Patent GB-190527102-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of Artificial Flowers.
Inventor: BRODTAUF ALBIN
Filed: 1905-12-28
Granted: 1906-03-22
Abstract: 27,102. Brodtauf, A., and Fues, H. Dec. 28. Flowers, artificial. -A machine for the manufacture of artificial flowers which consist of superposed stamped - out layers of paper, representing chrysanthemums, Cape roses, or the like, is adapted to cut out a suitable number of layers and gum them together so that the radial petals of consecutive layers are staggered relatively, and also to bend the top layers upwards to some extent in the manner of a flower in bloom. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the machine, and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation at right-angles. The paper bands a, a', Fig, 1, are wound off drums b, b<1>, over matrices d, d<1>, and thence over suitable guides to a cylinder g, which is connected to an axle h by a helical spring. By a pawl-andratctet arrangement i the spring is sufficiently tensioned after each stamping operation to wind up a prearranged length of band. The machine is driven by a shaft q, Fig. 3, a shaft s, driven through bevel-gearing r, r<1>, carries toothed segments t, t<1>, Fig. 15, which intermittently mesh with bevelwheels u, u<1> fixed to vertical shafts v, v<1>. These vertical shafts carry disks w, w<1>, each provided with four apertures y, y<1> which alternately coincide with each other during the rotation of the disks. A cup-shaped ring z is arranged between the two disks. A mandrel x situated above this ring is actuated vertically by a lever f and grooved cam 3 ; the mandrel and slide are not shown in Fig. 3. Two horizontal shafts 5 are driven off the shaft q, with a gear ratio of 1 : 4, since four layers are to be placed one above the other at each side of the machine. Grooved cams 6 on the shafts 5 are connected to and reciprocate the tool carriages 7, which carry preliminary cutters o, o<1> and stamping- out dies p, p<1>. The action of the preliminary cutters is shown at a, Fig. 12, the completed layer stamped out by the dies being shown at y. The dotted lines show a consecutive layer and the amount of "staggering" given. Cams 8 reciprocate arms n, n<1>, at the other ends of which are grippers 9 for regulating the feed. The upper members of the grippers are raised by levers 13 actuated by stops 29 on the tool carriages. Two axles 17, Fig. 3, situated beneath the stamping-dies are arranged to project into the recesses in the disks w, w<1> so as to serve as rests for the layers moved downwards by the tool. These axles are rotated intermittently by suitable gearing. The disks w, w<1> are periodically moved vertically away from the axles 17, by cam-actuated levers 22, Fig. 3. The action of the machine is as follows: -At the beginning of the stamping operation, the levers n, n<1> are in their outermost positions, Fig. 1, and the mandrel x is held in its highest position. The grippers then move towards the centre and the cylinder g draws the bands underneath the tools. As soon as the tools have come into contact with the paper, the stops 29 actuate the levers 13 and so open the grippers.. Thereupon the levers are moved to their original positions by the cams 8. While this is taking place, the stamped-out layers are forced through the matrices d, d' into the recesses of the apertures y, y<1>, Fig. 15. The tools p, p<1> are provided with cavities, covered with fine-meshed sieves. These cavities are filled with an adhesive so that adjacent layers of paper are gummed together during the operation. During each upward and downward movement of the tool carriages, the axles 17 are slightly rotated. Small pyramidal pins thereon perforate the layers and carry them with the axles. In this manner the consecutive layers are staggered, as shown in Fig. 12. After the fourth stamping operation, the disks w, w<1> are raised from the axles 17, and rotated through ninety degrees to a position between the mandrel x and a block, Figs. 1 and 15. The disks are then lowered, whereupon the mandrel x descends, forcing the four upper layers in the recess y<1> of the disk w<1> through the cup z on to the four lower layers in the recess y in the disk w. Eight layers are thus superposed and fastened together by means of the adhesive substance applied to the centre of each layer. The thrusting of the upper layers through the aperture and ring give the article the appearance of a flower in full bloom.