IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PULP
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Frederick Tindell, of 18, Essex Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM
PULP." A communication from abroad by Seth Wheeler, of Albany, in the
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Frederick Tindell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1876.
WILLIAM FREDERICK TINDELL, of 18, Essex Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PULP." A communication from abroad by
Seth Wheeler, of Albany, in the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention has reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to me the 28th March 1876, No. 1324, in the Specification of which
Invention the operations for the manufacture of the boxes are described as being
performed manually, whereas by this Invention the several operations are effected
by means of certain mechanism, substantially as hereafter described, whereby the
production of boxes and other articles is more speedily effected and at less cost than
by the Invention aforesaid.
Upon suitable framing I mount a cylinder or vat which is provided with a cover,
the joint of which is packed with rubber or other suitable material; connecting
rods extend from the cover to cranks or discs secured to a rocking shaft, to which
is also fixed an arm provided with a hook or catch, so arranged as to engage at
times with another arm swinging freely on the rocking shaft, and so cause the said
free arm to partake at times of the movement of the shaft. The said free arm is
joined by a connecting rod to a crank fixed upon a shaft, the latter being driven
by gearing by means of a belt, pulley, or any other suitable means of communi-
cating motion.
The forms on which the boxes or other articles are made are secured to a hollow
base, having an opening at its centre fitting upon a plug which is secured to a
vertical pipe. The forms are provided with passages communicating with their

page_text: interior (similar to those heretofore used in the Patent before referred to) thence
through the hollow base and plug into the pipe.
Rings or curbs surround the forms which fit closely at their base, and are provided
so as to remove the newly formed article from the forms. The upper or curb
portion acts to prevent any deposit of pulp until the forms are submerged; there
is a presser plate situated above the form carriers, and having a slight vertical
movement against which the newly formed article is carried, producing a smooth
surface upon the edges of the newly formed articles; a cross head receives the lower
end of the pipe, having an exhaust valve secured to the cross head and communi-
cating with pipe through passage in cross head.
The cross head works in slides or guides formed in or upon the framing, a crank
shaft and crank are provided beneath the pulp vat by which the forms are lowered
into and raised from the pulp, the said crank shaft and crank being actuated at
proper intervals through a friction or other clutch placed upon the shaft and
actuated by gearing from the driving shaft of the machine.
The flow of compressed air to the cylinder or pulp vat is controlled by a valve,
the stem of which rests upon and is operated by a cam carried by the last-mentioned
crank shaft.
The pulp reservoir communicates with cylinder or pulp vat, also by means of a
valve which is opened at the proper intervals to supply any deficiency in the
pulp vat.
An overflow pipe is provided in the said reservoir, which may be raised or
lowered to regulate the height of the pulp in the reservoir and cylinder.
The pulp feed or supply discharges into the reservoir, and any excess is returned
through the aforesaid overflow pipe. The driving pulley of machine is secured to a
sleeve or hub of the balance wheel which revolves freely upon its shaft. Motion is
given to the shaft from balance wheel and pulley by a friction or other clutch;
the automatic movements of the machine are governed by cams situated upon a
shaft provided for them, and driven by gearing from the driving shaft or other
suitable moving part of the machine. One of the said cams (No. 1) serves to stop
the machine when the operation of making an article or articles is completed.
There is an arm swinging on a centre stud in the framing, having at its lower end
a pin which by a spring placed at any suitable part of the lever is caused to bear
against the periphery of the cam No. 1. When the bearing part of the arm arrives
at a depressed portion of the periphery of the cam the upper end of the arın is
suddenly thrown into such a position as to actuate the friction clutch and stop the
machine; cam No. governs the motion of the forms. Resting upon it is an arm
also held to the cam by a spring or weight, and centred upon a shaft or stud carried
in the frame and actuating another arm or detent which operates the clutch on the
crank shaft whereby the forms are raised and lowered. In one position this arm
engages the clutch, but when thrown into a certain inclination by the action of the
periphery of cam No. 2 the clutch is operated and the form crank makes one-half
a revolution whereby the forms are submerged. The clutch is again caught by the
arm and the forms remain submerger until another movement of the arm causes
another one-half revolution of crank. The third cam controls the opening and
closing of the cover by means of a sliding arm, which when drawn in one direction
disengages the lock or catch by which the herein-before referred to fixed and free
arms are held together, allowing the free arm to swing on the shaft. When,
however, the sliding arm or bar is thrown back by the action of its spring (and in
conformity to the shape of cam 3) the free arm at the finish of its stroke is locked
to the fixed arm, and the next one-half revolution of the crank opens the cover of
the cylinder or pulp vat by the action of the side cranks upon the connecting rods.
Attached to one of the said connecting rods is a smaller lever connection, which
opens and closes the valve (whereby the pulp reservoir communicates with the
pulp vat) with the opening and closing of the cover.
The valve for exhausting the air through the pipe from the forms in the pulp vat
is operated by a set screw, which opens the valve on the descent of the forms into

page_text: the pulp; a hook is also provided, which, when exhaust valve is opened by the set
screw engages the valve stem and prevents its closing when the forms are raised
from the pulp. This hook is disengaged from the stem when the forms are about
to descend into the pulp by the action of a pin carried by the form crank. This.
pin is placed below the centre of the crank pin, so that it does not act upon the
hook in passing its lower centre.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The cover of pulp cylinder or vat
being open the pulp valve is also open to admit pulp from the reservoir, the level
of the pulp in the vat thereby being made to correspond with that in the reservoir.
The proper level is determined by the size of the articles to be formed. The form
carriers with their covering or forms of perforated metal, gauze, felt, or other
material being in readiness, the operator by means of a hand lever disengages the
clutch on the driving shaft, and the cover closes by the action of the crank carrying
forward the movable arm, which latter is then disengaged by the sliding bar from
the fixed arm and moves free until again locked to the said fixed arm.
The closing of the cover also closes the pulp valve. Immediately the cover has
closed the action of the cam on the form crank shaft opens the valve, admitting
compressed fluid. The clutch on the form crank shaft is now released, as before
described, by cam No. 2, and the forms descend into the pulp. When near the
lowest point the stem of exhaust valve is met and opened by the set screw, causing
an instantaneous deposition of pulp upon the forms. At this or any other suitable
time, as may be demanded by the quality of the pulp or thickness desired, the
exhaust valve is closed, the required amount having been deposited. The form
crank then makes another half revolution raising the forms into the air space over
the pulp, when much of the moisture in the pulp is driven out by the rapid passage
of air through it and the pressure within the cylinder quickly is reduced to zero.
At this stage the lock or catch again secures the free and fixed arms together, and
the cover opens again. The arm operated by cam No. 1 now engages its clutch,
and the machine stops until the operator having removed the articles formed and
recovered the form carrier with forms again moves the hand lever and the operation
is repeated. In practice it will be found advantageous to employ two or more of
the hollow bases or form carriers. When the cover opens the base is lifted out
with the forms, and another base having similar forms or differing in shape quickly
put in place, and machine again started and base No. 1 put in order for re-insertion,
when cover opens again.
The number of forms that may be used is determined by their size, and the
capacities of the pulp vat and air supplying pump, or other machine for raising
pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Frederick Tindell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1877.
WILLIAM FREDERICK TINDELL, of 18, Essex Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF BOXES AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM PULP." A communication from abroad by
Seth Wheeler, of Albany, in the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention has reference to and consists of improvements upon an Invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me, bearing date the 28th March 1876,
No. 1324, in the Specification of which Invention the operations for the manu-
facture of the boxes are described as being performed manually, whereas by this
Invention the several operations are effected by means of certain mechanism sub-
stantially as hereafter described whereby certain of the operations are performed

page_text: automatically, and thereby the production of boxes and other articles is more
speedily effected and at less cost than by the Invention aforesaid.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the annexed Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a
front view of the apparatus; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a vertical section ;
Figure 4, a half plan; and Figure 5, a detail view of part of the mechanism con-
structed according to this Invention.
Upon suitable framing A I mount a cylinder or vat B which is provided with
a cover C, the joint of which is packed with rubber or other suitable material,
connecting rods D extend from the cover C to cranks or discs E secured to a rocking
shaft F to which is also fixed an arm G provided with a book or catch I so arranged
as to engage at times with another arm H swinging freely on the rocking shaft and
so cause the said free arm H to partake at times of the movement of the shaft F.
The said free arm H is joined by a connecting rod K to a crank L fixed upon a
shaft, the latter being driven by gearing M, N, indicated in dotted lines at Figure 2
by means of a belt pulley J or any other suitable means of communicating motion.
The form carriers Q with the wire gauze forms, on which the boxes or other
articles are made are secured to a hollow base R having an opening at its centre fitting
upon a plug S which is secured to a vertical pipe T. The forms are provided with
passages communicating with their interior (similar to those heretofore used in the
Patent before referred to) thence through the hollow base and plug into the pipe T.
Rings or curbs q surround the form carriers and fit closely at their base, and are
provided for removing the newly formed article from the form carriers. The upper
or curb portion acts to prevent any deposit of pulp until the forms are submerged;
there is a presser plater situated above the form carriers and having a slight
vertical movement against which the newly formed article is carried, producing a
smooth surface upon the edges of the newly formed articles; a cross head U receives
the lower end of the pipe T, and has an exhaust valve V secured to the cross head
and communicating with pipe T through passage in cross head.
The cross head works in slides or guides W formed in or upon the framing; a
crank shaft Y and crank X are provided beneath the pulp vat and thereby the form
carriers are lowered into and raised from the pulp. The said crank shaft Y carrying
the crank X is also provided with a friction or other clutch Z, and is actuated at
proper intervals from the driving shaft P by the bevel wheels A² and B².
The flow of compressed air to the cylinder or pulp vat B is controlled by a
valve C², the stem D2 of which rests upon and is operated by a cam E2 carried by
the last-mentioned crank shaft Y.
The pulp reservoir F2 communicates with cylinder or pulp vat, also by means of
a valve G² which is opened at the proper intervals to supply any deficiency in the
pulp vat.
An overflow pipe H2 is provided in the said reservoir, which overflow pipe may
be raised or lowered to regulate the height of the pulp in the reservoir and
cylinder.
The pulp feed or supply discharges into the reservoir F, and any excess is returned
through the aforesaid overflow pipe H³; the driving pulley J of machine is secured
to a sleeve or hub of the balance wheel or fly wheel K² which revolves freely upon
its shaft; motion is given to the shaft P from balance wheel K² and pulley by a
friction or other clutch L²; M is a standard supporting the extremity of the
shaft P. The automatic movements of the machine are governed by three cams,
Nos. 1, 2, and 3, situated upon a shaft N° provided for them and driven by gearing
from the driving shaft or other suitable moving part of the machine. The exterior
cam (No. 1) serves to stop the machine when the operation of making an article or
articles is completed. There is an arm 02 swinging on a centre stud P² in the
framing having at its lower end a pin which by a spring placed at any suitable part
of the lever is caused to bear against the periphery of the cam No. 1.) When the
bearing part of the arm arrives at a depressed portion of the periphery of the cam,
.the upper end of the arm is suddenly thrown into such a position as to actuate the

page_text: friction clutch and stop the machine. Cam No. 2 governs the motion of the form
carriers resting upon it is an arm Q2, also held to the cam by a spring or weight and
centred upon a shaft or stud R2 carried in the frame and actuating another arm or
detent C which operates the clutch on the crank shaft whereby the form carriers
are raised and lowered. In the position shown this arm C³ engages the clutch Z,
but when thrown into a certain inclination by the action of the periphery of cam
No. 2, the clutch Z is operated and the form crank makes one half a revolution
whereby the form carriers and forms are submerged. The clutch is again caught by
the arm and the form carriers with their forms on remain submerged until another
movement of the arm causes another one-half revolution of crank. The third cam,
No. 3, controls the opening and closing of the cover C by means of a sliding arm or
rod T which when drawn in one direction disengages the lock or catch I by which
the herein-before referred to fixed and free arins are held together, allowing the free
arm to swing on the shaft F. When however the sliding arm or bar T is thrown
back by the action of its spring (and in conformity to the shape of cam 3) the free
arm H at the finish of its stroke is locked to the fixed arm G, and the next one-
half revolution of the crank L opens the cover C of the cylinder or pulp vat by the
action of the side cranks E upon the connecting rods D.
Attached to one of the said connecting rods is a smaller lever connection U² which
opens and closes the valve G2 (whereby the pulp reservoir communicates with the
pulp vat) with the opening and closing of the cover.
The valve for exhausting the air through the pipe from the form carriers in the
pulp vat is operated by a set screw W2 which opens the valve on the descent of tho
form carriers into the pulp, a hook X2 is also provided which when exhaust valve V
is opened by the set screw engages the valve stem and prevents it closing when the
form carriers are raised from the pulp. This hook is disengaged from the stem when
the form carriers are about to descend into the pulp by the action of a pin Y³
carried by the form carrier crank. This pin is placed below the centre of the crank
pin so that it does not act upon the hook in passing its lower centre.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The cover of pulp cylinder or vat
being open the pulp valve is also open to admit pulp from the reservoir, the level of
the pulp in the vat thereby being made to correspond with that in the reservoir.
The proper level is determined by the size of the articles to be formed. The form
carriers with the covering or forms of perforated metal gauze, felt, or other material
being in readiness the operator by means of a hand lever disengages the clutch on
the driving shaft, and the cover closes by the action of the crank carrying forward
the moveable arm, which latter is then disengaged by the sliding bar from the fixed
arın and moves free until again locked to the said fixed arm.
The closing of the cover also closes the pulp valve; immediately the cover has
closed, the action of the cam on the form crank shaft opens the valve, admitting
compressed fluids. The clutch on the form carrier crank shaft is now released as
before described by cam No. 2, and the form carriers descend into the pulp. When
near the lowest point the stem of exhaust valve is met and opened by the set screw,
causing an instantaneous deposition of pulp upon the forms. At this or any other
suitable time as may be demanded by the quality of the pulp or thickness desired,
the exhaust valve is closed, the required amount having been deposited. The form
carrier crank then makes another half revolution raising the forms into the air
space over the pulp when much of the moisture in the pulp is driven out by the
rapid passage of air through it and the pressure within the cylinder quickly is
reduced to zero. At this stage the lock or catch again secures the free and fixed
arms together and the cover opens again. The arm operated by cam No. 1 now
engages its clutch, and the machine stops until the operator having removed the
articles formed and recovered the form carriers with forms again moves the hand
lever and the operation is repeated. In practice it will be found advantageous to
employ two or more of the hollow bases or form carriers. When the cover opens
the base is lifted out with the forms and another base having similar forms or

page_text: differing in shape quickly put in place, and machine again started, and base No. 1
put in order for reinsertion, when cover opens again.
The number of forms that may be used is determined by their size and the
capacities of the pulp vat and air supplying pump or other machine for raising
pressure. When such is found necessary a brake (automatic or otherwise) may be
employed to arrest the periodical movements of the apparatus at the proper
intervals.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The means employed to effect the periodical and automatic opening of the
pulp vat cover, and also the arrangements of mechanism herein-before described
and shown whereby the moulds are elevated and depressed at the proper intervals
in the pulp vat.
Second. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism substantially as
herein-before described and shown, whereby the manufacture of articles from pulp is
effected automatically or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Frederick Tindell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.