Improvements in Machinery for Making Leather Board, Cardboard, and like Boxes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Making Leather Board, Cardboard,
and like Boxes.
I, WILLIAM LENNARD JACKSON, of 39, South Bridge, Edinburgh, Box Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of leather board, card-
board and like boxes and it has for its object to improve the construction of such
machinery.
At present when manufacturing leather board and like boxes a good deal of hand
manipulation is necessary whilst the leather board blanks have to be taken
from one machine to another in order to have the various steps in the process of
manufacture carried out. Under my invention a single machine suffices for carry-
ing out the various steps of cutting, slotting, bending, punching, etc., and these
various steps are all performed automatically by the machine.
The machine comprises mechanism for automatically feeding the leather
Loard or like blanks and automatically delivering the completed boxes, mechanism
for cutting and bending or scoring the leather board or like blanks, mechanism
for punching the blanks, mechanism for expanding and contracting the feeding
tables and also mechanism for expanding and contracting in a correspond-
ing proportion the knives and benders, mechanism for retaining each feeding
table in position when the blank thereon is being acted on by the cutters and
benders and mechanism for recording the number of boxes made by the machine.
Mechanam driven by power is also provided for driving the various parts of the
machine and this mechanism may be of any suitable and well known construction.
The mechanism for feeding the leather board or like blanks to the machine, for
holding the blanks while being operated on and for delivering the finished blanks
consists of a series of tables connected together by chains or cords or their
equivalent in such manner as to form an endless chain of tables. Each table is
provided with four movable buttons or shoes two at each side which are pivotted
to the table and work in slots or equivalent made in the frame at each side of
the machine. The slots at each side of the machine cousist of two parallel longi-
tudinal and horizontal slots connected together at the ends by an inner curved
slot or guide and an outer curved slot or guide. At the junctions of the inner
and outer curved slots movable star shaped switches are arranged for the purpose
of guiding the buttons or shoes of each table into its proper curved slot. These
star shaped switches may be provided with springs and are operated automatically
by the tables themselves. The tables are fed forward in succession by means of two
endless chains one at each side of the machine which are operated by suitable well
known arrangements of driving mechanisin and are provided with lugs or catches
which catch upon the ends of the buttons or shoes of each table in turn and feed
it forward the proper distance.
The tables are caused to circulate, first, forward into the machine, then out
of the machine, then down, then back, and then up into the original position

page_text: ready to be fed forward again. The tables while being circulated always remain
in the horizontal position.
The material for the body of each box and for the lid of the box is laid on
the table side by side in the proper positions which are gauged and the table is
then fed forward in the manner hereinbefore described to the centre of the machine
in order that the material may be acted upon by the cutters and benders. The
cutting and bending mechanism consists of a vertically reciprocating frame
which is actuated from the driving shaft of the machine and in this frame is
fitted the bending or scoring and the cutting knives which are so arranged as to
give the proper cuts and scores to the material. Each bender" or scoring knife
is made by preference of a longitudinal piece with a recess or bend at the centre
and with a laterally projecting piece at right angles to the longitudinal piece.
There is a vertical upright for each bender which springs from the recess or
bend of the bender and has a longitudinal groove in it corresponding to said
recess. By making the benders and their uprights with the recesses and the
grooves aforesaid the knives can work close up to the beuders and make the proper
length of cuts in the material which they could not do otherwise. Each bender
is hollow and contains within it the creasing or scoring knives proper which latter
are movable to a certain extent within the bender body and have curved cushion-
ing aprings located within the body of the bender and acting upon their upper
sides. The outer cutting knives of which there may be four, are held in place
within the frame whilst the inuer cutting or slotting kuives, of which there may
also be four, two at each end of the frame, are movably carried on horizontal
guides and can be clamped in the desired positions thereon by means of screw
clamps. The benders may be four in number.
Each knife is not made as usual with a straight edge or cutting face but is made
of a somewhat flattened V shape with a downwardly projecting point at or about
the centre where the blade is of its maximum depth and it gradually decreases
from this point towards each end.
The mechanism for operating the knives and beuders is so arranged as to cause
the knives to descend first and cut the material and then the benders after
a slight interval to descend and crease or score the material whilst the knives
would be just rising again
There are two sets of knives and benders one for the body and one for the
lid and they are so arranged that the body and the lid are cut and creused
simultaneously.
After the body and lid have been cut and creased and also punched at the proper
places which punching operation is performed at the same time as the cutting
operation the table is led forward so as to deliver the finished body and lid
blanks and is replaced by the succeeding table with its material to be operated on.
The mechanism for punching the blanks consists of suitable punches secured
within the reciprocating frame carrying the knives. Each punch is hollow and
tapered and is provided with a receptacle at its upper end for the reception of
the cut out pieces of material. This receptaclo is fitted removably in place and
can be removed and emptied from time to time. Owing to the construction
of the punch the cut out pieces of material automatically ascend up the interior
of the punch and fall over at the top into the receptacle where they collect.
In order that different sizes of blanks may be operated upon in the machine
it is necessary to provide means whereby the tables and also the knives and
benders can be readily expanded and contracted. Each table is made in four
parts or sections (or eight parts or sections) which are telescopically connected
together by means of suitable guide bars and each section is hollow and open
at the underside. The mechanism for opening the sections that is moving them
apart from one another and for closing them or bringing them together consists
of four or other suitable number of screwed spindles arranged at right angles
to one another and suitably geared together by means of bevel gearing. The
screwed spindles are revolved by means of a short shaft with crank handle so as

page_text: to act upon internally threaded nuts secured to the sections. The mechanism
for operating the knives is similar and is operated by means of a shaft provided
with a crauk handle and which is connected by means of chain gearing with the
mechanism for the knives in such manner as to actuate the same.
The tables when having eight sections may be made in two portious one for
the material to form the body of the box and ono for the material to form the
lid of the box. Each portion would be made in four sections and all the sections
would be operated by the one set of mechanism.
When the sectious are open out distance pieces are inserted between them
and these pieces may be of a trough shape so as to fit on to the telescopic guide
bars. Distance pieces would also be inserted between the knives and benders when
opened out and would carry cutting or bending edges so that, when fitted in place,
they would constitute extensions of the knives or the benders. Distance pieces
would be kept in stock of various sizes to suit the different sizes of blanks to
be cut.
The mechanism for holding each feeding table in position as it comes under the
cutters and benders consists of a frame with a guide or cylinder therein having a
piston or plunger acted upon by a spring and provided with a conical or tapered
head or block which can be forced backwards by the action of two bent levers.
These lovers are acted upon by bent springs which can be caused to either
force the levers backwards or to let them move free, by the manipulation of
wires preferably operated automatically from some suitable moving part of the
machine or from the tables. The end of the piston has a head which is forced
against the table, so as to hold it in position at the proper time, by the pressure
of the spring at the rear of the piston.
The mechanism for recording the number of boxes consists of a suitable dial
with travelling pointer thereon which pointer is caused to move round by
the action of a coil spring wound round a spindle and which is twisted by the
action of pawl and ratchet or clockwork mechanism driven from a suitable moving
part of the machine. The movement of the pointer is checked by means of a
suitable pawl and ratchet arrangement. One or more bells is or are provided
which sound whenever the recorder records a certain number of boxes as made
by the machine.
In conjunction with the mechanism for expanding and contracting the knives
and the tables suitable gauges are provided for indicating the amount of such
expansion or contraction. The gauge for the knives may consist of a graduated
bar with a moving pointer thereon which latter is caused to travel along a screwed
spindle driven by means of a belt or chain from the mechanism for operating the
knives. The gauge for the table may be arranged at one end thereof and may
be the same as that for the knives. It may be operated direct from the table
acluating mechanism.
The tables may be caused to circulate or move in the proper path by means
of an arrangement of endless carrying chains and inclined planes or raising and
lowering mechanism at the ends of the machine.
Hata thath day of Vavamhan 1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Making Leather Board, Cardboard,
and like Boxes.
I, WILLIAM LENNARD JACKSON, of 39, South Bridge, Edinburgh, Box Manut-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: •
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of leather board, card
board, and like boxes and it has for its object to improve the construction of
such machinery.
At present, when manufacturing leather board and like boxes, a good deal of
hand manipulation is necessary whilst the leather board blanks have to be
taken from one machine to another in order to have the various steps in the process
of manufacture carried out. Under my invention a single machine suffices for
carrying out the various steps of cutting, bending, punching, etc., and these
various steps are all performed automatically by the machine.
The machine comprises mechanism for automatically feeding the leather board
or like blanks to be operated upon and automatically delivering the finished
blanks, mechanism for cutting and bending the leather board or like blanks,
mechanism for punching the blanks, mechanism for expanding and contracting the
feeding tables and also mechanism whereby the knives and benders can be
expanded and contiacted in a corresponding proportion, and mechanism for retain-
ing each feeding table in position when the blanks thereon are being acted on
by the cutters and benders. Mechanism operated by power is also provided
for driving the various parts of the machine and this mechanism may be of any
suitable and well known construction. If desired mechanism for recording the
number of boxes made by the machine may be provided and this mechanism may
be of any suitable and well known construction.
In order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended seven explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a part side elevation of the machine."
Fig. 1 is a view of the ends of the machine and completes the view Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the machine taken on the line X-X Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the central part of the machine.
Fig. is a sectional plan taken on the line Y-Y Fig. 1 and showing the
mechanism for operating the knives and benders.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the travelling tables.
Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of one of the travelling tables with its outer
casing and cutting blocks removed.
Fig. 7 is a section of a table on the line 0-0) Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a part section of a table on the line PP Figs. 5 and 7.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation and Fig. 10 a section of a punch.
Fig. 11 is a view of an indicating gauge.
Fig. 12 is a diagram showing how the knives and benders are arranged.
Fig. 13 is a view of a finished box blank with two sides turned up.
Fig. 14 is a front view, Fig. 15 a plan, and Fig. 16 a part end view of a bender.
Fig. 17 is an enlarged end view of the bender.
Figs. 18 and 19 are detail views.
Fig. 20 is a perspective view and Fig. 21 is an end view of a knife and knife
holder.
Fig. 22 is a view of a knife.
Fig. 23 is a detail view.
Fig. 24 is a plan and Fig. 25 a side view of part of a cutting block for the
tables.
On the drawings 'the same reference numerals wherever repeated indicate the
same or similar parts.
The mechanism for feeding the leather board or like blanks to the machine,
for holding the blanks in position while being operated on and for delivering
the finished blanks consists of a series of tables I, connected together by means
of chains 2, or their equivalent, in such manner as to form an endless chain of
tables. Each table has a casing 3 provided with strong cross bars 4 whose ends

page_text: have buttons or shoes 5 fitted removably thereon. As will be seen there are four
buttons or shoes to each table, two at each side, and they work slidably in slots
made in the side frames of the machine. At each side of the machine there are
two parallel longitudinal and horizontal slots 7, 74, which are connected together
at the ends by inner curved slots 8, 9, and outer curved slots 10, 11. At the
junction between the upper slot 7 and the curved slot 8 there is a movable star
shaped switch 12 arranged for the purpose of guiding the buttons or shoes of
cach table. At the junction between the lower slot 7 and the curved slot 9 there
is a similar switch 13. At the junction between the curved slot 9 and the hori-
zontal slot 7 there is a hinged guide 14. This guide is hinged at 15 to the side
frame and when in the horizontal position shown at Fig. 1 its front end rests
upon a projection on the side frame.
It will be seen that the central part
of each side frame is surrounded by the
slots and it is supported by the standards 16, 17. The parts 6 of the side
frames are connected together by stays 1S.
19 are side standards for supporting the side frames and also the parts 6 which
are surrounded by slots.
The chains 2 extend from the eves 20 at the ends of the frout cross bar 4 of the
ove table to the eyes 20 of the front cross bar of the adjacent table
and from the eyes 20 of the hack cross bar of the one table to the eyes
of the back cross bar of the adjacent table. In this manuer the front cross bars of
all the tables are connected together and likewise the back cross bars of all the
tables,
The tables are fed forward, in succession, by means of two endless chains 21, 21,
running upon chain wheels 22 mounted on the cross shafts 23. 23, which, at the
ends are carried in the central part 6 of the side frames 6. The endless chains
have lugs 24 which are capable of catching on the rear cross bars 4 of the tables.
The left hand shaft 23 (see Fig. 1) is notated by means of the chain gear 25, 26, 27,
from a rotating sleeve carried on the stay 18 and this sleeve is actuated by means
of the chain gear 28, 29, 30, from the main shaft 31 which latter is carried in
bearings in the central part 6 of the side frames 6, 6, and is revolved by means
of belt pulleys 32 from any suitable prime mover.
The tables are caused to circulate, first. forward along the horizontal slots 7
into position below the cutting knives and then to remain stationary until the
knives and benders have performed their work, then to move out from under the
knives and benders towards the left hand Fig. 1, then to move down the curved
slots 8, 10, (see Figs. 1 and 1). then to move back along the horizontal slots 7*
and then up again along the curved slots 9, 11, into their original position
ready to be fed forward again. As the tables are all connected together by the
chains the feeding of the one table forward by means of the lug 24 causes the
other tables also to move simultaneously and when the lugs cease to be in
contect with the upper forwardly moving table then all the tables stop. The
tables, whilst being circulated, always remain in the horizontal position as they
are held in position by the chains 2 and the buttons 5 which travel aloug
the slots in the side frames.
The switches 12, 13, (at each side of the machine) are provided in order to guide
the buttons into their proper slots. The switches 12 have three arms a, b, c,
as clearly shown at Fig. 1 and are pivotted upon the pins 33 of the side frames.
34 are stop pins for the arms of the switches. 35 is a spring secured at one
cud to the frame and at the other end a little above the centre of the star
shaped switch. This spring, as the switch moves from side to side, is thrown
over the centre so that it holds the switch in the position in which it is moved to.
When a table travelling along the slots 7 of the side frames moves forward from
under the cutting knives it is necessary that its front buttons 5 should pass over
the slots 8 and this they are caused to do by the arms of the star-shaped
switches 12 which guide the ends of the front cross bar 4 of the table over the
slots S.
When the front cross har passes over the slots 8 it knocks down the arm a

page_text: of each switch 12 so that the said arm a moves down into the horizontal position
whilst the arm b is raised up into the inclined position at the rear of the front
cross bar 4. Each switch 12 is held in this new position by means of its stop
pins 34 and spring 35. The front cross bar 4 as the table moves forward passes
over the arms of the switches 12, whilst its rear cross bar eventually strikes
against the now inclined arins and by them is guided into the slots 8. As
the bar moves along the slots 8 it comes in contact with the arm of the switches 12
and knocks these switches back again into their original position as shown at Fig. 1.
It will be thus seen that the switches 12 guide the buttons 5 into their proper
slots. The switches 13 act in a similar manner for the buttons of the table which
is about to pass up the slots 9. The hinged guides 14 allow the front buttons of
each rising table to pass freely into the slots whilst they guide the rear buttons
of the same table along the slots 7 after the table has been raised into the up
position.
2 are guide pulleys for the chains 2.
The material for the body of each box is laid upon the block 36 whilst the
material for the lid of each box is laid upon the block 37 of the top table 1. In
the machine I may cut a number of blanks at a time so that a number of sheets
of leather-board would be laid together on the table in order to to be cut and bent
After the sheets are properly laid upon the table the latter is fed forward by
the lugs 24 in the manner herein before described, to the centre of the machine
in order that the material way he acted upon by the cutters and benders. The
cutting mechanism for the box bodies consists of a vertically reciprocating frame 38
which is connected to slide bars 39 working in guide brackets 40. The upper
ends of the slide bars 39 are connected by connecting rods 41 to cranks 12 on the
shaft 43 which latter is driven by means of the belt 44 and pulley 45 from the
pulley 46 on the main shaft 31. 47 are hangers for carrying the shaft 43. These
hangers are bolted to a rectangular frame 48 (see also Fig. 3) which is supported by
eight pillars 49b on the rectangular frame 50, which latter is supported by
the side frames 6. For cutting the shape of box blank shown in Fig. 13 there are
four outside knives 49 and eight small inside knives 50 which are arranged in
the manner shown in the diagram Fig. 12. Each knife 49 is made of the flattened
V shape shown in Fig. 22 and is secured to holders 51 (see also Figs. 20 and 21)
which latter are of shape in plan (see Fig. 4) and secured by the sliding
collars 52, to the bars 53 which pass diagonally through the corners of the
frame 38. By sliding the collars 52 along the diagonal bars 53 they can be
adjusted in or out as desired and be clamped in the adjusted position by means
of the clamping screws 54 which latter can be made to enter any of the holes 53* in
the hars. The outer end of each diagonal bar works, as the frame 38 reciprocates, in
a guide way made in the pillars 496. For the purpose of steadying and guiding the
diagonal bars in their movements vertical slotted guides 55 are provided which,
at their upper ends, have rollers 56 running upon the diagonal rails 57 fitted to
the upper frame 48. These slotted guides, which are suspended from the rails can
be moved in and out, ou the rails, as desired by means of screwed rods 58 working
through nut-heads 59 on the guides. The screwed rods 58 are revolved, so as 10
cause the guides 55 to move, by means of bevel gears 60, from the screwed rods 61
which latter are revolved by the hand wheels 62. 63, 63 are central supports,
carried by the rails 57, for the rods 58, 61. 64 are bearings for the rods.
It may be mentioned that the small slotting knives 50 are secured to the
cross bars 51, 51, which latter are secured to the knife holders.
The beuders 65, 66, which are arranged in the manner indicated by the dotted
lines in the diagram Fig. 12 are attached to holders 67 of a T shape as shown at
Figs. 14 and 15 and the construction of which will be hereafter more fully
described. These holders, of which there are four, are adjustably secured by
means of sliding collars 69 and clamping screws 70 to a cross frame 71 rigidly
attached to a pillar 72 as clearly shown in the detail view Fig. 23. As shown at
Fig. 2 the pillar 72 has guides 73 which slide in guide Ways 74

page_text: in the uprights 75 which latter are rigidly attached at their upper
ends to the rails 57. 49 are binding rings at the lower end of the uprights.
The pillar 72 is connected, at its upper end, by the connecting rod 76, to the crank
77 of the shaft 43 and is reciprocated vertically. As will be seen the cranks for
actuating the connecting rods 41 are set in advance of the crank 77 so that the
cutters perform the cutting operation just before the benders descend to perform
the bending or creasing operation.
Each bender consists of a creasing knife G5 having a cross head 79 (see Figs. 14,
16 and 17) mado one with it and this head has two longitudinal grooves 80, 81,
in which blocks 82, 83, are slidably fitted. Each pair of blocks 82 is connected
together by a curved spring 84 whilst each pair of blocks 83 is connected
together by a curved spring 85 and these springs 84, 85, are secured by pins to
the body of the holder 67. As will be seen at Figs. 14 to 17 the holder consists of
a rectangular shaped upper part with a downwardly projecting foot piece 87 to
which a bar 89 is fitted said bar constituting a ledge upon which the head 79
can rest. Each bender knife 65 with its cross head 79 is first inserted in its
holder from below and then held securely in place by means of the shaped
side frame-plates 86 and the bar 89 which latter is secured in place by studs 90
whilst the former are secured in place by the studs 91. The bender knives 65 can
move vertically, to a certain extent, (against the action of the cushioning
springs 84, 85) within the body of the holder. Each holder has a recess or space
left at the part 88 so that its adjoining cutting knife 50 can work close up to
the bender and make the proper length of cut in the material which could not
otherwise be done.
The lid blanks to be cut and bent are laid, as before stated, on the block 37
of the top table and they are cut and bent by mechanism constructed and operating
in precisely the same manner as the mechanism for cutting and bending the
blanks for the box bodies. The lid cutting and bending mechanism is shown at
the right hand side of Figs. 2 and 4 and consists of knives 92, benders 93, knife
bolders 94, bender holders 95, a cross shaped frame 96 for operating the benders
actuated from the crank 97, diagonal bars 98 for supporting the knife holders, a
frame 99 for carrying the bars 98, slide bars 100 connected to the frame, cranks 101
for actuating the slide bars, guides 102 for the bars 98 and the screw rods 61 for
operating these guides.
Fitted to the knife holders 51 and 94 are small brackets 103 (see Fig. 4) in
which punches 104 are removably fitted. These punches work along with the
knives and punch the holes in the blanks through which the usual studs are
passed for binding up the finished boxes. The construction of punch 1 prefer to use
in my machine is clearly shown at Figs. 9 and 10. Each punch consists of a hollow
cutting tube 105 which is tapered at its upper end 106. This tube is screwed into
a conic receptacle 107 which is screwed to the base 108 of the holder 109 which
latter is square so as to fit into a square hole in its bracket 103. The punch is
secured removably in place, in its bracket 103, by means of the screw 110 which
enters a partially tapped hole 111 in the holder. Owing to the construction of the
punch the cut out pieces of material automatically ascend up the interior of the
tube 105 and fall over its upper end into the receptacle 107 where they collect
and can be easily removed from time to time by screwing off the receptacle.
When the tubo 105 is worn it can be screwed out of place and replaced by another
one.
In order that different sizes of blanks may be operated upon in the machine
it is necessary to provide means whereby the tables and also the knives and
benders can be readily expanded and contracted. Each table 1 is made in eight
parts or sections, four parts 112 for the body blanks and four parts 113 for the
lid blanks. Each part, at its underside, (see Fig. 6) has two straps 114 and one
strap 115 and through the straps 114 flat guide bars 116 pass whilst
through the straps 115 lat guide bars 117 pass. The ends of the

page_text: guide bars 116 work in grooves 118 (see Figs. 5 7 and 8) made in the ends of the
casing of the table whilst the ends of the guide bars 117 are provided with
stop-collars or flanges 119. Each part is hollowed or recessed, as shown at Figs. 7
and 8, for the reception of the cutting blocks 36, 37, which latter are merely laid
in place. The parts may be connected together by means of springs 120. The
mechanism for opening the parts or sections, that is, moving them apart from one
another and for closing them or bringing them together consists of four screwed
spindles 121, 122, 123, 121. The spindles 121, 122 being coupled together al 123
whilst the spindles 123, 124 are arranged at right angles to them. Each spindle
is cut with a right and left hand screw thread as shown. The spindles 121 123
have worms 127 on them whilst the spindles 123, 124, have worm wheels 128
on them gearing with said worms. The threaded parts of the spindles 121, 122,
work in screwed nuts 129 secured to the bars 117 whilst the threaded parts of
the spindles 123, 124, work in screwed nuts 130. 131 is a wheel with handle for
turning the screwed spindles 121, 122. As will be readily understood when this
wheel 131 is turned in one direction the bars 116 are caused to approach one
another, their ends sliding in the grooves 118 of the casing, whilst the cross
bars 117 of each pair are caused to simultaneously approach one another. This
movement of the bars 116, 117, causes the parts 112, 113, of the table to approach
one another thereby reducing the area of the table. In like manner, by turning
the wheel 131 in the opposite direction the parts of the table can be caused
to expand or move away from one another. When the parts have been adjusted in
their proper positions, by turning the wheel 131, so as to give the desired size of
table the blocks 36, 37, are inserted in place. A set of blocks of different sizes
is supplied with the machine and the proper blocks 36, 37, are, according to the
size of the table inserted in place.
Each block is made with vertical slots 132 through or into which the cutting
knives can pass when cutting the blauks. The central part of each cutting block,
surrounded by the slots, is held in place by metal bars 133 (indicated in dotted
lines at Fig. 5) secured at intervals apart on the bottom of the block. The face or
upper surface of the central part of each block is made with a number of V shaped
grooves 134 arranged at right angles to one another as shown at Figs. 24 and 25.
These grooves enable the benders to properly bend the leather-board blanks by
providing spaces for the boards to sink when being bent.
The knives and benders have to be expanded and contracted in exactly tho:
same degree as the tables and this is done for the body portion by sliding the
collars 52 of the knife holders along the diagonal bars 53 and the collars 69 of
the bender holders 67 along the bars 71. The holders are clamped in the proper
positions by means of the clamping screws 54, 70. The holders for the knives and
benders of the lid portion are adjusted in a similar manner by sliding their collars
along the bars 98 and 96 and clamping them in the proper position. When the
holders are contracted for operating on the smallest size of blank their ends
butt against one another but when they are opened out for operating on a larger
size of blank gaps or spaces are left between their ends. These gaps are bridged
by means of rectangular bars 135 (see Figs. 18 and 19) which work telescopically 4
in the rectangular recesses 87 of the holders. Distance pieces 136 of a trough
shape are adapted to fit over the bars 135, and, when fitted in place, they cover
the bars 135 and prevent lateral play of the holders. Each distance piece may
be removably secured to its bar 135 by means of a screw 138. Distance pieces
would be kept in stock of various lengths to suit the different sizes of blanks 5
to be cut and the consequent variations in the size of the knives and benders.
It may be here stated that each time a different sized blank has to be cut and bent
the holders are adjusted accordingly and then knives and benders of the proper
lengths are secured to the holders. Complete sets of knives and benders would
be kept in stock to suit the various sizes and kinds of blanks to be cut and hent.
The diagonal bars 53, 98, and the cross bars 71, 96, may be made capable of

page_text: being extended or reduced in length by making them in two or more sections and
connecting these sections together by means of telescopic bars and distance pieces
in much the same manner as the holders for the knives and benders. In
Fig. 4 136 indicates such distance pieces for the bars 98. The telescopic bars
would, in this case, be securely fastened in place after being adjusted.
The mechanism for holding each table in position as it comes under the
cutters and benders consists of two stop bars 139 working in guide brackets 139*
(see Figs. 1, 3 and 4) which are raised and lowered at the proper times, so as to
check the table and hold it in position during the cutting and bending operation
and thereafter allow it to puss forward, by means of links 140 jointed, at their
upper ends, to levers 141 fulcrumed on the bar 142 carried by the brackets 1433
which latter are secured to the frame 48. The brackets carry, in bearings,
a short shaft 144 which is driven by means of a pulley 145 and belt 446 from a
pulley 147 on the main shaft 43. Cams 148 on the shaft 144 act on the rollers 149
of the levers 141 so as to depress the short ends of said levers and thereby raise
up the stop bars 139 when the tables are about to move forward. The cams are
so shaped that each time they retain the siop bars in the up position until the top
table has moved forward sufficiently far to clear when they allow the stop bars to
fall down again by their own weight.
In conjunction with the mechanism for expanding and contracting the tables
suitable gauges may be provided for indicating the amount of the expansion
and contraction. One of these gauges may be secured at the back of each table
and it may take the form, as shown to an enlarged scale at Fig. 11, of a graduated
bar 150 secured to the casing of the table in a suitable position. Below the
graduated bar is a screwed spindle 151 having a travelling nut 15:3 on it which is
made one with an indicator or pointer 152 which latter can travel along the
graduated bar. The screwed spindle 151 may be revolved, so as to travel along,
by means of chain gear 154 from the spindle 122 of the table.
If desired an automatic recorder of any suitable and well known construction
may be fitted on the machine for the purpose of recording the number of boxes
made by the machine.
The details of construction of the machine may be altered or modified without
departing from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. A machine for making leather-board, card-board, and like boxes constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbofore described with reference to
the drawings annexed.
2. In a machine for making leather-board, card-board, and like boxes the com.
bination of a frame having endless slots therein at each side, a series of tables
connected together so as to form an endless chain of tables, means whereby the
tables can travel along the slots, and means for causing the tables to travel in
rotation and intermittently along the slots, substantially as herein before described.
3. In a machine for making leather-board, card-board, and like boxes, the
combination of a frame, an endless series of travelling tables working in the
frame, means for actuating the tables, vertically reciprocating knives arranged
above the tables, vertically reciprocating benders arranged above the tables, means
for operating the knives, and means for operating the benders, all substantially as
hereinbefore described.
4. In a machine for making leather-board, card-board, and like boxes the com-
bination of a table which can be expanded and contracted, means for expanding
and contracting the table, knife holders, bender holders, and means whereby
these holders can be expanded and contracted, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5. The construction of table with the mechanism for expanding and con-

page_text: tracting it substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
6. The construction of bender and bender holder substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figs. 14 to 17 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 26th day of January 1900.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.