US3741220A - Cigarette making appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for filling a tube of cigarette paper with tobacco to make a cigarette including a casing, a slide, a chamber for tobacco formed in the slide, a nozzle mounted on the slide and communicating with the chamber, a clamp for holding the tube of paper on the nozzle, compression means mounted on the slide wherein tobacco in the chamber can be compressed into a plug by the compression means, and by manually pushing on the slide portion to reduce the chamber capacity, the plug is forced through the nozzle into the tube of cigarette paper thus forming a cigarette. The compression means is provided with a locking component cooperable with the slide to hold the compression means in a compressing position.

Description

United States Patent [191 'Meinunger 1 June 26, 1973 [54] CIGARETTE-MAKING APPLIANCE 211,462 7/1909 Germany 131/70 [75] Inventor: Helmut Meinunger, Radevormwald,

Germany Primary Exammer-Robert W. Michell [73] A G h w k G b H Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli sslgnee: r w Attorne Ho1man & Stern Bergneustadt/Rhineland, Germany y [22] Filed: Mar. 2, 1971 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. N0.: 120,196 A device for filling a tube of cigarette paper with tobacco to make a cigarette including a casing, a slide, a chamber for tobacco formed in the slide, a nozzle [30] Forelgn Apphcamm Pnonty Data mounted on the slide and communicating with the Mar. 2, 1970 Germany P 20 09 678.0 chamber a clamp for the tube of p p on the nozzle, compression means mounted on the slide 52 U.S. Cll. Xi; lag/1(2) wherein tobacco in the chamber can be compressed [51] hat- .f 1c into a the compression and manually Fleld 0 Search 5 p i on the slide portion to reduce the chamber g h 1 f d h h h 1 h pacity, t e p ug 1s orce t roug t e nozz e into t e [56] References cued tube of cigarette paper thus forming a.cigarette. The

UNITED STATES PATENTS compression means is provided with a locking compo- 2,329,l63 9/1943 Reid et a1. 131/70 nent cooperable with the slide to hold the compression FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS means a mpressmg 456,477 6/1913 France 131/70 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzs um 3.741.220

saw 2 or 2 35 INVENTOR HELMUT MEIHUNGER A777! u: rs

CIGARETTE-MAKING APPLIANCE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an appliance for filling prefabricated cigarette paper tubes, in which a compression plate for the tobacco, a hollow nozzle suitable for pushing a cigarette paper tube on it and a clamping device with clamping piece for retaining the tube on the nozzle are arranged on a slide operated directly by hand.

The object of the invention is to improve a device of this nature and to provide further features. This is in particular applicable to the parts used for clamping the cigarette paper tube on the hollow nozzle and the operating means for these parts and the parts connected to the latter. The invention also tries to achieve easier and more convenient operation of the appliance and to simplify it and to improve its operational reliability.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Starting off from the arrangement of the device mentioned in the introduction, the invention consists in that the compression plate in its working position, when it is pushed down, and when it has formed the plug of tobacco ready for insertion in the prefabricated cigarette paper tube, is capable of being detachably fixed to the slide by parts engaging with each other.

This ensures that the compression plate is kept satisfactorily in its right position, even during the actual filling process, that is to say, when the paper tube is being pulled over the plug of tobacco by means of the slide, irrespective of the pressure exerted during this opera tion on the compression plate. If the appliance is de signed so that the compression plate not only forms the plug of tobacco but at the same time also pushes the clamping piece against the hollow nozzle with the paper tube on it, in order to retain the latter in position, this retention of the compression plate on the slide also ensures that the paper tube remains fixed on the hollow nozzle during the entire motion of the slide and cannot slide off or shift.

The parts for the detachable fixing could be, for instance, springy parts snapping in position, with a locking action capable of being subsequently released by moving back the part or by pushing a detent. This can be achieved, for instance, by means of latches or similar detents of a simple type.

A particularly convenient design consists also in that a locking piece capable of relative displacement with respect to the compression plate is provided on the latter and has at least one locking element capable of engaging with the slide. A slidable locking piece of this type is easy to make, it can be readily fixed on the compression plate and is particularly advantageous for the operation of the device. The direction of displacement of the locking piece can be selected so as to be horizontal or vertical, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the compression plate. However, particularly convenient is an arrangement where the locking piece is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the compression plate. It is convenient to arrange the locking piece so that it is under the action of a spring tending to retain it in its rest position, where it is released from the slide. Some other elastic element may be used instead of a spring.

When using a displaceable locking piece, the appliance can be arranged in particular so that the slide has recesses on its face, to engage with lugs, projections or the like on the locking piece. This is particularly convenient in the production of the appliance and makes for a neat arrangement and easy accessibility of the components.

In an especially advantageous form of the appliance, locking faces are provided on the locking piece and on the slide so as to engage with each other; they are inclined with respect to the plane of displacement of the locking piece. In this way the compression plate is pulled up against the slide by the wedge action of the locking faces, on operation of the locking piece, this wedge action being a very convenient feature in particular also from the point of view of the proper formation of the plug of tobacco.

In order to facilitate the operation of the appliance when using a displaceable locking piece, it is convenient to provide opposing noses on the compression plate and on the locking piece, so that the operators finger can engagewith them.

According to a further feature of the invention there is an elastically deformable clamping piece accommodated in a recess of the slide, in order to retain the empty cigarette paper tube on the hollow nozzle of the slide. The elasticity of the clamping piece provides the advantage-that the paper tube is kept safely on the nozzle even if the height of the operating part of the clamping piece, for instance, a lug on the compression plate or thelike, has slightly changed. Also, during the motion of the operating piece for the clamping piece, the paper tube is held against the hollow nozzle at an early stage, earlier than with a rigid clamping piece, and this is also an advantageous feature. Furthermore, the elasticity of the clamping piece ensures that it gently engages thepaper tube so as to completely avoid damage of the tube or impairing its appearance.

The elastic clamping piece has conveniently also a recess on its end facing the nozzle. The recess may be shaped to suit the shape of the nozzle. However, it can be arranged in particular also so that the clamping piece contacts the cigarette paper tube only along the edges of the recess so that the latter is clamped at several points.

The clamping piece may have lateral wings at its end facing the hollow nozzle, the wings engaging with recesses in the slide. This ensures that the clamping piece.

is held in a simple manner. This arrangement may also be of advantage in connection with the aforementioned recesses for achieving a clamping action at several points. In particular, the arrangement can be designed for this purposeso that the recesses in the slide have inclined limiting faces, in a downward direction and towards the center of the slide. The wings of the clamping piece then make contact with these faces during the clamping process.

Grooves may be provided either in the clamping piece or in the slide, lugs of the other part engaging with the grooves.

Further details and features of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal section through the appliance with the compression plate partly raised and being shown in side elevation,

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line II II in FIG. 1, with the compression plate lowered,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views of the front end of the slide and of the compression plate with the locking means,

FIG. 5 is afront view of the appliance with the compression plate loose, but without the locking piece displaceable on the latter,

FIG. 6 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 5, with the compression plate pushed down,

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the front end of the slide, with the compression plate folded back, and FIG. 8 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the position of the slide when moved to form a cigarette.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A slide 33 is arranged in a casing 31 with a base plate 32. Lateral guide strips 33a (FIG. 2) of the slide 33 slide in corresponding longitudinal grooves 31a of the casing 31. A hollow nozzle 34 is arranged on the front side, the left side in FIG. 1, of the slide 33. The hollow nozzle 34 is pressed into the slide, or made by bending the slide material, or formed on it during the casting or injection molding process, and a cigarette paper tube 35 is pushed on the hollow nozzle.

At the end of the slide 33 opposite that with the hollow nozzle ,34, a tobacco compression plate 37 is hinged thereto by means of a hinge pin 36. The compression plate 37 has a pressure piece 37a engaging with an elongated recess 38 of the slide 33 when the compression plate is pushed down, with the recess 38 forming a tobacco chamber. The pressure piece 37a forms in this way tobacco 39 in the chamber into a round plug 39a (FIG. 2). A gutter-shaped guide tongue 42 is fixed in casing 31 by means of a pin 40 and a holding piece 41, serving at the same time as a stop for the tobacco plug 39a. The tobacco chamber 38 is limited at its rear end by a cover angle 43 formed by the slide 33 and covering in the initial position of the slide also the holding piece 41 (FIG. 1).

With this appliance, the cigarette is made so that first, after an empty cigarette paper tube 35 has been pushed on the hollow nozzle 34 and the tobacco 39 has been placed in the tobacco chamber 38, the compression plate 37 is moved down. The tobacco is now compressed between the guide tongue 42 and a semicircular. recess on the underside of the pressure piece 37a to form the plug 39a, as shown in FIG. 2. The slide 33 in the casing 31 is now moved to the right (FIG. 8) and the tube 35 taken with it is pulled overthe tobacco plug 39a, with the guide tongue 42 ensuring that the tobacco is properly inserted in the paper tube.

In order to retain the cigarette paper tube 35 safely on the hollow nozzle 34 during this filling process, a clamping device is provided. This clamping device has, in the advantageous embodiment shown herein a clamping piece 44 of an elastic material, such as rubher. As shown in particular in FIGS. 5 to 7, this clamping piece 44 is accommodated in a recess 45 at the front end of slide 33, with lateral retaining and guiding lugs 46 of the clamping piece 44 engaging with grooves 47. The clamping piece 44 has, at its end facing the hollow nozzle 34, a recess 48 and two laterally projecting wings 49, engaging in recesses 50 of the slide 33. Lower limiting faces 50a of the recesses 50 are inclined downwardly and towards the center of the slide. A pressure piece 51 formed at the front end of the compression plate 37 is used for operating the clamping piece 44.

FIG. 5 shows the clamping piece 44 in the released rest position, while FIG. 6 shows its working position, the clamping piece 44 being pushed down by the pressure piece 51 and deformed so that it fixes the cigarette paper tube 35 at two points on the hollow nozzle 34. The wings 49 now rest on the lower limiting faces 50a of the recesses 50. When the compression plate 37 is moved back, the clamping piece 44 is secured by its shape, and by the fact that it is accommodated in the slide, against dropping out.

The appliance shown herein is also equipped with a stop or locking device enabling the compression plate 37 to be detachably fixed, in its pushed-down position,

to the slide 33. For this purpose, the front end of the or fixed in some other way therein are used to limit the motion of the locking piece 54.

The lower part of the locking piece 54 is saddle shaped so that there is a central free passage for the cig arette paper tube 35. Downward pointing legs 56 forming the lateral boundaries of this passage (FIGS. 1, 3, 4) have projections 57 pointing towards the front face of the'slide 33 and engaging, during the displacement of the locking piece 54, in recesses 58 of the front face of the slide, as shown in FIG. 4, so as to retain the compression plate 37 against the slide 33. I

'In the advantageous embodiment shown, inclined locking faces 59 are provided on the projections 57 of the locking piece 54 and the recesses 58 of the slide33. These locking faces 59 ensure that the compression plate 37 is pulled automatically against the slide 33 by the wedge action of these faces, when the locking piece 54 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3.

Upwardly pointing noses 60 and 61, each on one of the front ends of the compression plate 37 and of the locking piece 54 permit the appliance to be operated conveniently and in a practical manner, not only during the locking but also during the subsequent motion of the slide in order to perform the filling operation. At

the end of the slide motion, which may be limited by a stop on the casing, the cigarette paper tube is filled with tobacco. It is then only necessary-to push the slide 33 back into its initial position, in the opposite direction. After the noses 60 and 61 have been released and in this way also the clamping action has been removed by the clamping piece 44 returning to its rest position on account of its elasticity (FIG. 5), the finished cigarette can be immediately taken off the hollow nozzle 34.

The casing parts of the device, the slide, the compression plate and the locking piece are advantageously made of plastic.

All features mentioned in the above specification and/or shown in the drawing can be regarded independently or in combination as parts of the invention to the extent that this is permitted by the known state of the art.

I claim: I

1. A device for filling a tube of cigarette paper with tobacco to make a cigarette, comprising a casing, a slide carried by the casing, a chamber for tobacco provided in the slide, a nozzle mounted on the slide and which communicates with the chamber, clamp means for holding a tube of paper on the nozzle, compression means pivotally mounted on the slide at the end of the slide opposite the nozzle whereby tobacco in the chamber can be compressed into the plug by the compression means, and by manually pushing on the slide portion so as to reduce the chamber capacity, the plug is forced through the nozzle into the tube of cigarette paper, thus forming a cigarette, a locking element provided on the compression means at its end opposite its pivotal mounting on the slide and the slide having means cooperable with the locking element to hold the compression means in a compressing position, said locking element including a pair of spaced apart depending legs and a projection at the free end of each leg extending towards the slide, and the means on the slide is automatically pulled against the slide by the wedge action of such face and wall.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the clamp means includes an elastically deformable clamping piece located in a recess provided in the slide and lateral retaining and guiding lugs on the clamping piece engaging with grooves in the slide.

Claims (3)

1. A device for filling a tube of cigarette paper with tobacco to make a cigarette, comprising a casing, a slide carried by the casing, a chamber for tobacco provided in the slide, a nozzle mounted on the slide and which communicates with the chamber, clamp means for holding a tube of paper on the nozzle, compression means pivotally mounted on the slide at the end of the slide opposite the nozzle whereby tobacco in the chamber can be compressed into the plug by the compression means, and by manually pushing on the slide portion so as to reduce the chamber capacity, the plug is forced through the nozzle into the tube of cigarette paper, thus forming a cigarette, a locking element provided on the compression means at its end opposite its pivotal mounting on the slide and the slide having means cooperable with the locking element to hold the compression means in a compressing position, said locking element including a pair of spaced apart depending legs and a projection at the free end of each leg extending towards the slide, and the means on the slide cooperable with the locked element being defined by a pair of recesses in the slide for receiving the projections.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which each projection has an upper inclined face and each recess an upper inclined wall so that the compression means is automatically pulled against the slide by the wedge action of such face and wall.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the clamp means includes an elastically deformable clamping piece located In a recess provided in the slide and lateral retaining and guiding lugs on the clamping piece engaging with grooves in the slide.

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