Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1891-Accepted 9th Jan., 1892
at present residing at West Lodge Barnsbury Square in the County of London,
Machinist, 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 has reference to improvements in apparatus for filling boxes with
matches placing the covers thereon and delivering the complete box of matches, it
also refers to means for automatically collecting the boxes of matches, and
arranging or grouping them in the required quantities ready for packing.
My invention is designed to effect a considerable economy in the production of
matches by dispensing with manual labor.
I will now proceed to describe my invention reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, of which :—
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation shewing the empty boxes in an inclined trough,
and boxes in the act of being filled as they pass beneath the hopper containing the
matches.
Fig. 4 is an end view of same.
Fig. 5 shews the mechanical motion for raising the edges of two of the filled
boxes as they pass beneath a revolving india rubber roller, for the purpose
of preventing more than the required quantity of matches being carried away by
the boxes.
Fig. 6 is a part section elevation of the trough shewing the method by which the
empty boxes are delivered to the pusher.
Fig. 7 is an elevation shewing the arrangements for agitating or vibrating the
lower part of the match hopper to cause the matches to freely fall into the
boxes.
Fig. 8 is a plan of same.
Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation shewing the arrangement for forcing the filled
match boxes into the covers.
Fig. 10 is a plan of same.
Fig. 11 is an elevation shewing my invention for collecting the completed boxes
of matches and delivering them into a parcel of twelve (12) ready for packing.
Fig. 12 is an end view of same.
The operation of this latter portion of my invention, I will explain after
describing the machine as shewn in Figs. 1 to 10 of the drawings.
The said machine consists essentially of a trough A, containing the empty boxes
a hopper B for containing the loose matches and a hopper or vertical column C for
containing the covers or cases of the boxes.
In connexion with the said trough A is an arrangement for intermittantly
delivering the empty boxes, one at a time (Figs. 1-2=-& 3), a pusher D for
forcing the empty boxes beneath the hopper B, a slide E for forcing the filled
match box into the lowermost of the covers contained in the column C and a
plunger F for expelling the completed box of matches.
The machine is supported by standards G upon which is mounted a table or
plate H. Motion is conveyed through a driving pulley J to shafts K & L—a
countershaft M being driven by belting from a pulley N on shaft K.
The said countershaft transmitting motion to a shaft P for operating a roller to

page_text: be presently described and for agitating the match hopper B. It should be
mentioned that the speeds of shafts K & L are the same and that during the
revolution of them the complete operation of feeding the empty box and delivering
the complete box of matches, is performed.
The arrangement for delivering the empty boxes one at a time, consists of a
hooked plate a pivotted at a¹ and having on its upper side a loop a" through which
the end of a lever b passes. This lever is fastened to a spindle 6¹ to one end of
which is attached a lever c, d is a cam having a projection d' which can come in
contact with the end of the lever o thus raising the hooked plate a for sufficient
time to allow one empty box to fall down the trough, this is more clearly shewn by
dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Directly the projection d¹ has passed the end of the lever, the levers db and the
hooked plate a return to their normal positions.
The shaft K revolves in the direction shewn by the arrow.
When an empty box is liberated it falls down the trough A until stopped by the
edge of the previous box, which is resting on the table (see Fig. 6). The pusher D
is operated by a cam D' and is drawn back to its normal position by a weight or
spring Du
When the pusher D forces the box forward, the box above falls
upon
the top of the pusher and ultimately falls upon the table when the pusher
returns (Fig. 6).
The hopper B consists of two parts B & B' the latter being capable of slight
motion by reason of the slotted brackets (Fig. 2). The necessary vibratory
motion for shaking the match down and also for shaking the boxes as they are
being filled is conveyed by a lever of pivotted at f¹.
One end rests against the side of the hopper B', the other has an inclined end f¹¹
against which is an eccentric pin 9 upon the end of the shaft P. Upon the
opposite side of the hopper is a spring h, so that when the pin g leaves the inclined
end of the lever the hopper is forced back, thus producing the desired trembling or
shaking motion. Upon the bottom of the hopper B' are plates i which communi-
cate the motion to the boxes whilst being filled (see Figs. 7 & 8). Upon the
shaft P is a roller ; formed of indiarubber or other suitable material (see Figs. 3
& 4). This roller revolves in the direction shewn by the arrow and its fluted
periphery or teeth force back the surplus matches whilst the filled boxes are being
intermittantly forced forward, and at a position when the edges of two of the boxes
are immediately beneath the roller-the said boxes are slightly raised by a pin k
(see Fig. 3) so that the edges are brought into contact with the rapidly revolving
roller and the surplus matches are driven back. The pink is operated by a lever k
pivotted at ", the opposite end being worked at the proper time by a cam k¹ upon
the shaft K (see Fig. 5).
The filled boxes pass along a passage or groove / until the forward box arrives
into another passage or groove ni which is at right angles to when it is operated
upon by the slide E (see Figs. 9 & 10). The said slide is pushed forward by a
cam m attached to the shaft L, and is drawn back by a weight or spring. On
the shaft L is a cam n which gives forward motion to a sliding bar n', at the end of
which is attached a spring box n".
Just before the slide E is pushed forward, the springs of the spring box n"
are forced into the lowermost of the covers contained in the column C, this
tends to slightly open the mouth of the cover and allows the filled box to freely
enter. When the box has been forced through the spring box n" and into the
cover, the sliding bar n¹ is caused to recede by means of a weight and cord n¹ 1
so that the springs are drawn out of the mouth of the cover whilst the end of
the slide remains in its former position and the completed box of matches is
free to be pushed out of the bottom of the column C in the direction shewn by
arrow, (Fig. 10). The delivery of the completed box of matches is effected by the
plunger F which is forced forward by a camp attached to the shaft K (see Fig. 2)
and is returned to its normal position by a spring or weight.
The driving shaft K is driven by a belt pulley K' which is formed as a friction

page_text: clutch worked by a hand lever J¹, so that the machine can be rapidly started or
stopped.
In operating the machine it is only necessary to keep the trough, hopper, &
column respectively charged with empty boxes, matches, and covers.
I will now proceed to describe my invention for collecting the complete boxes of
matches as they are delivered from the column C and arranging them in a parcel
of 12 ready for packing-(see Figs. 11 & 12 of drawings).
When the complete boxes of matches are forced out by the plunger F from the
column C, I arrange that 12 of them shall be received into a case containing four
shelves or spaces, each space having room for three boxes, and when the whole of
the spaces are filled I cause the entire 12 to be expelled and piled up in four rows
of three each so that they are ready to be packed in paper.
The said case is capable of rising or falling, so that when one space is
filled another is presented for the reception of the following three boxes of
matches as they emerge from the hopper C. Q is the case containing 4 rows of
The case
spaces 9999 each of a capacity to contain 3 boxes of matches.
1111
is carried by sliding rods r. which pass through guides . The bottoms of the rods
are united by a bridge piece 11 having a projection which comes in contact with
the periphery of a cam s. In first position of the case the space q' is opposite the
delivery opening of the column C and receives the 3 boxes of matches as they are
forced out.
Immediately the three have been received the cam is in such a position that the
path is in contact with the bridge piece and raises the case up one stage, so
that the second space q is in position to receive the next 3 boxes-the two
successive cam paths raise the case the remaining two stages and the bottom
space is filled.
The shelves dividing the spaces in the case are formed with openings t which
allow a bar or pusher u to pass through. The pusher u is of a length to extend
past the three top spaces, so that if pushed forward it would only force out the
three top rows. Immediately the case is filled with the 12 boxes, another path ¸¹
on the cam, raises the case a further distance, so that the bottom space q is
partly covered by the end u¹ of the pusher. Whilst in this position the pusher is
caused to rapidly advance and to force out the whole of the boxes on to the table H
in the position shewn in Fig. 11.
1111
The cam has then arrived at such a position that the bridge piece *" is no
longer supported so that the case drops to its lowest position, ready to receive the
first three of another dozen of match boxes, the pusher u being caused to return to
its normal position by the action of a cam v as will be understood from the drawing.
The rapid forward motion of the pusher is produced by a weight w; when the
projection on the pusher lever z, is no longer retained by the cam v. The pusher
is arranged to slide on bars z and is operated by the lever and a connecting
link as shewn. The cams are carried by a shaft which is caused to revolve at
one twelfth of the speed of the machine. It will be obvious that a greater or less
number of boxes can be collected & delivered and that modifications can be made
in the mechanical details without departing from my invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and the manner in which same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) In a machine for filling and covering match boxes the use of intermittantly
operated pushers or plungers for respectively pushing forward the empty boxes,
forcing the filled boxes into their covers or cases and for delivering the complete
boxes of matches substantially as described.
(2) In a machine for filling and covering match boxes the use of an intermittant
feeding apparatus for delivering one empty match box at a time substantially as
described.
(3) In a machine for filling and covering match boxes the use of a device for

page_text: agitating both the hopper containing the matches and the boxes whilst being
filled, such agitation being in the direction of the length of the matches sub-
stantially as described.
(4) In a machine for filling and covering match boxes the use of apparatus for
raising the edges of the filled match boxes against a revolving roller substantially
as described for the purpose set forth.
(5) The improved machine for filling and covering match boxes and delivering
complete boxes of matches substantially as described.
(6) In a machine in which boxes of matches or other goods or articles are inter-
mittantly delivered singly, the use of an apparatus substantially as described,
whereby the said goods or articles are collected or grouped together and delivered
in the required number and condition for packing.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1891.
Witness,
CHARLES JOGVY,
91, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.
WILLIAM EDWARD COOK.