Section V. Tobacco Cutters Instruments.
After the pipes are burnt, It is tyme to Try the Goodness of them by a Pipe of Good Tobacco; but it must be cutt before taken; then it were not amise to se to the cutting, and how cutt, whither with Knives or engines or what other Kind of tooles they use, and also if fitt for Honor or dishonor; of which I haue found these few.
Tobacco press
33. He beareth a Tobacco press. This press consists of seuerall parts as ----.
[The type of press intended is probably that in the first image of no. 37]
Tobacco engine
34. He beareth a Tobacco
Engine, or an Engine to cut Tobacco,
with all its appurtenances [and] Iron
worke. This Engine is best
discouered by the description of its
seuerall parts and members, as
The Great Frame is the thick plank on which all the rest of the work is fixed, being set on
The Feet, which are foure strong peeces of square timber.
The Bed or Box hole, is the halfe round, cut halfe through the thickness of the plank.
The Guider, is a square peece of spar or raile standing out from the other side the bed.
The stay, such an other peece from the face side of the bed, on which the end of the Guider rests.
The Knife, is the great square plate of Iron in which are two long square holes on the top of it. This is the higher part of the engine.
The Frame in which the Knife playeth, are two vpright stands an an ouer thwart peece tenanted in at the top.
The Nuts and Screw pins, are 2 squares of Iron screwed through the said ouer thwart peece.
The Spaner, is a long shank of Iron square bent neere a square hole. This is to put on the Nut heads and so to screw and vnscrew then at pleasure.
The Wheele, is a great Iron Wheele with catches on both sides the Rim. Se 36.
The Springs, are 2 Irons which are for the guiding of the catches.
The Rack is the long bar of Iron which runs through the body of the Frame and hath notches or teeth on one side of it.
The couer of the Boxes.
The Boxes, foure square boxes in which the Tobacco is, set just vnder the falling of the Knife. Se 35.
The Handle, is the long peece of timber rounded, which is hung on an Iron pin to move vp and down.
The Ballance, is an heavy peece of wood or such like to weigh the further end of the Handle down, as the work man heaveth that end vp.
The Gage for the Handle, is a spar with seuerall holes in for the pin of the handle to be put in, by which meanes the handle is set higher or lower.
Spanner
In the sinister chief is the forme of
the Spaner before spoken of, which is
only to screw and vnscrew the pins in
the head of the knife frame.
Bar with peg
[Unlabelled image, possibly of the bar at the base of tobacco engine]
Cutting box
35. In this square is two things used
by Tobacco cutters. That in the chief
is a cutting Box; it is a square Box
without any lid, in it the Tobacco is
put and pressed hard down.
Cutting block and knife
The other is termed, a cuting Block
and Knife: this was the only engine for
cutting Tobacco at the begining of my
tyme, and was noe other then a thick
peece of a plank about 2 foot square, or
rather longer one way and a long knife
blade, with a thick strong back, with a
Hook at on end to be put into a Twerle
fastned at the further end of the block;
and an Handle with an Iron hoop at the
other end.
Engine wheel
36. He beareth an Engin
Wheele, or a Tobacco cutters Engin
wheele.
This Wheele may be termed a Rack Wheele or Wheele with catches on both sides the Rim: for it hath the teeth or catches on both sides set contrary to one the other, the one to hold, the other to move it forwards, It hath a Nut or cog wheele on it, to move forwards the Rack.
Tobacco press
37. He beareth a Tobacco
press with screw stays. This is an
other sort of Press used by them, which
they term the small press: It hath 2
stays made fast in the higher Plank to
keep it stiddy as the screw forceth it
downwards.
[The first image probably represents the type of press without stays, apparently referred to at no. 33.]
Screw stays
[Labelled image, apparently part of tobacco press]
Wheel to spin and roll tobacco
38. He beareth on a post
fixed to the dexter side a, a Wheele to
spin and rowle on Tobacco: with
Tobacco rowled on the body, or Barrell
of it, proper. The seuerall parts of this
wheele are ---
Gauge board
In the base of this square, is a thing
that Tobacconists term a Gage Board
and peg: it is a board with seuerall
holes in all in a streight rowe or line, in
which of the holes is put a peg, so long
is the Gage of such or such a Roul of
Tobacco to be made.
Tobacco mill
No image located
39. He beareth a Tobacco Mile. This is a devise of late found out for the grinding, or rather bruseing of tobacco stalks, to make them being cut, to resemble Leafe Tobacco: euery trade hath its chate and so hath this, in selling nought for ought, or that for good tobacco, which is none at all, or else the worst of all Mundun-gasses. It is an Ingine consisting of these perticulers.
The Frame.
The foure cog or Nutt wheeles.
The 2 Barrells.
There are seuerall other things which they use about the Ordering, colouring, and drying Tobacco: as Stoves, Drier, Sives of seuerall size widness, Sifting board, Boxes, Trunk, Haire cloth, etc: which I forbeare to giue examples off, being described else where in other occupations. But because I had not occasion to speak of their termes and sorts of Tobacco amongst the Plate of Tradesmen, giue me leaue to say something of them here.
Related text(s) Tobacco types Tobacco terms
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