Improvements in the Manufacture of Boxes, and the Machinery therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Boxes, and the Machinery
therefor.
I, RICHARD CHARLES WIXCEY, a Director of the Company of Johns Son
and Watts Limited, of 40 City Road, and Gunmakers Lane, Old Ford, in the
County of London, Box Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to a machine for facilitating the manufacture
of boxes of paper, card, cardboard, scaleboard and other pliable materials and such
as are of irregular or ornamental shape or otherwise require special manipulation,
and it comprises a mechanical arrangement by which the box generally with the
"mould" or block on which it is being formed still in it, is held in a convenient
position for being manipulated and in which it may be rotated at pleasure on the
axis of the apparatus.
The object of the apparatus is to hold the box in a position and in a manner
most convenient to the operator and so that the operator may have both hands
free to perform the various manipulations required (instead of one hand being
required to hold the box) and so that it may be turned at the operator's pleasure,
and so that the box may be very quickly so fixed and as quickly released.
The apparatus which I have invented for this purpose comprises two bars or
spindles mounted in suitable bearings in which they slide longitudinally towards or
from each other being in the same straight line so as to meet end to end and
provided with terminals between which the box to be treated is held.
The said bars are conveniently operated cach by a bell crank or other lever or
link or equivalent connected with a treadle in such wise that the downward move-
ment of the operator's foot on the treadle causes the two bars to move towards
each other and the release and return of the treadle separates them, so that when
a box is held between them, and the treadle pressed down by the foot of the
operator, the two bars advance towards each other and hold the box on its block
between them the one on the upper and the other on the lower side of it.
These bars are preferably of circular cross section and are either mounted so as
to rotate freely in their bearings or they are fitted with terminals capable of
rotating freely on them or one bar may be fitted in one way and the other in the
other way-and the rotating terminal or terminals may be made to work on ball
bearings so as to secure an easy motion even when under considerable pressure.
The treadle is fitted with a rack and pawl by which when the treadle has been
pressed down by the foot it is retained and prevented from returning until released
by the tail end of the pawl being touched by the operator's foot.
The frame carrying the sliding bars is preferably so mounted that the bars are
not vertical but at such an angle thereto that a box held between their ends is
presented edgewise to the operator in the most convenient position and manner for
being manipulated.
Dated the 10th day of March 1896.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Boxes, and the Machinery
therefor.
I, RICHARD CHARLES WIXCEY, a Director of the Company of Johns Sons
and Watts Limited, of 40 City Road, and Gunmakers Lane, Old Ford in the
County of London, Box Manufacturers, 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 principally to a machine for facilitating the manufacture
of boxes of paper, card, cardboard, scale board and other pliable materials, and
such as are of irregular or ornamental shape, or require special manipulation,
and it comprises a mechanical arrangement by which the box, generally with the
mould or block on which it is being formed, still in it, held in a convenient
position for being manipulated, and in which it may be rotated at pleasure.
The object of the apparatus is to hold the box in a position and in a manner
most convenient to the operator, and so that the operator may have both hands
free to perform the various manipulations required (instead of one hand being
required, as hitherto, to hold the box) and so that the said box may be turned at
the operator's pleasure and be very quickly secured and released.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in vertical section, and Figure 2 a front
elevation of a machine constructed according to this invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sections of detached portions of the apparatus, and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are drawn to a scale larger than that to which Figures 1
and 2 are drawn.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the various figures of
the drawings.
In constructing the apparatus as shewn in the drawings I provide a table A
supported ou a suitable standard A' and having secured to its upper side a bracket
or frame B in which an inclined bar or spindle C is capable of being moved in
the direction of its length; the table A also carries a bracket B' in which is
capable of being longitudinally reciprocated, an inclined bar or spindle C¹ which
is co-axial with the first named bar C.
The upper end of the bar or spindle C is swiveiled to a block D connected by
pivots d to the fork e on one arm of a bell-crank lever E, whose other arm el is
connected by a rod or link F with the back end of a treadle or foot-lever G. The
lower end of the bar or spindle C' is pivotted to, but is incapable of revolving in,
the fork h on one arm of a bell-crank lever H, whose other arm is connected by
a rod or link F with the treadle or foot-lever G, at or near the front end of
the latter.
The bell-crank levers E and H are pivotted, the former to a lug B on the
standard B, and the latter to a bracket A³ which may be either secured to the
underside of, or formed in one part with, the table A. The foot-lever G is pivotted
.at g to the lower part of the standard A¹ and is provided on its front end with a
foot-plate g' for the more convenient manipulation of the operator.
A spring I, connected at its upper end to the standard A¹, as for example by
a lug a as shewn in Figure 1, and, at its lower end, to the rod or link F', as for
example by a hook or equivalent f, tends always to raise the front end of the foot
lever G and thereby move the rods on spindles C C further away from each

page_text: other, that is to say, into substantially the positions in which these said parts are
represented in Figures 1 and 2.
On the foot-lever G is fixed a pawl or tooth with which engages a rack j,
carried by a lever J pivotted to the machine-base A' or standard A¹, or both.
The lever J is acted on by a spring which holds the rack j in engagement with
the pawl on tooth g' and the said lever is provided with a foot plate or equivalent
by which the operator can readily move it so as to bring the rack ; out of
engagement from the pawl or tooth g.
The lower end e of the bar or spindle C is screw-threaded to receive a boss or
block K, and lock-nut K', as shewn on an enlarged scale in Figure 3; when the
lock-out K is released from the boss or block K the latter may be raised or
lowered to any desired position on the screwed end c, the said boss or block there-
after being secured in any such adjusted position by jamming the lock-out K'
against it. The block K and lock-out K' are provided with flanges k. ' respectively,
the edges of which are milled for convenience in grasping when it is required to
adjust the position of the parts K K' on the screwed-end e.
Near the upper end of the bar or spindle C¹, is formed a circumferential
groove Figures 4 and 5, which, in conjunction with portions of grooves formed
in a socket L and sleeve L', forms a race for a ring of balls l. The sleeve L' is
externally screw-threaded and, besides screwing into the socket L, has a lock-
nut L threaded upon it, by means of which the two parts L and L' may be
locked in any desired position in relation to each other, by the provision of the
adjustable ball-bearing thus constituted the sleeve L' and any parts permanently,
or which may be temporarily, mounted thereon will be free to rotate on the bar
or spindle C with, but a minimum of friction, even when pressure is brought to
bear on the two bars or spindles C C¹ as hereinafter described. The sleeve L' is
formed in one part with a dise L³ whose edge is milled for convenience of screwing
the sleeve L' farther into or out of the socket I, when the ball bearing has to be
tightened or loosened.
The boss or block K and the dise L' are provided with truncated conical
projections respectively, which are co-axial and adapted to enter central
perforations or recesses in blocks such for example as those marked M M¹ and
shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.
N in Figure 1 represents in dotted lines a box-body, lid, or part (hereinafter
for convenience referred to as a "box") in course of manufacture or treatment.
The operation of the before described apparatus is as follows:-
The blocks M M' of the size required to fit into or upon the box N are placed,
the former (M) on the top, and the latter M' inside of the said box N, and the
block M is fitted on the cone 12 which at that time is in, or about in, the position
shewn in full lines in Figure 1, that is to say, as far as possible away from the
cone. The operator then depresses the foot-lever G and thereby moves the
spindles CC towards each other, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1 whereby
the cone is caused to enter the central recess or perforation in the block M.
The operator then removes his or her foot from the lever G which until sub-
sequently released by the operator will be retained in the position to which it was
last moved by means of the tooth g² and rack j.
If the box thus inserted in the machine be the first of a new series for which
the machine has not previously been adjusted, it may be that the said box, and the
blocks M M will not be held with sufficient rigidity between the two spindles
when the latter are moved towards each other as last described, this may result
from the blocks M. M' being of a thickness differing from that of the blocks last
used in the machine, or from the fact of the rack; being capable of engaging with
the tooth g only at the rack-teeth and not between them. To compensate for this,
the operator first screws the lock-nut k¹ away or releases it from the boss or block K
and screws the latter down on to the block M so as to exert the necessary pressure
thereon and then again joins the lock-nut against the boss or block K so as to
retain the latter in proper position on the rod or spindle C.

page_text: The lid N and blocks M M' will now be held firmly between the two rods or
spindles C. C' without the assistance of the operator who will have both of his or
her hands free to operate upon the box, and the said box owing to the spindle C C¹
being respectively swivelled and mounted in or on the ball bearing 1, may be freely
rotated on an axis coinciding with that of the spindles C C¹.
When the box N is to be removed from the machine the operator depresses the
foot plate so as to release the detent J from the tooth 92 and thereby allow the
foot lever G to be acted upon by its spring and the spindle C C to be moved
apart, the operator may then remove the completed box and substitute for it a box
to be treated in the machine at the next operation.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
essential features of the invention, for example, although I prefer to employ a
ball bearing for the socket L by reason of the freedom it provides for the rotation
of the said socket upon the spindle C₁ I may use any other form of bearing, and
moreover the bars or spindles C C instead of being inclined as shown in the
drawings, may be vertical or horizontal.
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. In a machine for use in connection with the manufacture of boxes of paper,
card, cardboard, scale board and other pliable materials, the combination with a
treadle or foot-lever of two co-axial bars or spindles such as C. C¹ and devices for
connecting the bars or spindles to the treadle or foot lever in such manner that
when the foot lever is moved in one direction the spindles C C are caused to
approach each other and when the foot lever is moved in the reverse direction the
spindles are caused to recede from each other substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine such as claimed in the preceding claiming clause the combination
with one of the spindles C C of a disc such as L3 having a cone or projection such
as 12, mounted on the said spindle by means of a ball bearing substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a machine such as claimed in the first preceding claiming clause the
combination with one of the spindles C. C' of a boss or block such as K having a
cone or projection such as k2, and a lock-nut. such as K¹ adjustable on a screw-
threaded portion of the said spindle substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In a machine such as claimed in the first preceding claiming clause the
combination with the treadle or foot lever of a spring-controlled detent adapted to
be released by the foot of the operator substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the machine for use
in connection with the manufacture of boxes of paper, card, cardboard, scale
board and other pliable materials substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The improvements in the manufacture of boxes and the machinery therefore
substantially herein before described and for the purposes set forth.
Deted the 10th da
2000
R. C. WIXCEY.