IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Ash Ball, of the Firm of Edward Spencer and
Company, of No. 87, Fenchurch Street, City, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Ash Ball at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th July 1879.
"
EDWARD ASH BALL, of the Firm of Edward Spencer and Company, of No. 87,
Fenchurch Street, City. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF WOODEN BOXES."
This Invention is mainly applicable to the manufacture of cylindrical boxes of
thin strips of wood glued together at a joint on one side, such as are now used for
mustard, cornflour, and other substances and materials.
I provide convenient means for holding the wood strip while being bent, for
bending it, and for pressing the overlapping ends of the strip together after the glue
is put on and while drying, all as hereinafter described.
On a spindle fitted with a handle or wheel for turning it I fit a cylindrical boss
with an aperture or slit along its face for receiving the end of the wood strip to be
coiled thereon. It has also at this place a dovetailed or other groove in which I fit
a parallel or wedge shaped filling in piece.
.
To a horn or horns on the spindle I connect one end of a chain or band of a length
suitable for the circumference of the box to be made. The other end of the chain or
band is fastened to links or pieces resting on pulleys or other supporting parts, and
is formed suitable for the reception of a jambing or clamping appliance; it is also
counterweighted.
When a strip of wood has been inserted in the slit in the boss on the spindle the
latter is turned so that the band or chain bends and coils the strip of wood round
the boss for its ends to overlap each other a suitable distance. The glue is then put
on, and the jambing appliance inserted, which has a slanting side or suitable part
fitting under or against the correspondingly formed aforesaid last link or end piece
of the chain or band; a piston which may be worked by a treadle is then brought

page_text: down thereon, pressing the glued parts firmly together, and the jambing appliance
is-locked-with-the-aforesaid filling-piece-in-the-boss, the glued-parts of the box being
held between the two. The locking-may be done by two hooks on the jambing
appliance catching around two corresponding pegs on the filling in piece. The
jambing appliance and the filling-in-piece, with the cylindrically bent and glued
wood strip between them, are then slid off the boss and kept together until dry;
another filling piece having been inserted the operation is repeated, and so on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Ash Ball in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January
1880.
EDWARD ASH BALL, of the Firm of Edward Spencer and Company, of No. 87,
Fenchurch Street, City. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF WOODEN BOXES."
This Invention is mainly applicable to the manufacture of cylindrical boxes of
thin strips of wood glued together at a joint on one side, such as are now used 'for
mustard, cornflour, and other substances and materials.
"
I provide convenient means for holding the wood strip while being bent, for
bending it, for pressing the overlapping ends of the strip together after the glue is
put on, and for holding them together while drying, all as hereinafter described.
On a spindle fitted with a handle or wheel for turning it I fit a cylindrical boss
with an aperture or slit along its face for receiving the end of the wood strip to be
coiled thereon; it has also at this place a dovetailed or other groove in which I fit
a parallel or wedge shaped filling in piece.
To a horn or horns on the spindle I connect one end of a chain or band of a length
suitable for the circumference of the box to be made. The other end of the chain or
band is fastened to links, to which are attached pieces of cord resting on pulleys or
other supporting parts. The end links of the chain are formed suitable for the
reception of a jambing or clamping appliance; it is also counterweighted.
When a strip of wood has been inserted in the slit in the boss on the spindle the
latter is turned so that the band or chain bends and coils the strip of wood round
the boss for its ends to overlap each other a suitable distance. The glue is then put
on and the jambing appliance or top member of the clip inserted, which has a
slanting side or suitable part fitting under or against the correspondingly formed
aforesaid last link or end piece of the chain or band; a piston which may be worked
by a treadle is then brought down thereon, pressing the glued parts firmly together,
and the jambing appliance is locked with the aforesaid filling in piece in the boss,
the glued parts of the box being held between the two. The locking may be done
by two hooks on the jambing appliance or top member of the clip catching around
two corresponding pegs on the filling in piece. The jambing appliance and the filling
in piece, with the cylindrically bent and glued wood strip between them, are then

page_text: slid off the boss and kept together until dry; another filling in piece having been
inserted the operation is repeated, and so on.
Having thus described the general features of the Invention, I will now proceed
to describe how the same is or may be carried into effect.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a side clevation, Figure 2 is
a front elevation, and Figure 3 is an elevation of the other side of a machine
constructed according to my Invention.
a, a, is the framing arranged in such a manner as to carry the several parts of the
machine, and has passing through it a spindle b which terminates at the end nearest
the operator with an enlarged end or boss c of the same diameter as the internal
diameter, of the box, and of the same width or breadth, or nearly so, as the strip of
wood that is to be wound thereon. The boss c on the spindle b will be seen more
clearly by the detail end view at Figure 4; it is cylindrical in form, with a parallel
aperture, slit, or groove c¹ formed along its face or periphery for receiving the end
of the wood strip to be coiled thereon. The slit c' is under a metal tongue or clip
d which is secured to the boss c by screws, as shown; it has also at this place a
deeper groove, in which fits a filling in piece d' of the same outer radius as the
boss c.
A chain with links ƒ, ƒ¹, ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ4, (more or less in number as required for the size
or circumference of box) is by the links m, m, connected to a horn n¹keyed on to
the spindle b; the other end of the chain is by the links o, o, connected to each end
of a wire rope of which passes over the grooved pulleys p and p¹ and around the
loose pulley 22, which carries a counterweight to give the required tension or
pressure. g, Figure 4, is a loose block of metal which by means of a hook at each
end can be connected to the triangular pegs shown at each end of the filling in piece
d. The block g and the filling in piece d¹ then form a jambing appliance. I is a
piston or ram free to slide up and down in bearings on the frame of-the machine;
it is worked by treadle h, connecting rod h¹, and lever i.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The loose filling in piece d¹ is inserted in
the recess or groove in the boss c on the spindle b, and the end of the strip of wood
placed in the parallel slit or aperture c¹. After a partial turn of the handle e the
chain f f f f f", comes in contact with the strip of wood and presses it gradually
and circumferentially around the spindle end or boss c (so that its ends overlap each
other a suitable distance), and the glue is then put on. The chain and wood strip
then assume the position shown in Figure 4, where it will be seen that it would
require one more chain link at the top to complete the hexagon, but this sixth side
of the hexagon is formed by the block g, which is inserted between the first link f
and last link f of the chain after the glue has been applied. By depressing the
treadle h the ram kis forced down on the block g, thus pressing the ends of the
wood together, and whilst this pressure is still exercised the hooks s at each end of
this loose piece.g are then hooked around the triangular pegs s¹ shown on the ends
of the piece d; this is effected by means of the hand lever l, which terminates at
one end in a fork, so that on raising the handle the two prongs of the fork press
down and force the hooks & under the triangular studs s¹ at the end of the filling in
piece d¹, thereby cramping together the glued pieces of wood between them; and in
order that this part of my Invention may be more clearly understood I have shown
a perspective sketch at Figure 5 of a box or cylinder with the pieces d¹ and g
applied.
8
The handle e being allowed to return to its former position, that is until the chain
by the action of the counterweight resumes the position shown in Figure 2, the
handle e is disconnected, and the wooden cylinder, together with the jambing
appliance or pieces d' and g (which are now hooked together), drawn from off the
spindle end or boss c. When the glue is dry the jambing appliance d and g is
removed.
In some cases, especially for the manufacture of boxes of a large diameter, in
place of links as before described, I may compose the chain of links united by an
intervening piece or pieces of band.

page_text: Having thus described and ascertained the nature of this my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is or-may-be-performed, I would have it understood that
I claim in the manufacture of wooden boxes,―
- First. The use of a chain or band-with links for the purpose of winding the strip
of wood around a boss, all arranged and operating substantially as described and
[illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The jambing appliance d, g, for holding the glued ends or overlapping
-parts-of the box or wooden cylinder together, substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The chain for winding the wood strip round the boss in combination with
the piston k, and with the appliances for holding and jambing the glued ends or
overlapping parts of the wood strip together, substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The general combination of parts forming a machine for making wooden
boxes or cylinders, all substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
$
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Ash Ball, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.