Abstract: As a solution to the frequent replacement of the conveying belt in waste cigarette elevator in ZJ116 cigarette maker, a chain type waste cigarette elevator was developed to elevate the waste cigarettes from the bottom of the passage to the top of the conveying device. A means for facilitating the removal of chain and sprocket wheel was designed. The driving motor was removed to a lower position in order to improve machine safety. The cigarettes of brand "Taishan" were tested in Qingdao Cigarette Factory, the results showed that the maintenance frequency of the new elevator decreased by 8 times/year, the maintenance duration reduced by 4.2 hours, and the total maintenance time in a year reduced by 33.6 hours. This method provides a technical support for promoting the efficiency of cigarette makers.