IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Romanes, of Worthing, in the County
4
of Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES."
Sealed the 17th October 1873, and dated the 28th August 1873. .
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Romanes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th August 1873.
I, JOHN ROMANES, of Worthing, in the County of Sussex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES," to be as follows:-
―:
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery employed.
in the manufacture of goffered capsules.
Hitherto goffered capsules have been made by means of rigid dies or
by means of a series of articulated radiating blades acting in combination
with a grooved rod, such blades being arranged in a horizontal plane in

page_text: •
such manner that when the blank is laid on the top thereof and held in
such position between the ends of two shafts, on cach blade being
successively raised by a star wheel it enters one of the aforesaid grooves,
which are cut or fixed for that purpose on the extremity of one of the
said shafts and forms a pleat on the capsule, a succession of which is
thus formed round the entire outer surface of the capsule.
My Invention however consists in the employment for the manu-
facture of goffered capsules of mechanism arranged as follows, the acting
parts forming so to say a pair of folding or collapsible dies :-For this
purpose I connect a number of radial blades at their inner ends by pin
joints to a central rod, tube, or plate. At their outer-ends these blades
are pin jointed to guide links which are also pin jointed to a fixed ring
or plate. When the blank is placed in position in the machine, the
aforesaid radial blades are in a horizontal position and form with the
central rod, tube, or plate a table or support for the blank.
In connection with the aforesaid mechanism which acts as the lower
die I employ a plunger to which are also pin jointed a number of radial
blades, and these blades are also pin jointed at their outer ends to guide
links which are pin jointed to a slide capable of working upon the
aforesaid plunger.
In making a goffered capsule by machinery arranged according to my
Invention the blank is placed in position as before described, and the
plunger is caused to descend until in its motion the blank becomes held
between the two sets of radial blades forming the collapsible dies; the
motion of the plunger is further continued and in doing so it depresses
the rod, tube, or plate carrying the inner ends of the lower set of radial
blades, and causes the two sets of radial blades or collapsible dies to fold
simultaneously inwards towards the plunger, thereby folding the blank
into plcats around the plunger and between the two sets of radial blades.
When this is effected the lower set of radial blades is held stationary for a
time until the upper set with the plunger has been withdrawn from the
finished capsule, when the lower set of radial blades will be also raised
and opened out to free the capsule therefrom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Romanes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROMANES, of Worthing, in the County of Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-cight day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Romanes, Her special license that I,
the said John Romanes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Romanes, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Romanes, 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 John Romanes, 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 :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery employed
in the manufacture of goffered capsules.
Hitherto goffered capsules have been made by means of rigid dies or
by means of a series of articulated radiating blades acting in combination
with a grooved rod, such blades being arranged in a horizontal plane in
"

page_text: such manner that when the blank is laid on the top thereof, and held in
such position between the ends of two shafts, on cach blade being
successively raised by a star wheel it enters one of the aforesaid grooves,
which are cut or fixed for that purpose on the extremity of one of the
said shafts, and forms a pleat on the capsule, a succession of which is
thus formed round the entire outer surface of the capsule.
My Invention however consists in the employment for the manu-
facture of goffered capsules of mechanism arranged as follows, the acting
.parts forming, so to say, a pair of folding or collapsible dies:-For this
purpose I connect a number of radial blades at their inner ends by pin
joints to a central rod, tube, or plate. At their outer ends these blades
are pin jointed to guide links which are also pin jointed to a fixed ring
or plate. When the blank is placed in position in the machine, the
aforesaid radial blades are in a horizontal position and form with the
central rod, tube, or plate a table or support.for the blank..
In connection with the aforesaid mechanism which acts as the lower
die I employ a plunger to which are also pin jointed a number of radial
blades, and these blades are also pin jointed at their outer ends to guide
links which are pin jointed to a slide capable of working upon the
aforesaid plunger.
In making a goffered capsule by machinery arranged according to my
Invention the blank is placed in position as before described, and the
plunger is caused to descend until in its motion the blank becomes held
between the two sets of radial blades forming the collapsible dies; the
motion of the plunger is further continued and in doing so it depresses
the rod, tube, or plate carrying the inner ends of the lower set of radial
blades, and causes the two sets of radial blades or collapsible dies to fold
simultaneously inwards towards the plunger, thereby folding the
'blank into pleats around the plunger and between the two sets of radial
blades. When this is effected the lower set of radial blades may be held
stationary for a time until the upper set with the plunger has been
withdrawn from the finished capsule, when the lower set of radial blades
will be also raised and opened out to free the capsule therefrom.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying
.Drawings more fully to describe the same.

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical section of machinery arranged according to my
Invention to be employed in the manufacture of goffered capsules."
Figures 2, 3, and 4, represent plan views of various parts thereof.
I would here remark that my Invention consists in the employment
for the manufacture of goffered capsules of mechanism arranged as
follows, the acting parts of which form, so to say, a pair of collapsible or
folding dies :-
In carrying my Invention into effect I form the lower collapsible or
folding die of a number of radial blades a, which are at their inner ends
pin jointed to a central rod, plate, or tube b, by means of a wire ring
threaded through them and held in position as shewn by a ring 6. At
their outer ends these blades a are pin jointed to the upper ends of guide
links c, which are at their lower ends pin jointed to a fixed ring, plate, or
circular casting & by means of pins or short lengths of wire passed there-
through and held in position in a circular groove formed in the casting d
by means of a ring d. To the casting d is fixed a casting d³ which is
provided with a number of slots to receive the links c, and serve as
guides thereto. When the blank or disc of metal is placed in position
in the machine the radial blades a are in a horizontal position as shown
by the full lines in the Drawings, and form with the central rod, plate,
or tube 6 a table or support for the blank or disc of metal.
In connection with the aforesaid lower collapsible or folding die I
employ an upper collapsible or folding die constructed as follows:-To
the lower end of a plunger e are pin jointed at their inner ends, and in á
similar manner to the blades a, a number of radial blades f corresponding
in number to the blades a, but arranged to work intermediate thereof.
These blades are also pin jointed at their outer ends to guide links g
which are also pin jointed to a slide h by means of a wire ring threaded
through them and held in position by a ring ¹. The slide is capable
of working up and down on the plunger e on which is also mounted a
ring or slide to which is fixed a circular plate ; which is suitably
slotted to form guides for the links f, and this plate ; is mounted. with
capability of sliding up and down on the guide rods which at their
upper ends are connected to arms or supports 1, which at their inner
ends are connected to a tubular guide m which serves as a guide to the
.

page_text: I would here remark that the details of construction and the modes of
operating the various parts of the machinery herein described may be
modified without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is, the employment in the manufacture of goffered capsules of
machinery the acting parts of which form, so to say, a pair of folding
or collapsible dies constructed and operating in manner substantially as
herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Romanes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 24th day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.