IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COP TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Douglas and James Douglas, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Paper Tube
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COP
TUBES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Douglas and
James Douglas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 4th May 1866.
We, HENRY DOUGLAS and JAMES DOUGLAS, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Paper Tube Manufacturers, do hereby declate the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COP TUBES, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the making of cop tubes more perfectly,
more expeditiously, and more economically than hitherto.
In order to obtain a more perfect tube, and to facilitate the making
thereof by the apparatus herein-after described, two strips of paper are first
pasted together, a narrow strip upon the middle of a broader strip. The
compound strip is thus two-fold at the middle and single at the edges; but
when it is rolled or bent into the tubular form the single-fold edges overlap
each other, and the whole becomes two-fold and of uniform thickness.
The apparatus for making the tubing from which the cop tubes are cut
comprises a series of horizontal rollers, which are formed with grooves
adapted to one half of the outside of the tube, and which are made to revolve

page_text: continuously all in one direction. The rollers may be formed with two or
more sets of grooves to form two or more lengths of tubing simultaneously,
but the parts will be more easily described as arranged for one length of
tubing only. A horizontal spindle, held at one end, lies across the tops of the
rollers and in the grooves, and forms the core for the tubing. This core
spindle is not over the first roller, but commences, as it were, just beyond it,
whilst above the first roller there is an indenting roller with its edge shaped
as a counterpart of the groove in the roller below. The strip of paper,
prepared as herein-before described, and with its edges pasted in any
convenient way, is entered between the indenting roller and the first grooved
roller, and has its sides turned up thereby. The strip then passes on under
the core spindle, which is made as smooth as possible, whilst the grooves on
the rollers are roughened to propel the paper along. As the paper passes
along a revolving brush first turns over one side, and a second brush
subsequently turns over the other side to overlap the first, and the tube thus
formed receives a final closing nip between the last grooved roller and a
similar grooved roller placed above it. Before entering the final nipping
rollers the tube may be subjected to the action of a third brush to assist in
closing over the edges. It is intended to make the tubing in this way out of
long lengths of paper, and to cause it to pass at once through a heated
chamber or drying stove. Whilst passing through or after leaving the stove
the several lines of tubing made by one machine are made to converge so as
to be brought close together to be cut simultaneously by a single knife into
the short lengths suitable for cop tubes. Instead of or along with the brushes
for turning over the edges of the paper there may be introduced vibrating
fingers to lay the edges over, or stationary wires or curved guiding surfaces
may be used for the same purpose, the paper being bent over as it is drawn
along in contact therewith. Instead of the grooved rollers below the spindle
there may be an endless chain, consisting of short pieces with the groove formed
in them, this chain being moved continuously along in any convenient way.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Henry Douglas and James Douglas, Her special licence that we, the
said Henry Douglas and James Douglas, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Douglas and James Douglas, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING COP TUBES, AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Henry Douglas and James Douglas, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Douglas and James Douglas,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object the making of cop tubes more perfectly,
more expeditiously, and more economically than hitherto.
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be berein-after referred to, and representing a
modification of apparatus embodying our improvements.
In order to obtain a more perfect cop tube, and to facilitate the making
thereof by the apparatus herein-after described, we first paste together two
strips of paper, either a narrow strip upon the middle of a broader strip, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2, or two strips of equal or nearly equal width
disposed in an equivalent manner, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the compound
strip being two-fold at the middle and singlo at the edges, so that when it is
rolled or bent into the tubular form the single-fold edges overlap each other,
and the whole becomes two-fold and of uniform thickness.
A modification of our improved apparatus for making the tubing from

page_text: which the cop tubes are cut is shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, which are
respectively a plan, a back elevation, a side elevation, and a vertical section
in the line of one of the tubes. The details are carried by a cast-iron
framing 1, like that of a table, the legs being supposed to be broken away in
Figures 6 and 7. The machine is supposed to be constructed for making a
number of tubes simultaneously, but in the Drawing only some of the sets
of details are shown complete, and to simplify the description a single set of
parts only will in general be referred to. An important part of the operation
is the feeding forward of the paper and of the tubing as the latter is being
formed. This feeding motion takes place across, and is effected by a series
of horizontal rollers 2, which are formed with grooves, one to each tube, and
shaped to fit the under half of the tube. The rollers 2 are mounted in
suitable end bearings, and are driven continuously all in one direction by
means of small pinions on their ends in gear with a screw or worm spindle 3.
The screw spindle 3 is driven by means of bevil wheels from a short shaft 4,
baving on it a pulley 5 for a driving belt from an overhead shaft with fast
and loose pulleys. A horizontal spindle 6 lies across the tops of the feed
rollers 2 and in the grooves, and forms the core for the tubing; it is held by
its front end, which is bent back and entered into a hole in a transverse frame
bar 7, being adjusted and fixed by means of screw nuts on each side of the
fiame bar. The core spindle 6 is not in the groove of the first of the series
of rollers 2, but commences, as it were, just beyond it, whilst above the first
roller there is an indenting roller or disc 8, with its edge shaped as a counter-
part of the semicircular groove in the roller below. The roller 8 with the
indenting discs is driven by means of pinions gearing it and the roller below
it together. The strip of paper (shown in red in Figure 8) prepared as
herein-before described, and with paste or gum applied to the part which has
to be covered, is entered between the indenting disc 8 and the first grooved
roller 2, and has its sides turned up thereby. In order that the strip may be
guided centrally and fairly under the indenting disc 8 it is first passed
between a pair of guide rollers 9, 10, the upper one of which is flanged to
prevent the paper from deviating laterally. The arrangements shown in the
Drawing for applying the paste or gum consist of a trough 11 to contain it
and a spindle with discs 12 on it, these last being of about the width of the
part of the paper strip to be pasted, and being covered with flannel or other
suitable material. The discs 12 revolve in contact with the lower guide
rollers 10, the contact surfaces moving in the same direction, the speed of the
discs 12 being a little the faster so as to have a slight rubbing action. By
these means the paste or gum is applied in a band, as it were, of the requisite

page_text: width to the lower guide roller 10, from which last the paper strip takes it
up as it passes through. The spindle of the pasting discs 12 is driven by
means of pinions gearing it and the roller 10 above together, and the
roller 10 is itself driven by an extension of the screw spindle 3. The
paper strip having passed under the indenting disc 8 moves on under the core
spindle 6, which is made as smooth as possible, whilst the grooves in the
rollers 2 are roughened to propel the paper along. The next operation is the
folding or laying over of the edges of the paper strip; this we proposed to
effect by means of revolving brushes, but have not found such means to
answer satisfactorily. We also proposed to use other expedients for this
operation, and have found that of these the curved guiding surfaces mentioned
in our Provisional Specification relative hereto are the best. We have further
found it advantageous to make such curved guiding surfaces moving or
revolving, with which view they are formed upon small pulleys 13 formed or
fixed on the bottom ends of vertical spindles 14 running in holes in the
transverse bar 7. There are two of the pulleys 13 to each tube, one a little
the smaller and disposed slightly in advance to lay down the inside edge of
the paper strip, whilst the other larger pulley lays the other edge of the strip
over the one first laid down. These guiding or folding pulleys 18 are shown
as placed immediately over the third of the series of feed rollers 2, but they
might be placed over the fourth or fifth if preferred. The pulley spindles
are geared together in pairs by means of pinions, and one of each pair has
fast on it a worm wheel 15, these worm wheels being driven by a transverse
screw spindle 16 actuated by means of spur wheels 17, 18, 19, from the first-
motion shaft 4. The tube formed by the details and movements herein-before
described receives a final closing nip between another of the grooved feed
rollers 2 and a similar grooved roller 20 placed above it and driven by means
of pinions gearing it and the roller below together.
The tubing is made in the manner herein-before described out of long lengths
of paper, which we prefer to have wound on bobbins or reels, off which it is
drawn by the guide rollers 9, 10, and feeding rollers 2. As the tubing leaves
the machine we prefer to pass it at once through a heated chamber or drying
stove or between a series of steam-heated drying cylinders. Whilst passing
through or after leaving the stove the several lines of tubing made by one
machine are made to converge so as to be brought close together to be cut
simultaneously by a single knife or single pair of knives acting upwards and
downwards respectively into the short lengths suitable for cop tubes. Strips
of plain paper of uniform thickness, or compound strips arranged in various

page_text: ways may be used for making the tubing by the machine, but we prefer to use
the kind shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4.
Instead of the grooved feeding rollers 2 below the core spindles 6 there
may be an endless chain consisting of short pieces with the grooves formed in
them, this chain being moved continuously along in any convenient way. The
folding pulleys 13 may be driven frictionally directly from the feeding roller 2
below them, for which purpose the pulleys may be formed with bevil surfaces
below the curved folding surfaces to be in contact with corresponding bevil
surfaces formed on the roller 2, leather being cemented on one or both of the
bevil surfaces if required to produce the adhesion for driving. In this case
that one of the feeding rollers 2 would require to be of larger diameter than
as shown at the feeding grooves.
In another modification the pulleys 18 are driven as shown in the Drawing,
but the roller 2 below them is dispensed with, and the pulleys 13 are shaped
to meet or nearly meet below the tube.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not restrict
ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what
we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st, the making of cop tubes by means of improved apparatus substantially
such as is herein described and delineated.
And, 2nd, the using of compound strips of paper of the kind herein described
and delineated for making cop tubes.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Douglas, on behalf of the said
Henry Douglas and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
First day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES DOUGLAS. (L.S.)