Improvements in Machines for Bending, Creasing, and Pinching Cardboard or similar Materials.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
Improvements in Machines for Bending, Creasing, and Pinching
Cardboard or similar Materials.
I, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham, in the
County of Cheshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved and rapid means for
bending, creasing, and pinching cardboard. straw board, leatherboard, aud similar
materials, in the manufacture of cardboard boxes, or for other purposes.
In carrying out the invention I mount the bending tools longitudinally upon a
pair of rotating shafts as described in my Patent No. 4115/95. The boardi
passes between the pair of tools as the shafts rotate, and they form a crease
or bend the full width of the board during the short period that they grip and
operate upon it.
The tools are constructed and mounted in such a manner that they have a pinching
or biting action, which, at the same time that the board is bent or creased, compress
or crush the walls of the crease, in such a manner as to prevent breaking of the
board, and yet render it sufficiently pliable to be capable of being easily bent or
folded at the crease.
Various forms of tools may be used for this purpose, the same or a similar effect
being already producible by machines which have a vertical or reciprocal motion.
Such machines are all very slow in operation, and the purpose of this invention is to
effect the same result in a more rapid way by mounting the tools so that they rotate
and act upon the board rapidly.
A convenient arrangement is to mount a blunt knife or metal strip upon one
shaft, say the upper one, and a pair of bending bars or clamps upon the other shaft.
When the complimentary tools meet each other the kuife fits in between the bars,
and the board is thereby forced into the groove formed by them; the bars then
If desirable,
approach nearer to each other and so grip or pinch the board.
either the knife or the pair of bars may have a reciprocal motion also, which will
cause them to approach nearer together, or in other words cause the knife to enter
deeper into the groove.
The necessary movements of the bars and knife to effect this may be given by
cams, or other suitable means, and aided by springs or other devices for obtaining
the desired gradual and yielding pressure during the gripping action. One, two, or
more sets of tools may be mounted on the same pair of shafts, in order to make a
corresponding number of creases for each revolution.
The tools are made adjustable around the shafts to enable the creases to be made
at any desired distance from the edges of the board.
This may be done in various ways, but a convenient method is to mount two or
more arms or discs loosely upon each shaft, and secure one of the tools to these
armis or discs, so that the whole forms part of a skeleton roller. The shaft carries
two or more fixed discs to which the rotatable arms or discs may be clamped by set
screws or other means. These rotatable arms or discs have teeth formed on their
edges which gear into similar teeth formed on the corresponding portions or other
half of the same set of tools. Therefore, when the knife is adjusted around its

page_text: shaft, the pair of bars are simultaneously adjusted around their shaft, after which
all are securely clamped to their respective shafts. The cams or other devices
for giving movement to the bars or knife, as hereinbefore mentioned, are also
adjustable.
In most cases one pair of shafts or drums, carrying two complete sets of tools,
and making two parallel creases.in one board, will be sufficient; but in some cases
it may be desirable to increase the number of drums in the same machine, in
proportion to the number of creases required.
After the board has received the required number of parallel creases, it goes
into another part of the machine that forms creases at right angles to the first set.
This is done by duplicating the parts of the machine, and turning the board
45 degrees between the first and second portions of the machine.
In feeding the machine, the board is laid to gauges on a feeding table, whence it
is carried by endless tapes, gripping or draw rollers, or other suitable mechanism,
into the first set of creasing apparatus. After passing through this.the. board may
be thrown on to a delivery table against gauges, from whence it is carried by other
similar.tapes or mechanism into the second set of creasing apparatus, which works
at right angles to the first; or the table upon which the board is thrown after
leaving the first creasing apparatus may revolve through a right angle, after which
the board is carried forward to the second creasing apparatus, which is, in this case
in line with the first set..
The apparatus herein before, described permits of the creases being made. in very
rapid succession, and reasonably close together, but as they are only made one at a
time the board is not rent or torn by the strain caused in shortening as the creases
are formed.
Dated th 10th Jove of T 100s
Improvements in Machines for Bending, Creasing, and Pinching
Cardboard or similar Materials.
1, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham, in the
County of Chester, 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. :-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved and rapid means for
bending creasing and pinching cardboard, strawboard, leatherboard and similar
materials. in the manufacture of cardboard boxes, or for other purposes.
In carrying out the invention, I mount the bending tools longitudinally upon
a pair of rotating shafts as described in the Specification of my Patent No. 4115.
The board is passed between the pair of tools as the shafts rotate and they form a
crease or bend the full width of the board during the short period that they grip
and operate upon it.
The tools are constructed and mounted in such a manner as to have a pinching
or biting action upon.the board at the same time that it is bent or creased which
compresses.or crushes the walls of the crease so as to prevent breaking of the
board and yet, render. it sufficiently pliable to be capable of being easily bent or
folded at the crease.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings..
Fig. 1. Front elevation of machine.

page_text: Fig. 3. Sectional elevations of tools in two positions.
Fig. 4. Sectional elevations of tools showing a modification.
Fig. 5. Sectional elevations of another modification.
Fig. 6. Sectional elevations of another modification.
Fig. 7. End elevation of another modification.
Fig. 8. Sectional elevation of another modification..
Fig. 9. Sectional elevation of a further medification.
Fig. 10. End elevation of double machine showing one arrangement of driving.
Fig. 11. End elevation showing another arrangement of driving.
Various forms of tools may be employed to operate upon the board on both
the upper and under side comprising a blunt blade or metal strip A mounted on
one rotating shaft B and a pair of bending bars or clamps C upon another
rotating shaft so that when complementary tools meet each other the blade A fits
in between the bending bars C and the board is thereby forced into the groove c
formed by them. The bending bars are by means of a cam D or springs E or other
device caused to approach nearer to each other and grip or pinch the board or
compress it against the blade A.
In some cases the blade A or the. bars C or both may be caused to approach and
recede so that the blade A may enter deeper into the groove c.
The action of the tools as they revolve upon the boards in creasing gathering
or puckering and then pinching them gives a gradual operation or process of
bending as shown in Fig. 1A in which
w represents the plain board before bending.
a represents first part of bend (creased).
y represents second part of bend (gathered or puckered).
represents finished bend (pinched or nipped)."
Referring to Figs. 1 2 and 3 the apparatus for bending or creasing the board is
constructed with two skeleton drums carrying the bending tools. The upper drum
comprises the blunt blade. or metal strip A screwed or bolted to two gear wheels b
on the shaft B.and as the shaft rotates the blade A is carried round one revolution for
each revolution of the shaft. The lower drum comprises the bending bars or tools C
which are pivoted on pins or spindles F affixed to the gear wheels d which rotate round
the stationary shaft D. This shaft is of cam shape and the bars or tools-C are formed
with extended ends which embrace or come in contact with it. As the bars Care
carried round the extended ends which are in contact with the cam D. are pressed
outwards and the other ends which form the bending bars are pressed inwards to
close and grip or pinch the board. The relative positions of the fixed cam:and the
tools C are such that the latter are brought together at the time that the blade A
is passing between them. The bars Cat their outer edges are kept apart by the
spring E. Between the bars C is fixed a solid block cl that prevents them closing
too close and also that takes the pressure of: the blade A:thus ensuring that the
board is squeezed or compressed between four surfaces.
If preferred the bars or tools C may be kept apart by a cam such as D.placed
between the operating edge and the pivots (instead of between extensions of the
bars beyond the pivots) and be drawn together at the proper point by a spring
when released by the cam.
Instead of the skeleton drum and blade. A a solid drum with a projecting rib or
blade such as:shown in Fig. 5 may be employed.
The bearings G carrying the upper and lower drums may be adjusted by screws g
according to the thickness of tboards.
Referring to Fig. 4 an arrangement is illustrated the reverse of Fig. 3 the
lower drum is constructed with a groove to form the bending tool C and the
blade A is caused to reciprocate as the drum rotates by a stationary cam
shaft D'.
Instead of a grooved drum movable bending bars C such as shown in Fig. 3 may
be employed in conjunction with the sliding or reciprocating blade A.

page_text: Referring to Fig. 5 the bending bars or clamps C are pivoted at their ends and
let into the surface of a solid roll. Springs E are applied beneath to press them
cut radially and their pivots or bearings Fare held in position by collars at either
end and are capable of sliding circumferentially the bars C being pressed together
by the springs E. Between and below the bars C is a fixed or solid block c¹ to
receive the pressure of the blade A of the top roller when they meet with the
board between. The top roller may be solid as shown or may be constructed as
described in Figs. 3 or 4.
Referring to Fig. 6 the bending bars C are carried by the top drum and
comprise a pair of reciprocating bars caused to slide to and fro as the drum rotates
by a fixed eccentric or cam D. They may slide to and fro over a fixed block c¹ or
may be formed with a groove along the face. The blade A is carried by the
bottom drum and is provided with a sliding bar or plunger H at each side which
are pressed outwards to the periphery by the springs h but which are depressed or
pushed inwards at each revolution by contact with the bending bars C. The boards
are thus nipped between the bars C and the blade A as the bars are forced
outwards over the blade A depressing the side bars H.
Referring to Fig. 7 the bending bars C are carried by the upper drum and are
similar in action to what is described in reference to Fig. 3. Instead of a blade on
the other drum the bars C pinch the board against a yielding backing k of rubber
which allows the board to be pinched up and creased. The rubber backing k may
be an endless band loosely suspended around the drum as shown and always
shifting or it may form a cover for the drum the two drums being so geared that a
tooth is lost or gained at each revolution whereby the rubber is not pinched at the
same spot each revolution.
Referring to Fig. 8 the blade A is pivoted in brackets A' in which it has a
limited movement and works in conjunction with a rubber covered drum C¹ into
which the board is compressed by the swinging blade A and pinched and creased
as required. The drawing shows four of such blades on one drum.
Referring to Fig. 9 in some instances it may be found more convenient to cause
one of the drums to approach and recede from the other than to make either the
blade A or the bars C reciprocating. In this case an eccentric L can be connected
to the bearings of the top drum to give the required movement.
It is to be understood that in each case when practical either modification of the
blade A may be employed in conjunction with either modification of the bending
bars C.
The essential feature of my invention is the application of bending and creasing
tools capable of bending and creasing the board and at the same time pinching
and pressing it in the manner described to rotating drums or shafts or other rotating
mechanism and for this purpose I may also apply to rotating drums shafts or the
like pinching and crimping tools similar to those described in the Specifications of
Patents Nos. 12043 of 1892 and 23735 of 1892. I am aware that similar effects.
have already been produced by these and other machines with a vertical reciprocal
motion but such machines are very slow in operation.
In each case the drums may be made solid with the blade A or bars C let in or
the drums may be skeleton with brackets or their equivalent to carry the blade and
bending bars. If found desirable for forming two or more bends in the same board
two or more sets of blades and bending bars may be mounted in each drum in such
case they are made adjustable around the shaft to form the bends or creases in the
boards at different distances apart. Index plates may be affixed to the top and
bottom shafts marked on their edges to indicate when the blade carried by one
drum coincides with the bars carried by the other drum.
Instead of applying two or more of the bending tools to one pair of drums as
many pairs of drume may be employed as there are bends required in a board. In
this case each pair of drums are set relatively to the other that the bends or creases
anay fall in the proper place on the board and the drums are geared together so

page_text: that they rotate in unison and keep the same relative positions. Fig. 10 shows two
sets geared together by pinions and Fig. 11 two sets geared together by worms and.
worm wheels.
After the board has received the required number of parallel creases it goes to.
another machine or to another part of the machine that forms creases at right.
angles to the first set. This is done by duplicating the parts of the machine and
turning the board 45° between the first and second portions of the machine.
In feeding the machine the board is laid to gauges on a feeding table whence it.
is carried by endless tapes gripping or, draw rollers or other suitable mechanism
into the first set of creasing apparatus. After passing through this the board may
be thrown on to a delivery table against gauges from whence it is carried by other-
similar tapes or mechanism into the second set of creasing apparatus which works.
at right angles to the first or the table upon which the board is thrown after leaving
the first creasing apparatus may revolve through a right angle after which the
board is carried forward to the second creasing apparatus, which is, in this case, in:
line with the first set.
The apparatus herein before described permits of the creases being made in very
rapid succession and reasonably close together but as they are only made one at.
a time the board is not rent or torn by the strain caused in shortening as the creases..
are formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for bending creasing and pinching cardboard and similar materials.
constructed with a blade or strip of metal carried by a rotating shaft or drum in
combination with bending bars carried by a second rotating shaft or drum which.
move to and fro to pinch the board as it passes between them substantially as.
described.
2. The improvements in apparatus for bending creasing and pinching cardboard
or other material which consists in mounting the creasing and pinching tools so-
that they revolve about the centre of a shaft or drum substantially as described.
3. The construction and arrangement of tools for creasing and pinching cardboard.
and other material substantially as described and shown with reference to either of:
the figs. of the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of April 1897
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents..