Automatic Machine for Manufacturing Cylindrical Paper-tubes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Machine for Manufacturing Cylindrical Paper-tubes.
I, CHARLES FREROT, of 220, Rue de Vesles, Reims, France, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a machine for manufacturing cylindrical tubes
of any length and diameter, to serve especially as cartridge sockets, for sending
samples and printed matter by post and like purposes. This machine is dis-
tinguished by the use of strips of paper thinly tapered at the two edges, in order
to obtain a perfectly smooth surface on the inside and outside, for the sticking of
the holding part on the inside of the tube, the said holding part being introduced
into the slit of the mandrel; finally, the machine allows of the simultaneous use of
two slips of paper, one in thick paper to form the tube, the other in fine covering
papers.
The machine is composed of a table firmly fixed on legs connected by cross-bars;
at one of its extremities a transmission shaft is fixed perpendicular with the
longitudinal axis of the machine, and driven by any motor by means of pulleys,
this motion being transmitted to the different parts by the afore-mentioned shaft
and by a shaft parallel with the axis of the machine and receiving its motion from
the former.
At the other end of the machine two cylinders are placed, turning freely on
supports an upper one on which the strip of thick paper is rolled and a lower
one, on which the thin covering paper is rolled; the two strips are passing between
two cylinders pressing on each other, driven by gearing of the lateral transmisssion
shaft in such a way that the strip of thin paper which on leaving its roll, passes
over a cylinder and is plunged into a box filled with glue is stuck regularly on
the thick paper.
On leaving these cylinders, the two strips glued together, pass over a fixed bar,
descending and rising drawn by two cylinders with intermittent movement, which
shall be mentioned hereafter; between the two bars the double strip passes under
a drum which keeps it stretched by its weight or drawn by a spring.
The two intermittent moving cylinders are driven by a tappet fixed on the lateral
transmission shaft afore-mentioned; but before introducing between these cylinders
the two slips of paper pass between 4 brushes arranged transversally with the paper
in order to raze the borders of the paper; these brushes plunge into a bath of
water and serve to moisten the edges of the paper, to facilitate the gluing after the
winding up. The intermittent cylinders, at each revolution of the machine develop
the length of a strip necessary for making a tube.
This sheet is detached from the slip by means of straight shears formed of a
fixed counter-blade and of a movable blade driven by a tappet arranged on the
lateral transmission shaft.
The sheet is brought to the mandrel by a large clutch formed of an upper
movable jaw and of lower fixed branches: the whole fitted on two vertical supports
attached to a carriage placed under the table of the machine.

page_text: The carriage slides on a bar below the said table, and is moved by levers
driven by a large tappet wedged on the principal transmission shaft placed at the
extremity of the machine.
An arrangement adapted to the clutch lifts its upper jaw during its motion
towards the fore-part of the machine; this jaw falling back at the end of the course
of the clutch in order to hold the sheet and to draw it during the backward motion of
this clutch, which introduces the sheet into the slit of the mandrel, arranged in a
suitable manner; another arrangement lifts the jaw when the clutch is at the
end of its backward course, in order to return and take another sheet to be
rolled.
At the moment the sheet stops before the mandrel and while it is still held in
the closed jaws, the mark is stamped upon the slip: for this purpose tappets
placed near the extremity of the principal transmission shaft, are driving by
means of levers, the inking cylinders which turn in the grooves of a small frame,
in order to raze, for inking, the marking stamp moved by the said levers, at each
revolution of the machine.
The sheet, one border of which has been introduced into the slit of the mandrel,
is drawn by the latter, around which it is rolled when it rotates under the action
of the lateral transmission shaft and gearing.
Also
When this movement is about to begin, a small circular brush with continuous
rotatory motion which has received a band of glue in a box, by means of a lever
moved by a tappet fitted on the afore-mentioned shaft, deposits this glue on the
mandrel, then withdraws by means of a tappet fitted like the preceding one, and
returns again to clean the tube during the last revolutions of the mandrel.
at the moment of the rolling up, a compressing plate, fitted at the extremity of a
lever moved by a tappet fitted like the preceding ones, is applied tangently under
the mandrel in order to press the spires upon one another and to drive away the
excess of glue removed by the brush.
As soon as the tube is finished and the mandrel stopped, a ring lifts the tube
out from the mould by pushing it towards the extremity of the mandrel and forces
it upon another cylindrical mandrel (tube) of the same diameter without slit.
This ring is connected with a rod sliding horizontally on supports and driven
by a system of articulated levers, the last of which is moved by a crank fitted on
the axle of a cog-wheel gearing with another cog-wheel wedged on the principal
transmission shaft, forming an intermittent gearing, and is drawn back by a
spring. In arriving on the said tube, the holding part which remained inside the
mandrel during the rolling up is applied and pressed against the interior of the
tube where it is glued.
Symmetrically with the above mentioned cylindrical tube and on the other
side of the same nave, another similar tube is fitted; the whole at each turn of the
machine, makes a semi-revolution around an axle perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of the machine and is driven by means of conical gearings by the lateral
transmission shaft; the effect of this movement is to bring each of the two
cylinders alternately into the prolongation of the said mandrel.
As soon as the paper tube is pushed on the tube mandril which faces the
mandrel, the semi-revolution is effected whilst another strip rolls upon the said
mandrel.
On the system a movable frame is fitted on the cylindrical tubes by the two small
sides forming the tubes lifting ring.
The extremity of the mandrel is so arranged in order to glue directly the holding
part to the inside of the tube and to withhold the excess of glue which might have
remained in it; for this purpose two or more annular grooves are made in the
mandrel, the first with a trapezoidal section, the others with rectangular section,
the intervals remaining cylindrical.
When the tube is lift out from the mould the holding leaving the slit meet
with the inclined face of the first groove, on which it lies in such a way that,

page_text: on arriving on the cylindrical part, it falls back on the interior of the tube where
it is stuck to it.
Dated this 17th day of March 1898.
L. DUVINAGE
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.
Automatic Machine for Manufacturing Cylindrical Paper-tubes.
I, CHARLES FREROT, of 220, Rue de Vesles, Rheims, France, Manufacturer, 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:
automatic manner
This machine has for object to manufacture in an
cylindrical tubes of paper or paper board in all diameters, shapes, and lengths, more
particularly for use as cartridge cases, boxes, envelopes for sending samples, &c.
In addition to the general arrangement, it also comprises as compared with those
heretofore employed, various new and improved parts as also novel devices such
as follow:.
(1) The use of paper strips which are thinner on their two edges.
(2) New methods of moistening and guiding the strip.
(3) A new construction of large tongs for conveying the sheet of paper to the
mandril.
(4) A new roller carriage carrying said large tongs.
(5) A new method of removing the tubes from the mandril.
(6) Tubes made with the beginning of the coiling, pasted inside.
The accompanying drawings illustrates the subject of my invention. Figure 1
is a side elevation of the machine. Figure 2 is a plan. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are
cross sections of the machine, and Figures 6 and 7 are views showing different
mandrils.
DESCRIPTION.
General Operation. The machine consists of a table mounted on three feet that
are stayed together. The motion received by the pulleys 1 is transmitted to the
several parts of the machine by means of the transverse shaft 2 and the
longitudinal shaft 3.
The strip of paper is mounted at one end of the machine
on the supports 4 in which it can turn freely when drawn by the drawing
cylinders 5 that have a continuous rotary motion. The moistening of the edges
is effected before it enters said cylinders by means of brushes and circular
rollers 6, 67, 71 and so on. On leaving the cylinders 5 the strip moves freely
down and moves up again, being drawn by the cylinders 8 having an intermittent
motion and which at each revolution of the machine push forward the quantity
of paper 18 which is necessary to form a tube. This sheet 18 is separated from the
strip by means of a scissors arrangement consisting of a fixed counter blade 19
and of a movable blade 20 operated by means of a roller 21 mounted on the
plate 22. The sheet 18 is carried to the coiling roller 23 by the large tongs
mounted upon the roller carriage which receives its to and fro motion from the
large cam 35 by means of the levers 36 and 37. The movement of rotation which
draws the sheet 1S around the mandril 23 is imparted to the latter by means of
gearing 38, 39 having an intermittent motion. At the moment of coiling the
brush 40 gives the necessary paste and then cleans the finished tube. Also during
the coiling a plate 42 (known as the "marble or "compresser ") which is mounted
"

page_text: on a lever 43 oscillating on an axle 44 and operated by the cam 45, comes under
and bears up against the mandril for the purpose of tightening the paper spirals
upon one another and driving off the excess of paste which is removed by the
brush 40. As soon as the tube is finished, a ring 47 pushes it off the mandril in
such a manner that it is deposited upon a chain 77-77 which carries it down
slowly into a box 87. During this descent the tubes are subjected to the action
of a current of air inside a shaft or chimney 88.
Thinning and Moistening the Paper-In my system of machine, the winding or
coiling of the tubes is effected transversely to the strip in such a manner that the
edges of the latter form the commencement and the end of the coiling. This has
the great advantage, (by thinning in advance, on a special machine, the two
edges).
(1) Of facilitating the pasting in the case of papers of all kinds and of the
greatest thicknesses.
The
(2) Of suppressing in the interior of the tube as also on the outside thereof, all
extra thickness so that the surfaces remain perfectly smooth and even.
pasting of the beginning and of the end of the coiling is further facilitated by
the moistening of the edges of the strip by means of circular brushes and
rollers 6, 61 and 7, 71, which are mounted transversely and tangentially to the
strip the brushes 6, 61, being situated above and the rollers 7, 71, below. As the
strip moves along, the edges thereof are moistened by passing between the brushes
and the rollers that have a continuous rotary motion. With this object the rollers
dip in water or in paste contained in a basin 9, moisten their lower parts and give
the water or the paste to the brushes which moisten the top of the strip. The
brushes and the rollers are mounted (Figure 5) upon a support 10 which allows of
regulating the distance between the same, first, as regards height for the purpose
of moistening with greater or less intensity, and second, horizontally to suit the
width of different strips. Motion is imparted to them from the longitudinal
shaft 3 by means of an endless chain 11 and the wheels 12, 13. The pasting of
the edge which is made to take place at the commencement of a coiling is further
ensured by means of another roller 14, which has a continuous rotary motion and
is mounted tangentially below the strip at the entrance to the coiling mandril.
This roller receives its motion through the gear wheel 15 and the chain 16 and
takes from the basin 17 the paste which it deposits upon the sheet as it moves
along. The roller 14 allows of dispensing if required with the moistening of the
same side in which case the brush and roller 71 are omitted.
Large tongs mounted upon the roller carriage. This part which is designed to
feed to the coiling mandril, the sheet intended to form a tube, consists of a
machine having a lower fixed arm 24 and an upper arm 25 which is movable on
an axle 26 and is adapted to be thrown out of gear by means of levers 27, 28. The
mounting of the axle of oscillation 26 parallel to the travel of the strip, has the
result of causing the movable arm 25 to rise and to move down parallel to the sheet
of paper which it holds with a more uniform grip than do existing tongs whose
motion is oblique to the sheet. The movable arm 25 is keyed on the axle 26 and
on the other end of the said axle there is also keyed a bent lever 27 which is
provided with a knob 29. The second lever 28 pivots freely on an axle 30, and
is provided with a notch 31 corresponding to the knob 29. The whole is carried
by two uprights 32 which are fixed upon a carriage which rolls along a bar 33 by
means of rollers 34. The alternating to and fro motion is imparted to the carriage
by the large cam 35 that acts upon the levers 36 and 37.
When the tongs are in motion for the purpose of grasping the sheet, the jaws
are open. For this purpose the lever 27 and consequently the arm 25 are kept
raised by means of the notch 31 engaged under the knob 29. At the moment
when the tongs have arrived at the end of their travel and have just stopped, a
vertical lever 48 which oscillates about an axle 49 and is operated by the cam 50
causes a bar 51 to operate and to meet the top of the lever 28 so as to draw the
latter backward until the notch 31 releases the knob 29, at which moment the
arm 25 being pulled by the spring 52 closes upon the sheet.

page_text: The tongs are then returned to the rear together with the sheet of which they
introduce the edge into the slit of the mandril 23. When the tongs have arrived
at the end of their travel a lever 53 operated by a cam 54 causes the jaws to open
and release the sheet by raising the lever 27 until the notch of the lever 28 being
pulled by the spring 55 comes under the knob and engages therewith.
Coiling and Removal.-The tube is formed by coiling the sheet 18 around the
mandrel 23 and it is fed along automatically by the edge of the sheet which has
been introduced into the slit. As above stated a brush places upon the mandril for
each sheet the necessary paste which it receives from plate 41 and it cleans the
finished tube. Furthermore a compresser 42 presses the sheet against the mandril
and drives off the excess of paste during the whole period of the coiling. As soon
as the mandril has stopped, a ring 47 removes the tube by pushing it off the
mandril. This ring is fixed to the end of a bar 56 which is held and slides
horizontally in rollers 57 which are mounted in pairs in an adjustable manner on
supports 58. Motion is imparted to the bar 56 in the following manner:-
:-The
transverse shaft 2 operates through an intermittent gear wheel 59 a shaft 60 upon
which there is keyed a crank plate 61. This plate actuates through a connecting
rod 62 a first lever 63 which transmits its motion to a second lever 64 through a
connecting rod 65. Also the lever 64 operates the bar 56, through the connecting
rod 66. This arrangement has the great advantage of providing an easy adjust-
ment of the travel of the tube-removing ring. According to the lengths of the
tubes and of the great gentleness of motion of said ring in long extents of travel;
the ends of its travel correspond with the dead centres of the crank plates.
Paste Boxes. In order to allow of using plates which can only be used when
hot, I make the paste boxes 9, 17, 46, double; and in each case the inner box which
contains the paste dips into the hot water which is contained in a second box and
which is maintained at the desired temperature by means of gas, circulation of hot
water; steam or any other means.
Repasting the Edge Inside the Tubes.-By edge I mean the edge of the sheet of
paper which was introduced into the slit in the mandril for drawing the paper.
In the usual mode of manufacture, this edge remains loose inside the tubes, which
is very inconvenient for certain uses requiring tubes having perfectly smooth
surfaces. Now the mandril which I have invented and which is hereinafter
described, pastes automatically this edge at the moment of removing
the tube from the mandril. Figure 6 shows an arrangement for producing said
result. The slit 23 remains straight as far as the notches, of which the first
one, 70, has a trapeze-shaped form in section. On leaving the slit, the edge meets
the inclined face of the notch 70 and is forced to lie down so as to come in
between the tube and the mandril. A baffle or deflector 71 may be provided in
the notch for the purpose of facilitating this turning down of the edge. Figure 7
shows another arrangement of the mandril which may be adopted when the tubes
are made upon a machine in which the sheet of paper enters in the mandril, on
the outlet or removing side and for which reason therefore the slit must extend
as far as the end to allow of the entrance of the edge.
This arrangement differs from that shown in Figure 6 only by the provision of.
a groove 76 which is formed in the end and is parallel to that of the mandril and
slightly beyond its prolongation. This groove allows of the entrance of the edge
which in passing out is situated in the same conditions as in the arrangement,
shown in Figure 6.
Chain for Carrying Down Tubes.--At the end of the mandril 23 there are
arranged two chains 77, 77, a certain number of the links of which are provided
with hooks 78. The two chains are mounted parallel on ratchet wheels 79 and 80;
the two upper ones 79 being keyed on the axle 81, and the two lower ones S0 being
keyed on the axle 82. Upon the shaft 81 there is also keyed a ratchet wheel 83. The
whole is situated slightly beyond the prolongation of the mandril in such a manner
that each tube at the moment when it is removed and suitably guided, shall move
on to the top of the chains upon two corresponding hooks. Then the ratchet

page_text: ratchet 83 rotates to the extent of one tooth and so moves the chains to the necessary
amount to allow two other hooks to take the place of the preceding hooks and to
receive the next following tube. Motion is imparted to the ratchet wheel from
the longitudinal shaft 3 by means of the cam 84 which acts upon a lever 85 that
carries a pawl 86. As the machine continues to work, the tubes move successively
on to the chains and are carried down slowly so as to fall to the bottom of the
machine into a box 87 placed there for that purpose.
Drying. I surround that part of the chains carrying the tubes with a shaft or
chimney 88 which is open at top and bottom and through it I cause to pass an
energetic current of air which may be heated or not. For this purpose on one of
the sides there is arranged the inlet of a duct 89 into which the air is discharged by
means of a fan 90. The air escapes at the top and at the bottom, after having
passed round the tubes. The tubes arrive at the bottom in a sufficiently dried
state on their surface to allow of their being left to dry completely in the stack
or when piled up.
I declare that these two last described devices for carrying down and drying the
tubes are not claimed as forming part of my present invention, but
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:-
(1) In the manufacture of cylindrical paper tubes, the use of strips of paper
thinned at their two edges and more particularly at the edge which commences the
coiling inside the tubes, said thinning having been heretofore applied only to the
edge that ends the outer coiling, as set forth.
(2) In the manufacture of cylindrical paper tubes, a new method of moistening
with water or with paste by means of circular brushes and rollers which moisten
the upper and lower sides of the strip at one and the same time, as also the
pasting at the entrance on to the coiling mandril, as- set forth.
(3) In a machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes, the new large tongs
for conveying the sheet to the coiling mandril, having a single jaw which opens
and closes parallel to the paper, and the device for disengaging the same, as set
forth,
(4) In a machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes, the mounting of
said large tongs as specified in the preceding claim upon a roller carriage for doing
away with friction, as set forth.
(5) In a machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes, the new con-
struction of coiling mandril which pastes directly that part or edge of the paper
which has served for drawing the same, as set forth and shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
(6) In a machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes, the method of
suspending or guiding by means of rollers the tube-removing ring and the bar to
which the said ring is attached so as to obviate all oblique strains and all friction
upon the mandril, as set forth.
(7) In a machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes the method of
operating the tube-removing ring by means of an intermittent gearing, crank plate,
levers and connecting rods, as set forth.
(8) A machine for manufacturing cylindrical paper tubes constructed, arranged
and adapted to operate substantially as herein before described and shown.
Dated this 19th day of December 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.