Improvements in Apparatus for Making Tubes or Cartons from Paper or the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by Messrs. THOMPSON AND NORRIS, Manufacturing
Company, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Tubes or Cartons from
Paper or the like.
I, JOHN NEWTON BEACH of 24 and 25 Hart Street Bloomsbury in the County of
Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to machines or apparatus for making cartons or tubes from
paper and the like and more especially to machines or apparatus of that kind or
class wherein a strip of paper is scored and folded into the form of a flattened
tube and the edges thereof united by a closing strip of paper or the like, glued or
gummed thereto.
The object of my invention is to improve the construction and increase the efficiency
and utility of the machine or apparatus now usually employed in the manufacture of
cartons for use in packing bottles for transportation and for other purposes from a
continuous strip of corrugated paper.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine or apparatus for making paper
tubes or cartons embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the underside of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the machine or apparatus.
Figure 4 is an end view of the same.
Figure 5 is a view showing the folder, detached and illustrating the peculiar form
of the folder bars, and the manner of mounting them.
Figures 5, 5, 5 and 5ª are detail views hereinafter described.
Figures 6 and 6ª are enlarged sectional views of the flattened tube at different
stages of its construction.
Figure 7 is a plan, and
Figure 8 a side elevation of another form of machine or apparatus for making
cartons or tubes of paper, embodying my invention which is adapted to rest, on
the floor.
Figures 9 and 10 are enlarged detail views hereinafter described.
Figure 11 shows a modification.
The machines or apparatus of this kind as heretofore constructed comprise a
guide for the paper on its way to the creasers, a creaser for forming longitudinal
creases in the strip of paper where it is to be folded, a folder, a gumming device to
apply gum or cement to a narrow closing strip of paper, which latter is pressed down
on the moving flattened tube and unites the abutting edges of the same, an endless
carrying belt of canvas for the flattened tube, the said belt being arranged under
the tube, and a steam heated chamber arranged over the moving tube and serving
as a drier. I do not wish to claim these features broadly. Such machines have
always been arranged to stand on the floor with the creasers, the gumming mechanism
and the heater above the moving strip or tube, and the guide, folder and endless
carrying belt below the strip or tube.
In the form of machine or apparatus constructed according to my said invention
which I preferably employ, 1 reverse this arrangement by inverting the said machine
or apparatus and suspending it from the ceiling of the room or from beams or
the like overhead.
Heretofore, the machine or apparatus above referred to has been employed for

page_text: +
making tubes or cartons from cross-corrugated paper which when cut to the proper
length are employed for encasing bottles to be packed for transportation.
My improved machine or apparatus is designed for the same purpose, but it may be
employed for making paper tubes for other purposes.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing which illustrate the preferred form of my
machine A represents any suitable framework to support the moving parts. This
framework is arranged overhead, and is secured to the ceiling of the room.
✗ represents the roll of paper from which the tube is to be formed, it is mounted
in suitable bearings or brackets in any well known manner, and the end of the
strip a, of paper from the roll is led over a roller a to an adjustable guide B which
keeps the strip straight and guides it into a creaser C. From the creaser the strip
passes through a folder D which folds the side flaps of the strip inwardly.
strip now has the form seen in the enlarged cross section Figure 6 in which
indicates the three longitudinal creases along two of which the strip is folded
and represents the nearly abutting edges of the inwardly folded flaps.
The
The folded strip passes on from the folder to the point where the closing strip
is applied. E represents any gumming device and Y the roll from which is led the
closing strip y. This is a narrow strip of paper, cloth or the like which receives
gum or other adhesive material, from the gumming device and then passes to the
folded strip .
The strip y is applied to the folded strip, in such a manner as to
cover the nearly abutting edges a Figure 6, of the said folded strip and to close
the joint and form a flattened tube as seen in Figure 6, which is an enlarged cross
section of the said tube.
When the strip y has been applied, the tube passes between two endless belts which
run face to face. The upper belt F which may be of canvas, is mounted on two
pulleys c and el, and extends the whole length of the machine, while the lower belt G,
which is of thin sheet metal, is mounted on two pulleys and d. Under the metal
belt G, is arranged the drier H which will usually be a tight shallow chamber of
metal, charged with live steam. The metal belt G is interposed between the steam
chamber and the underside of the tube, and the closing strip will in passing be next
to the said metal belt. The portion of the machine occupied by the drier H, may be
any desired or suitable length, the limited space on the drawing making it necessary
to represent this portion shortened. It should be understood however, that this
drying portion of the machine will be long enough to ensure the thorough setting
of the gum or cement before the tube emerges from the machine at the delivery
point Z.
of
y
I will now describe more particularly the details of construction of the machine.
The guide B consists of two similar bars b, b mounted like ordinary nuts on two
screw shafts b₁ b1, which are arranged transversely in the machine frame. These
shafts are provided with right and left hand screw-threads whereby, when they are
rotated, the two guide bars are moved toward or away from each other simultaneously
and the centre of the strip whatever may be its width, will always coincide with the
centre or axis of the machine. Each guide-bar 6 has an L-shaped cross section as
seen in the detail view Figure 5ª whereby the strip a is provided with an upright side
piece and a plane surface to move over. To provide for the rotation of both of the
screw-shafts simultaneously and thus preserve the parallelism of the guide bars, these
shafts are provided with sprocket wheels 22 on which is mounted a link belt 63 and
one of the said shafts is or may be provided with a suitable crank for rotating the said
wheels.
The creaser C consists of a bearing roller e, covered with rubber or some other
yielding material, and creasing discs e₁ (see Figure 5b) on a shaft e², the edges of said
discs being arranged to press the paper to be creased up to the bearing roller. In
order to be able to adjust the creasing discs, or set them nearer to or farther from one
another, I fix on the shaft e², two heads e³ ³ and connect these heads by screw-
threaded rods e which pass through apertures in the several creasing discs. Nuts es
on these rols, serve to fix the discs firmly in place after they have been properly
spaced and adjusted.

page_text: In order to be able to set the bearing roller e up to the creasing discs el so as to
make a deeper crease, I mount the said roller in eccentric bearings. This is illustrated
in Figure 5, wherein e represents an eccentric sleeve on the hearing of the roller e,
said sleeve being provided with a handle e' for rotating it. There will be a similar
sleeve on each journal of the roller. This roller is driven by a belt es seen in
Figures 1 and 2.
The folder D consists of two bars arranged parallel and extending lengthwise of the
machine, and having warped surfaces which turn over inwardly, the side flaps of the
strip as the latter passes through the folder. The form of these bars is illustrated in
Figure 5 in which the lower view No. 1 represents the receiving ends of the folder
bars ff and the upper views Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent transverse sections of
these bars at different points along the same. The warped surface of the folding
bar is such as would be generated by a straight line turning about a small circle as
a centre the line being tangent to said circle, said line having at the same time a
movement longitudinally of the folding bar. The object of this peculiar warped
surface is to turn the flaps of the stripe over flat, or without curving them, as is
done with folders as usually constructed.
This machine is designed to work on stiff and heavy paper and it is difficult to
fold it with the usual folders, as for example those used on an envelope machine
where the warped surface is not generated by a straight line. My improved folder
bends the strip along the crease only the flap turned over remaining flat. Two pairs
of rollers fbear on the strip along the lines of the creases, as the flaps are being
folded and provide a bearing or support for said strip. The bars of the folder may be
set nearer or farther from one another being secured by screws and nuts to slotted
transverse bars f¹ on the machine frame. The roliers are set out to the creases by
means of adjustable fingers 2, also secured by screws and nuts to two of the bars fi.
These rollers will be set to the back of the point where the folders begin to turn
the flaps inwardly from a vertical position and they require nothing to keep them
from moving outward on their shafts, the tendency of the moving strip and the
folders being to force them inward or toward each other. The fingers f² prevent any
inward movement and the rollers thus remain where they are set. In Figure 3 these
rollers are represented as standing with their peripheries far enough from the belt F
to permit a strip of thick cross corrugated paper to pass between them. The distance
these rollers stand from the belt will be governed by the thickness and character of
the paper used.
In order to keep the folded strip straight, I mount in the folder bars at the point
where the said strip emerges from the folder a guide g Figure 5º in the nature of a
blade set perpendicularly to the strip and standing in the narrow space (all in
Figure 6) between the abutting edges of the folded flaps. This guide and its function
will be best understood by reference to Figure 5 which shows it in position with
respect to the folded strip. The guide y consists of a guiding blade and an attaching
plate secured thereto; the edges of the latter plate engage recesses in the faces of
the folder bars and wedges are employed for securing it in said recesses. The
plate stands inclined to the plane in which the folded strip moves and its lower
advanced end stands close to said strip and serves to hold the edges of the flaps
between the faces of the folders up to the body of the strip and smooth out any
irregularities at said edges. At the same time, the blade g which stands between the
adjacent edges of said flaps, assures the alignment of the folded strip and its proper
presentation to the rollers through which the strip shall pass immediately after leaving
this guide.
While passing through the folder D, the strip is carried forward by the belt F
which is backed by a series of rollers rotatively mounted in the frame of the
machine. After the strip emerges from the folder it passes under pressure rollers h¹,
and over their respective bearing rollers and thence between the two belts F
and G. At this point the folded strip receives the closing strip y which comes from
the gummer. This latter strip, after leaving the roll Y passes over a roller i and
thence over the gumming roller which applies the adhesive material to it. The

page_text: roll is driven positively in a direction opposite to that in which the strip y moves,
and is supplied with gum from a reservoir in a well known way. The gum roller j
is driven independently of the other mechanism in order that it may remain in motion
should the machine be temporarily stopped; otherwise the gum would dry and cause
the roller to adhere to the strip y. After passing the gumming roller, the strip passes
over a guide roller k and thence to the drier.
I do not wish to limit myself to any special form of gumming device, nor do I wish
to claim that herein shown.
I do not consider the belt F, as absolutely essential to the operation of that portion
of the machine where the drying of the gum is effected, but I prefer to employ it.
It is less important where the tube is made from a continuous strip than where
short strips or sheets are being folded to form tubes.
The thin metal belt G, interposed between the drier H and the folded strip or tube,
is driven at the same speed as the tube; and while it serves to transmit the heat from
the drier to the tube, it interposes a shield to prevent the freshly gummed and moist
strip y from being rubbed off by contact with a fixed part, as is apt to be the case
where the said strip moves in contact with the surface of the fixed drier.
In order to provide the moving tube with a yielding pressure on its upper face, to
keep it pressed down upon the drier, I mount a series of rollers 1, on the frame of the
machine in position to rest upon the upper belt F; and these rollers are provided
with slotted bearings, so that they may rise and fall and thus adapt themselves to
inequalities in the tube.
Any suitable gearing, shafts, or belting may be employed for driving the machine.
That shown herein, comprises a driving shaft m, from which the gumming roller j,
is driven by a belt n. A belt o, from a pulley o¹, on shaft m, drives a clutch pulley P,
on a shaft q. From this shaft q, the belts F and G are driven by suitable gearing.
The bearing roller e of the creaser is driven from the shaft on which pulley c is
mounted. The metal belt G is provided with a tightening pulley .
The construction illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is the same as that above described,
except that the machine is inverted and changes made in some of its minor details
which are hereinafter described.
The gumming device is placed above the machine and the rol! Y is arranged above
the gumming roller. The pressure rollers 7, being now below the flattened tube,
cannot press thereon by gravity, and are pressed upward by springs under their
journals. This construction is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, in the former of which
a screws, for regulating the tension of the spring s', is shown."
Two driers may be employed, arranged one above and one below the tubes and
carrying belts. This is illustrated in Figure 11 which is a sectional elevation. In
this view, H represents the upper heater, arranged to replace the yielding pressure
rollers seen in Figure 3.
Sheets or short strips of paper may be formed into tubes or cartons by this machine,
as well as a long strip from a roll; and the tubes may be formed from plain as well as
corrugated paper. Usually, the closing strip y, will, be of tough paper, but it may be
of cloth for example. Any suitable adhesive material may be used for attaching this
strip, as glue, gum, paste etc.
Within limits, my machine is readily adjustable, laterally, to strips of different
widths, it being only necessary to adjust the guide B, creaser C, and folder-D, the
bearing rollers f*, forming a part of the latter. These parts will usually be set by a
tram, but the slotted bars f, may be graduated along the slots therein for convenience
in setting the folder bars.
The machine may be set in motion or stopped by means of the clutch I, shown in
Figure 4. This clutch is a well known device and will need no description.
The advantage in suspending the machine overhead lies in the economy of room on
the floor thus attained, and the advantage due to the use of the metal belt G, lies in
the increased speed which may be given to the machine, and the consequent increase
in the amount of work turned out. The yielding backing furnished by the rollers 1,
prevents the chocking of the machine; this latter difficulty is overcome by the rising

page_text: of the rollers to permit any obstacle to pass. In replacing the roll X by a new one,
the rear end of the leading strip will be overlapped by that which follows and this
will produce a lump or obstacle which will readily pass the yielding rollers 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a machine for making tubes or cartons, an adjustable creaser C, consisting
of a bearing pulley, a shaft e², provided with heads e³, screw threaded rods e,
extending longitudinally of the shaft between the said heads, a creasing disc or discs,
mounted loosely on the said shaft, the said screw threaded rods passing through
apertures in the creasing disc or discs and the nuts on the said rods, all arranged to
operate substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with the bars f, of the folder, of the bearing wheels f*,
free to move longitudinally on their shaft, and the adjustable fingers f³, for holding
the said wheels out to the line of the folding creases in the strip, substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination with the drier, and an endless belt arranged to move in
close proximity to the face of the drier, of a yielding backing, arranged on the side of
the belt opposite to the drier.
Fourth. The combination with an endless weighted and yielding carrying belt F,
and a drier E, the said belt running in close proximity to the face of the said drier,
of the endless metal belt G, running between the said drier, and the belt F, and at
substantially the same speed as the latter, as and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The combination with the drier and the endless belt F, arranged to move
in close proximity to the face of the drier, of the metal belt G, between the belt F
and the drier, and a yielding backing, composed of rollers 1, which bear on the
said belt F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. In a machine for making tubes or cartons, the combination with the
folder, of the guide g, mounted in the path of the joint a, between the nearly
abutting edges of the flaps of the folder strip a, and adapted to engage the said
joint, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh. In a machine for making tubes or cartons, the combination with the
folder, of the guide g, mounted in the path of and adapted to engage the joint ¹
between the nearly abutting edges of the flaps of the folded strip a, said guide having
an inclined attaching plate g', substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of October 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.