Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 6th Sert., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 6th Sept., 1894-1ccepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
I, ROBERT RICHARDSON THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States of
America, residing at No. 313, N. Main Street, Bloomington, McLean County,
Illinois, U.S.A., Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to adjustable mattress stuffing machines, and has for its
object to provide an improved mattress stuffing machine, as herein set forth and
claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
'
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical
cross-section thereof.
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view with parts removed.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front end of the machine, with parts
removed.
Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the stuffing box, showing the means for
equalizing the adjustment of the plates.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the machine with cover raised.
Fig. 7 is a front end view of the machine, with cover closed and gate lowered.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the gate detached.
Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section of the gate; and
Fig. 10 is a detail side view of the front end of the machine in vertical section.
A indicates the frame of the machine constructed with four corner posts, a,
connected to and braced by horizontal beams a¹.
The floor, sides, spout, gate and cover of this machine are constructed and
arranged as hereinafter set forth, so as to be simultaneously or synchronously
adjusted by one operation. The stuffing box is constructed with side-rails, B, B,
to which are permanently attached horizontal side-boards b, each side-rail and
side-board being united by a metallic brace C, which is bent at its lower end, as
shown, to embrace a nut, c, mounted on a transverse shaft F, arranged beneath the
stuffing box and provided with a right and left hand screw thread. Said shaft
passes through the brackets, C, as shown. The floor of the stuffing box is formed,
in connection with the side-boards, b, of longitudinal rails D, D¹, D' and D³,
arranged at equi-distances apart, and metallic sheets or plates E, E¹, the sheets E
being attached to rails D and extending over rails D and D', and a side-board b,
and the sheets E' being attached to the rails D2, D3, and extending over the
sheets E. The outer ends of the side-rails B rest and are laterally movable upon

page_text: a bracket or angle iron m secured to the front of the machine. At the rear of
the machine is a transverse shaft, F', similar to the shaft F, and each of said
shafts is provided with a sprocket wheel f. The sprocket wheels are connected
by a sprocket chain f', whereby the shaft F¹ will be operated by the rotation of
the shaft F. The shaft Fis mounted in brackets depending from the side-
boards, and similar to the brackets C, and is provided with nuts similar to the
nuts e, engaging right and left hand screw threads on said shaft F'. By means of
this mechanism the ends of the bottom of the stuffing box will be moved
simultaneously. A crank being applied to the shaft F, the side-boards, rails and
plates of the bottom may be simultaneously adjusted laterally.
G indicates the cover of the stuffing box which is constructed with longitudinal
rails, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, plates 8, 9, 10, and horizontal side-boards g, y, connected
and arranged together similarly to the floor of the stuffing box. The side-
boards g, are provided with depending hook-shaped brackets H, H, adapted to
overlap and engage the side-rails B, B, when the cover is closed and thereby cause
the cover to be laterally adjusted simultaneously with the botton and sides of the
stuffing box by a single operation of the crank on the end of shaft F.
The cover is connected at its rear to a rotary rod I, by a hinged connection
laterally adjustable on said rod as the cover is laterally adjusted. The ends of
the rod, I, rest in bearing blocks, j, which are adjusted vertically in uprights by
means of screw-threaded vertical shafts, K, engaging nuts & located in recesses in
said blocks, j, each of said shafts K being provided with beveled gears, ², k²,
connected to corresponding gears, K2, on a transverse shaft, 3, operated by a
suitable crank. By means of the foregoing mechanisin the rear end of the
cover, G, may be vertically adjustable to stuff mattresses of different thicknesses.
In order that the rails and plates of the bottom and cover of the stuffing box
may be caused to maintain equal distances apart in their lateral adjustment, an
equalizing adjusting mechanism is provided, preferably consisting of lazy-tongs d,
which are connected at their ends to the side-boards of the bottom and cover, and
to such of the rails as are adjusted laterally, as hereinbefore set forth.
The cover, G, is braced and strengthened by truss rods, L, which are secured to
the ends of the cover and pass over a central bridge, as shown, whereby the
cover is made very stiff and rigid, to withstand the great pressure when the
plunger is operated. The discharge end of the machine is provided with a laterally
adjustable spout, preferably constructed as follows: A horizontal sheet of
metal M is fastened to the bracket, m, midway between the sides of the machine
and on either side of the sheet M is located a horizontal metallic sheet, MI, M³,
having its inner edge lapping the plate M and its outer edge turned up to form a
flange M³ which is fastened to the projecting end of each side rail B.
aforesaid construction forms the lower half of the spout. The upper half thereof
is formed by the front end of the cover G being extended so as to extend out over
to the outer edges of the plates, M, M', M, when the cover is lowered. The
outer ends of the side-boards,, of the cover are also provided with depending
flauges, G', which overlap the flanges M³ and form therewith the sides of the
spout.
The
R indicates thic gate against which the stuff is compressed by the plunger. The
gate R is movable vertically in a passageway, R', between the spout and the
Hoor of the stuffing box and in the side-rails, B, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10.
The gate, R, as more clearly shown in Fig. 8, consists of a central plate Y and
side plates Y, Y, overlapping the plate Y. The central plate, Y, is fixed in a
trough or U-shaped bar, y, and the side-plates, Y, Y, have their lower edges
resting in said bar, y, and are adapted to slide laterally therein over the plate, Y.
The plates Y, Y2 are connected to the side-rails B by flanges y', y², which engage
T-shaped slots R in the side rails, B, and which permit of a vertical movement of
the plates, Y, Y The gate is raised and lowered by a suitable mechanism,
such as the metallic frame Z which is secured to the central plate Y and the bar y,
and a hand lever, Z', extending transversely to the front end of the machine below

page_text: the spout and pivoted to one of the corner posts, a. The gate may be normally
held up by a bell-crank lever, Z2, and a spring, Z3, mounted on the frame of the
machine and connected to the hand lever, Z. If desired, removable gates of
different sizes may be employed in lieu of an adjustable gate.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that with the
connections of the gate and spout with the side-rails, B, B, the bottom, sides,.
cover, and spout may be adjusted laterally by one operation of the shaft F.
N indicates the plunger, provided upon its under side with a screw-threade
shaft, D, extending lengthwise beneath the stuffing box, said shaft having loosely
arranged on its rear end two oppositely driven pulleys, P, P, and having keyed
thereon a longitudinally adjustable clutch, Q, adapted to be shifted to engage
either of said pulleys to rotate said shaft in either direction and thereby cause
the plunger to be advanced or retarded. In order to adapt the plunger to stuff
mattresses of different sizes, its head is removable and heads of various sizes may
be employed and the beads may also be made laterally adjustable, as shown at n¹
in Fig. 6. A space
is provided between the bottom plates in order that the feed
nut may have an unobstructed passage the entire length of the machine and that
there may be no impediment to the advance of the plunger through the stuffing
box.
To clamp the cover tightly upon the stuffing material, the following described
mechanism is employed: The front end of the cover is provided with a cross-bar, S,
having at its ends slotted plates, 8, 8. A shaft, T, is journaled in the front
posts, a, a, of the frame of the machine and to the ends of the shaft T are rigidly
fastened levers, U. To the levers, U, are pivoted the lower ends of vertical
rods, V, screw-threaded at their upper ends and provided with binding nuts, W.
When it is desired to clamp the cover, the rods V are moved into the slots of the
plates s and the nuts W screwed down upon the latter. The cover is then drawn
and held upon the stuffing material in the box by a lever X on the shaft, T, the
two positions of the lever X being shown in dotted and full lines in Fig. 10.
The operation of the machine will be readily understood from the foregoing
description. A mattress of a given width and thickness being required to be
stuffed, the stuffing box, spout, gate and cover are adjusted to the necessary width.
The cover is then clamped upon the stuffing material in the box and the stuffing
material pressed by the plunger. The ticking having been secured to the spout
in any suitable manner to receive the stuffing material, the gate is lowered, and
the plunger being moved forward, the stuffing material is forced into the ticking.
By means of a machine constructed as herein set forth, the machine may be
quickly and readily adjusted at one operation to stuff mattresses of different sizes.
I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent :-
1. A mattress stuffing machine, constructed with a floor and vertically adjustable
top, said floor and top being constructed with a number of laterally adjustable
beams provided with laterally adjustable overlapping plates, in combination with
mechanism for adjusting said beams and plates in the top and floor of said machine
synchronously.
2. A mattress stuffing machine constructed with a bottom, having laterally
adjustable overlapping plates, a hinged top having laterally adjustable overlapping
plates and a vertically adjustable hinge, in combination with mechanism for
synchronously adjusting the plates of the top and floor of the machine, as herein
set forth.
3. A mattress stuffing machine, constructed with laterally adjustable side-rails,
a floor composed of laterally adjustable overlapping plates, a top provided with
laterally adjustable overlapping plates, and mechanism for synchronously adjusting
said plates in the top and floor of the machine.
4. In a mattress stuffing machine, the combination with a laterally adjustable
floor, a laterally adjustable top, and mechanism for synchronously adjusting said
top and floor, of a reciprocating plunger, as herein set forth.

page_text: 5. A mattress stuffing machine, constructed with a floor, composed of a series of
laterally adjustable plates, a top composed of a series of laterally adjustable
plates, laterally adjustable sides, a spout composed of laterally adjustable plates,
and mechanism for synchronously operating the said several plates of the top and
floor and spout.
6. A mattress stuffing machine constructed with a floor and top, each provided
with overlapping laterally adjustable plates, means for synchronously adjusting
said plates, and a mechanism for equalizing the adjusted distance of the plates
relative to one another.
7. A mattress stuffing machine constructed with a floor and top, each provided
with laterally adjustable overlapping plates, means for synchronously adjusting
said plates, and a lazy-tongs mechanism connecting said plates, whereby the
relative movement of the plates to each other is equalized.
8. In a mattress stuffing machine, a spout composed of a fixed lower horizontal
central plate, and lower side laterally adjustable plates, in combination with a
hinged cover extended forwardly to constitute the upper section of the spout, and
having laterally adjustable plates, the outer side plates thereof having depending
flanges.
9. In a mattress stuffing machine, the combination with a bottom and a hinged
cover, each formed with overlapping plates and adjustable sides, of mechanism for
synchronously operating said plates, an adjustable spout, and an adjustable gate,
substantially as described.
10. A mattress stuffing machine construoted with a bottom, sides, gate, spout,
and cover, each of said parts being laterally adjustable and connected together so
as to be adjusted, in combination with a mechanism for effecting said adjustment.
11. The combination with the frame and the swinging cover mounted thereon,
of slotted wear-plates secured to the sides of the cover, a rock-shaft mounted o
the frame near the base thereof and provided with levers, rods pivoted to said
levers and adapted to engage slots in the wear-plates, and nuts mounted on the
upper ends of the said rods."
12. In a mattress stutting machine, the combination with the gate, consisting
of a fixed central plate, a U-shaped bar secured thereto, and side plates moving
laterally in said bar over the central plate, of a hand-lever connected to the gate,
an angle lever connected to the band-lever, and a spring bearing on the hand lever
to hold the gate normally closed.
Dated this 6th day of September 1894.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Patent Agent.