US2706944A - Method and machine for making box blanks - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1955 c. CLAFF EI'AL 2,705,944

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX BLANKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17. 1950 April 26, 1955 c. CLAFF ETAL METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX BLANKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1950 April 26, 1955 c. L. CLAFF ETAL 2,706,944

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX BLANKS Filed Jan. 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mmm United States Patent Ofifice 2,706,944 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX BLANKS Clarence Lloyd Clatf, Chester E. Clatl, and Carl A. Mueller, Randolph, Mass, assignors, by mesne assignments, to M. B. Clatf & Sons, Inc., Randolph, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 17, 1950, Serial No. 139,071 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-227) speed, and more particularly that type of box blanks designed and intended to be set up into boxes or cartons an exposed face of the box,

upon one end.

ously at constant and unvarying speed, and permitting the free passage of the web except when the creasing blades and cutting knives were in operative contact with the same. Such prior machine, however, while capable of producing art, nevertheless showed a tendency to hunt or over correct when the speed of the feed rolls was automatically changed to adjust the position of the printed matter on the blank.

adjustment resuming its prior of rotation.

Another feature tive operation, to maintain the printing correctly positioned on the blanks.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is now considered to be the preferred form of the present invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section and more or less diagrammatic in character, of the complete machine which comprises a laminator or web-forming unit A and a blank forming unit B.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a roll of printed cover paper showing the printed labels and the guide marks used in the laminator unit A. hows 'in perspective a completed blank made from the composite web of cardboard and cover paper.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the completed box made or set up from the blank of Fig. 3.

ig. 5 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the blank forming instrumentalities of unit B, together with the driving mechanism of the feed rolls.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the feed and die rolls and the driving mechanisms therefor.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, longitudinal section on line 77 of Fig. 6 showing the train of gearing which forms a part of the driving mechanism for the die rolls.

die rolls, and the controlling devices for momentarily varying the speed of the die rolls to angularly adjust the same.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective of the web scanning device and of the web marker for supplying guide marks for the web scanning device.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged elevation of the control box on web forming unit B.

The complete machine shown in the drawings for forming the box blanks in accordance with the present invention comprises two units. The first unit indicated at A in Fig. l, assembles the continuous web of pastebox material 11, which is drawn from the supply roll 13, with the cover paper web 15 having the spaced printing or labels 16 and drawn from the supply roll 17, adhesively securing the two webs together to form a complete printed web 19. Th dicated at B, creasing, and web into separate or individual printed blanks which are discharged onto a conveyor.

In assembling unit A the cardboard web 11 through the rolls 21 and edge guides 23 to the pressure is 25, Where the pre-printed paper web 15, with its upper or unprinted face coated with glue or other suitable adhesive by the gluing roll 26 supplied from the gluing tank 27, through pump 28, pipe 29, and discharge nozzle 30, is applied to the bottom surface of the cardboard web.

passes the presas shown in said In the blank forming unit B of our present machine, the composite web passes from the assembling unit Am the depending loop 39 over the decurling or straightenrng roll 41, and under the bar 43 to the edge guides 44 wh ch guide the composite web to the longitudinally creasing idler rolls 45.

The advance of the web 19 from the loop 39 to and through the longitudinal creasing rolls 45 1S effected by power driven feed rolls 46 and 47, which also convey or push the web to and through the die rolls 48 and 49 having the transverse creasing blades 50, the longitudinal slitting knives 51, and the transverse severing km e 52, which complete the formation of the blank and sever it from the composite web. (See Fig. 7.)

The mechanism for driving the feed and the rolls comprises a variable speed power transmission device 55 o the well known type, commonly known as the Reeves transmission, having a flanged driving pulley 56 on shaft 57 which is driven from the motor 58. See Figs. 1 and 5. A second flanged pulley 59 on shaft 61 is driven from pulley 56 by belt 63. Both the feed and di e rolls rece ve their power through this Reeves transmission 55, which may be adjusted to regulate simultaneously the speeds of the feed and die rolls by the revers'ble adjusting motor carrying on its shaft the worm 65 meshing with ad usting gear 66 The actuation of the motor is controlled by push buttons grouped with other buttons and controls in duplicate control boxes 67 and 68 positioned at opposite ends of the machine, described hereinafter in more detail.

The feed roll drive from the Reeves transmission 55 is following mechanism. Fixed upon the driven shaft 61 1s a small pulley 69 connected by belt 71 with large pulley 73 on shaft 75 (see Figs. and 6). At one end of this shaft adjacent the large pulley is fixed the gear 77 which meshes with gear 79 on shaft 81 of a second variable speed transmission device 83. This second transmission is preferably of the positive drive type, commonly known as PIV (positively infinitely variable) and has a variably driven shaft 85. The speed of this shaft may be varied as desired by the operator, through the hand wheel 87, worm gear 89, and gear 91.

Fixed on the variable driven shaft 85 is a gear 93 which meshes with the idler gear 95, which in turn meshes with gear 97 fixed upon one end of the shaft 99. (See also Fig. 10.) Fixed upon the other end of the shaft 99 is the gear 101 which meshes with the gear 103 on the shaft 105, carrying the lower feed roll 47 and also carries the gear 109 meshing with the gear 111 on the upper feed roll shaft 113 carrying the upper feed roll 46. Thus the feed rolls are driven in opposite directions at a normally constant speed which may, however, be manually adjusted by the operator.

The mechanism for driving the die rolls from the first variable speed or Reeves transmission, comprises a gear 117 on driven shaft 75 connected through the idler gear 118 with gear 119 fixed upon one end of the short shaft 121. On the opposite end of shaft 121 is the mitre or bevel gear 123, meshing with cooperating bevel gear 125 on shaft 127, connected by coupling 129 with input shaft 131 of the planetary transmission device shown generally by reference character 133 in Figs. 6 and 10.

The purpose of the planetary transmission is to permit a momentary increase or decrease in the speed of the die rolls, thereby effecting an angular adjustment of the same and thus shortening or lengthening slightly the severed blank to vary the position of the printed matter thereon.

The planetary transmission, illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawing, is of the usual spur gear type. The input shaft 131 has fixed upon it the worm 134 meshing with the gear 136, keyed upon sleeve 137 which is rotatably mounted upon output shaft 139 and is provided with the lateral annular extension 143, having gear teeth 145. These teeth mesh with gear teeth 147 on pinion 149 fixed upon one end of the short shaft 151 rotatably supported in the web 153 of worm gear 155 provided with bearing bushing 157 freely rotatable on shaft 139. On the opposite end of short shaft 151 is fixed another pinion 159, the te-eth 161 of which mesh with the teeth 162 of gear 163 fixed upon output shaft 139. A worm 165 fixed upon shaft 167, engages the worm gear 155 and normally holds the same from rotation.

Thus, when the worm gear 155 is held stationary, pinions 149 and 159 act as idlers to transmit motion from gear 136 driven by worm 134 on input shaft 131, to

gear 163 and the output shaft shaft 169 carrying the lower gear 171 which meshes with gear 173 fixed upon shaft 174 carrying the upper die roll 48. When however, shaft 167 is momentarily rotated, worm gear 165 is given a slight rotational movement, which supplements the idler action of the pinions to increase or decrease momentarily the speed of rotation of output shaft 139, thereby varying the angular adjustment of the die rolls and the position of the printed matter on the finished blank. This results from the fact that while the gear teeth on pinion 149 and annular extension 143 are equal in number, the intermeshing gear teeth on pinion 159 and gear 163 are unequal. In the specific construction shown in the drawings, pinion 149 and extension 143 are each provided with 21 gear teeth, while pinion 159 and gear 163 have 20 and 22 teeth, respectively.

In the machine of the drawings, the control shaft 167 s actuated by means of a reversible electric motor which s automatically controlled by electric eye devices so that it operates in one direction or the other when the printing becomes misplaced on the blank, thereby adjusting the die rolls and returning the printing to its proper position on the blank. The reversible the drawing at 175, connected through sprockets 177 and 179 and chain 181, with control shaft 167. Cable 183 supplies electric current to the motor at the times and in 139 which is coupled to die roll 49 and also the electric motor is shown in vthe direction determined by the electric eye devices,

through its three conductors 184, and 186. 184 is the conductor for supplying current for the forward rotation of the motor to advance the die roll, and 185 is the conductor for supplying current for reverse rotation of the motor to retard the die roll, 186 being the common return. (See Fig. 10.)

l The electric eye devices are substantially the same as in our pending application Serial No. 13,388, above referred to, and comprise a web scanner unit 187 having a lamp 188 and lens 189, for directing a beam of light onto the paper web adjacent its edge from which it is reflected to the selenium cell 191 (see Figs. 10 and 11). Electric current is supplied to the lamp through the cable 192. Preferably the web is provided with spaced markings 193, which pass successively through the light beam and momentarily cut off the reflection of light to the selenium cell, thereby causing an electric impulse to be imparted through the connections 194, 195, to the control box 197. As shown in Fig. 11 the guides 45 for the edge of the paper web are cut away at 199 beneath the light to expose the markings.

Cooperating with the web scanner is a rotating scanning device, indicated generally at 201. This scanner is substantially the same as that shown in our earlier application Serial No. 13,388, and comprises a scanning disc 203 fixed upon shaft 205, coupled to the rear end shaft 139 of the differential driving mechanism so that the disc rotates in unison with the lower die roll. Diametrically offset from one another in the cylindrical wall of the disc are the openings 209 with a source of light consisting of an electric lamp 211 positioned within the disc 203 between the openings; lenses 213 are fixed on opposite sides of the lamp and direct the rays of light from the same toward the paths of openings 209 in the rotating scanning disc and onto the prisms 215 which deflect the rays onto the selenium cells 217. These cells are connected by wires 218 and 219 and common return 220 with control box 197 and conduct the cell impulses thereto. See Fig. 10.

The impulses transmitted from the web scanner cause the momentary closing of the main switch of the reversible motor 175, while impulses transmitted from the disc scanner to the control box operate to close momentarily first one direction switch and then the other, in the motor circuit. Normally, when the parts have been properly adjusted to position the printed matter on the blank, the main switch will be closed and then opened in the interval between the closing of the forward and of the reverse direction switches. Under these conditions no electric current will be supplied to the motor, and the adjustment of the planetary transmission will remain unchanged.

If, however, the guiding marks 193 are displaced to one side or the other of their proper position as they pass beneath the web scanner, the timing of the impulses to the control box from the web scanner will be advanced or retarded with respect to the impulses imparted by the disc scanner. As a result, the main switch will be closed when one or the other of the direction switches is closed, and current will be supplied to the motor for forward or reverse rotation, as the case may be, causing a momentary actuation of the control shaft 167 and an angular adjustment of the die rolls. Successive ad ustments will continue to be imparted to the die roll so long as the successive markings 193 are displaced from their original spacing, but as soon as the markings return to their normal spacing further adjusting motion of the rolls will cease and the rolls thereafter will operate at their original constant speed.

In order to indicate to the operator in simple and unmistakable manner the fact that the motor is operating in the direction in which the correction is to be made, the control box 197 may be provided with red and green lights 223 and 225, respectively, which are wired into the motor circuit as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 10, and flash with each operation of the motor. Thus red flashes may indicate that the motor is operating to advance the die roll and thus cut a shorter blank, while a green light shows that the motor is retarding the die roll to cut a longer blank. Current for operating the motor 175 and lights 223 and 225 is supplied through connection 227 from an outside source of electricity.

If the machine is properly adjusted and the displacement of the marks is of a temporary nature, as is usually the case, the adjustments of the die rolls will be of small amount, after which the machine will operate more or less continuously without further change, both feed and die rolls continuing to rotate at their original constant speeds. Sometimes, however, displacement of the marks from their original spacing is more or less permanent 1n character so that the reversible motor is caused to operate more or less continuously. Under such conditions, the operator will preferably adjust the variable speed transmission 83 in the feed roll driving mechanism, to speed up or slow down slightly the speed of the feed rolls 46 and 47.

Ordinarily such adjustment will be so slight that the loop between the un' s A and B will not be appreciably affected. However, it is a simple matter to compensate for the slight change in the speed of the feed rolls 46 and 47 in unit B by adjusting slightly the Reeves transmission 37 of unit A to increase or decrease the speed of feed rolls 33 of unit A as required, thereby positioning the printing correctly on the blank without continuous actuation of the reversing motor.

While ordinarily the guide markings 193 are applied to or printed upon the cover paper before the roll of cover paper is placed in the machine, it is of advantage in setting up the machine for operation with the desired web of printed cover paper to start the machine with only a roll of plain or dummy web of inexpensive paper with which the necessary adjustments can be made, thus avoiding the wasting of the more expensive printed composite web. At such times markings may be conveniently appliedto the plain dummy web by means of a printing device, shown in Fig. 11. This comprises the wheel or roll 231 freely rotatable upon arm 233, pivoted upon the upright 235 fixed to the guide 45, the latter being cut away at 237 to permit the wheel to rest upon the upper marginal surface of the web and turn freely with the movement of the web beneath it.

A printing device is secured to the face of the wheel comprising a cylinder 239 for containing the ink and the felt pad 241 extending from the cylinder slightly beyond the periphery of the wheel so that with each revolution of the wheel a mark, such as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings at 193, will be produced upon the top surface of the web at one edge. The diameter of the marking wheel 231 will be such that the marks will be spaced from one another on the dummy web exactly the same distances they are printed on the selected printed web, so that the machine can be operated with the dummy web and the printing device in operation, the necessary adjustments being made until dummy blanks are produced of the desired length with printed markings positioned the proper distance from the ends of the blanks. When this is accomplished, the composite printed web will be substituted for the dummy, and the printing device will then be rendered inoperative by swinging the arm 233 upwardly and to the rear of the machine until the printing wheel 231 rests upon the top of the guide 45 with the felt pad 241 at the top. The machine may then be started without further adjustment to operate upon the printed 6 web and produce a printed blank with the printing properly positioned thereon.

In order to assist the operator in properly adjusting the angular position of the die rolls with respect to the markings, an index mark 245 has been placed on the end face of the upper die roll, see Fig. 7, and a pointer 247 mounted upon the arm 248. Conveniently the mark 245 and pointer 247 will be in line when the severing knife is completing its cutting operation as shown in Fig. 7, at which time a guide mark 193 will be beneath a certain one of the series of openings 249 in the edge guide 45, depending upon the desired length of blank to be produced. These openings are spaced predetermined distances from the web scanner such that by first adjusting the web to bring a guide mark 193 beneath the appropriate opening and then adjusting the die rolls, while the web remains stationary, to bring the mark 245 on I he end of the upper die roll into alignment with pointer 247, the operator will cause the die rolls to cut the web at the proper place with relation to the guide marks, to position the printing correctly on the severed blank when the machine is set in regular operation.

v In order to facilitate the threading of the machine, that is, the drawing of the web through units A and B preparatory to starting the machine in operation, manually operable means are provided for lifting the upper roll of the feed rolls 33 in unit A and 46 in unit B, to permit the front end of the web to be passed freely through these rolls and also for the purpose of rendering the feed rolls, and more specifically rolls 46 and 47 in unit B, inoperative during certain later adjusting operations on the machine.

For this purpose each end of the die roll shaft is provided with the lifting mechanism shown in Fig. 7, which comprises the upper bearing block 250, slidingly mounted in the side guides 251 connected at the upper ends by the cap 252. Bearing block 250 is normally pressed downwardly by the springs 253 surrounding the lifting rods 254 fixed in the block 250 and passing through openings in the cap 252. These rods are connected at their top by the cross bar 255.

Rotatably mounted in the caps 252 at each end of the feed roll is the shaft 256 extending across the machine. Fixed uponthis shaft at each end, and positioned beneath the cross bars 255, are the eccentrics 257 which are normally in the position shown in Fig. 7, with their low portions positioned beneath and spaced from cross bars 255 so that the feed rolls are pressed firmly together by the springs 253. An operating handle 258 is fixed upon the outer end of shaft 256 so that the operator may, by turning the handle through degrees,

tween the rolls in threading the machine, or later to render the feed rolls, particularly those in unit B, inoperative when rotated to advance the web.

After the machine has been properly threaded, the upper feed rolls 33 and 46 of units A and B, respectively, are lowered onto the web, the machine is ready for operative tests and adjustments, and in order to facilitate such testing and adjusting, control devices or boxes have been placed conveniently for the operator, one, 67, at the rear end of unit A where the operator stands when starting the machine, and the other, 68, at the front end of unit B, where he takes his position when the machine is running, in order to observe the operation of unit B and to make the necessary adjustments therein.

At both of these stations the operator may start and stop both units simultaneously or either one independently of the other. Also he may impart short or momentary feeding movements to the web in either unit or in both units simultaneously. At the front control box 68 only, he may also adjust the die rolls in either direction to position the printing correctly on the finished blank or put such adjustment under the control of the automatically operating electric eye devices.

At the rear control box 67 only, he may also adjust either of the Reeves transmissions 37 and 55 to increase or decrease the speed imparted to the web as it passes through units A and B, respectively.

In order to secure these results, both control boxes 67 and 68, shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 5, are provided with a top row of push buttons 261 and 262, which, when pressed, set in operation motors 35 and 58 for driving units A and B, respectively, through their Reeves transmission 37 and 55. The third row down of push buttons 263 and 264 are for stopping the motors 35 and 58. Between the rows of motor starting and stopping buttons is another pair of buttons 265 and 266 for causing momentary or jogging actuation of motors 35 and 58 respectively, which continues so long as these buttons 265 and 266 are held depressed. The starting, stopping, or jogging of the motors may be effected either simultaneously or separately at the option of the operator.

In addition to the above described push buttons for controlling the operation of the driving motors for each unit, control 67 is further provided with pairs of push buttons for adjusting the Reeves transmissions 37 and 55 for varying or adjusting the speed of the web as it passes through each unit. These are push buttons 267 and 268 for adjusting transmission 37 to increase or decrease the web speed in unit A, and buttons 269 and 270 for similarly adjusting transmission 55 to increase or decrease the web speed in unit B.

Control box 68 is also provided with additional controls not present in control box 67, viz. a switch having control lever 271 which, when raised, render operative the electric eye devices for automatically controlling the actuation of reversing motor 175 for ad justing angularly the die roll. When the lever is swung downwardly, the automatic control is cut off and motor 175 comes under the manual control of the operator through push buttons when depressed, producing rotation of the motor in forward direction to advance the die rolls, and the latter producing rotation in the opposite direction to retard the die rolls.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming the machine is to be preliminarily adjusted with a plain or dummy web, a roll of this material is mounted on unit A and its free end drawn by the operator through rolls 21, and 33 to the front end of unit A, the upper roll of feed rolls 33 first being raised by means of the eccentric lifting devices shown in Fig. 7. Lever 271 on control box is at this time in lower position for manual control of the reversing motor 175 for angularly adjusting the die rolls.

The starting push buttons 261 and 262 at control 67 are now depressed to start the driving motors 35 and 58 of units A and B, setting in motion the feed rolls 33in unit A and feed rolls 46 and 47 in unit B, through their Reeves transmissions 37 and 55, respectively, which at this time are adjusted to drive the feed rolls at greatly reduced speed. The top roll of feed rolls 33 of unit A is next lowered upon the web which is now fed slowly from unit A. The free end of the web is now carried by hand through the guides, creasing rolls, and feed rolls member of the latter pair having the eccentric lifting devices.

The upper feed roll in unit 8 is now lowered upon the web, which begins to feed out blanks from the machine. If the various parts of the machine are functioning properly at low speed, the operator depresses push buttons 267 and 269 of control 67 to increase the speed of the web in both units, holding the buttons depressed until the desired speed of operation of the machine is attained. During this operation the buttons 267 and 268 are manipulated, first, to provide a loop of web of the desired size between the two units, and then to maintain such size of loop While the machine continues to operate.

When the web has been brought up to the desired speed, and the loop between the units remains of constant size, the operator leaves his station at control box 67 and on his way to box 68 puts the printing wheel 231 into operation to print a few of the guide marks on the dummy web.

The operator then stops the machine by depressing stop buttons 263 and 264, and observes the position of one of the guide marks with respect to the particular aperture of series 249 in web guide correspond ing to the predetermined length of the blank to be cut. If the mark is not beneath such aperture, the operator manipulates the jogging buttons 265 and 266 until the desired registration is secured, after which the machine is left stationary.

The next adjustment to be made is to bring the die roll into proper time relation with respect to the marks first been raised by 273 and 275, the former,

46 and 47 of unit B, the upper 193 to position the printing properly on the severed blanks. If the mark 245 on the end of the upper roll is displaced a substantial amount from pointer 247, as is usually the case at this stage, the operator releases the web from the grip of the feed rolls in unit B by turning the actuating handle of the eccentric lifting devices, and then jogs the driving motor of unit B by pressing button 266 until mark 245 and pointer 247 are in alignment. During this jogging operation the web remains motionless, with the mark 193 beneath the proper aperture in the guide member 45.

The upper feed roll in unit B is now lowered to grip the web, and both units A and B are set in operation by simultaneously pressing both buttons 261 and 262 of control 67.

The operator now raises the control lever 275 for throwing the electric eye devices and reversing motor into operative condition, and observes the red and green signal lights 223 and 225 on the control box 197. in all probability one of these lights will begin to flash, indicating that the control devices are operating to correct some inaccuracy, usually slight, in the angular adustlng of the die rolls, and such flashing will continue until the rolls are brought into perfect adjustment.

If, however, one of the lamps continues to flash for a substantial period of time, indicating a continuing inaccuracy, the operator will adjust the PIV transmission either to speed up or to retard slightly the speed of the feed rolls in the direction indicated by the color of the flashing lamp.

Eventually the correct adjustment for both the PlV transmission and the angular positioning of the die rolls will be obtained and the machine will produce satisfactory blanks, with one or the other of the signal lamps flashing only for short periods following a substantial period of time when neither light operates.

The machine is now ready for commercial work with regular cardboard and printed cover paper. These are substituted for the dummy web, and the machine is set in operation to produce commercial blanks. It may be that, due to the different material of the web, or to a slight variation in the printing of the cover paper, further adjustments may be required at the start, or during the running, but such adjustments will be of slight extent and easily effected by the operator through the manipulation of the push buttons and control levers.

Variations in the spacings of the guide marks on the printed cover are ordinarily very small, almost minute, and the necessary correction in the angular position of the die rolls is correspondingly small. As a result, the error or inaccuracy is corrected before it has time to reach any substantial degree, so that the variations in the length of the blank produced by this machine are wholly negligible and hardly discernible.

By the use of the flashing lamps, the operator may observe at a considerable distance the operation of the machine, and be advised whether it is correctly adjusting in one direction or the other for slight inaccuracies, or whether manual adjustment by the operator of the PIV transmission is required, as shown by the continued flashing of the same lamp.

It will be noted that the adjusting movements, produced through the action of the automatic electric eye devices, have no permanent effect upon the normally constant speeds of the die rolls or the feed rolls, so there is no building up or accumulative effect which in time results in over correction and hunting, thereby causing objectionable variations in the printed product.

The mode of operation and the control of the present machine make it possible to operate at substantially higher speeds than prior machines of this type, with improved quality of work, and less effort and attention on the part of the operator.

While in the accompanying drawings and in the foregoing specification the present invention is shown and described as embodied in a blanking machine for producing blanks for shoe cartons, the invention is not limited thereto, but may be embodied in other types and forms for forming blanks for boxes and other articles from webs of cardboard, paper, and the like. Any reference herein to boxes is to be understood as in cluding box covers as well.

Where reference is made to a printed web, this is to be understood as covering a web of box material to which printing has been directly applied as well as to 2,706,944 9 10 one to which a pre-printed web has been secured as with said indicator when the knife reaches an equal herein specifically shown and described. Nor are the peripheral displacement approaching the severing posi terms "printing or printed matter to be limited to tion, and means under the control of the operator to words, letters, or numbers but are to be taken as inadjust the die roll angularly to cause said indicator and cluding pictures and other ornamentation however propointer to register simultaneously with the registration duced upon the box material or supplementary web of a guide mark and said fixed member the marks be so closely spaced. Nor is it essential that the lines along which the blanks are to be severed, haveating means may be applied to or formed on the Web. the blanks from the web at a fixed severing position, Having thus described the invention, what is claimed means for continuously rotating the die roll at normally 1. The method of making printed box blanks Which with a guide-mark when one of said lines is at a preonsists in applying guide marks to a dummy web at determined displacement from the severing position, an predetermined spaced intervals, continuously advancing indicator upon the die roll, a fixed pointer in position constant linear speed, adjusting the angular position mg position, and means under the control of the opas on the dummy web. References Cited in the file of this patent 2. The method of making printed box blanks which consists in applying guide marks to a dummy unprinted UNITED STATES PATENTS web at predetermined spaced intervals, continuously ad- 798,274 Eisenbeis Aug. 29, 1905 vancing such web to a continuously rotating severing 896,899 Dietrich Aug. 25, 1908 knife, adjusting the speeds of the web and the knife to 1,538,361 Stamatson May 19, 1925 form dummy blanks with the guide marks positioned at 1,788,122 Petersen Jan. 6, 1931 predetermined distance from the end of the blank, sub- 1,857,166 Speicher May 10, 1932 stituting for the dummy web a web of printed box ma- 1,886,527 Cottrell Nov. 8, 1932 terial having guide marks thereon spaced as on the 2,022,696 Tomlin et al. Dec. 3, 1935 dummy web, uniting the rear end of the dummy web 2,038,452 Sharkey et a1. Apr. 21, 1936 to the front end of the printed web without varying the 2,050,316 Gulliksen Aug. 11, 1936 spacing of the marks, and thereafter advancing the printed 2,080,575 Perry May 18, 1937 web to the rotating severing knife to form printed blanks. 2,151,570 Shoults Mar. 21, 1939 3. A blanking machine for forming box blanks from 2,230,715 Cockrell Feb. 4, 1941 a continuous web of box blank material having, in com- 2,278,933 Kott Apr. 7, 1942 bination, a die roll, means for supplying and feeding 2,289,737 Sorkin July 14, 1942 the web to the die roll, said roll having a knife for 2,424,606 Engler July 29, 1947 severing the blanks from the web at a fixed severing 2,497,909 Poole Feb. 21, 1950 position, means for continuously rotating the die roll 2,500,230 Bailey et al Mar. 14, 1950 at normally constant speed, means for applying a series 2,521,435 Wockenfuss Sept. 5, 1950 of uniformly spaced guide rrilarllis Itlo tblie geb in fixgd 2,548,136 Auer Apr. 10, 1951 relation to the lines along w ic t e an s are to e severed, a fixed member in position to register with the FOREIGN PATENTS guide-mark when one of said lines is at a predetermined 343,761 Great Britain Feb. 26, 1931 displacement from the severing position, an indicator 480,783 Great Britain Feb. 24, 1938

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