A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING ENVELOPES FOR BOTTLES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Beck at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1881. A communication
from abroad by Paul Marboeuf, of Cognac (Charante), Manufacturer of Bottle
Envelopes, and Camille Wilhelm, of Argentat (Correze), Merchant, both in the
Republic of France.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING
ENVELOPES FOR BOTTLES." [A communication from abroad by Paul Marboeuf, of
Cognac (Charante), Manufacturer of Bottle Envelopes, and Camille Wilhelm, of
Argentat (Correze), Merchant, both in the Republic of France.]
One of the most remarkable characteristics of this machine consists in the folding
of the straw as the sewing goes on by portions exactly corresponding to the length
of the stitches of sewing. There is consequently a perfect co-ordinance between
these two principal operations, which assures to the machine an absolute continuity
and security, and which leads to a considerable production.
Three children, one moving the machine, another laying on the straw, and the
third cutting the separation threads of the envelopes, can without fatigue mako
more than three hundred envelopes an hour; but if mechanical power is used five
hundred may be made. A new combination in the hook-needles renders tho
working excessively easy and regular, and allows of the use without inconvenience
of jute threads.
In the Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the
machine taken along the sectional line 1-2 of Figure 2; Figure 2, a plan; Figure 3,
a transverse section on line 3-4 of Figure 2; Figure 4, details of the movements
for feeding forward the straw; and Figure 5, detail of the part for raising the
straw to prepare it for folding.
a, a, are the side frames of the machine; a¹, the table; b, c, d, three shafts,
which form at the same time cross bars for the franes a; c is a fourth cross picco
carrying one, two, or more bobbins F, which supply the thread or threads to the
hook-needle or needles; g, bearings carrying a driving shaft h, which may be
turned by hand or by power.
The parts for transmitting motion grouped on the shaft are the following:-
1st. A cam with two eccentrics i. 1: the eccentric i moves by means of the

page_text: lover and the pawl j the ratchet wheel fixed on the shaft b. The other
eccentric by the rocking lever , and tho pawl moves once only for each
revolution of the shaft b, another ratchet wheel fixed to the ratchet wheel 7³, and
carrying a single projection /³.
The ratchet wheels and are fastened to the feed roller b¹, over which passes
an endless band C, which is guided by the other rollers c¹ and d¹, the latter of
which can be raised or lowered to produce the necessary tension.
The band C is furnished with points at its edges, the object of which is to hold
the straw laid on by hand while being noved. At equal distances apart are
wooden bars intended to limit the width of the envelopes and to separate them.
The ratchet wheel turns and consequently draws the band C at each stitch of
sewing.
The ratchet wheel turns each time a bar presents itself to the needles. It
gives to the endless band a motion equal to the width of the said bar ; j³ is the
retaining pawl which prevents the machine from being turned backwards.
2nd. A cam m which by the rocking lover m¹ and link m² imparts to the
slide m³ alternating rectilinear movements, so that it may distribute the threads f
to the hook-needles; m is a spring for drawing back the slide m³.
3rd. A cam o oscillating the lever o¹, to which is jointed the straw-lifter r
(Figure 5) guided in the straw; o² is a spring keeping the end of lever o¹ against
the cain o.
4th. Two cams n, n, with two curvilinear grooves n', n², in which run the
friction rollers of two couples of levers ns, n³, n, n. These four levers are jointed
below to four pieces p, p, hooked at the ends, which, two by two, constituto two
claws. The lovers ns oscillate round the centre 5, the levers n' are also connected
to this centro by the links nº. Thus the claws p, p, have a movement from back
to front, then a downward movement, then from front to back, then upwards, then
from back to front again, and so on.
When these claws return from front to back they carry a portion of straw under
the hook-needles.
5th. An excentric q which by an oscillating lever q¹ imparts up and down move-
ments to the frame s carrying the hooks t, t.
t', t¹, are the needles carried by the cross piece 8¹. The object of these needles
is to open and close at the proper time the hooks t for forming the chain stitch.
The needles pass through the bodios of the hooks t. The cross piece s¹, which
moves between the springs &², is moved in the vertical slides of the frames by the
stops &³.
6th. A cam w, which by the lever w¹ imparts to the straw folder x tho requisite
movements from right to left, and from left to right.
The folder is guided by the director x supported by an arm y bolted to the
table a¹.
y' is a flexible spring fixed to the arm y, and which holds the straw spread out
on the endless band C.
z is a bar fixed to the end of tho arm y, and which is adjusted in the required
position to assist in the folding of the straw.
ACTION OF THE MACHINE.
Before putting the inachine in notion the threads are passed through the slide m³,
and thence to the hooks t; the straw is distributed over the endless band, suitable
marks being made on the table to the left of such band. Each revolution of the
driving shaft h effects the following operations:-
1st. The lever j with pawl j¹ operates the ratchet wheel j", and effects the
advance of the endless band with the straw on it.
2nd. The lifter, which is level with the table during the advance of the straw,
rises, carrying with it the straw brought forward, and which is held by the folding
bar z.

page_text: 3rd. When the lifter has risen to the top of its stroke, the folder x is drawn
from right to left, taking the straw which has been raised.
4th. At the same time the claws p are brought forward, lowered on to the straw,
and the hooks (closed by the needles t¹) rise with their threads. The claws return
backwards to bring the next quantity of straw under the hooks.
5th. These hooks t are lowered, their needles t¹ being retained by the cross
piece which the projections &³ have left, and make the chain stitch in combination
with the slide m³, which is moved from right to left at the rising of the hooks, and
returns from left to right after they are lowered. During the retreat of the claws
the folder is returned to the right, ready for the next series of operations.
The manufacture is continued to one, two, three, or more bendings, it being
sufficient for that purpose to mount one, two, or more hooks on the frame. As
above described, the length or development of the envelopes is limited by the equi-
distant cross pieces 1, and at their passage in front of the hooks the lever k with
its pawl gives to the endless band the required movement for making envelopes
of various sizes with the same machine, it is therefore only necessary to change
the endless band or alter the positions of the separating bars, and to change the
mechanical transmitting parts k, k³, ³, in order to suit the length to be obtained.