IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL BOXES FROM SHEETS OF METAL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jabez James, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford
Street, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL BOXES FROM SHEETS OF METAL
Scaled the 4th August 1874, and dated the 15th June 1874.
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jabez James at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th June 1874.
I, JABEZ JAMES, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford Street, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE Manufacture of CYLINDRICAL BOXES FROM SHEETS of
METAL OR OTHER MATERIAL, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cylindrical boxes of
sheet metal, such as tin plate, or of sheets of other suitable material,
such as cardboard, and to the construction and operation of apparatus
for that purpose.

page_text: The boxes to which my Invention applies consist of two parts, the
body of the box and the lid. Each of these parts is made in one piece,
the bottom with a cylindrical side projecting upwards from it as a deep lip
or flange, and the cover with a like lip, generally of less depth, projecting
down from it. In order that the box may rest steadily its bottom is
made at its edge with an annular rim projecting a little below the general
level of the bottom. Also an annular rim is formed on the cylindrical
side of the body, projecting therefrom a little below the edge of its lip,
so that when the lid is put on the latter this rim prevents it from being
pushed down too far. In manufacturing these boxes I cut or punch
from sheets of the tin plate or other material used discs of suitable size.
I place one of these discs on a mould under a stamper or striker which
may be worked by steam like a steam hammer. The head of the striker
is made of the size of the interior of the box or lid, and the mould is
made to fit it externally. Within the mould is a sliding core kept up
by a strong spring below it, and over the mould is fixed a retaining ring
through the hole of which the striking head passes. When the striker
is made to deliver its blow it forces the disc down into the mould,
causing its edge to be bent upwards as a lip or flange and forcing down
the core below it. As the striker is made to rise, the core being pressed
upwards by its spring forces the punched disc out of the mould, and the
retaining ring strips it off the rising striker. For punching the box
bodies the striker is made with a rim projecting at its edge, and the core
with a corresponding recess so as to produce the desired rim round the
edge of the bottom. The discs thus flanged when they are to be used as
lids are inserted in a hollow revolving chuck, and have their edges
trimmed off true by a cutting tool held in a slide rest. The flanged
discs which are to constitute the box bodies are also inserted in a hollow
revolving chuck, and are in like manner trimmed at the edge. They
have also the projecting rim formed on their cylindrical sides in the
following manner:-In the hollow chuck there is formed an annular
recess corresponding to the exterior of the rim which has to be formed.
On a slide rest is mounted a spindle on the end of which is fixed a disc
somewhat smaller than the interior of the box, and having on its edge
an annular projection corresponding to the interior of the said rim.
When the box body is inserted in the hollow chuck the disc is advanced
into its interior, and the slide rest on which it is mounted is moved by a
lever or screw so as to make the disc press upon the interior of the box
at one side. The chuck being made to revolve the spindle and disc are

page_text: also caused to revolve by friction, the projection on the latter forcing
the material of the box body into the annular recess in the chuck so as
to form the projecting rim thereon, whereupon the body is removed
from the chuck.
It is obvious that a similar mode of manufacture and apparatus of
like kind is applicable for boxes of forms other than truly circular, such
as oval or elliptical boxes, the rests for the trimming tools and for the
disc for rimming being in such cases made to oscillate so as to suit the
deviation from the circular form.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jabez James in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JABEZ
JAMES, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford Street, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jabez James, Her special license that
I, the said Jabez James, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Jabez James, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CYLINDRICAL BOXES FROM SHEETS OF METAL OR OTHER MATERIAL, AND APPARAtus
THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jabez
James, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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

page_text: Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jabez James, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:
-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cylindrical boxes of
sheet metal, such as tin plate or of sheets of other suitable material,
such as cardboard, and to the construction and operation of apparatus
for that purpose.
The boxes to which my Invention applies consist of two parts, the
body of the box, and the lid. Each of these parts is made in one piece,
the bottom with a cylindrical side projecting upwards from it as a deep
lip or flange, and the cover with a like lip generally of less depth projecting
down from it. In order that the box may rest steadily its bottom is
made at its edge with an annular rim projecting a little below the
general level of the bottom. Also an annular rim is formed on the
cylindrical side of the body, projecting therefrom a little below the edge
of its lip, so that when the lid is put on the latter this rim prevents it
from being pushed down too far. In manufacturing these boxes I cut or
punch from sheets of the tin plate or other material used discs of suitable
size. I place one of these discs on a mould under a stamper or striker
which may be worked by steam like a steam hammer. The head of the
striker is made of the size of the interior of the box or lid, and the
mould is made to fit it externally. Within the mould is a sliding core
kept up by a strong spring below it, and over the mould is fixed a
retaining ring through the hole of which the striking head passes.
When the striker is made to deliver its blow it forces the disc down into
the mould, causing its edge to be bent upwards as a lip or flange, and
forcing down the core below it. As the striker is made to rise, the core
being pressed upwards by its spring forces the punched disc out of the
mould, and the retaining ring strips it off the rising striker. For
punching the box bodies the striker is made with a rim projecting at its
edge, and the core with a corresponding recess so as to produce the
desired rim round the edge of the bottom. The discs thus flanged when

page_text: they are to be used as lids are inserted in a hollow revolving chuck, and
have their edges trimmed off true by a cutting tool held in a slide rest.
The flanged dises which are to constitute the box bodies are also inserted
in a hollow revolving chuck, and are in like manner trimmed at the
edge. They have also the projecting rim formed on their cylindrical
sides in the following manner:-In the hollow chuck there is formed an
annular recess corresponding to the exterior of the rim which has to be
formed. On a slide rest is mounted a spindle, on the end of which is
fixed a disc somewhat smaller than the interior of the box, and having
on its edge an annular projection corresponding to the interior of tho
said rim. When the box body is inserted in the hollow chuck the disc
is advanced into its interior, and the slide rest on which it is mounted is
moved by a lever or screw so as to make the disc press upon the interior
of the box at one side. The chuck being made to revolve the spindle
and disc are also caused to revolve by friction, the projection on the
latter forcing the material of the box body into the annular recess in the
chuck so as to form the projecting rim thereon, whereupon the body is
removed from the chuck.
It is obvious that a similar mode of manufacture and apparatus of
like kind is applicable for boxes of forms other than truly circular, such
as oval or elliptical boxes, the rests for the trimming tools and for the
discs for rimming being in such cases made to oscillate so as to suit the
deviation from the circular form.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus which I employ
for punching or stiking up the bodies and lids of boxes, which I have
shown in the figure as in the act of punching a box body.
A is part of the head of a hammer or striker worked by steam or other
convenient power. To this head attach a punch B, the lower part of
which is made to fit the interior and bottom of the box. This punch in
its descent enters a fixed matrix or mould C made to fit the exterior of
the box. A plunger or sliding corc D fitting the mould C is pushed
upwards by a spring D' till it is stopped by its shoulder D, the top face
of the corc D being then level with that of the mould C., On the upper
face of the mould C is formed a recess terminating at c, c, of such size
as to hold the sheet of material S to be punched. A retaining ring E

page_text: pressed upwards by springs E', E', is held down by bolts and nuts E³,
so that its face presses on the sheet S laid in the recessed face of C. I
prefer to make the bolts and nuts E, E², with screw threads right-
handed on the one and left-handed on the other, so that in working the
nuts to adjust the pressure of the ring E on the sheet S I turn them in
opposite directions, which I find more convenient in practice. The
punch B is surrounded by a ring F which is pressed on by a powerful
spring F¹ placed between it and the striking head. It is to be under-
stood that on one side or front of the mould C the raised edge c is cut
away to admit of the introduction of the sheet S that is to be punched.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows :-The striking head A with
its punch B and ring F being raised clear above the retaining ring E, a
flat sheet S of the proper size is introduced between E and C at the side
where the lip c is removed, and is pushed in till it is stopped by the
remaining part of the lip c, whereby it is properly centered. At this
time the core D is pressed up level with the face of C, and the sheet S
rests partly on it and partly on C. The ring E is then by turning the
nuts E² made to press on the sheet S so as to grip its outer edges with a
certain degree of pressure. The striker A is then made to descend,
whereby the punch B forcing down the core D before it presses down
the middle part of the sheet S, drawing its outer edge from under the
ring E over the rounded edge of the mould until the flat sheet is con-
verted into a box body contained between the punch B, mould C, and
.core D. The striker A is then raised, and the core D following it
pushes the punched box out of the mould. When the box hugs the
punch B, the ring F being pushed down by the spring F', thrusts the
box off the punch. The box or lid when it leaves the punching
apparatus has the appearance shewn in the side view, Fig. 2, with an
edge somewhat irregular and ragged.
The next operation is to trim off this irregular edge so as to make
the box or lid of the desired height, and sometimes in the case of the
box to form a raised rib or bead on its periphery, as shewn in the side
view, Fig. 3.
I will first describe the apparatus for trimming off the edge and
raising the said bead. Fig. 4 is a plan of this apparatus; Fig. 5 is a
front view; and Figs. 6 and 7 are side views of the two slide rests which
form part of it as I will now explain..

page_text: h
A lathe mandril G driven by any convenient motor has on its end a
hollow chuck E (shewn in sectional plan in Fig. 4) preferably lined
inside with steel and of the depth of the box or lid when finished, with a
groove / corresponding in form and position to the bead which is to be
raised on the periphery of the box. In front of the chuck H are two
slide rests I and J. The one slide rest I carries a cutting tool i which
may either be a knife tool, as shewn in. Figs. 4 and 5, or may be a
revolving cutter, as will hereafter be described. The tool i being
properly fixed in the slide rest so as to coincide with the face of the
chuck H the movement of the slide requires only to be in a direction
towards or from the axis of the mandril, which movement is effected by
a lever pivotted on the base of the rest and connected to the slide by
links. The other slide rest J is fitted to have both longitudinal and
lateral movement, and is also made adjustable as to its angular position
in relation to the mandril by fixing it on the bed of the machine with
bolts passed through circularly slotted holes. The longitudinal move-
ment of this rest is given by a screw in the ordinary way, worked by
a handle applied to the end of the screw at j, and a setting screw j' with
a lock nut is provided to stop the forward movement where required to
suit the depth of the hollow chuck H. The lateral or transverse move-
ment of the slide J is effected by a lever j², as described, in reference to
the slide I. The slide J carries a frame in which is mounted a mandril K
free to revolve. This mandril terminates in a head / somewhat smaller
than the box or lid to be operated on, and having a projecting bead
corresponding to the bead to be formed on the box. In operating
with this apparatus the rest I being drawn back so that the point
of the cutting tool i is outside the hollow part of the chuck H, and
the rest J being also drawn back from the chuck and from its axis so
that the head k of the mandril K is some distance away from the
chuck H the rough box is put upon the head k which is thereupon
advanced by working the slide rest J till the head and box enter the
hollow of the chuck H, whereupon by working the levers j and i' the
box is pressed by the head / against the interior of the chuck at the
side next the cutting tool, and at the same time the cutting tool is
advanced against the edge of the box. The friction resulting from the
pressure of the box against the interior of the chuck is sufficient to make
it and the head revolve so that the cutting tool removes the rough
edge as it turns, at the same time the bead on the head / presses the
material of the box into the groove in the chuck so as to raise or emboss

page_text: the bead on its periphery. When this is effected the two slides are
drawn back from the axis of the mandril by the levers and the slide J
is drawn away from the chuck H by its screw, the finished box is taken
off the head k, another rough box is placed upon it, and the action is
repeated.
Fig. 8 represents a plan of a chuck and mandril head suited for boxes
or lids finished without a raised bead and the mode of applying a
revolving cutter L instead of a knife tool to trim off the edge. This
cutter is mounted by a pin on the slide rest I, so that by the movement
of he slide rest it is advanced along the face of the chuck H, when the
box placed on the head is held therein and caused to revolve by
friction; the cutter L when pressed against the revolving box is caused
to revolve and cuts off the rough edge of the box.
It is obvious that in the apparatus described in reference to Figs. 4 to
7 a revolving cutter, such as L, could be employed in lieu of the knife
tool i.
For trimming boxes of other than circular form the apparatus is
somewhat modified, as shewn in Fig. 9, which is a plan with the chuck H
in section; Fig. 10 which is a front view of the chuck, and Fig. 11
which is an end view of the mandril K and its head with the revolving
cutter L adapted to trim a box of rectangular shape with rounded
corners. In this case the box is made to enter only a part of its depth
into the hollow of the chuck, and it is guided to enter in the way that
it will fit by means of a guide stud h¹ projecting a little from the face of
the chuck, the side of the box as it is advanced towards the chuck being
caught in the first place by the stud h¹ so that the box is turned to the
proper attitude for entering the hollow of the chuck. Also the cutter L
is in this case made with a projecting cylindrical part 7 which bears
against the box when it is pressed towards it by the rest I.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. The combined process, substantially as herein described, for
manufacturing boxes from sheets of metal or other material by first
stamping the flat sheet to raise the required rim or flange and then
trimming off the edge of the rim, and at the same time embossing
when required a raised bead on the side of the box,.

page_text: Second. The use for the operation of trimming and embossing above
referred to, of apparatus consisting of a revolving hollow chuck in com-
bination with two slide rests, one of which carries a cutting tool and
the other supports a mandril constructed and operating substantially as
hosein desenihod
In witness whereof, I, the said Jabez James, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.