

upstanding studs

96 and 98 which receive apertures (not numbered) provided in a member 100 (shown in broken lines) which is of molded plastic material, and which provided a bottom for the tobacco compacting chamber and also provides a lower casing for the plunger and spoon assembly.

In construction, the casing 2, toggle links, compacting member, and toggle arm, and operating arm 14, and cigarette tube retaining lever 70 and handle 8 and plunger link 60 can all be fabricated from suitable plastic material using molding techniques known in the plastic molding arts, and this arrangement clearly provides apparatus which can be produced at a lower cost than before possible. In a preferred construction, however, the cam 12 and the stud 24 provided on the toggle arm are made of metal material inasmuch and as discussed above, opposite bearing surfaces of materials of different hardness will result in undue wearing of the surface made of the softer material.

I claim:

1. A cigarette making machine of the type wherein a compacted wad of tobacco of elongate generally cylindrical shape is injected into a cigarette paper tube, comprising a casing and a hollow nipple secured to the casing to receive an open end of a cigarette tube, a tobacco compacting chamber formed within the casing and an opening in the casing providing access to the chamber, and a tobacco compacting member movable in the chamber to tobacco receiving and tobacco compacting positions, and toggle links means consisting of a toggle arm, and first and'second pairs of toggle links for moving the tobacco compacting member, and a movable plunger and attached injection spoon for moving a wad of tobacco from the chamber through the nipple and inject the wad into the cigarette tube, and an operator arm for moving the plunger and spoon, and a cigarette tube retaining lever pivotable under spring action to retain the cigarette tube on the nipple during injection thereinto of a wad of tobacco, and a handle secured to a cam plate having cam surfaces, rotational movement of the handle resulting in rotation of the cam plate and movement of the operator arm, and a cam stud carried adjacent one end of the toggle arm and in contact with the said cam surfaces wherein rotation of the cam plate imparts movement to the toggle link means, inner ends of said two pairs of toggle links being pivotally secured to pivot studs provided on the toggle arm, with outer ends of the first pair of toggle links being pivotally carried by pivot studs provided on the casing, and outer ends of the second pair of toggle links being pivotally secured to pivot studs provided on the tobacco compacting member, and circular bearing surfaces provided on the casing and on the tobacco compacting member for sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces provided on the outer ends of the said first and second pairs of toggle links, inner ends of the toggle links of the first pair in sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces molded integrally with and adjacent inner ends of the toggle links of the second pair, and circular bearing surfaces provided on inner ends of the toggle links of the first and second pairs in sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces provided on and adjacent inner ends of the toggle links of the second and first pairs respectively, the circular bearing surfaces bearing reactive forces resulting from compacting of tobacco into a wad.

2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the casing, the tobacco compacting member, the toggle arm, and the toggle links are of plastic material.

3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the circular bearing surfaces provided on the casing and the tobacco compacting member are of concave circular configuration and the bearing surfaces provided on the outer ends of the toggle links are of convex circular configuration.

4. Machine according to claim 1 wherein the circular bearing surfaces provided on the inner ends of the toggle links are of convex circular configuration, and the circular bearing surfaces provided on and adjacent the inner ends of the toggle links are of concave circular configuration.

5. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the handle, operator arm, plunger, plunger link, tube retaining lever, are of plastic material.

6. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the cam plate and the cam stud are made of metal.

Claims

1. A cigarette making machine of the type wherein a compacted wad of tobacco of elongate generally cylindrical shape is injected into a cigarette paper tube, comprising a casing and a hollow nipple secured to the casing to receive an open end of a cigarette tube, a tobacco compacting chamber formed within the casing and an opening in the casing providing access to the chamber, and a tobacco compacting member movable in the chamber to tobacco receiving and tobacco compacting positions, and toggle links means consisting of a toggle arm, and first and second pairs of toggle links for moving the tobacco compacting member, and a movable plunger and attached injection spoon foR moving a wad of tobacco from the chamber through the nipple and inject the wad into the cigarette tube, and an operator arm for moving the plunger and spoon, and a cigarette tube retaining lever pivotable under spring action to retain the cigarette tube on the nipple during injection thereinto of a wad of tobacco, and a handle secured to a cam plate having cam surfaces, rotational movement of the handle resulting in rotation of the cam plate and movement of the operator arm, and a cam stud carried adjacent one end of the toggle arm and in contact with the said cam surfaces wherein rotation of the cam plate imparts movement to the toggle link means, inner ends of said two pairs of toggle links being pivotally secured to pivot studs provided on the toggle arm, with outer ends of the first pair of toggle links being pivotally carried by pivot studs provided on the casing, and outer ends of the second pair of toggle links being pivotally secured to pivot studs provided on the tobacco compacting member, and circular bearing surfaces provided on the casing and on the tobacco compacting member for sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces provided on the outer ends of the said first and second pairs of toggle links, inner ends of the toggle links of the first pair in sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces molded integrally with and adjacent inner ends of the toggle links of the second pair, and circular bearing surfaces provided on inner ends of the toggle links of the first and second pairs in sliding engagement with circular bearing surfaces provided on and adjacent inner ends of the toggle links of the second and first pairs respectively, the circular bearing surfaces bearing reactive forces resulting from compacting of tobacco into a wad.