Improvements in or relating to Match Making Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Match Making Machines.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES DONNELLY of No. 1934 North Twenty-first Street, in
the City and County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America. Machinist, 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:-
This invention relates to match making machines, and more particularly to that
class in which the splints are transferred from a hopper to an appropriate device
by and upon which they.are bunched or assembled preparatory to the dipping
operation.
The invention, as generally stated, consists in the employment of a perforated
receiver to which the splints are fed and upon which they are maintained, at
intervals apart, by the exhaustion of the air from an adjacent space or chamber
with which the perforations communicate, in combination with various relatively
arranged co-operating parts that enter into the organization of the machine, all as
will be hereinafter fully set forth and be definitely claimed.
A machine embodying my invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in
which―
Figure 1 is a side elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan with the hopper removed.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, as on the line - of Fig. 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section, as on the line y-y of Fig. 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a modified construction.
Figure 6 is a section of a modified form of drum.
A represents the frame-work of the machine upon which the usual hopper B and
other parts are supported. Journalled in bearings in the sides of the frame, is a
shaft c upon which is fixed a hollow drum C that extends partially within the
hopper, which shaft with the drum thereon is rotated in any approved manner. In
the present instance the shaft is equipped with a spur wheel
pinion d' on a driving shaft to which motion is imparted from a suitable source of
power. The drum is provided with a median circumferential groove c¹ around
which passes from the roll e to the bunching spool f, the usual tape or webbing g
that is employed for bunching the splints in coils.
with which gears a
The periphery of the drum, on each side of the groove c', is perforated at
intervals in transverse lines, as at c, whereby if splints be fed to or deposited upon
the drum, and air be exhausted from the latter, the suction thereby induced through
the perforations will maintain the splints upon the drum. Hence, as the drum
rotates within the hopper, if the air be exhausted from the former, the splints
contained in the hopper will be drawn individually upon the successive lines of
perforations on the drum, and be accordingly taken up thereby and conducted to
the bunching coil.
In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, both inclusive, a pair of
stationary exhaust chambers is arranged in the drum, with which chambers the
perforations in the drum communicate during the traverse of the respective rows of
perforations from the hopper to the bunching coil. These chambers are connected
with a suitably-disposed fan c, or other air-exhausting device, by means of lateral
pipes whereby the air may be exhausted from the chambers during the rotation
of the drum, with the effect above mentioned. Each of the chambers is formed of
a pair of semicircular plates 1 with a bottom piece 2, the edges of the plates being
concentric with the internal periphery of the drum to which they are fitted.

page_text: In order that the match splints contained in the hopper shall be fed or presented
individually to the drum, I dispose in the forward portion of the hopper & suitable
frame between which and the bottom of the hopper is formed a space 61 by way
of which the splints pass singly to the drum. It will be obvious that during the
rotation of the drum, the individual match splints will be successively drawn, by
suction, upon the rows of perforations, as the latter pass the delivery space 61 of
the hopper, thereby insuring the disposition of the splints upon the drum at stated
intervals.
The bunching spool f is supported as heretofore upon a rocking arm f¹ which is
mounted on a shaft fjournalled in the sides of the frame-work; said spool being
rotated in concert with the feed drum or carrier by means of sprocket gearing
to which motion is imparted from the spur wheel d through the medium of
suitable gear train. This construction being well-known in the art no description
in detail is necessary.
a
As a simple and efficient means whereby the operation of exhausting the air from
the chambers shall be automatically checked when the coil has reached a pre-
determined size, so as thereupon to arrest the operation of the drum upon the splints
in the hopper, I provide the main exhaust pipe with a check valve I, the handle i
of which is embraced by the bifurcated end of a link that is pivotally connected
at its other end with a depending portion of the rocking arm f¹. Thus, when the
coil has reached a certain limit and the rocking arm has accordingly swung outward,
the bifurcated end of the link, moving forward, presses against the handle, and,
perforce, closes the valve.
Although in the foregoing described construction the use of pheripheral grooves
in the drum to receive the match splints, is obviated, yet such grooves may be
employed in connection with the exhaust feature, if desired, as represented in Fig. 5.
In this fig. I have also represented two co-acting supplementary drums C1, C³,
interposed between the main drum C and the coiler, which supplementary drums
are grooved peripherally, and they are driven concertedly by suitable gearing.
The drum C is peripherally perforated similarly to the drum C, and it is likewise
provided with an exhaust chamber c³, whereby the splints are taken up from the
drum C and carried to the drum C'. Within drum C¹ is a pipe C³, one side of
which is provided with a series of perforations directed toward the periphery of
the drum. Air being blown into this pipe, it will be obvious that as the series
of perforations in the drum C¹ successively reach the pipe, the splints will be blown
into the registering peripheral grooves in the drum C and be thereupon conducted
to the bunching coil. This arrangement illustrates the use of air not only to
attract but to blow the splints from one carrier to another, thereby in either case
obviating the use of the mechanical stripper fingers heretofore employed to effect
the transference.
In Fig. 6 I have shown a vertical section of a modified construction of drum
in which the drum is headed and is provided with a hollow journal C* through
which the air is exhausted from the interior of the drum.
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 a match making machine, the combination with a hopper or splint-feeding
device, of a perforated splint receiver adjacent thereto, a chamber communicating
with the perforations in said receiver, and means for exhausting the air from said
chamber, the perforations in the receiver being so disposed that the splints in the
hopper or feeding device will be drawn upon the perforations when the latter are
in the path of the splints and will be thereby maintained upon the receiver at
intervals apart, substantially as described.
2. In a match making machine, the combination, with a hopper, or splint-
feeding device, of a perforated splint carrier communicating therewith, a chamber
communicating with the perforations in said carrier, and means for exhausting the

page_text: air from said chamber, the perforations in the carrier being disposed in parallel
ro vs that the individual splints in the hopper or feeding device shall be drawn to
and upon the succeeding rows during the traverse of the latter, substantially as
described.
3. In a match making machine, the combination, with a hopper, of a peripherally
perforated rotatable roller or drum, a stationary air chamber within said drum, a
pipe or pipes leading from said chamber, and an exhaust communicating with said
pipe or pipes, the perforations in the said roller or drum being disposed in parallel
series whereby the individual splints will be drawn successively upon said
perforations and thus be maintained at intervals apart upon the roller or drum,
sbstantially as described.
4. In a match-making machine, the combination of a carrier provided with
perforations arranged in parallel rows, a chamber below the perforated.surface,
means for exhausting the air from said chamber, and a bunching spool co-acting
with said carrier, whereby the splints fed to the carrier will be maintained thereon
at intervals apart, and be conducted thereby to the bunching spool, substantially
as described.
.
5. In a match making machine, the combination of a hopper, a drum communi->
cating therewith, said drum being provided with a circumferential groove and with
parallel series of peripheral perforations, a chamber below the perforated surface,
means for exhausting the air from said chamber, a bunching tape or web passing
around the circumferential groove and a bunching spool with which said tape or
web is connected, substantially as described.
6. In a match making machine, the combination of a splint containing hopper
provided with an outlet for the withdrawal of the splints in single file, a carrier
provided with perforations arranged in parallel series which are adapted successively
to communicate with said outlet, a chamber communicating with the perforated
surface, and means for exhausting the air from said chamber, substantially as
described.
7. In a match making machine, the combination of a splint containing hopper
provided with an outlet for the withdrawal of the splints in single file, a carrier
provided with perforations arranged in parallel series which are adapted successively
to communicate with said outlet, a chamber communicating with the perforated
surface, means for exhausting the air from said chamber, and a splint bunching
spool and tape co-acting with said carrier, substantially as described.
8. In a match making machine, the combination of a splint-containing hopper
provided with a frame therein, between which and the bottom of the hopper is
formed a space for the outward passage of the splints, a carrier provided with
perforations which are adapted successively to communicate with said outlet, a
chamber communicating with the perforated surface, and means for exhausting the
air from said chamber, substantially as described.
9. In a match making machine, the combination of a splint-containing hopper
provided with a lateral passage for the withdrawal of the splints singly, of a splint
carrier laterally adjacent to said passage, and means for transferring the splints
laterally from said passage to the carrier, substantially as described.
10. In a match making machine, the combination of a splint-containing hopper
provided with a lateral passage for the withdrawal of the splints singly, of a
splint carrier laterally adjacent to said passage provided with perforations which
are adapted successively to communicate with the mouth of said passage, a chamber
communicating with the perforations and means for exhausting the air from said
chamber, substantially as described.
11. In a match making machine, the splint carrying drum provided with a
median circumferential groove, and with transverse rows of peripheral perforations
on each side of said groove, substantially as described.
12. In a match making machine, the splint carrying drum provided with transverse
rows of peripheral perforations, in combination with a pair of stationary exhaust
chambers arranged side by side within said drum in communication with the

page_text: perforations, an exhaust engine, and connections between the same and said
chambers, substantially as described.
13. In a match splint bunching machine, the combination of a perforated splint
carrier, a chamber below the perforated surface, means for exhausting the air from
said chamber, a splint bunching or assembling device, its supporting and operating
parts, and means for automatically checking the air exhaust when the bunching or
assembling operation has reached a predetermined stage, substantially as described.
14. The combination of a perforated carrier, a chamber below the perforated
:surface, an air exhaust device, a pipe connecting the same with the said chamber,
a valve on said pipe, a bunching spool, the rocking arm, supporting said spool,
means for rotating said spool, and a connection between said rocking arm and the
valve, whereby the latter is closed at a predetermined period, substantially as
.described.
15. In a match making machine, the combination, with two co-acting splint
carriers, the surface of one of which is perforated transversely at intervals, of an
air engine communicating with the perforated surface in a manner to effect the
transference of the successively advancing splints from one carrier to the other,
substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of April 1804
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.