Improved Apparatus for Packing Life Jackets, Belts, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1390
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1391-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Packing Life Jackets, Belts, and the like.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of St. Stephen's Club, Westminster,
Manufacturer of Buoyancy Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus designed for effecting the packing
or filling of pocketted life-saving jackets, belts and analogous pocketted receptacles,
with roasted or baked cork or with other buoyant packing material, the apparatus
being also applicable for effecting the packing, padding or filling of various
pocketted devices with any desired packing material.
The improved apparatus is constructed with a series of rising, pendant or inclined
tubes preferably composed of thin metal such tubes being of varying or suitable
lengths respectively adapted and arranged to be inserted into the adjacent pockets
of the garment or other device to be packed or filled, and to respectively extend
to the top, bottom or end of each of such pockets.
The tubes are open throughout their length and are made of such size or sizes in
cross section as to fit snugly within the pockets into which they are inserted.
The tubes are separate from each other for such length as will allow the pocketted
garment or other device to be slipped thereonto until the tubes extend to the other
end or ends thereof which is or are closed by doubling or sewing the fabric of
which the garment or device is composed. For the remainder of their length the
tubes are connected either to independent supports or to a support or supports
common to the series or to several thereof.
At the connected ends the tubes are adapted with hopper attachments there
being a separate hopper to each of such tubes or there may be an adjustable hopper
applicable to the series of tubes and into which hoppers the buoyant or other
material to be packed into the pocketted garment or other device fitted on to the
projecting tubes, is filled.
The packing of the material into the pocketted garment or other device is effected
by a series of rammer-heads one for each tube and pocket, and which are so disposed
as to accommodate the different positions and various lengths (if varying) of the
tubes, and are of a formation and size conformable with those of the tubes. The
rammer-heads are respectively connected to a series of suitably guided rods or bars
which may be racked and actuated simultaneously by toothed pinions on a common
shaft to which rotary motion may be given as desired either by a handwheel or by
power.
Suitable provision may be made for throwing any of the pinions out of gear with
their respective racked bars, thus permitting, if required, adjustment of any of the
rammer-heads. Suitable provision may also be made for arresting and, if required,
retaining the rammer-heads at the desired terminations of their reciprocating
movements.
as to
The operation of packing the pocketted garment or other device is effected by
inserting the projecting tubes into the pockets of the garment so as to extend
throughout the length thereof to the opposite closed end, filling into the tubes the
desired charge of packing material, operating the series of plungers 80
compact the material within the tubes to about the depths of the surrounding
pockets and against the closed bottom of the garment which for the time is
supported by a removable block presenting any necessary resistance, after which
and upon the block being removed the forward movement of the series of rammer-
heads is continued so as to eject the material compacted within the tubes against

page_text: the now unsupported closed end of the pocketted garment or other device and from
out of these tubes, which causes the garment as it becomes packed to be gradually
thrust from off the tubes, the forward motion of the rammer-heads being continued
until the packing material within the tubes is wholly ejected therefrom into the
pockets of the garment or other device, which thus, at one operation, is packed as
desired and removed from the packing apparatus ready to be sewn or otherwise
closed up at the open ends of the pockets.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Packing Life Jackets, Belts, and the like.
I, FRANCIS WENTWORTH BREWSTER, of St. Stephen's Club, Westminster,
Manufacturer of Buoyancy Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of the said
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 improved apparatus designed for effecting the packing
or filling of pocketted life-saving jackets, belts and analogous pocketted receptacles,
with roasted or baked cork or with other buoyant packing material, the apparatus
being also applicable for effecting the packing, padding or filling of various
pocketted devices with any desired packing material.
The improved apparatus is represented on the accompanying drawings. in front
elevation in Fig. 1, and in sectional side elevation in Fig. 2.
The improved apparatus is constructed with a series of tubes 3, preferably
composed of thin metal, such tubes being of varying or suitable lengths respectively
arranged to be inserted into the adjacent pockets of the garment or other device
to be packed or filled, and to extend to the end of each of such pockets. The
tubes are open throughout their length, vide Fig. 2, and are made of such size or
sizes in cross section as to fit snugly within the pockets into which they are intended
to be inserted. The tubes are separate from each other for such length as will
allow the pocketted garment or other device to be slipped thereonto until the tubes
_extend to the other end or ends thereof, which is or are closed by doubling, sewing
or otherwise fastening the fabric of which the garment or device is composed.
:
At convenient parts the tubes are suitably connected either to a series of
independent supports or to one or more supports common to the series or to several
thereof such supports may advantageously consist of plates 4, secured to cross
bars 5, bolted to the framing 6. At such connected ends the tubes are adapted
with suitable hopper attachments 7, there being a separate hopper to each of such
tubes or a hopper or hoppers common to the series or to several thereof and bolted
to the adjacent supports 4, 5, or framing 6, or there may be an adjustable hopper
applicable to the series of tubes, and into which hopper or hoppers is filled the
buoyant or other material to be packed into the pocketted garment or other device
fitted onto the projecting tubes.
The packing of the material into the pocketted garment or other device is
effected by a series of rammer-heads 8, one for each tube and pocket, and which
are so disposed as to accommodate the different positions and various lengths (if
varying) of the tubes 3, and are of a formation and size conformable with those of
the tubes. The rammer-heads are respectively connected to one of a series of
suitably guided rods or bars 9, which may be formed as racks and actuated simul-
taneously by toothed pinions on a common shaft 10, to which rotary motion may be
given, as desired, either by a hand-wheel or by power. If such actuating device be
used, any suitable provision may be made for throwing any of the pinions out of
gear with their respective racked bars, so as to permit, if required, of adjustment

page_text: of any of the rammer-heads. Any suitable provision may also be made for arresting
and also, if required, retaining the rammer-heads at the desired terminations of their
reciprocating movements.
The operation of packing the pocketted garment or other device is effected by
inserting the projecting tubes 3, into the pockets of the garments so as to extend
throughout the length thereof to the opposite end, filling into the hoppers 7, and
tubes 3, the desired charge of packing material, operating the series of plungers 8,
so as to compact the material within the tubes to about the depths of the surrounding
pockets and against the closed bottom of the garment which, for the time is supported
by a removable block 35, presenting any necessary resistance, after which and upon
the block being removed, the forward movement of the series of rammer-heads is
continued so as to eject the material compacted within the tubes against the now
unsupported closed end of the pocketted garment or other device and from out of
the tubes, which causes the garment, as it becomes packed, to be gradually thrust
from off the tubes 3, the forward motion of the rammer-heads being continued until
the packing material within the tubes is wholly ejected therefrom into the pockets
of the garment or other device, which thus, at one operation, is packed as desired
and removed from the packing apparatus ready to be sewn or otherwise closed up
at the open ends thereof.
The rammer-heads 8, are preferably actuated by a series of worm-pinions 11, fast
on the shaft 10, and gearing with a series of nut-pinions 12, which are supported by
a crosshead 13, and by pinned collars 14, each of such pinions 12, engaging with a
threaded continuation of one of the plunger-rods 9, each of which is formed with a
keyway 15, engaging with a key 16, carried by a crosshead 17, so that the rotation
of the shaft 10, will cause the nut-pinions 12, to be rotated and the plunger-rods 9,
to be lowered or raised without being rotated. The shaft 10, may be rotated either
by hand by means of the handle 18, pulleys 19, 20, and belt 21, the handle and
pulley 19, being fast on a cross shaft 22: or by power by means of pulleys 23, 24,
and a belt 25. 26, is a loose pulley.
The block 35, hinged as at 27, to a cross rod 28, supported by the framing 6,
and is linked as at 29, to lever-arms 30, which are fast on a cross shaft 31, also
supported by the framing 6. The arms 30, are actuated by cams 32, fast on a
rocking cross shaft 33, supported by the framing 6, and actuated by a hand-lever 34,
so as to cause the block 35, to be raised from the position indicated in dotted lines
to that indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, when the packing material is about to be
compressed in the tubes 3. The cross shaft 33, on which the hand-lever 34, is
secured, is formed with a lever-arm 36, which is linked as at 37, to a rod 38,
which is provided with a screw adjustment at 39, and is adjustably connected at 40,
to a lever 41, which is adjustably centred at 42, to uprights 43, rising from the
crosshead 17, and provided with a counterweight at 48. One of the plunger-rods 9,
is also provided with an extending arm 44, which is connected to a rod 45, working
within a suitably supported guiding tube 46.
Upon the packing material being fully compressed within the tubes 3, the arm 44,
owing to the descent of the rod 9, to which it is attached, engages with the adjacent
end of the lever 41, and by the described connections actuates the block 35, so as
to turn it or allow it to fall clear of the outlets from the tubes 3, and also by next
engaging with a counterweighted lever 49, centred at 50, to the cross head 17, and
connected at 51, to a belt shipping rod 52, causes the belt 25, to be thrown onto
the loose pulley 26, thus stopping the packing operation. The levers can be
adjusted as required so as to stop the packing operation when the material is
sufficiently packed and can be adjusted to suit the various lengths of pocket.
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 :-
The improved apparatus for packing life-jackets, belts and analogous pocketted

page_text: articles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 5th day of September 1891.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.