Improvements in and relating to Machines for Making Wax or other Matches.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug.. 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Making Wax or other
Matches.
We, EBENEZER BENTON BEECHER, of 25 Franklin Street, in the City of
Westville, County of New Haven and State of Connecticut, one of the United
States of America, Manufacturer, and JACOB PULVER WRIGHT, of 46 Avon
Street, in the City of New Haven and county and state aforesaid, Mechanical
Engineer, 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 :-
Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of our machine, with the wheels or pulleys
for supporting the carrier chain during the drying and cooling of the match heads
left off;
Figure 2, a similar view showing such wheels or pulleys, and the drying and
cooling devices ;
Figure 3, a plan view on an enlarged scale, of the forward or main part of the
machine, with the carrier chain removed;
Figure 4, a view of the same, in front elevation, with a portion of the carrier
chain shown in place;
Figure 5, a view, in side elevation, of the part of the machine shown in Figure 3;
Figure 6, a similar view of the opposite side of the machine;
Figure 7, a sectional view, showing on an enlarged scale, the means for moving
and guiding the carrier chain, the mechanism for securing the insertion of the match
blanks in the carrier and cutting them off, and the means for discharging the completed
matches from the carrier;
Figure 8, a detail, plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the feed rollers and the
cutting device;
Figure 9, a detail view of one of the cutter bars;
Figure 10, a similar view of a cutter bar, with a different form of cutting edge;
Figure 11, a similar view of a cutter bar, with still another form of edge;
Figure 12, a view, on an enlarged scale, of a longitudinal section of the moving
body of the opener comb;
Figure 13, a view of a section on line -x of Figure 8, with the cutter bars and
the supporting and guiding devices therefor complete ;
Figure 14, a view of a similar section on line y-y of Figure 8;
Figure 15, a detail perspective view of the lever for turning the feed rolls and the
adjustable pin carried by such lever ;
Figure 16, a detail view, showing, in elevation, the pin and cam wheel device for
feeding the carrier;
Figure 17, a plan view, showing, upon an enlarged scale, a portion of the endless
chain carrier;
Figure 18, a view showing, on a still more enlarged scale, a portion of the carrier
chain, in side elevation
;
Figure 19, a view of a longitudinal section of a portion of the carrier chain, as
shown in Figure 18;
Figure 20, a detail view, showing in perspective, portions of the carrier chain
separated from each other;
Figure 21, a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing a vertical section on
line 2, of Figure 6, with the clutch fork and actuating lever removed;

page_text: Figure 23, a view of a section on line y-y of Figure 21, and
Figure 24, a view of a section on line of Figure 5.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
The object of our invention has been to provide a machine for making wax
matches, and to this end-
Our invention consists, in the machine and in the construction, arrangement, and
combination of the parts thereof, as hereinafter specified.
While, in devising our present machine, we have had especially in view the
production of means for making matches from wax taper, we desire it to be under-
stood, that the mechanism is also applicable to and capable of employment to
advantage in the manufacture of matches from other stock or material, than the
waxed cord employed to form the bodies or sticks of wax matches.
In describing our invention hereinafter, we shall, for convenience sake, describe
the machine as applied to the making of matches from such waxed cord or taper,
but with the understanding, that we do not limit ourselves to the use of such stock
for the match sticks, but contemplate employing the mechanism also in making
matches from any other suitable material.
In the drawings A, A, designate the frame of the main part of our machine.
Such frame, which can be of any desired shape and material, consists, as shown,
broadly, of two vertical side portions projecting upward from a suitable base, and
connected by cross pieces to form a strong rigid frame.
Journalled in bearings in the lower part of such frame, is the main shaft B, which
has on its opposite ends the two belt or band wheels B¹, B', the former being fixed
on the shaft, and the latter being mounted loosely thereon. This latter wheel, which
carries a cam-groove b, for a purpose to be described hereinafter, is held from
longitudinal movement on the shaft by the collar and the cam disk B2, both fixed
on the shaft, and engaging, respectively, the outer and inner ends of the hub b² of
the cam carrying wheel B.
A gear wheel B³, mounted on the inner end of such hub, has holes 63, 63 through
it, adapted to register with corresponding holes 64, 64, in the wheel B', while, fixed
on cani disk B², is a ring B, having similarly arranged hcles 6, 6.
On the outer end of the hub 2, is the sliding sleeve B', having attached to it the
pins 6, 6, passing through the holes 3, 3, and 4, 4, in the gear wheel and cam
wheel, respectively, and adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with the
holes,, in ring B', as the sleeve B is is moved in and out.
When the sleeve has been moved inward on hub 61, so as to carry the inner ends
of pins, into holes 6, 6, of the ring B4, the gear wheel B³, cam wheel B₁ and
shaft B must rotate together, because of the rigid connection between the latter,
and the cam disk B2 to which ring B is fastened.
When the sleeve is drawn outward, to disengage the pins from the holes in the
ring, the cam wheel B' with the gear wheel B³, are left free to rotate without
turning the shaft.
The purpose and object of this arrangement will be set forth at length
hereinafter.
For moving the sleeve in and out on hub 62, we have provided the lever Be,
pivoted to block 7, and having pivoted to it a fork 68, whose arms are connected
with a collar, journalled in a groove 60 in the sleeve B, so that the latter must
move in and out with the collar, while being free to rotate with reference to the
same.
For locking the lever at the inner and outer limits of its motion, to secure the
desired clutching and unclutching of the cam wheel B' and gear wheel B³, and the
driving shaft, we provide the lever with the two opposite projecting pivoted
pawls, 1, and form the block 6' with the two locking notches 61, 61, the one to
engage the outwardly extending pawl, when the lever is moved inward, and the
other to engage the other pawl to hold the lever, as moved outward, to disconnect
the cam disk and pinion from the shaft B.

page_text: Meshing with the gear wheels B³, is the gear C, fixed upon the counter shaft C',
journalled in suitable bearings on the frame A, A, and carrying upon its opposite
end, a cam disk C2, having on its periphery a cam rib c, with a portion inclined at
an angle to the line of travel of the rib, as the disk rotates, and another portion
running parallel to such line, with its rear end separated from the forward end of
the inclined portion by a space.
A disk C³, fixed on the lower end of an upwardly extending shaft C, journalled
on the frame, has, ou its under side, an annular series of pins c', c', adapted to be
engaged by the cam rib on disk C2, so that, for each full revolution of shaft C¹, the
disk C3 and shaft C will be turned a distance equal to that between the corre-
sponding faces of two adjoining pins, by the passage of the inclined part of rib
and will then be held from turning, while the straight part of the rib is passing
between two pins.
C,
By this means, the shaft C will be given a step-by-step movement of rotation,
and will be held positively locked from movement in either direction, between its
step-by-step motions.
The upper end of the shaft carries fixed upon it, the bevel pinion C meshing
with the bevel gear C on the shaft C', extending transversely across the forward
part of the frame A, A, and journalled in bearings c², c², on the latter.
Fixed upon this shaft, between the sides of the frame, are the two large toothed
wheels D, D, for engaging and moving the endless chain carrier to be described
hereinafter.
A gear wheel D¹, also fixed on shaft C', meshes with and drives gear D²,
journalled upon a stud on the frame, and this latter gear meshes with and drives
another gear wheel D³, of the same diameter and number of teeth as gear
wheel D'.
Gear wheel D³ is fixed upon a transverse shaft D₁ parallel to shaft C', but
lower down than and to the rear of the latter, which carries large toothed
wheels D, D', similar to wheels D, D, on shaft C7, and for the same purpose, that
is, to engage and move the endless chain carrier, which is to receive and hold the
match sticks or blanks of which the matches are made. Such endless chain
carrier consists, as shown best in Figures 7, 17, and 18, of a series of sections linked
together, so that it can flex to change its direction between the two sets of moving
wheels just above described, passing downward in front of wheels D, D, and then
horizontally rearward under wheels D5, D6, and can then pass up over and under
the several supporting and guiding wheels to be described hereinafter, on its way
from the place where the match blanks or sticks are inserted into it, to the
composition applying device, to the drying and cooling device, and back to the
toothed wheels D, D, again.
Each section of the chain consists of three transverse parallel bars E, E, E,
held at a distance from each other by means of the plates E, E, E, E¹, E',
preferably, but not necessarily, five in number, and arranged at equal distances
apart.
Of the bars, the middle one is thicker than the others, and bas, in its opposite
sides, which are at right angles to the travel of the chain, a series of grooves e, e, e,
to receive the match blanks or sticks. The ends of these grooves are countersunk,
or made flaring outward.
The two outer bars E, E, are thinner than the middle bar, and have grooves e, e,
like those already described, only on their inner faces, which are turned towards
the middle bar. Such grooves are arranged so as to come exactly opposite those
on the middle bar. This latter bar, which is rectangular in cross section, passes
through and is firmly held in a correspondingly shaped opening in the plates E', E',
while the two outer bars of each section are fastened to the rear and front sides
respectively, of such plates, preferably, but not necessarily, by lugs e', e', on the
plates passed through and headed down in openings e², e², in the bars, as shown in
Figure 19.
All three bars of each section project beyond the outer plates E¹, E', so as to be

page_text: and D,
петент-
before referred to.
The projecting portions of the middle bar, which are to be engaged by said
wheels, are shaped like rack-teeth, the angle of the pitch extending only part way
down each side, as shown in Figures 7 and 18.
The inner sides only of the two outer bars of each section are similarly bevelled
or cut away, to give the proper pitch for belt engagement with the teeth of the
carrier chain moving wheels.
The grooves e, e, are preferably made half round, and the bars of each section
are arranged so that the distance between the inner faces of the outer bars, and the
sides of the middle one, is equal to the distance from the front to the rear face of
such bar. With this construction, the planes, in which the axes of curvature of
the concavities, forming the half round grooves in adjoining bars, will always be
the same distance apart, so that, with a uniform step-by-step forward movement
of the endless chain carrier, the lines of grooves will be brought, so that the centres
or axes of the curvature of their concavities will stand over a given transverse line
or plane, in such position that the line of grooves can receive simultaneously a
series of match blanks or sticks from a suitable supplying and inserting mechanism.
Upon rods E2, E2, passing through and supported in plates E, E, and situated
centrally over the spaces between the middle bar and the two outer bars of each
section of the carrier chain, there are supported strips E³, E³, of sheet metal, bent
on a longitudinal line, so that their sides extend downward into the spaces between
the bars E, E, below the respective rods, and press outward against the grooved
faces on opposite sides of such spaces.
Each of the downwardly extending portions of these plates, is slit, or cut at e³, e³,
so as to leave a series of independent spring fingers e, et, one for each groove in
the face of the bar, towards which such fingers spring.
Where the strips E³, E³, engage the rods E2, E2, they are, preferably, bent so
as to nearly enclose the latter, as shown in Figure 19, so that the rods will not
only support them but hold them down in place, with their spring fingers in
position to press upon and hold any match blanks or sticks in the respective
grooves.
To facilitate the insertion of such blanks or sticks in the grooves of the
bars E, E, E, the lower ends of these fingers e, et, are bent away from the grooved
face of the respective bars, while, to enable the opener comb, to be described
hereinafter, to pass most easily down between the spring fingers and the opposing
bar face, the upper portions of the fingers are inclined upward and inward towards
the supporting rod E², and away from the said bar face."
The strips E³, E³, are, preferably, made of sheet brass, but can be of any other
desired metal or material of such nature that the tongues made by slitting them
will be springy enough to press upon and hold firmly in the respective grooves e, e,
any match blanks or sticks inserted in the latter.
With the construction shown and described, as each groove has its own spring
presser or holder, each blank or stick will be held in its groove independent of the
others, and no variation in thickness in one of such blanks or sticks can affect the
holding of the adjoining one, as would be the case, where spring plates were used,
each adapted to press upon the contents of several grooves.
With our form of holding device, there is a spring holding finger to engage each
blank or stick, unaffected in any way by the contents of adjoining grooves, and
each finger is free to adjust itself to hold the blank or stick in its respective groove,
however such blank or stick may vary in shape or size from the others.
The carrier chain sections made up as shown and described, are linked together
by link plates E, E, attached to the cuter plates E', E', of each section, and
extending rearwardly therefrom.
Each of such link plates has an opening, e, through which the rear bar E of the
section to which it is attached, and the forward bar E of the next succeeding
section, project.

page_text: The rear side of such opening, where it engages the rear side of the forward bar
f such succeeding section, is curved, so as to present a convex face to the bar
engaged by it, as shown in Figures 18 and 20, the axes of the curvature being in a
line parallel to the bars E, E.
The extreme forward portion of this curved face is at such distance from the
forward side of the rear bar E, of the section to which the plate E is attached,
that, when the connected sections are in the same plane, the grooved faces of the
rear bar of the forward section, and the forward bar of the succeeding one, will be
at the same distance apart, as are the opposite grooved faces of the middle bar E
of either section.
To allow the adjoining sections to change their angles with relation to each other
3 the carrier chain is moved along through the machine, and changes the direction
of its travel, the upper and lower sides of those portions of the forward bars Ę of
each section, which are engaged by the link plates E, E, of the preceding section,
are rounded off, as shown at 6 in Figures 18 and 20, so that said plates can rock
easily on said portions of the bars, and the rear sides of the latter can rock upon
the convex faces at the rear sides of the openings e, e in the link plates.
The pins c, c, on the disc C³ on shaft C, and the cam rib on disk C² herein-
before described, are so arranged with relation to each other that, at each time that
the inclined portion of said rib engages one of the pins, to turn the disk (³ and
shaft C, said shaft will be turned just far enough to cause the large toothed
wheels D, D, and D, D³, engaging the projecting ends of the bars E, E, E, of the
endless chain carrier, to move the latter through a distance just equal to that
between adjoining grooved faces on such bars.
The portion of the carrier engaged by the toothed wheels, is thus given a
uniform step-by-step forward motion, and between each of such forward movements it
is heid stationary, because of the engagement of the straight or circumferentially
extending portion of the rib c on the disk C with the pins c', c', on the
disk C³.
Just before the carrier chain reaches the toothed driving wheels D³, D³, on its
way from wheels D, D, the ends of its bars engage and slide upon the horizontal
guides F, F, on the plates F, F, attached to the sides of frame A, A.
The upright portions of these plates above the guiding and supporting ribs
engage the outer faces of the opposite ends of the bars E, E, E, so as to cause the
carrier to move in a straight line, and without any possibility of movement to one
side or the other, thus ensuring that the grooves in the successive bars E, E, E,
shall move in straight lines, while passing the toothed wheels D, D³, and that the
corresponding grooves in the bars, as the latter are moved forward, shall, at a
certain point in the travel of the carrier, be brought to stand directly over the
points where the series of match sticks or blanks are fed up by the feed devices, to
be described hereinafter.
Where the carrier chain passes the toothed wheels D, D, it is guided between
vertical guides F2, F², which are adapted to engage the opposite sides, and ends
of the bars E, E, E, so as to cause them to move in a straight line down past the
toothed wheels and hold them in position to be properly engaged by the teeth of
said wheels.
These guides F2, F2, are continued up above the point where the wheels D, D,
engage the carrier chain bars, and the upper ends of the portions to engage the
inner sides of such bars are bevelled off to facilitate the passage of the bars
between them and the parts to engage the outer sides of the bars. At, and for a
short distance below this point, we provide springs F, F, adapted to bear against
the outer sides of the bars E, E, E, and prevent any forward jump or downward
overthrow of the bars, due to the step-by-step advance of the carrier chain, before
they reach and are positively engaged by the teeth of the wheels D, D.
These springs, by their friction on the bars which they press towards the rear or
inner guiding surfaces, hold back each succeeding carrier section, so that it does
not tend to nove towards the preceding one, each time that the carrier comes to a

page_text: stop, after being moved forward through one step, but will remain at its proper
distance from such preceding section.
On the counter shaft C, is a gear wheel G, which meshes with another gear
wheel G', mounted on a stud or pin g on the swinging plate G³ pivoted upon
shaft C¹
This gear wheel G¹ has an extended hub g', upon which is mounted the pinion G³,
having on its inner side notches 92, 92, engaging lugs g³, g³ on the hub g¹, so that
the pinion and gear wheel must rotate together.
To hold the pinion in place on the hub g' we provide the collar gt, engaging the
outer end of the pinion, and fixed upon hub g¹ by set screw 7. This arrangement
makes possible the easy removal of the pinion and the substitution of another of
different size, for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.
The pinion G³ meshes with the gear wheel G which is fixed on the shaft of the
lower one of the pair of rolls G, G, journalled in standards Go, Go, suitably
supported from frame A, A.
These rolls, which are faced with rubber, or other yielding material, are what we
term the drawing rolls, for drawing the wax cords or tapers h, h, from the supply
reel H, to be rotatively supported in any desired way.
The journal boxes for their axles are held in vertical slots or ways 9 in the
standards G, so that they can be easily removed and put in place, and the upper
roll will be free to move up and down, with relation to the lower roll, and to be
pressed against it by its own gravity.
Set screws g, g, tapped through the caps 98, 98, on the tops of the standards G³,
bear against the journal boxes of the upper roll, and can be used to force such
boxes down to press the upper drawing roll closer against the lower one.
Meshing gears G8, G, on the respective shafts of the two rolls, cause the latter
to rotate together, as the gear wheel G4 is rotated by pinion G³.
On the side of the pair of drawing rolls which is towards the supply reel H, is
the transverse plate H', attached to standards Go, Go, and having the series of
small openings h³ ³, one for each cord or line of taper.
These openings serve to guide the tapers, and keep them separate from each
other, as they pass from the supply reel to the drawing rolls. The speed with
which these rolls draw the tapers from the reel can be changed, as desired, by
changing the pinion G³ for one of a different diameter and different number of
teeth. As the pinion is thus changed, the plate G2 is swung upon shaft C to
bring the substituted pinion properly in mesh with wheel G+.
As the diameter of the pinion is increased or diminished, the plate is swung to
bring the hub of wheel G³, upon which the pinion is mounted, further from or
nearer to the teeth of said wheel. As thus swung to bring the pinion properly in
mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel, it is fastened by the nut g³ on the threaded
pin glo attached to the plate G2, and extending therefrom through a curved slot g",
in a stationary plate g¹ on the frame A, A. Such nut extends across slot g", and
is adapted to engage the plate 9 on opposite sides of the slot, so that, as it is
screwed in on pin go, it will clamp the plates firmly together, and hold plate G³
stationary at the point to which it has been adjusted.
A lever gattached to the nut, serves as a handle for screwing it in or out on
the threaded pin.
With the construction described the drawing rolls can be stopped, at any time,
without stopping the rotation of the counter-shaft C', if the nut gbe loosened by
swinging the lever 1, and the swinging plate G2 be allowed to drop down, carrying
the pinion G³ out of mesh with gear wheel G*.
When the rolls are to be started again the plate G2 can be swung up by
handle g, until the pinion and gear wheel G₁ are in mesh again, and the plate can
be fixed by screwing the nut y in again.
From the drawing rolls, the lines of taper run inward and then upward, so as to
leave a bend or slack portion, for a purpose to be described, and pass up between a
series of pins I, I, carried by the transverse bar I on the frame A, A.

page_text: These pins serve to keep the lines of taper from getting tangled and guide them,
properly separated, to the feed rolls K, K, above, which have their axles journalled
in suitable bearings on opposite sides of the frame.
Of these feed rolls, the front one is of metal, and has, in its periphery, a number
of circumferential grooves k, k, one for each taper, while the rear one has its face
made of elastic material, preferably, rubber.
The shafts of both rolls are geared together by the gears K', K', fixed upon
them, so that they must always turn together.
The motion of these rolls is, unlike that of the drawing rolls hereinbefore
described, an intermittent one, and the slack or bend in the tapers after they leave
the drawing rolls, is to allow for this difference between the movements of the two
sets of rolls, so that, with the drawing rolls driven continuously, there will always
be enough slack in the tapers, to allow the feed rolls to feed forward the desired
length, each time that they move, without straining the tapers between them an:1
the drawing rolls.
For giving the feed rolls K, K, the desired step-by-step rotation, sufficient to
carry upward the desired lengths of taper, to form the match blanks or sticks, we
provide the shaft of the grooved roll K with a ratchet wheel K2, engaged by a
pawl, pivoted on lever K³, which is pivoted on the shaft of the roll close to the
ratchet wheel. The arm of this lever opposite to that carrying the pawl, is.
provided with a longitudinal slot k², through which passes a pin k³, having the
collar to engage the outer side of the slotted arm, the rectangular part k fitting
the slot k², the cylindrical part on the outer side of the collar, and its end
portions threaded to receive nuts k', k.
The nut on the inner threaded end of the pin engages the inner side of the
slotted lever arm, and, when screwed up, clamps such arm between it and the
collar, so as to fasten the pins firmly to the arm, at any desired point of
adjustment along slot k².
A link, K having its upper end provided with an eye or opening engaging the
cylindrical part of pin k³, has its lower end pivotally connected with one arm of
a lever K³ pivoted to the frame A, A, at 8.
The opposite arm of such lever is pivotally connected with the rod K³, which is,.
at its lower end, attached to the eccentric strap K' engaging the eccentric K³.on
the shaft B.
With this construction, the pawl-carrying lever K³ will, as the shaft B revolves,
be swung to cause its pawl k¹ to move the ratchet wheel K2 and turn the feed rolls.
a certain distance for each full turn of the shaft.
The amount of throw of the pawl lever, and so the extent of each forward taper-
feeding movement of the feed rolls, can be changed as desired, by setting the pin k³,
further towards or from the centre of oscillation of the lever.
Upon the outer end of the shaft of the front feed roll, is the hand wheel K³, to
enable the feed rolls to be turned forward by hand, when desired, as for instance,
when, at the beginning of the operation of the machine, the tapers are being
inserted in place, and are to be drawn up between the feed rolls, so as to give the
latter a good, firm hold on them.
The grooves k, k, are formed so as to receive and fit the lines of taper
closely, so that with the rubber face of the rear roll engaging and pressing
against their outer sides, such lines of taper will be gripped firmly and
securely, and without any possibility of slip, and each forward motion of the rolls
will positively feed up a length of taper exactly proportionate to the extent of
movement of the rolls.
With this construction the length of taper fed forward by each step-by-step
rotation of the rolls, can be easily adjusted, as desired, by adjustment of the pin k³
along the arm of lever K³, in the manner hereinbefore indicated.
Attached to the frame A, A, below the forward grooved feed roll, is a transverse
bar L, having in it a series of holes, one for each groove k, in which are held
pins l, l, with abrupt upper ends extending upward and outward at an angle into.

page_text: the grooves k, k, so as to clear from the latter, as the grooved roll revolves, any
particles of wax remaining in them.
Set screws 1,, tapped through, a portion of the bar L, and engaging the
pics 1, 1, serve to hold the latter firmly in place. Upon loosening these screws, the
pins can be adjusted as required, to compensate for wear.
To remove any adhering particles of wax from the face of the grooved roll,
between the grooves k, k, we provide the scraper plate L', having its edge held
closely against the roll periphery, as shown in Figure 7.
Above the feed rolls K, K, is a transverse plate M, bolted at its ends to the
frane A, A, and having, directly over the line of contact of the rolls, a series of
vertical openings, one for each groove k in the grooved roll, and, fixed in these
openings, are the tubes m, m, preferably of brass, in position to receive the tapers
fed upward by the feed rolls.
The bores of these tubes, which are small enough to hold and steady the tapers,
while leaving them free to be moved easily upward, are made flaring at their lower
ends, as shown in Figure 7.
At the upper ends of these tubes, the plate M is provided with a longi-
tudinally extending recess or groove m', in which is held the steel plate m²,
provided with the openings m³, forming continuations of the bores of the
tubes m, m.
This perforated plate m² can be held down in the groove m', in
any desired way, as by screws, one of which is shown at m tapped into plate M
beyond the series of openings m³, m³. Such openings, having their upper edges in
a plane at right angles to their axes and parallel with the upper face of the plate,
are of such size and shape as to fit the tapers very closely, and serve to support the
latter during the cutting operating to be described; so that the end of each taper,
after a piece has been cut off, will be kept perfect in shape, and without any
enlargement or distortion.
The upper face of plate m², is flush with that of the main part of plate M which,
extending forward from the groove m', has resting upon it the plate M', provided,
in its under side, with the series of rectangular grooves m³, m³, one for each
opening m³, m³, in plate m², each groove being in line with its respective opening m³,
and extending across the plate M³ from front to rear thereof.
This latter plate is firmly screwed to plate M in any desired way, as by
screws me, m.
The cutter bars m³, m³, fitting and sliding in grooves m³, m³, and supported
upon the upper faces of plates M and m², have their forward ends provided with
cutting edges m³, m³, adapted to slide over the upper ends of the springs m³, m³, so
as to cut off any tapers projecting above the latter, the cut being so close to the
edges of the openings, as to leave the ends of the tapers below the cut, flush with
such edges.
The ends of the cutter bars m', m', projecting beyond the front side of plates M
and m, are attached to a reciprocating transverse head M2, which is supported and
guided in its reciprocations on the guide plates m³, m³, attached to and extending
forward from the plate M.
This head consists of a body formed of a flat bar having in its upper side a series
of grooves mo, m10, to receive the shanks of the cutter bars, and a cap-plate m
fastened down upon the top of such bar by screws m¹², m¹².
Pins m3, m³, passing up through openings in both bar and cap plate, and in the
cutter bars, serve to hold the latter longitudinally in place in groove m¹0, m.
To keep such pins up in place we provide another plate m, which, engaging the
lower ends of the pins, is removably clamped to the under side of the grooved bar,
by means of the screws m³, m³, preferably provided with heads by which they
can be readily unscrewed at any time, to allow any one of the pins m¹³ to be
removed to release the respective cutter bar, which it may be desirable to remove.
either for sharpening or for the substitution of a new bar.
In order that the forward cutting end of each cutter bar may be independently
held down to its work, so as to shear closely over the upper edge of the respective

page_text: openings m³ in plate m², and may be caused to always cut the taper flush with such
edges, we provide separate pressure devices for the separate cutters, which,
engaging the forward portions of the latter, act to force them down into close
contact with the upper surface of plate m².
These pressure devices, as shown, consist of springs m16, m16, one for each cutter
bar, fastened near their rear ends to the top of plate M', by means of screws m", m,
and having their forward ends pressing down upon the rounded tops of vertically
movable plugs m18, m18, which are guided in holes ml, m, in plate M', and have
their lower ends, preferably, flat, engaging the upper sides of the cutter bars, as
shown in Figures 7 and 13.
J
With this construction, involving individual and separate pressure devices for
the different cutter bars, we have found that it is possible to secure such uniform
and regular cutting, as it is not possible to make sure of, where the pressure
devices are not employed, or where a single cutter blade adapted to slide over a
number of the taper holding openings m³ in plate m² is used.
Without spring or other yielding means acting upon the different cutter bars,
to hold their cutting ends down in proper position against the surface of bar m²,
surrounding the edges of the openings m³, m³, any wear of the under sides of the
cutter bars, at or near their cutting edges, will cause the cut to be defective, so that
the cut ends of the taper will be deformed, and not flush with the upper edge of the
respective openings m³, m³.
The pressure devices shown, can be made strong enough to spring the forward
ends of the cutter bars slightly downward, so as to take up or compensate com-
pletely for wear between such bar and the face plate m² during the operation of the
machine.
With the construction described, the openings m³, m³, being made round to fit
round taper ends, and the feed rolls K, K, being arranged to feed the tapers
forward up through the tubes m, m, and the openings m³, m³, before, each recipro-
cation of the cutter bar carrying head inward towards such opening, a series of
portions of the tapers, of suitable length to form the sticks or bodies of the desired
matches, will be cut off at each inward movement of the cutters, and the ends of
the tapers below the cuts will be kept perfectly round and undeformed so as to
be in the best condition for insertion in the grooves e, e, of the carrier chain,
hereinbefore described.
The length of the portions of taper thus cut off, will, of course, depend upon the
extent of each movement of the feed rolls, which is regulated in the manner
hereinbefore indicated, by adjustment of the pin k³ in or out on the arm of the pawl
carrying lever K³, so as to cause the link K', to give such lever a greater or less
swing, to turn the ratchet wheel more or less, each time that the pawl k¹ is carried
forward by the lever.
The head M² is reciprocated by the links N, N, which, at one end, are pivoted
upon the pins N', on opposite ends, of the bar forming the main part or body of the
head, while their other ends are pivotally connected with the arms N2, N2, fixed on
the rock shaft N³, pivoted in bearings n, n, on the frame A, A.
At one end, this shaft has fixed to it, the rearwardly extending arm N4, which is
pivotally connected with the upper end of the reciprocating bar N³, rigidly con-
nected at its lower end, as shown best in Figure 4, with another bar N°, whose
lower portion is guided in a guide N', attached to or forming part of the cap N³ of
the journal bearing for shaft B, and carries on a stud N³, on its lower end, a
roller N10, engaging a cam groove N, in the side of the cam disk N¹²,
fixed upon
and rotating with shaft B.
Such cam groove is shaped, so as to draw the bars N³, No, downward, to rock
the shaft N³, to move the cutter head inward, carrying the cutters over the taper
supporting openings m³, m³, in bar m², just after each forward rotation of the feed
rolls.
While we prefer to make the cutting edges of the cutter bars chisel-shaped, and
B

page_text: in a straight line at right angles to the respective bars, as shown in Figures 8 and 9,
we contemplate giving them a different shape if desired.
In Figure 10 a portion of one of the cutter bars is shown with its forward end
provided with a half-round concavity, having a cutting edge extending around it,
while in Figure 11 there is shown a portion of a cutter bar having an edge in a
straight line inclined at less than a right angle to the direction of travel of the cutter
bar, so as to get a shearing cut of the taper.
The scraper plate L', hereinbefore described, for keeping the outer periphery
of the grooved feed roll clear of wax, is supported at its end on the pendent
arms 1, 2, exending down from the plates m³, m³, which support and guide the
cutter head.
The toothed wheels D³, D', which engage the projecting ends of the bars E, E, E,
of the sections of the endless carrier chain, so as to move the latter rearward
over the horizontal guides F, F, are situated so as to engage and hold the bars
firmly down on said guides, as they are successively brought into position with
their series of grooves e,e, over the series of taper holding and guiding openings m³, m³,
in plate m², so that the tapers, fed up through such openings by the feed rolls, will
pass up into said grooves, and over the faces of the spring fingers e¹, et, for the
respective grooves.
The herein before described mechanism for giving these wheels and the others D, D,
a step-by-step movement of rotation, is so timed and arranged that, as the carrier is
moved forward, the grooved faces of the bars E, E, will be successively brought to
their taper receiving position, and held there, until the said wheels D, D, and D³, D³,
are rotated forward another step.
For opening the match blank or stick holding devices of the carrier, so that the
lengths of taper fed up by the feed rolls, as the carrier comes to rest, may
pass freely up into the series of grooves in a carrier bar E, brought up into
receiving position by the movement of the carrier, we provide the vertically
reciprocating opener comb, consisting of a hollow head O surrounding the shaft D³,
but having its interior cavity made larger than the latter so as to allow of up-and-
down and forward-and-back movement of such head, with relation to the shaft, and
the series of thin, flat fingers o, o, for engaging the spring fingers e, attached to
and extending down from the lower side of the head.
This head is, at its opposite ends, guided between the two vertical guides o¹, o',
on the plates O, O', provided with horizontal portions supported and sliding upon
the hubs d, d, of wheels, D³, D. To thus embrace the respective wheel hubs, each
plate is provided with an open-sided opening, as shown in Figure 7. Each plate
thus formed, is attached to the forward end of a bar 02, which, at its rear end,
is forked to embrace and be guided in its forward-and-back movements on
the shaft O³, journalled in bearings 0%, o², situated on the rear portion of
frame A, A.
This shaft carries a sprocket wheel O', which is driven by a sprocket chain (³,
engaging sprocket wheel O fixed on shaft O', journalled in bearings on the lower
part of the frame. Also fixed on the latter shaft, is the gear wheel 08, which
meshes with and is driven by the pinion O³, which is journalled in a bearing o³,
on the frame, and rotates with the gear wheel 1, which meshes with and is
driven by the gear wheel B³, mounted on and rotating with the hub of cam
carrying wheel B¹.
The shaft O³ has fixed upon it, close to the fork of each bar 02, a cam wheel O"
engaging a roller o carried by the bar.
Springs o, o, attached at one end to the frame A, A, and at the other to the
respective bars 02, 02, serve to draw the latter longitudinally rearward when the
portions of the cams of smaller diameter come opposite the rollers of, o, as
the shaft O revolves.
The engagement of the cam portions of greater diameter with the rollers 0, 0,
will cause the bars 02, 0%, to move longitudinally towards the front of the machine

page_text: a short distance, and the springs will draw them back again when such higher
portions of the cam pass.
Short forward-and-back reciprocations of the plates 01, 0¹, attached to the
bars 02, 02, and of the head O guided on such plates, will thus be caused, each time
that the shaft Os turns through one full revolution.
For moving the opener comb head vertically, to cause its fingers o, o to engage
a series of the spring fingers e, e¹, and force them back from the adjoining
grooved face of the respective bar E, of the endless chain carrier, so as to leave
a free path for the passage of tapers up in the grooves in such face, and then to
raise the head, so as to let the spring holding fingers move into position to hold
the tapers in the grooves, we provide a transverse rock shaft P, journalled in
bearings on the frame, and having the two arms P1, P¹, connected with the head O
by means of links P2, P2, P2.
On one end of this rock shaft is the arm P³ pivotally connected with the upper
end of bar P4, having its lower portion guided in a guide P³, which, like guide N',
hereinbefore described, is attached to or forms part of the cap N of the journal
bearing of shaft B, which is nearest to the cam carrying wheel B'.
A roller p, journalled on a pin p', on this bar engages the face of cam B³, fixed
upon and rotating with shaft B.
Two springs, and p³, the former attached at one end, to the arm P³, and, at
the other, to the frame A, A, and the latter attached, at one end, to the frame,
and, at the other, to bar P, serve to keep the roller p down against the cam,
and move the bar P down and rock the shaft P to move the opener comb down
into position to force the spring fingers et, et, back from the adjoining grooved face
of a carrier bar, when the lower portion of the cam periphery comes to and is
passing under the roller
p.
The higher and lower portions of this cam are so arranged relatively, and are of
such extent, that the forward end of the lower portion is brought,' by the rotation of
shaft B around under roller p, so that the bar P4 and arın P³ are thrown down quickly
by springs ps and p³ just after the carrier chain has been moved forward a step,
and brought to rest, with a series of its spring fingers e, e, in position to be engaged
and pressed back by fingers o, o, of the opener comb.
By the rocking of shaft P, caused by this descent of bar P and arm P³, the
head O is forced down to cause its fingers to pass over the faces of the spring
fingers e, e, so as to hold the latter back, away from the adjoining grooved bar face
of the carrier.
The opener comb stays down so as to keep the fingers et, et, pressed back until,
by the action of the feed rolls, the tapers are being fed up into grooves e, e.
The roller p is then cammed upward by the inclined part of cam B², which
connects the lower with the higher part of the cam periphery, so that the
fingers o, o, of the opener comb are raised up out of engagement with the spring
holding fingers e, e, allowing the latter to spring against the tapers to hold the
latter in the grooves e, e.
The cam B2 is so tiined with relation to the cam disc N2, which actuates the
cutter bar carrying head, that the opener comb is disengaged from the spring
holding fingers before the cutters cut the tapers, as hereinbefore described.
The spring fingers e, et, will then clamp and hold the cut-off portions of the
tapers securely in the grooves e, e, of the respective bar E of the endless chain
carrier.
The comb fingers are arranged on the head O, so that there are spaces between
them, which, when the comb is down, come opposite the taper receiving grooves e, e,
so that the comb fingers do not interfere with the free upward passage of the tapers,
from below into such grooves.
To accommodate the plates E¹, E', of the carrier sections, certain ones of the
comb fingers are divided, as shown at o, o, in Figure 12, while the extreme outer
ones of such fingers are made narrower than the rest, so as to pass down in the

page_text: spaces between the outer plates E', E', and the adjoining grooves e, e, without
overlapping the latter.
As the adjoining grooved faces of the bars E, E, are always the same distance
apart in the carrier, but are on opposite sides of their respective bars, and the
fingers o, o, of the opener comb have to pass successively down in front of one
grooved face and behind the next one, the successive downward movements of the
opener cannot be in the same plane, but must be in different planes.
The forward-and-back reciprocation of the plates 01, 0, by the action of the
cams 0, 0, and the springs 05, 05, upon the bars O2, O2, hereinbefore described,
provides for this required change of plane for the successive opening movements of
the comb. Such cams are formed, so that the plates, and consequently the head O
guided therein, will be moved slightly forward just before the opener comb is to
act on the spring fingers engaging the rear face of that one of the three bars E, E, E,
of a carrier section which is the front one with relation to the travel of the carrier,
and rearward again before the comb is to pass down over the front face of the
middle bar E. To enable the comb to pass down subsequently by the rear face of
the middle bar and the front face of the rear bar respectively, the head is first
moved forward by the action of the springs 0%, 0, when the lower parts of the
cams 0, 0, come around to rollers o, o, and then rearward by the bigher parts
of the cam.
The higher and lower faces of cams 01, 01, are made concentric, so that the
plates 0, 0, which guide the opener comb head O, will be held stationary, while
the head is descending and rising again to be engaged with and disengaged from
the spring holding fingers of the carrier.
In order to raise and hold the opener comb up, out of operative position, when
the lever Be is swung out, to unclutch the cam carrying wheel B', and the gear
wheel B³ from the disc B³ fixed on shaft B, we pivot to such lever at R a link R
connected with the lower end of lever R2, which has pivotally connected with it
the outer end of the short cam bar R³, which has its inner portion supported and
guided in a suitable way on frame A, A. Such bar has the upwardly and inwardly
inclined cam facer which, as the bar is drawn out by the outward unclutching
swing of the lever B, rides under a lug or arm on the bar P, so as to cam the
latter upward against the stress of springs p², p³, so that the opener comb is lifted,
to take its opening fingers well above the upper side of the sections of the endless
carrier chain, and held, so that there is no possibility of its being lowered into
position to interfere with the forward movement of the carrier, should the
shaft B, with its cam P, when unclutched from the cam carrying wheel B', be
turned so as to bring the lower part of such cam under the roller p on the
bar P4.
The discharging device for pushing the completed matches out of the endless
chain carrier, before the latter comes around again to the described taper cutting
and sticking mechanism, consists of a reciprocating head S, carrying, in its forward
side, a series of projecting punches s, s, one for each of the grooves e, e, in the
bars E, E, of the carrier, situated so that, as the head is moved towards the front
of the machine, said punches will engage the inner ends of the series of matches
held in the grooves of one of the bars, and push such matches outward clear of
the carrier.
This head, arranged so as to operate upon the grooves of each bar, while the
latter is held stationary in the upright guides, by the engagement of the toothed
wheels D, D, with the bar ends, as herein before described, is of a well-known con-
struction. It consists of the body having its rear side provided with a longitudinal
groove or recess, to accommodate the shaft C', which carries the toothed
wheels D, D, such body being carried by the two plates S', S', which are guided
in suitable guides on the frame A, A, which are to hold such plates securely
against movement in any but a straight line, forward and back with reference to
the carrier chain.

page_text: The front of the body of the head, is provided, as shown, with the forwardly
projecting flanges, having the upwardly projecting longitudinal ribs. Supported
upon this flange, and having a rebate 3, to receive rib s2, is the bar S, having a
series of holes through which the punches s, s, project, and, at its back, the
longitudinal grooves, which receives the heads s, s, of the punches.
A plate S, having a portion extending down behind the bar S3, to form a backer
for the heads so, s, engages the upper side of the bar S2, and has a lip or ribs,
engaging the rebate in such bar, so as to hold the latter securely in place on the
reciprocating head.
Clips 7, 7, bolted to the plates S₁, S¹, engage the upper side of plate S³, and
have lips 8, 8, engaging a portion of the forward side of the plate, so as to secure
the latter firmly in place.
For actuating the punch carrying head, to drive it forward, to discharge the
matches from a series of grooves e, e, each time that the carrier chain comes to
rest, we provide the connecting rods T, T, attached at their forward ends to the
plates S, S', and at their rear ends pivotally connected with the arms T', T', on
the rock shaft T2.
A crank arm T³, on the outer end of this shaft, is actuated by a connecting
rod T, pivotally connected at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with such
crank arm, and a second crank arm T attached to the short rock shaft Tº,
journalled in the lower part of frame A, A, to the rear of the main cam carrying
wheel B¹.
An arm T', rigidly attached to this rock shaft, projects forward therefrom, close
to the outer face of such wheel B', and carries a roller t engaging the cam
groove on the wheel, arranged to move the roller carrying arm down, just after
the carrier chain comes to rest at the end of each of its step-by-step advances.
This movement of arm T', causes, through the described connections, a forward
swing of arms T', T¹, so as to advance the punch carrying head, for the described
discharging operation.
The part of cam groove b which is the further from the center of the wheel B¹,
then engages the roller t to raise arm T' again and retract the head S.
With the extent of the step-by-step forward rotation of the feed rolls, made
adjustable in the manner hereinbefore indicated, our machine is adapted to make
matches of different lengths, as desired.
Whatever the length of the match may be, it is desirable, in order that the
heads may be properly applied by the composition applying mechanism, that the
match blanks or sticks shall always project the same distance beyond the under or
outer face of the carrier chain.
As the feed devices are adjusted to feed longer portions of the tapers above the
cutters, said tapers will simply pass further through the grooves e, e, in the bars E, E,
and project more above the upper sides of such bars.
For the proper engagement of the punches with the rear ends of the matches
made from these longer blanks, it will, then, be necessary to move them outward,
in the grooves, before they come around to the discharging punches.
For this purpose we provide the pusher plate U, situated to the rear of the
vertical portion of the carrier chain above the punch carrying head S, and attached
to the forward ends of plates u, u, which have their rear ends secured to the
uprights U, U, on the plates S', S', forming the carriages for the head S.
This pusher plate, which moves forward with each discharging motion of such
head, is cut away at u', u', to enable it to pass the plates E¹, E¹, of the carrier
chain sections, and has its forward edge adapted to engage the projecting rear
ends of any match sticks, and push them outward, until they are flush with the
back or inner side of the respective bar E, or can pass the front ends of the
retracted punches, on their way down into position in front of the latter, before
they are punched from the carrier.
With this construction, where the blanks or sticks, cut off and inserted in the .
carrier, are long enough to project beyond the inner ends of grooves e, e, those in ..

page_text: -
each series of grooves will be engaged and driven forward, to get them ready for
the punches while the latter are discharging the matches from one of the preceding
rows of grooves.
Whenever the length of the match sticks is changed by the adjustment of the
pin connection between link K and pawl lever K³ in the manner hereinbefore set
forth, the removable pinion G³ is to be replaced by another, of the required size
and number of teeth, to change the rate at which the drawing rolls G³ draw the
tapers from the supply reel, to keep enough slack in the tapers between such rolls
and the feed rolls, to furnish the required length of taper to be fed forward at
each motion of the feed rolls, without danger of any strain on the taper between
the two pairs of rolls.
With the drawing rolls rotating continuously the tapers are drawn off easily
and smoothly from the supply reel, and are not subjected to the injurious jerking
or sudden pulling on the tapers, such as would take place were the tapers led
directly to the intermittently acting feed devices, and the latter relied upon to
draw the tapers from the supply reel.
The pull on the tapers, which causes the reel to revolve and let said tapers be
unrolled from it, is a uniformly continuous one, which takes off the tapers in the
easiest and best way, without marring or straining them, while the intermittent
rotation of the feed rolls merely causes a taking up of some of the slack existing
in the tapers, between such rolls and the drawing rolls, without any strain
whatever on the tapers as they pass to the feed rolls, and consequently, without
any interference with the forward feed of the tapers, due to back pull on the
latter, or any resistance to their forward travel, with the engaging surfaces of the
feed devices.
The feed of the tapers up into the grooves of the bars of the endless carrier, will
be positive, and, for any adjustment of the throw of the pawl lever K³, will continue
exactly the same, corresponding precisely in extent with the forward travel of the
taper gripping surfaces of the two feed rolls; since, in the absence of back pull
or strain on the tapers, there will be no danger of slip of the latter in the grasp
of such rolls, constructed as shown and described.
After passing the described mechanism for inserting the tapers in the grooves e, e,
of bars E, E, and cutting off the portions to form the match bodies or sticks, the
endless carrier chain passes onward, from the rear of the main part of the machine
to the composition applying device V for putting the heads on the sticks. Such
device is constructed and operates like the one fully shown and described in our
previous British Patent, No. 20786, and need not, therefore, be described or shown
in detail in the present case. For a full explanation of its construction and
working, and of the connections whereby it is driven continuously from the
sprocket wheel V', on shaft O', journalled in the lower portion of the rear side of
the main frame, we would refer to the drawings and Specification of such Patent.
As in the machine shown and described in the latter, there are continuously driven
toothed wheels to engage and move the carrier just before it reaches the composition
applying roll.
Such wheels, one of which is shown at V2 in the drawings of the present case,
are, like wheels D, D, and D, D³, provided with teeth, to engage the projecting
ends of bars E, E, E, of the carrier sections.
To allow for the change from the step-by-step movement of the carrier past the
sticking, cutting and punching devices of the main part of the machine to the
continuous movement past the composition applying mechanism, a slack part is
left in the carrier, such part being guided forward over the curved supporting
guide V³.
After leaving the composition roll, the carrier passes up over guide wheels at V₁,
and thence forward under and up over larger guiding and supporting wheels at Vs.
From the latter wheels it travels to and over the sector-shaped guide V, and
alternately under and over a series of guiding and supporting wheels, as indicated
at V, V, V, all of which, like those indicated at V³, are supported in suitable

page_text: bearings, v, on the uprights V8, V8, so as to be free to rotate easily. These
wheels are engaged by the ends of the bars E, E, E, of the carrier sections, so that
such sections ride easily over and under them, the end plates E', E', of such sections
serving, by engaging the inner sides of the wheel rims, to keep such sections moving
in a straight line.
After leaving the last of, or outer pair of these wheels V, V', the carrier chain
passes forward over guides indicated at V, towards the front of the machine.
Above such guides, so as to assist the cooling and drying of the upturned heads of
the matches carried by the carrier, is the swinging fan V10, supported in the same.
manner as that set forth in our Patent above referred to, and driven in the same
way by a pitman rod, designated in the present case by Vi, connected at one end,
with crank arm V12, on shaft V13 of the fan, and at the other, to crank arm V14 on.
shaft V15 of sprocket wheel V, driven by chain V" from sprocket wheel V18, on
the same shaft with the sprocket wheel for driving the composition device actuating
gearing.
At the forward end of guides V, the carrier chain is engaged by another pair of
continuously rotating toothed wheels, of which one is shown at V1 These toothed
wheels, adapted to engage the projecting ends of the bars E, E, E, of the carrier,
are fixed on the same shaft V20 with the sprocket wheel V which is driven by
sprocket chain V22 running around a sprocket wheel fast on the rotating shaft of
the gearing for driving the composition applying devices. After leaving these
toothed wheels V1, which aid the ones engaging the carrier chain just before
the latter reaches the composition applying roll, in keeping up a uniform
continuous movement of the carrier chain, after it has passed beyond the sticking
and cutting devices, and before it reaches the match discharging punches, the carrier.
passes downward and forward, so as to leave a downwardly bent or slack portion,
to and over a pair of guide wheels, of which one is shown at V23, and thence goes
down between the upright guides, to the intermittently rotating toothed wheels D, D,
which, with wheels D, D³, give the part of the carrier engaged by, and extending
between them, the step-by-step motion, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set
forth.
The change from the continuous movement of wheels V1, V1, to the step-by-step
advance of wheels D, D, is allowed for by the slack in the carrier between such
pairs of wheels, there always being enough of said slack to prevent undue strain as
the wheels D, D, move forward.
The matches, as punched out from the holding devices of the carrier chain, can
be received in any desired form of trough, box or receptacle, while we prefer to use,
to receive them, the belt or apron W, which is adapted to take each row of matches
discharged upon it by the punches, and deliver such rows separately into the
trough W', whose bottom is formed of a traveling belt W2, to convey the matches
to and from it towards the discharge end of the trough.
The manner of and means for driving the apron and belt, need not be described
or set forth more at length herein, as they form no part of our present invention.
For rotating the cam-carrying main wheel B₁ any kind of gearing connecting it
with some motor or source of power can be used, but we prefer to employ the belt X,
to be driven from another belt wheel rotated by some motor.
Another belt X', similarly driven, can be applied to the other wheel B', which.
is fixed on shaft B, but, where both belts are employed, to apply driving power to
both wheels B', B', there should be means for stopping the application of rotating
power to that wheel B' which is fast on shaft B, while leaving the other wheel B
in continued rotation. For this purpose, the connections between the wheel which
drives the belt running around the wheel B' fast on shaft B, could be such, that
the former wheel might be disconnected, at will, from the rotary device driving it.
Any of the well-known clutch mechanisms could be used for the desired connection.
and disconnection of wheel and motor.
The object of the construction just above indicated is to make it possible, when :
the machine is in full operation, to apply rotating power to the wheels B', B¹, on..

page_text: both ends of the shaft B, and to run one of such wheels, the one carrying the cam
and clutch pins, continuously, after the shaft B has been stopped.
The special purpose of this continued running of such wheel while the shaft is not
rotating will be set forth fully hereinafter.
The operation of our invention, which will be understood from the foregoing
description and the drawings, is briefly as follows:
With the supply reel provided with the required number of lines or strips of
taper, and the latter led inward between the drawing rolls and then upward into
the grasp of the feed rolls, with sufficient slack in them, between the two sets of
rolls, to provide enough length of taper for the forward feed of the latter, by the
first movement of the feed rolls, the lever Be thrown inward, to clutch the cam
carrying wheel B¹ to the cam disc B2 fixed on shaft B, and the endless carrier at
rest, with a line of its taper holding grooves immediately over the guiding and
supporting openings through which the tapers are passed upward from the feed rolls,
the movement of such rolls will feed the tapers up into the grooves of the carrier
past the spring holding fingers, which are held retracted by the fingers of the
opener comb.
Such comb is then raised to allow the spring fingers to grip the tapers in the
carrier grooves, and, immediately after this gripping, the cutter bars are actuated
to cut the tapers close to the plane of the upper edges of the guiding and supporting
openings m³, m³, so that the ends of the tapers remaining in such openings, are
flush with the edges of the latter, and are kept in shape by the enclosing part of the
openings.
The carrier is then moved onward one step, to carry the match sticks, cut off
from the tapers and held by the grooves and spring fingers of the carrier, towards
the composition applying mechanism, where the heads of ignitable material are put
on them.
This movement of the carrier brings the next row of grooves e, e, over the tapers
gripped by the feed rolls.
The opener comb then descends, to press the spring holding fingers back from
this row of grooves and the next step-by-step movement of the feed rolls feeds the
táper up into the carrier grooves, as before, this feeding being followed by the
raising of the opener comb, to release the spring holding fingers, and the cutting off
of the fed-up portions of the tapers, in the manner just above described.
While this operation is going on, and the feed rolls are rotating intermittently
to feed up successively the lengths of taper required to make the match sticks of
the desired length, the drawing rolls are rotating continuously and slowly, so as to
draw the tapers from the reel with a steady, gentle pull, adapted to unroll them
from the reel without any strain or jerk to injure them.
The rate of this continuous rotation of the drawing rolls is such, with relation to
the rate of travel of the taper gripping faces of the feed rolls, that there will
always be, before each step-by-step rotation of the latter rolls, enough slack to
accommodate the forward feed of the tapers, by the subsequent movement of the
feed rolls, without straining or pull upon the parts of the tapers engaged by the
drawing rolls.
The rate of feed of the tapers by the feed rolls is readily adjusted, to produce
different lengths of match sticks, as desired, by adjustment of the pin connection
between the pawl lever K³, and the actuating link K, along the slot in the lever,
so as to bring such connection nearer to or further from the center of oscillation of
the lever, and so increase or diminish the throw of the pawl carrying end of the
lever, while the movements of the link, actuated by the mechanism hereinbefore
described connected with the main shaft B, remain the same.
As the feed of the tapers is thus changed, the rate of rotation of the drawing rolls
is correspondingly altered, so as to provide the required amount of slack in the
tapers between themselves and the feed rolls, before each forward rotation of the
latter. As indicated hereinbefore, this alteration of the rate of rotation of
the drawing rolls is readily secured by changing the pinion G³ for one having a

page_text: different number of teeth required to rotate gear wheel G at the desired speed,,
the swinging frame G² being adjusted accordingly, to bring the new pinion properly,
in mesh with such gear wheel.
As the match sticks are made longer, by increasing the extent of the steps of
rotation of the feed rolls, more of such sticks will project up beyond the grooves of
the carrier, but the portions of them which extend below the under side of the
carrier, are always of the same length, so that they will be always presented properly.
and uniformly to the composition applying mechanism, as they are brought thereto
by the continued step-by-step advance of the carrier.
From the composition applying device, the carrier passes up over the small guide
wheels and thence to and up over the first large guide wheels and to the segment
shaped guide. Thence it passes over and under the series of large guide wheels to
give the match heads some time to cool and dry.
After leaving these wheels, the carrier passes under the swinging fan, which
serves to hasten the cooling and drying of the heads, so that, when the matches,
reach the discharging punches, their heads can be cool and dry enough to be
sufficiently hard to allow of boxing.
When the machine is adjusted in the manner above described for making the long
matches, when the latter are long enough to project, at their inner ends, too far
beyond the carrier to pass properly down in front of the discharging punches, the
reciprocating pusher plate will engage successive rows of them, before they reach
the punches, and push them outward to bring their ends into proper positions for
being engaged by the ends of the punches.
The pins forming the punches will serve to clear out any adhering particles of
wax from grooves e, e, so as to leave the latter clean and clear for the reception of
new lengths of taper; while the flat fingers of the opener comb, as they pass down
over the faces of the bars E, E, which are between such grooves, will serve to keep
them and the opposing faces of the spring holding fingers clear of any particles
which might tend to adhere to them.
When the machine has been in operation and it is desired to stop it, it is desirable
to first discontinue the insertion of new sticks into the carrier, and to run
those already in the latter through the machine, and discharge the completed
matches.
For this purpose, the clutch lever B is swung out, to disconnect the cam carrying
wheel B', and the gear B³ rotating therewith from the shaft B. At the same time,
the connection between the other wheel B' and the driving motor therefor, should
be shifted, so that the shaft can come to rest, while the former wheel B' and gear B³
continue to rotate.
The swinging frame G2 is also unlocked and swung down, to take the pinion G³
out of mesh with the gear G*.
This will stop the rotation of the drawing rolls, that of the feed rolls and
of the cutting devices having been stopped by the stoppage of the shaft B, by
which they are driven, through the connecting mechanisms hereinbefore described.
The devices for moving the carrier chain, and for actuating the composition
applying mechanism, the fan, the pusher plate, the discharging punches, and the
horizontally sliding plates, in which the opener comb head reciprocates, continue in
operation, because they are driven, through the described connections, from the
cam carrying wheel B, and the gear B³, which continue to rotate with such wheel,
the latter being driven by belt X.
The opener comb, while it continues to be moved back and forth horizontally
above the carrier, is now held up out of operative position, so that it cannot pass,
down into contact with the spring holding fingers of the carrier, by the engage..
ment of the cam bar R³ with the lug or arm on the bar P*.
Such cam bar as it is drawn out by the outward swing of the lever R², connected
with clutch lever B, cams bar P* upward against the stress of springs p² and p³, so
as to lift the roller from cam disk 132, and then keeps such bar raised, to hold,
C

page_text: arms P1, P1, and, consequently, the opener comb head, in elevated position with the
opener fingers well above the carrier.
With the clutch lever in its outward position, the described operation of parts of
the machine will go on, so that all the contents of the carrier chain can be
discharged therefrom.
The rotation of the cam carrying wheel B' can then be stopped, by disconnecting
it from the motive power, and the entire machine will be at rest, with the parts in
position for beginning full operation again when desired, upon the reconnection of
the cam carrying wheel B', with its driving device, the inward swing of the clutch
lever, and the movement of the swinging plate G² into position to bring pinion G³
into mesh with gear wheel G¹.
The machine will then be thrown into full operation, even without the
application of power to the wheel B¹, which is fixed on shaft B, though we prefer
to apply power to such wheel through belt X', when the whole machine is to be
continuously operated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of a
continuous strip of material, from which the sticks or bodies of the matches are to
be made, a carrier for such sticks or bodies, intermittently acting devices for
inserting the strip into the carrier, and continuously acting drawing devices,
drawing the strip from the source of supply, and feeding it to the inserting devices,
so that, before each movement of the latter there will be a slack portion of the
strip between the drawing and inserting devices, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of
a continuous strip of material, from which the sticks or bodies of the matches are to
be made, a carrier for such sticks or bodies, intermittently acting devices for
inserting a portion of the strip into the carrier, and cutting off enough to form the
desired match stick, and means for drawing the strip from the source of supply,
and feeding it onto the inserting devices, arranged to draw enough of the strip
from the source of supply, before each movement of the inserting devices, to
produce a slack portion in the strip, between such inserting devices, and the means
for drawing the strip, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
3. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the match
sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which such sticks
are to be formed, continuously rotating drawing rolls, to draw the strip from the
source of supply, and intermittently acting devices for inserting the strip end into
the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the
match sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which
such sticks are to be formed, continuously rotating drawing rolls, to draw the strip
from the source of supply, intermittently acting devices for inserting the strip
end into the carrier, and means for cutting the strip, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
5. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the
match sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which such
sticks are to be formed, intermittently rotating feed rolls, to feed the strip into the
carrier, continuously rotating drawing rolls, interposed between the feed rolls and
the source of supply, and means for cutting the strip, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
6. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the
match sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which such
sticks are to be formed, the rotating drawing rolls to draw the strip from the source

page_text: of supply, and the feed rolls, of which one is moved circumferentially, and the
other has a yielding face to engage and hold the strip in the groove of the other
roll, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
7. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the match
sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which such sticks
are to be formed, the rotating drawing rolls, to draw the strip from the source of
supply, the feed rolls to feed the strip into the carrier, one having a grooved
periphery, and the other having an elastic face engaging and holding the strip in
the groove of the other, and means for rotating the feed rolls with a step-by-step
movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of
a continuous strip of the material of which the match sticks are to be formed, the
rotating drawing rolls, having clastic faces to grip the strip, the two feed rolls, one
having in its periphery a groove to receive the strip, and the other having an
elastic face to engage the strip and hold it in the groove of the former feed roll,
and means for giving such feed rolls a step-by-step rotation, made adjustable, to
regulate the travel of the peripheries of the rolls at each forward step, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
9. In a match making machine, in combination with the carrier for the match
sticks, the intermittently rotating feed rolls for feeding the material for such
sticks up into the carrier, one having a groove to receive the strip of material, and
the other having an elastic face, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
10. In a match making machine, in combination with the carrier for the match
sticks, the intermittently rotating feed rolls, the one grooved and the other having
an elastic face opposing the grooved face of the former roll, gearing connecting
the rolls together, a ratchet wheel connected with the shaft of one roll, a lever
carrying a pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, means for swinging such lever, and an
adjustable connection between such means and the lever made adjustable along the
latter to adjust its throw, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
11. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the
match sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip of material from which such
sticks are to be formed, intermittently acting feed devices, a guide to enclose
the strip and guide it from the feed devices towards the carrier, and a cutter
actuated to cut the strip close to the upper end of such guide, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
12. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a carrier for the
match sticks, a source of supply of a continuous strip, from which such sticks are
to be formed, continuously acting drawing devices, to draw the strip from the
source of supply, intermittently acting feed devices, a guide to enclose the strip,
and guide it from the feed devices towards the carrier, and a cutter actuated to
cut the strip between the feed devices and the carrier, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
13. In a machine for making matches from a strip of material, in combination
with the carrier for the match sticks, feed devices for the strip, a guide beyond
such devices, arranged to guide and enclose closely the strip, on its way to the
carrier from the feed devices, and a cutter for cutting the strip arranged to cut in
close contact with the edge of the opening in the guide, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
14. In a machine for making matches from a strip of material, in combination
with the carrier for the match sticks, feed devices for the strip, a guide beyond
such devices arranged to guide and enclose closely the strip on its way to the
carrier from the feed devices, and a cutter for cutting the strip arranged to cut in
close contact with the edge of the opening in the guide, substantially as and for
the purpose shown.
15. In a machine for making matches from a strip of material, in combination
with the carrier for the match sticks, feed devices for feeding the strip, a guide
between the carrier and the feed devices, having the opening to receive and guide

page_text: the strip, fitting such strip closely, a cutter moving over the outer end of the
opening in close contact with the edges of the latter, and a pressure device
engaging the cutter and pressing it towards the plane of such edges, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
16. In combination with the guide for the strip of material, having the opening
to fit and support the strip during the cutting operation, a cutter having its edge
adapted to slide over the end of such opening close to the edges thereof, meaus for
moving the cutter, and a spring presser engaging the cutter, so as to press it
'towards the plane of the edge of the opening, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
17. In combination with a piece having in it an opening to fit and support a strip
'passed up through it, a cutter having its cutting portion resting on such piece so as
to bring its edge close to the plane of the edges of the opening, a spring, and a
movable piece engaged by the spring and engaging the cutter, so that the force of
the spring acts to bear the cutter down into close contact with the plane of the
edges of the opening, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
18. In combination with a piece containing a series of openings, through which
strips can be passed, a series of cutter bars, means for guiding the latter, an
actuating head connected with the bars, and a series of spring pressure devices,
one for each bar, pressing the forward portions of such bars towards the face
of the piece in which are the openings, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
19. In combination with a piece containing a series of openings, through which
strips can be passed, a series of cutter bars, one for each opening, means for guiding
such bars, an actuating head connected with the bars, a series of springs, one for
each cutter bar, and the series of movable pieces interposed between the springs and
the respective cutter bars, whereby the pressure of the springs towards the face of
the piece containing the openings is transmitted to the forward portions of the
cutter bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
20. In combination with the plate containing the guiding openings for the
material to be cut, the series of cutter bars, having their cutting ends sliding over
such plate, the plate provided with the grooves for guiding the bars, a series of
springs one for each of the bars, the movable plugs between the springs and the
cutter bars, and means for actuating such bars, to slide them over the openings in
the first-named plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.
21. In combination with a supporting plate, and the series of cutter bars sliding
over the same, the plate provided with the guiding grooves for the cutter bars,
springs attached to the latter plate, movable pieces guided in holes in the plate,
and engaging with their opposite ends the springs and the cutter bars, the plate
situated on the side of the forward portions of the cutter bars which is opposite
to the faces thereof, which are engaged by the movable spring pressed pieces, and
having in it the strip guiding openings, one for each cutter bar, situated in front
of the respective bars, so that the edges of the latter slide over them, as the bars
are advanced, and means for reciprocating the bars, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
22. In combination with the series of cutter bars having holes, a reciprocating
head having the grooves to receive the bars, and the holes coinciding with those in
the cutter bars, pins passing through the holes in the latter and in the head, a
plate attached to the head, and having holes to receive the ends of the pins, and a
second plate detachably attached to the head, abutting against the ends of the
pins opposite to those in the perforated plate, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
23. In combination with the strip feeding rolls, the one having a series of strip
receiving circumferential grooves, and the other au clastic face opposing the
grooved surface of the former roll, the series of clearing pins projecting into the
grooves of the grooved roll, adapted to scrape and clear out any clogging material
from such grooves, and the scraper plate having its edge close against the
.

page_text: periphery of the grooved roll so as to clean the portions of the face thereof which
are between the grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
24. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of
a series of strips of material of which the match sticks are to be formed, the
drawing rolls to draw such strips from the source of supply, the feed rolls, one
provided with a series of grooves to receive the strips, and the other having an
elastic face to grip the strips in the grooves, means for intermittently rotating such
rolls, and means, beyond the feed rolls, for cutting the strips, to form the required
separate match sticks, substantially as and for the purpose described.
25. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of
a series of strips of the material of which the match sticks are to be made, the feed
rolls, of which one has a series of grooves to receive the strips, and the other has
an elastic surface to grip the strips in such grooves, means for intermittently
rotating such rolls, the drawing rolls for drawing the strips from the source of
supply, means for rotating them so that before each forward turning of the feed
rolls there will be, in the strips between the drawing and feed rolls, slack enough
to allow for the next step in the forward feed of the strips, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
26. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a source of supply of
a series of strips of material, of which the match sticks are to be formed, the
continuously rotating drawing rolls, the feed rolls beyond the latter, means for
rotating such feed rolls intermittently a sufficient amount to feed forward the
series of strips a distance equal to the desired length of the match stick to be used,
a moving carrier, adapted to receive and hold portions of the parts of the strips
fed up by the feed rolls, and cutting mechanism to cut the strips, at a point
between the carrier and feed rolls, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
27. In a machine for making matches, in combination with a moving carrier
to receive and hold the match sticks, means for moving it forward with a step-by-
step motion, the intermittently rotating feed rolls, gripping between them a series
of strips of material to form the match sticks, menus for rotating the rolls, while
the carrier is at rest, to feed the strips up into the grasp of the latter, a piece
between the carrier and the feed rolls having strip guiding openings, fitting such
strips closely, and cutting mechanism, cutting the strips close to the planes of
the edges of the upper ends of such openings, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
28. In combination with the intermittently rotating feed rolls, and the means
for driving the same, made adjustable, to vary the amount of each forward rotation
of the rolls, a source of supply of the strips to be used, the drawing rolls for
drawing the strips therefrom, and passing them to the feed rolls, and means for
rotating the drawing rolls inade changeable, to vary the rate of rotation of the
rolls, substantially as and for the purpose described.
29. In combination with the drawing rolls, and the gear wheel connected
therewith, so as to rotate them, a driven gear wheel, a pivoted frame swinging on
a pivot substantially in line with the axis of the latter wheel, a gear wheel carried
by this frame and meshing with the driven gear, and a pinion removably connected
with this gear wheel on the swinging frame, situated so as to be moved towards
and from the gear wheel connected with the drawing rolls as the frame is swung
on its pivot, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
30. In combination with the drawing rolls, and the gear wheel connected
therewith, so as to rotate the same, a driven gear wheel, a pivoted frame swinging
on a pivot substantially in line with the axis of rotation of the driven gear wheel,
a rotating gear wheel supported on the frame, situated so as to be in gear with the
driven wheel, and having a hub adapted to be moved towards and from the gear
wheel connected with the drawing rolls by movement of the swinging frame, a
pinion detachably secured upon this hub, so as to be readily removed and replaced
by another of a different number of teeth, and means for fixing the frame at
different points in its swing, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

page_text: 31. In combination with the drawing rolls, and the gear wheel connected
therewith, so as to rotate them, a driven gear wheel, the pivoted frame swinging
about an axis, substantially in line with that of the driven gear wheel, the gear
wheel journalled upon a suitable bearing on the frame, and meshing with the
driven wheel, the pinion detachably secured on the hub of the wheel carried by
the frame, a threaded pin on the frame, projecting through a slot in a fixed plate,
and a nut on such pin engaging the fixed plate so as to hold the pivoted frame
from swinging, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
32. In a machine for making matches, the moving carrier for carrying the match
sticks, while they are being made into matches, having a series of grooves to
receive the sticks, and springing clamping devices to hold the sticks in such
grooves, substantially as and for the purpose described.
33. In a machine for making matches, the moving carrier for receiving and
holding the match sticks, having a series of grooves to receive the sticks, spring
clamping devices to hold the sticks in the grooves, in combination with means for
inserting the match sticks in the grooves of the carrier, and an opener to press the
spring devices back from the grooved faces of the carrier, to permit the insertion
of the sticks in the grooves and then release them, so that they spring against the
groove held strips, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
a
34. In a machine for making matches, the match stick holding carrier, having
portion provided with a series of stick receiving grooves, and a series of spring
fingers for the different grooves, to engage and hold the sticks inserted therein,
substantially as and for the purpose shown.
35. In combination with the carrier having a portion provided with a series of
grooves to receive the match sticks, and the series of spring fingers opposite such
grooves, an opener to force such fingers away from the grooved face on the carrier,
to allow the insertion of the match sticks in the grooves, and then release the
fingers to allow them to engage the sticks in the grooves, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
36. In combination with the carrier having a portion provided with a series of
grooves to receive the match sticks, and a series of spring fingers opposite such
grooves, the opener to press such fingers back, to allow insertion of the sticks in the
grooves, having the series of fingers to engage the stick holding spring fingers,
on opposite sides of the grooves of the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
37. In combination with the carrier, a bar provided with a series of grooves, and
a series of separate spring fingers, one for each groove, springing towards the
grooved face of the bar, an opener to force such fingers back from the grooved face,
having the fingers, to engage the spring fingers, separated from each other by spaces
.coinciding with the grooves in the carrier bars, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
38. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with a bar having
a series of grooves, a plate having formed on it a series of spring fingers, and means
for supporting such plate, so that its fingers will spring towards the grooves, and
press upon the sticks therein, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
39. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with two adjoining
bars having grooves in their opposing faces, a plate having its opposite sides made
into a series of spring fingers to engage the contents of the grooves, in the respective
bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
40. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with two adjoining
bars having grooves in their inner or opposing faces, a plate bent on a longitudinal
line, to bring its opposing sides down opposite grooved faces of the bars, and having
such sides divided to form series of separate spring fingers, for the different grooves,
and a support for such plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.
41. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with two adjoining
bars having grooves in their inner or opposing faces, a rod supported on the carrier,
and a plate supported on such rod, bent so that its sides extend down into the space

page_text: between the grooved bars, and having such sides divided to form separate outwardly
springing fingers, one for each groove in the adjoining face of the carrier bar,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
42. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with three parallel
bars having their opposing sides and faces grooved, the plates bent to bring their
sides down close to the opposite grooved faces of adjoining bars, and such sides
divided up into separate spring fingers, one for each groove in the respective bar
face, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
43. In a carrier for match sticks and the like, in combination with three parallel
bars having their opposing faces grooved, the rods supported over the spaces
between the bars, and the plates supported on these rods having on their opposite
sides a series of separate spring fingers projecting downward between the adjoining
bars, and tending to normally spring outward toward the grooved faces of such
bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
44. The carrier consisting of sections formed of parallel grooved bars, with
spring holding devices to hold the sticks in the grooves, in combination with
links connecting the sections together, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
45. The carrier consisting of sections having bars to receive the match sticks,
and links connecting the sections, in combination with rotating toothed wheels
engaging the projecting ends of the bars, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
46. The carrier consisting of sections having bars to receive the match sticks,
in combination with links attached to one section and engaging the projecting
ends of one of the bars of the next section, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
47. The carrier consisting of sections having bars to receive the match sticks,
in combination with links attached to one section and provided with an opening
with convex face to engage the projecting ends of one of the bars of the next
section, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
48. The combination with the carrier sections each having the three transverse
bars adapted to receive the match sticks, and the front and rear bars made thinner
than the middle one, the links attached to each section, each provided with an
opening with convex rear side to engage the rear face of the front bar of the next
section, substantially as and for the purpose described.
49. In combination with the carrier sections each consisting of three bars of
which the middle one is grooved to receive the match sticks on its front and rear
sides, and the others are made thinner and correspondingly grooved, but only on
their sides turned towards the middle bar, and plates attached to and extending
rearward from each section, having openings to allow the passage of the projecting
ends of the rear bars of their respective section, and the front bar of the following
one, and convex faces at the rear side of such openings, to engage the rear side of
the latter bar, such bar having its upper and lower edges rounded off to allow
rocking of the plates with relation to the bar, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
50. A carrier for match sticks and the like, consisting of a series of sections
having grooved bars to receive the sticks, and links connecting such sections, in
combination with toothed wheels engaging the bars, so as to move the carrier along;
means for giving such wheels a step-by-step movement sufficient to bring the series
of grooves of the bars successively over a given point, and match stick supplying
and feeding devices adapted to feed the sticks into the grooves of the bars, at such
point, while the carrier is at rest between step-by-step advances, substantially as
and for the purpose shown.
ว
51. In combination with a carrier having transverse series of match stick
receiving grooves, and spring devices for holding the sticks in the grooves, the
reciprocating opener, adapted to engage and force the spring holding devices back

page_text: from the grooves, and means for reciprocating it to move it into and out of
engagement with such devices, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
52. In combination with a carrier having transverse series of match stick
receiving grooves, and series of separate spring holding fingers to act with such
grooves, the reciprocating head carrying a series of opening fingers to engage said
spring fingers and force them away from the respective grooves, means for
reciprocating said head, and means for feeding the sticks into the grooves, while
the spring holding fingers are thus retracted, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
53. In combination with a carrier having transverse series of match stick
receiving grooves, and spring holding devices to grip the sticks in such grooves,
the reciprocating head carrying a series of opening fingers, to engage such spring
holding devices and force them away from the grooves, such fingers being separated
from each other, so as to allow for the passage of the sticks up into the grooves,
means for moving such head, and means for feeding the material for the sticks up
into the grooves of the carrier, while the opener is down in operative position,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
54. In combination with a carrier having a series of oppositely turned faces equi-
distant from each other, provided with match stick receiving grooves, and spring
holding devices, to hold the sticks in the grooves, means for moving the carrier
with a step-by-step motion so as to bring the faces in which are the grooves,
successively to a given line, the opener adapted to engage and press the spring
holding devices back from the respective series of grooves, means for reciprocating
such opener towards and from its operative position, and means for giving it
alternately a slight forward and back motion with reference to the travel of the
carrier, before it moves to engage the spring holding devices, substantially as and
for the purpose shown.
55. In combination with a carrier baving a series of oppositely turned faces equi-
distant from each other, provided with match stick receiving grooves, and spring
holding devices to hold the sticks in such grooves, means for giving the carrier a
step-by-step movement equal to the distance between two of its adjacent faces, the
reciprocating opener to engage and press the spring holding devices back from
their respective grooves, having a head guided in plates, so as to move towards and
from the plane of the carrier, means for reciprocating such head, and means for
moving the plates in which the head is guided, forward and back with reference to
the travel of the carrier, so that successive opening movements of the opener will
be in different planes, to enable it to pass the successive grooved faces of the carrier,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
56. In combination with the carrier having a series of oppositely turned faces
equi-distant from each other, provided with match stick receiving grooves, and
spring holding devices to hold the sticks in the latter, means for giving the carrier
a step-by-step movement equal to the distance between two of its adjaceut faces,
the reciprocating opener to engage and force back the spring holding devices from
their respective grooves, having a head, plates with guides for such head, to guide it
in its movements towards and from the carrier, means for reciprocating the head in
such guides, and the cam mechanism connected with the guide plates, to move them
alternately forward and back with relation to the travel of the carrier, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
57. In combination with the reciprocating opener head, the rock shaft, the arms
thereon, and the links connecting the head with such arms, the plates having guides
for the opposite ends of the head, the bars connected with such plates, the cams
engaged by bearing devices on the bars, so as to move the latter and the plates in
one direction at a right angle to the reciprocation of the head on such plates,
springs to return the bars, and means for guiding the head in its movements with
such bars, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
58. In a match making machine, in combination with the travelling carrier to

page_text: receive and hold the match sticks, while being treated, a discharging device to
discharge the completed matches from the carrier, and a pusher, adapted to engage
and push outward, before they reach the discharging device, the rear ends of the
match sticks projecting beyond the rear or inner side of the carrier, substantially as
and for the purpose shown.
59. In a match making machine, in combination with the travelling carrier to
receive and hold the match sticks, while being treated, a discharging device to
discharge the completed matches from the carrier, and the reciprocating pusher
plate moved towards and from the carrier, at a point where it can engage and push
forward the rear ends of the matches, before they come into position in front of the
discharging device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
60. In a match making machine, in combination with the travelling carrier to
receive and hold the match sticks, while being treated, the reciprocating punches
for discharging the completed matches from the carrier, and the reciprocating
pusher plate, adapted to engage and push outward, into such position that they can
pass with the motion of the carrier in front of the punches, the rear ends of any
matches projecting beyond the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
61. In a match making machine, in combination with the carrier to receive and
hold the match sticks, while being treated, the reciprocating head carrying the
discharging punches, means for actuating such head, and the pusher plate connected
with the head, so as to move with the same, arranged to engage the ends of match
sticks projecting beyond the carrier, at a point before such sticks are brought to
the punches by the movement of the carrier, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 4th dow
1007
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.