Improvements in the Manufacture of Cardboard Boxes or the like and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1888-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cardboard Boxes or the like
and Apparatus therefor.
I, PAUL CARTIER, of Darnétal, in the Republic of France, 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 present invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of cardboard
boxes and apparatus therefor and its object is to manufacture cardboard boxes of
suitable strength of cylindrical or other form and provided with a bottom, these boxes
being perfectly ready for use and finished when leaving the machine.
The lids for these boxes can be manufactured by the same machine by changing
the mandrils and adjusting the machine to the required size of the lids.
The process consists of two distinct phases:
1. Coating the paper or cardboard on one side with glue, gum, paste or the like,
cutting the paper in continuous strips of a width in accordance with the height of the
boxes to be produced, and cutting or stamping the bottoms.
2. Entire manufacture of the boxes by automatic machinery from the said strips
and bottoms.
a table or bench
The paper or cardboard in rolls of any size is rolled out on
and coated with glue or the like in any suitable manner. When this coating is
dry the cardboard is cut in any suitable manner in continuous strips of a width
in accordance with the height of the boxes to be produced and these strips are
rolled up.
The bottoms are cut or stamped from cardboard or other material of a thickness or
strength according to the size of the boxes or the intended use thereof. These bottoms
are piled up in a reservoir of the machine, from which they are withdrawn and used
one by one.
The machine which manufactures the boxes automatically from these continuous
strips and the bottoms receives its motion from a driving shaft driven by a pulley
and belt.
The different operations of the machine can be divided as follows:-
1. Intermittent unrolling of the continuous strip, stamping or printing of any
mark if desired, and continuous wetting of the upper edge of the side coated with
glue.
2. Cutting the continuous strips in desired lengths and goffering the edge.
3. Rolling the cut length.
4. Wetting the vertical edge and glueing the vertical edges together.
5. Applying and glueing the bottom.
6. Removal of the finished box.
7. Return of the different parts of the machine into the original position.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the machine and illustrates the action of
the principal transmission parts, Fig. 1ª is a continuation of Fig. 1 to the right.
Fig. 2 is a plan showing the way the cardboard travels, and partly in section to
show the mechanism of the intermittently revolving disc. Fig. 2" is a continuation
of Fig. 2 to the right.
Fig. 3 is a plan showing the mechanism communicating rotary motion to the
mandrels on the disc.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the supporting and rolling mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the cardboard guide and transmission to the shaft e
and the watting mechanism

page_text: e part being omitted to show the rest better.
Fig. 7 illustrates in vertical section the mechanism for lowering the mandrels.
Fig. 8 are details of the wetting mechanism in section elevation and plan.
Fig. 9 represents in plan and elevation the mechanism for wetting the vertical edge
of the cardboard.
Fig. 10 represents in front view, side view and plan the mechanism for distributing
the bottoms.
Fig. 11 represents in elevation parly in section and in plan the fixed support of the
mechanism for the introduction of the bottom into the box.
Fig. 12 represents a section and a plan of this bottom introducing mechanism.
Fig. 13 is a detail of the cardboard guiding mechanism.
The driving shaft B of the machine is provided with a fast and loose pulley A A¹
and is driven by means of a belt.
The fast pulley A carries a fly-wheel V which however serves more to move the
machine a little during the adjusting of the different parts when the machine stands
still, than to regulate the movement during the driving of the machine.
The shaft B carries a bevil pinion C which engages with the bevil wheel D keyed
onto the vertical shaft L. This latter carries at its upper end a cam N securely
fixed to the shaft L and carrying on the top the alternating feeding device for
the cardboard strip. This cam operates several movements fixed to the shaft e to
which it communicates an alternating rotary movement by means of the lever f fixed
to the said shaft e and held against the cam N by means of a spring g which causes
the lever to follow all the sinuosities of the said cam.
The boss of the wheel D is prolonged upwards and on this prolongation is formed
a cam S which operates the stamping or printing mechanism. To this end the
cam S is formed on its periphery with a recess ST into which enters during each
revolution of the cam the roller I mounted on the bent arm U which is constantly
held against the cam S by means of the spring Z one end of which is attached to the
frame of the machine by the rods dc by means of which the tension of the said
spring can be regulated, and the other end of the spring Z is fastened to the knee
lever Y. This, latter is pivotted at a and is connected with the arm U by a rod X
pointed at both ends which engage in cavities formed in the arm U and lever Y and
held therein by the tension of the spring Z.
The ink-rollers of the mechanism are operated by a small grooved pulley b round
which passes a transmission cord the lower end of which passes round the driving
shaft.
On the upper face of the bevil wheel D is formed a radial guide in which is
adjustably fixed the support of the roller E. This roller revolves with the bevil
wheel D in the direction of the arrow a
grooves F formed in the disc G and there being four grooves F the roller E will give
(Fig. 2) and engages with the curved
the disc Ga quarter revolution each time the said roller engages with one of the
grooves F. The disc G and cam S are ablo to revolve in juxtaposition because of the
recess S¹ in the cam and the four recesses h in the disc. This movement is communi-
cated to a vertical shaft H keyed to the disc G and which carries another disc k on
which are mounted the mandrels M¹ thus communicating the quarter revolutions to
this latter disc.
The shaft H rests in a socket I the screw of which serves to adjust the height of the
parts mounted on the said shaft.
A rotary movement round their own axes is communicated to the mandrels by
means of the pinions i keyed on the sleeves J' which pinions engage with a circular
rack formed on one half of the periphery of the upper part of the frame Q. The
pinions are flattened in one part and here provided with a long tooth J which in
coming in contact with a stud on the frame Q facilitates the commencement of the
gearing with the circular rack q. The flattened parts of the pinions bear against the
cylindrical part of Q when not engaging with the rack and thus prevent the pinions
from revolving round their own axes when not gearing with the rack, q.
The feeding of the cardboard is effected by the pincers (Fig. 13) carried at the

page_text: end of two rods A and μ of which the latter is hollow and surrounds the former. The
rod slides in the support r but without turning round its longitudinal axis while
the rod is provided with a downward projecting arm which engages in a groove
formed on the top of the slide p actuated by the arm P. The support r slides in a
slot formed in the rigid plate but it requires a considerable effort to move it
because of a strong spring fixed to it which bears against the said plate π.
When the arm P draws the slide p back the arm of the rod X rides up an incline
in the groove and the pincers are then moved towards the shears.
When the arm
pincers are opened.
off the incline and
mandrel.
σ
mounts the said incline the rod is slightly turned and the
When the slides are moved back the spring a draws the arm
the pincers seize the cardboard to move it towards the first
The continuous strip of cardboard thus drawn off the roller F2 passes horizontally
under the press which imprints any desired design which will be visible on the finished
box. The paper strip is drawn towards the mandrels M by an appliance which
consists principally of pincers which draw the paper strip towards the mandrels and as
this latter rotates, the paper is wound on to it assisted by the spring fingers and the
support placed, close to the mandrel. When the necessary quantity of paper for
making a box has been wound upon the mandrel it is replaced by another such
quantity and the operation renewed. The feeding apparatus rolls the paper strip off
and pushes the end towards the second mandrel upon which the paper is rolled and
cut as before. The strip is then in any convenient manner brought to stand on
end to be operated upon by the wetting mechanisin M³ which wets the upper edge of
the strip.
This wetting apparatus M³ which wets the edge of the strip that is afterwards
turned down on the bottom consists of a strip of felt held between two blades and
receiving by capillarity hot water. The water is heated by a gas burner in a suitable
reservoir in which the felt soaks.
From the wetting apparatus the strip passes round a roller H2 and then to a vertical
blade G¹ against which it is pressed by the plate E¹ which is formed by a spring as
seen in figure 6; by this pressure the cardboard is slightly curved which facilitates the
rolling round the mandrels and from the blade G¹ it passes between the shears and on
to the mandrel.
To take the paper on to the mandrel the machine is provided with a system of pliers
represented in detail in figure 13.
It must be clearly understood that the effect of these pliers takes place between the
knife G and the mandrel while passing between the open blades of the shear. The
action is as follows;-The pliers having seized the strip of paper in front or against
the knife G the pliers move forward pulling the strips of paper after and pushing in
front that part of the strip of paper which is destined to form the box. These pliers
pass on holding the strip of paper between the open blades of the shear until the end
of the paper strip touches the mandrel when in that moment the spring finger fixes
the paper upon
the mandrel. After this the pliers open themselves and return and
when this is effected the shear shuts itself and cuts the paper. And the same
operations repeat themselves in the same order. With reference to the wetting spoken
of in the general statement it is also necessary to understand that there are two of
them. In No. 1 (page 3) the wetting in question is effected by the wetter M³ before
the strip of paper enters the actual machine, upon the superior edge of the strip of
paper which is destined to form hereafter the inferior part of the box and owing
to the wetting on being turned down gams itself on the bottom of the box. The
second wetting in question in No. 4 (page 3) has reference to the wetting of the
vertical edge of the cut strip of paper, which is to gum itself together to form the
cylinder of the box.
This intermittent wetting as described in page 10 is effected by the spring finger
wetter B².
When the strip has arrived at the mandrel it is cut and goffered by the shears. The

page_text: goffering of the paper is attained by the blades of the shears and it is while cutting
the paper that it is goffered by which latter action the cut ends are bent back towards
the inner side of the box so that the box shall not have the propensity to come
undone on account of the elasticity of the paper. The shears receive their move-
ment from the shaft e which communicates an oscillating movement to the lever A¹
(figure) which is keyed to the said shaft and actuating with its upper end a rod B¹
the pointed ends of which rest in corresponding cavities formed in the lever A' and
the lever D', the latter is pivotted to the standard (³.
The lever D¹ is constantly drawn towards the standard C₁ by the spring R¹ and it
actuates the two blades of the shears. The blade L is actuited by the pusher P¹
mounted on points and the similarly mounted pusher Q₁actuates the upper end of
the blade M. The rod B¹ is held in position by a spring fixed to the levers A¹ and D'
while the spring R serves to hold the pushers P¹ and Qin position.
In the space H is fixed a disc w on which the arms for supporting and rolling the
cardboard on the mandrel are actuated. The disc w participates of the intermittent
movement of the shaft H and through it pass the sleeves J³ carrying the mandrels.
On the sleeves J³ are pivotted arms t carrying vertical arms at one end and a pro-
jection on the other. The vertical arms are formed in accordance to the shape of
the mandrels against which they bear.
On the disc we are pivotted in a double armed levers I¹ of such height that they can
pass over the arms t. These levers carry on one end an arm y similar to those
marked and at the other end they are rounded off and bear against the inner side
of a vertical flange or cam terminated by the cam surfaces J and K'.
When the disc w is rotated the ends z of levers l' are forced into their outer
position as shown at the left hand side of fig. 4 and in such position are brought
against the cam surface J' which forces them to their inner position as shown at the
right hand side of figure 4.
The arms u and y are under the influence of springs which tend to hold them
against the mandrels. In the position 1 they are held away from the mandrel, the
arm u by means of the head L of the lever N¹ against which bears the projection v
of the arm t, and the lever I by means of the form of the inner side of the flange of
the disc w. In this position the cardboard is brought against the mandrel, and as
soon as the cardboard is in position the lever Z' actuated by the shaft e bears on the
lever N' and disengages the head L from the projection v, the arm u falls and holds
the cardboard against the mandrel; until now the disc has not turned, but as soon as
this movement commences the head of the lever I will ride down the inclino J¹ of
the flange of the disc w so that the arm y can bear against the cardboard behind the
arm which has turned already and the support t of which has already passed
underneath the lever I'.
During this movement the arm u turns with the mandrel round the latter's axis,
while the arms y only turn with the disc and thus hold and roll the card-board round
the mandrel. The same will take place during the second part of the movement, but
on arriving at the third position where the movement of the mandrel round its own
axis ceases the arm t will encounter an incline formed on the flange of the disc 10.
The arm u will consoquently be slightly removed from the mandrel. The lever I'
will now ride up the incline K' and thus remove the arm
from the mandrel so that
the box in the fourth position of the mandrel is perfectly free.
The different parts will now remain in this position until the projection or nose v of
the arm encounters again the nose L' of the lever N when the whole movement
recommences. The nose L' has been removed by a lever Z' fixed to the shaft e
and is returned to its normal position by a bent arm t, actuating the pivotted lever v
which acts on a nose ¹ formed on the lever N¹. The arm t¹ receives its movement
from the slide o.
The intermittent wetting is effected by the following mechanism: An arm B2
pivotted to an arm A³ (Fig. 8) and the elongation D2 of which moves between the two
stops ZZ fixed to a' plate Y' and a spindle X on which the arm A² is mounted and

page_text: which carries at the lower end a crank V' attached in U₁ to a rod T₁ actuated by a
lever H pivotted at O' and provided with a nose or projection K' which bears against
the cam 1 (Fig. 5).
This
The latter is forined with two unequal inclines which produce two corresponding
movements of the lever H which communicates them to the wetting arm B³.
latter carries at its end a pad C2 which receives moisture from a felt cylinder 1*
(fig. 9) part of which soaks in a water reservoir heated by a gas burner J².
As explained above two unequal oscillations are communicated by the cam 1' to
the wetting arm B2. During the greater oscillation the arin B2 will be bent by
its elongation D and the stop and the pad receives now the necessary moisture,
the arm is then drawn back and the smaller oscillation takes place as soon as the
elongation comes into contact with the stop Z; the arm A then returns to its
original position to recommence the same movement.
In the second position of the mandrels the distribution of the bottoms for the boxes
also takes place. These bottoms are piled up in a tube J the bottom of which is
formed by a sliding plato T formed with an opening corresponding to the size of the
box-bottoms and of a thickness corresponding to that of the box bottoms, so that this
sliding plate during its reciprocating movement takes with it the lowest bottom of the
pile and delivers it over the top of the mandrel. This reciprocating movement is
effected by a chain S' fixed to the support and the plate is returned by means of
the spring I, when the tension of the chain ceases.
In the third position of the mandrel the bottom is glued to the box. To this end
the bottom glueing mechanism is lowered and at the same time the mandrel lifted a
little by means of the lever B and pusher G¹ (fig. 7). The lever B ends in a roller
bearing against a cam suitably formed on the boss of the wheel S. (fig. 1). The
bottom glueing mechanism is mounted on the upper end of two rods E' F' fastened
together by a cross-bar D'. This cross-bar is constantly drawn upwards by the two
spiral springs RR. The cross-bar D' is lowered by a pivotted lever (" carrying at
its other end a roller bearing on a cam q¹ formed on the extended boss of the wheel D.
When the lever descends it will lower the cross bar D₁ and with this the rods E F
and the bottom glueing mechanism which latter descends upon the mandrel and glues
the bottom of the box which after this operation is perfectly finished.
The bottom glueing mechanism is mounted in two supports 02 and g₁ the former
of which moves with the rods E F while the latter is adjustably fixed to the
frame.
On the movable support 03 are mounted two sliding journals N2 sliding in openings
formed in the jaw or catch holders M². A tube is further rigidly attached to the
movable support 0 and carries in its interior a pusher arm Y2 formed with a
shoulder serving as a seat for a spiral spring the tension of which is adjusted by
a nut and counternut of the upper screw threaded end of the pusher Y². The rigid
tube is screw-threaded at its upper end for the reception of a nut S adjusting
the tension of a spiral spring R' which holds a ring against the upper parts of the
jaw holders M².
The bottom glueing part proper is a small cup Us the bottom of which is formed
with an opening for the passage of a little rod V which is under the influence of a
spiral spring placed in a suitable recess of the pusher Y. This bottom glueing part
is mounted on a slide.
The following parts are also mounted on the described mechanism: Two loose
jaws T held by their supports G and the stop X, the supports G being fastened
to the jaw holders M²; further a rolling arm Q this latter is pivotted to the
rigid support and is actuated by an arm P² fixed to the movable support 02
by the projection m¹ of the rol ing arm Q' coming in contact with an incline of the
arm P
Supposing the movable support O' is in its highest position the lowering of it with
the bottom glueing mechanism will be effected in the following manner:
During the
lowering of the support Q the arm P² will actuate the rolling arm Q², and as soon as

page_text: the slides are stopped by the rigid support g¹ the supports G² and T2 will approach
each other under the influence of the jaw holders M, their shoulders a' coming in
contact with the support g¹ and the jaws T will be tightly pressed against the mandrel
and the cardboard surrounding it. During the downward movement the rod V has
pressed the box bottom on the top of the mandrel and passed into the recess of the
pusher compressing the spiral spring whilst the part U2 is lowered compressing
the spring and has folded the edge of the cardboard over the bottom pressing it
down very tightly. This last movement takes place while the jaws rigidly hold the
head of the mandrel and the surrounding cardboard.
The lowering and rising of the mandrels is effected in the following manner.
On the frame Q is formed a circular slideway on which bear noses of the mandrel.
This slide-way inclines from position 3 to position 4 and rises from position 4 10
position 1. The body M of each mandrel will by its own weight descend this
incline but to assure this downward movement a cam-like projection m will engage
over the nose of the mandrel and force this to descend the incline. During this
downward movement the mandrel passes through the box p filled with slightly oiled
hemp, cotton or the like, and is thereby slightly oiled, sufficiently to prevent the glued
card-board from adhering to it.
In the fourth position the now finished cardboard box is perfectly free from the
mandrel and the different arms, and is removed from the machine by a lever Be
actuated by the lever Z¹.
The different movements of the machine take place at their proper time and to
assure a proper working of the different parts as also to compensate for wear and tear
and permit the machine to be used for the manufacture of boxes of different sizes,
all the different mechanisms are constructed adjustable.
By some simple modifications the machine can be altered to produce polygonal
or even square boxes. For this purpose a cutter must be added which cuts notches P³
in the edge of the cardboard as represented in fig. 14, and the rolling arm can be
replaced by a revolving cylinder of metal or other suitable material to facilitate
its movement on the mandrel. The jaws must of course be formed in accordance
with the form of the mandrel as for instance as represented in Figure 15 for square
boxes.
The cardboard need not be previously glued if desired as the hot water in the
reservoirs may be replaced by glue or the like.
The bottoms for the boxes may be also stamped out on the machine itself by a
suitable mechanism and placed on the mandrel directly after the stamping by the same
mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
the
The manufacture of boxes from continuous strips of card-board or the like previously
glued or gummed on one side by the following mechanisms and operations: inter-
mittent feeding of the strip of card-board by means of the pincers; stamping of any
design, address or the like on the non-glued side of the paper which will be the
outside of the box, the curving of the card-board by passing it round a blade;
reciprocating movement of the opening and closing feeding pincers; the movement
of the arms for fixing and rolling the card-board on the mandrel actuated by the
movement of a disc revolving round its axis in four quarter revolutions, the
mandrels revolving with this disc and round their own axis during the first two
quarter revolutions of the disc; the mechanism of the arm for wetting the edge
of the card hoard strip; the distribution of the box bottoms on the top of the
mandrels already half surrounded by the cardboard strip; the intermittent wetting
mechanism for the vertical edge of the card-board; the glueing on of the bottom
of the box comprising the movement of the rolling arm, the pressing of the card-
board against the mandrel by the jaws and the pressing together of the turned

page_text: edge of the cardboard and the bottom; the lowering of the mandrel and removal
of the finished box after which the mandrel rises again into its original position;
the whole substantially as described in the foregoing specification and represented in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1888
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents