Improvements in Machinery for Filling Boxes with Matches.
Year: 1886

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by THE CITIZENS MATCH COMPANY, of Troy, New
York, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Machinery for Filling Boxes with Matches.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for boxing matches and comprises improvements
in the mechanism described and illustrated in the specification of former Letters
Patent dated May 23rd A.D. 1885, No. 6343.
As described in the specification of said former Patent the splints are delivered into
a hopper opening into a boxing tube at the bottom of the hopper, which tube is
provided with a piston adapted to be reciprocated therein at periods corresponding
with the splint delivering capacity of the belts as to have regular numbers of the
splints deposited in the tube from the hopper, and by means of the piston to have said
splints forced into a box placed on the outer end of the tube, and the filled box from
off the latter; there being fingers also used within the hopper to hold up the splints
while the piston is reciprocated and then to release them to fall into the tube.
The improvement in this construction consists in the arrangement of a hopper to
contain a supply of matches; a hopper tube connecting at its upper side with the
bottom of the hopper; a boxing tube cut out on one side and having its other side
intact and adapted to be turned within the hopper tube; the said boxing tube when
turned so that the side which is intact is uppermost, enclosing and separating the
matches from the bottom of the hopper between the up-turned inner surface of the
boxing tube and the lower interior surface of the hopper tube; a piston adapted to
be reciprocated within and between the upturned part of the boxing tube and the
bottoin of the hopper tube, and through the latter where subtending the former,
so as to force the matches into the outer subtending end of the hopper tube, and
from thence into a match box placed on the outer end of the hopper tube, and also
to force the filled box from off the latter.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a match making machine, with a part of the
mechanism containing the invention connected therewith and shown in section.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the improved boxing mechanism, with the pulleys
on which the match carrying belt operates also shown.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same parts that are shown at Figure 2, but with
the boxing tube, hopper tube, and piston shown in central vertical section.
Figure 4 is a top view of the piston, hopper tube, and boxing tube, shown as
detached from the hopper.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the boxing tube shown as detached from the
other parts.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the piston.
Figure 7 is a top view of the piston, hopper-tube, and boxing-tube shown as
separated from the hopper, and with matches within the boxing-tube, before the latter
has been turned to cut off the descent of matches from the hoppor, the said figure
also showing a match box after having been passed on over the subtending end of the
hopper-tube.
Figure 8 shows the piston as forced into the hopper-tube, so as to crowd the
matches into and through the subtending end of the hopper-tube into the box, and the
box from off the end of the latter.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the detached hopper-tube and boxing tube, with
the latter shown as turned with its open side down, and its side which is intact
uppermost, and in the position to hold up the matches in the hopper while the piston
is being reciprocated.
All of the parts shown at figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are drawn, to a larger scale
than Figure 1.
Corresponding parts of the apparatus are indicated by the same reference letters in
the several Figures.
M indicates a machine for making and dipping matches, and B1 an endless belt
running therefrom and having deposited upon its upper surface the matches m. This
belt runs
on a pulley P to return to the machine. P2 indicates another pulley
receiving motion in part from the belt B', and also from a cord-bolt b' running in a
grooved wheel to¹ on the pulley pl and another grooved wheel 62 arranged on the side
of the pulley P. The function of the upper pulley P2 is to force the matches along
after leaving the belt B¹ to enter the hopper H.
is a stripper-plate arranged to engage with the belt face of the pulley P2, to
prevent the matches from adhering to the face of said pulley as the latter forces them
off the belt B into the hopper H.
The hopper H is made with one inclined side h¹ (which at its upper edge under-
runs the matches on the belt B¹) and with the vertical straight side and the closed
end 3. When the matches leave the belt they are passed along by the pulley P2 so
as to fill the hopper.
T is the hopper-tube, which on its upper surface at 0 opens into the hopper, so
that matches may descend therein from the hopper when the opening is not closed.
Tindicates a boxing-tube arranged to be turned inside the hopper-tube. One of
the sides of this boxing-tube, as indicated at a² is intact, and corresponds cylindrically
to the interior of the hopper-tube, and the other side, as indicated at a' is preferably
cut on an incline, although it may be cut straight. When the open side of this
boxing-tube is uppermost the matches descend by gravity into said tube so as to fill
it, in their descent from the hopper through the opening O. When this inner tube is
thus filled, and turned so as to bring its closed side uppermost, the descent of the
matches from the hopper is cut off, the enclosed matches being held between the
closed side of the boxing-tube, and the bottom of the hopper-tube. D indicates
the hopper support.
This boxing-tube T has an encircling flange fat its outer end, and it is constructed
with two stop pins p³, p² arranged diametrically opposite each other, and it is also

page_text: provided with the interiorly placed pin p'; the function of these pins will be
subsequently described.
N is a piston adapted to be reciprocatingly passed through the boxing and hopper
tubes, and turned within the latter to turn the boxing-tube within the hopper-tube to
thus bring the closed side of the boxing-tube into a position where its closed side will
prevent the descent of matches from the hopper while the piston is being reciprocated.
This piston N is made with a longitudinally arranged groove q, which is adapted to
receive the guide-pin p³ on the inner face of the boxing-tube; the function of said pin
on the latter and the groove g of the piston, being to cause the engagement of the
piston and the boxing-tube so that when the former is turned, the latter will turn
also, the groove forming a passage-way for the pin p' when the piston is moved back
and forth.
The operation of the mechanism thus described is as follows: The hopper being
filled with matches by the combined action of the delivery belt B¹ and pulley P², and
the boxing-tube turned so that its closed side is at the bottom of the hopper-tube and
its open side uppermost as shown at Figure 7, the matches will, by gravity, descend
into the boxing tube so as to fill it. When this latter is accomplished the piston N is
turned by the engagement of the guide pin p³, (on the inner face of the boxing-tube)
with the groove g in the piston, so that as the latter is turned, the boxing-tube is
turned also until the pin pl on the exterior of the boxing-tube engages with the pin p
on the hopper-tube, by which engagement the further turning of the boxing-tube and
piston is arrested. At this point the closed part of the boxing-tube is brought
immediately beneath the opening in the bottom of the hopper, to prevent the further
descent of the matches, the parts appearing as shown at figure 9. While in this
position the piston N is moved through the boxing-tube and the subtending end of
the hopper-tube, the pin p³ running in the groove g of the piston so as to force
the matches contained between the boxing-tube and the hopper-tube through the
subtending end of the latter into a box d placed thereon and to force the filled box
from off the end of the hopper-tube.
The function of the boxing-tube thus arranged within the hopper-tube is to separate
when turned so that its closed side is uppermost the matches contained within and
between said hopper-tube and boxing-tube from those in the hopper. The function of
the curved side a¹ of the boxing-tube where cut away is to facilitate the passage of the
latter through the mass of matches as the boxing-tube is turned therein, so that it will
move more easily around and through the mass of matches to enclose them. The
function of the combined hopper-tube and boxing tube thus arranged when combined
with a piston to force the matches through the tubes into a box, is the same whether
the boxing-tube is actuated to turn within the hopper-tube by the piston or by some
other equivalent means hence this combination of the hopper and the hopper-tube
having a boxing-tube adapted to be turned within the hopper-tube and a piston
adapted to be moved through the boxing-tube and hopper-tube to force the matches
contained in the latter into a box, is not limited to use with the means described for
turning the boxing-tube.
The
When the machine is making matches it is desirable not to operate the boxing
mechanism until the hopper is filled with matches, as shown at figure 1;
matches after the hopper is filled are regularly delivered with all lying in one direction
and parallel in a solid mass.
While the piston N is shown as operated by hand it may if desired be operated by
machinery, without changing its function as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
-
First. In mechanism for boxing matches, the combination of a hopper adapted to
receive and contain matches; a hopper-tube at the bottom of said hopper and con-
nected therewith for the passage of matches from the hopper to said hopper-tube; a

page_text: boxing-tube cut away at one side and adapted to be turned within said hopper-tube
so as to cut off the connection between the hopper and hopper-tube; and a piston
adapted to be reciprocated within said hopper and boxing tubes, substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
Second. In mechanism for boxing matches, the combination of a hopper arranged to
receive matches; a hopper-tube at the bottom of the hopper and connecting with the
latter for the passage of matches from the hopper to the hopper-tube; a boxing-tube
provided with a guide pin on its inner surface, and ent away on one side and arranged
within the hopper-tube; and a piston constructed with a longitudinally arranged
groove adapted to receive the guide-pin of the boxing-tube, all constructed and
arranged to operate substantially in the manner as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third. In mechanism for boxing matches, the combination of the hopper H; the
hopper-tube T made with the opening O, connecting with the bottom of the hopper
and having the stop pin p exteriorly placed thereon; and the boxing-tube T cut
away at one side, substantially as shown and describod, and having the flange f and
the pins p; p, exteriorly placed thereon, all constructed and arranged to operate
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth. In mechanism for boxing matches, the combination of the hopper H; the
hopper-tube T connecting with the hopper and provided with the stop pin p; the
boxing-tube T2 provided with the exteriorly and oppositely placed pins p, p, the
Hange, and the interiorly placed pin p³; and the piston N having the groove g
adapted to receive the pin p³ on the interior face of the boxing-tube; said parts being
constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
Fifth. In mechanism for boxing matches, the combination of a hopper adapted to
receive and contain matches; a hopper-tube at the bottom of the hopper and connecting
with the latter thereat for the passage of matches from the hopper thereto, one end of
the hopper-tube being adapted to have an empty match box body placed thereon; a
boxing-tube having one side cut away but shorter than and arranged within the
hopper-tube, and adapted to be turned therein as shown and described; and a piston
adapted to be reciprocated in and through said boxing-tube and the subtending end of
the hopper-tube, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth..
Sixth. The combination of a belt adapted to receive, carry and deliver matches
from the upper surface of its progressive stretch; a hopper having one of its sides
adapted to under-run the splints on said belt; and a pulley adapted to run on the
upper surface of said belt and the matches, immediately over the place where said
hopper side under-runs the the matches, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Seventh. The combination of the belt B₁ adapted to receive, convey and deliver
matches from the upper surface of its progressive stretch; a hopper having one of its
sides adapted to under-run the matches upon said belt before the latter makes its
return stretch; a pulley adapted to run with its face upon the surface of said belt,
and the matches thereon immediately over where said hopper side under-runs said
matches; and a scraper arranged on the surface of said pulley, substantially as, and
for the purposes, set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.