An Improved Machine for the Manufacture of Cardboard Boxes or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for the Manufacture of Cardboard Boxes
or the like.
I, ALFRED GODFREY, of 14 Havergal Villas, Green Lanes, Wood Green, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for the manufacture of boxes of card-board,
or other equivalent material, and has for its object the construction and arrangement
of a mechanism whereby a blank of card-board or other material is fed into tho
machine either by hand or automatically, and is therein creased and folded, the edges
to be joined are coated with an agglutinant, pressed into position and dried, and the
completed box delivered from the machine automatically by a continuous series of
steps in the cycle of operations.
"
To carry my invention into effect I arrange a series of "formers upon any
suitable support adapted to revolvo about an axis. To each of these I apply a
gripper to receive and hold the blanks of card-board or other material, so that as the
formers" revolve about tho said axis the blanks are first folded down on one or two
sides by the action of curved plates during the relative movement of the formers and
plates to one another.
The further rotation of the said "former" then folds down the flap to be coated
with the agglutinant by contact of the blank with a second series of curved folding
plates, after which the edge of the blank folded down comes into contact with a roller
carrying the agglutinant on its periphery. The further rotation of the said
"former" folds the fourth flap down upon the adhesive edge, the two edges being
pressed into contact, by passing under a roller adapted with spring or other pressure
to force the two edges into intimate contact during their passage thereunder.
This pressure roller may, if desirable, be heated to, accelerate the drying of the
agglutinant. The further rotation of the box "former," causes the gripper to be
released, and brings the edge of the completed box against the end of a stripping
device which retains the box, strips it from the box "former," and finally delivers it
down a shoot or other equivalent arrangement. If it is desirable to crease the
cardboard or other material to a sharp corner, 1 arrange one or more flanged rollers
to press against the corner or corners of the box while in position on the "former."
The foregoing description refers only to open ended boxes or cases but if it is
desirable to form a box with a folded end, this can be éffected by bending the end flap
over the free end of the box "former" by a suitable bending device operated by the
mechanism.
The grippers are controlled automatically by a cam or other suitable device to grip
the card-board and release the completed box at the proper periods in the cycle of
operations. As it may be desirable to make the grippers grip the card-board before
the box "former" moves I may arrange for an independent movement of the cam or
other device to effect this purpose, and I may also apply a spring or springs to the
grippers or feed-board to hold the card-board in position until the grippers take firmly
hold of the blank.
In order to remove the roller carrying the agglutinant out of the sphere of operation
except for a certain period when the box is passing beneath I arrange the said roller

page_text: so that it is drawn-away from operative position automatically by a cam or other
equivalent mechanism.
The feeding of the blanks to the box "formers" is effected by rotary feeding arms
or equivalently by a feeding device which reciprocatos, so that the blank situated on
the feed tablo is pushed on to the "former" nnder the gripper.
I may if desirable arrange a travelling tape or an inclined board to feed the blanks
down on to the feed board from whence they are pushed into the grippers by the said
rotary arms or reciprocating feed device.
To obtain accuracy of side lay I may employ a side lay devico preferably oporated
automatically by the machine.
These blanks can be placed on to the food hoard by hand or equivalently they may
be fed forward automatically by suitable mechanism from a pile of boards.
A convenient method of operating the machine is by means of a ratchet wheel
and awl, the wheel having a corresponding number of teeth to the number of
formers" employed, the ratchet being carried by an arm or lever upon the axle
of the support carrying the box "formers," so that the movement of the arm through
n given are produces the movement of the "former" through its proper increment of
rovolution to produce ench step in the cycle of operations.
The movement of the feeding device may be offected in a similar manner but in
alternate intermittent movement with the "former," so that when the feeding takes
place the box "former" is still, and when the said "formor" moves, the feeding
device is not feeding blanks to the "formers."
Dated this 27th day of February 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for the Manufacture of Cardboard Boxes or
the like.
I, ALFRED GODFREY, of 14, Havergal Villas, Green Lanes, Wood Green, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to machines for the manufacture of boxes of cardboard, or
other equivalent material and has for its object the construction and arrangement of
a mechanism whereby a blank of cardboard or othor inaterial is fed into the machine
either by hand or automatically and is therein creased, and folded, the edges to be
joined are coated with an agglutinant pressed into position, and dried, and the
completed box delivered from the machine automatically by a continuous series of
steps in the cycle of operations.
To carry my invention into effect I arrange a series of "formers" upon any
suitable support adapted to revolve about an axis. To each of these apply a
gripper to receive and hold the blanks of cardboard or other material, so that as the
"formers" revolve about the said axis the blanks are first folded down on one or two
sides by the action of curved plates during the relative movement of the "formers"
and plates to ono another. The further rotation of the said "former" then folds
down the flap to be coated with tho agglutinant by contact of the blank with a
second series of curved folding plates, after which the edge of the blank folded down
comes into contact with a roller carrying the agglutinant on its periphery. The
further rotation of the said "former" folds the fourth flap down upon the adhesive
edge, the two edges being pressed into contact by passing undor a roller adaptod with
spring or other pressure to force the two edges into intimate. contact during their

page_text: passage thereunder. This pressure roller may if desirable be heated to accelerate
the drying of the agglutinant. The further rotation of the box "former" causes the
gripper to be released, and brings the edge of the completed box against the end of a
stripping device which retains the box, strips it from the box "former" and finally
delivers it down a shoot or other equivalent arrangement. If it is desirable to crease
the cardboard or other material to a sharp corner arrange one or more rollers to
press against the corner or corners of the box while in position on the "former."
The foregoing description refers only to open ended boxes or cases but if it is desirable
to form a box with a folded end, this can be effected by bending the end flap over
the free end of the box former" by a suitable bending dovice operated by the
mechanism.
The grippers are controlled automatically by a cam or other suitable device to grip
the cardboard and release the complete box at the proper periods in the cycle
of operations. As it may be desirable to make the grippers grip the cardboard
before the box "former" moves I may arrange for an independent movement of the
cam or other device to effect this purpose, and I may also apply a spring or springs
to the grippers
or feed board to hold the cardboard in position until the grippers take
firmly hold of the blank.
In order to remove the roller carrying the agglutinant out of the sphere of operation
except for a certain period when the box is passing in proximity to it I arrange the
said roller so that it is drawn away from operative position automatically by a cam
or other equivalent mechanism.
The feeding of the blanks to the box "formers" is effected by rotary feeding arms
or equivalently by a feeding device which reciprocates so that the blank situated on
the feed table is pushed on to the "formers" under the gripper.
I may if desirable arrange a travelling tape or an inclined board to feed the blanks
down on to the feed board from whence they are pushed into the grippers by the said
rotary arms or reciprocating feed device.
To obtain accuracy of side lay I may employ a sido lay device preferably operated
automatically by the machine. These blanks can be placed on to the feed board by
hand or equivalently they may be fed forward automatically by suitable mechanism
from a pile of boards.
A convenient method of operating the machine is by means of a ratchet wheel and
pawl, the wheel having a corresponding number of teeth to the number of box
"formers" employed, the ratchet being carried by an arm or lover upon the axle of
the support carrying the box "formers," so that the movement of the arm through
a given are produces the movement of the "former" through its proper increment of
revolution to produce each step in the cycle of operations. The movement of the
feeding device may be effected in a similar manner, but in alternate intermittent
movement with the "former" so that when the feeding takes place the box "former"
is still and when the said "former" moves the feeding device is not feeding blanks to
the "formers."
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I will now proceed
to describe the same in relation to the accompanying drawings hereunto annexed
reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an end view of same.
Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the whole mechanism detached from its frame.
Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of the feeding mechanism.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the mechanism for driving and controlling the glueing and
pressing rollers.
Fig. 7 is a view of the cam fitted with means for altering and adjusting its peripheral
surface for making boxes of different depths.
Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the "former," gripper, cardboard, and first
bending device ready to commence the first step in the series of operations. Fig. 9
is a side view of same, the direction of travel of box and "former" being shown by
the arrow.

page_text: Fig. 10 shows the card after the 1st step the top corners of the box being pressed
by rollers into proper shape against the "former."
Figs. 11 and 12 show the under bending device performing the second step.
Fig. 13 shows a spring for bending down the narrow right-hand flap ready to
receive the glue.
Fig. 14 shows the bottom corners being pressed by rollers and the glueing roller
applying the glue to the flap.
Fig. 15 shows the sido springs which press the sides of the box against the
"former" while the left-hand flap is pressed down upon the glued edge of the
right-hand flap.
Fig. 16 shows the jointed box passing under the prossing roller.
Fig. 17 shows the "former" being stripped of its foruned box by the shoot.
Figs. 18 and 19 show views of a modified former" combined with special springs
for forming the corners perfectly square and planishing them.
Upon a suitable frame-work A Imount a shaft a which carries a series of arms u'
upon which "formers" a are arranged. These "formers are the devices upon
which the hoxes are made and in the present case aro four in number; each "former"
has arranged in connection with it a pivotted gripper B which is adapted to hold
the cardboard on the former" by means of a spring b. Each gripper B has an
extending arm on which is situated a tripper stud b which is arranged to co-act with
a cam surface in order to control the grippers.
Upon the shaft a I fixedly mount a ratchet wheel C having as many teeth as there
are formers or grippers. In connection with this ratchet wheel I arrange a pawl
lever carrying a pawl e to engage with the ratchet wheel. The pawl lover c is
operated by a connecting rod c from a disc crank D mounted on a shaft d, the throw
of the cinik D being such as to move the pawl lever c through an angle of
90 degrees.
The cain E for operating the grippors is in the form of a sector of a circle and is
provided with a boss by which it is loosely engaged upon the shaft a.
The upper or leading-on edge e is bevelled off to permit of the gradual engagement
therewith of the tripping studs 6 of the grippers B.
The cam E is normally held in position by resting upon an abutment el carried
by the framing A. This abutment can bo provided with a screw for adjusting the
normal position of the cam.
It will be observed that as the arms a rotate, the tripping studs b' engage with
the cam E at the point e thus opening the grippers and maintaining them in an
open position until the studs & trip over the end of the cam E. Upon the cam E
I mount a projecting arm F which is adapted to come in contact with the pawl lover c
so as to engage with the cam E and turn it about the axis of the shaft a when tho lover c
is reaching the loft-hand end of its arc of movement on the return stroke in such a
way that the tripping stud of the gripper B which is at the timo ongaged by the lower
end of the cam E shall when the cam is moved about its axis be tripped over the end
of the cam and thus allow the gripper to be closed by its spring.
From the pin c of the connecting rod c 1 take another connecting rod G to a pawl
lever g having a pawl g' which is adapted to ongage with a ratchet wheel g² situatod
on the shaft g³.
Above the shaft g³ I arrange a feed table H which extends from the front of the
machine down to the circular path of the grippers and upon the shaft g³ I mount a
pair of cruciform devices one on each side of the table each having four feeding
arms and each arm having a recess or notch situated at its outer end.
It will be seen that the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel g" are disposed in the
converse position to one another by which it follows that when the one is being
operated by its pawl the other is stationary, the pawl of the latter slipping up the
inclined face of the ratchet tooth ready to make the next movement in the opposite
direction.
A blank of cardboard for forming the box is laid upon the feed table H and ono
pair of the feeding arms pushes the cardboard off the feed table into tho gripper

page_text: which is hold open by its tripping stud engaging on the cam E and in order that the
feeding arms shall not continue to move any further after the gripper has closed 1
arrange special mechanism for restraining such further movement.
This mechanism consists of a restraining cam K fixedly attached to the shaft g' as
also are the feeding arm and a driving collar k.
The ratchet wheel g² is loosely engaged upon the shaft 93 and drives the collar k
through a spring carried thereon the end of which spring engages with two adjusting.
screws carried by the collar k.
Upon a suitable part of the frame-work I pivotedly mount a pawl one end of.
which engages with a restraining cam & and the other end engages with an eccentric
carried by the shaft d; the pawl being kept in contact with the periphery of the
eccentric by means of a spiral spring .
On the underside of the gripper when in its lowest position I arrange two inclined
bending dovices L which are pivottedly connected to the frame-work A and are spring
pressed by the spiral spring 1. attached thereto.
These devices are situated one on each side of the "former" and are adapted to
bend the laterally projecting parts of the card board blank down upon the former.
This operation is illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 8 and 9. Immediately to
the right hand side of the bending devices L'I arrange rollers M which are preferably
made of india-rubber or other equivalent material in order to compress the edges that
have been formed by bending the sides down. This step is illustrated diagrammatically
in Fig. 10.
To the right of the roller M in Fig. 3, I arrange a second set of bending devices N
inclined in an opposite direction to the bending devices L. These devices N are also
pivotally mounted and spring pressed by the springs n. Their approximate form and
function is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 11 and 12 from which it will be seen
that they bend the downwardly disposed flaps of cardboard around the bottom corners
of the "former."
Two further rollers m similar to the rollers M are adapted to roll the lower corners
of the box upon the former.
As the former and gripper move in their revolution the narrow flap of the box on
the right-hand side is further folded down by passing under the spring n which step
is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 13.
A glueing roller O is arranged to apply liquid glue to the edge of the narrow flap
as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 14, the left-hand flap of the card board being
held away from the glueing roller by a guard ml.
On the further movement the wide flap on the left-hand side is brought down upon
the narrow glued flap by means of the spring o mounted on the framing, the sides of
the box being kept up against the "former" by side springs o' also situated on the
frame-work A. This is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 15.
The box then passes under the pressing roller P in order to force the flaps of the
box into contact with one another which is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 16.
I arrange a series of springs upon the frame A which maintain a pressure upon
The further
the jointed flaps after they have passed from beneath the roller m.
movement of the box drives it up between the sides of the shoot p where it comes
in contact with stops p' arranged upon the shoot; when the box arrives at this
position the gripper B opens by its tripping stud 61 having engaged with the
cam E and as the former continues to move the box is stripped from it and finally
rests upon the tail 62 of the succeeding former which by its curved form allows
the leading end of the box to tilt itself up to clear the stops p so that on the
next movement of the machine the completed box is sent down the shoot p.
The box being stripped from its former" is diagrammatically illustrated in
Fig. 17.
As it is desirable that the glueing and pressing rollers O and P should not come in
contact with any part of the machine and only with the box when it is situated
beneath then I have devised a special mechanism to effect this purpose. .This.consists
:

page_text: of a cam roller Q which is fixedly mounted upon the shaft a and which is provided
with flats which coincide with the outer face of the "formers."
The shaft of the pressing roller P is carried upon a lever q pivotted on tho
frame A and carries a wheel which is adapted to engage with a cam Q.
The lever q is spring pressed by a spring
The glueing roller O is adapted to revolve in a tank lt for holding liquid glue; the
roller being mounted upon a shaft. carried in bearings on the tank It.
Upon the shaft I arrange another wheel which is adapted to engage with and
roll upon the cam Q so as to control the position of the glueing rollor 0.
The tank R is mounted upon a lever pivotted to the frame A and is pressed
upwards by as spring so as to forco the wheel against the cam Q. This arrange
ment is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6 and it will be seen from Figs. 3
and 6 that this arrangement only allows the glueing and pressing rollers to enter
their sphere of action when and only when a "former" is situated or is moving
in their proximity.
In order to provide a simple means of adjustment for varying the periphery of
the cam Q so as to deal with boxes of varying depth arrange movable pieces S
with means for adjusting them outwards at varying distances from the centre and
in order that all four may be moved out simultaneously and to the same extent
I fit a four faced cans upon the shaft a the faces of which engage with the
ends of the movable pieces S when any definite position has been obtained, the
movable pieces S may be rigidly fixed in their position.
The formers" a are if desirable made detachable from the armis a' so that
"formers" for boxes of various sizes may he fitted to the machine.
In order to allow of "formers" of various widths being used I arrange the various
bending and holding devices so that those on one side are fixed on the main frame
work A while those on the other side are fixed upon a part of the frame A' which is
adapted to be adjusted laterally to or from the centre of the machine.
In order to form the edges of the boxes perfectly square, or with a projecting
corner, may construct the "formers" with sides having projecting edges such as
those shown in Figure 18 or the formers may be made with the spaces of hollow
formation, the object being to bend the cardboard to less than a right angle in order
that when the box is complete its sides shall be flat and its corners right angles and
thus avoid a barrel formation. Further this arrangement. Eo sots up the corner us to
conceal the edge of the flap at the joint. In conjunction with this "former" I
arrange pressing devices which are elastically controlled and are adapted with contacts
suitably shaped to compress the cardboard round the raised corners of tho "former"
this is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 18 and 19.
In order to allow for variation in the size of cards cut and to maintain the register
of the outside flap to be folded down with the gripper, I arrange on the feed table a
fixed lay to guide the edge of the outside flap and on the other side of the feed table
I mount a spring pressed lay so as to always maintain a fixed feeding position for the
ontside flap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
"
1st. In a box making machine a "former" or "formers" adapted to revolvo about
an axis, and a gripper arranged to each "former to grip the cardboard in
combination with bending devices.
2nd. In a box making machine a "former" or "formers" adapted to revolve about
an axis, a gripper arranged to each "former" in combination with means adapted to
operate and control the grippers during their movement in a circular path and
bending devices adapted to fold the cardboard or other material about the "former"
during its movement.
3rd. In a box making machine a travelling "former or "formers," a gripper to

page_text: each "former" in combination with means for controlling the grippers to hold and
release the blanks and means for folding down and bending the blanks.
4th. In a box making machine, a "former" or "formers," a gripper to each
former," means for controlling the grippers, bending devices for folding down and
bending the blanks during the movement of the "former" or "formers," in
combination with a feeding device adapted to feel the blanks in to the grippers.
5th. In a box making machine a "Tormer" or "formers," a gripper arranged to
each "former," bending devices adapted to fold and bond the blanks during the
movement of the "former" in combination with a glueing device and pressing device
to joint the flaps of the box.
6th. In a box making machine, a "former" having projecting corners, a gripper
to the former in combination with a bending device constructed to bend the blank to
less than a right angle at the corners of the box around the projecting corners of the
"formers."
7th. In a box making machine, a "former" or "formors" adapted to revolve about
an axis, a gripper to cach "former," in combination with a cam mounted to revolve
with the "former" or "formers" and glueing or pressing devices or both adapted to
be controlled by the said cam.
8th. In a box making machine, a detachable "former" or "formers" adapted to
revolve about an axis, a gripper to each "former" adapted to grip the blank in
combination with a cam having adjustable faces to correspond with the number of
"formers," and glueing and pressing devices adapted to be controlled by the said cam,
in order to make boxes of various depths.
9th. In a box making machine, a "former" or "formers," a gripper to each
"former" in combination with two sets of folding and bending devices, one set being
fixed definitely on the main frame of the machine and the other set being mounted on
a part of the framework adapted to be laterally adjusted relative to the main
framework, to suit "formers" for making boxes of different widths.
10th. In a box making machine a feeding device having a fixed lay in combination
with an elastic lay adapted to press the blank against the fixed lay substantially as and
for the purpose described.
11th. In a box making machine, the combination of mechanism for operating the
"former" and grippers, substantially as described.
12th. In a box making machine the combination of mechanism for feeding the
blanks into the grippers, substantially as described.
13th. In a box making machine the means for stripping the box from its " former "
and delivering it substantially as described.
14th. The arrangement and construction of a box making machine, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of January 1896
FELL & JAMES,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.