US764500A - Mattress-filling machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 764,500. I

PATBNTBD JULY 5, 1904. r. A. RICE. MATTRESS FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIOA'I'IOH FILED AUG. 19, 1001.

B BHBET8-BHEBT 1.

NO MODEL.

iNVENTDFi N02 764,500. PATENTED JULY 5, 1904. F. A. RICE. MATTRESS FILLING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 19. 1901.

VIT E?EE 4 MN 131312" I U 3 A IN E'NTQR 2 FIG 9 47 m Maw Mw a L PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

F. A. RICE. MATTRESS FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

LM L 9 u 1: 1- :ii: iiii:

LNVEINTDF'! NEE ,1; a

lllvllll llll WITNEEES UNITED STATES iatented. Il'uly 5, 19041.

PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANCIS A. RICE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO GEORGE AABEL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MATTRESS-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,500, dated July 5, 1904. Application filed August 19, 1901. Serial No. 72,597. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, FRANoIs A. RICE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mattress-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to machinery for.

stufling mattresses and quilts and aims to provide novel and desirable features in the construction, adjustability, and operation of a primary filling device or receiver, in the means for conveying it and its contents to the ticker other container, and in the mode of returning this primary receiver empty to its normal position in the machine, so as to leave its load, or the filling material, properly disposed within the container, as well as in the general construction and arrangement of the various parts.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure 1 is a partly-broken half-sectional front elevation of the machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of a compressing device forming part of the machine. Fig. 4 is a top view on a reduced scale and Without the superimposed elevating device seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectionon the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 looking to the right. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views showing means for separably con necting at their .tworear corners the plates that constitute the primary receiver, and of which views Fig. 6 is an elevation looking from the rear of said receiver, Fig. 7 is a side view looking into thereceiver from the right of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 a cross-section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7 looking down. Fig. 9 is a side elevation on the same scale as Fig. 4:. Figs. 10, 11, and. 12 are sectional elevations, more or less diagrammatic, of the primary receiver filled with iiber and of its shiftingsproeket mechanism, showing the same in different positions with reference to the tick or container.

The form of my machine herein illustrated 7 consists chiefly of a supportingframe; a primary receiver comprising bottom, side, and top plates, all capable of adjustment; guides for said. side plates forming a vertical extension to the primary receiver; means for elevating the said top plates, for returning them to the receiver, and for applying pressure upon the fiber or filling material, and mechanism for transferring the charged receiver to and within the container and for returning it empty to the machine.

As indicated in Figs. 1, I, and 9, the supporting-frame is composed. of suitable corner posts or standards A, usually secured to the floor of the building where the machine is set up, and of upper and lower longitudinal and transverse timbers or beams A A, con-necting the ends of said posts or standards with one another and properly steadying the same.

The bottom of the receiver consists of three metallic platesa central plate B and two lateral plates B. and Bof a length and total width suflicient for the filling of the largest mattress or quilt. The top is similarly formed of a central plate B and lateral plates B" B. The lateral plates of both thetop and bottom overlap the middle plates, preferably upon the outer faces thereof, so as to he transversely slidable thereon for freedom of adjustment to any desired width of container. The ends of the central plates B and B are bent and donbled over the ends of the lateral plates B B and B B, respectively, so as to loosely grasp the latter and form guide-flanges 7) 7) and I) 1), against and within which the ends of said lateral plates are free to slide transversely. This provides for the aforesaid width adjustment and at the same time prevents relative move ment of the center and lateral plates longitudinally, so that the sliding of the center plates of the top and bottom backward and forward effects a corresponding movement of the lateral plates.

The side plates of the primary receiver are indicated by B' B. I provide several widths of these side plates to accommodate the different thicknesses of mattresses, &c. These side plates are preferably curved along their top and bottom edges, so as to bend toward and against the edges of the top and bottom lateral plates B B B to give them greater firmness and for reasons that will presently appear. This curvature is shown in Figs. 1 and 6, but rather exaggerated. As seen in Fig. 1, the upper lateral and lower lateral plates B B B B are also somewhat bent, divergently with relation to each other, so as to contact the concavity of the said curvature of the side plates B* B more or less squarely in order to form better sliding joints for these several plates against one another. The top and bottom lateral plates are not shown curved in Fig. 6, because this is not deemed an indispensable feature of my invention. The means employed'for holding up the side plates B* B in apt relation to the other plates aforesaid will be described later.

In order to keep the top and bottom plates of the receiver in position and properly rigid to enable pressure to be applied to filling material placed between the same,'I dispose longitudinally above the top plates B B" B and below the bottom plates B B B a sufficient number (preferably five in each place) of strong bars or scantlings, those disposed above the top plates being designated by the reference characters C C" C" C C and those positioned below the bottom plates by the characters C C C C C The upper middle bar C is secured centrally by end fastenings 0 0, Figs. 1 and f, to suspend crossbeams A* A that are slidable up and down within runways A A on each pair of end standards A. The lower middle bar is simi' larly attached by fastenings c c to,the lower transverse timbers or fixed beams A of the machine-frame. The other bars, C C C C are arranged in parallel pairs and rigidly secured together at proper distances apart by adjusting-bolts 0 0' 0 0 The upper pairs C" C' are hung from and slidably engaged with flange-plates D E (T-shaped in crosssection) on the under side of the suspended beams A* A by shoes (Z (Z c e, arranged to bear on opposite sides of said flange-plates. The lower pairs C C rest on and engage in an analogous manner, by means of shoes ff g 9', similar flange-plates F G on the fixed beams A The shoes (Z a f g d e f g, it will be observed, are secured to the ends of their respective bars and are oppositely disposed, so as to guide the latter and keep them in proper slidable relation to the flange-plates D E F G. The upper central plate B of the receiver is supported from the upper middle bar C by means of a T-rail H, secured longitudinallyalong the center line of said plate and grasped on opposite sides by angle-irons h,fastened to and projecting downwardly from the lower edges or corners of said bar. This plate B can thus be slid lengthwise in and out of engagement with the bar C and be raised or lowered with it by the verticallyslidable beams A A to which it is attached, but, like said bar C, is laterally immovable. The upper lateral plates B B are suspended each from one of the two upper pairs of parallel bars C C by means of two reverselyarranged inverted-L-shaped ribs I I, secured longitudinally on the top of said lateral plates and projecting over so as to slidably engage with oppositely-disposed metal strips ii, that line the under side and extend a short distance over one edge of each member of said two pairs of parallel bars. These plates B B' lap over the center plate B on opposite sides thereof-*that is, at their inner edges, which project inwardly under and between the two pairs of bars 0 C, as shown*and at their outer edges said plates extend outwardly from under said pairsof bars, so as to engage the upper curves of the side plates B* B hereinbefore described. Owing to this arrangement the said upper lateral plates are securely held transversely and vertically and perforce will follow the movements each of its respective pair of bars on the suspended beams A A", while admitting of being freely slid longitudinally. Therefore these top lateral plates will have the same up-and-down and in-andout movements as the center plate between them, and in addition they are laterally movable over and partly across the surface thereof within its turned ends or guide-flanges b, before mentioned. The bottom lateral plates B B are connected with the lower parallel pairs of bars C 0 each by means of two reversely-turned L-shaped ribs 1 1 secured to its under face and slidably engaging, respectively, the adjacent edges of metal strips o 2' that line the upper sides of the two bars in each pair and slightly project within the same. The inner edge of each plate B B rests on top of and extends inwardly from the metal strip attached to the inner member of its pair of bars, while the outer edge of each said plate rests within the lower curve of the adjoining side plate B or B which itself bears on the metal strip on the outer member of the pair of bars to which either bottom lateral plate B B belongs. The lower middle plate B finds support at its edges upon the adjoining edges of the plates B B and centrally on metal strips 3', fastened to and projecting upwardly from the upper edges or corners of the lower middle fixed bar C, between which strips enters a rail J, secured to the under face of and running along said plate B. It will be seen that by this arrangement the lower central plate B is capable of longitudinal reciprocation only, whereas its companion lateral plates B B can be slid transversely under it by their bars C C along the fixed beams A and within the guide-flanges Z) besides partaking its said longitudinal reciprocation. The func-- tion of the several joints above described, it is manifest, is to hold the bottom plates securely to the lower bars while loading them with the filling material, to enable the top plates to be raised and lowered by the upper bars and suspended beams for charging and pressing, and at the same time to admit of and IIO to guide the free longitudinal movements of the primary recelver to and from the container, as Well as to connect the top and bottom lat eral plates with their respective barsin order that the transverse movements of these bars may positively impart the same movements to the said lateral plates in adjusting to the width of the container.

As hereinbefore suggested, the side plates B B of the primary receiver are longitudinally slidable against the edges of the top and bottom lateral plates B B B B. They are controlled in their movements and held in place by guides B B, within which they are made to slide. The guides B" B comprise angular plates that are formed by bending sheet metal around and securing it to light metal bars K and which plates constitute vertical outwardly-slanting extensions on opposite sides of theprimary receiver. The depth of the receiver is thus increased by the said guides B B, the inner walls of which flare outwardly, and sufiicient room is provided for the required quantity of loose filling to be compressed in the receiver. The height of the extensions, which may be varied by adjusting the same vertically, as will be fully described, indicates the proper quantity of filling to be put in for any given thickness of mattress. They are held up in position and adjusted vertically by spring-steel bars 71:, riveted to their outer or vertical face and slidable withinloops'la secured to the outer face of the lower outermost receiver-bars C on each side of the machine. In order to hold the said guides B B at any desired elevation, these loops 7:: are provided with set-screws 71;, the ends of which impinge against the ad justing steel bars l2. These steel bars k are arranged at suitable distances from the ends of the lower side receiver-bars C C, to which they are clamped, andwhere I employ one or more intermediate steel bars 71: I sometimes omit, as suggested in Figs. 4 and 9, the setscrew la for said intermediate bars, as it is only necessary to provide the end bars with such set screws. It is manifest that for straight work, such as for mattresses orquilts of a given thickness, this adjustability of the guides B B would not be necessary, as the containers being all of the same size theheight of the receiver would not need to be varied. A machine for such straight work need not have guides that can be raised and loweredthat is, adjusted for receiver sides of different heights. In connection with the adjustability in question I provide the sides 13* B of various widths, as already. stated. My object for making-the guides B B outwardly slanting, so as to have extension sides that are divergent upwardly or, which is the same thing, convergent downwardly,as shown, is to permit the same to be forced outwardly by the downward movement of the receiver top, so that said top may be engaged by the receiver sides.

&

These guides hold the sides of the receiver in position and are ect into the ath of the to r downwardly, and

when the latter is moved hence must be capable of yielding to permit the top to pass thereby. To effect this, the the steel bars carrying the guides are made yielding or elastic and the guides formed with and the metal bars of the guides B" B, as

illustrated in Fig. '1, and the lower edges of said side plates B B by preference also are placed within angles 11 i of the metal strips 05 on the outermost bars U" C", that carry them. which obviates the necessity otherwise of making the guides B B very Wide, so as to reach far enough down to give them the needed support in every case.

A lazy-tongs mechanism is provided at both top and bottom to adjust the lateral plates B B B B" transversely upon the middle plates B and B. (See Figs. 1, 4E, and 9.) Referring first to the top, this provision comprises a centrally pivoted or fulcrumed lever L, tongs M, disposed in opposite pairs, the individuals of each pair having hinge connection with a centrally-disposed slidable clip on at their inner ends and at their outer ends with the shoes (Z c of the farthest apart of the parallel bars C O, and links N, pivotally connecting each a clip m with. an arm of said lever L on opposite sides of its fulcrum or pivot, which consists of a pin or bolt L, screwed into an inverted-U-shaped casting L, transversely fastened to the top part of the upper central scantling (1. The movable clips on grasp and are slidable longitudinally upon a doublefianged or T-shaped track m, running along the top of said central scantling (3. They are moved in one direction or the other, as requiredyby means of the lever L, to which it is nowevident that the they are linked. upper parallel pairs of bars C 0 will be drawn together or pushed apart, and the top lateral plates B B,suspended therefrom, will be slid transversely upon their central plate B by the longitudinal IGClIJI'OCZLiJiOIl of the clips m, through theagency of the aforementioned centrally-pivoted double-armed lever L, which is made sufliciently long to reach across the machine, as shown, so as to be conveniently manipulated by a Workman on either side. The lazy-tongs arrangement for the bottom lateral plates B B is an exact duplicate of that employed for the top lateral plates aforesaid, the only difference between them being that the lower mechanism 1s in an inverted position. Thus the last-named mech anism comprises a lever L, Figs. 1 and'9, with central pivot L secured to a U-shaped casting L transversely attached to the bottom part of the lower middle scantling C, oppositely-disposed pairs of tongs M, whose individual members have hinge connection at their inner and outer ends, respectively, with a central slidable clip on and with the shoes f g of the outermost parallel bars C G and links I, each connecting a clip m with an arm of the lever L pivotally on opposite sides of its fulcrum. The slidable clips m grasp and move along a T-shaped or double-flanged track of, secured longitudinally to the bottom of said middle scantling (I. The action of these parts of the said lower lazy-tongs mechanism is precisely the same as in the upper one, the working of the lever L causing the reciprocation of the clips m through the links N and efiecting the transverse adjustment of the lower parallel pairs of bars 0 C and corresponding adjustment of the bottom lateral plates B B carried thereby, with relation to their central plate B. This lower lazy-tongs mechanism, it will be observed, controls and effects at the same time and to the same extent the transverse adjustment of the side plates 13* B which rest edgewise on the outermost bars C C within the guides B 13, also carried by the bars last named, as before described, so that these side plates and their guides when in position move in and out with the bottom lateral plates B B according as the lever L is operated to adjust them, and consequently the bottom part of the primary receiver, to the desired width of mattress or quilt.

Except for filling quilts and similar flat containers the edges of the bars C C C C that contact with the top and bottom lateral plates B B B B are not usually kept on a straight line in their traverse alinement, as they appear in Fig. 1, but are hollowed divergently, gradually curving to about one inch out of the straight line, so that the filling when compressed ready to be conveyed to the container gradually swells toward the middlewidthwise throughoutthe entire length, whichis adesired condition. To accommodate these varying conditions that is,to keep these bars and plates properly related and provide for the adjustment of their transverse alinement-I make the flange-plates D E F Gr each in two pieces and pivot each piece near its inner end, as shown at 0 0 0 0, Fig. 1. A set-screw P is placed at or near the outer end of each piece for adjusting the desired curvature of the aforesaid transverse alinement. For this purpose I prefer to make the flange-plates D E F G of somewhat T-shaped angle-iron and to embed the webs or central perpendicular members thereof in the cross-beams A A A* A mortise-and-tenon fashion, so that each shall operate'within its groove or mortise in the end of the cross-beam to which it is pivoted. See Figs. 1 and 5.) Of course for work of the same nature wherethe same curvature or straightness is constant I would preferably omit the swell-adjusting provisions and keep the bars C C C C and their connected plates B B B B rigidly alined by firmly securing the flange-plates D E F G to the beams A A A and making these flange-plates and beams either curved or straight to suit.

For quiltsand other fiat containers the alinement'is as shown in Fig. 1; but for mattresses, which to be well made should be swelled in the middle-that is, thicker therethan' at the edges-it is necessary to alter that alinement. To efi'ect this, the pieces D, E, F and G are pivoted at their inner ends, as described, a provision which admits of the two sets of scantlings to be adjusted, and hence the receiver top and bottom to be curved transversely. Where it is desired to manufacture only centrally-swelled mattresses, the plates D, E, F, and G are not pivoted; but in that case the receiver top and bottom are given the proper curve in constructing the machine, and hence the latter is not provided with the construction specified above, which I designate as swell-adjusting provisions. 7

As a means for elevating the top plates B B" 3" out of the way for charging the primary receiver and for other obvious reasons, I secure to each end of the two beams A A that carry the upper parallel bars G C C' and the said top plates, a rope Q, which I run diagonally of the plan of the machine over and around a standing or suspending pulley Q and attach to a weight Q located centrally above the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. Four such ropes and pulleys are therefore provided, and the same keep the said beams A A suspended oppositely to said weight Q which is made of the proper size to balance them and the parts combined therewith, so that a slightpower or pressure with the hands applied to one edge of the receiver-top will ordinarily sufiice to move it up or down the required extent, and the said top will remain at any desired elevation. Each rope Q is formed with a loop (1 at one end, through which passes a staple q, that holds it to its beam A or A and at its other end the top is made fast to an adjusting eyebolt g screwed into a corner-lug Q3 of the balancing-weight Q Itis now manifest in view of the connection of parts above described that by elevating the suspended upper beams A* A or, conversely, by lowering them or applying pressure thereto a corresponding effect is had upon the top parallel bars C C 0" and top plates B B B. These suspended beams are therefore utilized to impart through said top bars and plates the requisite pressure for the proper compression of the filling material when arranged within the primary receiver. This pressure I apply by means of four levers R, fulcrumed one on each corner post or standard A and having each a pendent ratchet-bar R with teeth directed downward and adapted to act toward and against an upwardly-pointed dog-cli p R one of which latter is secured to each end of both of the aforesaid suspended beams A" A. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9.) The levers B have each their pivot '1 in a bracket r, and each has its ratchet-bar R loosely pivoted to it at r inside its fulcrum and above the corresponding dog-clip R in such a manner that the downwardly-projectingteeth of the several pendent ratchet-bars shall automatically drop into contact and successively engage with the several dog-clips, thereby .bearing upon and forcing down the suspended beams A A and the receiver-top therewith as the said levers R are being oscillated. The four levers R are arranged in opposite pairs on each side of the machine with their handles approaching each other, so that each such pair can be grasped and operated by one workman.

In orderto keep the top of the primary receiver firmly in contact with the filling material as it is gradually pressed down by the levers R, particularly while these levers are being released to enable their ratchet-bars R to take a fresh hold on the dog-clips R of the suspended beams A A, with which the said receivertop is combined, I employ catches S, suspended beams at any point the same may adapted each to hold down one end of said be driven along their respective runways A A As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, each catch S consists of a bolt or pin carried by and sliding through a block S fastened to the inner side of the beam end which the catch is to hold. A spiral spring S attached to both beam and catch, urges the latter into engagement with a vertical line of holes S in a rack S (best seen in Figs. 2 and 3,) which rack is secured to the post A along which the beam runs. The holes S are so inclined downwardly and inwardly and the springs S of such strength and so disposed that the several catches S will slide down from one hole into another as the suspended beams A A are pressed down, but will not become disengaged nor move in an upward direction without first being positively retracted. All or any one of the catches S can thus be used to hold down the receivertop or any particular corner or end thereof according as the filling must be compressed. To retract the said catches S to allow the top of the receiver to be raised or for any other reason, I provide them each with an integral handle or crank S, which I bring to bear against the edge of a curved plate S inclined.

away from the engaging rack S and secured to the end of the suspended beam ad acent thereto. Turning up the handle or crank S,

as represented in Fig. 3, will cause it to pull out the catch S in each case, and thus free the end of the suspended beam. A notch S is made in theupper inclined edge of the plate to hold the handle or crank S, when desired, to keep the catch S in its retracted pos1t1on.

For the forward or discharge end of the 1 primary receiver I provide a doublenvinged stop-gate composed of a central plate T and two side plates T T, bent somewhat as shown in cross-section in Fig. 5 and hinged horizontally by a rod t, that passes through lugs 25 on the face of said plates T T T and through brackets t on the forward standards A at a suitable distance above said receiver. (See Figs. 1, 1, and 9 in addition to Fig. This gate is used for the twofold purpose of aiding in the charging of the receiver and forpreventing the charge or filling from being dragged out of its container by the withdrawal of the receiver therefrom. The said gate is adjustable widthwise or transversely of the machine somewhat after the mann erof the top and bottom of the receiver--that is to say, the side plates T T are adapted to slide within and are held by grasping-flanges t" of the central plate T. A hook t rocking in. staples 2?, Figs. 1 and 5, is placed against each end of said central plate T to hold the gate firm against the forward end of the receiver while the latter is being charged. How this stopgate held against the filled container will he explained farther on.

The tick, case, or other container to be filled (represented by U in Figs. 10, 11, and 12) is laid flat upon a stand or table V, forward of the machine, at the proper elevation and in position to receive the charged primary receiver. The top of this stand or table is made to conform in shape to the bottom of the re receiver, Whether straight or curved, as here, inbefore set forth, and it is usually inclined, sothat its near end shall be slightly below the plates B B B of said receiver-bottom and its remote end sligl'itly higher, which affords some advantage in running the receiver into the container not to be had otherwise. Thus the bottom of the charged receiver entering the container will not hear much on the top surface of the stand till about half-way in, and there will be no dragging of the container by friction against the stand.

For shifting the primary receiver longitunally-tl1at is to say, for conveying it charged into the empty container and for returning the receiver empty to the machine from the filled container-I provide a sprocket device, consisting of a pair of wheels and chain, for

each middle plate B B, as shown in Figs. 1,

4, 9,10, 11, and 12. The lower sprocketwheels X are mounted so as to revolve in a vertical plane in brackets X secured to the outer face of the lower fixed beams A". centrally of the machine, one at each end, and the shaft as of the front wheel of this pair reaches both ways across the machine and is journaled in bearings on the front standards A, beyond which its ends are somewhat extended and. arranged to receive each a handcrank 00 Over and around these two wheels X is placed the endless sprocket-chain X which passes through suitable notches or apertures in the beams A and along the top and bottom of the centralfixed bar G within the metal strips j and under the track m through the movable clips m and fixed casting L of the width-adjusting lazy-tongs mechanism for the receiver-bottom. Theupper'sprocket-wheels X are mounted similarly to the lower ones in brackets X", secured to' the outer face of the suspended beams A A, and the rear one of this upper pair of wheels also has its shaft a/extended across the machine but one way only to a journaling-bracket 0 on the rear of the beam A and furnished with a bevel-gear and crank device 00', Figs. aand 9, which is usually so proportioned as to give the desired purchase in each machine. The sprocket-chain X for the wheels X runs across the lower edge of the beams A* A along the top and bottom of the upper middle bar C, through the movable clips on and fixed casting L of the width-adjusting lazy-tongs arrangement for the receiver-top, over the track on, and within the angle-irons 71. The sprocket-chains X X, it is needless to say, move longitudinally and centrally of the machine and of the respective middle plates of the primary receiver, the lower one below its bottom plate B and the upper one above its top plate B. They are made fast by one of their links and a stud, each to the middle rail of its respective plate, as seen at H J Figs. 10, 11, and 12, so as to positively shift the same as the sprocket device is operated by its crank or cranks, so that the motion of the chain is imparted to the particular top or bottom plate or to the receiver as a whole. The moving of the receiver as a whole will presently be explained.

I prefer to convey the charged receiver to and within the container by the agency of the lower sprockets for greater convenience and simplicity and to employ the upper sprockets solely for the withdrawal from the container of the top plates B B" B. For this purpose I combine all plates composing the receiver on the inward movement of the lower plates by means of angle-iron catches Y Y Y of which the catches Y are made fast to the inner surface of the rear corners of the bottom lateral plates B B, Y to the inner face of the rear ends of the side plates B* B and Y to the top lateral plates B B, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. It will be understood that by moving forward the bottom middle plate B through the lower sprockets the rear flange or turned end 6 of this plate will cause the bottom lateral plates B B to move along with it; and the catches Y thereon will impinge against the rear face of the catches Y of the side plates B B which latter-named catches will also act against the rear face of the catches Y of the top lateral plates B'B, that lie within the flange b of the top middle plate B at their front ends, by

which arrangement it is manifest that by the forward movement of the lower plates the entire receiver is moved forward. s

The open end of the container U is slipped over the open front end of the charged receiver after the latter has been slightly advanced and the stop-gate unhooked and tipped up out of the way, as indicated in Fig. 10, the gate being held up by the receiver as it is forced past. While being filled the container may be held in place by hand or with the aid of hand hooks or by any other convenient means, whether separate from or attached to some part of the machine, as preferred. No special tick-holding devices are necessary to the successful operation of my machine. No plunger is required either to ram or force the charge into the container, as the previous compression of the filling causes it to adhere to .the walls of the open-ended receiver sufficiently to make it slide in freely without any such auxiliary appliance as a plunger or follower, which therefore would be useless. The only thing requisite to properly stuff the container is to have the filling reach far enough back in the receiver to come to the mouth of the container when its closed end is reached by the receiver, as represented in Fig. 11.

My preferred method of withdrawing the receiver from the filled container is illustrated in Fig. 12, wherein the several plates that compose the receiver are in process of being removed separately, beginning with the top plates B B B, which are seen withdrawn to about their normal position in the machine; but before I can bring back these plates without bringing the whole receiver with them I must release the catches Y which I do by narrowing up the top of the receiver by the lever L and its lazy-tongs arrangement, it being understood that the said top and also the bottom are made long enough to remain partly in the machine after filling the container. The top plates are first pulled back, as just said, through the upper sprockets connected therewith or they may be pulled back by hand. Then the stop-gate that was theretofore tipped up is dropped or swung down into the receiver and against the mouth of the container, as shown, to bar the Withdrawal of the filling, the top of the receiver being slightly elevated to facilitate adjustment. Having been adjusted, this stop-gate is held firm against the container by lowering the top of the receiver again, so that the forward end of its plates will bear against the back of sad gate, as suggested in Fig. 1, or else if for any reason it were deemed preferable to have the top plates of the receiver up and out of the way the gate could be secured in position by placing a crossbar back of it or by any other desirable means. The bottom plates B B B are next withdrawn by the lower sprockets, and finally the side plates B B which were left in the box of rc4,5oo

the ticking or container, are drawn back by hand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A machine of the kind described com prising a suitable frame, a compressing-receiver thereinwith a permanently-open rear end and consisting of top, bottom and sides arranged to encompass the filling material, and means for conveying said receiver with its charge out of the frame and into the container or ticking.

2. A machine of the kind described comprising a receiver for the filling material permanently open at its rear end and composed of plates constituting its bottom, sides, andtop, a supporting-frame therefor, means for moving one of said plates out of said frame, and interconnections whereby, upon this movement taking place, the said bottom, sides, and top will engage one another and the receiver be carried as a whole into the container.

3. A machine of the kind described comprising a receiver, laterally-yieldable extensions to the receiver sides, a supportinglrame thereunder, a pressurertop, and means for forcing down said top upon the filling material and into engagement with the sides of the receiver below said extensions.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a primary receiver consisting of bottom plates transversely adjustable one upon another and coupled to reciprocate longitudinally together, a similarly-constructed top, and side plates slidably engaging said top and bottom plates.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a re-- ceiver for the filling material composed of transversely-adjustable bottom and top plates and side plates slidably engaging therewith, combined with guide-plates for said receiver sides, a supporting-frame, and means for moving the receiver along said guide-plates in and out of said frame.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a suitable framework, a receiver for the filling permanently open at its rear end, a vertically-movable pressure-top, means for forcing said top upon the filling material, racks on the framework, and spring-pressed longitudinally-slidable catches engaging holes in said racks and cooperating with the pressing means for holding the top from upward movement during the compressing operation.

7. A machine of the kind described comprising a frame consisting of stationary and movable parts, a primary receiver for the filling material therein having its bottom and top composed each of a plurality of plates, and means for adjustably connecting said bottom and top plates respectively to the stationary and movable parts of said frames to provide for the curvature or straightening of the receiver transversely, as required.

8. A machine of the kind described comfor moving said receiver bodily into the container or ticking and removing it therefrom in sections.

10. A machine of the character described, comprising a receiver for the filling having a separable top, bottom and sides, and means for moving said receiver bodily into the container or ticking and removing its several parts therefrom separately.

11. In am achine of the character described,

a receiver for the filling permanently open at its rear end, means for moving said receiver into and out of the container or ticking, and means for preventing the withdrawal of the filling from the container with the receiver.

12. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling open at both ends, and means for moving said receiver into and out of the container or ticking.

13. Ina machine of the character described, a supporting frame, transversely movable members carried thereby, a receiver comprising sides anda sectional bottom connected to said members to slide longitudinally thereon but to move transverselytherewith to contract or expand the receiver, said bottom being composed of lapping plates; means for elfecting the transverse movement of said members, a vertically-sliding frame movable on said supporting-f "ame, transversely-movable members carried by said sliding frame, a sectional top for the receiver connected to said lastnamed members to slide longitudinally thereon butto move transversely therewith to contract or expand the top, said top also consisting of lapping plates, means for effecting the transverse movement of said members of the vertically-sliding frame, and means for moving said receiver as a whole longitudinally upon the several transverse]y-movable members.

14. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling comprising sides and.

a sectional bottom movable longitudinally and adjustable transversely to vary the width of the receiver, means for effecting the transverse movement of the sides and sections of the bottom, a vertically-movable pressure-top movable longitudinally and formed of transversely-movable sections, means for moving said sections transversely to vary the width of the top, and means for effecting the longitudinal movement of said receiver as a whole including the pressure-top.

15. In a machine of the character described, an open-ended receiver for the filling comprising a separable bottom and sides and a pressure-top, guides for retaining the sides in position, and means for adjusting the guides to accommodate sides of different widths.

16. In a machine of .the character described, a receiver for the filling permanently open at its rear end, a pressure-top for the receiver, and vertical extensions for said receiver disposed above the upper edges of the side walls thereof, the pressure-top being adapted to pass between said extensions and engage with said side walls.

17. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling comprising aseparable top, bottom and sides, separate means connected with said top and bottom for efi'ecting the independent longitudinal movement of said parts rearwardly, and means for connecting said top, bottom and sides when one of said parts is moved longitudinally in afor- Wardly direction so that the receiver as a whole will be carried forwardly.

18. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling comprising a receptacle open at both ends and provided with a pressure-top for compressing the filling, and a gate arranged to close the forward end of the receiver during the compressing operation.

19. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling permanently open at its rear end, a vertically-movable pressuretop therefor, levers provided with pendent ratchet-bars for forcing said pressure-top downwardly, and automatically-acting catches for retaining the top from upward movement as it is forced downwardly.

20. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling comprising a separable top, bottom and side walls, means for moving said receiver as a whole into the container or ticking, means for moving the top and bottom separately from the container, and an abutment arranged to close the open end of the container when one of said Walls has been removed to prevent withdrawal of the filling during the removal of the remaining walls. I

'21. In a machine of the character described, a sectional receiver for the filling constructed to be moved bodily into the ticking and to be removed therefrom in sections and means for effecting the movement of the receiver.

22. In a machine of the character described, a receiver for the filling comprising a separable top, bottom and sides and arranged to be moved bodily into the ticking and to have its several parts removed separately from the ticking and means for effecting the movement of the receiver.

Signed at San Francisco this 13th day of August, 1901.

FRANCIS A. RICE. Witnesses:

CHAS. T. STANLEY, A. H. STE. MARIE.

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