Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Feeding Match Splints and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 4th Mar.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Feeding Match
Splints and the like.
I, JACOB PULVER WRIGHT, a Citizen of the United States of America, residing
at 46, Avon Street, in the City and County of New Haven and State of Connecti-
cut, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure 1 shows a view of a vertical section of a portion of a match making
machine with the invention applied thereto;
Figure 2, a similar view showing a portion of the feed drum, the hopper and
the transfer devices to which the splints are to be transferred from the drum;
Figure 3, a view of a section on line of Figure 2;
Figure 4, a view, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, of a portion
of a match making machine with the invention applied thereto, and with the foed
drum having a series of perforations through the bottom of its splint receiving
pockets, instead of the open bottomed pockets as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3;
Figure 5, a view of a section, on line y-y, of Figure 4;
Figure 6, a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1;
Figure 7, a view in end elevation, of the mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 4;
Figure 8, a view of a section on line -, of Figure 1;
Figure 9, a detail view, showing in elevation a portion of the casing at the
side of the feed drum, and
Figure 10, a detail plan view of the same portion of the casing.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
The object of this invention has been to provide improved means for feeding
match splints for use in match making machines, and to this end
The invention consists in the splint feeding means, and in the parts thereof,
constructed, arranged and combined as hereinafter specified.
While this invention will be shown and described us applied to and used in a
match making machine, in which the splints from the feed drum are transferred
to a rotary transfer device and thence shifted into the pockets of a traveling
carrier, it is desired to be understood, that it is not limited to such application
or use; but may be employed with any match splint bundling machine or match
making machinery, wherever it is desirable that the splints be fed out from a
source of supply and carried, as fed out, to other parts of the machine, to be
operated upon in any way. It is also contemplated to use the feeding means for feed-
ing other things than match splints, either alone as means for feeding out the sticks
or bars of material, or with mechanism to which the feeding means is desired to
deliver the sticks or bars.
In the drawings A, A, designate the upright parallel sides of a casing, from
the upper edges of which is supported the hopper B for the match splints, sticks,
or other material to be fed.
The interior of this hopper is made narrower than the space between the casing
sides A, A, as shown best in Figure 8. The sides of this hopper are fastened
by screws b, b, to the upright portions of the angle plates C, C, which, in turn,

page_text: are bolted to the tops or upper edges of the casing sides A, A. (See Figures 6, 7
and 8.)
Supported in suitable bearings a, a, in the casing sides A, A, is a shaft D, carry-
ing the rotary feed drum D' fixed to it within the casing, such drum being
narrower than the interior width of the hopper B, and having a portion of its
periphery, on its upper side, moving through the open lower end of the hopper,
in such position that splints or sticks placed crosswise in the hopper will rest upon
that portion of the periphery of the feed drum which may, at any time, be within
the lower end of the hopper.
With this arrangement, the drum revolving partly within the hopper always |
forms, with some portion of its periphery, a bottom for the hopper, which bottom,
being narrower than the hopper interior, leaves open narrow spaces on opposite
sides of it, between its sides and the inner walls of the hopper, for a purpose to be
explained hereinafter.
As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, this feed drum D¹ consists of two side
plates secured to shaft D by set screws d, d, or otherwise, as desired, and having
their outer edges connected, by transeverse ribs d', d, of a thickness equal to the
distance by which it is desired that the splints or sticks which are to be fed out
by the drum shall be separated from each other. Each of these ribs is, from its
outer to its inner face, of a thickness equal to that of one of the splints or sticks
to be fed, and is separated from the adjoining ribs by a distance substantially
equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of a splint or stick, so that one of
the latter can drop readily down between adjacent ribs.
י
With this construction, and with the ribs d', d', connected with and projecting
out beyond the edges of the sides of the drum D', as shown in the drawings, pockets,
to receive the splints or sticks from the hopper, will be formed on the drum, having
the edges of the drum sides to form supports for the splints or sticks near their
opposite ends, and bottoms open between such splint supports.
As the drum D is narrower than the hopper B, any sticks or splints long enough
to extend substantially across, from side to side of the latter, will, when resting in
the described pockets of drum D', project, at their opposite ends, boyond the drum
sides, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 8.
The open bottoms of these pockets form elongated openings, through which air
can readily pass, and through which any chips, short splints, or pieces of splints,
too short to extend across from one side of the drum to the other, can fall into
the interior of the drum, clear of the hopper bottom.
The side plates or disks, forming the drum sides, are provided with large open-
ings da, da, out through which any chips, short splints or pieces of splints, falling
into the drum through the elongated openings in the bottoms of the splint receiv-
ing pockets of the drum, can readily pass.
In the form of drum shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, there are two series
of splint or stick receiving pockets, formed in the manner described, and between
the opposing ends of such series are the large openings ³, in the drum periphery,
large enough to allow the passage into the interior of the drum, when one of such
openings is being carried along past the open bottom of the hopper and below
the mass of splints in the hopper, of pieces of splints, and even of full length
splints which may be lying, in the lower part of the hopper, crooked or out of
parallel with the ribs d, d, and the pockets of the drum
In order that the mass of splints lying straight in the hopper, parallel to the
axis of the drum and the pockets of latter, may not, when the openings d², d³, come
around under them, drop down below the plane of the travel of the outer side of
the ribs d', d', on the drum, the peripheries of the side plates of the drum are
provided with ribs , d, extending peripherally around the plates, from a point
near the end rib of one series of ribs on the drum, to a point near the end rib
of the adjoining series of ribs.
The space between each end rib d' and the adjoining ends of the ribs d', is, pre-
ferably, made large enough to admit one of the splints or sticks to be fed.

page_text: As shown in the drawings, the hopper B has its back B¹ pivoted at its upper end
to the hopper sides at 61, its lower end being left free to swing forward and back
over and close to the pocketed periphery of the feed drum D¹, so as to jar the
splints in the hopper and straighten them out into parallelism with each other and
with the splint receiving pockets of the drum, so that they will, when in the lower
part of the hopper just over the drum periphery, be in position to fall squarely
into any drum pocket brought just under them by the rotation of the feed drum.
The free end of the hopper back B is actuated by the pitman B³, which is driven
by the crank pin B³ connecting the two crank disks B, B', on shaft B5, journalled
in suitable bearings in the angle plates C, C. On one end of this shaft is a
pinion B, meshing with and driven by the large gear wheel Ds fixed on the feed
drum shaft D, which gear wheel is, in turn, driven by the gear E, fixed on and
rotating with the shaft E, which is to be driven by any suitable
gearing or mechanism, connected with and actuated by any suitable source of
power.
On the other end of shaft B5 is a grooved pulley B', which drives a belt BB,
driving a second grooved pulley F fixed on the shaft F', passing through and
journalled in bearings in portions of the angle plates C, C. This shaft F, which
extends across an opening in the forward or outlet side of the hopper B above the
feed drum D', carries a series of eccentrice f,f, one of which is shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 4, each engaging an opening f, in one of the swinging and rising
and falling plates F, Fs, each of which, near its upper end, is guided by a guide
slot in it, engaging a stationary cross rod ƒ³.
The eccentrics are so arranged, relatively on the shaft, that, as the latter
revolves, the plates will be moved in pairs, which will have an inwardly or rear-
wardly swinging and rising movement, with reference to the hopper, which move-
ment will cause them to kick back and clear away any splints coming to the out-
let of the hopper and not seated in the pockets of the feed drum, the purpose and
result being to clear back any unseated splints close to the feed drum periphery,
and so prevent any clogging or jamming of the splints at the point where the
moving drum periphery passes on out of the hopper.
The hopper has, on its top, a hinged lid G, which extends over and covers the
forward portion of the top of the hopper, and, being hinged to the hopper at 9.
is held normally down in place by the spring catch g¹.
This lid, which could, if desired, be made to cover the whole hopper top, but is
preferably made to extend only over about half thereof, is for a purpose which will
be explained hereinafter.
The shaft E¹ carries the rotating transfer device, which receives the splints from
the pockets of the feed drum, and transfers them to the intermittently moving
pocketed chains of the traveling carrier. One side of such rotary transfer device,
and a portion of one of the pocketed chains of such carrier, are shown in Figure 2
at E and H, respectively.
By said carrier H the splints are taken to mechanism by which they are placed
in the machine by which they are dipped or treated for completion into matches.
As said mechanism and treating machine from no part of the invention they are
not shown; and it is to be understood that the transfer device E and the carrier H
are shown merely to illustrate a means for disposing of the splints carried by the
drum.
Within the forward part of the lower portion of hopper B, is the transverse
roller I, preferably made of lead or some other heavy material, having its peri-
phery fluled longitudinally, with the higher parts of the flutes rounded off.
This roller has its shaft I projecting beyond each of its ends into a slot i in the
hopper sides, such slot being an upright one, so as to leave the roller free to rise
and fall a certain distance. One of these slots is indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1. The lower ends of these slots are so situated as to prevent the roller I
from descending far enough to come into contact with the periphery of the feed

page_text: drum D', while allowing the portions of the roller which are of the greatest radius
to come quite close to the drum periphery.
As shown, this fluted roller I, is not driven by any gearing, but rotates freely,
as the splints, carried forward within the lower part of the hopper by the rotution
of the feed drum, pass under it, the roller yielding and rising, as the splints tend
to become packed or jammed too closely between the traveling feed drum periphery
and the under and rear side of the roller.
As the roller rotates and presses with its weight upon the splints passing under
it, it acts to straighten out any crooked or inclined splints into parallelism with
its flutes and, consequently, with each other and the drum pockets, and causes any
splints which may be partially or unevenly seated in the drum pockets, to be
wholly and squarely seated in the latter, so that they will pass freely out of the
hopper, under the plates 1, 1%, with the foed druin.
Attached to the inner sido of cach upright plate A of the casing, is an inwardly
projecting curved rib or plate K, which, beginning at a point beyond the rear
side of the hopper B, extends upward and forward, on a curve concentric with the
feed drum D, to a point below the rear side of the splint-containing interior of
the hopper.
This rib or plate is so situated as to be in close contact with the side of the feed
drum, on a line at some distance from the plane of the bottoms of the pockets
in the drum periphery, and has, on its inner and upper end, an upwardly project-
ing portion k, extending up close to the plane of the pocket bottoms.
A similar curved rib or plate K¹, is attached to the inner side of each casing
upright A, beginning at a point a short distance to the rear of the front side of the
hopper interior, and running thence forward and downward, as indicated in
Figure 2.
This rib or plate has, on its upper and rear end, a projection, similar to the
one k, on the other rib.
With this construction, a clear passageway, from the hopper down between each
of the hopper sides and the corresponding side of the feed drum, is provided, in
communication with the larger space below, between the feed drum and the upright
portion of the casing, while, to the rear and front of such passage, the space
between the feed drum and upright parallel sides A, A, of the casing is closed by
the ribs or plates K and K.
The projections and, with the ends of the ribs or plates K and K¹ carrying
them, form, then, two throats or passages,, extending downward from the
hopper to the space between the feed drum sides and the casing sides A, A, each
of which throats is directly below a portion of the hopper interior.
Above the throats are the two inwardly and downwardly extending air
passages, cut through the angle plates C, C, and the walls of the hopper sides,
so that their lower ends communicate with the hopper interior at a short distance,
proferably, in a working machine, about half an inch, above the plane of the
periphery of the feed drum D.
The mouths or discharge ends of these air passages ³, ³, are, preferably, made
long and narrow, the line of elongation being parallel to the plane of the feed drum
periphery, and of a length nearly equal to the width of the throats or passages, 18.
Hollow boxes K2, K, are fastened to the outer sides of the angle plates C, C,
with their interiors in communication with the respective air passages, ³, and
with the interiors of pipes +, k, which are connected with a pipe containing
air under pressure from any suitable source, or any air compressing device, one 5
form of which is indicated in a conventional way at in Figure 1.
From a point just beyond the front of the hopper B, the upright sides A, A, of
the casing, are provided with the guides L, L, which, being curved for a distance
concentrically with the feed drum, project inward from the casing sides, so as to
overlap the ends of any splints which are carried from the hopper by the feed
drum, and extend beyond the sides of the latter, as indicated in Figure 3.
Where the feed drum approaches the rotary transfer device, these guides are

page_text: curved outward, as shown in Figure 2, so as to leave the splints free to be shifted
from the pockets of the feed drum to those of the transfer device.
This shifting is assured by stripper guides, one of which is shown in Figure 2,
at L', fastened to the ribs or plates K, K', on opposite sides of the feed drum,
and extending downward and outward past the outer periphery of the drum, so as
to engage the projecting ends of any splints carried by the drum pockets, and
cause them to move over towards the rotary transfer device E, as the drum revolves.
To keep any splints which may be taken into the pockets of the feed drum and
carried out thereby from the hopper, from longitudinal or endwise movement in
the drum pockets, the under sides of guides L, L, are provided with the ribs 1,1,
standing just outside of the paths of the opposite ends of the splints, as they are
moved along by the drum. (See Figure 3.)
While it is preferred to have the feed drum of the splint feeding mechanism con-
structed as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, that is, with its pockets having
elongated openings in their bottoms extending between the side plates or disks
of the drum, the invention is not limited to such construction, but contemplates
using instead, when desired, the form of feed drum shown in Figures 4 and 5,
having the pockets with their bottoms between the drum sides, each provided with
a series of openings do, do, communicating with the interior of the drum.
The operation of the feeding mechanism, constructed as hereinbefore described
and shown in the drawings, is briefly, as follows:
With the hopper supplied with splints, the feed drum rotating, and the clearer
plates F, F, and swinging hopper back actuated, as and by the means herein-
before set forth, the mass of splints in the hopper will be jarred by the swinging
back, so as to be caused to settle down in the hopper, and to take positions parallel
to each other and to the pockets of the feed drum, so that the splints in the lowest
layer in the hopper will be in position to drop into any unfilled drum pockets that
may be brought under them by the rotation of the feed drum.
Any splints falling into the drum pockets will be carried onward out of the
hopper, past the clearer plates F, F, which will kick back and keep away from
the exit opening in the hopper any unseated splints just above the drum periphery.
The contact of the drum periphery with the lower portion of the mass of splints
in the hopper causes those which may not be seated in the pockets of the drum
to be moved gradually forward against and under the fluted roller I, which, by its
weight, and by the engagement of its flutes with the splints, assists in straightening
out into parallelism with the other splints and the drum pockets, any splints which
may be lying crooked in the hopper or at an angle to the lines of the drum pockets.
As the lowermost unseated splints are forced along by the action of the feed
drum, the fluted roller I rises, if necessary to let thein pass, and rotates slowly.
The unseated splints, after they pass the fluted roller, being assisted by the
inward and upward swing of the clearer plates F, F, work gradually upward and
pass, without danger of clogging, up past the hopper front, and slowly travel over
the roller I back to the rear of the hopper again.
The striking of the plates F2, F, in pairs against the mass of splints not only
jars the mass, but also helps to straighten the splints into parallelism with each
other.
Owing to the lightness of match splints, and the frequent presence on the splint
sides of roughness, splinters and raised fibres, it has been found that it will not do
to rely upon the gravity alone of the splints to cause them to drop into the feed
drum pockets that may come below them in the hopper.
While the alternate packing together and loosening of the splints, caused by
the swinging of the hopper back, facilitates the dropping of the splints into the
drum pockets, because of their own weight, it does not ensure such dropping by
gravity, as the splints are not heavy enough to overcome even a slight resistance
in their falling, which may be due to friction against the adjoining splints not
over the drum pockets, but resting upon the tops of the ribs between such

page_text: pockets, or to fibres or splinters on such adjoining splints, or the ones which are
over the pockets.
To ensure the descent of the lowest splints in the hopper into any empty feed
drum pockets which may, by the rotation of the drum, be brought under such
splints, it has been found to be greatly advantageous to use a blast or blasts of
air, under pressure.
In the feed mechanism set forth herein, a blast of air is caused to be directed
through each of the passages,, downward and inward, at an angle, into the
lower portion of the mass of splints over the throats, . These blasts of air
entering the opposite sides of the mass, pass downward towards and through
throats,, so that, in their passage they press the splints downward towards the
pocketed periphery of the feed drum, the result being that, when any splint, sub-
jected to the pressure of the air, comes into position directly over the feed drum
periphery and below the passages 3,, it will, when an unfilled drum pocket
comes under it, be forced by the action of the air, down into such pocket, in spite
of friction between it and the neighboring splints, or the presence of such loose
fibres or fine splinters as are likely to exist upon the splints.
Some of the air will also pass downward through the open bottoms of the feed
drum pockets, or through the openings in the pocket bottoms, according as one
form of feed drum or the other is used, and will act upon the bodies of the splints
to force them towards and into the drum pockets.
.
The injection of air into the lower portion of the mass of splints is also of advan-
tage, in loosening up the splints just above the lowest layer in the hopper, and so,
facilitating their proper descent within the hopper without undesirable continued
packing or jamming.
When the hopper back swings outward the air blast will, obviously, assist in the
quick loosening and slight separation of the splints in the lower part of the hopper.
The air blast, as used, also performs another useful function, which goes to make
the action of feeding of the splints regular and uniform, for it will force out from
among the whole splints any dust, pieces of splints or chips, which otherwise might
collect in the lower part of the hopper, and so interfere with the entrance of the
good splints into the feed drum pockets.
With either form of feed drum, it will blow out chips, dust and pieces of splints,
from the hopper bottom through throats,, while, with the form of drum shown
in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, it will force any dust, splinters or broken splints,
which may come over or tend to lodge in the drum pockets, down through the
open bottoms of such pockets or through the large openings in the feed drum
periphery, into the interior of the drum, from which such dust, splinters or broken
splints will be carried out, either through the side openings d, d, in the drum,
or through the pockets or the large openings d³, d³, which may, at any time, be
upon the under side of the drum.
The guides L, L, overlapping portions of the splints in the pockets of the feed
drum beyond the hopper front, serve to prevent such splints from being forced out-
ward by any pressure of air within the feed drum until the splints reach the point
where they are to be shifted to the transfer device E.
Either of the large openings &³, d³, in the feed drum, will allow even a whole
splint, if lying crooked, to pass down out of the hopper, so that it cannot inter-
fere with the seating of the other properly situated splints, and both the air blast
and the heavy fluted roller I, will act to aid or insure the exit, from the hopper into
the feed drum, of such a splint, which, if it remained, would be most troublesome
in preventing the seating of splints in the drum pockets.
The lid G, which covers the forward portion of the top of the hopper B, is
to prevent any splints, when the hopper is kept filled, from working up and out
over the sides of the hopper, as the mass of splints is caused to rotate or work
upward in the front of the hopper and over towards the back, in the manner and
by the means hereinbefore described.
With the compressed air forced into the hopper, as shown and described, the

page_text: splints in the lower part of the hopper will be under pressure, tending to force
them downward towards and into the feed drum pockets, the upward pressure of
the air being overcome by the mass of splints above the points of entrance of the
air.
If it should be desired to have a greater pressure acting upon the lower splints
than would be overcome by the mass of splints above where the air enters, the
top of the hopper can be entirely closed, by extending the lid G, as indicated by
dotted lines in Figures 1 and 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
and a traveling pocketed feeder narrower than the opening of the hopper, and
taking directly from the latter, means for injecting a continuous current of air
under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere into the hopper at a point
below the top of the mass of splints therein, and in such relation to the feeder as
to force the splints in the lower part of the hopper towards the pockets of the
feeder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling pocketed feeder, narrower than the hopper interior, passing through
the hopper, so as to be in contact with and support the mass of splints or the
like therein, and means for injecting air under pressure greater than that of the
atmosphere into the hopper, at a point where it will engage the splints in the
lower part of the mass in the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
3. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling pocketed feeder moving past the open lower part of the hopper, so as
to be in contact with and support the mass of splints or the like therein, and having
one or more openings through the bottom of each of its pockets, and means for
injecting air under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere into the hopper,
at a point where it will engage the splints in the lower part of the hopper near the
traveling pocketed feeder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling pocketed feeder moving past an opening in the hopper, so as to be in
contact with and serve as a support for the mass of splints or the like therein, and
having in the bottoms of its pockets elongated openings, and means for injecting air
under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere into the interior of the hopper,
so that it will directly engage the splints in the hopper near the traveling pocketed
feeder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface moving past an opening in the hopper,
so as to be in contact with the splints in such opening, one or more openings in the
bottoms of the pockets, and large openings beyond the pockets, and means for
injecting air under pressure into the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
6. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface of a width less than that of the hopper
and than the length of the splints or the like to be fed, passing an opening in the
hopper, so as to be in contact with the splints or the like therein, and means for
injecting air under pressure into the hopper on opposite sides of the latter, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose shown.
7. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface moving past an opening in the hopper,
through which the splints or the like can fall down upon the pocketed surface of
the-feeder, such surface being narrower than such opening, and means for injecting
air under pressure into the hopper on opposite sides thereof at points near the
hopper opening, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,

page_text: a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface moving past an opening in the
hopper and made narrower than such opening, a source of supply of air under
pressure, and means for directing such air into the hopper on opposite sides thereof,
at points near the hopper opening, and in an inward and downward direction with
reference to such opening, substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
provided with an opening and with air passages extending into its interior on
opposite sides near the hopper opening, such passages being adapted to direct
the air at an angle downward and inward with reference to the hopper opening,
a source of supply of compressed air connected with the air passages, and a travel-
ing feeder having a pocketed surface moving past the hopper opening, made
narrower than such opening, and arranged to allow the air in the hopper to pass
outward between its opposite sides and the sides of the hopper opening, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
10. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
having an opening, a rotary drum with pocketed periphery moving past the
hopper opening and made narrower than such opening, a casing on opposite sides
of the drum, at a distance therefrom, ribs on such casing extending inward to
the sides of the drum and arranged to leave an open throat on each side of the
drum opposite the opening in the hopper, and means for injecting air under
pressure into the hopper, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
11. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
having an opening, a rotary feed drum with pocketed periphery moving past
such opening and made narrower than the latter, a casing having uprights on
opposite sides of the feed drum, provided with ribs extending inward to the sides
of the drum, except for a distance directly below the opening in the hopper, where
the ribs are arranged to leave a throat or passage downward between the drum and
casing sides, and means for injecting air under pressure into the hopper, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
having an opening, a rotary feed drum having a pocketed periphery, narrower
than such opening, a casing extending up on opposite sides of the drum, having,
on each side of the drum, a rib or plate extending inward to the drum side, and
running from a point to the rear of the hopper to a point below the hopper open-
ing, where it is provided with an upwardly extending part, and another similar
rib or plate, beginning at a point below the hopper opening, where it is provided
with an upward projection, and running forward to a point beyond the hopper,
a source of supply of air under pressure, and means for directing such air into the
hopper at points near the opening therein, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
13. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with the
hopper having an opening, and the two air passages, on opposite sides, extending
inward and downward with reference to the hopper opening, a source of supply
of air under pressure, connected with such passages, a rotary feed drum having a
pocketed periphery moving past such opening and made narrower than the latter,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
14. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with the
hopper having an opening, and the two air passages, on opposite sides, extending
inward and downward with reference to the hopper opening, a source of supply of
air under pressure, connected with such passages, a hollow rotary feed drum having
a pocketed feed periphery moving past such opening and made narrower than the
latter, and having the bottoms of the pockets provided with one or more openings,
communicating with the interior of the drum, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
15. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
having an opening, and means for injecting air under pressure into the hopper,
a hollow rotary feed drum made narrower than the hopper opening, revolving

page_text: in contact with the mass of splints in the hopper, and having, in its periphery,
pockets with elongated openings in their bottoms, made long enough to permit
the passage of pieces of splints or broken splints, with elongated openings in their
bottoms, made wide enough to permit the passage of pieces of splints or broken
splints, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
16. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
having an opening, and means for injecting air under pressure into the hopper, a
hollow rotary feed drum moving past the hopper opening, so as to form a support
for the splints or the like in the hopper, and having its periphery provided with
one or more series of pockets, each having a bottom arranged to support a splint
or the like at points near its end, and made open between such points, and one or
more large openings beyond the pockets, cominunicating with the interior of the
drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.
17. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper
and a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface moving past an opening in the
hopper, so as to engage and form a support for a portion of the mass of splints in
the hopper, a heavy, freely turning roller in the hopper, made capable of rising
and falling movement with reference to the feeder, and means for injecting air
under pressure into the lower part of the hopper, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
18. In a machine for feeding splints and the like, in combination with a hopper,
a traveling feeder having a pocketed surface moving below an opening in the
hopper so that the mass of splints in the hopper rests upon it, and having elongated
openings in the bottom of its pockets, adapted to allow the passage of broken
pieces of splints, and a heavy fluted freely turning roller within the hopper above
the feeder made capable of yielding freely upward away from such feeder, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose shown.
D1 th Th
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.