CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATCH BOXES OR BOXES OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN THE ADAPTATION THERETO OF PRINTED MATTER TOGETHER WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lewis Mills, of the Firm of J. L. Mills
and Co., of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATCH BOXES OR
BOXES OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN THE ADAPTATION THERETO OF PRINTED
MATTER TOGETHER WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM CONNECTED
THEREWITH.
"
Sealed the 25th July 1871, and dated the 28th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lewis Mills
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th January 1871.
I, JOSEPH LEWIS MILLS, of the Firm of J. L. Mills & Co., of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATCH
BOXES OR BOXES OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN THE ADAPTATION THERETO OF
PRINTED MATTER TOGETHER WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of manufacturing match
boxes and printing the outside covers thereof with facility and economy.

page_text: The improvements consist in passing the lengths of veneer or strips of
wood between two surfaces, one of which contains type or lithographed
printing and projecting blades of metal, and the other a pressure cover
that forces the veneer into contact with the type and blades of metal,
the arrangement and action of which simultaneously nicks the wood in
a manner that will enable it to be formed into the box or cover, and
impress upon the outer surfaces thereof between the nicks the ordinary
designs and printed matter denoting the name of maker and quality or
style of matches or goods contained inside, thus saving the extra expence
of enclosing the cover by adhesive labels. The joining together of the
folded sides is accomplished by glueing over the same the emery or sand
paper upon which the matches are struck when being ignited.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Lewis Mills in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
LEWIS MILLS, of the Firm of J. L. Mills Co., of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Lewis Mills, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Lewis Mills, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Lewis Mills, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time,
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF MATCH BOXES OR BOXES OF A A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN THE ADAPTATION
THERETO OF PRINTED MATTER WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM CONNECTED
THEREWITH,” upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Lewis Mills, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing

page_text: these rollers as may be required; the matter to be printed is drawn,
engraved, or otherwise placed upon one or both of these rollers, and
there inked by a roller working in the box E, or a pair of such boxes in
the case of using both rollers for printing; E is the ink box or trough
in which is a roller or rollers for distributing or delivering the ink upon
the printing rollers. Upon the top of the inking box is fitted by
adjusting screws a doctor knife or scraper E" for cleansing its printing
roller of superfluous ink, and E' is an endless blanket for thoroughly
cleansing the non-printing surface of the printing roller against which
it works. From these rollers the veneer passes to and under F, which
is a small roller studded with flexible pins acting as an advancer upon
the veneer passing up to and beyond G. G is a guillotine knife which is
employed for the purpose of cutting the veneers to the required length;
its action proceeds from a cam fixed upon a spindle moved by a crank
attached to the gear of the printing rollers. From this knife the
skillet or vencer is advanced by the small roller H (which is exactly
like F) to the required position on the blocking bar I. I is a bar per-
manently fixed at one end into the frame of the machine, its other end
being free and projecting slightly beyond the frame of the machine, a
frew aperture in the frame being provided to admit thereof to allow for
the clearance of the cases or boxes when completed; it has a groove in
its upper and a groove in its lower face of sufficient size to admit of the
passage of an endless chain and pin along its entire length and back
again; this chain will be hereafter described. These grooves are so
constructed that the chain cannot work out otherwise than as required;
J is a sliding plate or table for the purpose of allowing a free fall to that
portion of the veneer which has to form the side and bottom nearest
J. J is a small pivoted lever, at the long end of which is fastened
a cord which passes over the pulley X, and is then attached to a pin
which is fixed in the side of J, and which slides in an open groove, and is
therefore capable of projecting beyond the frame of the machine (outside).
The purpose of J' is to slide back the plate or table J to allow the
veneer to face clear immediately when acted upon by K. The short end
of the lever J' is acted upon by pin fixed in the shaft or piston of the
blocker K. K is the blocker, the pistons of which are fixed in bushes
inside the frame, its purpose is to bend the veneer down over the top of
the blocking bar I, and hold it firmly when so bent in that position
whilst the opperation of folding and fastening are completed. On being
released from the cam L which gives the motion to K it ascends by

page_text: I also claim the right to work the several processes detailed either
separately or in such combination as I may desire.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Lewis Mills, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
JOSEPH LEWIS MILLS. (L.S.)
JOSEPH LEWIS MILLS. (L.S.)