IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PACKING TEA AND OTHER SUBSTANCES INTO BOXES OR OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLEIE
DIECIFICATION.
I, JOHN DICK of 218 Saracen Street, Possil Park, Glasgow in the County of
Lanark North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PACKING TEA AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES INTO BOXES OR OTHER RECEPTACLES" and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for packing tea into boxes or
other receptacles and also for packing other substances.
The apparatus constituting the Invention consists as seen in part side elevation
and part vertical longitudinal section at figure 1; in plan at figure 2; in end
elevation at figure 3; in transverse section at figure 4; and in details of certain of
the parts at figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, of the drawings of an under frame or
platform A, preferably mounted on wheels and carrying two vertical end frames B,
bolted or otherwise secured to it. Above the table or platform A, another and
sliding or movable platform C, is situated the under side of which is formed or
furnished with rails running in grooved rollers or pulleys D, carried on shafts Ę,
supported transversely in the table A, as illustrated at figure 4. In a groove made
throughout the length of the platform C, a screw or screws F, is or are supported
in bearings and on each of the said screws two clamps G, are carried. Each shaft F,
has two threads made in opposite directions on it so that in turning the shaft the
clamps G, slide closer together or wider apart and are thereby adjusted to fit on
and secure firmly in position boxes or receptacles H, of any desired size these being
the boxes into which the tea or other substance is to be packed. On the drawing
two such boxes are shown to be simultaneously packed but the machine may be
constructed to pack only one or any desired number of boxes, one screw F, and a
pair of clamps G, being provided for each box. The screws are turned, to operate
the clamps, by handles or cranks a, fixed on shafts b, extending transversely across
the frame A, and carried in bearings bolted to the under side of the movable
platform C, a worm screw being formed or fixed on each shaft b, and geared with
a worm wheel c, keyed on the screw F. The holes in the frame A, through which
the shafts b, pass are slotted as seen at d, figure 1, to provide for the reciprocation
of the platform C,

page_text: At one of its ends the said platform is connected by a rod I, to a disc J, the
periphery of which is formed with a series of ratchet teeth. On the same shaft or
stud with the disc is centred a lever e, one of whose ends is connected to a vertical
link K, and its other end furnished with a pawl f, which is held in frictional
contact with the periphery of the disc J, by a spring or otherwise The link K,
works through a guide g, and at its upper end is attached to one extremity of a
rod L, which at its other end is connected to a crank disc M, secured on a horizontal
shaft N, carried in bearings in the upper parts of the vertical frames B. In con-
junction with the pawl f, is employed another pawl g¹, also bearing on the periphery
of the disc J, the said pawl when the pawl f, is travelling back to gear with
another tooth acting after the manner of a ratchet brace and preventing the disc
from rotating in the wrong direction By the rotation of the disc J, the platform C,
and with it the boxes H, is reciprocated alternately backwards and forwards each
movement consisting of two or more several increments.
In a bracket or frame O, extending between the vertical frames B, two arms P,
are so carried as to be capable of vertical motion. These arms are at their upper
ends connected to straps Q, one of which is acted upon by an eccentric 6, keyed on
the shaft N, itself and the other by a like eccentric keyed on a sleeve R, surrounding
a portion of the shaft as seen at figure 1. At their lower ends the arms P, have
each a horizontally projecting holder box or part through which passes a lower
arm S, preferably rectangular in horizontal section and at foot of each arm S, a
pressure or stamper plate T, is connected by a nut as indicated or by other
equivalent means.
The soles or plates T, are formed with a series of slots through which the tea or
other substance to be packed passes into the boxes H.
The connection between the arms S, and the upper arms P, is more particularly
illustrated by the enlarged detail views figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, of the
drawings of these; figure 5, is a side elevation of the connection; figure 6 is a
vertical section at right angles to figure 5; and figure 7 is a horizontal section of
figure 6. Figure 8, is a still larger view of a portion of figure 6, showing two
positions of the apparatus; figure 9, is a vertical section on the line x, x, figure 10,
which latter is a horizontal section on the line y, y, figure 9; and figure 11, is a
plau.
Each arm S, has on one side of it a rack h, with which is geared a toothed
pawl i, secured on a stud j, carried in brackets k, bolted to the upper stamper
arm P, On the stud j, is also secured a stop 7, which in its tail or rear part carries
a worm screw m, geared with a segment of a worm wheel formed on the boss of
the pawl i, and the stop l, is also connected to one of the brackets k, by a spring n,
as indicated at figures and 8, the whole arrangement of the pawl and stop being
capable of turning back as indicated in dotted lines at figure 8.
On the sides of the arm S, at right angles to the rack h, two strips o, of Lignum
Vitæ or other hard wood or soft metal or the equivalent of these are secured by
screws or otherwise, the said strips extending throughout the length of the arm.
In conjunction with each strip a brake shoe is employed as more particularly seen
at p, figures 9 and 10, the said shoes being carried on pins or studs q, in a lever
frame r, centred on two studs 8, screwed through opposite sides of the lower
horizontally projecting part of the upper arm P, which part is hollow as indicated
to receive an extension of the lever frame r. This extended portion is acted on
from its under side by a spiral spring t¹, and from its upper side by a rod u,
passing vertically in guides through the arm P, to the operating eccentric 6, before
referred to and by a secondary eccentric v, on the side thereof the said rod u, is at
times forced downwards so as to cause the brake shoes p, to grip the lower stamper
arm.
The whole apparatus is actuated from a wheel or crank U, centred on a shaft U¹,
whereon is also carried a spur pinion V, geared with a corresponding wheel V1,
centred on another shaft V2, which also carries a wheel W, geared with a wheel W¹,
keyed on the shaft N, and another wheel X, geared with a wheel X', keyed on the

page_text: sleeve R, surrounding a portion of the said shaft. The spur wheels employed are
preferably elliptical and so arranged that the motion of the stampers shall be
slowest at the time of pressing on and packing the tea or other substance.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows,
Before beginning to pack, a quantity of tea say to a depth of three to four inches
is filled into the bottom of each box H, The apparatus is then set in motion by
turning the hand wheel or crank U, whereby through the action of the eccentrics 6,
on the upper stamper arms P, the said arms are moved downwards carrying the
lower arms S, with them. During this motion and until the level of the tea is
reached the upper and lower stamper arms P, S, are connected together merely by
the toothed pawls i, gearing with the racks h, the stops 1, in conjunction with the
pawls bearing on the face of the racks and so preventing the pawls from being
moved downwards further than is indicated at figures 6 and 8, and thus also
preventing the lower arms S, from slipping.
When the upper stamper arms P, are at a distance from the extreme limit of
their downward movement (which distance may be regulated according to the
nature of the substance for packing which the machine is to be used but is with the
machine shown on the drawings supposed to be about one and one half inches from
the bottom of its stroke) the auxiliary eccentrics v, come into operation and acting
on the upper ends of the rods u, force the brake shoes p, into close frictional contact
with the wooden, soft metal or other strips o, on the sides of the arms S, whereby
the said arms are rigidly secured to the arms P, which latter continuing to descend
a pressing and packing action is exerted on the tea or other substance The
extreme limit of the downward strokes of the arms P, being reached the eccentrics v,
continue to act on the rods u, until the arms P, have moved upwards about one
inch when ceasing to act on the said rods the brake shoes p, are released by the
action of the springs t¹, on the lever frames », the connection between the upper and
lower arms P, S, again becoming only the connection of the rack h, pawl i, and
stop l.
To compensate for the continuously increasing depth of tea in the box, when the
presser T, comes in contact with the surface of the tea, if that contact be effected
before the upper stamper arm is at one and a half inches from the bottom of its
stroke the lower stamper arm S, remains stationary whilst the upper arm P,
continues to descend This movement of the arm P, rotates the pawl i, and stop l,
through an arc in the direction of the arrow fig 6, until the brakes p, are applied
and the arms P, S, again move in unison the said pawl and stop being brought
back into the position shown by the action of the spring n, immediately the
eccentrics v, cease to act on the rods u.
This arrangement also provides for irregularities in the amount of tea fed in
between each pressing action.
Between each downward stroke of the presser T, the table C, carrying the boxes
is reciprocated by the ratchet wheel J, and its connections so as to bring another
part of the surface under the solid and open parts of the presser by which means
an even and regular distribution both of material and pressure is effected without
shaking or vibrating the boxes as ordinarily and which in the case of tea is
objectionable as tending to settle the finer particles to the bottom of the box
instead of evenly distributing them throughout the mass.
When a box has been filled and an empty one substituted the pawl i, and stop 1,
are moved back and the stamper arm S, is then lowered to position to begin again
by turning the spur wheel 1, by means of the crank or handle 2, which at other
times is preferably removed from the spindle 3, on which the wheel 1, is keyed.
This backward movement of the pawl and stop may conveniently be effected by
turning the wheel 1, in the first place so as to give an upward motion to the arm S,
until the teeth of the pawl move out of gear with the teeth of the rack and whilst
the downward movement of the arm S, is being effected the pawl i, is held out of
contact by hand or otherwise,

page_text: 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 claim is
First In a machine for packing tea and other substances the general arrange-
ment and combination of apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the drawings annexed.
Second-In a machine for packing tea and other substances a table or platform
reciprocated horizontally with successive increments of movement in combination
with a presser having holes or passages through it and operating vertically
substantially as and for the purpose set forth with reference to the appended
drawings.
Third-In a machine for packing tea and other substances the combination of
an upper and lower stamper arm connected together and operating substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fourth In a machine for packing tea and other substances into boxes or
receptacles the combination of apparatus consisting of the eccentrics 6, v, arms P, S,
pawl and stop mechanism i, l, m, n, and brake mechanism u, r, p, o, arranged and
operating substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated thia Thintinth day of December 1984