IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES" 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 a machine for the continuous carrying
on of said manufacture; all the steps thereof, from the picking up of the splints to
the final deposit of the matches in the drying trays being effected in a single
passage through the machine.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal
section through the centre of the machine. Figure 2 is a top or plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the hopper which contains the
splints and the adjacent mechanism. Figure 4 is a cross section through the steam
channels by means of which the ends of the splints are heated before the application
of the sulphur thereto. Figures 5 and 6 are respectively side and end elevations
of the sulphuring devices. Figure 7 is a central longitudinal section and Figure 8
a central transverse section through the devices for applying the phosphorous
heading. Figure 9 is a top or plan view, and Figure 10 a side elevation of said
devices, and Figure 11 is a top or plan view of the cutting devices by means of
which the splints are divided at the conclusion of their passage through the
machine.
The scale of all these Figures from 5 to 11 both inclusive though less than that
of Figures 3 and 4 is somewhat enlarged from the scale of Figures 1 and 2.
For convenience of description it may be well to consider the machine as divided
into a series of subsidiary devices and to describo the mechanical construction and
operation of each of these devices separately.
Briefly speaking they may be classified by the successive stages of treatment,
as follows:
First. The picking-up mechanism by which the splints are delivered from the
hopper into which they are in the first instance fed.

page_text: apart as to overlap the sides of the muted w
it draws out the splints from the hopper through the side gate and as it travels
toward the picking-up wheels A it holds the splints squarely but loosely between
the flutes and thus presents them into the picking up wheels. These wheels A are
provided with wedge shaped peripheral notches whose openings are large enough
to freely receive the splints, but converge at bottom to a diameter less than that
of the splints and the notches upon one wheel are parallel to those upon the other.
Immediately above and in like contact with the periphery of the picking-up
wheels A is a rotating brush C³ actuated by means of the belt e¹ and pulley e³ froin
the main driving shaft A'. The function of this brush is to throw back the
surplus splints only permitting those to pass which are in the openings of the
picking up wheels A. Adjacent to the brush CS and likewise above the picking up
wheels A is a tread roller à mounted in sliding bearings upon the frame A³ which
aro provided with adjustable spring pressure attachments so that the degree of
pressure of the tread roller may be regulated. The function of this tread roller d
is to firmly pack the splints into the wedge shaped openings of the picking up
wheel A. A pair of light curved springs g attached to the frame A³ press lightly
against the under surfaces of the splints during a certain portion of their travel in
the picking up wheels A and these serve to discard or throw out any splints which
by reason of imperfect shape or small size do not become fastened firmly in the
openings of the picking up wheels A by the pressure of the tread roller d. These
discarded splints fall into a waste hopper i arranged in proximity to the periphery
of the picking up wheels A.
Adjacent to the picking-up wheels A are the transfer wheels E keyed to a
common shaft and rotating as one.. These wheels E are provided with parallel
teeth somewhat like ratchet teeth as shown and their purpose is to transfer the
splints from the picking-up wheels A to the large flanged pulley C before referred to
and which will be termed the locating wheel. The gearing by which these several
wheels are rotated must of course bear a definite relation to the number of match

page_text: receptacles upon cach of the wheels and also to certain other features which will
now be described. Thus, if the locating wheel C has (as is the preferred
construction) thirty six receptacles in the Hanges and the transfer wheels E six
teeth, it is obvious that the latter must make six revolutions for every one
revolution of the locating wheel; and if the picking-up wheels A havo twenty four
match receptacles they must make one rotation for every four of the transfer
wheels E. Furthermore all these wheels must travel in the same direction and the
gears are therefore arranged as follows (see Figure 3). Upon the end of the
shaft of the locating wheel C is a large gear C₁ having forty eight teeth. This
meshes with a pinion gª having eight teeth which in turn meshes with the driving
pinion of the transfer wheels E having also eight teeth. This driving pinion n
meshes with a second pinion n³ having eight teeth which in turn drives the large
gear n having thirty two teeth and secured to the shaft of the picking up wheel A.
The pulley upon the shaft of the fluted wheel D' is also somewhat smaller than
the pulley by which its belt d is driven so that the travel of the fluted wheel is
faster than that of the picking up wheels. This relation of speed tends to crowd
the match splints forward on the picking up wheels A and pack them properly in
the notches thereof and I so arrange the tension of the belt d that if the splints
become crowded too much between the peripheries of the Buted wheel Di and
picking up wheels A, the pulley d will slip until the crowding is relieved by the
travel of the picking-up wheels.
The teeth of the transfer wheels E are so arranged in relation to the teeth of the
picking up wheels A and locating wheel C as that the splints are struck squarely
out of the one and into the other thus avoiding any danger of breakage. Upon
the periphery of the locating wheel G and between the flanges thereof, travels an
endless belt E somewhat narrower than the length of the splints. The pass
this belt through the remaining portions of the machine can readily be traced.
is provided with a tightening roller D³ the strain upon which is effected by the
weight D connected with the journals of the roller D³ by means of the rope d
passing over pulley D'.
As the splints are received in the openings of the locating wheel C this belt E¹ is
.of course beneath them. By the travel of the locating wheels the splints aro
carried forward a short distance and their upper surfaces come in contact with a
second endless belt E2 whose travel with the remaining portions of the machine
can also be readily traced and which is provided with a similar tightening roller L'
and weight R. The splints are carried between the surfaces of these two belts
from this point until just before their final discharge from the machine and hence
the two belts will hereafter be considered as if constituting a single element and
referred to by the name of "the duplex belt." In order to hold the splints firmly
during the sulphuring and heading 1 pass the duplex belt over the pulleys F FI
which aro provided with flanges just high enough to receive the inner belt E³.
These pulleys which I term holding wheels are mounted respectively upon
shafts K. J. and driven by worm gearing ƒ³, ƒ³, from the main shaft A'.
The first step in the sulphuring process is to properly heat the ends of the splints
in order that they may not chill the melted sulphur but may readily absorb it.
This is effected by means of the steam heating channels G' arranged on either side
of the machine and curved to conform to the travel of the belt in passing from the
locating wheel C to the holding wheel F. The cross section of these channels is
shown in Figure 4 where it will be seen that they embrace both ends of the watch
splints a so as to heat them for a space of about one half of an inch. The steam
heating channels G communicate with the steam heating box G below the sulphur
trough which in turn is connected by means of the pipe F with a second steam
heating box F below the receptacle H for containing the heading composition thus
effecting the beating of the several apparatus by a continuous system.
The sulphuring devices are shown in Figures 5 and 6. They are arranged on
each side of the machine and being similar to one another in construction a
description of one will suffice. Each consists of troughs à for containing the melted

page_text: sulphur in which there rotates arony whose perp
v, porous
material such as asbestos fibre which will not be injured by the heat of the inelted
sulphur. The shaft o of this roll jis arranged in a very loose bearing at one end
while the other is supported upon a lever arm k provided with a weight k² which
tends to raise the roll j. A second roll m' having its surface similarly covered with
soft and porous material is arranged to rotate above and in contact with the first
roll j. This second roll m¹ is supported upon a bearing hung in trunnions /¹ so
that the roll is free to rise and fall. These rolls are arranged parallel and in such
relation to the holding wheels F as that the projecting ends of the match splints c
shall in their travel pass between the adjacent surfaces of the rolls and thus slowly
rotate the latter whose freely suspended bearings permit them to rise for the
passage of the splint and to fall again after it has passed. Upon falling the upper
.roll m' comes in contact with the surface of the lower roll j taking up therefrom a
portion of the melted sulphur which adheres to the periphery thereof, and thus the
surfaces of both rolls are kept coated with the melted sulphur, and their rotation is
effected by the movement of the splints themselves the heated ends of which in
their passage through the rolls, absorb sufficient sulphur.
After emerging from the sulphuring apparatus the duplex belt, E¹. E². with the
-splints-between its surfaces, travels upwards and over the pulley I and then comes
in contact with the surface of the second-holding-wheel- in the receptacles of
which the match splints aro again held. The travel-of-this-wheel F carries the
splints downwards to the apparatus for applying the heads which is constructed
as shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10. As in the case of the sulphuring devices the
heading apparatus is placed on each side of the machine and only one will be
described. A hot-water trough M-is-placed above the steam heating box F' before
referred to and immersed in the trough M is the receptacle H-shaped to hold the
various working parts and closed as far as possible to contact with the air. The
-heading composition is supplied to the receptacle H by the supply opening m³.
Within this receptacle H a spirally coiled-pipo m mounted upon the shaft p³ is
rotated by means of the gears p¹ and p³ having bearings in the upright L
supported upon the end of the trough M². The outer end of this spiral pipe m at
each revolution dips beneath the surface of the heading composition which is in
the bottom of the receptacle H and takes up a small quantity which it transfers
through the coil to the central discharge opening r. It is there poured out upon
the plates provided with an overflow pipe u to prevent the accumulation of too
much of the composition and from said plate a passes out through the adjustable
gate N on to the curved surface of the dipping plate M. This dipping plate M is
fixed upon a shaft P' having bearings outside of the receptacle H to which is
attached a cam arm T' and at its other end is in contact with the revolving cam S¹
actuated by means of a belt t² and pulley s² from the main driving shaft. The
.configuration of this cam S' is such that its revolution causes the dipping plate M
to alternately approach and recede from the end of the match splint c and as the
Buid heading composition is poured in a continuous even film over the curved
surface of the dipping plato Al the movements of the latter imitate most closely
the operation of vertical hand dipping and thus tend to produce an equal
distribution of the composition upon the end of the match splint instead of
crowding it upon one side as is sometimes the case with mechanical heading
devices. The surplus composition flows back from the bottom of the dipping
plate M into the receptacle H. To render the apparatus for applying the heads
and the reservoir of the composition readily detachable froin the remainder of the
machine the shaft of the gear p³ is provided with a coupling having a squaro
opening J¹ in one end into which the square projecting end of the shaft J fits. The
hot water trough M2 is arranged to slide in ways R' at right angles to the frame A²
and thus in case of accidental ignition of the heading composition the whole
apparatus can be at once moved away from the machine and extinguished. The
location of all the journals outside the receptacle H avoids the danger of ignition
through the friction of the moving parts.
L

page_text: On passing upward from the heading apparatus the splints are taken off from
the holding wheel F¹ between the surfaces of the duplex belt, and are then caused
to pass around a series of pulleys v. v. v. v. arranged as shown in Figure 1 in close
proximity to one another and so disposed as to cause the belts to take a rapidly
reversed serpentine motion. The object of this is to give to the head a symmetrical
form, while, at the same time, permitting it to travel a sufficient distance to cool
and stiffen somewhat, and thus retain its shape. If this travel is effected in a right
line, or even in a series of straight lines in alternate directions, the tendency of
the still fluid composition is to accumulate on one side, and thus destroy the
syminetrical shape of the lead.
After this serpentine movement the duplex belt passes downward around the
pulley V and carries the matches between the teeth of the discharging wheels T,
whose openings are sufficiently large to permit the splints to full out roadily on
arriving at the lowest point of its rotation. After the separation of the two belts,
which takes place by the belt E passing around at the pulley W whilst the belt E¹
turns sharply around the cam shaped slide O. The splints are prevented from
leaving the discharging wheels T until the proper moment, by means of the curved
shield X.
Immediately below the centre of the discharging wheel T is the cutting
mechanism, constructed as shown in Figure 11. It consists of two disc cutters ġ
arranged to revolve with their edges in contact, and supported respectively upon
the shafts qq on each side of each cutter; and in close proximity thereto are
arranged discs w of vulcanized rubber whose faces revolve in close contact and
with a considerable degree of pressure against one another. The object of these
discs w is to grip and hold the splints securely on each side of the point to be cut,
during the operation of the cutters and thus prevent the sliding of the splints
either upward or sidewise whilst being cut. They furthermore serve to rotate the
cutter 2³ by conveying thereto the motion of the shaft q' which is driven by means
of the pulley and belt Q from the pulley P. The bearings of the shaft q³ are
adjustable by means of the screws Y towards the shaft g'. After passing between
the cutters 92 the now severed matches drop into trays a carried upon the
endless belt Z, which is caused to travel slowly forward as the matches aro fed
into the trays, by means of a pawl and ratchet R. U. The throw of said pawl R
is made adjustable in the ordinary way by means of an army attached thereto
and having a slot u in which the connecting rod u¹ is adjustable toward and from
the centre of motion.
As the trays are filled with the matches, they are removed from the belt Z, and
laid away for the heads to completely harden and dry.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The combination with the carrying belt and the pulleys upon which
said belt travels, of the steam channel G₁ arranged at the side of the belt and
curved to conform to the direction of its travel substantially in the manner and
for the purposes set forth.
Second. In an apparatus for sulphuring match splints the combination with a
carrying belt, of a sulphur pan, a roll revolving therein, and a second roll revolving
above and in contact with the first, the journals of said rolls being freely suspended
to permit the separation of their surfaces by the passage of the splints, and the rolls
being so arranged with relation to said belt as that the ends of the splints thereon
shall pass between and rotate them, substantially as set forth.
Third. In a continuously operating match machine the combination of the
sulphuring and heading apparatus, with a duplex belt having its adjacent surfaces
smooth, a locating wheel provided with spaced receptacles which distribute evenly
the splints between the smooth adjacent surfaces of the belt, and holding wheels
around which said belt travels in passing said apparatus, whereby said splints are

page_text: held firmly between said surfaces during the sulphuring and heading operations,
without the use of clamps or other positive holding devices upon the belts.
Fourth. The combination of a closed receptacle for containing the heading
composition, a spiral pipe arranged therein and having a central discharge opening,
mechanism for rotating said pipe, and an inclined dipping board adjacent to said
opening, the whole operating substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a carrying belt, a dipping board suspended upon
hinges parallel to the line of travel thereof, mechanism for moving said board
towards and from said belt during the passage of a splint, and apparatus for
maintaining a flow of leading composition upon said board, whereby said splints
are headed in a manner similar to the operation of vertical dipping.
Sixth. In a continuously operating match machine the combination with the
carrying belt of a-heading apparatus mounted removeably at the side of said belt
and-provided-with-detachable-driving mechanism, whereby the immediate removal
of said apparatus is permitted substantially as set forth.
Seventh. In a continuously operating match machine the combination with the
heading apparatus and the carrying belt, of a series of pulleys around which said
belt passes immediately after the heading operation, said pulleys being arranged
in different planes,-and-in-such-close-proximity to one another that said belt is
-caused to take a continually reversed-serpentine-course without-travelling_in_a_
straight line during the hardening of the heads, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes specified.
Eighth. The combination of the carrying belt with the cam-shaped slide O,
discharging_wheels_T, shield_✗, and the cutting apparatus arranged below said
discharging wheels, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. The combination with the disc cutters q q³ of the elastic. discs. w
arranged on each side thereof, whereby the splints are held during the cutting
-operation-substantially as set forth.