Apparatus for Packing Life-belts and other Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left 6th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Packing Life-belts and other Articles.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of Regent Street, in the County of
London, Manufacturer of Life Saving Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus designed for effecting the packing or filling of
life-belts and analogous receptacles with roasted or baked cork or with other
buoyant packing material, the apparatus being also applicable for effecting the
padding or filling of cushions, pads and other articles with any desired packing
material.
The arrangement of such apparatus herein described has been specially designed
to effect the packing or filling of the life-belts described in the Specification
accompanying my Application for Letters Patent No. 78, dated the 2nd day of
January 1890.
The apparatus is constructed with a chamber of a capacity sufficient to
accommodate the desired charge of the packing material for each pocket or
receptacle of the life belt or other article to be packed, and of an internal
formation conformable with the shape into which such charge of packing material
is desired to be compressed.
The chamber is formed with an open side (preferably the top side) to permit
of the packing material being fed thereinto (which may be done in any convenient
manner), and such side is adapted with a reciprocating closing part (hereinafter
referred to as the "compresser") which can be withdrawn from the chamber to
permit of the packing material being fed thereinto, and can be reinserted into the
chamber to effect the compression of the contained charge to the required shape,
which latter is defined by the inner side of the compresser and by the opposite side
of the chamber between which parts the material is compressed. At the end of
such movement the compresser is retained in position by a pawl or the like applied
to its actuating parts hereinafter referred to. One end of the chamber is fitted
with a slide which, while the charge of packing material is being fed into and
compressed within the chamber as aforesaid, closes an exit opening in such end
of the chamber of the shape of the chamber and its compressed charge and in
alignment therewith; but, at the conclusion of such operation, such slide is
withdrawn by a lever or other suitable means from closing such exit opening:
The other and opposite end of the chamber is adapted with a reciprocating
part (hereinafter referred to as the "plunger") which is of a shape conformable
with that of the interior of the moulding chamber and of the compressed charge
and of the said exit opening, and, after the charge is compressed and the said
slide is withdrawn as aforesaid, the plunger is advanced longitudinally within
the chamber and so causes the compressed and moulded packing material within
the chamber to be ejected therefrom through the said exit opening and through
a thin metal tubular extension adapted thereto and into the pocket of the life-belt
or interior of the device required to be packed, into which the said tubular
extension is entered so as to extend to the end thereof, and after the compressed
moulded material is thus fed into the life-belt, pocket or other device, the advance
of the plunger is continued throughout the length of such extension whereby the
packed pocket is gradually pushed from off the said extension, such continued
advance of the plunger is also effective in packing the material well into the
extreme end of the device to be packed and against the sides thereof;-after which'
the device is removed for securing or otherwise closing up its open end, the plunger

page_text: is withdrawn to the end of the chamber, the opposite end slide is replaced and the
compresser is withdrawn from the chamber and all is ready for refilling the
chamber and a repetition of the operations.
The reciprocating movement of the compresser and plunger may be effected by
racked guided slide-bars operated by hand wheels and connecting toothed gearing
or in any other suitable manner.
I may also duplicate, triplicate or otherwise extend such apparatus by having a
series of adjacent packing and moulding chambers, each with its reciprocating
compresser and plunger, and each series of such compressers and plungers may be
actuated from a common shaft, suitable provision being made so that, if required,
any of the co-acting parts of such series may be thrown out of gear without
interfering with the action of the other co-acting parts.
The apparatus may be actuated by manual labour or by power.
I also propose to utilize the reverse motion of the plunger or plungers whenever
required in driving the pointed ends of the staple pins (used to secure the packing
in position in the life-belt and in other devices) through the substance of the
packing, by detachably applying a guided plate to the end of the plunger rod or
rods opposite to that to which the plunger or plungers is applied such plate being
adapted at its front side with a series of nipple like attachments secured thereto
by screws or otherwise, or such plate may be cast or formed with equivalent
projections which are slit or otherwise formed at the front extremities as to be
adapted to receive and hold the turned or stapled ends of the pins and to hold the
pointed ends thereof opposite the packed belts or pads which are placed opposite
thereto against a supporting plate in which latter holes are made opposite to the
said pins. By such means in the said return movement of the plunger or plungers the
series of pins carried by the said plate are caused to be driven through the said
packed pads with their ends projecting through the said holes in the opposite
supporting plate, and such projecting ends are thereupon taken hold of by pincers
or the like and reversed staple like and turned into the fabric of the other side of
the pad.
Dated this 6th day of February 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Packing Life-belts and other Articles.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, formerly of Regent Street in the County
of London, now of St. Stephen's Club, Westminster, Manufacturer of Life-saving
Appliances, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus designed for effecting the packing or filling of
life-belts and analogous receptacles with roasted or baked cork or with other
buoyant packing material, the apparatus being also applicable for effecting the
padding or filling of cushions, pads and other articles with any desired packing
material.
The arrangement of apparatus herein described has been specially designed to
effect the packing or filling of the life-belts described in the Specifications
filed in pursuance of my Application for Letters Patent No. 78 dated the 2nd day
of January 1890.
The apparatus is represented on the accompanying drawings in side elevation in
Fig. 1 in longitudinal section in Fig. 2; and in end elevation in Fig. 3. Figs. 4
and 5, represent transverse sections respectively through the planes indicated by the
lines a-b, e-d, Fig. 2.

page_text: The apparatus is constructed with one or a series of chambers 6, each of a
capacity sufficient to accommodate the desired charge of the packing material for
each pocket or receptacle of the life-belt or other article to be packed, and of an
internal formation conformable with the shape into which such charge of packing
material is desired to be compressed.
The chambers are formed by opposite moulding plates 7, 8, the sides 9, of the
machine-framing 10, division plates 11, end plates 12, 13, and plunger-heads 14.
The plates 7, 8, are operative in compressing and giving the desired sectional form
to the charge of material 15, vide Fig. 5, the end plates 12, 13, and the plunger-
heads 14, define the length thereof, and the sides 9, and plates 11, respectively
enclose and separate the series of compressed charges.
The lower plate 8, may be cast or otherwise formed in one piece, and planed or
otherwise recessed to the desired form; it is supported an ledges 16, projecting
from the sides 9, and is bolted thereto as at 17. The upper plates 7, (which act as
compresser-plates) are also recessed to the desired form, and may be made in one
piece, or as represented on the drawings, they may be separately made, each being
bolted as at 18, to a ribbed and racked bar 19, which rises between guiding
rollers 20, on cross-shafts 21, and an actuating toothed pinion 22, on a shaft 23,
which also carries a toothed wheel 24, actuated by a pinion 25, on a shaft 26, which
may be driven by a handwheel or winch handle (not shown) keyed thereon, or by
power. By such means the series of compresser-plates 7, may be raised to a position
determined by a suitable stop, such as 27, ride Fig. 1, to allow of the material
to be compressed being fed onto the bottom plate 8, to a level determined by the
elevation of the sides 9, or in any other quantity as desired; and the plates 7, may,
if required, be maintained in such raised position by a reversely acting pawl (not
shown) or by any suitable automatic device applied in a suitable manner to any of
the moving parts, preferably to the shaft 23. The series of plates 7, are connected
by one or more cross bars 28, which determine the descent of the plates by coming
onto the sides 9, vide Fig. 5, they are also connected by cross bars 29, bolted as
at 31, to one of the plates and engaging with pins 30, rising from the others, to keep
all of the plates parallel and in their proper relative positions. The plates 11,,
are made of sheet steel or other suitable metal and are formed with tapered top
edges and are let into the plate 8, and may also be let into the end plate 13,
and, if required, into the back of the mouth-piece plate 32, (hereinafter referred to)
the plate 12, being slit to accommodate them. The plate 13, is bolted as at 33, to
the frames 10, and together with projections 34, cast on the frames 10, and the
plate 12, act as guides to the plates 7, which may be fitted with an angle-piece 35,
to extend the guiding surface. The end plate 12, is made with a series of
openings 36, coincident in size and position with the series of chambers 6, as formed
when the plates 7, 8, are in juxtaposition, cide Figs. 2 and 5.
The end plate 12, is guided by the adjacent guides 34, and lower projections 37,
cast with the frames 10, and between the inner face of the mouth-piece plate 32, and
the adjacent end of the plates 7, 8, and it is connected, as at 38, 39, to levers 40, 41,
which are pivotted to brackets 42, 43, bolted to the plate 32, and are connected by
a rod 44, and actuated in common by a handle 45, so that a push-and-pull move-
ment is given to the plate 12. During the charging of the chambers 6, while the
compresser-plates 7, are in the raised position indicated in Fig. 1, and also during the
descent of the compresser-plates and the compression of the charge, the outlet openings
from the chambers 6, are kept closed; and the other end of the chambers 6, is kept
closed by the plunger-heads 14, which are shaped to the cross-section of the
chambers 6, vide Figs. 4 and 5 and, during the aforesaid time, occupy the position
represented in Fig. 2, being prevented by a removable stop 65, from being with-
drawn from the chambers. For the purpose of closing the outlet openings, the
levers 40, 41, are raised from the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 3, to
that indicated in dotted lines, and the plate 12, is consequently moved from the
position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, to that indicated in dotted lines in

page_text: Fig. 1, in which the said outlet openings from the chambers 6, will be closed.
Upon the descent of the plates 7, they may be kept in compression by reversing
the said pawl or by any automatically acting catch or other suitable means.
The end plate 12, is then lowered, so as to bring the openings 36, therein in align-
ment with the outlet openings from the chambers 6, and the plunger-heads 14,
are then advanced longitudinally of the chambers 6, so as to expel the compressed
charges therefrom through the said outlet openings, in front of which the said
plate 32, is bolted to the frames 10, as at 46. This plate is formed with a
series of flanged mouth-pieces 47, coincident in shape (in cross-section) and in
relative positions with the outlet openings from the chambers 6, and within such
mouthpieces are entered other thin steel mouthpieces 48, forming separate continua-
tions of the respective chambers 6. These mouthpieces 48, may be made of any
desired length, and are open at their outer ends, and on them are placed the
correspondingly shaped pockets 49, of the life-belt, pad or other article to be
packed.
The advance of the plunger-heads 14, is effected by racked bars 50, operated by
toothed pinions 51, on a shaft 52, which also carries a toothed wheel 53, which is
driven, at such time, by a pinion 54, on a shaft 55, which is actuated by a hand-
wheel or winch handle (not shown) keyed thereon, the bars 50, being guided by
runners 56, on shafts 57, and supported by other runners 58, on a cross-shaft 59,
supported by standards 60, rising from and bolted to the bed plate 61, to which the
frames 10, are also bolted as at 62.
The advance of the plungers is continued until the compressed charges are
expelled throughout the chambers 6, the continuating mouthpieces 48, and into the
surrounding pockets or receptacles 49, (which are closed at their outer ends, to
which ends the mouthpieces 48, extend) and until the receptacles 49, are nearly
pushed from off the mouthpieces 48, by the exuding charges pushing against their
closed ends, after which the packed belt or other device 49, is removed for sewing
or otherwise closing its open ends.
The plungers 14, are then withdrawn, the compressers 7, raised, the endplate 12,
replaced, and all is ready for refilling the chambers 6, and for a repetition of
the operations. The return of the plungers 14, may be expedited by sliding the
shaft 55, in its bearings in the frames 10, so as to cause a large wheel 63, keyed
thereon, to engage with a pinion 64, keyed on the shaft 52.
The actuating gearing máy be so arranged and connected as that the advance
of the plungers shall be automatically effected upon the completion of the move-
ment of the compressers, and as that the return movements of the compressers
and plungers shall be simultaneously effected.
Suitable provision (such as by sliding the pinions 22, 51, along their respective
shafts, or otherwise) may be made, so that, if required, any of the co-acting com-
pressers and plungers of the series may be thrown out of gear, without interfering
with the action of the other like co-acting parts.
The feeding of the material 15, into the chambers 6, may be effected in any
convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The combination, in apparatus for packing or filling life-belts, pads and other
receptacles with buoyant or other appropriate packing; of opposite moulding plates
operative in compressing and giving the desired sectional form to charges of the
packing material, fixed and removable endplates defining the length of the charges
and acting as guides to the movable compresser, side and division-plates respectively
enclosing and separating the series of compressed charges, extending mouthpieces
upon which the receptacles to be charged are fed, and reciprocating plungers
operating to expel the compressed charges from out of the compresser-chambers

page_text: through the mouthpieces into the said receptacles, and mechanism substantially
such as hereinbefore described for causing the required movements of the parts.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.