IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES, TINS, OR CASES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 23, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES, TINS, OR CASES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Childéric Allain and Jules Trottier, both of 39,
Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 28th June 1866, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 23, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES, TINS, OR CASES," and have petitioned Her
Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
the said Invention is a communication to me from abroad by Childéric Allain
and Jules Trottier, both of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of referenco
placed thereon.
The actual method of manufacturing tin boxes involves considerable cost
both as regards labour and consumption of solder, by this Invention these
expenses will be reduced, and the application of tin or other metal boxes
become practicable for a great number of purposes for which a high price
rendered their use impossible. This result is obtained by the following
means: In all the parts of the box where possible soldering by hand is
replaced by a special clasp, catch, or fastening obtained by machinery. In the
parts where soldering remains necessary the parts to be soldered receive a
shape which will permit the use of a method of soldering completely different
from that hitherto employed in the manufacture of metal boxes or tins.
What is claimed as of this Invention is,―
Firstly, a new method of jointing or clasping differing from all the methods
hitherto used, inasmuch that it is not continuous, that is to say, that it does
not exist on the same side in the entire height of the box, thus it is interior
from the top of the box to within a short distance of the bottom, and then
becomes exterior down to the bottom to permit the insertion of the bottom of
the box without any hindrance.
Figure 13 of the Drawing shows the clasping existing from the top to
within a certain distance of the bottom, and Figure 14 that from this last
point to the bottom of the box.
Secondly, a new arrangement given to the bottom of the boxes forming
what may be termed a sunken or re-entered bottom. When this bottom is to
be so far entered into the body of the box that the apparent volume of this
Hatter is greater than its real volume, a stamped or beaten out bottom is made
exactly like a lid, and the concavity of this lid or cover being turned down-
-wards, it is passed into the body of the box until the edges of the bottom and
those of the box are level (see Figure 11); the box is then passed to the
soldering table. When it is desired that the apparent and the real volume of
the box should be perceptibly the same, the bottom is arranged as indicated
by a, b, c, d, e, f (Figure 12); it has a slightly concave form at b, c, d, e,
in order that at the soldering table the solder may not in pure waste adhere to
..the surface of this bottom.
Thirdly, the application to the manufacture of tin boxes or cases generally

page_text: of a method which may be termed plate soldering, consisting of a slightly
concave copper plate (A, B, Figure 18), upon which the solder is kept in
fusion by the heat of a gas burner c.
Fourthly, the machine for bending the metal and for forming the clasping
of the boxes shewn Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. It is composed of the stand a
carried by the table b; a shaft c is set in motion by a lever e keyed on one of
its ends, and has at its other end a jacket or cylinder f, on which are formed
two grooves g and h parallel to the axle of the cylinder f, and but a slight
distance from each other, a vertical support j forming pivoting socket at its
upper part is traversed by a spindle carrying a knife l, the end of which
may enter the groove h; this knife is always in contact with the surface of
the cylinder f by the effect of a counterweight m. A small cylinder o
moveable round its axle comes on the cylinder f; this cylinder o is carried at
the end of a lever n actuated by a lever p. Another cylinder u analogous to
the preceding comes also against the cylinder f; this cylinder u is carried by
a lever oscillating around s, and submitted to the action of a treadle carried
by the rod t and counterbalanced by v.
The action of the machine is as follows:-By the aid of the lever e the
cylinder is so placed that the appendage i, which is in proximity to the
groove h, disengages itself from the knife 7 (Figure 4), then by the aid of the
treadle the lever r is made to pivot, and the bosses or knobs a lift the knife 1,
one of the edges of a tin or other metal plate is then entered in the groove g,
a rotary motion is given to the cylinder f in the direction indicated by the
arrow, and the metal plate compressed between the cylinder f, and those o
and u takes a circular form, as shewn at Figure 3; the treadle is released and
the knife is brought back against the cylinder f by the counterweight m.
When the rotation is nearly complete the projection i causes the knife / to
penetrate into the groove h, into which it forces the metal, causing it to bend
to the shape of the groove. The plate is then taken off the cylinder f and
presents the form shewn, Figure 7, the two clasps or loops are then brought
together, and there remains but to compress the fastening.
The arrangement of this machine permits bending, making mouldings on
the box, and forming the two clasps or catches by one turn of the crank.
Fifthly, the machine for compressing the clasping or fastening shewn,
Figures 5 and 6. It is composed of a mandrel 3, a punch 5, a lever 6
intended to push back the metal cylinder to the bottom of the mandrel on the
shoulder 7 of a moveable rectangular piece 8, on which is fixed the mandrel.
This rectangular piece is guided in its upward and downward movement by a
cylindrical rod g, and the tongues or slide blocks 10, 10, fixed on a plate 11.

page_text: A lever 12 furnished with a counterweight 13 upholds the rectangular piece 8
as well as the mandrel from beneath the plate 11. A stop piece 14, on which
rests the mandrel when lowered, is fixed on the plate 11. It is the groove 4
which receives the compressed fastening. It will be understood that when
the punch rises the counterweight.13 will always bring it back to its original
position. Figure 8 shews the fastening brought together, and Figure 9 the
fastening after compression; Figure 10 shews a modified shape of bottom.
For the rest of the manufacture several other improved machines and
processes are employed. Thus to manufacture the lids or covers of these
boxes of one piece an ordinary stamping tool is fitted with a moveable piece
("palette") sliding between two slide blocks (see Figure 15), and which
serves to hold the edges of the tin, so that on this latter entering into the
matrix its edges cannot double up.
To make the lids or covers in two pieces the tool shewn, Figure 17, is used.
This tool permits the clasping or fastening of the bottom to the body by a
single stroke of the beam; the blue lines shew the fastening; Figure 16
shews the arrangement of the matrix of the punch. A, B, C, are the bollows
placed so that the centre of the bollow A is at a distance from the line
which joins the centres of the hollows B and C three times the radius of those
holes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)