Improve.nents in Machines for Making Cardboard and like Box Blanks, Box Cover Blanks, and similar Articles
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improve.nents in Machines for Making Cardboard and like Box Blanks,
Box Cover Blanks, and similar Articles,
I, HORACE INMAN, of 11, Whitecross Street, London, E.C., Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to machines for making paper box blanks and has for
its object to improve and simplify this class of machines and to provide a machine
all the parts or which are adjustable so that it may be adapted for use in con-
nection with different sizes and forms of blanks, and to these general ends my
invention consists in a machine embodying the general features of construction,
arrangement and operation of parts substantially as hereinafter more particu-
larly set forth.
One of the principal objects of my present invention is to provide a practical
blanking machine, as it is usually called, that is, a machine for cutting, scoring
and forming blanks for boxes of paper or other similar material and a machine
which can be adjusted to form blanks of different sizes and shapes and which
shall at the same time be automatic in its operations. Such a machine. may.be
used in connection with any proper means for securing the parts of the boxes
together after the blanks are formed, but in this application i have omitted all
such devices showing only the blanking machine deuvering the completed blanks,
which may be manipulated afterwards in any desired manner.
While it is recognized that machines have been proposed which would accom-
plish this result to a greater or less extent, my present invention embodies. a
simple-construction and arrangement of parts, all of which can be readily adjusted
with relation to each other to form different sized or shaped blanks and all. are
so arranged that when they are properly adjusted the operations of the machine
are automatic, taking the paper 1rom a reel or other source, progressively outting
creasing or scoring the same to form the sides and ends, and finally delivering
the complete and severed blank to be operated upon in any desired manner.
With this general statement of the object of my invention I will now. proceed
to describe in detail the embodiments thereof, it being understood that my inven-
tion is not limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement shown
but that they may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
..
The machine embodies a suitable frame or base upon which the operating parts
are supported which may have an extension supporting a paper reel and guide
and tension rollers over and between which the paper or other material passes,
but these constitute no part of my invention.
The frame is preferably made of angle iron and of U-shaped bars in the form
of a rectangle to which the operating parts of the machine are connected and
to which the supports or legs are attached.
The web of paper or other material from the reel or other source passes to the
guide and this consists of two plates mounted on supports at each end and attached

page_text: to the frame of the machine and these plates provide a passage-way between them
for the paper. The plates are provided with longitudinal slots and in these slots
move guide arms having on their lower ends friction rollers, which friction rollers
come opposite the passage between the two plates and against which the edges of
the strip of paper may bear. Some means should be provided for adjusting the
guide arms and for this purpose they may be mounted upon a double screw
threaded shaft having a hand wheel for operating the same and engaging screw-
threaded openings in the upper portion of the guide arms so that by properly
turning the hand wheel, the guide arms are made to approach or recede from
each other to accommodate themselves to webs of different widths and at the
same time to guide the web centrally through the machine.
•
The
One form of box may have a bottom, sides, end laps and corner flaps.
blanks are scored along the various lines for this purpose and portions of the
blank are cut away at the corners. Another blank or article may form a cover
for a box body and the scoring and cutting will be substantially the same with
the addition of thumb-holes. Both these blanks have only three main portions,
that is, the bottom and two sides, outside of the portions forming the ends, but,
of course, it will be understood that blanks having integral therewith four or
even tive portions forming the bottom, the sides, the top and folding flap or other
similar forms can be made by using a proper number of corner punches and
scoring and cutting knives.
The web is drawn into the machine by feed rollers which are mounted in
housings attached to the frame of the machine, and one roller is provided with
adjusting screws for limiting the upward movement of the roller which ordinarily
bears by gravity upon the web and co-operates with the other roller and these
rollers are positively and intermittently driven by mechanism hereinafter described
and serve not only to draw the web of paper into the machine but to feed it
forward step by step through the machine.
Also mounted in the housings are the two shafts of the longitudinal scoring
knives or cutters. The scoring knives or cutters are adjustably mounted on the
upper shaft in any desired manner and they co-operate with grooved rollers on
the lower shaft, which are also adjustably mounted thereon. Sometimes the web
of paper or other material may not be of the exact width to form the blanks
desired or the edges thereof may be irregular, and in that event I provide trimmers
which are also preferably adjustably mounted on the upper shaft and co-operate
with similar knives adjustably mounted on the lower shaft. The trimmers can
be adjusted with proper relation to the scorers so as to form the end pieces of the
blanks of the proper width.
As the scored and trimmed strip of material is fed forward intermittently the
next operation is to cut out the corner pieces and to do this I provide corner
cutters or punches, they being arranged in pairs in the present instance and
opposite each other so as to cut all the corners of the blank at one operation.
Each of these corner cutters is made as a separate and integral structure so that
they may be adjusted in proper relation to each other. In one form they may
have a U-shaped frame or body having a dove-tailed groove to receive the strip
for supporting the cutter. Moving through the upper arm of the body portion
is a stem carrying on its under side the die or cutter proper. The shape of this
die or cutter may vary according to requirements, and may be triangular, with
its under face bevelled and to it is attached a cutting plate. The lower arm of
the body portion is recessed to receive the die and is also provided with a cutting
plate adapted to co-operate with the cutting plate of the upper arm.
lower outting plate may be in one piece but it is preferable to make it in two
pieces which are adjustable with relation to each other. Thus it may be in
the form of two plates and the two plates may have their cutting edges approach-
ing and practically in contact at one end and extending away from each other
toward the other end and receiving the upper cutter between their outting edges.
As these edges are subject to more or less wear I preferably mount them in such
.
This

page_text: a manner that one or other plate as the case may be is mounted on an extension
of the frame and is held by a bolt passing through an extended slot therein and
on the side of the frame is a plate or bar preferably having a recess or rebate
to engage the edge of one cutting plate and having an adjusting screw.
this construction it will be seen that by loosening the bolt, and tightening the
screw, the plate can be adjusted to take up for wear.
With
This construction and arrangement of the corner cutters has proved very con-
venient and effective and not liable to get out of order. They are also well
adapted to cut corners of different depths, the shape of the cutter being such that
at the line of scoring it reaches practically a point, one side of the cutter is set
preferably parallel with one of the cross scores while the other diverges at the
desired angle thereto so that by adjusting the cutters with proper relations to
the other parts the portions desired will be cut away whether the ends of the
blank are of greater or less depth, and the upper and lower cutters do not have
to be adjusted with relation to each other unless perchance the portion cut away
is greater than the entire length of the two cutters.
These corner outters on the opposite sides of the machine are adjustable with
relation to each other so that different sized boxes can be cut and so that the
end flaps of the blank will be of the desired length, and in order to accomplish
this the U-shaped frame carrying the cutters, as before described, is provided
with a dove-tail groove, or some equivalent means by means of which it is mounted
in a corner cutter carrier which may be provided with a dove-tail plate, fitting
the dove-tail groove of the frame, and suitable securing means, as a screw to
secure the U-shaped frame in proper adjustment. This plate may he provided
with a scale for convenience in adjusting the corner cutters.
In order to adjust the relations of the corner cutters on opposite sides of the
machine to each other so that their inner ends will correspond with certain scores
on the blank the corner cutter carrier is made adjustable. This may be accom-
plished in various ways, one is by means of an auxiliary frame comprising two
transverse side bars connected together by cross bars and provided with lugя_or
other suitable means by which it is securely attached to the main frame. "The
corner cutter carriers are mounted to slide on this frame and in the present
instance the two side bars are dove-tailed to fit dove-tail recesses, the two side
bars of the corner cutter carrier. Connected to the cross bars of the auxiliary
frame is a screw threaded nut in which works a screw passing through a collar
on a cross bar of the corner cutter carrier and this screw is provided with a
suitable hand wheel, so that by operating the hand wheel and the screw the corner
cutter carriers can be adjusted laterally on the auxiliary frame and be held in
the adjusted position by the screw.
Some means must be provided for operating the stems of the corner cutters in
whatever position they may be adjusted, for instance the corner cutter carrier
may be provided with upwardly extending arms. supporting a shaft, on which
is mounted a rocking frame carrying another shaft, to which the stems are con-
nected by suitable means, as by links. These links slide longitudinally on the
last named shaft, in accordance with the longitudinal adjustments of
the corner cutters, so that whatever the relations of the two corner cutters
on each side of the machine may be their respective stems will be operated simul-
taneously.
This simultaneous operation of the corner cutters may be accomplished in
various ways such as by a reciprocating head provided with adjustable plates
adapted to engage the inner ends of the rocking arms and operate the corner
cutters. These plates have to be adjusted so as to operate the rocking arms,
whatever may be their lateral adjustment. This may be done by providing the
head with a slot in an upward extension of same by means of which the adjustable
plates are adjusted by proper screws or bolts. These plates have in the present
instance recesses, loosely fitting over the inner ends of the rocking arms so that
when the head moves downward the parts being properly adjusted the corner

page_text: cutters are also moved downward to simultaneously cut out corner portions of
the blank.
While the corner portions are being cut the blank is supported on the lower
arms of the U frames, but in order to further aid in supporting the blank, which
is necessary when it is of considerable width, I may use a supporting bar attached
to the auxiliary frame, through the medium of a standard secured to one of the
cross bars of the auxiliary frame. This additional support is also of importance
when the material operated on is of such rigidity that it will not properly, support
itself while resting on the lower arms of the U-shaped frames of the corner
cutters.
.
In order to make certain scores and punch the thumb-holes and sever, the com-
pleted blank I arrange the requisite cutters and scorers so that they may be
adjusted with relation to each other and so that they may be simultaneously
operated, and I will now describe a construction for accomplishing this result.
Mounted on the main frame is a supporting frame and the, desired number of
scorers and cutters or other devices are adjustably mounted thereon. For
instance there may be two scoring bars and one cutter bar, and a guide bar, as
mounted on the supporting frame. The top plate of the supporting
frame may be. provided with three longitudinal grooves preferably..dove-
tailed, and the cutter and scoring bars may be each provided with a
projection fitting one of the grooves. Thus one of the scoring bars is provided
with a projection sliding in one of the grooves,, and in order to adjust the bars
in the grooves I provide three screws of which one screw may engage the pro-
jection on the scoring har and serve to move the bar longitudinally on the sup-
porting frame and to hold it in the adjusted position. In the same way the other
two, screws are connected to similar projections on the under side of the other
Scoring, bar and the cutter bar, and they are similarly adjusted in the grooves
of the supporting frame.. Of course, it will be understood that where necessary,
as, in connection with the adjusting screw, the openings in the other bars (except
the one to which it is attached) are large enough to permit the screws to pass
through without operating and one scoring bar for instance, there is an enlarged
opening to permit said bar to slide over the end of one of the adjusting screws.
The guide, bar in this case is not provided with a set screw for adjusting it but
it is provided with proper openings through which two of the sorews before
referred to pass and which serve to hold it sufficiently stable in its position,
although a, separate adjusting screw can be provided for this or any other bar
similarly mounted on the supporting frame.
These scoring and cutting bars may be variously arranged but as shown they
each consist of two complementary bars, one of which is adjustable on the support-
ing frame, and this carries means for supporting and guiding its complementary
bar. Thus, for instance, one scoring bar is provided with a plate having a groove,
and connected to the plate are guide pins surrounded by springs on which rests
a complementary. bar carrying a scoring knife, and the other bars are similarly
constructed except that one cutter bar carries a cutting knife and that a plate
on another bar is provided with a cutting edge in the usual way.
The guide bar above referred.to, is provided with suitable edge guides, which
may comprise flanged rollers mounted on suitable studs, adjustable. in a slot,
and these serve to guide the strip through the cutting and scoring portion of the
machine. without unnecessary friction.
In order to operate the cutters and scorers simultaneously various means may
be employed, such as a reciprocating head adapted to be operated in any suitable
way from the driving power, and this is. preferably made with an adjustable
face to compensate for wear or otherwise. For instance it may be provided with
a bevelled plate, to which is attached a second bevelled plate, preferably having a
rib sliding in a notch and serving as a guide therefor and provided with suitable
scoring means. On the clge of the reciprocating head is a bracket, in which is

page_text: mounted an adjusting screw, and through the head in enlarged slots therein are
suitable securing screws or bolts.
When it is desired to form thumb-holes in the blank, of course, the proper
punch is connected to one of the cutters. For this purpose a cutting bar having
a projecting opening may be employed and on an upper or complementary cutting
bar may be mounted an adjustable punch, so that when it is desired to shift
from the body blanks to the covering blanks it is only necessary to remove one
of the cutters, and its complementary supported cutter and substitute therefor
the cutter bars above referred to.
In order to operate the various mechanism of the machine any suitable driving
gear may be used.
For instance a belt wheel may be loosely mounted on a bearing and positively
connected by a hand-wheel or other suitable means, to a spur gear, which engages
a similar gear on a suitable shaft. Mounted on this shaft are eccentrics pro-
vided with connecting rods connected to a rod, fast to the reciprocating head
previously referred to, so that the head is moved up and down in the proper
relations. In this instance the movement of this head also operates the corner
cutters in the manner before described, although it is evident that that they may
be independently operated if desired. Also connected to the last named shaft, is
an adjustable crank, to which is connected a pitman engaging a clutch, on a gear
wheel, which in turn is connected to drive the feed rollers before referred to and
the cutting and scoring rollers also by suitable means.
I may also use delivery rolls, and these are conveniently driven by a belt on
a belt wheel, mounted on a bearing. The speed of these rolls may be such that
when they grasp the completed and severed blank it is quickly delivered to a
proper receptacle or to some other series of devices for completing the box or for
other purposes.
In this machine therefore I provide an exceedingly simple construction and
arrangement of devices whereby blanks of various sizes and shapes may be con-
tinuously and progressively made from a strip of material fed into the machine
from a source of supply so that all the operations are automatic in character
and the machine requires little or no personal attention after being once set in
operation.
Dated this 16th dor of Merch 1800
Improvements in Machines for Making Cardboard and like Box Blanks,
Box Cover Blanks, and similar Articles.
I, HORACE INMAN, of 11, Whitecross Street, London, E.C., 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 for making paper box blanks and has for
its object to improve and simplify this class of machines and to provide a machine
all the parts of which are adjustable so that it may be adapted for use in con-
nection with different sizes and forms of blanks, and to these general ends my

page_text: invention consists in a machine embodying the general features of construction,
arrangement and operation of parts substantially as hereinafter more particu-
larly set forth.
Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred
embodiment of my invention :
Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine:
Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the main portion of the machine, the source
of supply for the material and the guides and tension devices therefor being
omitted;
Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 4-4 Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a plan view ou a still more enlarged scale of the scoring and cutting
table showing means for adjusting the scorers and cutters;
Fig. 7 is an end view of the thumb-hole puncher and cutter; on the same scale
as Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the lower member of the thumb-hole puncher and
cutter, also on the same scale as Fig. 6;
Fig. 9 is a still more enlarged view in section of the corner cutters or punchers;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same, on the same scale as Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view showing the means of adjusting the knives of
the cutters on the same scale as Fig. 9;
Figs. 12 and 13 are views showing two forms of blanks capable of being made
on the machine when the punching scoring and cutting devices are set for same
and are illustrated for convenience of description;
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the corner cutter carrier; on the same scale as
Figs. 2 to 5 and
Fig. 15 is a similar view of the auxiliary frame.
One of the principal objects of my present invention is to provide a practical
blanking machine, as it is usually called, that is, a machine for cutting, scoring
and forming blanks for boxes of paper or other similar material and a machine
which can be adjusted to form blanks of different sizes and shapes and which
shall at the same time be automatic in its operations. Such a machine may be
used in connection with any proper means for securing the parts of the boxes
together after the blanks are formed, but in this application I have omitted all
such devices showing only the blanking machine delivering the completed blanks,
which may be manipulated afterwards in any desired manner.
While it is recognized that machines have been proposed which would accom-
plish this result to a greater or less extent, my present invention embodies a
simple construction and arrangement of parts, all of which can be readily adjusted
with relation to each other to form different sized or shaped blanks and all are
so arranged that when they are properly adjusted the operations of the machine
are automatic, taking the paper from a reel or other source, progressively cutting
creasing or scoring the same to form the sides and ends, and finally delivering
the complete and severed blank to be operated upon in any desired manner.
With this general statement of the object of my invention I will now proceed
to describe in detail the embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, it being understood that my invention is not limited to the precise
details of consumption and arrangement shown but that they may be modified
by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
The machine embodies a suitable frame or hase A upon which the operating
parts are supported and in the present instance I have shown in Fig. 1 an exten-
sion A', supporting a paper reel A, and guide and tension rollers A³ A' A³, over
and between which the paper or other material passes, but as these constitute
no part of my invention I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate them in any
of the figures except 1.
The frame A is preferably made of angle iron being shown as composed prac-

page_text: tically of U-shaped bars in the form of a rectangle to which the operating parts
of the machine are connected and to which the supports or legs A are attached.
The web of paper or other material from the reel or other source in the present
instance passes to the guide B, and this consists of two plates 6 mounted on
supports a at each end and attached to the frame A of the machine, and these
plates provide a passage-way between them for the paper. The plates are pro-
vided with longitudinal slots and in these slots move the guide arms b³ having
on their lower ends friction rollers 6, which friction rollers come opposite the
passage between the plates b and 1 and against which the edges of the strip of
paper may bear. Some means should be provided for adjusting the guide arms,
and in the present instance they are shown as mounted upon a double screw
threaded shaft B', having a hand wheel B2 for operating the same and engaging
the screw-threaded openings in the upper portion of the guide arms b³, and it will
be seen that by properly turning the hand-wheel 1, the guide arms & are made
to approach or recede from each other to accommodate themselves to webs of
different widths and at the same time to guide the web centrally through the
machine.
Referring to Figs. 12 and 13 it will be seen that Fig. 12 represents what may,
be called the bottom portion of the box, having a bottom 1, sides 2, 3, end
flaps 4, 5, and corner flaps 6, 7, 8, 9. The blanks are scored along the lines 10
and 11 as well as along the lines 12, 13, and portions of the blank are cut away
at the corners, as on the lines 14, 15, 16, 17. The blank portion shown in Fig. 13
is substantially the same as that in Fig. 12 except that it is intended to form a
cover for the box body shown in Fig. 12, and the scoring and cutting is substan-
tially the same with the addition of the thumb-holes 18 and 19. The blanks
shown in the drawing have only three main portions, that is, the bottom and
two sides, outside of the portions forming the ends, but, of course, it will be
understood that blanks having integral therewith four or even five portions
forming the bottom, the sides, the top and folding Hap or other similar forms
can be made by using a proper number of corner punches and scoring and cutting
knives, but I have chosen to illustrate a machine for making the blanks sub-
stantially as shown in the drawing, as this will disclose the principal features
of my invention, though I would point out that the blank shewn in dotted lines
Fig. 6 differs in its dimensions from that shewn in Figs. 12 and 13.
The web is drawn into the machine by the feed rollers D D¹ which are mounted
in housings a, attached to the frame of the machine, and the roller 1)¹ is pro-
vided with adjusting screws d for limiting the upward movement of the roller
which ordinarily bears by gravity upon the web and co-operates with the roller D,
and these rollers are positively and intermittently driven by mechanism herein-
after described and serve not only to draw the web of paper into the machino
but to feed it forward step by step through the machine.
Also mounted in the housings a' are the shafts E E of the longitudinal scoring
devices e e¹. The scoring knives or cutters e el are adjustably mounted on the
shaft E in any desired manner as indicated in the drawing and they co-operate
with the grooved rollers on the shaft E which are also adjustably mounted
thereon. Sometimes the web of paper or other material may not be of the exact
width to form the blanks desired or the edges thereof may be irregular, and
in that event I provide trimmers ee, which are also preferably adjustably
mounted on the shaft E, and co-operate with similar knives adjustably
mounted on the shaft E, not shown. The trimmers, of course, can be adjusted
with proper relation to the scorers so as to form the end pieces 4, 5, of the blanks
of the proper width.
As the scored and trimmed strip of material is fed forward intermittently the
next operation is to cut out the corner pieces between the lines 14, 15, 16, 17 etc.
and to do this I provide the corner cutters or punches FF they being arranged
in pairs in the present instance and opposite each other so as to cut all the
corners of the blank at one operation. Each of these corner cutters F is made

page_text: as a separate and integral structure so that they may be adjusted in proper relation
to each other, and in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 I have shown on an enlarged scale the
preferred form of making these corner cutters. Thus there is a U-shaped frame
or body having a dove-tailed groove F to receive the strip for supporting
the cutter. Moving through the upper arm of the body portion is the stem *
carrying on its under side the die or cutter proper F. The shape of this die or
cutter may vary according to requirements, but is shown as triangular, and
its under face is bevelled and to it is attached a cutting plate f". The lower
arm of the body portion is recessed at F5 to receive the die F and is pro-
vided with a cutting plate / adapted to co-operate with the cutting plate f¹.
This cutting plate may be in one piece but it is preferable to make it in two
pieces which are adjustable with relation to each other. Thus in Fig. 10 I have
shown it as having two plates ff with their cutting edges approaching and
practically in contact at one end and extending away from each other toward the
other end and receiving the cutter f between their cutting edges. As these
edges are subject to more or less wear I preferably mount them as shown in Fig. 11
in which the plate 2 or 3 as the case may be is mounted on an extension of the
frame and is held by a bolt f' passing through an extended slot therein and
on the side of the frame is a plate or bar preferably having a recess or rebate f
to engage the edge of the cutting plate 2, and having an adjusting screw .
With this construction it will be seen that by loosening the bolt and tightening
the screw the plate can be adjusted to take up for wear.
This construction and arrangement of the corner cutters has proved very con-
venient and effective and not liable to get out of order. Moreover it will be
seen that the cutter is well adapted to cut corners of different depths, the shape
of the cutter being such that at the line of scoring 10 or 11 it reaches practically
a point, and one side of the cutter is preferably parallel with the scores 12 and 13,
while the other diverges at the desired angle thereto, and it will readily be seen
that by adjusting the cutters with proper relations to the other parts the portions
desired will be cut away whether the ends of the blank are of greater or less
depth, and the upper and lower cutters do not have to be adjusted with relation
to each other unless perchance the portion cut away is greater than the entire
length of the cutters fi fa.
These corner cutters on the opposite sides of the machine are adjustable with
relation to each other so that different sized boxes can be cut and so that the
end flaps 4, 5 of the blank will be of the desired length, and in order to accom-
plish this the U-shaped frame 13, carrying the cutters as before described, is
provided with a dove-tail groove For some equivalent means by means of which
it is mounted on the corner cutter carrier G and in this instance this carrier is
provided with a dove-tail plate G³, fitting the dove-tail groove F³, and suitable
securing means, as a screw (Fig. 9) is employed to secure the U-shaped frame in
proper adjustment. This plate G may be provided with a scale as indicated in
Fig. 2, for convenience in adjusting the corner cutters.
In order to adjust the relations of the corner cutters on opposite sides of the
machine to each other so that their inner ends will correspond with the scores 10,
11 on the blank the cutter carrier G is made adjustable. While this may be
accomplished in various ways I have shown mounted on the frame of the machine
an auxiliary frame H, best seen in Fig. 15 and comprising the transverse_side
bars H H connected together by cross bars H³, and provided with lugs H' or
other suitable means by which it is securely attached to the frame A. The corner
cutter carriers G are mounted to slide on this frame and in the present instance
the side bars H¹ H are dove-tailed as at h to fit the dove-tail recesses g in the
side bars G G of the carrier G. Connected to the cross bars H is a screw
threaded nut H5 in which works a screw He passing through a collar G on the
cross bar G' and this screw is provided with a suitable hand wheel H', and it
will be readily seen that by operating the hand-wheel and the screw the corner

page_text: cutter carriers can be adjusted laterally on the auxiliary frame H and be held
in the adjusted position by the screw Ho.
Some means must be provided for operating the corner cutter stems F4, in
whatever position they may be adjusted, and in the present instance the corner
cutter carrier G is provided with upwardly extending arms G6 supporting, a
shaft I on which is mounted a rocking frame I¹ carrying a shaft I to which the
stems are connected by suitable means as by the links I. These links slide
longitudinally on the shaft I in accordance with the longitudinal adjustments of
the corner cutters, so that whatever the relations of the two corner cutters on
oach side of the machine may be their respective stems will be operated simul,
taneously.
This simultaneous operation of the corner cutters may be accomplished in
various ways and in the present instance I have shown the reciprocating head J,
the operations of which will be described hereinafter, as provided with adjustable
plates I, adapted to engage the inner ends of the rocking arms I', and operate
the corner cutters. These plates of course have to be adjusted so as to operate
the rocking arms 1', whatever may be their lateral adjustment, and I have con-
sequently shown the head J as having a slot in its upward extension J¹ by means
of which the plates I are adjusted by proper screws or bolts 15. These plates 1*
have in the present instance recesses I loosely fitting over the inner ends of the
rocking arms I and it will be observed that when the head J moves downward
the parts being properly adjusted the corner cutters are also moved downward
to simultaneously cut out corner portions of the blank.
It will be understood that where I have used the term corner cutter, I refer
to mechanism adapted for corner cutting or slotting or otherwise shaping as is
required for all kinds of boxes that are cut in the blanks.
It may be observed that while the corner portions are being cut the blank is
supported on the lower arms of the U frames as best seen in Fig. 4; but in
order to further aid in supporting the blank, which is necessary when it is of
considerable width, I have shown attached to the auxiliary frame H a supporting
bar H through the medium of a standard H, secured to one of the cross bars
of the auxiliary frame. This additional support is also of, importance when the
material operated on is of such rigidity that it will not properly support itself
while resting on the lower arms of the U-shaped frames of the corner cutters.
In order to make the transverse scores 12, 13 and punch the thumb-holes 18, 19
and sever the completed blank I arrange the requisite cutters and scorers so that
they may be adjusted with relation to each other and so that they may be simul-
taneously operated, and I will now describe the construction shown in the drawing
for accomplishing this result.
Mounted on the main frame A is a supporting frame K and the desired number
of scorers and cutters or other devices are adjustably mounted thereon. In the
present instance I have shown two scoring bars L and one cutter bar N and
a guide bar O as mounted on the supporting frame. In the present instance the
top plate of the supporting frame K is provided with longitudinal grooves k
preferably dove-tailed and the cutter and scoring bars are each provided with a
projection fitting one of the grooves. Thus, as seen in Fig. 5, the scoring bar L
is provided with a projection ? sliding in the groove & and in order to adjust the
bars in the grooves I provide the screws PPP, and in this instance the screw P
engages the projection 7 on the scoring bar L and serves to move the bar longi-
tudinally on the supporting frame and to hold it in the adjusted position. In the
same way the screws P¹ P³ etc. are connected to similar projections on the under
side of the scoring and cutter bars M and N and they are similarly adjusted in
the grooves of the supporting frame. Of course it will be understood that where
necessary, as in connection with the adjusting screw P, the openings in the
other bars (except the one to which it is attached) are large enough to permit the
screws to pass through without operating and in the bar N for instance there is
an enlarged opening to permit the bar N to slide over the end of the adjusting
screw P. The guide bar O in this case is not provided with a set screw for

page_text: adjusting it but it is provided with proper openings through which the screws P P¹
pass and which serve to hold it sufficiently stable in its position, although a
separate adjusting screw can be provided for this or any other bar similarly
mounted on the supporting frame.
These scoring and cutting bars may be variously arranged but as shown they
each consist of two complementary bars, one of which is adjustable on the support-
ing frame, and this carries means for supporting and guiding its complementary
bar. Thus for instance the scoring bar L is provided with a plate L¹ having a
groove and connected to the plate are the guide pins L surrounded by springs L
on which rests the complementary bar L carrying a scoring knife L' and the
other bars are similarly constructed except of course the cutter bar as N carries
a cutting knife N³ and the plate N' on the bar N is provided with a cutting edge
in the usual way.
The guide bar O is provided with suitable edge guides 0 0¹ which in this
instance comprise flanged rollers o mounted on suitable studs of adjustable in
a slot O and these serve to guide the strip through the cutting and scoring portion
of the machine without unnecessary friction.
In order to operate the cutters and scorers simultaneously various means may
be employed, and in the present instance I have shown a reciprocating head J
adapted to be operated in any suitable way from the driving power, and this is
preferably made with an adjustable face to compensate for wear or otherwise,
and in the present instance I have shown it as provided with a bevelled plate Ja
to which is attached a second bevelled plate J preferably having a rib sliding
in a notch ♬ and serving as a guide therefor and provided with suitable scoring
means. In the present instance on the edge of the head J is a bracket J in
which is mounted an adjusting screw and through the head in enlarged slots
therein are the securing screws or bolts J³.
When it is desired to form the thumb holes 18, 19 in the blank of course the
proper punch is connected to one of the cutters and in Figs. 7 and 8 I have
shown a cutting bar No having a projecting opening N and on the upper or
complementary cutting bar No there is mounted an adjustable punch No, so that
when it is desired to shift from the body blanks to the covering blanks it is only
necessary to remove the cutter N and its complementary supported cutter N* and
substitute therefor the cutter bars N⚫ N8.
In order to operate the various mechanism of the machine any suitable driving
gear may be used, and I will describe that shown in the drawing as illustrative
of a preferred form.
In the present instance the belt wheel R is loosely mounted on a bearing r
and can be positively connected by a hand wheel or other suitable means
to the spur gear R², which engages a similar gear R³ on the shaft R*. Mounted
on this shaft R are eccentrics R³ provided with connecting rods R connected
to the rod R fast to the reciprocating head J so that the head is moved up and
down in the proper relations. In this instance the movement of this head also
operates the corner cutters in the manner before described, although it is evident
that they may be independently operated if desired. Also connected to the
shaft R is an adjustable crank R to which is connected a pitman Rº engaging
a clutch R on the gear wheel R" which in turn is connected to drive the feed
rollers D D and the cutting and scoring rollers E E¹ by suitable means as
indicated in Fig. 1. The details of construction of this clutch need not be set
forth, as they are well known, any suitable clutch which will produce the desired
intermittent operation of these rollers being satisfactory.
I have also shown as mounted on the frame delivery rolls S S¹ and these are
conveniently driven by a belt S on the belt wheel S³, mounted on the bearing r.
The speed of these rolls is such that when they grasp the completed and severed
blank it is quickly delivered to a proper receptacle T or to some other series of
devices for completing the box or for other purposes.
Having thus described the details of construction of the apparatus illustrated

page_text: in the drawings its operation will be clearly understood and it will be seen that
I provide an exceedingly simple construction and arrangement of devices whereby
blanks of various sizes and shapes may be continuously and progressively made
from a strip of material fed into the machine from a source of supply, and it
will be observed that all the operations are automatic in character and the machine
requires little or no personal attention after being once set in operation. It
will also be observed that all the adjustments required for various sizes and
shapes of blanks can be readily made and the cutting and scoring devices shown
may be substituted by others of different shape or character according to the
requirements of any particular case.
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. In a blanking machine, the combination with the feeding and longitudinal
scoring devices, of corner cutting or like devices adjustable laterally and longi-
tudinally on the machine, transverse scoring and cutting devices also adjustable
longitudinally on the machine, and means for simultaneously operating the corner
cutting devices and scoring and cutting devices, substantially as described.
2. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with means
for feeding the web of material into the machine, of corner cutters or like devices
and means for adjusting the corner cutters laterally and longitudinally on the
machine, substantially as described.
3. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with
devices for feeding the web of material of an auxiliary frame, corner cutter, or
like device carriers mounted on said frame, means for adjusting them laterally
with relation to the frame, corner cutters or the like mounted on the carriers,
and means for adjusting them longitudinally thereon, substantially as described.
4. In a machine of the general character described, the corner cutters or like
device comprising the U-shaped frame, the stems mounted in one arm thereof
and carrying cutter blades, and a complementary cutter blade mounted on the
other arm thereof, substantially as described.
5. In a cutting or like device, a frame, a cutting plate adjustably mounted
thereon, and a second plate engaging one edge of the first cutting plate and
adjustably mounted on the frame whereby the cutting edges of the cutting plates
can be adjusted, substantially as described.
6. In a machine of the general character described, the combination of the
corner cutters or like device comprising a U-shaped frame, a stem mounted therein,
a co-operating cutter also mounted on the frame, a corner cutter carrier on which
the corner cutter is adjustably mounted, a rocking frame mounted on the corner
cutter carrier, and connections between the rocking frame and stem, substantially
as described.
7. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with a
supporting frame, of scoring or cutting bars adjustably mounted thereon, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
8. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with a
supporting frame having grooves, of scoring or cutting bars having projections
entering the grooves, and means for adjusting and holding the scoring or cutting
bars in position, substantially as described.
9. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with a
supporting frame, of scoring or cutting bars adjustably mounted thereon each
scorer or cutter comprising two bars one of which is provided with guides for
the reception of the other bar whereby the two bars may be adjusted or removed
together, substantially as described.
10. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with a
supporting frame, of scoring or cutting bars adjustably mounted thereon, a
reciprocating head for operating the scoring or cutting bars, corner cutters or like

page_text: device adjustably mounted on the machine, and connections between the recipro-
cating head and corner cutters whereby they are operated in unison, substantially
as described.
11. In a machine of the general character described, the combination with a
supporting frame, of scoring or cutting bars adjustably mounted thereon, a récipro
cating head for operating the same, corner cutters or like devices, corner cutter
carriers on which the corner cutters are adjustably mounted, means for adjusting
the corner cutter carriers, a rocking frame connected to the corner cutter carriers
and to the corner cutters, and connections between the rocking frame and the
reciprocating head whereby they are operated in unison, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1899.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, 55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
For the Applicant.