Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Securing the Wrappers of Boxes and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Securing the Wrappers
of Boxes and the like.
We, JOSEPH JOHN ACWORTH, Doctor of Philosophy and Managing Director of
the Imperial Dry Plate Company Limited, of Ashford Road, Cricklewood, in the
County of Middlesex, and CHARLES WINTER, of the same place, Secretary to the
said Company, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
By
This invention has for its object to provide apparatus to facilitate the folding or
folding and securing of the wrappers of boxes, or for like purposes, where wrappers
are to he folded, or folded and secured upon rectangular boxes or bodies. We will.
refer to the article to which the wrapper is applied as a box. The apparatus is
intended for folding, or folding and securing the wrappers at the ends of the box,
to be wrapped after the wrapper has been wrapped around the box and secured at
the overlapping edge, leaving the wrapper projecting from the ends of the box.
The four parts of the wrapper at each end which then have to be folded we will
refer to as the top and bottom and two side folds. To make the two side folds,
a support for the box is provided which holds the box in position whilst four
fingers, or levers, which can be turned upon centres, are operated so as to simul-
taneously, or successively fold in the wrapper at the sides so as to leave triangular
ears projecting at the top and bottom these cars being subsequently folded over
to complete the wrapping. The said fingers, or levers, can be operated by one
movement by providing pieces which bear upon them to press them inwards
for example by making them in the form of bell-crank levers and mounting them
on centres on the support for the box which support is made moveable.
moving inwards a piece at one side two of the fingers, or levers, are operated by
the said piece and then by a continuation of the movement, the support and the
box are moved along and the other fingers or levers are caused to be moved
inwards by their tails coming against a stop. Or, in place of using the said
fingers, or levers, we may use two pairs of bevelled horns, and place the box.
with the wrapper folded around it as before, upon a travelling support which is
moved in one direction so as to cause one pair of horns to make two of the side
folds and then in the other direction so as to cause the other pair of horns to make
the other two side folds so as to leave triangular cars projecting from the top and
bottom as before. Instead of the box being moved relatively to the horns the
herns may be moved to make the side folds and then all four side folds may be
effected simultaneously. When stationary horns are used the box may be moved.
to bring the wrapper against the first pair of horns by means of a projection from
the travelling support, or base, which projection retreats when out of action
and is again protruded to act on the next box a permanent projection at the other
side of the box moving the box so that the wrapper is folded by the second pair
of horns. The boxes may be fed onto the base, or support, automatically or by

page_text: '
hand. The folding down of the triangular car.pieces projecting as aforesaid from
the top and bottom to make the top and bottom folds can be effected by folding
up the two ears projecting from the bottom, by means of folders acting from each
side by the box, or the base, or support, thereof, acting upon levers which actuate
the said folders; or the said folds can be made by means of curved guide pieces
which fold up the said ears at the bottom as the box travels forward, the folding
of the triangular ears projecting from the top being effected by bringing the box
under a guideway, or trunk, so that the ears project from the lower edge, and
when the box is pushed up into this trunk the ears are folded down by the said
edges. If it be desired to fasten down the cars by cement this-can-be-effected by
a cementing device so situated that, as the ears are folded down, they wipe against
the said device and take off cement therefrom. When the box thus wrapped is
forced up into the trunk it can be held up by spring pieces and successive boxes
will push the preceding boxes before them and the sides of the trunk will hold
down the folds till the cement is sufficiently set. In order to make a neater.
fold a portion of the ear pieces can be cut off and this can be effected by providing
cutting devices situated between the second pair of horns and the devices for
folding the cars, and the said cutting devices can be operated from the travelling
base, or support, so that the cutting of the ears is effected as the box travels from
the second pair of horns.
Dated this 30th day of March 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn"Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Securing the Wrappers
of Boxes and the like.
We, JOSEPH JOHN ACWORTH, Doctor of Philosophy and Managing Director of
the Imperial Dry Plate Company Limited, of Ashford Road, Cricklewood, in the
County of Middlesex, and CHARLES WINTER, of the same place, Secretary to the
said Company, 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 has for its object to provide apparatus to facilitate the folding,
or folding and securing, of the wrappers of boxes, or for like purposes, where
wrappers are to be folded, or folded and secured, upon boxes, or bodies, especially
rectangular boxes, or bodies. We will refer to the article to which the wrapper
is applied as a box. The apparatus is intended for folding, or folding and
securing, the wrappers at the ends of the box to be wrapped, after the wrapper has
been wrapped around the box and, if necessary, secured at the overlapping edge
leaving the wrapper projecting from the ends of the box. We will describe the
invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 and 2 being a
plan and transverse section of an arrangement of levers for effecting the folding
and Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrating a machine made in accordance with this
invention in which horns are used instead of levers. Figure 3 being a plan
Figure 4 a longitudinal section and Figures 5 and 6 transverse sections respec-
tively taken on the lines 1, 2 and 3, 4 of Figure 4. Figures 7 to 10 represent
in perspective a box or packet in the several stages of the wrapping process.
The four parts of the wrapper at each end which have to be folded by the apparatus
we will refer to as the top fold, the bottom fold and the two side folds. To
make the two side folds by means of the lever arrangement Figures 1 and 2 a

page_text: suitably guided support A for the box is provided which retains the box sur-
rounded on four sides by a wrapper as shewn in Figure 7 in position whilst
four fingers, or levers, B, in the form of bell-cranks and which can be; turned
upon centres, b, on the box support, are operated so as to fold in the wrapper; at
the sides so as to leave ears projecting at the top and bottom these ears being
subsequently folded over to complete the wrapping. By moving inwards a
suitably guided sliding piece C, at one side two of the fingers, or levers, B3, are
operated by the said piece C, so as to fold one side a of each projecting end of the
wrapper as shewn in Figure 8 and then, by a continuation of the movement, the
support A and the box are moved along and the other fingers, or levers, B, are.
caused to be moved inwards by coming against a stop D so as to fold the other
side of each projecting end of the wrapper as shewn in Figure 9. is the
slide in which the sliding piece C, and support A slide. Fare springs attached
to the fingers, or levers, B; of each pair to draw them open when released from
pressure. In place of using the said fingers, or levers, we may use two pairs of
bevelled horns G and H as shewn in the machine illustrated in Figures 3 to 6,
and feed the boxes, with the wrapper folded around them as before, on to a
travelling support; or base, K which is moved in one direction so as to cause the
pair of horns.G, carried thereby, to make the first two side, folds a, in the wrapper
of the lowermost box of a series contained in guides M, and then the horns G
retreat and the box descends onto a depressed part of the support, or. base; which
forms a projection L, which, on the next reciprocation of the support, carries the
box past the stationary horns H, by which the other two side folds 6 of the
wrapper are made. The boxes may be fed automatically onto the support or base
although they are shewn as being fed down the guides M by hand. The folding-in
of the car pieces c d projecting, as aforesaid, from the top and bottom to make the
top and bottom folds, can be effected by folding up the two ears e projecting from
the bottom, by means of the curved guide pieces: N which fold up the said 'ears
at the bottom as shewn in Figure 10 as 'the box is pushed forward by the pro-
jection L the folding of the ear pieces projecting from the top being effected by
the box being brought under a guideway, or trunk so that the upper ear pieces
project from the apertures P at the lower edge, and, when the box is pushed up
into this trunk Q, the ear pieces are folded down as shewn in Figure 11 by the
said edges to form the top fold. If it be desired to fasten down the ears by
cement this can be effected by cementing devices Q at each side so situated that,
as the ears are folded down, they wipe against the said device and take off cement
therefrom. The cementing devices are shewn as consisting of a roller q the axis
of which is mounted in bearings in a trough containing the cement, the bearings
being above the level of the cement. It is preferred to make the trough in two
parts, an outer part to carry the bearings and an inner part to contain the cement.
When the box thus wrapped is forced up into the trunk (by the lever R.
centred at it can be held up by spring pieces S and successive boxes will
push the preceding boxes before them and the sides of the trunk will hold
down the folds till the cement is sufficiently set. The lever R is operated by a
rollert on the travelling support or base K which roller acts on the curved part r
to raise the lever R which returns by its own weight or by the action of the
underside of the roller on a curved surface thereon, after lifting the box suffi;
ciently to be held up by the spring pieces S$. If desired, in order to make a
neater fold, a portion of the car pieces, forming the lower folds can be cut off
and this can be effected by providing cutting devices situated, between the
second pair of horns H and the devices for folding the top and bottom ear pieces,
and the said cutting devices can be in the form of shears operated from the
travelling base, or support similarly to the lever R so that the cutting of the
cars is effected as the box travels from the second pair of horns but in practice
this will not generally be necessary.
Whan the wronnor ufouch'a
sin that it wraicets to a arrałań distance than

page_text: the depth of the box the last fold to turn the end of the ear under the box will be
effected by the action of the spring pieces S.
The invention is not limited to the precise arrangements illustrated in the
drawings as it will be evident that they can be varied without departing from the
nature of the invention; for example the levers, or horns, by which the side folds
are effected can be arranged so that they both move simultaneously, or one after
the other, in opposite directions to effect the folding, or when using the horns,
both pairs of horns can be made stationary and the support carrying the box be
moved first in one direction to cause the one pair of horns to make the folds at one
side, and then in the other direction to cause the other pair of horns to make the
folds at the other side.
For this purpose instead of the projection at L a moveable projection may be
used, which, as the support moves, is retreated when out of action. and advanced
at the proper time to act upon the box to move it forward. Instead of the curved
guide pieces N, for folding up the bottom cars, moveable pieces may be used acted
upon by the travelling base, or support, or the means used for giving motion to it,
so as to project and effect the folding at the proper times.
The spring pieces S may be substituted by bolts travelling horizontally in
guides and operated by weights, the wrapped boxes, as they are forced upwards,
pushing the bolts outwards the said bolts, when each box has passed above them
returning to support the wrapped boxes and, if the wrapper projects to a greater
distance than the depth of the box, to complete the last folding of the end of the
ear piece under the box. The lever R may be substituted by a rising and falling
platform travelling in guides and operated by a roller such as acting on a cam or
curved surface and the return of the platform can be effected by gravity or by
the underside of the roller bearing against a curved or cam surface carried by the
said platform.
The movements may be applied by hand, or from any suitable motor. In the
drawings we have shewn a hand-wheel with a connecting rod attached to the
sliding support, or base K, but in place of this, a band pulley, for a driving
strap, can be used when the machine is to be driven by a motor.
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
wo claim is:
1. An apparatus for folding the wrappers of boxes, or the like, the said apparatus
consisting of, or comprising, fingers, or levers, which operate to turn in the
side folds of the wrapper; substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for folding the wrappers of boxes, or the like, horns which effect
the turning in of the side folds of the wrapper; substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In apparatus for folding the wrappers of boxes, or the like, the combination
of means for turning in the side folds of the wrapper, means for turning over the
top and bottom folds of the said wrapper, and means for applying cement; sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In apparatus for folding the wrappers of boxes, or the like, the combination
of fingers, or horns, for turning in the side folds of the wrapper, means for
turning over the top and bottom folds of the said wrapper, means for applying
cement, and a trunk, or guideway, up, or along, which the wrapped boxes, or the
like, are forced; substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In apparatus for folding the wrappers of boxes, or the like, the combination
of means for turning in the side folds of the wrapper, means for turning over the
top and bottom folds of the wrapper, and a trunk, or guideway, and a lifting lever
for passing the wrapped boxes up, or along, the said trunk, or guideway; sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
6. The arrangement, or combination, of parts constituting apparatus for turning
in the side folds of the wrappers of boxes, or the like; substantially as

page_text: herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. The arrangement, or combination, of parts constituting apparatus for folding
and securing the wrappers of boxes, or the like, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of January 1900.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.