Improvements in Envelope Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelope Machines.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Louis Peter Bouvier, of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada,
Machinist,) to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to improvements in envelope machines and the object of the
invention is to provide mechanism whereby the blank may be rapidly fed into
position above the opening of the creasing-box and without any appreciable loss of
time being caused by the stoppage of the carrying mechanism as in my former
machines, and it comprises two sets of mechanism operated from the main shaft the
one set being in the form of a carrier-grip to be operated by suitable mechanism
so as to remove each succeeding blank to a position in proximity to the openings of
the creasing-box while the other is a set of carriers operated in conjunction with
the carrier-grip so as to place the blank in its exact location above the opening
in the creasing-box and beneath the plunger.
In carrying out my invention I provide a double-headed folding plunger made in
two parts having a space between them. These two parts of the plunger are
supported at the bottom on rods which extend through a centre cross-bar of the
frame and on a bracket secured to the top of the cross-bar the said plunger
deriving a reciprocating vertical motion from the main shaft of the machine.
I also provide a picker the rod of which is held in bearings on supplemental
portions of the frame attached to the cross-bar, the said picker having a vertical
reciprocating motion imparted to it. The creasing-box is supported above a table
on rods and a gum-box is supported above an elevator upon which the pile of
blanks is placed.
A carrier-grip is pivotted on the forked end of a rod and has two notches
situated behind its pivot point; and a plunger is located in a hole behind the
carrier-grip and held in engagement with either the notches by means of a spiral
spring. The bottom end of the carrier-grip is correspondingly shaped to the apex
of the flap of the envelope and is designed to come within the line of mucilage
when it is brought to grip the blank to carry it beneath the plunger. A projection
extends from the rear of the gum-box designed to come in contact with the upper
end of the carrier-grip so as to force it into position upon the flat surface of the
lower prong of a fork, the blank being intermediately situated between the bottom
end of the carrier-grip and the flat surface of the said lower prong.
Another projection extends from beneath the central cross-bar and is designed
to come in contact with the top of the carrier-grip, when it moves rearwardly
so as to bring the plunger from one of the notches in the carrier-grip to the
other and thereby raise its lower end rearwardly from its grip upon the blank.
The rod to which the carrier grip is pivotted, moves in grooves in the front and
rear bars of the creasing-box. The rear end of the said rod is connected to or
forms part of a bar which is connected by a belt to the periphery of a wheel.
Another belt is also attached to the bar at one end and at the other end secured
on and passing around the periphery of the said wheel but in an opposite direction
to that of the first mentioned belt, the two belts serving to revolve the wheel.
Another bar is supported on brackets and has a dove-tailed tongue which fits
within a corresponding groove made in a sliding block attached to or forming part
of the bar to which the belts are connected. The wheel is supported on one end of
a shaft supported in brackets secured to the table. Upon the opposite end of the

page_text: shaft is secured a quadrant which meshes with another quadrant secured on the
end of a stud extending from a bracket secured to the table. The second quadrant
is slotted and is connected by a rod to an eccentric on the main shaft.
Carrier-bars run in grooves made in side bars of the creasing-box and having
secured at their front ends carriers and aprons. The rear ends of the carriers are
connected by the links to arms secured to a rod supported in bearings in the end of
a bracket secured to the cross-bar.
To the rod last mentioned is attached another arm the free end of which is
connected to a rod which extends down through the table and has a forked end
which stradles the main shaft. A friction roller is pivotted on the said forked end
and is designed to roll upon a cam secured to the main shaft.
Dated this 21st day of September 1892
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelope Machines.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Louis Peter Bouvier, of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada,
Machinist,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in envelope machines and the object of the
invention is to provide mechanism whereby the blank may be rapidly fed into
position above the opening of the creasing-box and without any appreciable loss of
time being caused by the stoppage of the carrying mechanism as in my former
machines and it consists essentially of two sets of mechanism operated from the
main shaft the one set being in the form of a carrier-grip to be operated by
suitable mechanism so as to remove each succeeding blank to a position in proximity
to the openings of the creasing-box while the other is a set of carriers operated in
conjunction with the carrier-grip so as to place the blank in its exact location
above the opening in the creasing-box and beneath the plunger, the whole being
arranged and constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of portion of an envelope-machine showing the
parts involved in my invention.
Fig. 2, is a sectional perspective detail partially in section of the carrier-grip..
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A, is a double-headed folding plunger. The plunger A, is made in two parts as
shown, which have a space in the centre between them. The two parts of the
plunger A, are supported at the bottom on the rods, B, and, C, which extend
hrough the centre cross-bar, D, of the frame and the bracket, E, secured to the
top of the cross-bar, D, the said plunger deriving a reciprocating vertical motion
from the main shaft of the machine in the manner common and described in my
former improvements in envelope-machines heretofore patented.
F, is a picker the rod, G, of which is held in bearings on the supplemental
'portions, H, of the frame which is attached to the cross-bar, D. The picker, F,
derives a vertical reciprocating motion from mechanism corresponding to that
used in my former machines. I, is the creasing-box which is supported above
the table, J, on the rods, j. K, is the gum-box which is supported above the
elevator, L, upon which is located the pile of blanks, M.
N, is the carrier-grip which is pivoted at, n, on the forked end of the rod, O.
The carrier-grip, N, has two notches, n', and, n", situated behind its pivot point.

page_text: P, is a plunger located in a hole behind the carrier-grip N, and held in engage-
ment with either the notches, n', or n", by means of the spiral spring, p, located
behind the plunger. The bottom end, N¹, of the carrier-grip is correspondingly
shaped to the apex of the flap of the envelope and is designed to come within the
line of mucilage when it is brought to grip the blank to carry it beneath the
plunger. k, is a projection extending from the rear of the gum-box, K, and
designed to come in contact with the upper end of the carrier-grip so as to force
it into the position shown in Figs. 1, and, 2, upon the flat surface of the lower
prong of the fork, the blank being intermediately situated between the bottom
end, N', and the flat surface of the lower forked end as shown.
u, is a projection extending from beneath the central cross-bar, D, and designed
to come in contact with the top of the carrier-grip, N, when it moves rearwardly
so as to bring the plunger, P, from the notch, n', to the notch, n", in the carrier-
grip, N, and thereby raise its lower end rearwardly from its grip upon the blank.
The rod, O, moves in grooves, o, made in the front and rear bars of the creasing-
box. The rear end of the rod, O, is connected to or forms part of the bar, Q,
which is connected by the helt, R, attached to the rear end of the bar, Q, at one
end and to the periphery of the wheel, T, at the other and passing around the
periphery in the manner shown.
S, is a belt attached to the front of the bar, Q, at one end and at the other end
secured on and passing around the periphery of the wheel, T, in the manner shown
and designed to revolve it in the opposite direction to that in which the belt, R,
will revolve it. U, is a bar supported on the brackets, V, and having a dove-
tailed tongue, u, which fits within a corresponding groove made in the sliding
block, 9, which is attached to or forms part of the bar, Q. The wheel, T, is
supported on the end of the shaft, W, which is supported in brackets secured to
the table. Upon the opposite end of the shaft, W, is secured the quadrant, X,
which meshes with the quadrant Y, secured on the end of the stud, y, extending
from the bracket, Z, secured to the table, J. The quadrant, Y, is slotted at, y²,
and is connected by a rod, 2, to an eccentric, 3, secured to the main shaft, 4.
b, are carrier-bars running in grooves made in the side bars of the creasing-box
and having secured at their front end the carriers, c, and aprons, d. The rear end
of the carriers are connected by the links, e, to the arms f, which are secured to
the rod, g, supported in bearings in the end of the bracket, h, secured to the cross-
bar, D.
i, is an arm attached to one end of the rod, g. The other end of the arm, i, is
connected to the rod, 5, which extends down through the table, J, and has a forked
end, 6, which straddles the main shaft, 4. 7, is a friction roller pivoted on the
forked end and designed to roll upon the cam, 8, secured to the main shaft, 4.
Having now described the principal parts involved in my invention I shall
proceed to describe the operation of the parts whereby the carrying of the blank is
effected expeditiously and with the slightest possible time elapsing between the
folding of one blank and the placing of the next blank on the creasing-box ready to
be folded.
The position in which the machine is shown shows the roller, 7, on top of the
cam, 8, so as to bring the carrier, c, on the bars, b, towards the front end of the
machine in proximity to the pile of blanks, while the position of the eccentric, 3,
shows a shorter diameter above the shaft so that the carrier-grip is also situated in
front of the machine and in position to grasp a blank. Before the carrier-grip
arrives in the position shown in Fig. 1, the picker, F, is brought down so as to
raise the blank sufficiently high to permit of the apron d, and lower prong of the
fork to come between it and the next succeeding blank immediately on top of
the pile.
As the picker, F, brings the blank up the bottom of the gum-box causes the
blank to drop from the picker and as the apron, d, during the period that the
picker is bringing the blank up comes beneath it and supports it above the level of
the pile of blanks, the picker in the meantime moves upwardly and allows of the

page_text: carrier-grip, N, coming into position the bottom prong of the rod, O, coming
beneath the blank immediately the bottom N', of the carrier-grip comes into
position inside of the line of the gum laid upon the blank by the picker. The
top of the carrier-grip, N, strikes the projection, k, and forces the plunger, P,
from the notch, n", to the notch n', thereby tilting the carrier-grip on its pivot so
as to throw the lower end, N', upon the top of the blank. The quadrant, Y, is
immediately caused to move upwardly in the direction indicated by arrow by the
eccentric, 3, so as to mesh with the quadrant, X, and thereby bring the wheel, T,
around in the direction indicated by arrow.
It will now be seen that the belt, S, will bring the bar, Q, rod, O, carrier-
grip, N, and blank forward so that the rear end of the blank is in front of the
carrier, c, on the carrier-bar, b, at which interval the top of the carrier-grip, N,
.comes in contact with the projection, a, and tilts the carrier-grip, N, on its pivot
so that the plunger, P, is forced from the notch, n', into the notch n", thereby
causing the grip to let go of the blank. The rod, O, will continue backward until
it brings the grip and lower prong to the rear of the opening in the creasing box.
The carriers on the bars, b, in the meantime are operated from the cam, 8, on the
main shaft through the rod, 5, and arms, F, so as to move rearwardly and bring
the blank into the exact position above the opening of the creasing-box. When
this is accomplished the plunger, a, comes down and brings the blank down through
the opening. When the plunger, a, has passed beneath the level of the top of the
creasing-box the carrier-grip is caused to move forward by the eccentric, 3, and by
the time the carrier-grip has reached and grasped the next succeeding envelope
removed from the pile of blanks by the picker the plunger has carried the blank
down and come back to its normal position ready to receive the next blank which
the carrier-grip is bringing forward at the time the plunger is coming to its normal
position. This movement of the carrier-grip is affected on account of the plunger, a,
being double-headed and having an opening between the heads so that the rod, O,
may have longitudinal movement through the space when the plunger is returning
to its normal position. The carrier-grip is then moved forward by means of the
belt, R.
Upon the plunger going down with the blank it will of course be understood
that the carriers are immediately moved forward into position by the cam, 8, so that
the aprons, d, are inserted between the next succeeding blank raised by the picker
from the pile of blanks.
It will also be understood that when the carrier-grip is tilted on its pivot that it
will pass rearwardly and forwardly again without its position being affected by the
projection, a.
Heretofore the blanks have been carried forward by carriers which had to stop
at the end of their rearward stroke so that the plungers would have time to get up
into position and thereby enable the carriers to move forwardly again so as to bring
forward the next succeeding blank but in my present mechanism it will be seen
that by having the short carrier-bars as shown and the carrier-grip, N, that by
these two mechanisms ard the fact of the carrier-grip being able to move between
the two heads of the plunger during the period that the plunger is being brought
back to its normal position that a great deal of time is saved and the blank may be
brought immediately into position almost directly after the plunger has folded the
preceding blank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare 'that what I
claim is :-
1. In an envelope machine, the combination with the double-headed plunger and
picker, with means for operating them, of a carrier-grip reciprocating between
the heads of the plunger, and "means for operating said grip, substantially as
described.
2. In combination with the picker F and double-headed plunger, with means for

page_text: operating them, the carrier-grip pivotted in the forked end of the rod O, the
bar Q, connected to the said rod and moving on the guide-bar U, the wheel T
and belts R and S connecting said wheel with the bar Q substantially as
described.
3. In combination with the picker, F, and double-headed plunger, A, with means
for operating them, the carrier-grip pivoted in the forked end of the rod, O, and
means for reciprocating said rod consisting of the bar, Q, connected with its rear
end and moving on the guide-bar, U, the wheel, T, secured to shaft, W, belts, R, S,
connecting said wheel with the bar, Q, the quadrant, x, also secured to shaft, W,
the quadrant, Y, meshing therewith, and the rod, 2, eccentric, 3, and shaft, 4,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with the carrier-grip, N, pivoted in the forked end of rod, O,
the bar, Q, formed on the end of said rod and moving on the guide-bar, U, the
wheel, T, belts, R, and, S, connecting the wheel with the bar, Q, and the bars, b,
with means for operating them, said means consisting of arms, f, depending from a
rod, 9, and having their lower ends pivotally connected to said bars, an arm, i,
carried by the rod, g, a cam on the main shaft, and connections between the said
arm and main shaft, substantially as described.
5. The carrier-grip, N, pivoted in the forked end of the rod, O, means for
reciprocating the rod, the notches, n', n", formed in the grip in rear of the pivot
point, and the plunger, P, provided with a spring, p, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 12th day of October 1805
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.