HOW CIGARETTES ARE MADE

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 3, 12 June 1930, Page 12

HOW CIGARETTES ARE MADE

While the growth of the tobacco •plant has extended .from America, its original home,, to all continents and principal countries, the United. States is stiil'l the biggest single producer, (her annual production being usually about one and a one-half billi6n, India ranking next with approximately a billion, Ghina haM a biUion, and Europe as a ifihole nearly a billion, pounds.

In the nrtwiuf-aeture of cigarettes, the handling of the leaf in preparation for the cigarette is determined by the grade of * tolbacco used. Tobacco with small

stem is usually handled without stipping. The heavy, pr^/butt end, is cut off ;in a ''butt cutter and the leaf is fed to a niacihine called an " ordering J. or ''steaming/- machine, in whieOi it "becomes softened or pliable for use.

In some factories the 'butt ends are passed through a "stem flattening" machine and mixed with, the leaf.

Tobacco leaves Whieii' ihave heavy stems or {fibre are first passed through, the ordering machine .and. softene'l, aJGteitwhicih. the stem is removed by hand or automatic machinery before the flavouring is applied. Tobacco leaves containimg a large amount of sand or dirt sune first passed through a special sand screen fro- cleaning before being fed to the ordering machine. > This equipment is also used for mixing -or blendinigj the required quantities of various grades of tobacco are fed to the machine, end in passing through they are properly anixeid and blended.

From the ordering machine the toib■acco is fed to a or "flavourinlg" maicluiriie, in which t*he proper amount of flavouring i-s applied to the leaf. For cooking and preparing the flavouring, a maoline, known 1 as a "dissolver'' i? comanonly used.

At the discliarge end of w&a-t is kmawn as the "casing" machine, 'the. tobacco is palsied over a magnetic .oh.ut'e where the metiullie substamces, sudh- as Mails, etc., are separated from t&e •toJbaJdco. Tike cased or fiLayConrei iotoacico is thien placed In s'tora^ge bins Jot a.peroid of approximately 24 hours, to enable the favouring to be absorbed by the leaf. ■ ' ■ •'..-•• ~.■■■

The, next operation is to x take tine tobacco from, the storage bins and .

pass; it^ /thiPougli.. aa, ojdering macthine i;; in Which it is properly softened and prepared for feeding to the "tobaieco '' cutting maohines. A anagnetie chute can be applied to the discharge end of' •ifliis orderimg maieiiine to remove: any metallic substances which still remain in the tbibacco. ': -

The cutting na'aichines :f or cigaTette tobacco must 'be of riv'gged construction and accurate cutting* as the quality of tihe cigarette depends on a regular cut tabaoca. Wlien outtinsg tobacco fox fine grade cigarettes the cutting knife must be -ci!ianged every 10 minutes or iess, and an "automatic knife grinding '' macijiine is required to keep a sufficient quantity of knifes ground for the ■cutting mairihime.

From the cutting machines thie cut tqlbcucco is transported by an "aTitoma'tic conveyor apron" to the "rotary steam dryer, y Tihis dryer, removes the ■excess onoasture wnie-h. has been applied ito the tabacco during its preparation for cutting.

From the steam dryer the tobacco is automatically conveyed to a "cooling" machine which removes the excess (heat;from the tobacco, and also any dust or sand. T»he finished out to'baeco is then placed in storage bins far a perioxl <xf approximately 24 hours to become equalised in moistuTe-content.

Befpre the tobacco is fed, to the cigaTette maichines, it is passed a, majdhine knon^n as a "dressing" ma'dhine, whicih. loosens up. the tobacco and putts it in proper order for use in the eigaretite.

To remove any metallic substauice •whoboh maybe contained in this tabaeeo a magnetic chute is.attached to the idis>c!harge end of the dressing macßiiie) •

The tobiaic/do is then fed fro -the "Cigarette n&cMnies and maniifa*ctured into

cigarettes

A certain percentage of these eigurettes is defective and these are broken •up in a % machine knorvrn as a "cigarette ripper." These broken cigarette are tihen placed on-a special separatiing sieve whiclh removes the paper from

the toibaeco. Tins tobacco is .then returned to'the storage, bins, or is used again in the cigarette machines' *

Finally .the finis»hed cigarettes are taken to automatic machines for packing, from, wihich machines they are sent to the shipping department for

distriibutioii,