IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING AND JOINTING METALLIC OR OTHER SHEETS SO AS TO FORM THE BODIES OF BOXES, CANS, OR OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jabez James, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford
Strect, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING AND JOINTING METALLIC OR
OTHER SHEETS SO AS TO FORM THE BODIES OF BOXES, CANS, OR OTHER
VESSELS."
Sealed the 28th April 1874, and dated the 12th March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jabez James at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1874.
.
I, JABEZ JAMES, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford Street, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING AND JOINTING,
METALLIC OR OTHER SHEETS SO AS TO FORM THE BODIES OF BOXES, CANS, OR OTHER.
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
On the 29th October, 1869, I obtained.Letters Patent, No. 3134, for
an Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Bending and Jointing
Metallic or other Sheets so as to Form Boxes, Cans, or other Vessels."

page_text: In the Specification of the said Patent I described two forms of apparatus
for that purpose.
My present Invention relates to modifications of and additions to
apparatus of the kind first described in that Specification, the chief
object of such modifications and additions being to effect the bending,
turning, or wiring of the edge of the box or vessel so as to strengthen
or stiffen its lip, and to form the joint or seam at one of the angles of a
rectangular or polygonal box or vessel instead of at or about the middle
of one of its sides, as formerly described. For this purpose between the
feeding part of the apparatus and the final bending, closing, and scaming
part I introduce an edge bending or turning and wiring apparatus, and
an apparatus for partial side bending, which additions I will describe in
connection with the necessary modifications of the rest of the apparatus,
assuming, as an example of its working, that the material operated on
is tin plate, which is to be lipped or wired at one edge, bent so as to
form the body of a rectangular box, and hook jointed or seamed along
one of the angles of the box.
The successive sheets supplied to the feed table of the machine are
advanced along its successive portions by means of reciprocating sliding
bars in a manner similar to that previously described, the catches and
stops on those bars being somewhat modified in form, number, and
position to suit the altered functions of the mechanism. On the back
edge of each sheet, if it is to be wired, V shaped notches are cut before
it is fed to the machine at the points where the sheet has to be bent to
form the angles of the box. The sheet is advanced by the feed bars till
this back edge comes under a rounded lip, in which position the sheet
rests for a time. A vertical slide or knife having a rounded hollow on
its upper surface is then made to rise and bend upwards the back edge
of the sheet round the lower portion of the lip above it. Another knife
mounted on a rocking shaft is then brought to bear horizontally against
the edge of the sheet and to bend it farther round the lip, thereby
making a complete hook at the back edge of the sheet, within which
hook the lip round which it was bent remains engaged. The bending
Knives now retreat and the sheet is moved a little backwards so as to
disengage its hook from the lip, and a little downwards so that the hook
can pass clear under the lip. The sheet is then farther advanced, and
at the same time if it has to be wired a length of wire equal to the;
circumference of the box is dropped upon the sheet from a hopper above
t

page_text: it, which is charged with such wires and provided with reciprocating
mouth pieces so that one wire at a time is allowed to pass on to the sheet
advancing below it. The wire thus applied is caught by the hook at
the back edge of the sheet and engaged therein, and the sheet then
advances to another point of rest where the hooked edge of the sheet is
subjected to the action of reciprocating pressers, so that it is closed quite
round the wire, forming a tube with a wire core. The pressers which
effect this are arranged to force the rounded edge up to a definite position
so that the length of the sheet is accurately adjusted to the required
depth of the box of which it is to form the body.
}
☐ In sonic cases wiring is dispensed with, the hook bending or the more
complete turning and rounding of the edge giving the required strengtli
and stiffness to the lip of the box. After this wiring or lipping the
sheet is carried on to another point of rest, where a reciprocating jaw is
made to rise at one side and bend the sheet to a right angle, or nearly so;
the portion of the sheet so bent up being intended to form one side or
end of the box, while the larger portion of the sheet remaining unbent
is.intended to form the other three sides. While this partial bending is
being effected the two side edges of the sheet are bent by reciprocating
jaws so as to form the hooks which are to engage with each other, and
to constitute the jointing or seam of the box in a manner similar to that
described in my former Specification, the form of one of these hooked
edges being somewhat modified to suit the altered position of the scam.
The sheet with its back. edge lipped or wired, its side edges hook bent,
and a portion of its width bent up, is now farther advanced, and a
mandril having the form and dimensions of the interior of the box is
advanced in the opposite direction over it. The sheet. and mandril
having come to rest the latter is made to bear firmly down on the sheet,
and is held down by a reciprocating catch, whereupon two reciprocating
jaws are made to rise under the sheet, one on each side of the mandril,
and these jaws as they close in bend the shect round the mandril, the
part of the sheet previously bent being thus brought down on the upper
side of the mandril so that its hooked edge meets and engages with the
hooked edge of the opposite side of the sheet at one of the upper angles.
of the mandril. Reciprocating pressers are then made to bear forcibly.
down on these engaged looks and to close tightly their joint or scam.
This being effected the jaws are folded back, and the pressers and
mandril retreat, leaving the box body lying loose and free, whereupon a

page_text: lever strikes one side of it and throws it off the machine, leaving the
place which it occupied clear for the closing of a succeeding sheet.
In this modified apparatus, as in that previously described, the
successive operations are carried on simultaneously on successive sheets
supplied continuously on the feed table, the moving parts of the machine
being worked by cams, eccentrics, and cranks driven by one prime
moving shaft, so that at every revolution of the shaft a fresh sheet is
taken in to be operated on, and a closed box body is thrown off, several
sheets being meanwhile subjected successively to the intervening stages
of the operation between the feed and the throw off.
At the successive points of rest, when the various operations described
are effected, the sheet is guided to and held in its place by fingers or
pressers of suitable form, and between these points of rest it is moved
by suitable stops or catches on the reciprocating feed bars, these fingers
and pressers and stops or catches being worked by cam motions from the
prime mover, properly timed to the other moving parts of the machine..
Although I have described the action of the apparatus for producing
a box body of rectangular form from a sheet of tin plate, it is to be
understood that sheets of other metal or material could be operated on
by it in like manner; also that by varying the forms and movements of
the working parts bodies of forms other than rectangular could be pro-
duced by their action.
Box bodies produced as above described may be fitted with bottoms
and lids in any known manner, either by hook or solder jointing, as is
wall understood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jabez James in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 9th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JABEZ
JAMES, of No. 40, Princes Street, Stamford Street, in the County of 3
Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-seventh.
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Jabez James, Her special license that I, the
said Jabez James, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Jabez James, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING AND
JOINTING METALLIC OR OTHER SHEETS SO AS TO FORM THE BODIES OF BOXES, CANS,
OR OTHER VESSELS," upon the. condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Jabez James, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jabez James, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 accompanying.
Sheets of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
On the 29th October, 1869, I obtained Letters Patent, No. 3134, for
an Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Bending and Jointing
Metallic or other Sheets so as to Form Boxes, Cans, or other Vessels.".
In the Specification of the said Patent I described two forms of
apparatus for that purpose.
My present Invention relates to modifications of and additions to
apparatus of the kind first described in that Specification, the chief
object of such modifications and additions being to effect the bending,
turning, or wiring of the edge of the box or vessel so as to strengthen or
3 stiffen its lip, and to form the joint or seam at one of the angles of a
rectangular or polygonal box or vessel instead of at or about the middle.
of one of its sides, as formerly described. For this purpose between the
feeding part of the apparatus and the final bending, closing, and seaming

page_text: part I introduce an edge bending or turning and wiring apparatus, and
an apparatus for partial side bending, which additions I will describe. in
connection with the necessary modifications of the rest of the apparatus,
assuming as an example of its working that the material operated on is
tin plate, which is to be lipped or wired at one edge, bent so as to form
the body of a rectangular box and hook jointed or seamed along one of.
the angles of the box.
:
The successive sheets supplied to the feed table of the machine are
advanced along its successive portions by means of reciprocating sliding.
bars in a manner similar to that previously described, the catches and'.
stops on those bars being somewhat modified in form, number, and.
position to suit the altered functions of the mechanism. On the back.
edge of each sheet, if it is to be wired V shaped notches are cut before it.
is fed to the machine at the points where the sheet has to be bent to
form the angles of the box. The sheet is advanced by the feed bars till.
this back edge comes under a rounded lip, in which position the sheet.
rests for a time; a vertical slide or knife having a rounded hollow on its
upper surface is then made to rise and bend upwards the back edge of
the sheet round the lower portion of the lip above it. Another knife
mounted on a rocking shaft is then brought to bear horizontally against
the edge of the sheet and to bend it farther round the lip, thereby
making a complete hook at the back edge of the sheet, within which
hook the lip round which it was bent remains engaged. The bending
knives now retreat and the sheet is moved a little backwards so as to
disengage its hook from the lip, and a little downwards so that the hook
can pass clear under the lip. The sheet is then farther advanced and at
the same time if it has to be wired a length of wire equal to the circum-
ference of the box is dropped upon the sheet from a hopper above it,
which is charged with such wires, and provided with reciprocating -
_mouth-pieces, so that one wire at a time is allowed to pass on to the
sheet advancing, below it. The wire thus supplied is caught by the
hook at the back edge of the sheet and engaged therein, and the sheet
then advances to another point of rest where the hooked edge of the
sheet is subjected to the action of reciprocating pressers, so that it is:
closed quite round the wire forming a tube with a wire core. The
pressers which effect this are arranged to force the rounded edge up to a.
definite position, so that the length of the sheet is accurately adjusted
to the required depth of the box of which it is to form the body.
-
..

page_text: In some cases wiring is dispensed with, the hook bending or the more
complete turning and rounding of the edge giving the required strength
and stiffness to the lip of the box. After this wiring or lipping the
sheet is carried on to another point of rest where a reciprocating jaw is
made to rise at one side and bend the sheet to a right angle, or nearly
so, the portion of the sheet so bent up being intended to form one side
or end of the box, while the larger portion of the sheet remaining
unbent is intended to form the other three sides. While this partial
bending is being effected the two side edges of the sheet are bent by
reciprocating jaws so as to form the hooks which are to engage with each
other and to constitute the jointing or seam of the box, in a manner
similar to that described in my former Specification, the form of one of
these hooked edges being somewhat modified to suit the altered position
of the scam. The sheet with its back edge lipped or wired, its side
edges hook bent, and a portion of its width bent up is now farther,
advanced, and a mandril having the form and dimensions of the interior
of the box is advanced in the opposite direction over it. The sheet and
mandril having come to rest the latter is made to bear firmly down on
the sheet, and is held down by a reciprocating catch, whereupon two
reciprocating jaws are made to rise under the sheet, one on each side of
the mandril, and these jaws as they close in bend the sheet round the
mandril, the part of the sheet previously bent being thus brought down
on the upper side of the mandril, so that its hooked edge meets and
engages with the hooked edge of the opposite side of the sheet at one of
the upper angles of the mandril. Reciprocating pressers are then made
to bear forcibly down on these engaged hooks and to close tightly their
joint or seam. This being effected the jaws are folded back and the
pressers and mandril retreat, leaving the box body lying loose and free,
whereupon a lever strikes one side of it and throws it off the machine,
leaving the place which it occupied clear for the closing of a succeeding
sheet.
In this modified apparatus, as in that previously described,. the
successive operations are carried on simultaneously on successive sheets
supplied continuously on the feed table, the moving parts of the machine
being worked by cams, eccentrics, and cranks driven by one prime
moving shaft, so that at every revolution of the shaft a fresh sheet is
taken in to be operated on, and a closed box body is thrown off, several
sheets being meanwhile subjected successively to the intervening stages,
of the operation between the feed and the throw-off.
i

page_text: At the successive points of rest, when the various operations described
are effected, the sheet is guided to and held in its place by fingers or
pressers of suitable form, and between these points of rest it is moved
by suitable stops or catches on the reciprocating feed bars, these fingers
and pressers and stops or catches being worked by cam motions from the
prime mover properly timed to the other moving parts of the machine.
Although I have described the action of the apparatus for producing
a box body of rectangular form from a sheet of tin plate, it is to be
understood that sheets of other metal or material could be operated on
by it in like manner; also that by varying the forms and movements of
the working parts bodies of forms other than rectangular could be
produced by their action.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 on Sheets I., II., and III, represent when joined
together at their respective terminal lines a longitudinal section of
apparatus constructed according to this Invention.
Fig. 4, Sheet IV., represents a part transverse section on the line Z', Z', 2
of Fig. 2, shewing the bending jaws down. Fig. 5, Sheet V., represents
a transverse section on the same line Z, Z¹, of Fig. 2; shewing the
bending jaws up.
Fig. 6, Sheet VI., represents a transverse section on the linc Z³, Z³, of
Fig. 2; and Fig. 7, Sheet VII., represents a transverse section on the 2
line Z, Z³, of Fig. 3. The other Figures represent various parts in
detail, which will hereafter be referred to.
A is the main shaft of the machine caused to revolve by any con-
venient power in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5. It terminates in a
crank A* connected by a drag link to a pin A³, which enters a hole in a 30
disc B' fixed on a second shaft B, which is thus caused to revolve in the.
same direction. C is a cross shaft driven by mitre gearing from the
shaft B so. as to revolve with. the same velocity in the direction of
On the shaft A are fixed three cams A², A², A², the
the arrow, Fig. 3.
+

page_text: last As having a cam path both on its face and on its edge. Fig. 8,
Sheet IV., is a view of the cam path of A¹, and Figs. 9 and 10, Sheet IV.,
are developed views to half the scale of the other Figures of the cam
paths on the edges of A² and A³ respectively, the dotted lines in those.
Figures indicating a point in the circumference of each corresponding.
with the centre of the crank pin A'. On the shaft B is fixed the driving.
disc B¹ having a cam path on its periphery, and also a cam path in its
face. There is also on the same shaft a crank B and a cam B³, the
developed path of which is shewn to half scale at Fig. 11; Sheet IV. On.
the cross shaft C is a cam C' and a crank pin C³.
-
The cams and cranks above mentioned work levers, rods, and slides in
the following manner: -A¹ has an exterior and an interior cam path, on
which bear rollers mounted on a slide a' connected by a rod a to a.
lever a³, on the end of which is a hammer a' for closing the scam. This
hammer being attached to the lever a³ by a joint, as shewn by the
transverse section, Fig. 12, Sheet IV., so that it may take a fair bearing.
on the seam of the box. A² works by a roller in its cam path a slide a³,
to which is jointed the sliding mandril a³. The under side of this
mandril is somewhat sloped, so that as it passes in its forward stroke over
the guide a (Fig. 2) it is kept above the sheet lying on the table D, but
after the sloped part has passed a the mandril drops down upon the said
sheet. The front end of the mandril has the shape of the interior of the
box, and is faced with steel at its angles, as shewn in Fig. 5, the upper
right-hand corner piece being made with a groove to accommodate the.
seam of the box. When the mandril is forward ready for the sheet to
be bent round it it is held down by a T headed bolt b, as shewn in Fig. 6.
The cam A³ by a roller in its path works a slide a³, which is connected
by a spring rod to an arm on a rocking shaft a³, on which are fixed
three pairs of arms a³, a¹¹, a¹³. The two inner pairs a¹ and all serve to:
hold the sheet down on the table D under the mandril a; the outer
pair a descend past the edges of the sheet so as to keep it from shifting
laterally while the mandril slides forward over it, as will be seen on
reference to Fig. 4, where S is the sheet partly bent and ready for the.
final bending round the mandril to the form shewn at Fig. 13, Sheet IV.,
the hooks of the seam as shown in that Figure being engaged and bent
over but not yet closed down by the hammer a'. The extension E of
the slide as is connected by an adjustable rod E¹ to a lever E², which
works a sliding bar E³, on which is fixed a cross bar E. To this cross
".

page_text: bar are fixed the four feed bars e, e¹, e², e³, which are respectively shown
in side view at Figs. 14, 16, 17, and 15 of Sheet III., Fig. 18 on the
same sheet representing a transverse section through the cam guide of
e³, the like guide of e¹ being similar in construction. These four bars
are provided with stops and moveable catches, as shown in their
respective side views, one of the catches on e¹ and on es being guided by
a pin on the tail of its lever, moving in a sloped guide which is fixed to
the framing of the machine. The crank A* and the pin A³ connected
to it by a drag link work by rods F, F, the jaws for bending the sheet
round the mandril in the manner described in my former Specification
referred to above. The jaws. however are constructed differently from
those previously described. Each consists of an outer part f, to which
the connecting rod is jointed, and of an inner part f¹ mounted on the
same pivot as the outer part, and pressed therefrom by three strong
springs, the range through which they are pressed thereby being
limited by bolts f³ passing through two of the springs in cach case, as
shewn in Fig. 5. The left-hand jaw, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, has
moreover in its middle a narrow inner jaw f hinged to it with a lip, on
which rests the end of a spring fs, the said lip being made with two
notches to receive the end of the spring. From the position of the
pins A and As it results that the left-hand jaw approaches the mandril
a little before the right-hand jaw, so that the one edge of the bent sheet.
is pushed over the top of the mandril to its place a little before the
hooked edge on the other side of the slicet is brought over it by the
right-hand jaw. The effect of the springs f is to make the inner jaws-
close the sheet round the mandril a little before the outer jaws attain
the extreme of their stroke towards the mandril, and to retain the
pressure on the closed sheet while the outer jaws are beginning to move
away from the mandril. On the right-hand jaw is mounted a sliding.
knife fo, which as the jaw closes in has the effect. of bending over the
scam, as shewn in Fig. 13, before the hammer a comes down to close it,
it being understood that before this bending of the seam the rocking
knife has descended and bent the hook at the right-hand edge of the
sheet over the hooked left-hand edge. The rocking knife f" is worked
by rods F³ from a rocking frame F, which is worked by an adjustable.
rod F from an arm Fº on a rocking shaft F7; this rocking shaft having
another arm with a roller F working in the cam path on the face-of-
the cam A³. This cam path is formed in such manner that the rocking.
knife worked by it after bending over the hooked edge of the sheet
.

page_text: moves quite away to leave the bending knifef and afterwards tho
closing hammer a free to act upon the seam..
The object of hinging the inner jaw f to the. left-hand jaw f¹ is to
provide a lip to that jaw which shall extend a little over the angle of the.
mandril, and yet be such that on the retreat of the jaw from the mandril ;
this lip shall be sufficiently withdrawn to avoid catching the finished boxes
as they are knocked off. For this purpose when the left-hand jaw closes
against the mandril the spring f³ enters the foremost notch on f*, so
that when the jaw retreats f* is brought away with it until the box has
been knocked off, whereupon the jaw in its continued descent brings
the top edge off against a tappet "f" fixed on the framing, thereby
setting forward to the position relatively to the rest of the jaw as
shewn in Fig. 5, the spring f' being then in its back notch. On the
reciprocating knife are springs f the points of which come down upon
the sheet on the upper side of the mandril a little before the hook at tho
other edge of the sheet is brought over it, the effect of these springs
being to hold the one hooked edge fairly down, while the other hooked
cdge is brought over it.
. By à roller in tlie cam path of the cam B a vertical slide or stirrup G
is moved up and down. On this slide is mounted with a spring the.
T headed bolt 6 which serves to hold the mandril down during the
bending of the sheet. There is also attached to the slide G a cross-
head G from which two bars G extend upwards. These bars, as well
as the bar descend below the level of the table D' as the sheet advances
along it, but when the sheet has been brought on to D under the
mandril these bars rise above the table behind the edge of the sheet so
as to keep it in true position during the advance of the mandril over it.
The outer cam periphery of B₁ by means of a roller works a spring
lever G³, which is connected by an adjustable rod G₁ to an arm on a
rocking shaft G. From this rocking shaft extends a bent arm G.
carrying a pin G'. The cam B' throughout the greater part of its.
circumference is nearly circular with a sudden hollow at one part.,
When this hollow reaches the roller on the lever G³ the spring of that
lever causes the roller to descend rapidly into the hollow, whereby the
pin G' is caused to make a rapid stroke across the part occupied by the
mandril and jaws (which had previously retreated), so as to throw off
the box from that position and leave the space clear for a fresh box to
be formed. The crank B by means of two connecting rods works two.
:

page_text: levers H and H¹. The lever H by a connecting rod h¹ works a jaw h³,
which at its lower part near its joint bends the sheet up on the one side,
and which at its upper part is provided with a nose which gives the
hooked form to the edge of the sheet so bent up. The bolster part h³
is mounted so that it can slide a little, being kept forward as shewn
in Fig. 6, by springs in a spring box 7', while a guide piece
remains stationary. When the nose of h² comes to bear against the
sheet and squeezes its top edge against h³, the retreat of h³ causes that
edge to be bent to the hook form shewn at he in Fig. 19, which represents
a section of the sheet as bent at this part of the process. The lever H¹
by means of a connecting rod h³ works a bell crank 78 on which is a
cam h, and which is connected by arms and connecting rods to two
other cams 10 and h. The lever H¹ also works a vertical slide 1.
The sheet having been lodged on the table D¹ the oblique slides ¹³ and 14
are brought down on it by the action of cams h° and 10, the-jaw h³ bends
up and forms the hook at the one side of the sheet as already described,
and the slide h¹ bends up the hook at the other edge of the sheet, tho
sheet being thus bent to the form shewn in Fig. 19. The slides ¹³,
¹³, and h¹, and the jaw h³ then retreat, and a horizontal slide 1 is also
moved inwards by means of the cam 7", so that the bent sheet is left
free on the table D¹ to be advanced towards the mandril..
The crank C² by means of a rod K works a rocking shaft K
(which is made of tubular form to give strength), an arm K² from
which works an arm on a rocking shaft K³. There are also cams
K and K on the rocking shaft K' which work a rocking plate k
pivotted at k. The cam on the periphery of C¹ by means of a roller
works a loaded lever L which is connected by a rod L' to an arm
on a cranked rocking shaft 7. There are catches ", the tails of which
come in contact with the cranked part of the shaft . The rocking.
shaft K is made with a hollow nose at 2, and there is a fixed rounded
nose at . The sheet having been advanced under 3 till its back
edge has passed the catches these catches dropping down behind it.
prevent it from moving backwards. The plate is then raised so
as to bend up the back edge of the sheet along the nose k³, and the.
nose advancing bends it still farther over the said nose ³ so as
to form a rounded hook. The. nosc 3 then retreats, and the plate /¹
descends; also the catches are lifted by the action of the crank
upon their tails, whereupon the sheet is drawn back a little way by

page_text: the catches e and e³ on the feed bars e¹ and e³ so as to bring its hook
off the nose ³, and allow it to descend below that noso ready to be
advanced for the next operation, the catches dropping down behind
it. The rocking shaft K₁ by means of arms M works two rods M'
and M2, one on each side of the machine. These rods work a rocking
shaft M which has a hollowed nosc m. A plate m¹ has two cam-
shaped arms m², one on each side of the machine mounted on pivots m³.
In the cam paths of these arms work rollers upon arms m* extending
down from the rocking shaft M³. When these parts are in the position
shewn in Fig. 2 the sheet with its back edge previously hooked as
above described is under the plate m¹, its front edge being kept in
place by the nose of the plate m¹, and its back hooked edge being
presented towards the nose m. In this position a wire from the
hopper is allowed to drop down upon the sheet in front of its
look, such wire being parted off from those above it by fingers 21
on the rocking shaft M³, and being dropped on the withdrawal of
fingers n which are worked by a lever n connected by a rod n³ to
an arm on a rocking shaft n, which rocking shaft is worked by an
arm n raised by the hooked edge of the sheet as it passes under it.
By this arrangement since the lower fingers n² are withdrawn only
when a hooked sheet passes under the lever n7 no wire is dropped
unless when a sheet passes this lever. The wire being lodged on the
shcet the nose m advances and pushes the hooked edge of the sheet
along with the wire towards the edge of the plate m¹. In the meantime
fingers o are brought towards the nose m, being connected by a spring
rod O' to a bell-crank lever O, a roller on which is worked by the
cam on the periphery of B³. The fingers o arrest the wire while the
nosc. m continues to advance, bending the hook of the sheet over and
round the wire. The fingers o are so arranged as. to meet the wire
at points. corresponding to the notches cut out of the edge of the 1
sheet where the angles of the box are to be formed. By omitting
to supply the hopper n with wires the hooked edge of the sheet will
be simply bent round into a tubular form without onclosing a wire.
The feeding part of this machine is similar to that described in the
previous Specification above referred to, that is to say, sheets are
successively laid on to the feed table P. Each sheet is advanced by
being taken hold of at its front edge by the gripper p being closed
on its upper arm bearing against a fixed nose p², and is advanced

page_text: .
by that gripper which moves with the feed bars till it comes over
the hopper Q, whereupon the gripper is loosed by its spring slide p
being raised on the incline q, and the sheet drops into the hopper
which is made with inclined sides to guide the sheet fairly down
upon its bottom Q' in which move the feed bars e, e¹, e³, and e³,
their surfaces being raised slightly above the bottom Q. From Q
the sheet is advanced by the stops e on the bars. e, e', and e² to the
position where it has its back edge hooked by during the return
stroke of the feed bars. At the next forward stroke of the feed bars
the sheet is advanced by the pawls e on the two feed bars e¹ and e²
to the position where it is wired and rounded at the edge by m
during the next back stroke of the feed: bars. By their next forward
stroke the sheet is again advanced by the pawls es upon the bars
e and e² to the position on D¹, where its edges are hooked and one
side bent up, this being also effected during the back stroke of the
feed bars. Finally, the next advance of the feed bars by means of
the pawls e on the feed bars e¹ and e² brings the sheet forward on
to the table D, where it is fully bent up, hooked and seamed, and
whence the box is knocked off. Thus each successive forward stroke
of the feed bars serves to advance five sheets one stage, and cach
successive back stroke is effected while these five sheets are under-
going successive stages of the operation, a fresh sheet being at each
stroke supplied on the feed table, and the fifth sheet being knocked
off the machine as a seamed box body:
:
Having thus described the nature of my. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I make
no general claim to apparatus for bending and scaming sheets of tin
or. other material so as to form boxes, nor do I claim any parts of
the apparatus which I bave described such as are similar to those
described in my former Specification above referred to, but I do
claim in a machine for bending and jointing sheets so as to form the
bodies of boxes, cans, or other vessels,—
First. The use of the apparatus for forming a looked lip on the back
edge of the sheet, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use of the apparatus for closing the hook above referred a
to, with or without the introduction of a wire thereinto, substantially as

page_text: Third. The use of the apparatus for bending up one side of the sheet,
and at the same time forming the scam hooks on its opposite edges,
substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The use of the apparatus for turning over, bending, and
closing the hooks of the bent sheets so as to form a seam at one angle
of the box, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The combination of the several apparatus referred to in the
preceding claims with each other, and with the other apparatus described
in my former Specification in such order as to form a complete machine
for effecting the bending and jointing of metallic or other sheets so as
to form bodies of boxes, cans, or other vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jabez James, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.