IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph William Wilson, of Sydenham, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 6th October 1877, and dated the 16th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph William Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1877.
JOSEPH WILLIAM WILSON, of Sydenham, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention is more particularly applicable to the manufacture of cylindrical
boxes made of thin strips of wood glued together at a joint on one side, and now
used for mustard, tobacco, and other substances and materials, but it may also be
applied to other curved shapes.
According to this Invention I provide convenient means for holding the wood
while being bent, for bending it, and for retaining it while the glue is put on, and
while drying, all as herein-after described.
The first operation in this manufacture consists in bending the strip of wood. In
this operation it is of importance, as is well known, to keep the neutral axis out-
side of or near the outer side of the bent wood. For this purpose I bend the wood
on an outer metallic backing, by preference a piece of thin steel; this backing I
fasten to the iron bending spindle round which the wood is to be bent, and for this
purpose I prefer to form the spindle with a flat having one corner well rounded off,
and to fix the steel backing thereto by means of a piece of iron and screws passing
therethrough, this piece then completing or making up the circular form of the
spindle. Where the steel backing passes off from the spindle the latter is notched
The other end of the steel backing
into the depth of the thickness of the wood.
is fixed to a sliding frame, which by means of a weight or treadle, or both, can be
kept stretched, and drawn back when required. One end of the wood being pushed
into the notch in the spindle, it is jammed against it by means of a jam slide at the
opposite end operated by a screw and hand wheel. This done, the bending spindle
is revolved by means of a hand wheel till the wood and the backing are coiled
sufficiently round the spindle, that is, till the wood is sufficiently bent to retain the

page_text: required overlapping cylindrical form when released. The jam slide and the
aforesaid sliding frame are then run back, and the spring backing allowed or
made to return to its original position, the bent wood being coiled on the bending
spindle.
The wood cylinder thus far formed is then placed on a core, forming part of a
cylinder, of the intended size of the inside of the box, and at one portion of its cir-
cumference, say at the top, recessed to receive a tongue, which forms part of a clip
appliance, which shall be described presently. A pair of jaws are then pressed
against the other portion of the outer circumference of the wood cylinder; these
jaws are held in this position by spring levers or other suitable contrivance, by
preference arranged on the frame which carries the core. While the wood cylinder
is thus held on the core and in the jaws, the glue is put in at the overlapping
joint.
The clip appliance is then immediately pushed over and under the joint. This
clip is formed with a tongue, which is entered into the aforesaid recess in the core,
and takes its place inside the overlap joint; the clip appliance is also opposite tho
tongue, and on the other or outer side of the lap joint fitted with a wedge, which by
blow or pressure is forced into the framework of the clip appliance, and takes its
bearing against the outside of the overlap joint, which is thus compressed between
the tongue and the wedge.
The clip with the wooden cylinder is then removed from the core, andleft so till
dry; but in order to facilitate the manipulation I prefer to use a wheel or revolving
appliance, upon the circumference of which the wooden cylinders can be placed,
each with its clip affixed. The diameter of the revolving appliance should be
such that when the whole circumference has been filled with the wooden
cylinders and clips, the wood cylinder first placed thereon has in the course of
one revolution become dry enough to be handled, or the wheel may be filled
with a second row of wood cylinders after the clips have been removed in
rotation, when dry enough, in order to become perfectly dry by the time that
the revolving appliance has revolved, say, twice.
The covers and bottoms are, by preference, made of wood, bound with a tin or
other rim.
By the aforesaid process and apparatus I am enabled to manufacture such boxes
in a clean and perfect form, and with great rapidity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph William Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th October 1877.
JOSEPH WILLIAM WILSON, of Sydenham, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN BOXES, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention is more particularly applicable to the manufacture of cylindrical
boxes made of thin strips of wood glued together at a joint on one side, and now
used for mustard, tobacco, and other substances and materials, but it may also be
applied to other curved shapes.
According to this Invention I provide convenient means for holding the wood
while being bent, for bending it, and for retaining it while the glue is put on,
and while drying, all as herein-after described.
The first operation in this manufacture consists in bending the strip of wood. In
this operation it is of importance, as is well known, to keep the neutral axis outside
of or near the outer side of the bent wood. For this purpose I make use of bending
machinery constructed as herein-after set forth.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view, Figure 2 an end view,

page_text: and Figure 3 a plan of a bending machine suitable for this part of the process.
Figure 2 is a detail section through the line A, A, Figure 3. I bend the strip
of wood O on an outer metallic backing, by preference a piece of thin spring
steel a, as here shown more particularly in Figure 2"; this backing a I fasten
to the iron-bending spindle 6, round which the wood O is to be bent, and for
this purpose I prefer to form the spindle b with a flat, having one corner well
rounded off, as shown more clearly in the part section Figure 2ª, and to fix the steel
backing a thereto by means of a picce e of iron, and countersunk screws & passing
therethrough, this piece e then completing or making up the circular form of the
spindle b. The latter works in bearings c, d, on the cross piece A, bolted to the
frames B, B. Where the steel backing a passes off froin the spindle, the latter is
notched to the depth of the thickness of the wood, as shown. The other end of the
steel backing is fixed to a sliding frame C, which by means of a weight, or by a
treadle D and weight G, as here shown, can be kept stretched, and drawn back
when required. The treadle D and weight G are connected to the sliding frame C
(which works in dovetail grooves or guides on the top of the table or cross piece A)
by means of two cords or wire ropes passing over the ends of a grooved pulley H,
which revolves freely in its bearings, the cord or wire rope from the slide C being
fastened to and coiling round the larger middle part of the pulley H. One end of
the wood being pushed into the notch in the spindle b, it is jammed against it by
means of a jam slide E at the opposite end, which nips and holds it, and is operated
by a screw e¹ and hand wheel, or by a lever or other equivalent mechanical
appliance. This done, the bending spindle b is revolved by means of a hand wheel
F, the slide C, together with the jam slide E, being drawn along thereby towards
the spindle b, till the wood and the backing are coiled sufficiently round the
spindle b, so that when released the wood can easily, by means of a second machine,
Figures 6 and 7, be reinstated to the required form, as shewn in Figure 34, which
shews the finished shape of one of the boxes. The jam slide E being drawn back so
as to release the outer end of the wood, the spring backing a and slide C are
allowed or made to return to their original position, shewn here, the bent wood
being coiled on the bending spindle b. The backing a and slide C are in this
instance brought back by putting a slight pressure of the foot on the treadle D, or
by the action of the weight G.
The wood cylinder, Figure 3ª, properly glued at the joint is then placed
on an appliance or core, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the former being an end
elevation, and the latter a side view. This core G forms part of a cylinder of
the intended size of the inside of the box, and at one portion of its circumference,
say at the top, as here shewn, recessed to receive a tongue which forms part of a
clip appliance, which shall be described presently. A pair of jaws g, g, turning on
pins h, h, are then pressed against the other portion of the outer circumference of
the wood cylinder; these jaws are held in this position by spring levers or other
suitable contrivance, by preference arranged on the frame which carries the core.
This frame K is shewn in front view in Figure 6, in side view in Figure 7, and in
part back view in Figure 8. I, I, are the levers mounted on joint pins i on the
aforesaid frame K, Figures 6 and 7, and provided cach with a notch, wherein rests
one of the pins or handles j fitted or formed on the jaws g, g, a spring k pressing
the levers I against the jaw pins or handles j, and thus holding them in position.
The pins h, h, on which the jaws g are hinged are mounted on the framework K
and the bracket thereon. The clip appliance M, N, is then immediately pushed
over and under the joint This clip is also shewn separately and to a larger scale
in side view in Figure 9, in plan in Figure 10, and in two views from opposite
ends in Figures 11 and 12. It is formed with a tongue m, which is entered into
the aforesaid recess in the core g and takes its place inside the overlap joint of the
wooden cylinder O; the clip appliance is also opposite the tongue m and on the other
or outer side of the lap joint, fitted with a wedge N, which by a blow or pressure is
forced into the framework M of the clip appliance, and takes its bearing against
the outside of the overlap joint of the wooden cylinder O, which is thus compressed

page_text: between the tongue m and the wedge N; n is a pin or bolt fixed in the wedge N,
and capable of sliding in a slot formed in the frame M; P is a sliding bolt or
pusher, which by means of a cord or rope passing over a loose pulley p is connected
to a weighted treadle lever Q. When the glue has been applied at the joint as
aforesaid, and the clip placed in position upon the core G, the wedge N is pushed
home by the pushing bolt P being driven forward by the treadle lever Q. The
wood box is then released by pushing back the levers I, I, (which may be connected)
and letting the handles j, j, fall down into their original positions.
The clip M, N, with the wooden cylinder is then removed from the core and left
so till dry, but in order to facilitate the manipulation I prefer to use a wheel or
revolving appliance, upon the circumference of which the wooden cylinder can be
placed, each with its clip affixed. A revolving wheel suitable for this purpose is
illustrated in Figure 13, which is a half-side view, Figure 14 a part plan, partly in
section, and Figure 15, which is a half end view drawn to a smaller scale.
The wheel itself consists of a rim A, which by spokes a is jointed to a boss b
mounted on an upright spindle c held in a collar bearing d and step e, and capable
of turning lightly therein; F is the framing which supports the spindle; C is an
upper rim fixed to brackets B on the lower rim A.; Figure 13 shews a clip, with a
wooden box put into position upon upper rim C, which is provided with holes, into
which the lower ends of the clips enter.
The diameter of the revolving appliance should be such that when the whole
circumference of the upper rim C has been filled with the wooden cylinders and
clips, the wood cylinder first placed thereon has in the course of one revolution
become dry enough to be handled; or the wheel may be filled with a second row
of wood cylinders after the clips have been removed in rotation, when dry enough, in
order to become perfectly dry by the time that the revolving appliance las revolved,
say, twice.
The covers and bottoms are by preference made of wood bound with a tin or
other rim.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention I declare
that I claim,―
Firstly. The application in the manufacture of wood boxes of a thin metallic
backing for the wood, the said backing being fastened to a coiling spindle and to a
sliding frame, and the wood being held and operated upon substantially as set
forth.
Secondly. The combination of the metallic backing a, the sliding frame C, and
the jam slide E, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The core G, with jaws g, and holding spring appliances, all arranged and
operating as set forth.
Fourthly. The construction of the clip appliance and its modes of application,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifthly. The revolving appliance for holding clips and boxes, as and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph William Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. W. WILSON. (LS.)