IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES.
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cook, of Manor Place, Walworth, in the
County of Surrey, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES.
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 28th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
July 1862.
I, THOMAS COOK, of Manor Place, Walworth, in the County of Surrey,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus employed in
the manufacture of envelopes. For these purposes a sliding table is used
carrying two die boxes, and the sliding table is arranged and worked in such
manner as to be moved to and fro upon a stationary table, in order to bring
the two die boxes alternately under a plunger. The plunger descends twice
into each die box; at the first descent it creases the envelope paper by pressing
it into the die box, and at the second it folds in the flaps. After the paper
has been creased, the flaps are folded inwards by means of levers or instruments
working inside the plunger. When the plunger is at the top of the stroke the
levers project below the plunger, and extend beyond its sides, so that in the

page_text: second descent of the plunger they catch the ends of the flaps of the envelope
paper which are projecting above the die box, and carry them inwards under
the plunger, which then completes the folding of the envelope. After the
plunger has risen for the second time, the sliding table is moved a distance
equal to that required to bring the other die box (covered by a piece of
envelope paper) under the plunger. This movement of the sliding table also
brings the die box, in which an envelope has just been completed, into a
position beyond the stationary table, which enables it to discharge such envelope
into a proper receiver. A fresh piece of envelope paper is then placed over
this die box, which will in turn be carried by the die box under the plunger,
when the sliding table is again moved. By these means envelope paper will
be folded in the die boxes when they are alternately brought under the plunger.
For feeding the die boxes with envelope paper, two piles of the paper are
carried by suitable. mechanism over the die boxes, the uppermost piece of
paper being raised from each pile alternately by partial vacuum, and upon the
pile of papers being withdrawn, the envelope paper which has been so raised
is lowered upon the die box.
The second part of the Invention consists in an apparatus for cutting the
envelope papers with greater accuracy than has hitherto been obtained. The
forcing plate of the cutting press is constructed with a hole of the same shape
and size as the inside of the knife or cutter. A follower of the same shape as
the knife is made to pass through the hole in the forcing plate, and is then
pressed down upon the paper to be cut, holding the paper firmly whilst the
knife or cutter is in operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 2
by the said Thomas Cook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Cook, of Manor Place, Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Cook,. Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Cook, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others

page_text: as I, the said Thomas Cook, my 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 APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said 'ThomasCook, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Thomas Cook, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus employed in
the manufacture of envelopes. For these purposes a sliding table is used
carrying two die boxes, and the sliding table is arranged and worked in such
manner as to be moved to and fro upon a stationary table in order to bring
the two die boxes alternately under a plunger. The plunger descends twice
into each die box, at the first descent it creases the envelope paper by pressing
it into the die box, and at the second it folds in the flaps. After the paper has
been creased the flaps are folded inwards by means of levers or instruments.
working inside the plunger. When the plunger is at the top of the struke,
the levers project below the plunger, and extend beyond its sides, so that in
the second. descent of the plunger, they catch the ends of the flaps of the
envelope paper which are projecting above the die box and carry them inwards
under the plunger, which then completes the folding of the envelope. After
the plunger has risen for the second time, the sliding table is moved a distance
equal to that required to bring the other die box (covered by a piece of envelope
paper) under the plunger. This movement of the sliding table also brings the
die-box in which an envelope has just been completed into a position beyond
the stationary table, which enables it to discharge such envelope into a proper
receiver. A fresh piece of envelope paper is then placed over this die box
which will in turn be carried by the die box under the plunger when the
sliding table is again moved. By these means envelope paper will be folded
in the die boxes, when they are alternately brought under the plunger.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1.is a side view of an envelope folding machine constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 shews the opposite side, and Figure 3 an end
view of the same machine; Figure 4-a vertical section taken at the line 1, 1,
Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken at the line 2, 2,
Figure 1, and Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken at the line 3,8, Figure 1 ;
a, a, is the frame of the machine; b, the main axis; it is driven by a strap.
passing around the pulley b¹; c is a cam keyed upon the axis, and upon. it
rests the friction pulley d, the axis of this pulley is carried by a cross bar d',
fixed to the plunger guides d², which are capable of sliding vertically in the
framing. To the lower ends of the guides d³, as is clearly shewn at Figure
7, (which is a vertical section of the plunger guides, and parts in connection
therewith,) the hollow rectangular plunger c is fixed; d³, is a weight at the
upper ends of the guides d³, it is this weight assisted by the india-rubber
springs f, f, which causes the descent of the plunger after it has been raised
by the cam; Figure 8 shews on a larger scale a transverse section of the
plunger, and parts in connection therewith; it will be seen that it has within
it four instruments or fingers 9, 9, they are jointed to a block g', the stein g³,
of which slides with friction in a socket c', in the top of the plunger the friction
is regulated by means of the spring e, and pressure block e³, so that the fingers.
9 move with the plunger e, except when one or other of the collars g³, on the
stem comes against the stop a¹ on the framing; g', are india-rubber
springs, which tend constantly to throw the lower ends of the fingers outwards;
h is a moveable table, which slides in guides on the stationary table a³, it bas
formed in it two rectangular openings or die boxes h¹, h', but immediately
under the plunger there is a sole plate i, fixed on the stationary table, and
this at the time of folding forms the bottom of each die box alternately; as the
table is caused to slide to and fro, the motion is given to it by the cam k, this
acts on the large friction pullies h³, h³, the axes of which are fixed to the table h;
is a spur wheel on the axis of the cam k, and this gears with, an inter-
mediate wheel, which in turn receives motion from a toothed wheel ', on
the main axis b. The form of the cam k is such as to cause the table h to
move rapidly from end to end of its course, and then to remain stationary
during the time necessary to fold an envelope. In working the machine
two children are employed to feed it with paper cut to the proper form as is
shewn at Figure 9; they are placed one at each end of the machine, and when

page_text: either of the die boxes is out from under the plunger a piece of paper or
blank is laid over it, the corner guides h³, h³, fixed at the angles of the box
serving to ensure that it shall be correctly placed; then the table moves under
the plunger, which descends upon it, (the fingers or instruments g being then
entirely within the plunger), and thus the paper is creased; the plunger then
rises again to a greater height than that from which it before descended,
and the lower collar g³, coming against the stop a', the fingers 9 are caused
to descend and protrude as is shewn at Figure 8, then the plunger again
comes down with the fingers in this position, and they incline the flaps of the
envelope inwards in succession, being as is shewn suitably formed and arranged
so to do; for this purpose the fingers are caused to move inwards when their
points are a short distance above the mouth of the dic box, the, motion is pro-
duced by the upper collar g coming against the stop a whilst the plunger.
continues to descend; the fingers are by this means drawn up within the
plunger, the lower edge of which, as they in succession come in contact
with it, gathers them inwards; the plunger then continues its descent until it
comes down on to the sole plate, and it thus completes the folding, bringing
the envelope to the form shewn at Figure 10.
It will be seen in Figure 9 that the paper is cut with the angles ×, x,
nearly right angles; this is done to make the envelope more secure, but it.
gives rise to some difficulty in folding, as it renders it necessary that this flap.
should be folded completely over, or very nearly so, almost before. the folding
of the side flaps has commenced, otherwise the angles of the flaps would catch.
To effect the complete folding of the bottom flap earlier than it would other-
wise take place, the piece is employed within the plunger; this is capablo
of sliding up and down a short distance with friction, adjusted by 'means of a
spring, and there is an adjustable piece g³ on the finger block, which when the
fingers descend comes against the sliding piece e, and moves it downwards so
as to cause it to project beyond the lower edge of the plunger, as is shewn at,
Figure 8; this piece then presses the bottom flap down flat sufficiently soon
to allow the side flaps to be folded in over it without catching; the piece e³ is¸
pushed back to its original position by coming down. on to the sole plate. The
envelope being thus folded, the die box, with the envelope still in it, moves out.
from under the plunger, and comes over one of the holes a³, a³, in the
stationary table, and the envelope is then thrown out from the die box; to
effect this two slender bars or arms 1, 1, ato employed at each end of the
machine; they are mounted on axes carried by brackets a' attached to the
framing. The bars or arms are, by means of springs &, attached to the short
arms 2 on the same axes caused to bave a constant tendancy to rise, but they..
..

page_text: ȧre prevented from so doing because their points lie in grooves on the under
side of the moving table h; these grooves are continued from the end of the
table and longitudinally along it until they reach the die box, into which they
open at points above the level at which the envelopes are when folded left in
the box. It will be seen then that as the points of the rods or arms / bear
against the tops of the grooves, they will, as the die box with a folded envelope
in it comes towards them, enter the box over the envelope; then, when the
table h comes up to the end of its motion, the projection h on the table strikes
the arm, and so throws downwards the rods or arms 7, and thus throws the
envelope out of the box.
The parts which I have now described of themselves constitute an envelope
folding machine, but in the Drawings, in order to-render the apparatus more
complete, I have shewn combined with it instruments for gumming and
embossing the flaps of the envelopes, and for collecting them when folded into
a regular pile, this latter arrangement being made in accordance with an
Invention for which I have obtained Provisional Protection on the 2nd day of
December 1862, No. 3232.
m is a rod capable of sliding up and down in a guide socket; in the frame at
its upper end is a friction pulley, which by springs m³, m³, is kept in contact
with the cam m on the main axis. The upper die for embossing the seal on
the flap of the envelope is attached to the lower end of the rod m, and when
the cam forces down the rod it descends on to and embosses the flap. Tho
lower die is carried by the stationary table or bed. The rod m also carries
the rectangular frame n, as is more clearly shewn in Figures 11 and 12,
Figure 11 being a side view, partly in section, of the rod m, and parts connected
therewith, and Figure 12 being a plan, partly in section, of the same, together
with a section of the plunger. The frame n carries the presser o, which serves
to press the flap to be gummed down upon the gumming apparatus; the level
of the presser o can be adjusted as may be required. The gumming apparatus,
shown separately at Figs. 13 and 14, consists of a box p, containing the
liquid gum, and p¹ is an axis mounted in bearings on the box p³, and p³ are
arms on the axis p'; the lower arm p' is immersed in the gum, and has two-
projections at its ends, which are flat on the surface, and correspond in form
with the lines of gum which it is desired to place on the flap of the envelope.
The upper arm p³ is inclined, and when the projection n' on the frame n comes
against it, it causes the axis p' partially to rotate, and so brings up the end of
the lever p' to dab the flap of the envelope with gum, the flap being at the
same time pressed downwards by the presser o. The die boxes h', h', are
notched away at the side where the gummed flap comes and opposite to the

page_text: lines of gum, so that these may not be smeared as the envelope is pressed
down into the box in the operation of creasing. In order to collect the
envelopes into a pile as they are discharged folded from the die boxes, I cause
each envelope as it falls from the die box to slide down an inclined trough r,
which leads it on to the surfaces; on this surface there is a slide t, caused to
move to and fro in guides by the cam u on the main axis; this cam acts
directly on a friction pulley carried by an arm on the vertical axis u'; the
friction pulley is kept constantly in contact with the cam by a vulcanized
india-rubber spring attached to the arm u. At the bottom of the vertical
axis u is another arm u³, and this is connected by a link with the lever ';
which is centred to the frame, and the end of this lever is in turn linked to
the slide by a stud at the bottom, which projects through a slot in the
surface s, and thus the slide is caused to traverse to and fro, and at each forward
motion it pushes the envelope last delivered under the pile of envelopes already
produced, and wbich is contained in the rack v. As, however, the envelopes
in sliding down the troughs r become partly unfolded, the instruments w, w,
are employed; these are hinged on each side to the surfaces, and they are
drawn together by the spring s³, so as to bring their points together or towards
each other just over the level of the path of the slide, but when the slide t is
at the further or back end of its course the inclines t, t, upon it come against
the shoulders w', w', of the instruments w, and force them apart until their
points are separated by a space exceeding the length of the slide or that of a
finished envelope; the action then is as follows:-An envelope descends one of
the inclines r on to the surfaces; the slide / then advances, and the projection {³
upon it coming over the gummed flap, holds it down in its place, and as soon
as the shoulders w¹ are clear of the slide, the points of the instruments w come
towards each other, and fold over the side flaps. The continued motion of the
slide then carries the envelope forward and lodges it under the pile of envelopes
already accumulated in the receiver v, and then the weight of the envelopes
over it keeps the flaps properly in their places until the gum is dry. In order,
however, to get the envelopes in succession under the bottom of the pile, it is
necessary that this should be raised each time that an envelope is to be pushed
underneath; for this purpose the bottom of the receiver is made with a number
of slits v³, v¹, in it, and through them the teeth of a rake a are able to pass.
This rake is caused to place itself immediately under the bottom of the
receiver v, and then to rise (its teeth passing through the slits in the bottom),
so as to lift the pile; the fresh envelope is then, as already described, pushed
in underneath, and the rake is caused to move outwards, so as to allow the
pile to descend on to the envelope so pushed in. These motions are given to the

page_text: rake in the following manner :-Its stem is jointed at a point intermediate
of its length to the link a², which in turn is jointed to the frame, and at the
upper end of the stem:¹ is a friction pulley, bearing on the cam y on the main
axis; this cam gives to the rake its rocking motion. The up-and-down motion
is given by the cam a, which acts on a friction pulley on the end of an arm
formed on the link a, and thus the rake receives its up-and-down motion, the
axis on which it rocks being caused to move up and down according to the
inclination given by the cam z to the link.
The cams y and zaro shewn as they would appear if split and spread out
in Sheet 3 of the 'Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.