IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN PACKING CASES OR BOXES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Myers, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WOODEN PACKING CASES OR BOXES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Myers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1881.
FREDERICK MYERS, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WOODEN PACKING CASES OR BOXES."
My Invention relates to further improvements in the box making machinery for
which Letters Patent have been granted under the Number 3555, dated the first
day of September, A.D. 1880.
When wood is scarce packing cases or boxes are frequently manufactured with
what are called made up ends, that is to say, narrow strips of board are nailed
together making a frame consisting of four pieces, then thin boards are nailed upon
this frame to fill up the space, thus forming the end for a box or case. Now in
nailing the sides to such made up ends with my machinery the pressure is so great
that it crushes this frame or end to pieces; therefore to obviate this difficulty
I provide two standards which are bolted securely to the adjustable table of the
machine, and extend out far enough at the ends of the table to clear the frame or
bolts which hold the V slides fast to the frame. The said standards have a long
slot wherein rests a bar of iron supported by screws, so that the bar can be raised
or lowered to suit boxes or cases of different dimensions. Instead of resting the
end on the table, one of the projecting cleats rests on the bar, so that the bar
prevents the blow from crushing the end, and if there is any variation in the sizes
of the box-ends, the table bar and other parts yield in the same manner as would be
the case if the end were placed on the table. The bar has small notches to receive
the end of the adjusting screws, so that the bar cannot work out of the slot when
in use. In nailing boxes or cases with solid ends, the bar is removed, but the
standards remain as they are not in the way.
In making these end frames angle pieces are screwed upon the table of the
machine, and serve as guides for the end pieces to ensure their being square. The
table is raised up very high, or another table is, bolted to the top of the former in,
order to bring the pieces near enough to the nail boxes. The operator removes all
the nail boxes except two, then puts two strips on the table against the angle
.
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page_text: pieces one above the other, and by means of the machinery nails them together.
The nails are long enough to pass through the pieces and strike the iron table
beneath, which bends the points over and clinches them: Then a third strip is
nailed to the second strip, and then a fourth strip to the third and first strips,
which completes the frame. Then after a number of frames are nailed up the
angle pieces are removed from the table, and more nail boxes put on the machine,
then thin boards are nailed in the frames, which finishes the end pieces.
When making the frame and clinching the nails the table is very close to the
nail boxes, and it is frequently necessary to force the nails out of the nail boxes
without nailing; therefore if the table is solid the nails will be wasted, because the
points would all be bent unless the operator lowered the table, which would cause
a great loss of time. To overcome this difficulty a portion of the table is cut away
to form a slot in which are fitted plates that can be drawn back from each side
leaving an opening, so that the nails can drop through to the floor, and thus
prevent the points from being bent; the slide may be made in two pieces, or in
one piece. When the opening is closed the slides can be kept in their place by a
thumb screw, spring, or any other suitable device.
To nail divisions or partitions in any part of a box or case a gate is provided,
and there are stops to support the said gate and hold it in position. A slot is
provided in the gate for the purpose of supporting another stop which is attached
when the gate is open, and is adjustable backward or forward as desired by a
set screw in the slot, and prevents the boxes or cases from being pushed through
too far. When the gate is closed the machine may be used for nailing ends to
the sides, and nailing on the bottoms or tops as usual.
A screw is provided for raising and lowering the table of the machine, and to
increase the power of this screw I furnish it with a hand wheel made adjustable by
a gib having teeth to fit between the threads of the screw, and lugs to hold the gib
in place in a slot in the hub of the hand wheel. The gib is put in place when the
hand wheel is off the screw, and with the hand wheel is screwed to the screw.
The wheel is set at any point on the screw by a set screw, and by loosening the set
screw the hand wheel can be moved up or down to give greater capacity to the
screw in raising or lowering the table to suit small or large work, as in nailing
together thin end pieces, or the parts of small or large boxes or cases.
To prevent the boards to form a box or case from being pushed between the nail
boxes and the back plate, and to permit adjustment to any thickness of boards, and
to cause the nails to be driven in any desired position I provide the following
arrangement, that is to say-Brackets are secured to and project rearward from
the back plate, and support a shaft which carries rods connected by set screws to
sleeves, and support a plate to which the sleeves are firmly fixed. The said rods
are adjustable on the said shaft by set screws or otherwise. Apertures are
provided to receive springs, also thumb screws for adjusting the plate by means of
the rods and sleeves. The sleeves serve instead of the sleeve plate by working in
slots. Projecting flanges on the sleeve plate exclude sawdust and the like from
falling between this plate and the back plate; at the same time these flanges serve
for the springs to push against to keep the sleeve plate against the underside of the
⚫ nail boxes. A small space may be left between the back plate and the sleeve plate,
the top of which may be a little rounding, so that jarring will cause dust or other
matter to fall off. Two screws are used when a long board is nailed, that is to say,
if the sleeve plate is brought forward too far to prevent the boards standing against
the back plate, then the screws can be screwed out even with the sleeve plate, and
held in position by jam nuts.
The nail guides being held together by springs considerable force is required
to open them for the passage of the nail. For this purpose I provide pointed
bars which are screwed to the head of the plunger or nail driver to be forced
down between studs on the nail guides to separate them and relieve the nails.

page_text: and bolts which bold the V-slides fast to the frame of the nailing machine. The
said standards have long slots 2, wherein rests a metal bar 3' supported by screws 4,
so that the said bar can be raised or lowered to suit different sized ends, when the
machine is employed for making boxes or cases of various dimensions. Instead of
allowing the end of the box to rest on the table, one of the said narrow or
projecting strips rests on the bar 3, as shewn in Figure 7, so that the said
bar protects the end and prevents the crushing of the same by the blow; but
if there should be any variation in the sizes of the box-ends or cleats, the table
bar and other parts yield in the same manner as if the end were placed on the
table. The said bar 3 has small notches 5 to receive the ends of the adjusting
screws 4, so that the bar cannot work out of the slot when in use. In the nailing
of boxes or cases with solid ends the bar is removed, but the standards are allowed
to remain in their place.
In making end frames similar to that shewn in Figure 1, angle pieces 6, 6,
Figure 2, are screwed upon the table of the machine, and serve as guides for
the strips or cleats of the end pieces to ensure their being placed and secured
together at right angles to each other. The table is raised very high, or another
table is bolted to the top of the first table to bring the strips or cleats of the end
pieces near enough to the nail boxes. For making the said frames the operator
removes all but two of the nail-boxes, and then places two strips of wood on the
table against the angle pieces, one above the other, and by means of the nailing
machinery nails them together. The nails are long enough to pass through the
said strips and strike the iron table, beneath which bends the points over and
and clinches them. Then a third strip is nailed to the second strip, and then a
fourth strip to the third and first strips, thereby completing the frame. After a
number of frames are nailed the angle-pieces are removed from the table and more
nail boxes put on the machine; then, if necessary, the thin boards are nailed in the
frames so as to finish the end pieces.
When making the frame and clinching the nails the table is very close to the
nail-boxes, and it is frequently necessary to force the nails out of the said nail-
boxes without nailing, that is to say, in the working of the machine it is sometimes
found that a nail is missing, or that a bent or crooked nail has entered the nail
guides or boxes; in either case the operator disengages the nail-feeder by throwing
back a pawl, and thus prevents the supply of more nails until the defect is
remedied. This object may in most cases be effected by simply allowing the
plungers to descend within the nail guides or boxes to drive out the nails or any
obstruction therefrom. When the machine is again clear the operator engages the
said pawl with the ratchet-wheel of the nail feeder, and the nails are then again
supplied to the nail guides or boxes. Now if the table is solid the nails thus
forced out without nailing will be wasted, for the reason that the points will
all be bent unless the operator lowers the table, thereby causing a great loss of
time. To overcome this difficulty a portion of the table is cut away, as shewn in
Figures 8 and 9, to form a slot 7, in which are fitted plates or slides 8, 8, that can
be drawn back from each side to leave an opening so that the nails can drop
through onto the floor and thus prevent the bending of the points. In the Drawing
two slides or plates are shewn, but it will be evident that one slide or plate only
may be used if desired. When the opening in the table is closed the slides can be
kept in their place by a thumb-screw, spring-catch, or other suitable device.
For nailing divisions or partitions in any part of a box or case a gate 10
(Figures 10 and 11) is provided, which has lugs 9 to support and hold it in
position. The slot 11 in this gate is provided for the purpose of supporting the
stop or gauge 12 which is attached when the gate is open, and is adjustable back-
ward or forward as desired, and held by a set-screw 13 passing through the said
slot and which prevents the boxes or cases from being pushed beyond their proper
position. When the gate 10 is closed, as shewn in Figure 10, the machine may be
used for nailing the ends of boxes to the sides, and for nailing on the bottoms or
tops as usual.

page_text: To increase the capacity of the screw 14, Figure 17, in raising and lowering the
table, the hand-wheel 15 is made adjustable by a gib 16 having teeth to fit between
the threads of the screw, and lugs 17 to hold the gib in place in a slot in the hub
of the said hand-wheel 15. This gib is put in place when the hand-wheel is
detached from the screw, and with the said hand-wheel is placed upon the said
screw. The hand-wheel is set and held at any point on the screw by a set-screw 18,
and by loosening the said set-screw the said hand-wheel can be moved up or down
to increase the capacity of the screw in raising or lowering the table to suit
small or large work, as in nailing together thin end pieces or the parts of small or
large boxes or cases.
To prevent the boards which are to form a box or case from being pushed
between the nail-boxes and the back-plate of the machine, and to allow the nails
to be driven in the desired position in any thickness of boards, I provide the
arrangement shewn in Figures 12, 13, and 15, in which 19, 19, represent brackets
projecting rearward from the back plate; these brackets support a shaft 20 which
carries rods 21 connected by thumb-screws 22 to sleeves 23 which support an
adjustable stop or guide plate 24 on which the said sleeves are formed or firmly
fixed. These rods 21 are adjustable on the shaft 20, and with the plate 24
attached thereto are retained in the desired position upon the said shaft by set-
screws 25*, 25*, or otherwise. Apertures 25 are provided to receive springs 26.
The sleeves 23 move in the slots 26*. The projecting flange 27 on the adjustable
stop or guide plate 24 excludes sawdust and the like from falling between this
plate and the back plate, at the same time the said flange serves for the springs to
act upon to keep the plate 24 up against the underside of the nail-boxes. A small
space may be left between the back-plate and the plate 24, the top of which may
be slightly rounded so that any vibration will cause dust or other matter to fall
therefrom. Two screws 28 are used when a long board is being nailed, that is to
say, if the plate 24 is brought forward too far so that the boards cannot rest
against the back-plate, then the said screws are screwed forward in such a manner
that their points are in the same vertical plane as the face of the said plate 24,
and so that a board when placed against the said plate and screws will stand
vertically.
Referring to Figures 18 and 19, 30, 30, represent the nail-guides which are held
together by springs 31 so that considerable force is required to open them for the
passage of the nail. For this purpose pointed bars 32 are screwed to the head of
the plunger or nail driver 35, and are forced down between studs 34 on the nail-
guides to separate them and release the nails.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction and operation of the parts above described, as the same
may be varied without departing from the principle of my Invention, and I
claim,-
First. The combination of the adjustable table, the slotted standards and the
vertically adjustable cross bar with the nail-driving mechanism, substantially as
above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of the adjustable table, the angle-pieces, and the
nail-driving mechanism, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Third. The combination of the longitudinally slotted adjustable table, the plate
or plates adapted to slide in the slot, and the nail-driving mechanism, substantially
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination of the adjustable table, the adjustable and detachable
stop or guide plate, and the nail-driving mechanism, substantially as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The combination of the adjustable table, the back-plate, the gate in the
said back-plate, and the adjustable stop or guide plate, substantially as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Sixth. The combination with the nail-driving mechanism of the adjustable table
and the adjusting screw having the adjustable hand-wheel or turning device,
substantially as above set forth.
Seventh. The combination of the back-plate, the brackets, the shaft, the rods,
the sleeves, the springs, and the stop or guide plate, substantially as above set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. The combination of the back-plate, the stop or guide plate to keep closed
the space between the said back plate and the nail-boxes, substantially as above
set forth.
Ninth. The combination of the nail-box, the nail-guides, the device for separating
the said nail-guides, the springs, and the nail driver, substantially as above set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Myers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.