Improvements in Match Packing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
COMPLETE
Improvements in Match Packing Machines.
We, THOMAS A. Cook, of the City of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, machinist,
and FELIX LABELLE, of the City of Hull, in the Province of Quebec, machinist, all
in the Dominion of Canada, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for,
IMPROVEMENTS IN MATCH PACKING MACHINES, and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to machines for packing matches in slide boxes and putting
each filled box into its case or cover.
The object of our invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive machine to
which the matches, the empty boxes and covers are separately fed and that will
automatically fill the boxes with matches and put the filled boxes in their covers.
Our improved machine consists briefly of a table supported upon a suitable frame
adapted to support the necessary gearing. Upon said table is formed a race or
channel with a deviation from the straight course at a right angle, in which the
match boxes are adapted to travel. The boxes receive motion by means of endless
chains.or belts. A hopper adapted to contain the matches and under which the boxes
pass, is placed over the main race and is provided with means of facilitating the
proper entry and exit of the boxes. Special means are also provided for inserting
the filled boxes in their covers. A hopper or stack slide is also provided for feeding
.
the empty covers.
Fig. 1 is a top view of our improved machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on line xx figs. 1 and 4.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on line y y figs. 1 2 and 3.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the match hopper corresponding to fig. 3 and
showing the same in detail on a larger scale.
"
Fig. 6 is a transverse. section of the match hopper on line z z figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5,
showing the same in detail on a larger scale.
Figs. 7 and 8 are side and end views respectively of the device for inserting the
boxes in the covers..
Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the same device corresponding to fig. 4 and on
the line fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on line y¹ y¹ figs. 7, 8 and 9.
Fig. 11 is a separate side view of the chain, and
Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the course and direction of the boxes.
>
A is a table supported upon the frame A¹. a and a are strips or guides secured
upon the table forming two continuous races joining each other end to end at a right
angle, the cross section the longitudinal. race being equal to, or rather larger than;
the longitudinal section of a match box X, and that of the transverse race equal to,
or rather larger than, the transverse section of the boxes. At the end of the
longitudinal race a a is an inclined feed slide A" upon which the race a a is continued.
B, figs. 3, 5 and 6, is the match hopper supported slidingly upon the guides a a and
It is made of any
allowing room for the boxes in the race to pass under the same.
desired length with sloping ends and vertical sides, equal in width to the length of the
matches. On the inside of the feed end is placed a plate spring 6 which projects
below the lower lip of the same, so as to come in contact with the edge of the entering
match box and prevent matches falling out. At the inside of the rear or discharge
end is placed
a fluted roller B₁ having its ends reduced in diameter and having
necks turned into it, into which project tongues 6" forming extensions of the
hopper end, the surface of which is level with the periphery of the roller and form
CD 01

page_text: tangents to the same; the lower point of the periphery of said roller being even with
the top of the match boxes passing under the same and with a cover 610 joining the
roller. The roller B¹ is journaled transversely in the hopper and carries a pulley B";
it is driven by a strap C from a pulley Con a countershaft C, receiving motion
from the shaft E. The direction of the rotation of the roller is so that the lower
surface moves in an opposite direction to that of the match boxes X. The hopper
is placed between strips or guides all upon the guides a and has a
slight shaking
motion, being drawn in one direction by a spring 61 and in the other by the operation
of cams upon a shaft 6 which is journaled below the table and driven by a strap bo
over pulleys 67 and 6 from the shaft E, the cams 64 operating upon arms 6º secured
to the sides of the hopper and projecting through slots in the table. D, figs. 1, 2
and 3, is the driving shaft supported upon brackets on the frame A' and connected
by mitre gear dd to the shaft E, which is supported upon brackets on the frame at
the feed end. The driving shaft D gives motion to the countershaft F by means of
pulleys and belts or sprocket wheels D D and endless chains d", the shaft E gives
motion to the countershaft C by pulleys and belt E E
G G¹ and G are endless pitch chains running in grooves in the table A, so that
their upper surface is level with said table. Said chains carry at intervals upward
projections g, which are adapted to engage the ends of, and propel, the match boxes,
and are provided at their tips with small friction rollers g¹ so as to leave the boxes
with as little friction as possible. The chain G is located in the centre of the
longitudinal race and is driven from the shaft E by a sprocket wheel E¹, passing
over a similar sprocket wheel e¹ journaled under the feed end of the hopper. The
chain G is driven from the same shaft by means of the sprocket wheel E" and
passes under the cover hopper and over a sprocket wheel el journaled at the other
end of the table. The chain G' runs centrally in the transverse race and is driven
from the driving shaft D by a sprocket wheel D₁ and passing over a sprocket
wheel D journaled under and near the end of said transverse race.
H is the vertical cover or case hopper, in which the empty covers or cases X¹¹ are
fed and stacked in a vertical pile. It is placed at the end of the transverse race, so
that each cover stands end on to said race. The endless chain G" passes transversely
under the pile of covers and the hopper is open at the delivery side of the chain,
enabling the latter to carry away the completed and covered box.
In the end of the transverse race is a sliding casing I, figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10,
consisting of a top and sides, the latter of which have rearwardly projecting
extensions or ears i which are connected by a narrow bottom plate I'. The inside
of said casing is flush with the surfaces of the race and the lower edges of the
sides also project a little below the bottom of the race, grooves being provided for
their reception. The top of the casing is provided with a very thin plate i hinged
to the rear edge thereof, and hanging thereon like a curtain. At the rear edges of
the sides and bottom and flush with the inner faces of the same are secured very
fine plate springs and ¹, projecting rearwardly and tending to spring inwardly,
so as to form guides or bridges over the joint between box and cover for the smooth
and unobstructed entrance of the boxes ✗, now filled and called X₁ for the sake of
distinction, into the covers X". The ears are pivoted to the upper ends of lever
arms J, which are pivotally fulcrumed below, the lower ends extending down the
side of a crank disk K provided with crank pins k which work in slots j in said
arms; the crank disk or pulley K being driven by a pitch chain or belt from the
countershaft F. The crank disk (which may at the same time serve as pulley or
sprocket wheel) with crank pins k gives an oscillating motion to the lever arms J and
a forward and backward motion to the casing I, thus alternately projecting the
springs and into the cover and then withdrawing them again from the completed
box X just before the chain G¹¹ carries the same out of the hopper H.
The sprocket wheels D' and E", driving the transverse chain G¹ and the delivery
chain G respectively, may be journaled loose upon their respective shafts D and E
and may be driven by feathered friction clutches D and E respectively. These
friction clutches are controlled by levers L and L¹ (figs. 1 and 2) pivoted to the

page_text: table and operated as follows. The lever L extends to the end of the longitudinal
race and is drawn against the outside of the guide a¹ by a spring 2, and provided
with two pins which project through said guide inside the race. Pressure on
these pins, by a box X' arriving at the end of the race, will push the pins out and
put the clutch in gear, thus setting the chain G¹ in motion, which carries the box X'
along the transverse race and pushes it into a cover. The end of the same box will
now press against a pin 11 projecting through the back of the cover hopper H,
which is covered by a spring and secured to the lever L' which is drawn towards
the hopper by a spring 1. The pin being pushed out moves the lever and puts
the clutch E into gear and sets the chain Gin motion, carrying away the completed
box X111
The clutches D and E and lever L and L' may however be dispensed with and
the sprocket wheels D¹ and E¹ may be fast upon the shafts D and E, the motion of
the chains G and G" and the projection ŷ thereon being correctly spaced and
timed to act upon the boxes and covers at the proper moment.
b
The machine operates as follows: X are the empty boxes, X' the filled boxes,
X" the empty covers or cases, and X the completed boxes, or covers or cases
containing filled boxes. The direction of the movement of the boxes and cases are
indicated by arrows.
The empty boxes X are fed upon the inclined feed slide A¹¹;
down which they slide and are carried by the endless chain G one by one, under
the hopper B. The next box, arriving the same way, pushes the preceeding one
forward, and a succession of boxes is thus formed. The hopper is filled with matches,
and these drop into the empty boxes as they arrive under it, the spring 6 preventing
matches from falling out at the entrance to the hopper, and the roller B rotating in
the opposite direction to the movement of the boxes, pushes back the surplus filling.
The partial cover over the roller B₁ prevents the matches being thrown upwards.
The shaking motion of the hopper tends to keep the matches straight and parallel to
each other. As the boxes X', now filled, issue from under the hopper, they pass to
the end of the longitudinal race and are carried along the transverse race by the
chain G. Before the filled box arrives at the end of the transverse race and passes
through the casing I, the latter moves forward against the lowermost cover X" in
the hopper H and inserts the springs into the mouth of the same, thus covering
the edges of its mouth. The box X¹ is now pushed into the cover by the chain G', the
casing I recedes and clears the springs and the curtain i¹, and leaves the
completed box X11 free to be carried away by the chain G".
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A match packing machine, consisting of a table supported upon a frame carrying
the necessary gearing, guides a and a' forming a race for match boxes having a
rectangular course, a match hopper over the longitudinal part of said race provided
with a spring at its entrance and a levelling roller at its exit, an endless pitch chain
having its upper surface level with said race and having upward projections to engage
the match boxes, an endless pitch chain in the transverse portion of said race having
its upper surface level with the bottom of said race and having upward projections
at intervals adapted to engage the boxes in said race, a vertical hopper at the end of the
transverse race adapted to contain a pile of empty covers or cases, an endless pitch
chain passing through the cover hopper and having its upper surface level with the
table and having projections adapted to engage a cover in said hopper, and a sliding
casing at the end of the transverse race having springs at its delivery end adapted to
project into the cover and means to impart a slight reciprocating motion to the same,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a match packing machine, the combination of the table A supported upon a
frame, framing A¹ supporting said table, guides a a¹ forming a race having a
rectangular, course, an inclined feed slide A" at the end of the longitudinal portion of
said race, a hopper H upon said race, provided with spring b, roller B' and shaking

page_text: motion, endless chain G running in said race, driving shaft D, shaft E geared to said
driving shaft and driving the endless chain G also the shaker shaft & and a counter-
shaft, and the countershaft C giving motion to the roller B¹, substantially as set
forth.
3. In a match box packing machine, the combination of the table A and framing A¹;
guides a a¹ forming a race having a rectangular course, an endless pitch chain G
running in the transverse part of said race, the driving shaft D giving motion to said
chain and to a countershaft F driven by the shaft D and giving motion to the crank
disk K, a pivoted sliding casing I having springs and curtain i' and the pivoted
lever arms J pivoted to said casing and operated by crank pins kon said crank disk,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a match box packing machine, the combination of the table A and framing A¹,
guides a a¹ forming a race having a rectangular course, a cover hopper H at the end
of the transverse portion of said race, an endless pitch chain G" passing under said
hopper and the shaft E giving motion to said chain, substantially as set forth.
5. In a match packing machine, the combination of the table A and framing A¹,
guides a forming a transverse race, a sliding casing I having ears i, and bottom
plate I, curtain hinged to the upper edge of said casing, springs 11 secured to the
rear edges of the sides of said casing and projecting rearwards and inwards, spring
secured to the bottom plate I¹ of said casing, the levers J pivoted to the ears i
and the crank disk K having crank pins k operating in slots j of said levers J;
substantially as set forth.
6. In a match packing machine, the combination of the table A and framing A',
guides a forming a longitudinal race, hopper B having spring and roller B',
guides all upon the guides a forming a slide way for said hopper, spring 611 drawing
said hopper in one direction, arins 6 secured to the sides of said hopper and projecting
through slots in the table, a shaker shaft be having a cam * operating upon said arms
in a direction opposite to the operation of the spring, substantially as set forth.
7 In a match packing machine, the combination of the table A and framing A',
guides a a¹ forming a race having a rectangular course, driving shaft D carrying a
friction clutch D and sprocket wheel D₁ operating a pitch chain and driving a
shaft E, the shaft E carrying a friction clutch E and sprocket wheel D" operating a
pitch chain, the pitch chain G¹ upon the sprocket wheels D¹ D", endless pitch
chain G upon the sprocket wheels E" el, clutch lever L engaging the clutch D
and having pins 1 projecting through the guides a' into the transverse race and
held therein by a spring 1, the clutch lever L' engaging the clutch E and having a
pin projecting through the hopper H covered by a spring 11 and held by a
spring and the hopper H, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of March A.D. 1889.