In- PROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES OB RECEPTACLES FOR MATCHES OR OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR TURNING RODS OF WOOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH BOXES OR RECEPTACLES, OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Robert Western, of the Firm of Powis,
James, and Company, of Victoria Works, Belvedere Road, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey, Engineers, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES
OB RECEPTACLES FOR MATCHES OR OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN MACHINERY
FOR TURNING RODS OF WOOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH BOXES OR
RECEPTACLES, OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th May 1871, and dated the 8th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Robert Western
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th March 1871.
I, CHARLES ROBERT WESTERN, of the Firm of Powis, James, and
Company, of Victoria Works, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County
of Surrey, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES OR
RECEPTACLES FOR MATCHES OR OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR TURNING

page_text: Rons OF WOOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUCH BOXES OR RECEPTACLES, OR FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows :—
My improvements in the manufacture of boxes or receptacles for
matches or other articles relate to those which are made of wood, and
the exterior of which is covered with paper or other material for the
purpose of ornamenting the same.
Hitherto the paper or other covering material has been applied to the
boxes after they have been shaped, but this operation is necessarily
very slow.
Now my Invention consists in applying the paper or covering material
to the cylindrical or other sticks or solid wooden rods from which the
boxes are to be made and before the same are submitted to the action of
the machinery herein-after described or to other analogous machinery,
whereby a great saving of labor is effected, and all rough edges formed
in cutting the wood are avoided.
The improved machinery for manufacturing the boxes or receptacles
is made to operate upon cylindrical or other sticks or solid rods;
such sticks or rods may be previously covered with paper or other
material; or they may be varnished, stained, polished, or plain. The
sticks or rods are secured in a traveller, to which an intermittent forward
movement is imparted for the purpose of causing so much of the inner
ends of the sticks as is sufficient for the length of the boxes to be manu-
factured to pass beyond the line of a saw herein-after mentioned.
Opposite the inner ends of the sticks is a corresponding number of
rotating augers or borers for boring into the ends of the sticks. These
augers are carried in a frame to which a to-and-fro movement is im-
parted. At the side of the machine is a saw, which at the proper time
is caused to advance and cut off the bored ends of the sticks. The cut
off portions, which are finished boxes, may be allowed to fall into a
suitable receptacle.
It is preferred to make the machine double-acting, that is to say, to
operate upon sticks at each end' of the machine, and in this case the
auger frame carries two sets of augers arranged at opposite sides thereof.
The operation of this double-acting machine is as follows:-The sticks at
one end of the machine are caused to advance the necessary distance;
the auger frame then advances towards them, the corresponding augers

page_text: The
bore out the sticks to the required distance, the auger frame then retires,
and the saw moves across the machine and cuts off the boxes.
auger frame meanwhile has reached the opposite set of sticks, which
have been advanced the necessary distance; the corresponding augers
bore into these sticks and then retire, and the saw corresponding to this
end of the machine then cuts off the boxes, and so on.
When the machine is made to act upon two sets of sticks as just
explained I prefer that one set of sticks should be made into boxes while
the other set of sticks is made into lids or covers for these boxes. The
tools for boring the covers may be ordinary augers, and those for making
the boxes themselves may be augers combined with shouldering cutters
for turning the shoulders on the boxes. It will be found convenient to
make the position of these cutters adjustable in relation to the augers.
The boxes and the covers or lids made by this machine are cylindrical
internally, but the exterior may be cylindrical, hexagonal, or any other
form, according to the section of the sticks.
I do not confine myself to any particular arrangements of mechanism
for imparting intermittent movement to the sticks, to-and-fro movement
to the auger frame, rotating movement to the augers, or movement to
the saws; but I may state that to produce the short intermittent move-
ment required to produce the lids or covers to the boxes, I find it
convenient to employ on the lay shaft on which the traveller is mounted
a cam or projection somewhat resembling the blade of a screw propeller;
this projection takes at each revolution into a rack formed by preference
of a row of round steel pins, and thus advances the traveller and the
sticks a distance equal to the pitch of the cam. The height of the lids
made by the machine can be varied as required by employing cams of
different pitches:
Although I have described the machine as working horizontally, it
may be made to work vertically.
In some cases it may be found convenient to feed pieces of the sticks
of suitable length to holders in a revolving disc (or in revolving discs)
which submits them successively to the action of a borer or of a pair of
borers. These borers, when a pair is employed, act upon opposite ends of
the stick to shape the box and the lid respectively, or to shape two boxes
or two lids, and the stick is simultaneously or subsequently divided by
a saw.

page_text: If the sticks operated upon are not truly cylindrical but approximately
so the boxes may be made truly cylindrical by combining with the
augers cutters which act upon and turn the exterior of the wood while
the augers bore out the interior.
To make a cheaper class of box, I operate upon blocks or picecs of i
wood of the requisite thickness by means of an auger and of two
cylindrical saws, all of which are concentric. While the auger bores
out the wood to form the inside of the box the inner saw cuts the
shoulder and the outer saw cuts through the piece of wood so as to cut
out a cylindrical box therefrom. For making box lids no shoulder is 1
required, and the inner saw is therefore dispensed with. Either the
tools or the wood may be made to advance during the operation, and the
operation may be either horizontal or vertical.
In order to turn perfectly true cylinders or round rods of wood to be
afterwards made into boxes, as before described, or for other purposes,
I employ a lathe the tool rest of which carries two cutters or blades and
is free to be swivelled or moved so as to bring either of the said cutters
into operation; thus when the slide rest reaches one end of its travel
while one cutter has been acting on the bar of wood, the tool rest is
swivelled so as to bring the other cutter into operation while the slide
rest is proceeding to the opposite end of its travel; I thus avoid the
necessity of running the slide rest back idle in order to recommence the
oncration.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Robert Western in the Great Seal Palent 2
Office on the Stli September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ROBERT WESTERN, of the Firm of Powis, James, and Company, of
Victoria Works, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
a

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Charles Robert Western, Her special
Licence that I, the said Charles Robert Western, my exccutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Robert Western,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES OR RECEPTACLES FOR MATCHES
OR OTHER ARTICLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR TURNING RODS OF WOOD FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF SUCH BOXES OR RECEPTACLES, OR FOR OTHER PURPOses,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Robert Western,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Robert Western, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :-
My improvements in the "manufacture of boxes or receptacles for
matches or other articles relate to those which are made of wood, and
the exterior of which is covered with paper or other material for the
purpose of ornamenting the same.
Hitherto the paper or other covering material has been applied to the
boxes after they have been shaped, but this operation is necessarily
slow.
Now my Invention consists in applying the paper or covering material
to the cylindrical or other sticks or solid wooden rods from which the
boxes are to be made, and before the same are submitted to the action
of the machinery herein-after described or to other analogous machinery
whereby a great saving of labour is effected, and all rough edges formed
in cutting the wood are avoided.

page_text: The improved machinery for manufacturing the boxes or receptacles
is made to operate upon cylindrical or other sticks or solid rods, and
such sticks or rods may be previously covered with paper or other
material, or they may be varnished, stained, polished, or plain. The
sticks or rods are secured in a traveller to which an intermittent forward
movement is imparted for the purpose of causing so much of the inner
end of the sticks as is sufficient for the length of the boxes to be
manufactured to pass beyond the line of a saw herein-after mentioned.
Opposite the inner ends of the sticks is a corresponding number of
rotating augers or borers for boring into the ends of the sticks, these
angers are carried in a frame to which a to-and-fro movement is imparted.
At the side of the machine is a saw which at the proper time is caused
to advance and cut off the bored ends of the sticks. The ent off portions
which are finished boxes may be allowed to fall into a suitable
receptacle.
It is preferred to make the machine double acting, that is to say, to
operato upon sticks at each end of the machine, and in this case the
auger frame carries two sets of augers arranged at opposite sides thereof.
The operation of this double-acting machine is as follows:-The sticks
at one end of the machine are caused to advance the necessary distance,
the auger frame then advances towards them, the corresponding augers
bore into the sticks to the required distance, the auger frame then retires
and the saw moves across the machine and cuts off the boxes. The
auger frame meanwhile has reached the opposite set of sticks which
have been advanced the necessary distance, the corresponding augers
bore into these sticks and then retire, and the saw corresponding to this
end of the machine then cuts off the boxes and so on.
When the machine is made to act upon two sets of sticks as just
explained, I prefer that one set of sticks should be made into boxes
while the other set of sticks is made into lids or covers for these boxes.
The tools for boring the covers may be ordinary augers, and those for
making the boxes themselves may be augers combined with shouldering
cutters for turning the shoulders on the boxes, it will be found con-
venient to make the position of these cutters adjustablo in relation to
the augers. The boxes and the covers or lids made by this machine are
cylindrical internally, but the exterior may be cylindrical, hexagonal, or
any other form according to the section of the sticks.

page_text: I do not confine myself in my combination of machinery to any
particular arrangement of mechanism for imparting intermittent move-
ment to the sticks, to-and-fro movement to the auger frame, rotating
movement to the augers, or movement to the saws, but I may state that
to produce the short intermittent movement required to produce the lids
or covers to the boxes, I find it convenient to employ a cam or projection
somewhat resembling the blade of a screw propeller, this projection takes
at each revolution into a rack, formed by preference of a row of round
steel pins, and thus advances the traveller and the sticks a distance equal
to the pitch of the cam, the height of the lids made by the machine can
be varied as required by employing cams of different pitches.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings is a side ele-
vation, and Figure 2, Sheet 1, an end elevation of a box making
machine constructed according to my Invention. Figures 3 to 18,
Sheet 2, are views on a larger scale of various parts detached. The
machine here shewn is a double acting machine, that is to say, it operates
upon sticks or rods at each end of the machine; tho portion of the
machine scen at the right-hand end of Figure 1 is arranged to shapo
boxes, while the portion scen at the left-hand end of this Figure is
arranged to shape lids for these boxes.
A, A, are the sticks or rods to be shaped, they may be cylindrical,
hexagonal, or other desired shape, and they may be varnished, stained,
polished or plain, or they may be covered with paper or other material,
of any desired pattern, when the boxes are manufactured according to
my improved mode herein-before explained of covering the sticks before
the boxes are shaped instead of covering every box and lid separately
after the shaping.
The machine shewn in the Drawings is arranged to receive and operate
upon five of these sticks A, A, at each end of the machine. The sticks
are secured in a traveller F, (one at each end of the machine,) by means
of screw clips B, B, and wing nuts i, i, and their inner ends are supported
by being passed through sockets or apertures in carriages b, b. Opposito
the inner ends of the sticks A, A, is a corresponding number of rotating
augers or borers carried by a sliding frame or carriage O; f, f, are two
saws corresponding respectively with the two ends of the machine.
I now proceed to describe the mechanism or gearing by which the
requisite movements may be imparted to the parts of the machine above

page_text: referred to; J is the main shaft with fast and loose pulleys j, j, to
which motion is transmitted from any prime mover. On the shaft J is
a worm K which gears into a worm wheel L on a vertical shaft M. On
this shaft is a worm N which gears into a worm wheel O on a horizontal
shaft P. This shaft P carries propellers or impellers G, which it is
preferred should somewhat resemble the blades of a screw propeller.
These propellers G take into racks or teeth d, d, on the travellers F, and
at every revolution of the shaft P impart a forward movement to these
travellers, and consequently to the sticks A equal to the pitch of the
propeller blade. The travellers Fare secured in the necessary position 1
during the boring operation by means of pawls H carried by cross
shafts c. The shaft P also carries an endless cam I, which transmits
the requisite to-and-fro movement to the frame C which carries the
augers or borers. The shaft P further carries two mitre wheels Q, Q,
which gear into other wheels R, R, on the ends of shafts T, T, to tho 1
opposite ends of which aro keyed mitre wheels S, S, gearing into
wheels U, U. These last-named wheels are keyed to shafts V, V, which
carry cams W, W. In these cams work the studs of crank arms X, X,
which are keyed to shafts Y, Y, to which shafts are also keyed the
levers Z, Z. The upper ends of these levers are connected by rods 2
or links a, a, to carriages E, E, which carry the saws S. L. These
carriages E, E, are mounted on the carriages b, b, which as before
explained are provided with apertures or sockets to support the
sticks A, A. The saws f. f. receive rotary motion by straps from the
swinging carriage e, e, above. The shaft of this carriage e is provided 2
with fast and loose pulleys k, k. Rotary motion is imparted to the
spindles of the augers or borers by an endless band passing over the
pulley g on the main shaft.
The working of the machine will be readily understood:-Tho
sticks A having been passed through the clips B, B, and through the a
apertures in the carriagos b, b, and secured by the nuts i, i, motion is
imparted to the saws ff, by means of the gearing above and to the
main shaft P, by means of the pulleys j, j. All the gearing above
described being thus set in motion the following operations take place.
The traveller F at the right-hand end of the machine is caused to
advance with the sticks A, a distanco equal to the length of a box by
means of the propellor G, and is then held by the paul H which gears

page_text: into a ratchet m on the traveller. The frame C is then caused by the
cam I to move to the right with the cutter head, so that the cutters bore
into the sticks to the requisite depth for boxes, and at the same time
form the necessary shoulders. The cutter head and frame C are then
made to retire by the cam I, and to move towards the sticks at the
opposite end of the machine, which have in the meantime been caused
to advance with their traveller a distance equal to the length of a box
lid by the propeller G. While the frame C is retiring from the right-
hand end the rotating saw fat this end is caused by means of the
cam W, crank arm X, lever Z, and rod a to advance with its carriage E
across the machine, and to retire again after having cut through the
sticks A and separated the bored ends which are finished boxes. These
operations are repeated alternately at the two ends of the machine until
fresh sticks are required. The travellers F are then run back and
supplied with fresh sticks when the operations proceed as before.
To turn to the detached views shown in Sheet 2, Figure 3 is a plan of
the boring or cutter head.
Figure 4 shows one of the cams W, with crank arm X, and lever Z.
Figure 5 represents the cam I; Figure 6, the ratchet on the traveller F
and the paul which gears into the same.
Figure 7 shows the cutting and shouldering head for shaping the
boxes, the shouldering cutters being adjustable in relation to the augor
or borer.
Figures 8 and 9 represent the propellers G for advancing the
travellers F at the two ends of the machine respectively, the pitch of
the propeller shown in Figure 8 corresponding with the length or depth
of the boxes, while that of the propeller shown in Figure 9 corresponds
with the length or depth of the box lids.
Figure 10 shows the rack on the travellers Finto which the propellers G
) gear.
Figure 11 shows a pin rack which may be used instead of the rack
shown in Figure 10, more particularly for the "lid "end of the machine.
Figure 12 represents a boring bit, which may be used for shaping box
lids, or in combination with the hollow shouldering saw shown in
5 Figure 13 for shaping boxes.

page_text: Figure 1 shows an alternative arrangement to be used instead of the
levers Figure 4, and Figures 15 and 16 represent alternative cams to
be used instead of the cam W.
Figure 17 shows one of the screw clips B, and Figure 18 an alternative
mode of advancing the travellers F.
Although I have described the machine as working horizontally it
may be made to work vertically.
G
In some cases it may be found convenient to feed pieces of the sticks
of suitable lengths to holders in a disc, (or in discs,) which has an
intermittent rotary motion, and which submits them successively to the 1
action of a borer or borers, these borers act upon opposite ends of the
stick to shape the box and the lid respectively or to shape two boxes
or two lids, and the stick is simultaneously or subsequently divided by
a saw.
If the sticks operated upon are not truly cylindrical but approximately 1
so, the boxes may be made truly cylindrical by combining with the
augers cutters which act upon and turn the exterior of the wood while
the augers boro out the interior.
To make a cheaper class of box I operate upon blocks or pieces of
wood of the requisite thickness by means of an auger and of two 2
cylindrical saws, all of which are concentric. While the auger bores
out the wood to form the inside of the box, the inner saw cuts the
shoulder and the outer saw cuts through the piece of wood so as to cut
out a cylindrical box therefrom. For making box lids no shoulder is
required, and the inner saw is therefore dispensed with. Either the 2
tools or the wood may be made to advance during the operation, and the
operation may be either horizontal or vertical.
In order to turn perfectly true cylinders or round rods of wood, to be
afterwards made into boxes as before described or for other purposes,
I employ a lathe, the tool rest or tool holder of which carries two cutters 30
or blades, and is free to be swivelled or moved so as to bring either of
the said cutters into operation; thus when the slide rest reaches one end
of its travel while one cutler has been acting on the bar of wood, the
tool holder is swivelled so as to bring the other cutter into operation
while the slide rest is proceeding to the opposite end of its travel, I 35
thus avoid the necessity of running the slide rest back idle in order to
recommence the operation.
".

page_text: This part of my Invention is represented in elevation in Fig. 19,
Sheet 3, and in plan in Fig. 20. a is the slide rest and 6 the tool holder
or tool rest which carries two cutters c, c. The tool holder is free to
swivel or turn on a centre, so as to bring either of the cutters into
operation, this movement is effected by means of a handle'd, which then
takes into one or other of the notches e, e, in the slide rest and acts as
a spring stop holding the tool holder in the required position.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Robert Western, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day. of September One
thousand cight hundred and seventy-one.