Improvements in Machines for Making Trays or Cases for Receiving Eggs or other Articles for Transportation.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 17th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1890-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Trays or Cases for Receiving
Eggs or other Articles for Transportation.
I, WILLIAM SAMUEL LOWE, Manager Straw Board Mill, a citizen of the
United States residing at Lima, Ohio, United States of America, 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:-
My invention relates to machines for making egg trays or cell cases to be used
in packing eggs or other articles for transportation.
The several features of my said invention are hereinafter described referring
to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the left hand side of the machine, with the driving
pulley removed:
Figure 2 is a similar view of the right hand side thereof;
Figure 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view;
Figure 4 is a detail view of the sprocket chain; and
Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the platforms X.
A A is the framework of the machine, preferably made in the form shown in
the drawings, and of proper size to support the various parts of the machine:
G Gare stationary cross bars which connect the sides of the frame. The ends of
the frame are provided with suitable arms D D which support rolls D' D' of the
straw board or other suitable material.
The straw board is conducted from the rolls to the feed rollers over guiding
and straightening rollers placed at either end of the machine, whereby the
material, which by being wound in the form of rolls, acquires a curved form,
becomes straightened by reason of reverse curvatures. The curvature of the
straw board upon its roll varies with the diameter, and for this reason I first
impart to the straw board a uniform curvature by passing over a roller 125
or 126, the diameter of which is the same or smaller than the diameter of the
cores of the rolls D'. I then pass the board with its opposite side over a roller 124
or 123, having, preferably, a somewhat larger diameter than the first rollers,
whereby the board is curved in the opposite direction and straightened. The
journals of these rollers have their bearings in the arms D D and the tops of the
rollers 124, 123 are about level with the tops of the lower feed rollers. These
feed rollers consist of a lower metallic roller 76, whose circumference is milled or
grooved to prevent the paper from slipping upon it, and an upper press roller 77
having a surface of india rubber or other suitable material. The journals of these
rollers are placed in boxes in the frame, one over the other, the upper roller being
preferably held in yielding contact with the lower. The shafts of the rollers are
geared together at one end, and at the other end of the shafts of the lower rollers
are provided with ratchet wheels 108, by means of which and pawls 103 they are

page_text: turned in the proper direction and at the proper times, as hereinafter explained,
to feed the straw board into the machine.
It will be seen that each end of the machine is provided with similar feed
rollers and similar straightening rollers. F is the gear wheel interposed between
the pinions EF placed on the ends of the shafts KL, which operate the
punches and the knives. One of these two shafts, namely, the shaft L, I use, by
preference, as the main shaft, the driving pulley being mounted thereon. The
punches and knife at one end of the machine are operated by means of cranks 14,
situated on the main shaft I, between the sides of the frame and from a crank 64,
situated on the same shaft outside of the frame, 1 derive the movements of the
sprocket wheels CC; and endless chain 40, and also the movements of the
bottomers and feeding devices at each end of the machine. The punches and
knife at the other end of the machine are operated by a crank 14 situated on the
crank shaft K between the sides of the frame. Intermediate spur wheel turns
loosely upon one end of a shaft M, which has its bearings in the frame, and upon
the other end of the shaft is fixed the ratchet wheel 60, by means of which inter-
mittent motion is given to that shaft by means of the pawl 61, which is actuated
by the crank 64.
On the same shaft M, preferably midway between the sides of the frame, is
secured the lower sprocket wheel C, which is engaged by the links of the endless
chain 40, which extends around this wheel, and a similar wheel C mounted in the
upper part of the frame.
Ratchet wheels 108, upon the shafts of the lower feed rollers, are driven by
pawls 103 which are pivoted to the ends of arms 102, which turn freely on the
shafts PP. The ends of the arms 102 are connected by bars 104 with the
bottomer bars 105 at each side of the machine whereby the reciprocations of such
bars are used to operate the feeding mechanism.
These bottomer bars are properly supported in the machine, and each pair, there
being two for each end of the machine, carry at their outer ends a bottomer or
pusher 72, 73, consisting of a narrow plate of a length a little greater than the
length or breadth of the platforms on which the strips or partitions are assembled,
so set that its flat face will bear against the strips to drive them into the spring
fingers of the platforms. The inner ends of the bottomer bars are pivoted to the
ends of vibrating arms 69, which are mounted upon the rock shaft O, which
receives a rocking motion from the main shaft L through its crank 64 and the
link 67 which is connected with the shaft O by means of a rocker 68.
The endless chain 40 is preferably made of cast steel and comprises three
forms of link arranged alternately, as shown in Fig. 4.
These forms I call tray
links, straight links and adjustable links. The tray links are provided with
flattened disk shaped portions affording a bearing surface upon which the plates X
revolve. These plates are attached to the links by means of pins which pass
through the links and are provided with fastening nuts on their inner ends. The
adjustable link, as shown in Fig. 4, is made in two parts screw threaded to allow
of their being fastened together. When it is desired to tighten the chain, one
of the pins which fasten the adjustable link to the adjacent link is removed, and
the two parts of the link having been screwed together, the pin is replaced. The
straight link is used to connect the other two forms, and its shape is obvious from
the drawings.
The platform plates X attached to the tray links are made square, as shown,
and preferably bevelled at two of their corners. The object of making these
plates square is to enable them to fit between the guides, between which they
move up and down, and any other shape may be employed that will accomplish.
this purpose.
These guides E E consist of two bars of suitable dimensions and material,
extending from top to bottom of each end of the machine; or, if desired, they
may extend continuously around the machine. Between these bars the plates
move, the bars being placed at a proper distance apart to receive them. In this

page_text: way the proper alignment of the plates is assured, and they are presented to the
feeding mechanism in a proper position.
To these plates are attached platforms X, upon which are assembled strips or
partitions H that go to form the trays. The platforms are eight in number in the
machine represented. These platforms are constructed the full size of the tray
to be made and are provided with recesses a along two of their opposing sides
for the purposes hereinafter set forth. The outer faces of these plates are
provided with rows of double elastic fingers 41, made of metal, with flaring ends
and so placed as to allow the strips or partitions to be forced in between them.
As each plate and platform reaches the top of the machine, the plate strikes
against a pin, fastened to the frame or one of the guides, and is thereby turned
through a quarter of a revolution. At the bottom of the machine it strikes
against a similar pin and is rotated another quarter turn. The object of these
turns is to present the platform to the feeding mechanism in the proper position,
as hereinafter set forth.
The placing or assembling of the strips H upon the fingers of the platform is
accomplished by the feed motion, or by the pushers and bottomers. The straw
board is fed by the feed rollers to the punches 3 and knife 22, by which the
straw board is punched out and a strip severed therefrom, but the punches and
knife do not come into action until the end of the straw board has been shoved
by the feed motion part way into the fingers, and the movement of the punches
and knife are so timed that the punches act a little before the knife acts, and the
punches are so set that they cut beyond the place of the parting line a little
distance into the plain edge of the several strips. The object of so setting the
punches, their ends extending beyond the parting line, is to insure that the
openings made thereby shall extend through the edges of the strips. The punches
are arranged upon cross heads 1, moving in suitable guides, and below the punches
is a die plate 12 upon which the straw board is supported. The punches pass
through a stripper plate 11, placed over the die plate, which strips off the board
as they ascend. The cross heads are reciprocated by means of bars 15 con-
nected to the cross heads by suitable joints and pivoted to the cranks 14 on the
shafts K and L. The knife 22 acts upon the paper from below, cutting it against
the upper stationary knife, the motion of the knife 22 being derived from shaft L
through the cranks 14, link 16, fulcrum bars 18 and knife bar 21. On the other
end of the machine the knife 38 is attached to the cross heads 1 by means of
brackets 39, and cuts against the stationary knife 37.
When a strip of card board has been fed to one row of fingers 41, the movement
of the platform, which is intermittent, is resumed, and the next row of fingers is
brought up to the level of the feed. The preceding row of fingers having mean-
while been carried up above the punches and knives, and brought opposite to the
pusher 72, which in its reciprocations is brought against the edge of the strip H,
and the strip thereby forced home.
The operation of feeding the board to the fingers, or punching and cutting off
the strips, and forcing them home into the fingers of the platforms is continued,
all of the motions being intermittent, until the row of fingers of the platform are
supplied, when a fresh platform is brought up by the chain and supplied with strips
in the same manner.
The platforms X are preferably separated from each other on the chain such a
distance that when two adjoining platforms are on the straight part of the chain,
the distance between the last row of fingers of the leading platform and the first
row on the platform next following is the same as the distance from each of the
rows of fingers on the platforms, so that there is no interruption in the process
of filling the platforms by reason of the distance of such platforms from each
other.
By means of the quarter turn of the platforms at the top of the machine above
described, the strips D which were carried up to that point in horizontal positions
are turned into a vertical position, in which last named position they are presented

page_text: to the feeding apparatus which supplies the cross strips to the platform and
completes the tray.
Ench strip or partition is provided with similar openings, so that when the
different series of strips are presented to each other with their openings facing,
they will interlock. This construction enables the strips or partitions, made at one
end of the machine, to interlock with those previously made and placed on the
platforms at the other end of the machine, it being only necessary that the last
mentioned strips shall, as the platforms descend and come opposite the feeding
devices, present their punched sides upward, while the other strips, when presented
and fed to them, have their openings in a reversed position, so that the strips may
interlock.
Any suitable forms of openings or depressions may be employed for interlocking
the strips and the punches, slitters or embossing tools may be formed accordingly.
The arrangement of the parts in respect to the rolls of straw board D', the
straightening rollers, the feed and press rollers, the punchers, cutters and bottomers,
together with the devices by which these parts are moved and operated, is
substantially the same at both ends of the machine, except, as above stated, that
at one end of the machine the cutting knife is below the straw board and the
bottomer above, and at the other end of the machine these positions are reversed.
At the bottom of the machine before the trays are removed, the platforms, as
above described, are given a quarter turn in readiness for the feeding device on
its ascent.
The discharging apparatus consists of arms Q provided with fingers adapted
to pass through the recesses in the sides of the platforms X. These arms are
mounted upon a rock shaft Q. Upon the spur wheel F is a small pin which
strikes during the rotation of this wheel against a cam bar Q" attached to the
rock shaft Q. As the pin strikes against this arm, the rock shaft is turned and
the bars are moved, passing on either side of the platform, the fingers passing
through the recesses in the side thereof and striking against the tray, discharge
it from the platform. After the pin has passed, the shaft and arms are returned to.
their former position by means of a suitable spring. The platforms, while they
are receiving the strips or partitions from the feeding devices, are supported from
behind against the thrust of the feed by suitable projecting bars.
The pitch diameters of the intermediate wheel F and the pinions E' F', I
preferably make of such proportions that for each revolution of the wheel F, a
platform at each end of the machine shall have been provided with strips, whereby
I am enabled to use the same gear wheel F for operations which are to be repeated
on the platforms in the same succession and order at both ends of the machine,
or in one order or succession at one end and in a different order or succession at the
other end.
The straw board is guided along its edges as it passes into the machine from the
rolls by the vertical guiding plates 48, seen at each end of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I.claim is
1. In an egg tray machine, the combination of a sprocket chain 40, composed
of tray links, adjustable links made in two parts screwing together as shown,
straight links connecting the adjustable links with the tray links, and platforms X
pivotally attached to the tray links, substantially as described.
2. In an egg tray machine, the combination of sprocket wheels C C', means for
communicating an intermittent motion to such wheels, a sprocket chain 40
comprising tray, straight and adjustable links passing over such wheels, platforms X
pivotally attached to such chain and provided with spring fingers 41 to receive
the board, and means whereby the strips of board are fed to such fingers,
substantially as described.
3. In an egg tray machine, the combination of sprocket wheels C C', means for

page_text: communicating an intermittent motion to such wheels, a sprocket chain 40 com-
prising tray, straight and adjustable links passing over such wheels, platforms X
pivotally attached to such chain and provided with spring fingers 41 to receive
the board, guides E E for maintaining the alignment of the platforms, means
whereby the strips of board are fed to the fingers 41, arms Q mounted upon the
rock shaft Q and provided with fingers adapted to pass through recesses in the
sides of the platforms X, and means for rotating the rock shaft to discharge
the trays from such platforms, substantially as described.
4. In an egg tray machine, the combination of frame A, shafts K, L and M;
sprocket wheels C C, means for imparting an intermittent motion to such wheels;
sprocket chain 40 composed of tray, straight and adjustable links, platforms X
pivotally attached to such chain; guides E E, feeding rollers 76, 77 for supplying
the board to the platform fingers, knives 22, and punches 3 for cutting and
punching the strips, bottomer bars 105, and means for discharging the trays from
the platforms, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of June 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.