Patent GB-191513379-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Match Machines.
Inventor: KELLEY ALEXANDER
Filed: 1915-09-20
Abstract: 13,379. Kelley, A. Sept. 20. Matches. - Veneer is split in the direction of its motion, into strips which first diverge into different planes and then return to a single plane. In the arrangement shown, veneer sheets 3, Fig. 1, stacked on a table 2, between guide-rails 4, are placed singly on a plate 5 and are seized and fed forward intermittently by milled rollers having disk knives at their ends for trimming the edges of the veneer. The feedrollers are mounted in sliding bearings for adjustment of pressure and are geared together by wheels 13, and one roller shaft also carries a ratchet-wheel 16 engaged by a retaining- pawl on a stationary bracket and by an actuating-pawl pivoted to an arm on a sleeve loose on the roller shaft. A link 19 connects the arm to a slide-block, which is adjusted along a groove in a rotating disk 41 by a screw 44. Thus, the magnitude of 'the feed movements, and hence the length of the splints cut, can be varied. On the arm carrying the actuating-pawl is mounted a spring plunger bearing on one or other of two faces of the pawl, to retain this either in or out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel. A sliding rod 27 passing through a slot in the pawl bears two collars for throwing the pawl from one position to the other, and is operated manually by means of an horizontal bar 31 and toggle-links 30, 32 pivoted to the rod 27 and to a vertically adjustable support 33. Close to the feed-rollers, and geared thereto, are upper and lower sets of rotary knives for slitting the veneer, which is guided between two plates from the rollers to the knives. These knives 52, Fig. 8, are secured by keys between collars 55 on shafts 49 in adjustable bearings. On each shaft, the knives are alternately in contact and separated by washers 53. the washers on one shaft being opposite a pair of knives on the other shaft. Towards their edges, contiguous knives are bevelled on adjacent faces to provide space for the cut strips, the two sets of knives overlaipping as shown. The strips, wedged alternately between pairs of upper and lower knives, are deflected by teeth 66, Fig. 4, on two plates 65 bolted on to opposite sides of reinforcing-pieces 64 at the sides of a thin plate 60 corrugated to form on both faces channels into which the strips are directed by the teeth. These channels diverge to space out the strips. Glass plates are hinged to the tooth plates 65 and normally rest on felt or the like on the reinforcing-pieces 64, so as to cover the channels in the plate 60, but can be raised or lowered to give access to the channels after the plate 60 has been slid away from the rotary knives by means of a handle 86, Fig. 1, pinion, and rack. From the channels in the plate 60, the strips enter tapering tubes 73 clamped by screws in a bridge-plate 81, which is removable to allow the sliding of the plate. The strips leaving the tubes are in one plane. They travel along grooves in a shelf, at the edges of which are overhanging flanges 76, on the main frame, holding a glass plate which is shaped so as to fit over the ends of the tapering tubes. A metal plate abuts against the glass plate and is bevelled to fit closely under a milled feed-roller 91 driven similarly to the first pair of feed-rollers. The same handle 31 puts both feed-pawls into or out of action. A lower knurled roller of small diameter, geared to the second feed-roller, may be supported by plungers or the like fitting into annular grooves. The strips next pass under a bevelled metal plate 105, Fig 3<b>, and glass plate 106 to a cutter 109 having a separate triangular tooth for each strip. The cutter and a backing-plate 112 oscillate horizontally between brackets 107 and plates 114 on either side of the table. Slots in the cuttor and backing-plate receive screws secured in a plate 113, which extends between the brackets and may be adjustable for wear. On the ends of the cutter are rollers engaging alternating projections on the faces of cam-disks, which are driven by bevel-gear. A plate 116, secured by lugs to the brackets 107 guiding the cutter is grooved underneath to direct the strips to the flared resilient jaws of one of a number of carriers 108 on a conveyer. The strips are forced into the carrier before being cut into splints. At the point of insertion of the strips. the conveyer is supported by a drum 127 driven intermittently by an idler 131, Fig. 1, bovelgear 130, and a shaft 129. To allow variation in the length of the splints cut off, in accordance with the variation in the feed, the bearings for the drum 127 and its gear-wheels are mounted to slide on the main frame, and the shaft 129 has a universal joint and sliding coupling. A machine 128 for making round splints may be employed instead of the above-described mechanism for square splints. The position of the mechanism may be reversed, so that the splints are delivered into the conveyer near the discharge apparatus. Discharge of the finished matches is effected by means of wedge-ended fingers 133, Fig. 7, which arc attached to a frame oscitiated by cams 141 and are staggered to ensure the opening of all the spring carriers, which pass under a roller at this point.