IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY FOR FILLING MATCH BOXES, FUSEE BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES-WITH MEASURED QUANTITIES OF GOODS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson
and Co., Patent Agents, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY
FOR FILLING MATCH BOXES, FUSEE BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES-WITH
MEASURED QUANTITIES OF GOODS." A communication from abroad by
Monsieur Ottmar Walch, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1879.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., Patent
Agent 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY FOR FILLING MATCH BOXES, FUSEE BOXES, AND
OTHER LIKE ARTICLES WITH MEASURED QUANTITIES OF GOODS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Monsieur Ottmar Walch, of Paris, in the Republie of France.
.
My Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism having for its object the
placing in boxes the desired quantity of matches or analogous articles. This
machine can put the matches into all kinds of boxes, whether rectangular with
lids, drawer boxes, or cylindrical ones. The machine consists of three principal
parts, 1st, a reservoir containing the matches; 2nd, a measuring apparatus
designed to regulate the quantity of matches to put into each box; 3rd, a presser or
prismoid (prismatique) mounted upon a carriage and pressing the measured-out
inatches into the box.
As will be seen further on the reservoir or magazine of matches is disposed in
such manner as to give the matches a quivering movement designed to cause them
to settle down and range parallel with each other. This movement is continuous
and is produced by a steam engine or other motor. The alternative movement
of the carriage and the presser which takes place each time that one fills a box is

page_text: produced by the pressure of the foot upon pedals conveniently arranged. In order
the better to explain the Invention the accompanying Drawings of a machine are
added showing one mode of carrying out my Invention.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a plan of same; Fig. 3, a
longitudinal section of same at the moment when the movable bottom of the
measurer and the presser are in front; Fig. 4 shows the same section when the
carriage and the presser are upon the point of bringing back to the rear the movable
bottom of the measurer.
Fig. 5 represents the same section at the moment when the presser and the
movable bottom are drawn back to the rear so as to allow matches to fall into
the discharge conduit. In these different Figures the same letters of reference
designate the same parts.
The machine consists,―
1st. Of a magazine or reservoir containing the matches. This magazine a is
arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the machine; its bottom is movable and
composed of two pieces b, b, receiving a reciprocating movement slow and
continuous by means of an eccentric c keyed upon a shaft d, and of a connecting
rode, represented in dots in Fig. 1.
The matches are pressed laterally in the magazine by two movable partitions f
drawn towards each other by counterweights g attached to the cords / passing
over the pulleys i. A bar j sliding in the partitions f presses vertically downwards
upon the matches. 2nd. The measuring apparatus comprises a movable bottom ko,
which is one of the important parts of the machine. This movable bottom is
capable of receiving two movements, 1st, an oscillating movement transverse in
direction to the lic of the matches serving to settle them down into the measurer;
2nd, a reciprocating movement in a direction parallel with the matches permitting
them to fall into the conduit or as to be brought into the box by the presser. To
this effect the movable botton presents a button which engages into the fork m
carried by a transverse bar n, which receives an oscillating movement analogous to
that communicated to the matches by means of a cam o mounted upon the shaft d,
a spring ? presses upon the extremity of the piece n to always bring it in contact
with the cam o. The prolongation of the movable bottom is furnished besides
with a guiding slide q and a double abutment r. Under the movable bottom
moves a presser & carried by a sliding carriage t which is put in movement by
means of lever u carried by the oscillating piece v turning on the axis w by means
of chains x, x, which connect it to the actuating pedals. Below the inovable
bottom are placed two thin metallic blades sliding upon the top of the two walls
which make part of the measurer. They can approach themselves or go apart one
from the other by means of bell cranks worked by the finger 1 pressed by a
projection or lug 2 on the oscillating piece v. These blades, when they are brought
together, as in Fig. 2, sustain the matches placed in the magazine a in such manner
that when the movable bottom retires to the rear, there only falls into the
conduit 3 the matches originally contained in the measurer. A spring 4 attached
to the piece and actuating the lever 5 serves to bring the movable bottom back
to the front, manoeuvred as I shall explain hereafter. The working of the machine
is as follows:-
The shaft & receives a movement of continuous rotation by means of pulleys 6
This
and 7, the one fixed and the other looso receiving a transmission belt.
rotation of the shaft d gives to the matches a continuous vibratory movement, also
a similar movement to the piece n, and consequently to the movable botton when
the button 7 rests in the fork m. To fill a box one presses upon the pedal of the
machine bound to the chain x, Fig. 3, the projection 2 of the piece v liberates the
finger 1, the blades y approach each other, the presser draws back, as shown in
Fig. 4, and the movable bottom k continues its movement of vibration; the piece
v continues to turn. The projections S of the carriage of the presser encounter the
abutting piece r of the movable bottom (Fig. 4) the button Z quits the fork m in
such manner that the movable bottom ceasing to receive its oscillating movement

page_text: is drawn to the rear by the carriage (Fig. 5). The measured quantity of matches
fall then into the conduit 3, whilst those that remain in the magazine are sustained
by the blades y. When both the carriage t, the presser, and the movable bottom have
arrived at the end of their travel, the pedal which commands the chain x is pressed,
the piece v returns thus upon itself. In this movement the lever u brings back
the carriage t with the presser 8 in front; the movable bottom is also brought back
by the lever 5 and the spring 4. It comes the first into its first position, and its
button / comes to the bottom of the fork m giving it afresh its oscillating movement.
The presser & continuing to advance pushes the matches which have then fallen in
the conduit 3 into the box that is placed at the extremity of this conduit, Fig. 3,
and we find the projection 2 of the piece v arriving at the finger 1 separates the
blades y in such manner that a further quantity of matches falls upon movable
bottom k and range themselves in order there through the vibratory movement of
said bottom so as to be by the following stroke, and by the manoeuvre already
described, pushed into a new box.
Having now described the Invention I would remark that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein described, and I reserve to myself the right to vary
the forms and dimensions of my machine, and also vary the materials employed in
its construction. Thus I could employ other arrangements of levers to replace the
pedals, also employ other mechanism for impelling the matches for giving the
continual vibratory movement used for arranging the matches parallel with each
other, and in effecting the exact measure, the mechanisin acting so as to make
them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th May 1880.
"
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co.,
Patent Agents, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323,
High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPERTAINING TO MACHINERY FOR FILLING MATCH BOXES, FUSEE BOXES,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES WITH MEASURED QUANTITIES OF Goods."
A com-
munication from abroad by Monsieur Ottmar Walch, of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
This Invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism having for its object
the placing in boxes the desired quantity of matches or analogous articles. This
machine can put the matches into all kinds of boxes, whether rectangular with lids,
drawer boxes, or cylindrical ones.
The machine consists of three principal parts, 1st, a reservoir containing the
matches; 2nd, a measuring apparatus designed to regulate the quantity of matches
put into each box; 3rd, a presser or prismoid (prismatique) mounted upon a
carriage and pressing the measured out matches into the box."
As will be seen further on, the reservoir or magazine of matches is disposed in
such manner as to give the matches a quivering movement designed to cause
them to settle down and range parallel with each other.
This movement is
continuous, and is produced by a steam engine or other motor. The reciprocating
movement of the carriage and the presser which takes place each time that one fills
a box is produced by the pressure of the foot upon pedals conveniently arranged.
In order the better to explain the Invention, the accompanying Drawings of a
machine are added showing one mode of carrying out this Invention. Fig. 1 is a
front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a plan of same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section
of same at the moment when the movable bottom of the measurer and the presser
are in front; Fig. 4 shows the same section when the carriage and the presser are
upon the point of bringing back to the rear the movable bottom of the measurer;
Fig. 5 represents the same section at the moment when the presser and the
movable bottom are drawn back to the rear so as to allow matches to fall into
the discharge conduit. In the different Figures the same letters of reference
designate the same parts.
The machine consists, first, of a magazine or reservoir containing the matches.
This magazine a is arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the machine, its bottom
is movable and composed of two pieces b, b¹, receiving a reciprocating movement,
slow and continuous, by means of an eccentric c keyed upon a shaft d and a connecting
rod e, represented in dots in Fig. 1. The matches are pressed laterally in the
magazine by two movable partitions f drawn towards each other by counter-
weights attached to the cords h passing over the pulleys &. A bar j sliding in
the partitions presses vertically downwards upon the matches.
Second. The measuring apparatus comprises a movable bottom k which is one of the
important parts of the machine. This movable bottom is capable of receiving two
movements, 1st, an oscillating movement transverse in direction to the lie of the
matches serving to settle them down into the measurer; 2nd, a reciprocating move-
ment in a direction parallel with the matches permitting them to fall into the conduit
so as to be brought into the box by the presser. To this effect the movable bottom
presents a button which engages into the fork m carried by a transverse bar n which
receives an oscillating movement analogous to that communicated to the matches
by means of a cam o mounted upon the shaft d, a spring p presses upon the
The pro-
extremity of the piece n to always bring it in contact with the cam o.
longation of the movable bottom is furnished besides with a guiding slide 9 and a

page_text: double abutment r. Under the movable bottom moves a presser 8 carried by a
aliding carriage t which is put in movement by means of the lever u carried by the
oscillating piece turning on the axis w by means of chains x, x², which connect
it to the actuating pedals. Above the movable bottom are placed two thin metallic
blades y sliding upon the top of the two walls which make part of the measurer.
They can approach themselves or go apart one from the other by means of bell
crank levers worked by the finger pressed by a projection or lug 2 on the
oscillating pieco v. These blades, when they are brought together as in Fig. 2,
Bustain the matches placed in the magazine a in such manner that when tho
movable bottom k retires to the rear there only falls into the conduit 3 the matches
originally contained in the measurer. A spring 4 attached to the piece v and
actuating the lever 5 serves to bring the movable bottom back to the front,
manoeuvred as I shall explain hereafter.
The working of the machine is as follows:-The shaft & receives a movement of
continuous rotation by means of pulleys 6 and 7, the one fixed and the other looso
receiving a transmission belt. This rotation of the shaft & gives to the matches a
continuous vibratory movement, also a similar movement to the piece n and con-
sequently to the movable bottom & whon the button rests in the fork m. To fill
a box one presses upon the pedal of the machine bound to the chain x¹ (Fig. 3),
the projection 2 of the piece v liberates the finger 1, the blades y approach each
other, the presser draws back as shown in Fig. 4, and the movable bottom k
continues its movement of vibration. The piece v continues to turn the projections
8 of the carriage of the presser encounter the abutting piece of the movable
bottom (Fig. 4), the button quits the fork m in such manner that the movable
bottom crasing to receivo its oscillating movement is drawn to the rear by the
carriage (Fig. 5). The measured quantity of matches fall then into the conduit 3,
whilst those that remain in the magazine are sustained by the blades y. When
both the carriage t, the presser, and the movable bottom have arrived at the end
of their travel, the pedal which commands the chain x is pressed, the piece v returns
thus upon itself. In this movement the lever u brings back the carriage t with
the presser a in front; the movable bottom is also brought back by the lever 5 and
the spring 4, it comes the first into its first position, and its button comes to the
The presser 8
bottom of the fork m giving it afresh its oscillating movement.
continuing to advance pushes the matches which have then fallen into the conduit
3 into the box that is placed at the extremity of this conduit (Fig. 3), and in fine
the projection 2 of the piece varriving at the finger 1 separates the blades y in
such manner that a further quantity of matches falls upon movable bottom and
range themselves in order there through the vibratory movement of said bottom
so as to be by the following stroke and by the manoeuvre already described pushed
into a new box.
Having now described the Invention exactly as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I would remark that I do not limit myself to the precise
details herein described, and 1 reserve to myself the right to vary the forms and
dimensions of any machine, and also vary the materials employed in its construction.
Thus I could employ other arrangements of levers to replace the pedals, also
employ other mechanism for impelling the matches, for giving the continual
vibratory movement used for arranging the matches parallel with each other, and in
effecting the exact measurement; the mechanism afterwards acting so as to make
them fall into a conduit by means of a movable bottom which moves back in the
direction of the length of the inatches which are then pushed by a suitable pieco of
apparatus into the boxes to be filled.
What I believe to be new and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. In a machine for putting matches and other articles into boxes, a reservoir
or magazine (a) the bottom of which is composed of two pieces (b, b¹,) having a
reciprocating or oscillating motion by means of a connecting-rod (e) and an eccentric
(c) on the shaft (d), the said reservoir receiving the matches kept in position by a

page_text: bar () and partitions (f) worked by counterweights (9), substantially as and for
the purposes described.
Second. In a machine for putting matches and other articles into boxes, a
measuring apparatus composed of a inovable bottom (k) receiving a transverse and
a longitudinal reciprocating motion, the former obtained by a button (l) and a fork
(m) carried by a bar (n) actuated by a cam (o) on the shaft (d), the latter motion
being transmitted at suitable intervals by means of projections (8) carried by the
carriage (t) of the presser (8), substantially as and for the purposes described.
Third. In the measuring apparatus of a machine for putting matches and other
articles into boxes, the combination with a movable bottom (k) receiving both a
transverse and longitudinal motion of two thin movable blades (3) arranged above
the bottom (k) and capable of being brought nearer or further apart by means of
bell crank levers (2), a finger (1), and a lug (2) carried by an oscillating piece (v),
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fourth. In a machine for putting matches and other articles into boxes, a presser
(s) mounted upon a carriage (t) receiving an oscillating or reciprocating motion by
means of a connecting-rod (u) and an oscillating piece (v) put in motion by chains
(x, x',) attached to pedals conveniently arranged, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
Fifth. In a machine for putting matches and other articles into boxes, the com-
bination with the measuring apparatus above described of a recall spring (4) and
lever (5) for producing the return motion, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Sixth. The general arrangement of the machine above described for putting
matches and other articles into boxes in measured quantities.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WM. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)