Improvements in Machines for Applying Adhesive Strips to Boxes and other Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 15th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Applying Adhesive Strips to Boxes
and other Articles.
We, HORACE INMAN, formerly of Amsterdam, New York, but at present of
11 to 13 Whitecross Street, London, E.C., Manufacturer, and HARRY ANSIL
INMAN, of the Inman Manufacturing Company's Works, Amsterdam, New York,
in the United States of America, 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:-
This invention relates to the construction of machines of a general class which
are employed for applying labels and addresses to articles of various descriptions,
for applying strengthening or fastening strips to the joints formed by the meeting
edges of the parts composing a paper box or other article, for applying a stay-strip
to the corner of a pasteboard or strawboard box, and for a variety of other
similar purposes in which the material to be applied is a gummed or adhesive
strip or piece of paper, cloth or other like material. Machines of this class
heretofore constructed have generally been of one or the other of two different
kinds. In the one kind of machine the adhesion of the previously gummed and
moistened strip or piece to the box or other article is effected by the impact or
direct pressure of one of two clamping dies which reciprocates vertically with
relation to the other of said clamping dies, the latter constituting a form or anvil
for the box or other article during the action of the movable die. In the other
kind of machine, which is adapted only for the manufacture of boxes or other like
articles, the box to which the strengthening or stay-strip is to be applied is mounted
upon a rotating form or holder and receives the strengthening or stay strip from a
spool or reel, suitable guides and pressers being provided to properly apply the
gummed strip to the box as it rotates. In machines of the kind first referred to,
the gumined strip receives the pressure of the clamping dies but once and for
this reason and also because the movement of the moveable die is only in a
direction at right angles to the face of the fixed die, the machine must be so
strongly and heavily constructed as to be capable of exerting great pressure upon the
box or other article and the strip applied thereto while they are interposed between
the two clamping dies. Moreover, such machines are necessarily subjected to
severe strain in use and are therefore subject to rapid deterioration unless they are
'specially constructed to withstand such strains. Machines of the other kind
referred to are necessarily somewhat slow in operation and are not readily adjusted
for different classes of work. We have discovered that the gummed strip can be
made to adhere with the necessary firmuess to the box or other article, if it is laid

page_text: subjected to the action of a wheel or roller and that the adhesion of the
strip to the box or other article is made absolutely certain if the roller or wheel
passes over the strip twice in opposite directions. Following up this discovery we
have devised a mechanism which, whether it is intended for the application of labels
to boxes or other articles, or for the application of stay-strips to corners of boxes,
or for any other like purpose, embodies in its construction a support for the article
to which the adhesive strip is to be applied, a head reciprocating in a plane
substantially parallel with the surface of such article, and a wheel or roller carried
by said head and adapted to effect the union of the adhesive strip with the article
by a rolling action. Means may also be provided, adapted to co-operate with
the parts already referred to, for the purpose of feeding the adhesive strip and
for the purpose of cutting off at each operation the proper length from a continuous
strip. Various other devices and details of construction, specially adapted for
the particular use to which the machine is to be put may also be provided and
some of such devices and details will be particularly described hereinafter. For
the purpose of enabling the invention to be clearly understood we have shown and
described herein a complete machine which embodies the invention in a practical
and desirable form, and the machine which we have so chosen for purposes of
illustration has been designed with especial reference to its use in applying stay-
strips of paper, cloth or other material to the corners of pasteboard or other like
boxes, but it will be understood that it is not intended thereby to limit the invention
to machines of this particular character nor to the exact construction and
arrangement of parts shown in such machine.
In the accompanying drawings,--
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine of the character referred to, with the
supporting standard broken off and with the arm which supports the strip reel in
section.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof with the standard broken off.
Fig. 4 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of
Fig. 1.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating modifications in form of the
supporting arm and presser roll according to the nature of the work to be performed,
as hereinafter referred to.
The mechanism which embodies our invention may be secured to a suitable
standard A of convenient height, which it is not necessary to show in full. To a
vertical cheek plate A', which is formed on or secured to the standard A, is secured
a vertically adjustable bracket B having a suitably formed arm B' to support the
box or other article during the operation of applying the stay-strip thereto. It is
desirable that the upper surface of this arm B' should conform to the shape of the
box at the place where the stay-strip is to be applied. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3
it is substantially rectangular to conform to the corner of a rectangular box.
shown at B' in Fig. 6 the arm is formed to support the angle of an octagonal box i
as shown at B3 in Fig. 7 the arm has a curved upper surface to support a round
box; and as shown at B' in Fig. 8 the arm has a flat upper surface to support any
flat article which may be laid thereon. The bracket B'is slotted, as at b, to receive
the bolts 6 by which it is secured to the cheek plate A', and the latter is provided
with a horizontal arm a to receive a vertically disposed adjusting screw a' by means
of which the bracket B and arm B' may be set at any desired height and there
secured by tightening the bolts &, a lock nut a being provided for the screw al.
Upon the standard A is also secured a horizontal bed plate C, upon which, in
suitable ways c c, a head D is mounted to slide in a horizontal plane, that is to say,
in a plane which is substantially parallel with the upper surface or edge of the box
or other article supported by the arm B'. The reciprocating head D carries a
wheel or roller E' which conforms to the upper surface of the box or other article

page_text: to be operated upon and is adapted to roll to and fro over the previously gummed
stay-strip which has been placed in position upon the box or other article, thereby
effecting the firm adhesion of such strip to such box or other article. In order
that the wheel or roller E' may conform to the inequalities of the article over which
it rolls and may adapt itself to different thicknesses, as well as for the purpose of
enabling it to act with a somewhat yielding pressure, it is carried in the ends of a
yoke F which is mounted to slide vertically in suitable ways formed in the head D...
A screw threaded stud D', which is fixed to the head D, passes through an aperture
in the yoke F and receives a compression spring d and adjusting and lock nuts d'
by means of which pressure upon the wheel or roller E may be regulated as
desired. The spindle E, upon which the wheel or roller E' is mounted to revolve,
is guided in sluts d' which are forined in cheek pieces de depending from the head D
and the ends of the spindle E may be provided with nuts and washers e to prevent
longitudinal displacement of the spindle. The reciprocation of the head D with
the wheel or roller E' may be effected by any suitable means. We have represented
a shaft G as mounted in a suitable bearing C on the bed plate C and as provided
with a crank dise Gi and crank pin G which is connected to the head D by a
link G'.
As stated hereinbefore with respect to the supporting arm B', it is evident that
the working face of the wheel or roller E' should conformn to the upper surface of
the box or other article operated upon, as shown at E, E and E' in Figs. 6,
7. and 8.
The strip of paper, cloth or other material which is to be applied to the box or
other article is preferably coated with dry adhesive and supplied from a reel or
spool H which is mounted to revolve freely on a spindle h carried by an arm
or bracket I which is secured to a plate A. The bracket I supports à tank I',
which contains water for moistening the adhesive strip and which carries in its side
walls the bearings for a moistening roll J and a feed roll K, between which the
strip passes on its way toward the box or other article on the support B. The
feed roll K has formed near one end, as shown by dotted lines at k in Fig. 5,
ratchet teeth which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl L. The latter is carried
by an arm L which is pivoted on the pintle of the roll K and is connected by a
link L' to one end of a bell crank lever L3 which is pivoted upon a stud c¹, secured
to the bed plate C, and has at its other end a roller 2. A cam D2 is secured to the
reciprocating head D to co-operate with said bell crank lever L to effect, through
the described connections, the forward movement of the feed roll K just as
the head D commences its forward movement. The return movement of the
bell crank L, link L' and pawl carrying arm L is effected by a suitable
spring L
For the purpose of cutting off the successive portions of the gummed strip as it
is fed forward, we prefer to form the side of the wheel or roller E which is nearest
the-spool or reel H, with a sharp, cutting edge, as shown at e' in Figs. 2 and 3, and
to provide the bracket I with a co-operating cutting edge i, as shown in Figs. 2, 3
and 5, whereby, as the wheel or roller E' moves forward, the portion of the gummed
strip is severed and is immediately laid upon the box or other article as the wheel
or roller continues to advance. It is desirable to provide means for holding the
strip firmly while it is being cut and to release it when it is to be fed forward.
For this purpose we secure to the bracket I a spring clamping plate M which
overlies the delivery plate N and is pressed down upon the same, to clamp the
strip which passes between the two, by a finger d' which is carried by one of the
depending cheek pieces d on the head D. The spring M is so formed, as clearly
shown in Fig. 4, as to be cleared by the finger d' when the head D is in its extreme
rearward position and the crank pin G2 is passing through its dead centre, so as to
release the strip and permit it to be fed forward by the action of the feed roll K
which takes place as the head begins its forward movement.
In the use of our machine, the box or other article to which the adhesive strip is
to be applied is placed in proper position upon the supporting arm D' and, by means

page_text: of a suitable starting and stopping device which is represented at G and is under
the control of the operator, the engagement of the continuously rotating fly-wheel G
with the shaft G is permitted, it being assumed that the reciprocating head D was
brought to rest in its extreme rearward position. As the head starts forward the
gummed strip is fed forward into position over the box or other article to which it
is to be applied and into the path of the advancing wheel or roller E. The spring
clamp M is pressed down to hold the strip in place as soon as the feed ceases and
the wheel or roller El, with its cutting edge e', then severs the projecting portion
of the strip which is immediately laid on the box by the wheel or roller E' in its
continued forward movement. In its rearward movement the wheel or roller E'
again passes over the severed portion of the strip and, although there may have
been a tendency of such portion of the strip to curl up after the first passage of the
roller, it is found that the second passage of the roller effectually checks such
tendency and accomplishes a firm adhesion of the strip to the box or other
article.
It will be obvious that various alterations in the details of construction and
arrangement herein shown and described may be made without departing from the
spirit of our invention and that we do not intend to restrict the invention to the
precise construction herein shown nor, as bereinbefore pointed out, to the particular
use for which the machine herein shown is intended.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head to reciprocate in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article and a
roller carried by said lead and having its working face conformed to the surface of
the box or other article to be operated upon and arranged to lay the adhesive strip
upon said box or other article and to roll over the same, substantially as shown and
described.
2. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head to reciprocate in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, means
to feed forward an adhesive strip over the box or other article, and a roller carried
by said head and having its working face conformed to the surface of the box or
other article to be operated upon and arranged to lay the adhesive strip upon
said box or other article and to roll over the same, substantially as shown and
described.
3. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head reciprocating in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, a
vertically movable yoke carried by said head, and a roller carried by said yoke
and having its working face conformed to the surface of said box or other article
to be operated upon and arranged to lay the adhesive strip upon said box or other
article and to roll over the same, substantially as shown and described.
4. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head reciprocating in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, a
vertically movable yoke carried by said head, a spring arranged to press said yoke
yieldingly toward said support, and a roller carried by said yoke and having its
working face conformed to the surface of said box or other article to be operated
upon and arranged to lay the adhesive strip upon said box or other article and to
roll over the same, substantially as shown and described.
5. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head reciprocating in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, a

page_text: roller carried by said head and having its working face conformed to the surface-
of said box or other article to be operated upon and arranged to lay the adhesive
strip upon said box or other article and to roll over the same, a feed roll to feed
the adhesive strip forward, a cam carried by said reciprocating head, and inter-
mediate connections whereby the movement of said cam with said head is caused
to effect a forward rotation of said feed roll, substantially as shown and described..
6. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head reciprocating in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, a roller
carried by said head and having its working face conformed to the surface of said
box or other article to be operated upon and arranged lay the adhesive strip upon
said box or other article and to roll over the same, feeding mechanism for said strip,.
and a cutting device for said strip carried with said reciprocating head substantially
as shown and described.
7. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles the
combination of a support for the box or other article, a head reciprocating in a
direction substantially parallel with the surface of the box or other article, a roller
carried by said bead and having its working face conformed to the surface of said
box or other article to be operated upon and arranged to lay the adhesive strip.
upon said box or other article and to roll over the same, feeding and rotary cutting
mechanism for said strip, a spring-clamp disposed above said strip, and a finger
carried by said head and arranged to co-operate with said spring-clamp to press.
the same upon the strip to hold said strip, substantially as shown and described.
8. In a machine for applying adhesive strips to boxes and other articles, the
combination of a reciprocating head feeding mechanism for the adhesive strip,.
devices carried by said reciprocating head to press the strip upon the box or other
article and a cutting device also carried by said head to sever a portion of said.
strip as the reciprocating head advances, substantially as shown and described.
Dated the 15th day of April 1896.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,.
For the Applicants.