Extraordinaria máquina de sobremesa americana, muy resistente, fabricada enteramente en metal, sin pretensiones estéticas, muy funcional… todo típicamente americano.
El genial mecanismo esta copiado de las máquinas europeas (tipo Eclair) pero igualmente resulta un muy bonito ejemplar. Destaca por su bandeja que recoge el tabaco sobrante y también el cigarrillo una vez liado. La empresa que la fabricó se fundó en 1923 y se dedicaba a hacer una gran variedad de productos de metal para cocina y baño. No sabemos el nombre de la máquina o modelo por lo que la hemos bautizado con el nombre de la empresa. Fue patentada en Noviembre de 1934. No es muy fácil de encontrar, es toda una joya… A continuación os dejo el vídeo:
Patente:
Puedes descargar la patente completa en formato pdf pulsando en el siguiente enlace: 1982365_CIGARETTE_ROLLING
Transcripción de la parte de la patente referida al funcionamiento de la máquina:
The operation of my cigarette rolling machine is as follows:
The eccentric roller J is placed in the position 1(50 shown in Pig. 1 with the web R pressed down into ‘ the concave pocket M where the requisite amount of tobacco W is placed and is distributed across the length of the pocket M on the web R. The handle K is then rotated clockwise so that the portion P of the eccentric roller J carries the web R around until it contacts with the web R passing over the roller D as shown in Pig. 2. At this point a slight back and forward movement tends to compact the tobacco W in a roll as shown in Fig. 2. Then a piece of cigarette paper X is placed in the groove between the two portions of the web R around the roller D and on the surface P of the eccentric roller J as shown in Fig. 2. 5 Along the upper edge of the cigarette paper may, if desired, be a little strip of adhesive which has been moistened. Continuing the operation of the eccentric roller J by turning the handle K in a clockwise direction the paper X is carried down in and around the tobacco W and by reason of the moisture along the edge Y the adhesive engages with the adjacent convolution of the paper and fixes the paper in position around the tobacco. When the location of the eccentric roller J has reached the position shown in Fig. 4, the cigarette is exposed and then the operator rotates the handle K anti-clockwise and in doing so the cigarette is brought up out of the pocket and carried on the web R as shown in Fig. 5. Then, as will be apparent from this illustration, if the rotation anti-clockwise continues, the cigarette will be carried around and deposited into the tray. In Fig. 3 I have shown a collection of cigarettes Z, a package of tobacco Zl and a package of cigarette paper Z2. As will be seen from the drawings and from the foregoing, any surplus of tobacco which may be deposited on the web R or dropped on any portion of the machine so that it does not get into the cigarette passes into the tray A where it accumulates and may be used when desired.