Cigarette-making machine and method

Abstract

A cigarette-making machine comprises a casing, a tobacco slot in the casing, and a nipple for retaining a cigarette tube outside the casing. A handle / handle drive is accessible from an exterior of the casing to be manually handled. An internal mechanism has a compactor to compact tobacco inserted into the machine through the tobacco slot, and a spoon to eject the compacted tobacco into the cigarette tube through the nipple. The internal mechanism is operatively connected to the handle / handle drive so as to be actuated by manual handling of the handle / handle drive to compact and eject tobacco into the cigarette tube. A cigarette receiver supports a filled cigarette released from the nipple. A method to operate the machine is also provided

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to cigarette-making machines and, more particularly, to cigarette-making machines of the type being operated manually to fill empty cigarette tubes.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]One manual type of cigarette machine used by individuals to prepare cigarettes one by one involves hand-feeding tobacco which is compacted into substantially cylindrical form into a tobacco receptacle associated with a compactor. The cylinder of tobacco is then ejected into an empty cigarette tube. Such machines have internal mechanisms operated by a single manually operated handle or lever which moves in a circular path. Initially, the handle is at the start of the circular path, the tobacco is dropped into the receiving and compacting means, and the handle is turned actuating compacting means until the tobacco has been compacted into a substantially cylindrical form. When the tobacco compacting means has ceased com...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

One of the issues associated with the Kastner machine is that a non-negligible amount of force is required to fill the cigarette using the handle drive.

The design of the machine is such that the user's first hand fingers can get caught between the handle drive and the casing of the Kastner machine.

Otherwise, the fingers of the first hand may inadvertently come into contact with the empty cigarette tube supported by the nipple.

The empty cigarette tube is fragile, whereby contact often results in the empty cigarette tube being ripped.

Additionally, tobacco strands have a tendency of falling out of the cigarette or of the nipple, which tobacco is wasted.

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