An Improved Method and Apparatus for Covering and Finishing Card or Straw-board Boxes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Apparatus for Covering and Finishing
Card or Straw-board Boxes.
I, CLARENCE WHITMAN HOBBS, of 37, Featherstone Street, Finsbury, in the
City of London, Manufacturer of Paper Box Machinery, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for covering and
finishing card or straw board boxes, whereby an operation of inserting and pasting
a fly or folding edge of (usually ornamented) paper within a card board or straw
board box, hitherto done by hand, is combined with another operation of covering
(performed sometimes by machine, and sometimes by hand), and both operations are
performed simultaneously by an improved machine or apparatus at one operation.
Amongst machines usually employed in the manufacture of card board or straw
board boxes, a machine or apparatus is used for applying two or more strips
of paper round the outside of the body and lids of the boxes. The said strips
of paper are glued or pasted on their underside over the whole of their respective
widths, (which, when combined, are slightly wider than the straw-board), and
being of diverse kinds, or colours, are intended to produce an ornamental or neat
finish, when applied to the sides and turned over the edges of the body or the lid
of the said boxes. When done by machine, the body or lid of the box, as the case
may be, is put upon a former or block of square, rectangular, or other shape to
suit the form of the box, and the box former is turned as the pasted paper strips are
applied to the box as aforesaid. When the four sides (for example) of the box have
thus been covered, the combined strips of paper are cut off, and the attendant turns
the excess marginal width thereof over the edge into the interior of the body or lid,
smoothing the pasted paper down with her fingers. Subsequently, the ordinary hand
process of applying a fly or folding margin of paper is performed in the finishing
operation, and this is done by separately gluing or pasting along a narrow margin
of the fly paper and applying the pasted portion over the turned over edging
previously described on the interior sides of the box. By cutting the paper at
the angles, each side fly or folding margin can be folded separately over the articles
placed in the body of the box, so as to protect or cover them from air or dust, or
to enhance the effect of the box or its contents. For the latter purpose, lace or
embossed and perforated paper is usually employed; but for the former purpose, a
plain tinted paper, usually very thin is employed; and it is to be
remarked that as this fly edging or folding margin is applied only as
a finishing operation in making the body of the box-and does not properly belong
to the lid the invention therefore refers to the body of the box, or that part
intended to contain an article or articles which it is desired to cover over.
By my invention I provide a machine, such as is usually employed for covering
boxes, in which a strip or strips of paper are pasted and combined together and led
over the box body, placed on the former, as above mentioned. But to this machine

page_text: I add a supplemental pasting box or device, in which a very narrow wheel is used
for applying paste to the fly strip of embossed lace, or other paper used for the
folding margin aforesaid. The fly strip is fed from a separate reel to that which
carries the ordinary covering paper, a separate pasting device being used for pasting
the under side of the covering paper over the whole of its width as is usual. But
only a narrow line of paste is applied to the under side of the fly strip of paper at
the edge intended to be next to the body of the box, and the width of the narrow
line of paste is determined by the width of the narrow pasting wheel aforesaid,
which is hung in a suitable pasting box on a shaft running in bearings, with a
drum or pulley on the same shaft hung outside the pasting box. This drum
acts as a revolving table or support for that part of the fly strip which is kept entirely
free from paste, and the two strips of paper--the covering strip entirely pasted upon
its under side, and the fly strip only partially pasted on a narrow line--are
united together, suitable guides and supports being arranged for the purpose. The
combined strips are then led over the box body on the former, and applied to the
box and cut off, when by cutting the fly paper at the angles of the box the over-
hanging or dry portion of the fly margin can be folded down or turned back as
required.
In addition to the saving effected of the ordinary hand operation of inserting the
fly margin, my invention effects a saving in width of the covering strip of paper,
as it is no longer necessary to provide sufficient to turn over the edge of the box
and paste down inside it; the fly paper hiding the straw board or other material
of which the box is made, and giving a neat finish to the box body.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39, Essex Street, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Method and Apparatus for Covering and Finishing
Card or Straw-board Boxes.
I, CLARENCE WHITMAN HOBBS, of 37, Featherstone Street, Finsbury, in the
City of London, Manufacturer of Paper Box Machinery, 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 an improved method and apparatus for covering and
finishing card or straw-board boxes, whereby an operation of inserting and pasting
a fly or folding edge of plain, lace, or other ornamented paper, within a card board
or straw board box, hitherto generally done by hand, is combined with another
operation of covering, (performed sometimes by machine, and sometimes by hand),
and both operations are performed simultaneously by an improved machine or
apparatus at one operation.
In the further description of this invention, reference is made to the accompany-
ing drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan of a machine
adapted to carry out my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan of the pasting device used
in my aforesaid apparatus, and it will be noted that the drawings are in diagramatic
form.
Amongst machines usually employed in the manufacture of card board or straw
board boxes, a machine or apparatus is used for applying two or more strips of
paper round the outside of the body and lids of the boxes. The said strips of paper

page_text: are glued or pasted on their under side over the whole of their respective widths,
which, when combined, are slightly wider than the straw board, and being of
diverse kinds or colours, are intended to produce a neat or ornamental finish when
applied to the sides and turned over the edges of the body, or the lid of the said
boxes. When done by machine, the body or lid of the box, as the case may be, is
put upon a former or block, which is of rectangular or other shape to suit the kind
of box to be operated upon, and the box former is turned as the paper strips are
pasted and applied to the box as aforesaid.
When the four sides (for example) of the box have thus been covered, the
combined strips of paper are cut off, and the attendant turns the excess marginal
width (above mentioned) of the paper over the edge and into the interior of the body or
lid, as the case may be, smoothing the pasted paper down with her fingers. Subse-
quently, the ordinary hand process of applying a fly or folding margin of ornamental
or other paper is performed in the finishing operation, and this is generally done by
separately gluing or pasting along a narrow edge of the fly paper, and applying this
pasted portion to or over the aforesaid turned over marginal edging on the interior
sides of the box. By cutting the paper at the angles, and smoothing the same
down, each side fly or folding margin can be folded separately over any articles
afterwards placed in the body of the box, so as to protect or cover them from air or
dust, or to enhance the effect of the box or its contents. For the latter purpose
embossed and perforated paper, termed lace paper, is usually employed; but for the
former purpose a plain or tinted paper, often of thin texture, is frequently used. It
is remarked that this fly edging or folding margin is applied only as a finishing
operation in making the body of the box and does not properly belong to the
lid; the invention therefore refers to the body or receptacle of the box; being
that part intended to contain an article or articles which it is desired to cover
over.
By my invention I provide a machine Figs. 1 and 2, such as is usually employed
for covering boxes, consisting of a frame and bed a, on which are mounted
standards b, carrying rods or tubes e, on one end of which are hangers d, wherein
are journalled an axle of a paper reel or reels e. From the reel or reels e a strip or
strips of paper el is or are led by suitable guides f and f¹ through a pasting device
to a box body placed on a former h, which is adapted to rotate on a suitable axle,
not shown. Consequently each strip is pasted on the underside thereof, and if more
than one strip is used they are combined and pasted upon the box body by the operator
as the former h is caused to rotate, all in the usual manner. But to this machine I add
a supplemental pasting box or device i in which a very narrow wheel it is mounted
in a paste trough upon an axle which passes through the trough at one end and is
adapted to carry a wide, but equal diameter wheel j, which is kept dry and clear
of paste, as indicated on Fig. 3. A separate reel k (shown in Fig. 1), is mounted
on the bed a, and adapted to carry a supply of the embossed lace, or other paper k¹,
used as the folding margin or fly strip within the box as aforesaid, and being fed from
its reel k, independently of the ordinary covering paper el and its reel e, the fly
strip passes over the wheels j and i, being pasted along a very narrow line on its
under side at the edge intended to be next to the body of the box; while the other
or folding portion of the said strip is supported and kept free from paste by passing
over the dry wheel (which thus acts as a revolving table) on its way to the box
body. The width of the narrow line of paste on the underside of the fly strip k¹
is determined by the width of the narrow pasting wheel aforesaid; and the said
strip with its narrow pasted portion and its dry folding or fly portion is thus
distinguishable from the ordinary covering strip or strips which is or are pasted
across the whole of the under surface thereof.
It will be seen on referring to Fig. 1, that the covering strip el having passed
through the pasting device g, and become pasted upon its under side, passes under
the guide f and over the guide f, at which point it is joined by the fly strip k¹
and the two strips are pressed and united together; the narrow line of paste upon
the latter being added as it were-to the remaining exposed and pasted portion

page_text: of the covering strip e', and therefore available for immediate adhesion to the
box body. After the combined strips have been led over the box body on the
former, and applied to the box under the hand of the operator, she cuts the combined
strip across at the requisite point and smooths down the end, after which the
fly paper is cut at the angles of the box, when the overhanging or dry portion of
the fly margin can be folded down or turned back, as required. Any suitable
power may be applied for driving the machine.
It is to be understood that the terms paste, and pasting device, may apply to
the use of glue, and gluing device, or to the use of any other suitable adhesive
substance; and that the axle which carries the narrow pasting wheel does not,
necessarily, pass through the paste trough, as other arrangements may be made
to carry the dry wheel j. Furthermore, the said dry wheel j, being intended as
a revolving table or support for carrying the fly strip at the time the narrow line
of paste is applied, may be omitted, and a fixed support at the suitable level sub-
stituted therefor, without departing from the nature of my invention.
As compared with one of the ordinary hand operations of inserting the fly
margin, my invention effects a saving in the width of the covering strip of paper,
as it is no longer necessary to provide it wide enough to turn over the edge of
the box and be pasted down within it; for by my improvements the fly paper hides
the edge of the straw board or other material of which the box is made, while
giving a neat finish to the box body.
In conclusion I desire to state that I am aware that Letters Patent No. 18,541
of 1895, have been granted to Hugh Stevenson and Albert Hugh Stevenson for
improvements in the manufacture of fancy boxes, in the specification of which is
also described a method of attaching a fly strip and a banding or covering strip to
boxes simultaneously and by one operation, and therefore I do not claim this in
and by itself, nor anything else described, shown, or claimed in the said
specification.
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. The herein described method of pasting the whole of the under side of a
box covering strip, and of a narrow portion of a fly or folding marginal strip and
attaching the two together and applying the same simultaneously at one operation
to the covering and finishing of a box body in the manner and for the purpose
herein before specified and shown by the drawings.
2. In a box covering machine the combination of a main pasting device g and its
supply reel e, with a special supplement pasting device i having a narrow pasting
wheel, and a dry wheel or equivalent support adjoining, a reel k adapted for
supplying a folding marginal fly, together with means for uniting the strips
and together, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
3. In a box covering machine a supplemental pasting device i having a narrow
pasting wheel and a dry wheel in an adjoining compartment, as and for the
purpose herein shown and described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1898.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39, Essex Street, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.