Improvements in Ball Making Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Making Machines.
I, WILLIAM HENRY Cox of No. 53 Oxford St., C-on-M Manchester, in the
County of Lancashire, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved Machine for the manufacture of hollow
caoutchouc balls, and which is of the following description.
I provide a hollow metal ball divided into four or any convenient number of
segments. Each of these segments are hinged at the base to a moveable stem,
which works in a hole bored to receive it in the middle of the bed plate of the
machine. This stem is actuated by a lever or otherwise.
Midway between the bottom and top of each segment I hinge a short connecting
rod which is secured at the other end to an adjustable joint fastened to the bed
plate of the machine, by suitable screws.
On the mioveable stem being worked up and down by the lever or otherwise,
the segments open and shut simultaneously.
The edges of the segments are bevelled off inside, leaving a sharp cutting edge
on the outside which fit accurately together when closed, so as to cut off all super-
fluous caoutchouc or rubber not required to form the ball inside.
The ball is made from one piece of sheet caoutchouc or rubber, which is placed
on the segments when opened out by raising the lever; and the ball is formed by
depressing the said lever till the segments close up.
By this action the sheet of caoutchouc or rubber is folded, cut to shape and the
edges amalgamated together automatically.
The balls thus made are placed in moulds and vulcanised in the usual way.
WILLIAM HENRY COX
Applicant.
Improvements in Ball Making Machines.
I, WILLIAM HENRry Cox, of 53, Oxford Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester,
0 in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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:
This invention relates to a machine for the manufacture of hollow balls.
In a machine manufactured according to my invention, and which I will now
5 describe with the aid of the accompanying drawings, a single sheet of unvulcanized

page_text: caoutchouc, or other similar substance, is primarily formed into a hermetically,
sealed bag, by gathering up the edge of the sleet, cutting away the superfluous
caoutchouc, and nipping the several edges together. There is thus produced a
hermetically sealed bag of caoutchouc, which is subsequently vulcanized and dis-
tended to form a spherical ball in the manner hereinafter described.
In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 a side view,
and Figure 3 a plan, of the machine according to this invention. Figures 4 and
shew the machine opened and ready to receive a sheet of caoutchouc. Figure 6
is a detail.
A, A1, A2, A3, are four inwardly curved and pointed metallic plates, which will
herein be termed "petals," forming when closed--as shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 6-
four sides of a chamber. Within this chamber the aforesaid caoutchouc bag is
formed. The petals A are hinged to the square top of a plunger B, and are
spread out and closed as follows. Attached to the petals A, by means of pin
joints, are four rods C, C1, C2, C3, whose lower ends are jointed to a cross-head D,
adapted to slide vertically upon a stem E', which forms part of a flange E³, which
latter is bolted to the bedplate E. Vertical motion is imparted to the crosshead
by the hand lever l' fulcrumed on the stem E¹ and coupled to the crosshead by
the links F. The four petals A. are yoked by the links G, G1, G2, G3, to the four
adjustable stop-blocks H, H1, H2, H3, which are secured to the bedplate E by the
bolts h. By slackening the bolts the blocks H may be adjusted in their seats
by the set screws h¹, in order that the petals may meet accurately. The plunger B
is free to move vertically in the bored-out portion of the stem E. Therefore
when the hand lever is moved to the position dotted in Figure 2, the cross-head D
and rods C push the plunger B into the raised position, shewn in Figure 4. During
this action, the yokes G pull the petals A apart, so that they assume the outspread
position shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
It will be seen on reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6, that the petals A possess a
sharp cutting edge a, which edges are bevelled inwardly so as to form-when they
abut a wedge-shaped space a¹ (Figure 6).
In operation the petals A are spread out, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5, by raising
the lever F. A sheet of un-vulcanized caoutchouc, which, in order to secure
adhesion of the cut edges as hereinafter described, has been by preference pre-
viously coated on its upper surface with a solution of caoutchouc, or other suitable
adhesive solution, is then pressed within the outspread petals and so that the edge.
of the sheet projects slightly above the petals. At this stage a pellet or tissue-
paper bag of any suitable chemical substance which, upon being heated will evolve
a gas, is then placed on the caoutchouc within the petals, for the known purpose
hereinafter appearing. The lever F is then depressed, so as to close the petals A
upon the caoutchouc which they embrace. During this action the petals pucker
and gather together the sheet of caoutchouc, and finally, as their edges a meet,
they cut off the superfluous caoutchouc and, simultaneously, the severed edges are
nipped in the spaces a¹ formed by the bevelled edges of the petals, so that the
adhesive solution on the sheet effects an hermetical joint. The petals are, then
opened and the caoutchouc bag is removd.
It will thus be seen that the cutting of the caoutchouc sheet, and the cementing
together of the severed edges are affected by the closing together of the petals A.
The subsequent treatment of bags produced by the machine above described,
whereby they are transformed into spherical balls, may conform with the present
practice of caoutchouc ball makers, namely, they are placed in iron moulds having
spherical cavities, and the moulds are subjected to heat, whereby the halls are
vulcanized. Such heat causes the chemical substance which was placed within
the caoutchouc bag to evolve a gas, the pressure of which forces the caoutchouc
against the wall of its spherical cavity and so produces a spherical ball. The
removal of such gas and the substitution of pure air under pressure may be effected
as at present.

page_text: Although the machine illustrated is adapted to be operated by hand, it must be
understood that it may be adapted to be driven by steam or other power.
It must also be understood that the number and shape of the petals A will vary
with varying requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A ball making machine in which hollow balls are shaped, cut, and cemented,
in one operation, from a single sheet of caoutchouc, or other similar substance,
substantially as described.
2. A hollow ball making machine constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
J. A. COUBROUGH
Registered Patent Agent (Qual. by Exam.)
10, St. George's Crescent, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicant.