IMPROVEMENTS IN. MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND MILLBOARD, BOXES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Boyce, of King's Norton, in the County of
Worcester, Manager of Works, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN.
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, CARDBOARD, AND MILLBOARD,
BOXES."
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 14th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Boyce at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1879.
GEORGE BOYCE, of King's Norton, in the County of Worcester, Manager of
Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER,
CARDBOARD, AND MILLBOARD BOXES."
My Invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the said
machinery, whereby properly shaped blanks glued or pasted on certain parts are
rapidly folded and formed into oblong boxes open at one end, or provided at the
open end with a closing flap. Two of the said boxes without flaps of slightly
different sizes, may be made to slide one within the other to form a convenient
case or holder for storing or making up small articles of sale.
I construct a machine according to my Invention in the following manner :-
A die block on which the box is to be formed has a vertical rising and falling
motion through a strong cross head. In its descent the said die block enters a
lower die consisting of two opposite faces of a tube oblong in cross section. Sliding
horizontally and situated opposite to each other are two closers, the sides of either
of which close when pressed home, the open sides of the lower die, thereby tem-
porarily converting it into a complete tubular die. The paper or cardboard blanks
from which boxes are to be made have such a shape that two flaps or wings on
opposite sides when folded upon one another and glued together form the narrow
sides of the box. Small wings or flaps at the smaller ends of the bottom of the box
are also folded and glued to the narrow sides. The minor parts of the machine I
will describe in conjunction with the making of a box. The blank having the
required flaps properly glued is placed upon the top of the lower die with the glued
I Price S71

page_text: side upwards, both closers being in their retired or withdrawn positions; spring
levers or "placers" on each side of the lower die serve to determine the exact
position of the blank upon the lower die. The die block now descends upon the
blank, the "placers" at the same time retiring. The broad sides of the box are
thus folded upon the die block by the sides of the tubular lower die. The front
closer now advances horizontally and closes the two unglued flaps of the blank on
the narrow sides of the die block. The die block descends a short distance, thereby
folding or turning upwards the small flaps at the bottom of the box by means of
arms carried by the front closer. The back closer now advances simultaneously
with the retiring of the front closer, and thereby effects the folding of the glued
side flaps upon the previously folded unglued side flaps and glued bottom flaps.
The box thus completed is carried down upon the die block through the bed of the
machine, and during its descent the folded and glued ends are pressed upon
by spring rollers by which the glued parts are pressed tightly together and
consolidated.
The box is delivered on the underside of the bed of the machine and when it is
of large size or of strong material may be received in a tubular delivery shoot, and
by an attachment to the front closer the last formed box is pushed into the shoot.
This shoot may be made to contain twenty or other number of the boxes, so that each
box remains in the shoot while, say, nineteen other boxes are formed, and the first
formed box is only pushed out of the delivery shoot on the introduction of the
twentieth formed box. During the travelling of the boxes in the shoot, their
glazed sides are in contact with the sides of the shoot, and they are thereby retained
in their places. Ordinarily however the glued parts of the box are sufficiently
consolidated by the passage of the box through the pressing rollers of the machine,
and the delivery shoot described is unnecessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Boyce in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th November
1879.
GEORGE BOYCE, of King's Norton, in the County of Worcester, Manager of
Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER,
CARDBOARD, AND MILLBOARD BOXES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in the said
machinery, whereby properly shaped blanks glued or pasted on certain parts are
rapidly folded and formed into boxes open at one end, or provided at the open end
with a closing flap. Two of the said boxes without flaps of slightly different sizes
may be made to slide one within the other to form a convenient case or holder for
storing or making up small articles for sale.
I construct a machine according to my Invention in the following manner :-
A die block or plunger on which the box is to formed has a vertical rising and

page_text: falling motion given to it. In its descent the said die block or plunger enters a
lower die consisting of a rectangular tube from which two opposite sides have been
cut away for a certain distance. Sliding horizontally and situated opposite to each
other are two closers or folders, the sides of either of which close, when pressed
home, the open sides of the lower die, thereby temporarily converting it into a com-
plete tubular die. The paper or cardboard blanks from which boxes are to be made
have such a shape that the two flaps or wings on opposite sides when folded upon
one another and glued together form the sides of the box. Two other wings or
flaps extending from the bottom of the box are also folded and glued to the sides.
The minor parts of the machine I will describe in conjunction with the making of
a box.
The
The
The blank having the required flaps properly glued is placed upon the top of the
lower die with the glued side upwards, both closers or folders being.in their retired
or withdrawn positions. Spring levers or placers on each side of the lower die serve
to determine the exact position of the blank upon the lower die. The die block or
plunger now descends upon the blank, the placers at the same time retiring. Two
of the sides of the box are thus folded upon the die block or plunger by the sides of
the tubular lower die. The front closer now advances horizontally, and closes the
two unglued flaps of the blank on the other sides of the die block or plunger.
block or plunger descends a short distance, thereby folding or turning upwards the
flaps at the bottom of the box by means of armis carried by the front closer.
back closer now advances simultaneously with the retiring of the front closer, and
thereby effects the folding of the glued side flaps upon the previously folded unglued
side flaps and glued bottom flaps. The box thus completed is carried down upon
the die block or plunger through the bed of the machine, and during its descent the
folded and glued ends are pressed upon by spring rollers, by which the glued parts
are pressed tightly together and consolidated. The box is delivered on the under-
side of the bed of the machine, and when it is of large size or of strong material may
be received in a delivery shoot, and by an attachment to the front closer the last
formed box is pushed into the shoot. This shoot may be made to contain twenty
or other number of the boxes, so that each box remains in the shoot while, say,
nineteen other boxes are formed, and the first formed box is only pushed out of the
delivery box on the introduction of the twentieth formed box. During the
travelling of the boxes in the shoot their glued sides are in contact with the sides
of the shoot, and they are thereby retained in their places. Ordinarily however
the glued parts are sufficiently consolidated by the passage of the box through the
pressing rollers of the machine, and the delivery shoot described is unnecessary.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the complete machine; Figure 2
represents a side elevation of the same; and Figure 3 represents a plan of the same.
For the sake of clearness the coiled springs by which the return motions of the
several moving parts are effected are not represented in the machine, Figures 1,
2, and 3; Figure 4 represents a front elevation of the die block or plunger detached,
and Figure 5 represents a side elevation of the same; Figure 6 represents in back
elevation, Figure 7 in front elevation, and Figure 8 in side elevation the tubular
die detached; Figure 9 represents a front elevation, and Figure 94 in side cleva-
tion, one of the consolidating rollers of the machine detached; Figure 10 represents
in side elevation, Figure 11 in plan, and Figure 114 in front elevation, the front
closer or folder of the machine detached; Figure 12 represents in plan, and
Figure 13 in elevation the guides of the machine detached; Figure 14 represents
one of the blanks ready for the machine; Figure 15 represents the blank after the
first operation, namely, the descent of the die block or plunger A, by which the
parts d, d, of the blank are brought vertical and parallel to each other; Figure 16
represents the blank after the second operation, namely, the advance of the front
closer or folder E by which the parts b, 61, of the blank are folded in the manuer

page_text: represented; Figure 17 represents the blank after the third operation, namely, the
advance of the back closer or folder E¹ and the folding of the parts a, a, of the
blank, and also the small flaps c, c¹; Figure 18 represents a general plan showing
the guides and closers in their withdrawn positions, and also showing a portion of
the discharging shoot D.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
A is the die block or plunger; E is the front closer or folder, and E' is the back
closer or folder; B is the tubular die block and F, F, are the guides.
The several parts of the machine are actuated as follows:-The die block or
plunger A is worked by the lever A. The closers E, E¹, are worked by the
lever E. This lever is connected to the front closer E by the link E³ and operates
upon the back closer E' in the following manner :-The said back closer E' is con-
nected by a link to the lever E, to which the sliding rod E³ is jointed. The free
end of the said rod E5 has an incline E, and the said rod E³ is slightly elastic. As
the lever E² is moved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, into the position
indicated by dotted lines, it urges forward the front closer E, the said lever E2
passing up and depressing the incline E° on the end of the sliding rod E³, and
engaging behind the shoulder of the said incline, so that when the lever E² is
moved in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow, Figure 3, it not only
produces the return motion of the front closer E but also produces the advance
motion of the back closer E. After the lever E2 has performed its return motion
and produced the advance motion of the back closer E¹, the incline E is depressed
by the finger of the workman when it is disengaged from the lever E2, and is
restored to the position represented in Figure 3 by a coiled spring connected with
the closer lever E.
The guides F, F1, by which the blank is adjusted to its exact position when it is
first introduced into the machine are operated by the cranked levers F², Fs. These
levers F, F3, bear respectively by one of their ends against the guides F, F¹, and
by their other ends against the front of the closer E, as best seen in Figure 3. The
guides F, F, have a limited motion which is effected by moving the lever E in a
direction contrary to the arrow, Figure 3, thereby causing the front of the closer E
to act on the levers F2, F3, and press the guides F, F¹, towards each other, and
adjust the blank in the machine. The return motion of the guides F, F', is effected
by springs.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
A blank, Figure 14, is placed upon the top of the tubular lower die at B, the
flaps a, a, c, c, having been glued. The lever E2 is drawn back a short distance
so as to make the guides F, F, close upon and adjust the position of the blank.
The dic block or plunger A is now depressed by means of the lever A² so as to
carry down the blank until its lower end reaches the level y, Figure 1, between the
sides of the tubular die B and fold the blank in the manner represented in Figure 15.
The said lever E2 is now moved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, by which
motion the front closer E is made to advance and fold the parts b, b', of the blank
in the manner represented in Figure 16, the said lever E2 at the same time engaging
with the incline E in the manner already explained. The lever A2 being still
further depressed the die block is carried down to the level y², Figure 1, and the
glued small flaps c, c', are thereby raised into a vertical position by the arms E7, E7,
of the front closer E (see Figure 114). The glued small flaps c, c¹, are thus folded
upon the already folded flaps b, b¹. The lever E2 is next made to perform its back
stroke. The back closer E¹ is thereby made to advance and to close the glued
flaps a, a, upon the folded flaps b, b', and c, c', Figure 17, and the box is completed.
The block or plunger A is next further depressed and the box formed is carried
down to the shoot D, the folded and glued parts being pressed upon by the con-
solidating rollers C, C, and the glued parts compressed between the said rollers and
the die block or plunger A. On the ascent of the block or plunger A the box

page_text: formed is left in the shoot D and is forced forward along the said shoot by the
piece x on the underside of the front closer E out of the way of the box next
formed.
Where paste is employed in place of glue a shoot of a length sufficient to hold
about twenty boxes is employed, the figure of the folded parts of the boxes being
preserved by the sides of the shoot, and by the time the first formed box is ejected
from the mouth of the shoot the pasted parts are sufficiently secured together.
When glue is employed the shoot may be dispensed with and the box as it is
carried down by the plunger or die block falls into a receptacle underneath the
machine.
The machine I have described and represented is worked by hand, but the several
motions described as being effected by the hand of the workman or attendant may
be effected automatically and the machine driven by steam or other power. The
additions or inodifications required for this purpose are such as are well known to
machinists, and I therefore do not think it necessary to describe the same.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Paper, Cardboard, and
Millboard Boxes,"-
First. The arrangement or combination of parts constituting the guides or placers
for adjusting the position of and retaining the blank in its proper place prior to the
descent of the die block or plunger, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, of the lower tubular die into which the blank is carried by the
descent of the die block or plunger.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of the parts constituting the closers or
folders, by the action of which in conjunction with the consolidating rollers the
unglued and glued or pasted flaps of the blank are folded and the manufacture of
the box completed.
Lastly. The general arrangement or combination of the parts enumerated in
Claims 1, 2, and 3, into a machine for the manufacture of paper, cardboard, and
millboard boxes, as described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Boyce, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
•
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE BOYCE. (L.S.)