US1365471A

US1365471A - Box-making x m machine

Info

Publication number: US1365471A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1921-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1938-01-11

Description

C. EIKLER.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED JUNE 21. 1915. RENEWED MAY 19.1920.

1,365, 17 1*. Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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c. EIKLER.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED umz 21, 1915. RENEWED MAY I9, 1920.

1,365,471 Patent-ed Jan. 11, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET-2- C. EiKLER.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. I9|5. RENEWED MAY 19.1920. 1,365,471.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

WW WW C. ESKLER.

BOX MAKING IVIACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZI, 1915. RENEWED MAY 19.1920.

Patent-ed Jan. 11, 1921* 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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m% w m mmw wu ms Q C. EIKLER.

BOX MAKING MACHSNE.

APPLICATION men JUNEZI, 19:5. RENEWED mm 19, 1920.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921,

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

wmw N kw c. EIKLER.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZI, I9I5- RENEWED 'IIIAY I9. I920. 1,365,471.

9 9F. n; '8 mm om 8 d6 6 m )w a P UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EIKLER, OF CI-IIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO "WIREBOUNDS PATENTS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BOX-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed June 21, 1915, Serial No. 35.327.

2" 0 all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES EIKLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to box making machines and particularly to that class of machines adapted to form the blank comprising four sides of a wire bound box. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide in a machine of this type new and improved means for feeding forward the cleats or strips which make up the frame of the completed box and to which strips or cleats the thin boards which form the sides of the box are secured by the use ofmy improved machine. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a cleat-feeding device such that-the cleats shall be fed for-- ward relative to the box blank which is'being formed in proper positlon regardless of the length of the cleat, making it possible to use the machine for making different sized boxes without an adjustment of the cleat-feeding devices.

It is another object of my invention to n-ovide means for adjusting as desired the length of stitch employed, that is to say, the length of binding wire between adjacent staples by which the binding wire is secured to the boards forming the sides of the box. It is another object of my invention to provide means by the action of which the staple-forming mechanism is automatically thrown out of effective operation at every joint between the adjacent cleats of the box blank so that the machine is prevented from driving a staple into the cleats at their ends in a position'where the staple might interfere with the proper folding of the blank to form a box. It is another object of my invention to provide automati cally-acting means adapted to throw out of effective operation the staple-forming mech anism at the time when one completed box blank is passing out of the machine and just before the machine begins to operate upon the succeeding box blank, whereby no staples are formed and fed into the machine in conjunction with the lengths of binding Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Renewed -May 19, 1920. Serial No. 382,691.

wire which extend between the adjacent blanks and which are employed for tying the blanks in box form.

It is another object of my invention to provide means by which the length of stitch across the board or boards adapted to form one side of the box may be automatically varied relative to the length of stitch across the board forming the adjacent side of the box. As will be readily understood, it is important for the formation of a strong box that a plurality of staples be driven across the board forming each side of a box. In order to accomplish this result it is necessary that the stitch across the short side of a box be comparatively small. If the adjacent side of the box is comparatively much wider, there is no necessity for the use of the same short stitch across the wide side of the box as was important across the short side. I have, therefore, provided automatically-acting means for lengthening the stitch as the wide side of the box comes into position to he stapled and for again automatically shortening the stitch as the short side of the box comes into position to be stapled.

It is another object of my invention to provide new and improved means for quicklyand easily adjusting a machine of this type for boxes of different lengths. It is another object of my invention to improve machines of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished the several objects of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by this application is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of the machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with the upper portion of the mechanism shown at the right of Fig. 1 broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through one side of. my improved machine,

being taken substantially on line 3-3 of.

Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through my improved machine, being taken substantially on line 4- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top view of a box blank of the type adapted to be formed by my im proved machine;

Fig. 6 is a very much enlarged detail, taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View, partially. broken away, showing the part illustrated in Fig. 6 as seen from above in said figure;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, being a longitudinal sect-ion through one of the dogs by which the cleats or strips are fed into position and are spaced relative to each other, being taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view, partly in section, of one of the spacing and feeding dogs, being taken substantially on line 9 9 of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section of the dog shown in Fig. 9, being taken substantially on line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in part the means for throwing out of effective operation the staple-forming mechanism, and illustrating in part the clutch mechanism employed in connection with the means for varying the length of stitch between adjacent wide and narrow sides of a box blank;

Fig. 12 is a view showing the means for feeding the staple wire;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail taken substantially on line 1313 of Fig. 12;

Figs. 14 and 15 are diagrammatic side views of the mechanism by which the length of stitch is varied for the wide and narrow sides of the box, Fig. 14- showing the mechanism in position for a short stitch. and Fig. 15 showing the mechanism in position for a comparatively longer stitch;

Figs. 16 and 17 are diagrammatic views showing the variation in the throw of the pawl which operates the mechanism by which the box blank is fed forward, Fig.

16 illustrating diagrammatically the operation of the mechanism when in the adjustment shown in Fig. 14, and Fig. 17 illustrating diagrammatically the operation of the mechanism when in the adjustment shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 18 is an end view, as seen from the right in Fig. 1, of the mechanism by which the stitch-varying devices are operated;

Fig. 19 is a section taken substantially on line1919 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a section taken substantially on line202O of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a section taken substantially on line 21-21 of Fig. 19; and

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the cam device'shown in Fig. 19- forming a part of the clutch device employed in connection with the mechanism for varying the length of stitch between the wide and narrow sides of the box blank.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings which illustrates the form of box blank which my improved machine is designed to form, it will be noted that the blank is made up of four sections each comprising two cleats or strips spaced apart and joined by a sheet or board, the four sections being joined together by binding wires 30 secured to the boards by staples 31. In the box blank shown, the adjacent sections forming the blank are different in size, the cleats and boards entering into the formation of the wider sections beingindicated by the

numerals

32 and 33, respectively, and the cleats and boards entering into the formation of the narrower sections being indicated by the

numerals

34 and 35, respectively. The staples 31 by which the binding wires 30 at the ends of the sections are secured-to theboards are of a length such as to pass well into the cleats or strips, while the staples 31 by which the intermediate binding wires 30 are secured to the boards are shorter, being adapted to pass through the boards and have their ends offset or clenched.

My improved machine for forming a blank of the general type shown in said Fig. 5 comprises means for forming and driving the staples 31, together with means for feeding step step into proper position for the staple drlving operation the elements entering into the formation of the blank. In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, I have employed a main driving shaft so connected up with the operative parts of the'machine that normally the blank is advanced one step and one row of staples is driven for each complete revolution of the shaft. The arrangement is such that the wire out of which the staples are formed is fed forward during the latter portion of the inoperative stroke of the cross head by which the staple driving devices are operated, the operation of advancing the staple wire taking only a comparatively small portion of the time of a complete revolution of the main shaft. The arrangement is such that the effective forwarding operation of the means for advancing the box blank takes up the time of a half revolution of the main shaft, the blank-forwarding op eration starting soon after the beginning of the upward inoperative stroke of the crosshead by which the staple driving devices are operated, and continuing until such crosshead is well started upon its downward operative stroke. By this arrangement and timing of the parts, the staple wire is advanced t0 the staple forming mechanism in ample time'for the forming and placing in position of a staple and the subsequent driving of the staple upon the operative downward stroke of the cross-head; and the partially-formed blank is advanced into position to receive a transversely-extending row of staples in due time well before the end of the operative stroke of the cross-head.

In my improved machine,- the elements making up the blank are fed forward by power applied to the cleats or strips 32 34, the binding wires being pulled forward by reason of their attachment to the cleats or strips of the blank being formed. At the commencement of the formation of any given blank during the continuous operation of the machine, the binding wires are pulled forward by reason of their connection with the previously-formed box blank.

The means for feeding the cleats or strips 32-64: forward at each side of the machine comprises four dogs or carrier-blocks which are adapted to be drawn forward by an endless chain, the two chains so provided being driven intermittently in unison to provide the proper intermittent forwarding of the dogs. The dogs are moved by the chains beside suitable slideways along which the cleats or strips 3234 are slidable, the dogs serving not only to forward the cleats but also to space the cleats properly relative to each other. One of the dogs is of considerably greater length than the remaining three dogs, the longer dog being employed for providing the proper spacing between successively-formed blanks so as to provide proper lengths of binding wire for tying purposes for securing the ends of the blank together when folded into box form. Auxiliary means is provided for carrying the dogs at each side of the machine from the forward end of the slideway out of position between the cleats with which it has been moving to the rear end of the slideway for spacing and forwarding the corresponding cleats of the next-succeeding blank. This auxiliary forwarding means in my machine comprises endless chains driven constantly adapted to carry the dogs at a greater effective speed than that of the blank-forwarding chains, so that the dogs shall be in proper position at the rear end of the slideway when needed. In the operation of the machine, the slideways are kept filled with cleats in the proper spaced relation. As one of the dogs passes along the slideway actuated by the fast-moving chain so as to leave room in the slideway for the proper cleat or strip 328i, such cleat or strip is placed by an operator in position in the slideway. The nextsucceeding dog brought up by the fast-moving chain carries the cleat so placed in the slideway forward into proper spaced relation to the cleat lastpreviously placed in the slideway, these successive operations continuing in rotation during the operation of the machine. The arrangement is such that the fast-moving chains are adapted to automatically pick up and carry around any one of the dogs soon after it is released from a blank, the connection between the fast-moving chains and the dog continuing until. the progress of the dog is stopped by reason of the cleat being forwarded thereby being brought into contact with the slower-moving blank.

ncieiring now to the several figures or the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters,

36-37 indicate standards joined by heavy cross-bars 3839, the cross-bar 39 being preferably adjustable vertically upon the standards in any suitable manner. Two heavy side-plates Ml-41 are fired at their forward ends upon the cross-bar 39 at one side of the machine, and two similar side plates e2-st3 are slidably mounted at their forward ends upon the heavy cross-bar 39 at the opposite side of the machine, the plates at each side of the machine being spaced away from each other a short distance, as shown in Fig. 6. The rear ends of the plates 4-.04r1 are fixed upon a heavy supporting bar 44 which passes through said plates, and the rear ends of the side-plates 42-43 are slidably mounted upon said supporting bar, standards et54i6 being provided for supporting the bar ts at its ends. Two transverse shafts l7-d8 are revolubly mounted in the plates s O-etl and held against movement transversely of the machine, said shafts having screw-threaded connection with the plates 42-463. The said two shafts are connected by means of a sprocket chain 49, whereby the are caused to rotate in unison, A crank-handle 50 is adapted to be mounted upon the shaft 4.7 for turning the shafts d748, as will be readily understood, for-sliding the sideplates 4t2-43 laterally toward the sideplates l041.

in the construction shown the main drive shaft 51. by which the blank forwarding and staple forming and driving mechanisms are driven is revolubly mounted between the standards 36 37 near their lower ends. Said shaft 51 is driven by another shaft 52 through the medium of intermeshing gears 53--54c, the shaft 52- being driven by a motor 55 through the medium of intermeshing gears 56-57. A foot lever 58 and suitable clutch-mechanism of any suitable type are provided for connecting the gear 53 with the shaft 51.. the arrangement in the construc tion shown being such that the gear 53 is adapted to retate the shaft 51 when the lever 58 is held in its lowered position. As will. be readily understood, when the lever is released the connection between the shaft 51 and the gear 53 is automatically terminated. The shaft 52 is provided with speed-changing mechanism of any suitable type located in the transmission box 59 whereby the sprocket-wheel 6.) may be driven at varying speeds relative to the shaft 52. The transmission mechanism in the box 59 is also provided with a suitable disconnecting clutch adapted to be operated through the medium of a rod 61 provided with a lever 62 at the rear end of the machine. Inasmuch as these devices are well understood in the art and form no part of my present invention it is believed to be unnecessary to further describe or illustrate them.

The inner side-plate at each side of the machine has formed integrally with it two upwardly-extending flanges 63 providing thus a slideway for the cleats or strips 32- 84. The opposite edges of the side-plates are rabbeted out along their adjacent faces to provide a slide way for the dogs or carrier-blocks 64,

plates

65 and 66 being mounted upon the upper and lower edges, respectively, of each of the outer side-plates for the purpose of preventing the dogs 64 from escaping from their slideways. Mounted upon each of the plates 65 of the outer side-plates are a plurality of brackets 67 which extend inwardly from the plate 65 upon which they are mounted, and support upon their inner ends a longitudinallyextending guide rail 68, the inner face of which is in vertical alinement with the inner face of the outer flange 63. Each of the dogs 64 is provided with a cam lug 69 upon its upper face for the purpose hereinafter set forth, from the inner face of which lug there extends inwardly an arm 70 carrying upon its inner end a spacing block 71 which is adapted to space adjacent strips 32-34 from each other, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

Adjustably mounted upon the rear end of each of the outer side plates is an extension plate 72 upon which is revolubly mounted a drum 7 The periphery of the drum 73 is provided with a suitable circumferential groove through which the dogs 64 are adapted to pass, being held in position in the groove of the drum by means of a circular flange 74 formed on the plate 72 about the drum 73. The drum 73 and flange 74 serve thus to connect the upper slideway provided by the side-plates for the dog 64 with the similarly-formed slideways in their lower edges. Extension-plates 75 are connected with the outer side-plates 40 at their forward ends, the plates 75 having drums 76 revolubly mounted thereon. The drums 76 are likewise provided with circumferential grooves adapted to provide a path for the dog 64 from the upper slideway to the lower slideway at the forward end of the machine, the plate 75 being provided with flanges 77 for retaining the dogs in position in their movement about the drum.

For carrying the dogs 64 about the endless slideway thus provided I have provided two pairs of fast-moving endless chains 78,

one pair for the slideway provided by the side-plates at each side of the machine. The

chains 78 are mounted at their rear ends chains are supported at their forward ends by sprocket-wheels formed upon the drums 76, shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The drum 76 mounted adjacent to the extension-plate 75 which is secured to the side-plate 40 is fixed upon a transversely-extending shaft 79 for its support relative to such extension-plate, while the drum 7 6 at the opposite-side of the machine is feathered upon said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, but so as to be adjustable longitudinally of the shaft as the sideplates 4243 are adjusted for different sized boxes. As will be seen by an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft 79 has fixed upon one end a sprocket wheel 80 which is connected by a sprocket-chain 81 with the sprocketwheel 60 which is adapted to be driven at variable speed by the shaft 52 through the medium of the variable gearing of the transmission bOX 59, as above described. As will be readily understood, the direction of rotation of the motor 55 is such as to cause the shaft 52 to be driven in clockwise direction in Fig. 1, serving to cause such a revolution of the chains 78 as to move the dogs 64 forward or to the right in Fig. 2 in the upper slideways.

The means for yieldingly connecting the dogs 64 to the chains 78 so as to cause the dogs to be forwarded by the chains comprises lugs 82 extending from the adjacent faces of the chains 78 of each pair of chains, a plurality of pairs of such lugs being provided along the chains. For cotiperation with the lugs 82 of the chains 78, each of the dogs 64 is provided with spring latch devices 83. As best shown in Fig. 10, the latch devices 83, in the construction shown, are made in the form of pins slidably mounted in a transversely-extending opening 84 through the dog, a spring 85 being inter posed between the pins 83 for holding thev pins yieldingly in their extended positions. Keys 86 are mounted in the dog working in suitable slots in the pins for limiting the outward movement of the pins. As best shown in Figs. 7 and 10, the pins or latches 83 are beveled at their outer ends, the lugs 82 be-.

ing similarly beveled as shown in Fig. 7. As wlll be readily understood, when one of the dogs or carrier-blocks 64 is released from engagement with a box blank at the forward end of the machine, such dog is free to pass about the slideway, as above described. As soon thereafter as a pair of the lugs 82 carried by the chains 78 is brought into contact with the latches 83 of such dog as is shown in Fig. 7, the chains 78 serve to carry the dog 64-around through the slideway. When the.

dog 64 comes in contact with a cleat or strip 32 or 84 placed in position between the flanges 63 as above described, the dog 64 serves to move the cleat or strip forward until the cleat is brought into contact with the preceding dog 64. The latches 83 then yield inward permitting the chains 7 8 to continue their revolution, the dog 64 being thereafter controlled in its movement by the ad- Vance of the blank irrespective of the fastmoving chains 78. As the lugs 82 carried by the chains 78 come in contact with the latches 83 of the various dogs 64 in engagement with the box blank in process of formation, the latches 83 yield inward so as to permit the chains to pass. By the use of the variable speed mechanism of the transmission box 59, the speed of the chains 78 can be varied so as to cause the dogs 64 to be brought up into position as desired.

The means for intermittently forwarding the box blank into position for the reception of successive rows of staples 31 comprises two endless chains 87, one of such chains being mounted between the side plates at each site of the machine. Each. of these chains is supported at its rear end by a sprocket-wheel 88 mounted upon a short shaft 89 which is adj ustably mounted relative to the side plates by means of bearing plates 90, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The forward end of the chain 87 mounted between the side plates 4041 is supported by a sprocket-wheel 91 fixed upon a shaft 92 which is suitably journaled in the sideplates of the machine. The forward end of the chain 87 which is positioned between the side-plates 4243 is supported by a similar sprocket-wheel 91 which is feathered upon the shaft 92- to provide for the lateral adjustment of the side-plates 42-43 as above described. The chains 87 are thus adapted to be driven in unison upon the rotation of the shaft 92, as hereinafter described. An inwardly-extending plate 98 formed with the outer side-plate serves to support the upper portion of the chain 87 between the sprocket-wheels 88-91. The dogs 64 are connected with the chains 87 for actuation thereby through the medium of pawls 94 which are pivotally mounted in the rear ends of the dogs by means of pivot pins 95. Springs 96 are mounted upon the dogs 64 adapted to hold the pawls 94 yieldingly in contact with the chain 87, the outer face of which is notched, as best shown in Fig. 8, for the reception of such pawls. Pivotally mounted upon the pin 95 adjacent to the pawl 94 is a second pawl 97 which is adapt ed to be held yieldingly by a spring 98 in contact with the teeth of a rack 99 fixed in position above the plate 93, as best shown in T he spring 98 is adapted to act upon W1 9 through the medium of a'pin 100 awn ling laterally from the pawl 97, the

'rality of rollers 102.

pin 100 also extending over a portion of the pawl 94'whereby an upward movement of the pawl 94 out of operative contact with the chain 87 serves to move the pawl 97 simultaneously out of operative contact with the rack 99. By the use of the rack 99 the dogs 64 are prevented from slipping backward upon the rebound which occurs upon the release of the dog from the fast-moving chains 78.

As is set forth above, one of the dogs 64 is considerably longer than the other three dogs to provide a proper spacing between successively-formed complete blanks. The long dog 64, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is made up of two sections pivotally connected together by means of a link 101 so as to permit the said dog to pass about the drums 7 876. The rear section of the long dog is provided with the spring-latch mechanism and the pawl mechanism as has been described.

For steadying the cleats 32 -34 as they pass along the slideway under the staple driving mechanism I have provided a plu- These rollers aremilled on their edges and are revolubly mounted adjacent to the slideways in which the cleats are moved so as to engage the inner faces of the cleats. As the cleats are advanced past the rollers 102 the rollers are caused to rotate by their frictional engagement with the cleats. Means is provided for causing all of the rollers 102 to rotate in unison whereby the cleats are very Inaterially steadied in position. The means for supporting the rollers 102 and for causing them to rotate in unison comprises a shaft 103 extending transversely of the ma chine and j ournaled in the side-plates, having bevel gears 104 mounted thereon, the gear .104 adjacent to the side-plate 41 being fixed upon the shaft 103 and the gear 104 mounted upon the shaft 103 adjacent to the side-plate 43 being feathered on said shaft. Meshing with the gears 104 are other bevel. gears 105 mounted upon shafts 106 suitably supported below the rollers 102. Each ofthe rollers 102 is mounted upon a shaft 107 connected by means of bevel gears 108-109 with the shaft 106 (see Fig. 4). The spur-rollers 102 are thus caused to rotate in unison.

The means for forming and driving the staples 31 for securing the binding wires 30 in position comprises a cross-head 110 slidably mounted in suitable slots 111 in the upper ends of the standards 36-37. The cross-head 110is reciprocated up and down by means of connecting rods 112 connected at their upper ends to said cross-head and operatively connected at their lower ends with eccentrics 113 fixed upon the main drive-shaft 51. The cross-head 110 is thus adapted to be given a. complete inoperative upward stroke and a complete operative downward stroke upon each rotation of the shaft 51. The cross-head 110 is provided with a plurality of plungers 114 adjustably mounted upon the cross-head adapted to cooperate with suitable staple-forming and driving devices 115 adjustably support- -ed upon the cross-bar 48. For the formation of the blank shown in Fig. 5, there will be five of these staple forming and driving mechanisms, together with five of the plungers 11 1, as will be readily understood. The staples 31 are adapted to be formed by the mechanism out of staple wires 116 which are adapted to be fed to the staple forming mechanism by the means hereinafter described, there being as many wires 116 as there are binding wires 30, as will be readily understood. It will be appreciated that a staple 31 is formed and driven upon each operative downward stroke of the cross-head 110 unless there has been a failure to feed the staple wires 116 to the staple forming devices. In case of such a failure to feed the wires 116, the staple forming and driv ing mechanisms pass through their several evolutions without having any effect upon the blank or upon the machine. Inasmuch as the staple forming and driving mechanisms may be of any approved type it is not believed to be necessary to further illustrate or describe them, the only feature in connection with these devices which forms a part of my present invention being the means for controlling the feed of the staple wires 116, as hereinafter fully described.

The plungers 1141 and the cooperating staple forming and driving mechanisms 115 are adapted to be adjusted upon the cross-head 110 and the cross-bar 38 in proper position for placing the binding wires 30 in the desiredposition upon the boards 3335 of the blank. The outer sets of mechanisms 114115 are designed to drive staples 31 into the cleats 32-34l and are, of course, adjusted relatively to said cleats. For the purpose of clenching the staples 31 driven by the intermediate cooperating staple mechanisms Her-115, I have provided anvils or shoes 117 adjustably mounted upon the cross-bar 39 so as to be adjusted to proper position relative to the staple driving elements. As the width of the cleats 32 31 or the thickness of the boards 33-35 are varied for different bones, the cross-bar 39 is adjusted up and down relatively to the standards 36-437, as above described, so as to bring the point of driving the staples 31 to the proper height relative to the mechanisms 111115. The rear end of the machine may then be correspondingly adjusted if desired by an adjustment of the standards 45-46.

The means for intermittently forwarding the staple wire 116 (see especially Figs. a, 11, 12 and 13) comprises a shaft 118 revolubly mounted in suitable brackets 119 extending rearwardly from the standards 36-3Z. Revolubly mounted upon the shaft 118 adjacent to the standard 36 are two levers 120 121 connected at their forward ends by means of a pin 122 with the upper end of a link 1231 The lower end of the link 1233 is in the form of a yoke which straddles the main drive-shaft 51, being provided with a stud 12d, preferably in the form of a roller, adapted to be engaged by a cam 125 fixed upon the shaft 51. A spring 126 connects the link 123 with the framework of the machine tending to hold the link 123 yieldingly in its lowermost position. A pin 12'? is carried by the levers 120-121 at their rear ends, having mounted thereon a pawl 128 and a spring 129 serving to hold the pawl yieldingly in its raised operative position in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 130 fixed upon the shaft 118 between the levers 120121. Revolubly mounted upon the shaft 118 adjacent to the ratchet 130 is a sleeve 131 provided with a cam 132 which is adapted to be moved downward, by a counterclockwise turning of the sleeve 131 in Fig. 13, into engagement with a pin 133 projecting from the face of the pawl 128 for throwing the pawl out of operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel 130 as hereinafter described. By the use of the devices described, upon each rotation of the shaft 51 the link 123 will be moved upward by the cam 125 against the action of the spring 126, turning the levers 120121 in counterclockwise direction in Figs. 11 and 13 and causing a similar part revolution of the shaft 118. It will be understood, however, that if the sleeve 131 were rotated in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 13 so as to cause the pin 133 to ride up the cam 132, the upward movement of the link 123 and the counterclockwise movement of the levers 120'-121 would then have no effect upon the ratchet 130 and the shaft 118. Extending rearwardly from the frame portion of each of the staple forming and driving mechanisms 115 is an arm 1341 as shown in Fig. at, only the bifurcated rear end of such arm being shown in Fig. 12. Feathered upon the shaft 118 and located between the two arm-portions is a milled roller 135 having connected with it a gear 136, with which meshes another gear 13? mounted upon a pin 138 extending laterally from the arm 134. Fixed so as to rotate with the gear 137 is a milled roller 139 adapted to cooperate with the milled roller 135 for forwarding the staple-wire 116. In order to provide a greater length of wire for the staples 31 which are driven into the cleats or strips of the box blank the staple wire forwarding mechanisms which feed the wire to the outermost staple forming mechanisms employ larger rollers 135 than those used in connection with the intermediate staple forming mechanisms, as will be readily understood.

The means for throwing the staple wire forwarding device out of operation during one operative stroke of the cross-head 110 when one

cleat

32 or 34 is passing out of position for receiving a staple and before the

next cleat

34 or 32 is in position to receive a staple, comprises a lever 140 pivotally mounted upon the plate 65 carried by the sideplate. 40 provided with a stud or roller 141 in position to be engaged by the cams 69 of the dogs 64. In Fig. 11 I have indicated in dotted lines a dog 64 about to engage the roller 141 for throwing the lever 140 up ward. The forward end of the lever 140 is connected by means of a link 142 with an arm 143 extending rearwardly' from the shaft 144 mounted in the brackets 119 and extending transversely of the machine. The shaft 144 is provided with a downwardlyextending arm 145 fixed thereon adjacent to the bracket 119 mounted upon the standard 36, said arm 145 being connected by a link 146 with an arm 14? mounted upon the sleeve 131. As will be readily understood, waen a box blank approaches the position at which the last staple is to be driven into one of the

cleats

32 or 34 the dog 64 between that clcat and the next-succeeding cleat is brought into contact with the roller 141 which rides up the cam 69 upon the advance f the dog with the blank. This serves to rotate the shaft 144 in clockwise direction in 11, throwing the arm 14'? in counterclockwise direction in said figure and throwing the pawl 128 out of operative position, as has been above described, serving to prevent the feeding of the staple wires 116. The position of the roller 141 in the path of the dog 54 is such that the throwing out of operation of the pawl 128 is so timed as to cause the crosshead 110 and the staple forming and driving apparatus actuated thereby to be given an operative stroke without a corresponding feeding of the staple wires, with aresult that no staple is driven. Then the long dog (54 passes under the roller 141 the pawl 128 is held out of operation during plurality of operative strokes of thecrosshead 110 for preventing the formation of any staples for the lengths of wire between adjacent blanks. )is soon as the dog 64 passes out of contact with the roller 141 the pa its assume their normal position in condition for effective operation.

The means for rotating the shaft 92 in clockwise direction in Fig. 4 for causing an intermittent movement of the chains 87 com prises a connecting rod 148 mounted by means of a crank 149 upon the shaft 51 eccentrically thereof. A lever 150 (see 1.14 and 15) is fulcrumed upon a slideblock 151 which is mounted upon a pivotally-mounted arm 152 adapted to be held adjustably in position, as hereinafter described. The block 151 is adapted to be adjusted along a longitudinally-extending slot 153 in said lever by an adjustment of the pivotally-mounted arm 152, as hereinafter described. A pin 154 connects the upper end of the connecting rod 148 with the forward end of the lever 150 and with the rear end of a pivotally-mounted link 155, the arm 155 serving to permit the lever 150 to be reciprocated up and down upon the fulcrum-block 151, but to hold it in proper position longitudinally of itself. The rear end of the lever 150 is connected by means of a link 156 with an arm 157 which is mounted upon a short rock-shaft 158, with which it is adapted to be rocked. As is shown in Fig. 16, the short rock-shaft 158 has mounted upon it and extending upwardly therefrom a rock-arm 159 to the upper end of which is pivotally connected a link 160. The forward end of the link 160 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 161 with the upper end of an arm 162 revolubly mounted upon the shaft 92 adjacent to a ratchet-wheel 163 feathered upon said shaft. A. pawl 164 is also pivotally mounted upon the pin 161, whereby upon a stroke of the arm 159 in clockwise direction in said Fig. 16 the ratchet-wheel 163 and the shaft 92 will be rotated in the same direction, the extent of the rotation of the ratchet 163 and the shaft 92 depending upon the size of the angle through which the. arm 159 is rocked. As will be readily understood, upon the rotation of the shaft 51 the connecting rod 148 will be reciprocated up and down causing the lever 150 to swing upon the fulcrumblock 151, and causing the

arms

157 and 159 to be rocked back and forth with a consequent rotation of the shaft 92. The arrange ment is such that the shaft 92 will be rotated upon the downward movement of the connecting rod 148.

As will be readily understood, the distance through which the rear end of the lever 150 is adapted to be moved when actuated by the uniform movement of the connecting rod 148 depends upon the position of the fulcrum-block 151 between the ends of the lever. As the fulcrum-block 151 is moved to the right in Figs. 14 and 15 the extent of the movement of the rear end of the lever 150 upon an actuation of said lever through the connecting rod 148 will be increased with a corresponding increase in the extent of rotation of the shaft 92 and similar increase in the extent of movement of the chains 87 and the box blank carried forward thereby. It is thus apparent that by adjusting the arm 152 the distance between staples along the binding wires 61 can be varied as de sired. The means for adjusting the arm 152 for varying the distance between staples comprises a socket member 165 pivotally connected with the upper end of the link 152, a socket member 166 adapted to be fixed relative to the standard 36, and a rod 167 having screw-threaded connection with said two sockets for drawing them together or for moving them away from each other, as may be desired. The manner of mounting the socket member 166 relative to the standard 36 by which an additional function is performed will be hereinafter described, but it will be understood that the distance between staples can be varied by an adjustment of the screw-threaded rod 167 quite independently of the additional function hereinafter described.

As has been set forth above, means is provided for automatically varying the stitch so as to have the staples 31 farther apart across the wide side of the box than across the narrower side. This is accomplished by a shifting of the arm 152 and the fulcrumblock 151 upon each change of the box blank from a position for driving staples in one side to the position for driving staples in the next-adjacent side. That is to say, as the box blank is moved forward to bring a short cleat into position to receive a staple the arm 152 is to be automatically moved to the left in Figs. 14; and 15. When the blank is thereafter moved into position to have staples driven into one of the longer cleats, the arm 152 is moved to the right in said figures to increase the distance between staples.

The means for accomplishing this result comprises a rotatable plate 168 to which the socket 166 is pivotally connected, together with means for revolving said plate comprising clutch mechanism for stopping the rotation of the plate at'the end of each half revolution thereof, the socket 166 being adapted to be connected to the plate 168 eccentrically thereof whereby a rotation of the plate serves to swing the arm 152. As best shown in Fig. 18, the plate 168 is mounted upon a short shaft 169 suitably supported by the standard 36. The plate 168 is provided upon one face with a radially-extending slot 170, at any point along which the socket 166 is adapted to be revolubly secured by means of a bolt 171. Mounted upon the shaft 169 is a gear 172 which meshes with a gear 173 which is fixed upon a short shaft 174 revolubly mounted upon the standard 2-36. ltm'oiubly mounted upon the shaft- 174ladiacent to the gear 173 is a s rocket-wheel 175 which is driven continuously by a spiockctcha in 176 working upon a sprocketwheel 17.7 mounted upon one end of the sh aft The gear 172 is of just twice the diameter of the gear 173, whereby the gear 172 and the plate 168 are adapted to be given a half revolution by a single complete revolution of the gear 173. Suitable clutch mechanism is provided forconnecting the gear 17 3 and the sprocket-wheel 175, such clutch mechanism being adapted to be automatically thrown out of operation atthe end of one complete rotation of the gear 173. The means for throwing the clutch again into operation for causing another complete rotation of the gear 173 comprises an arm 178 extending upwardly and forwardly from the shaft 1 1 1, having connected to its upper end a thrust-bar 17 9 by a downward stroke of which the clutch is thrown into operation for rotating the plate 168. The arrangement will be seen to be such that upon the passage of one of the dogs 64 under the roller 141 the link 179 will be, given an operative downward stroke for causing a half rotation of the plate 168. As will be readily appreciated, by the use of the mechanism just described the stitch across the narrow side of the box may be made as short as desired relative to the length of stitch along the wide side of the box, the socket 166 being adjusted as far as may be desired from the center of the plate 168 so as to produce the de sired variation. As a dog 64: spacing apart a cieat 32 from a following short cleat 34: passes under the roller 1 11 the plate 168 will be given a half revolution, swinging the arm 152 to the left into the position shown in Fig. 14: so as to give the arm 159 a snort" rocking motion, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 16. Then the next-succeeding dog 64 passes under the roller 1-11 bringing a long strip 32 and the corresponding wide board 33 into position to receive the staples, the plate 168 will be given another half revolution into the position shown in Fig. 15, whereupon the arm 159 will be given a correspondingly longer stroke for a correspondingly longer stitch between the rows of staples 31.

The clutch which is actuated by the link or thrust-bar 179 for connecting the gear 173 with the sprocket wheel 175 comprises a spring-actuated pin 180 carried by the gear 173 adapted to be projected into a suitable socket 181 in the sprocket-wheel 175 for causing the gear 173 to rotate with said sprocket-wheel. 1n the construction shown, the pin 180 is provided with a key or pin projecting from one side thereof adapted to work in a groove 183 in the gear 173 for holding the pin 180 against turning. A spring 1841 is interposed between the pin 182 and one end of the groove 183 tending to hold the pin 180 in its extended operative position. For holding the pin 180 in its retracted position out of engagement with the socket 181 I have provided a cam plate 185 slidably mounted in a bracket 186 suitably mounted upon the standard 36. The inner end of the cam-plate 185 is adapted to work in a circumferential groove 187 in the gear 173, a spring 188 being provided connecting the cam-plate 185 .to the bracket 186 tending to hold the plate 185 yieldingly in operative position with its inner end in engagement with a suitable notch in the pin 180 so as to hold the pin 180 in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 21. Pivotally mounted upon the bracket 186 (see Fig. 11) is a bar 189, said bar having also a pivotal connection with the plate 185, su'liicient play being provided in the connections of the bar 189 to provide for a slight sliding movement said plate. As is clearly shown in Fig. 11, the lower notched end of the link or thrust-bar engages the upper face of the bar 189.

As will be readily understood, upon a downward stroke of the thrust-bar 179 actuated by an upward movement of the roller 111 and the lever 1410 under the influence of the dog 64 passing under said roller, the link 189 is given a slight downward movement on its pivotal mounting, moving the plate 185 downward. This movement serves to release the pin 180 which is then free to be projected by the spring 18& into engagement with the socket 181 as soon as such socket is brought into proper alinement, whereby the gear 173 is caused to rotate. When the thrust-bar 179 is drawn upward by reason of the dog 6 1 passing out of position under the roller 1&1, the plate 185 is brought again to its operative position by the spring 188. Just before the end of a complete revolution of the gear 173 in clockwise direction in Fig. 19, the notch in the pin 180 is brought into engagement with the operative cam face 190 of the cam plate 185 by which the pin 180 is retracted out of engagement with the socket 181 permit-- ting the gear 17 8 to come to rest.

in order to insure the gear 173 being given only a single revolution upon each actuation of the thrust-bar 179, whether or not the dog 6 1 is withdrawn from engagement with the roller 111 during the rotation of the gear 173, l have provided means operative before the end of one complete revolution of the gear 173 to throw the thrustbar 179 out of engagement with the bar 189 whereby the cam-plate 185 is permitted to return to operative position irrespective of the position of the thrust-bar 179. This means comprises a earn 191 carried around by the gear 17 8 adapted to be, brought into engagement with a stud or roller 192 mounted upon the thrust-bar 179 whereby the said thrust-bar 179 is swung to the left in Fig. 11 against the action of a spring 198 which tends to hold the said thrust-bar at the limit of its movement to the right in said Fig. 11. The cam 191 is preferably to be so positioned as to act upon the thrust-bar 179 just before the pin 180 is brought into e11 gagement with the cam face 190 of the camplate 185, serving to displace the thrustbar 179 at the latest available moment be fore the end of the complete revolution of the gear 173. Upon the continued rotation of the gear 173 while the pin 180 is being retracted from the socket 181, the cam 191 will be rotated out of position engaging the roller 192, as will be readily understood. In case the thrust-bar 179 has been drawn upward so as to release the bar 189 and the cam-plate 185 from their inoperative position before the cam 191 is brought into position to engage the roller 192, the displacement of the bar 179 to the'left in Fig. 11 by the cam 191 will have no effect upon the mechanism, the bar 179 being adapted to be brought back by the spring 193 into engagement with the bar 189 upon the passage of the cam 191 out of engagement with the roller 192.

It is believed that the operation of the machine as a whole will be fully understood without further detailed description. As will be readily understood, with an operator holding the foot lever 58 down so as to connect the continuously-driven gear 53 with the main shaft 51, the apparatus will be operated as has been described. An assistant at the rear end of the machine places the cleats or strips L E-34 in the slideways at both sides of the machine, one strip being placed in position following each of the dogs 64: as it is brought up by the fast-moving chains 78. The operator places the boards 3335 in position upon the cleats 323l between the guide rails 68 as the properly spaced cleats 32-84 are intermittently fed forward by the chain 87.. Another assistant at the forward end of the machine cuts the binding wires 30 between the blanks after a sufficient number of rows of staples 31 have been driven into the new blank to hold the binding wires 80 against slipping relative to the new blank.

As will be readily understood from an inspection of my improved machine, it will be appreciated that the machine is adapted. without any adjustment whatever to make box blanks of various sizes and proportions. ill that is necessary for forming a blank for a box of one size is to feed to the machine. box blank materials of the proper proportions. If, after the completion of a box blank of one size, box blank elements for a blank of a different size are fed into the machine without even stopping the continuous operation of the machine a blank of a different size would be formed corresponding to the character of the elements fedto the machine. As has been above described, it is necessary to adjust the machine for producing blanks for boxes of varying lengths, and it is also sometimes necessary, as before described, to adjust the cross-bar 39 vertically, but for varying the width or depth of boxes no adjustment whatever is necessary or advisable unless it be a change of speed of the fast-moving chains by a simple adjustment of the mechanism of they transmission box 59.

\Vhile I have described the chains 78 as being fast-moving chains and thechains 87 as being comparatively slow-moving chains, it will be understood that I mean that the chains 78 are fast-moving as compared to the aggregate effective movement of the chain 87. The movement of the chain 87 being intermittent, the actual speed of movement of the chain 87 during the time the chain is moving is immaterial. 'It might well be that the chains 87 during their movement would move faster than the chains 78. The essential feature is that the chains 78 have during a certain time a sufficiently greater movement than the aggregate movement of the chains 87 during that time that the dogs 6 will be brought to proper position as above described. The terms fast-moving chain and slow-moving chain are used, therefore, in the specification and claims with reference to the aggregate movement rather than with reference to the actual speed of movement at any given instant.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a boX blank making machine, the combination of a chain, carrier-blocks arranged to be actuated by said chain for moving a blank forward in the process of formation, and a faster-moving chain constructed and arranged to move said carrierblocks, when released from engagement with one blank, into operative position for for warding another blank.

2. In a boX blank making machine, the combination of an endless chain, means for intermittently driving said chain, carrierblocks arranged to be actuated by said chain for moving a blank forward in the process of formation, a second endless chain, and means for driving said second chain at a greater rate of revolution, said second chain being constructed and arranged to move said carrier-blocks, when released from engagement with one blank, into operative position for forwarding another blank.

3. In a box blank making machine, the combination of positivelyacting means comprising carrier-blocks adapted to move a blank forward intermittently, and other faster-moving means constructed and arranged to have yielding. connection with said carrier-blocks independently of the positively-acting intermittent driving means for moving them successively, when released from engagement with one blank, into operative position for forwarding the nextsucceeding blank.

4. In a box blank making machine, the combination of positively-acting means adapted to move a blank forward, spacingblocks by which the cleats of the blank are properly spaced relative to each other, and means adapted to have yielding connection with said spacing blocks independently of the positively-acting forwarding means for moving them successively, when released from engagement with one blank, into operative position for spacing the cleats of a succeeding blank.

5. In a box blank making machine, the combination of a chain, carrier-blocks arranged to be positively actuated by said chain for moving a blank forward, and a faster-moving chain constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrier-blocks for moving them successively, when released from engagement with one blank, into position for forwarding another blank.

6. In a boX blank making machine, the combination of a chain, carrier-blocks arranged to be positively actuated by said chain for moving a blank forward, and a second chain normally moving faster than said first-named chain constructed and arranged to move said carrierblocks successively forward, when released from engagement with one blank, into position for forwarding another blank.

7. In a boX blank making machine, the combination of an endless chain, a carrierblock provided with a pawl arranged to engage said chain whereby said chain drives said carrier-block positively forward for forwarding a blank, and a faster-moving endless chain constructed and-arranged to be moved alongside of said carrier-block in its forward movement with said first-named chain, said second-named chain being provided at one or more points therealong with 4 means for yieldingly engaging said carrierblock for moving said block, after being released from engagement with the blank, again into position to engage said firstnamed chain.

8. In a box blank making machine, the combination of an endless slideway, a car rier-block adapted to slide therealong, an endless chain constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrierblock for moving said block about said slideway, and a second endless chain extend ing along a portion of said slideway arranged to move said carrier-block positively along that portion of the slideway when the yielding connection between said block and said first-named chain has'become broken.

9. In a box blank making machine, the combination of'an endless slideway, a carrier-block adapted to slide therealong, an endless chain constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrierblock for moving said block about said slideway, and an intermittently-driven endless chain extending along a portion of said slide way ananged to move said carrier-block positively along that portion of the slideway when the yielding connection between said first-named chain and said block has come broken.

10. In a box blank making nil. hine, the combination of an endless slideway, a carrier-block adapted to slide therealo'ng, an endless chain construc ed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrierblock for moving said block about said slideway, and a slower-movingendless chain extending along a portion of said slideway 21 ranged to move said carrier-block positively along that portion of the slideway when the yielding connection between said first-named chain and said block has become broken.

11. In a box blank making machine, the combination of an endless slideway, a carrier-block adapted to slide therealong an endless chain constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrierblock for moving said block about said slide Way, and an intermittently-driven endless chain extending along a portion or said slideway having an effective slower rate of movement than said first-named chain ar-' ranged to move said carrier-block positively along that portion of the slideway when the yielding connection between said first-named chain and said block has become broken.

12. In a box blank making 1 iachine, the combination oi a carrier-block, positivelydriven means constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrierblock for moving it forward positively-acting means arranged to movesaid block forward when the yielding connection between said block and said first-named forwarding means has become broken, and means "for preventing the carrier-block "from rebounding when the yielding connection between the block and said first-named forwarding means is broken.

13. ln a box blank making machine the combination of a carrier-block provided with a pawl, positively-driven means arranged to have yielding connection with said carrier-block for moving it forward, positively-acting means arranged to move said block forward when the yielding connection between said block and said ton warding means has become broken, and a rack with which the pawl carried by said carrier-block is arranged to engage for preventing the carrier-block from rebounding when the yielding connection between the block and said first-named forwarding means is broken.

1%. In a box blank making machine, the combination of an endless slideway, a carrier-block adapted to slide therealong and provided with a' pawl an endless chain con structed and arranged to have yielding connection with said carrier-block for moving said block about said slideway, a second endless chain extending along a portion of said slideway arranged to move said carrierblock positively along that portion of the slideway when the resistance to the forward movement of the carrier-block has become so great as to cause its yielding connection with the first-named chain to become broken, and a rack with which the pawl carried by said carrier-block is arranged to engage for preventing the carrier-block from rebounding when the yielding connection between the block and said first-named chain is broken.

In a box blank making machine, the combination of an endless slideway, a carblOCi'Z adapted to slide therealong, twoss chains one at each side of said slidey arranged to be revolved in unison and ave yielding connection with said car- .-,ock for moving said block about said and a third endless chain extenda portion of said slideway arrangm .o more said. carrier-block positively along that portion of the slideway when the y ldin connection between said block and named chains has become broken. 2; blank making machine, the combination oi" a carrier-block, an endless guide therefor, an endless chain extending *aceirf;

50 said guide, and a plurality of connecting devices carried by said chain at GT'ffiiS thcrealong arranged to yieldingly Q'e said arrier-block for moving it 3' id gaide.

. box blank making machine, the nbin tion of a carrier-block having a ited pin extending therefrom an guide for said block, an endless iding adjacent to said guide, and id chain arranged to engage said pin for moving said block .i guide, one of said engaging members a beveled engaging face whereby.tho conncct in between said chain and said block is car d pin extending therefrom an endless gui lefor said block, an endless chain extending adjacent to said guide, and a plurality of lugs spaced along said chain, any one e which lugs is arranged to engage spri gseated pin for moving said block along id guide said lugs and saidpin having beveleo eng faces whereby the connection between d chain and said block is adapted to be bi ken.

l9, lln a box blank making machine the combination of carrienblock, an endless guide therefor, two endless chains one at side of said guide, means for driving said chains in unison and oppositely-disposed lugs carried by said chains adapted to engage said carrier-block for moving said block along said guide, the connection bet veeu said chains and said block through said lugs being a yielding connection.

20. In a box blank making machine, the combination of a carrier-block having spring-seated pins extending therefrom, an guide for said block, two endless one at oath side of said guide, means for driving said chains in unison, and oppositely-disposed lugs carried by said chains adapted to engage said spring-seated pins for moving said block along said guide, said lugs and said pins having beveled engaging faces whereby the connection between said chains and said blocks is adapted to be broken.

21. In a box blank making machine, the combination of a carrier-block having spring-seated pins extending therefrom, an endless guide for said block, two endless chains one at each side of said guide, means for driving said chains in unison, oppositely-disposed lugs carried by said chains adapted to engage saidspring-seated pins for moving said block along said guide, said lugs and said pins having beveled engaging faces whereby the connection between said chains and said block is adapted to be broken, and means for holding said chains against lateral movement away from each other.

22. In a box blank making machine, the combinatimi of two side-plates spaced a small distance apart and providing slideways between them, one at their upper edges and one at their lower edges, means at each end for connecting the upper and the lower slideways for forming a continuous endless slideway, a carrier-block slidably mounted in said slideway, and an endless chain constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said block for moving it about said slideway.

23. In a box blank making machine, the combination of two side-plates spaced.a small distance apart and providing slideways between them, one at their upper edges and one at their lower edges, an extension for the outer side-plate at each end thereof provided with flanges approximately semicircular in shape, circumferentially grooved drums revolubly mounted on said extensions within said flanges whereby the upper and lower slideways are connected to form an endless slideway, means for rotating said (bruins, sprocket-chains mounted on sprocketwheels carried by said drums on opposite sides of said slideway, a carrier-block pro vided with a pawl slidably mounted in said slideway, and constructed and arranged to have yielding connection with said chains for movement through said slideway, a third endless chain mounted between said two side-plates, and means for intermittently driving said third chain, said third chain being arranged to positively drive said carrier-block through the medium of the pawl carried by said block.

24. In a box blank making machine, the combination of two slideways for the cleats of a blank properly spaced away from each other, means for forwarding the cleats in said slideways in unison, and frictionally operated means for steadying the cleats in the slideways for the staple driving operation, comprising a roller adjacent to each slideway adapted to contact a cleat forwarded along the slideway, and positivelyacting means for causing said two rollers to rotate in unison.

25. In a box blank making machine, the combination of two slideways for the cleats of a blank properly spaced away from each other, means for forwarding the cleats in said slideways in unison, and means adapted to grip said cleats as they pass the staple driving position for steadying'them in the slideways, comprising a plurality of rollers adjacent to each slideway adapted to have successive contact with a cleat forwarded along the slideway, and positively-acting means for causing the rollers adjacent to each slideway to rotate in unison.

26. In a box blank making machine, the combination of two slideways for the cleats of a blank properly spaced away from each other, means for forwarding the cleats in said slideways in unison, a plurality of rollers adapted to frictionally engage said cleats for holding them in proper position in each slideway as the cleats pass the staple driving position, and means acting independently of the frictional engagement of said rollers with said cleats for causing all of said rollers to rotate in unison.

27. In a box blank making machine,-the combination of two slideways for the cleats of a blank properly spaced away from each other, means for forwarding the cleats in said slideways in unison, rollers adapted to frictionally engage said cleats for holding them in proper position in the slideways as they pass the staple driving position, and means for causing said rollers to rotate in unison.

28. In a box blank making machine, the combination of a chain, means for driving said chain continuously at a constant speed, carrier-blocks adapted to be actuated by said chain for moving a blank forward in theprocess of formation, a faster-moving chain adapted to move said carrier-blocks, when released from engagement with one blank, into operative position for forwarding another blank, and means for changing the speed of the faster-moving chain relative'to the speed of the first-named chain.

29. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank, means'for intermittently advancing a staple wire, means for forming a staple out of the staple wire intermittently fed thereto and for driving such staple into said blank at a certain pre determined staple driving position, spacingblocks between each two adjacent cleats of the blanks, cams carried by said spacingblocks, and means actuated by said cams successively for throwing out of operation said staple wire advancing means as the joints between adjacent blank sections successively pass the staple driving position.

30. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination ofmeans for forwarding a blank comprising carrierblocks adapted to move forward the cleats of the blank, means for intermittently advancing a staple wire, means for forming a staple out of the staple wire intermittently fed thereto and for driving such staple into said blank at a certain predetermined staple driving position, cams carried by said carrier-blocks, and means actuated by said cams successively for throwing out of operation said staple wire advancing means as the joints between adjacent cleats of said blank successively pass the staple driving position. 31. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank, a transversely-extending shaft, staple wire advancing devices mounted on said shaft and operated by the rotation thereof, pawl and ratchet mecha nism for intermittently rotating said shaft, means for forming staples out of the staple wires intermittently fed thereto and for driving such staples into said blank at a cer tain predetermined staple driving position,

and collar mounted on said shaft adjacent to the ratchet-wheel by which said shaft is rotated and arranged to be rocked into engemeut with said pawl for throwing the pawl out of operative position, a cam carried forward with said blank, and means actuated by said cam for rocking said collar for holding said pawl out of operative position as a joint between adjacent blank sections passes the staple driving position.

In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forvmrding a blank past a predetermined staple drivit-ig position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions a the blank is forwarded. a lever pivotally mounted on a movable fulcrum means for reciprocating said lever, means for adjusting the position of said fulcrum relative to said lever for varying the operative stroke of the lever, and operative connections between said lever and said blank-forwarding means for actuating said blank-forwarding means whereby an adjustment of the posi ti n of said fulcrum serves to vary the amount of forward movement of said blank between successive staple driving operations.

33. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, a lever pivotally mounted on a movable fulcrum, means connected with one end of said lever for reciprocating the lever, means for adjusting the position of said fulcrum relative to the lever for varying the operative stroke of the lever, and operative connections between the other end of said lever and said blank-forwarding means for actuating said blank-forwarding means.

341. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, pivotallymounted arm, a fulcrum-block revolubly mounted on said arm, a lever slidably mounted on said fulcrum-block, means for reciproeating said lever, means for adjusting the position of said arm relative to said lever for varying the operative stroke of the lever, and operative connections between said lever and. said blank-forwarding means for actuating said blank forwarding means whereby an adjustment of said arm relative to said lever serves to vary the amount of forward movement of said blank between successive staple driving operations.

35. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, a pivotallymounted arm, a fulcrum-block revolubly mounted on said arm, a lever having a longitudinally-extending slot in which said fulcrum-block is slidably mounted, a link connected with said lever and adapted to swing relative thereto for permitting the lever to be reciprocated on its fulcrum but adapted to limit the longitudinal movement of the lever, means for reciprocating said lever, means for adjusting the position of said arm relative to said lever for varying the operative stroke of the lever, and operative connections between said lever and said blankforwarding means for actuating said blankforwarding means whereby an adjustment of said arm relative to said lever serves to vary the amount of forward movement of said blank between successive stapledriving operations. i

36. In a machinefor making wire bound box blankathe combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said b ank in successive posit ons as the blank is forwarded, a lever pivotally mounted on a movable fulcrum, an arm by an adjustment of which the position of the fulcrum of said lover is controlled, means connected with one end of said lever for re ciprocating the lever, an adjusting rod adapted to be held in fixed position relative to said lever and having screw-threaded connection with said arm for adjusting the po sition of said arm relative to said lever whereby the operative stroke of said lever may be varied, and operative connections between the other end of said lever and said blank-forwarding means for actuating said blank-forwarding means.

37. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising an arm by successive strokes of which in opposite directions the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the stapledriving means is varied, and means automatically actuated at intervals during the forward movement of the blank for swing ing said arm.

38. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of'means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising a rotary member by successive half rotations of which the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the staple driving means is varied, and means for giving said rotary member successive half rotations as desired for varying the movement of the blank between stitches.

39. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising a rotary member by successive half rotations of which the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the staple driving means is varied, means for adjusting the difference between successive forward movements of the blank, and means for giving said rotary member successive half rotations as desired for varying the movement of the blank between stitches.

40. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising, an arm by successive strokes of which in opposite directions the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the staple-driving means is varied, a rotary member by successive partial revolutions of which said arm is actuated, and means automatically actuated at intervals d ring the forward movement of the blank for giving said rotary member successive operative partial revolutions.

41. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising a rotary member by successive half rotations of which the es:- tent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the staple driving means is varied, a clutch by successive actuations of which said rotary member is given successive half rotations, and means automatically actuated at intervals during the forward movement of the blank for throwing said clutch into operation.

42. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving;- staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded said blank forwardingmeans comprising an arm by successive strokes of which in opposite directions the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the stapledriving means is varied, a rotary member by successive partial revolutions of which said arm is actuated, a clutch by successive actuations of which said rotary member is given successive operative partial revolutions, and means automaticall actuated at intervals during the forward movement of the blank for throwing said clutch into operation.

43. In a machine for making wire bound box blanks, the combination of means for forwarding a blank past a predetermined staple driving position, means for driving: staples in said blank in successive positions as the blank is forwarded, said blank forwarding means comprising an arm by succes sive strokes of which. in opposite directions the extent of movement of the blank between successive operations of the -ttPlG-flFlVl1lfj means is varied, a rotary member by succ sive partial revolutions of which said arm is actuated, and a clutch by successive actuations of'which said rotary member is given successive operative partial revolutions, and a lever actuated at intervals in timed relation to the forward movement of the blank adapted to throw said clutch into operation for operating said arm for varying the forward movement of the blank between stitches.