Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Matches and for Putting the same in Boxes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Matches
and for Putting the same in Boxes.
I, JULES VAN LANDUYT, of Grammont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus designed for use in the manufacture of
matches and more especially to the frames which serve to hold the matches during
the dipping, drying and other operations, and also to apparatus for putting the
matches in boxes.
In the apparatus heretofore employed the matches are held in wooden frames
provided with grooves or laths, in which the matches are placed side by side, and
from which they are withdrawn by hand or otherwise for putting them in boxes.
By means of my present improvements the matches are automatically held in the
frame, and they are removed therefrom and put in boxes automatically without the
intervention of the workman.
The frame which I employ is composed of three sheets of metal, pierced with a
great number of small holes which may be round, square, oval or of other shape and
of suitable dimensions in order that the match splints may enter them with facility.
These holes are preferably arranged in rectangular series, each containing the
number of matches necessary for filling a box.
For example each sheet may be pierced with 56 series of 54 holes each, but it is
evident that this arrangement and the number of holes may be varied according to
requirements. The series are separated from each other by a somewhat wider
space than that which separates the holes from one another.
The aforesaid plates are united by a frame of wood or other material made of
three bars, the ends of the two longitudinal sides forming handles designed to
facilitate the transport of the frame. The fourth side is preferably made of metal
and extends only over a portion of the width of the frame. It is traversed by a
rod fixed to the intermediate plate and screw threaded at ite extremity for receiving
a nut. The upper and lower plates are fixed to the frame, while the plate in the
middle is simply held in a groove formed in the inner periphery of the frame, and
in which the said plate can move horizontally.
When the frame is presented to the match splint receptacle or magazine in order
to fill it the holes in the three plates coincide, that is to say the corresponding holes
are in the same vertical plane, so that the match splints traverse the three series of
holes and are placed at the desired height. When the frame has been filled the
plate in the middle is moved forwards in the horizontal direction the distance
necessary for clamping all the match splints and preventing them from falling. A
very small sliding movement is sufficient for this purpose, which may be produced
by any suitable means, for instance by the turning of the nut placed upon the
screw-threaded extremity of the above mentioned rod. The matches being held in
the frame, the latter is removed in order to subject them to the ulterior operations,
after which they are put in boxes. For effecting this last operation the frame
filled with matches is transported on to a table which has a series of hoppers
mounted upon a suitable frame and the upper sections of which correspond exactly
to the rectangular series of matches in the frame. Of course there must be as
many hoppers as there are rectangular series of matches.
When the frame has been put in its place above the hoppers the plate in the
middle is moved back to its original position in order to allow all the matches in
the frame to fall freely into the various hoppers, and for this purpose the frame and

page_text: hoppers are connected to a suitable shaking device so that no match may be stopped
on its way.
Below each hopper is arranged a match box. The lower section of each hopper
corresponds exactly to the form and dimensions of the match boxes; so that the
matches which fall from the frame will be placed in the boxes which are designed
to contain them.
The frame which connects all the hoppers is articulated at its base by the aid of
hinges so as to enable the whole to be lifted if necessary.
The improved frame hereinbefore described may be used in all systems of
existing apparatus. It is understood that the matches may be arranged in the
frame in any appropriate manner, the upper section of the hoppers being of course
adapted to the mode in which the matches are arranged. It is also evident that the
upper section of the hoppers must correspond to the number of matches which each.
box is to contain.
Dated this 29th day of April 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Matches.
and for Putting the same in Boxes.
I, JULES VAN LANDUYT, of Grammont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manu-
facturer, 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 relates to apparatus designed for use in the manufacture of
matches and more especially to the frames which serve to hold the matches during
the dipping, drying and other operations, and also to apparatus for putting the
matches in boxes.
In the apparatus heretofore employed the matches are held in wooden frames
provided with grooves or laths, in which the matches are placed side by side, and
from which they are withdrawn by hand or otherwise for putting them in boxes..
By means of my present improvements the matches are automatically held in the
frame, and they are removed therefrom and put in boxes automatically without the
intervention of the workman,
My improvements are represented in the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a plan of the improved frame and
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the frame showing the hoppers for filling the
boxes.
&
The improved. frame is composed of three sheets a b c of metal, pierced with
great number of small holes d which may be round, square, oval or of other shape
and of suitable dimensions, in order that the match splints e inay enter then with
facility. These holes are preferably arranged in rectangular series each containing
the number of matches necessary for filling a box.
In the example represented each sheet may be pierced with 56 series of 54 holes
each; but it is evident that this arrangement and the number of holes may he
varied according to requirements. The series are separated from each other by a
somewhat wider space than that which separates the holes from one another.
The aforesaid plates a b c are united by a frame of wood or other material made
of three bars A A' and 'B' the ends of the two longitudinal sides forming
handles C C designed to facilitate the transport of the frame. The fourth side Bi
is preferably made of metal and extends only over a portion of the width of the
frame. It is traversed by a rod F fixed to the intermediate plate b and screw

page_text: threaded at its extremity for receiving a nut E. The upper and lower plates ac
are fixed to the frame, while the plate b in the middle is simply held in a groove R
formed in the inner periphery of the frame, and in which the said plate b can move
horizontally.
When the frame is presented to the match splint receptacle or magazine in
order to fill it, the holes in the three plates ab c, coincide, that is to say the
corresponding holes are in the same vertical plane, so that the match splints
traverse the three series of holes and are placed at the desired height. When the
frame has been filled the plate in the middle is moved forwards in the horizontal
direction the distance necessary for clamping all the match splints and preventing
them from falling. A very small sliding movement is sufficient for this purpose,
which may be produced by any suitable means, for instance by the turning of the
But placed upon the screw-threaded extremity of the above-mentioned rod F.
The matches being held in the frame, the latter is removed in order to subject
them to the ulterior operations after which they are put in boxes. For effecting
this last operation the frame filled with matches is transported on to a table which
has a series of hoppers mounted upon a suitable frame and the upper sections of
which correspond exactly to the rectangular series of matches in the frame. Of
course there must be as many hoppers as there are rectangular series of matches.
When the frame has been put in its place above the hoppers K the plate b in
the middle is moved back to its original position in order to allow all the matches
in the frame to fall freely into the various hoppers, and for this purpose the frame
and hoppers are connected to a suitable shaking device so that none of the matches
may be allowed to stick in the hoppers.
Below each hopper is arranged a match-box L. The lower section of each
hopper corresponds exactly to the form and dimensions of the said match boxes L,
so that the matches which fall from the frame will be placed in the boxes which
are designed to contain them.
The frame which connects all the hoppers K is articulated at its base by means
of hinges M so as to enable the whole to be lifted if necessary as shown in dotted
lines in Figure 2.
The improved frame hereinbefore described may be used in all systems of
existing apparatus. It is understood that the matches may be arranged in the
frame in any appropriate manner, the upper section of the hoppers being of course
adapted to the mode in which the matches are arranged. It is also evident that
the upper section of the hoppers must correspond to the number of matches which
each box is to contain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in, what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
=
First. A match frame composed of three metallic sheets pierced with a great
number of holes, the intermediate plate serving to wedge the match splints in the
desired position during the time they are undergoing the ulterior operations,
substantially as described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Second. The method of automatically filling match boxes, consisting in the use
of a frame formed of three plates pierced with holes as set forth in the first claim,
in combination with a series of hoppers the upper sections of which correspond to
the number of matches of the frame which is to be put in a box, and the lower
section of which corresponds to the form of the box to be filled, substantially as
hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dand this 20th den of Dovember 1803
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.