Improvements in Machines for Forming Wooden Tubes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Forming Wooden Tubes.
I, MARTIN EUGENE BRIGHAM, of 953 Otsego Street, Philadelphia, in the
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed in and by the following statements :--
The object of my invention is to produce a machine for forming wooden tubes
such as may be used for boxes, casings, &c.
My invention is designed to form such tubes from a solid block of wood, by a
continuous operation, cutting the shaving, rolling it, fastening the edges and
delivering the finished tube from the machine.
The machine is designed to operate continuously and with rapidity, forming
successive tubes until the block of wood is used up.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a reciprocating cutter adapted to cut a
shaving from the wooden block, and a forming cylinder designed to take the cut
shaving and roll it into the required form.
My invention also includes devices for supplying glue to the shaving so that the
lapped portions of the rolled tube are secured together, and also devices for
pressing the lapped parts in contact so that the glue will take effect.
My invention also relates to certain devices for containing the glue and
maintaining it in a liquid condition.
My invention also relates to devices for stripping the formed tube from the
forming cylinder, and to mechanism for feeding the block of wood so that its
surface may be maintained in proper position for the cutter to cut the shaving.
While I prefer to unite the lapped portions of the rolled tube by glue, they may
be fastened in other ways, as by stapling in any of the well known methods.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved tube forming machine ;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of the machine on
the line of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rack and pinion devices for operating the tube
formning cylinder;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the slide frame;
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the devices for rotating the glue supplying roller;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line of Fig. 3 showing
the guides for the block carrying frame;
Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the machine on the line y-y of
Fig. 3;
Fig. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the tube forming cylinder
and the devices for operating the gripping jaw thereof;
Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same on the line w-w of
Fig. 9;
Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 are illustrative views showing successive steps in the
formation of the tube;
Fig. 15 is a side elevation, with a part in section, of the tube forming cylinder
and stripping devices;
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the tube stripper ;
Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the tube;
Fig. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tubular box such as may be formed
from the tube; and

page_text: Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the tube forming and pressure cylinders showing
the same provided with devices for cutting the formed tubes into short sections.
Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, are all on an enlarged scale.
A is the main frame of the machine.
B'is a gear
B is the driving pulley having its shaft b journaled in the frame A.
wheel carried by the shaft b engaging the teeth of the large gear wheel C which
is carried by a shaft c journaled in uprights A' of the frame. C₁is a crank arm
carried by the shaft c to which is connected the pitman rod C2 through the slot c¹
and pin c
D is a sliding carriage or frame sliding in suitable guides a and hinged to the
end of the rod C².
E is a frame hinged on a shaft d journaled in bearings dd on the frame or
carriage D.
F is a cutter bolted or otherwise secured to the frame E, preferably set at an
inclination as shown in Fig. 3.
e are adjusting screws carried by the frame E and bearing on the slide D
for raising or lowering the frame E and adjusting the angle of inclination of the
cutter F.
G is the tube forming cylinder journaled in a bearing y, in the side of the
sliding carriage D and located transversely in front of and immediately above
the cutting edge of the cutter F.
G is a movable or hinged section of the cylinder G forming a nipping or
gripping jaw. A portion of the cylinder G is cut away to receive the section or
jaw G and this jaw is shaped to form a continuous circular periphery with the
surface of the cylinder.
G2 (Figs. 8, 9, and 10), is a link or ring attached to the hinged section or jaw G¹
and extending within an aperture or hole g' in the roller.
G³ is a plunger extending through a longitudinal bore g² in the roller G and
preferably having a tapered or cam end g³ adapted to be projected through the
ring or link G2 to draw the link inward so as to clamp the jaw or section G¹ upon
the body portion of the cylinder G. (Fig. 9) is a spring for normally opening
the jaw section G'.
His a pinion on the outer end of the cylinder G. I is a toothed rack on
the side of the frame A (shown in Fig. 8 upon the bracket A2) in which the
teeth of the pinion H work to impart a rotation to the cylinder G when it is
reciprocated with the slide D.
The rack consists of a central stationary portion, and movable or sliding end
sections or parts 1', 12 (Figs. 2 and 4) adapted to be moved to and from the
stationary portions. With this construction the pinion H is rotated only while it
passes over the stationary portion of the rack, and is not rotated when it passes
upon either of the end sections I' or 12, which being free to reciprocate are moved
with the reciprocation of the rotary cylinder G and its pinion H and therefore do
not rotate them. The rotation of the cylinder G is therefore intermittent, being
interrupted at the commencement and end of each reciprocation of the frame D.
The movable end sections I and 12 of the rack I may be held normally against
the ends of the stationary portion of the rack by springs or in any convenient
manner. In the drawings I have shown the end sections I' connected with a cord i
provided with a weight and passing over suitable guides 2,2 (see Fig. 1); and
the section 12 connected with a spring operated lever i³.
J is a lever hinged to the projecting end of the plunger G³ and pivoted at its
middle to a support or plate J carried fixedly upon the reciprocating slide or
frame D. Upon the free end of the lever J is a pin or projection ; which works in
a cam groove H₁ on the bracket A. This cam groove H¹ is so arranged (see
Fig. 2) that it will rock the lever J during a portion of its reciprocation and throw
the plunger G³ forward so as to operate the link G2 and clamp the jaw section G
against the action of the spring, and having so rocked the lever J, will maintain
it in that position during a portion of the reciprocation and will then rock it back

page_text: again so as to draw back the plunger and allow the spring g' to open the jaw
section G. The cam portion of the groove H¹ by which the clamping of the jaw G
is effected corresponds with the stationary portion of the rack I. so that the jaw G¹
is clamped during that portion of the reciprocation of the cylinder in which the
roller is rotated.
"
J (Figs. 2 and 3) is a frame carried by the arm d³ of the sliding frame D and
provided with bearings j, j', in which is journaled a rock shaft J³ carrying arms J4
and J. The arm J4 extends over the cylinder G and carries depending arms j², j²,
in which are located sliding journal boxes J, Jo, acted on by springs 13 j
(see Fig. 8).
K is a pressure roller journaled in the boxes J, Jo, and located immediately above
the cylinder G. The roller K is adapted to be brought in contact with the
cylinder G, as will be more fully described hereinafter.
If desired the pressure roller K may be provided with one or more slitting discs
or cutters K2 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) to cut the tube formed by the
shaving rolled on the cylinder G into desired short lengths. The cylinder G may
be provided with annular grooves k² to receive the cutters K². This construction
for cutting the formed tube into sections is particularly illustrated in Fig. 19.
The particular construction which I have employed for supporting this pressure
roller K is designed for holding it upon the cylinder G with a yielding pressure,
but is not to be taken as essential to the invention. It is merely a preferable
construction.
K' is a a cam on the side of the frame A in the path of the free end of the arm J*
when the same is reciprocated to elevate the arm J' and thus rock the shaft .J³ and
depress the arin J* so as to press the roller K towards the cylinder G during a
portion of the reciprocation.
The end of the arm J' may be provided with an anti-friction roller k.
L (Figs. 2 and 3) is a sliding frame located in front of the frame D and prefer-
ably connected therewith through a connection 1.
The frame L is adapted to
guides on the frame A and slides therein with the frame D.
M is a glue pot carried by the frame L. For the purpose of keeping the glue
in the glue pot M in the proper liquid state, I prefer to employ a heating chest or
chamber N upon the sliding frame L and located under the pot M.
The pot M
may be hinged as at m to the chamber N or the frame L, and may have its botton
resting upon the top of the heating chest. Heat may be applied to the chest N in
any convenient manner, but I prefer to circulate steam through the chamber by
inlet and outlet pipes n, n', which may be connected with the fixed steam pipes
through flexible tubes n² (see Fig. 1). m is the ontlet lip of the glue pot leading
from the lower portion thereof.
L' is a glue supplying roller having its shaft o journaled in suitable brackets "
(see Fig. 2) of the frame L adjacent to the outlet lip m¹ of the glue pot M. This
roller L' is rotated preferably by a sheave L' carried by its shaft and a friction
cord passing about the sheave L2 and having its ends attached to stationary
portions of the frame (see Fig. 6). L³ is an idler guide roller over which the cord 1³
is passed for the purpose of guiding it below the upper part of the frame A at
the forward end of the machine. This idler L is carried by an arm 14 upon the
frame L and thus moves with the frame (see dotted lines in Fig. 3). It is apparent
that when the frame L reciprocates, the roller L' reciprocating with it will be
rotated by the friction of the cord 13 upon the sheave L². As it is desirable, how-
ever, that this roller L' shall rotate for the purpose of supplying glue only during
its reciprocation in one direction, I prefer to employ a ratchet and pawl m³, m², on
the end of the roller shaft to prevent the rotation of the roller when it is
reciprocated backward, i.e. toward the right in Fig. 3, while permitting it to rotate
when reciprocated in the other direction. L', L, are feeding rollers journaled
adjacent to the outlet lip m¹ for feeding the glue to the roller L.
O is the block of wood from which the boxes or tubes are to be forined.

page_text: P is a movable support or carriage sliding.in guides p (preferably dovetailed as
shown in Fig. 7) in the lower part of the frame A.
O' are clamps for securing the block O upon the top of the carriage P.
The carriage P is so located with reference to the other portions of the machine
described when the same are at rest that the block O carried thereby is
located below the glue supplying roller L' and approximately on a level with the
cutter F and roller G, but slightly above the line of movement of the edge of
the cutter F, so that the cutter will cut a shaving from the upper surface of the
block when it is reciprocated.
The carriage P is fed upward to keep the upper surface of the block O in
position to be operated upon by the cutter F, and any convenient mechanism may be
employed for this purpose. In order, however, to obtain a uniform, positive feed,
properly timed with reference to the operation of the other parts of the machine, I
prefer to employ the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 8.
Referring, now, to this mechanism, P' is a feeding screw carried by the frame P
and extending below the same. P2 is a sleeve, carried by a cross piece P³ bolted
to the frame A, through which the screw P' moves.
O2 is a bevel gear carried by an internally screw threaded sleeve O³ upon the
screw P¹ journaled in a bearing O carried by the cross piece P4.
Qis a bevel gear engaging with the bevel gear 02. Q¹ is a shaft journaled in
suitable bearings g in the frame A, and carrying the bevel gear Q. Q2 is a
ratchet carried fast upon the outer end of the shaft Q. R is a rocking lever.
loosely journaled upon the extremity of the shaft Q₁ carrying a spring pressed
pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet Q. R is a pitman connected
with the lever R through a link and operated by an eccentric R² carried by the
shaft c (see Fig. 1).
C
By this means the lever R is rocked back and forth, and through the pawl r and
ratchet Q2 the bevel gears O and 2 are driven intermittently, thus feeding the
screw P and the frame P with the block O upward by a regular intermittent
motion; and, as this operation is controlled by the eccentric R2 on the same shaft c
by which the other parts of the machine are driven, it is apparent that the feeding
of the block O may be properly timed.
I shall now refer to the devices for removing the wooden tube from the
cylinder G, referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 8.
S is a stripping collar or band upon the cylinder G adapted to be moved thereon
and normally located adjacent to the journal g.
S¹ is a rack bar carrying the collar or band S and engaging the teeth of a
pinion S2 upon a vertical shaft s journaled in a bearing s' carried by the frame D.
Ss is a pinion upon the upper portion of the shaft s. T is a notched slide block
guided by the horizontal guide rod t on the frame A. This slide block is adapted to
engage a tooth of the pinion S3 and hold it normally against rotation.
Tis a rack bar carried by arms t¹, t¹ at the outer end of the machine in line
with the guide rod t, with which the teeth of the pinion S3 come into engagement
when the reciprocation of the slide D has carried the pinion S³ to the rear of the
machine. The block T slides upon the guide rod t when the pinion S³ reciprocates
and thus locks the pinion against accidental rotation until the rack bar T¹
is reached, when the further movement of the block T is arrested and the pinion S³
moves on in engagement with the teeth of the rack bar T' and is rotated.. This
rotation of the pinion S³ rotates the shafts and pinion S2 and feeds the rack bar S¹
forward so as to move the collar or band S on the cylinder G and thereby push off
the finished tube When the frame D is reciprocated back, the pinion S³ is rotated
in the opposite direction and thus draws back the collar or band S. When the
pinion S³ reaches the end of the rack bar T on its backward reciprocation, the
notched block T engages again with its teeth and locks it against further rotation,
moving back with the pinion upon the guide t until it reaches again its first
position.

page_text: To hold the block T at the end of the rack bar T' when the pinion S³ leaves the
block and passes upon the rack bar, I prefer to employ a spring catch 2 at the
forward end of the rack bar adapted to snap into a notch of the block T and thus
hold it, though not with sufficient tension to prevent the block being readily moved
forward again when it engages the teeth of the pinion.
Having described the construction of my machine, and the arrangement of the
parts thereof, I shall now describe the operation of the machine as an entirety in
the formation of wooden tubes.
The wooden block O carried by the frame P has its upper surface slightly above
the line of movement of the cutter F, which is in a position in front of the block,
or to the right in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The glue supplying roller is now in a position at
about the middle of the surface of the blok O, and the plunger G³ is withdrawn,
or in its extreme outward position, so as to release the ring G2 and permit the jaw
section G' of the cylinder G to be forced open by the spring . The edge of the
jaw G is normally located immediately above the edge of the knife or cutter F as
shown in Fig. 3, and the gear wheel H by which the cylinder G is rotated is
engaged with the movable end section 12 of the rack I as is shown in Fig. 4.
When the frame D is moved forward by the pitman C² the cutter F is brought in
contact with the block O and comniences to cut a thin shaving from the surface
thereof, and the edge of this shaving passes under the jaw G of the cylinder G,
which has moved forward simultaneously with the movement of the cutter F. At
this moment the lever J of the plunger G³is rocked by the cam groove H' and throws
forward the plunger causing it to draw the link G2 in and clamp the jaw G' upon
the edge of the shaving, and the gear wheel H passing upon the stationary portion
of the rack rotates the roller Gas the frame D continues to move toward the
left, and wraps the shaving in the form of a tube upon the surface of the roller.
While the knife F and cylinder G are thus moving forward cutting the shaving
and rolling it up as fast as it is cut, the glue supplying roller L' is moved over the
half of the block O and being rotated by the friction of the cord 13, spreads the
glue over one half of the surface of the wood, as indicated by the heavy black
line in Figs. 11 and 12, so that when the shaving is rolled upon itself on the
cylinder G the inner glued surface is brought in contact with the outer unglued
surface and the adjacent surfaces are thus glued together. As the glue is spread
only on one half of the surface of the block, that portion of the rolled shaving
which comes immediately adjacent to the surface of the cylinder G and constitutes
the inside of the finished tube is not touched by the glue.
While the shaving is thus rolled upon the tube forming cylinder, the pressure
roller K, through the cam K' and arm J' is pressed upon the rolled shaving so as
to press the adjacent surfaces together.
When the entire shaving has thus been wound upon the roller G, further
rotation of the roller is arrested by the gear wheel H passing from the stationary
portion of the rack I to the movable end section thereof, which, as has been
heretofore stated, slides with the gear wheel; at the same time the lever J is
rocked by the cam groove H' so as to draw back the plunger G³ and open the
jaw G', and when the pinion S³ reaches the rack bar T', the collar S is pushed
forward, as has been heretofore described, pushing the glued tube from the
cylinder G. Previous to the commencement of this last operation, the arm J' has
passed from the cam K¹ so as to raise the pressure roller K and permit the tube to
be easily pushed off.
.
The frame D and the parts carried by it return to their former positions when
the pitman C² moves back. During the backward reciprocation, the glue feeding
roller is held against rotation by the ratchet and pawl m³, m³, as has been hereto-
fore described.
Meanwhile the block has been fed up in the manner described so as to bring its
surface into operative position to be again acted upon by the cutter F, when it is
again moved forward.
In Fig. 17 is shown the finished glued tube U. This tube may be made exactly

page_text: of the desired length for the purpose required, or it may be made of greater length
and subsequently cut. The ends of the tube may be provided with caps u, u, to
make tops and bottoms for a tubular box, as is shown Fig. 18.
While I prefer the minor details of construction shown, it is apparent that they
may be modified in many ways without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The machine for cutting a shaving from a solid block of wood and forming it
into a tube, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a support for a solid block of wood, of a reciprocating
cutter to cut a shaving from the block, and a rotary forming cylinder to form the
cut shaving into a tube.
3. The combination with a reciprocating cutter and rotary tube forming cylinder,
of a support for a block of wood, and feeding devices to feed the block under the
cutter.
4. The combination with a reciprocating cutter and rotary tube forming cylinder
operating to cut a shaving from a solid block of wood and form it into a tube, of a
stripper for stripping the tube from the cylinder.
5. The combination with the reciprocating cutter and rotary tube forming
cylinder, operating to cut a shaving from a solid block of wood and form it into a
tube, of devices for fastening the lapped portions of the tube.
6. The combination with the reciprocating cutter of the rotary and reciprocating
cylinder having the gripping jaw operating in the manuer described.
7. The combination with the reciprocating cutter and rotary tube forming
cylinder operating to cut a shaving from a solid block of wood and form it into
a tube, of a reciprocating and rotary glue supplying roller to supply glue to the
cut shaving.
8. In combination with the reciprocating cutter, and the tube forming cylinder,
the reciprocating glue pot and its roller.
9. In combination with the tube forming cylinder, the pressure roller K.
10. In combination with the reciprocating cutter and the tube forming cylinder
operating to cut a shaving from a block of wood and form it into a tube, cutters for
cutting the formed tube into appropriate lengths.
Dated this 18th day of April 1802
MARTIN EUGENE BRIGHAM.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.