US834620A - Match-machine. - Google Patents

Description

' No. 834.620. BATENTED 001. so, 1906.

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MATCH MACHINE. APILIZCATION IILBD 11113.15. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. WITNESSES A TTORNE Y.

Plfllu co.,

' '1"Io.834 620. PATENTED0017-.30,1906.

wfF. HUTGHINSON.

MATCH MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1905. V

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. S l 18 6 S WITNESSES: INVEZYTOR.

WO 90M JMW,

ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS rn'nas co, WASH INOMN u. c.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FULTON HUTOHINSON, ,OF NYACK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO SARNIA MATCH COMPANY, OF SARNlA,

RATION OF (JAN ADA.

ONTARIO, (JANADA,,A CORPO- MATCH-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 30,1906.

Application filed February 15, 1905. Serial No. 245,661.

To all whom it may concern:'

.Be it known that 1, WILLIAM FULTON HUToHrNsoN, of Nyack, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Match-Machine,

of which the following is a full, clear, and ex-,

. step movement and a cutting mechanism which has a corresponding movementand which cuts the splints and delivers them into the carrier.

The prime obj ect of my invention is to-provide, in connection with a carrier of the general kind described, a continuous semirotary cutting mechanism in which a series of knives are arranged to follow one another in a generally circular path and to successively sever the ends of a whole series of stock, and, further, to provide means for inserting the splints, as they are thus continuously severed, in the carrier.

a A further object of my invention is to construct the cutting mechanism so that the knives can move rapidly and smoothly around. their guides, to provide means for steadying the carrying-frames, to provide an easyi mechanism for feeding the frames which shall permit the carrier-frames to be easily inserted in the machine without loss of time, and to provide an improved means for feed ing the stock to the cutting mechanism.

My invention also comprises certain improved. details, which will bespecifically described, all to the end that a simple, prac tical, and very rapid working machinecan be produced.

With these ends in view my invention conslsts of ,certa1n features of constructlon and combinations of parts, which will be herein-- after described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding .parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a rear end elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic i the supplemental stock-feed rollers. is a cross-section on .the line 11 11 of Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 is a cross-section on the line 12 of plan of a portion of the cutting mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional plan of a part of ,the feed mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section through the cutting mechanism,

showing the arrangement of the devices for I cutting off the splints and for guiding them to the carrier. Fig. 6 is a broken detail perspective view, partly in section, taken fi'om .the rear side of the cutting mechanism to show the details thereof. Fig. 7 is a broken sectional plan of the cutting and splintguiding mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail and side elevation of the means for feeding the earrier-frames and operating the stock-feed rollers. auxiliary frame-feeding device, which per-v ;mits the carrier-frames to be easily inserted Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the in the machine. Fig. 10 is a detail plan of Fig. 11

one of the stock-feed rollers.

The machine is provided with a frame 10., which can be of any approved design, and on the top andfront end it is provided with .a series of parallel partitions 11, which :are spaced apart, so as to permit the veneers or stock 12 to be fed easily through .them and yet hold the stock in the right position for cutting. At the end next the cutting mechanism these partitions 11 are slightly recessed in the sides to provide room for the springs 13 which at their free ends extend slightly into the space between the partitions, as best shown in Fig. 4, and which therefore have a tendency to push the stock to one side or against the partitions, so as to hold the stock rigidas the knifeshears across it. At the rear :end .of the partitions 11 are auxiliary or extension partitions 11 which serve to guide the stock as it passes from these between the guide-fingers 1-4, which are-carried by the plate 14*,and this is made fast to the machine, as the drawings show. Space is left between the fingers 14 :and the rear ends of the guides 11 for the passage of the knives 1-8, to bepresently referred to. The fingers 14 are spaced apart .a distance corresponding to the thickness of a match, and fitting closely against them on the back side are the abutments 15, which are also spaced apart to permit the passage of splints through them, and they are preferably beveled slightly on one edge, as shown. These abutments 15 are carried by the plate 15, which slides on the plate 14*, as shown in Fig. 6. It will be noticed that when the abutments 15 are in the position shown in Fig. 7 they serve to guide one side of the splints 12 which are cut from the stock 12that is, the stock is fed between the fingers 14 and against the abutments 15, after which the knife 18 slides across the guides 11 and severs the splints, so that the latter are then held-between the fingers 14, the knife 18, and the abutments 15. The plate 15 is then -moved so as to withdraw the abutments 15 from the rear sides of the splints 12 and the latter can then pass freely rearward with the carrier, as hereinafter described. The abutments and plate 15 are guided by the ribs 16 and 16" and are moved in a manner to be hereinafter described. The lower ends of the abutments 15 are also guided by the hooks 17, which are fast to the parts 14 and which are spaced to permit the passage of splints, as hereinafter described.

The knives 18 are thin and flexible, and while they may be made in a single piece they are preferably constructed as shown, having one cutting portion 18" and a series of thin blades 18*, which lie edge to edge, and each knife is long enough to extend across the fingers 14, so as to guide the severed matchsplints, as just described. The knives are carried by sprocket-chains 19, and the drawing (see Fig. 3) shows four knives; but there may be a greater or less number. The sprocket-chains move over the sprocketwheels 20, which are arranged as in Fig. 3

and turn on vertical studs 21, these being arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the machine, one pair being opposite the fingers 14, so that the knives shall be drawn across the stock in the right relation, and the other pair are near the front end of the machine, and these are adjustable back and forth, so that the chains 19 can be tightened when necessary. Any suitable means can be employed for this purpose; but I have shown the front studs 21 having a screw connection with the bolts 22, which are journaled in the machineframe, and the studs extend through slots 23 and are j ournaled in plates 24, which steady them'and which are slidable back and forth, as shown best in Fig. 2.

One of the rear studs 21 serves as a driving-shaft, and to this end it has a gear 25 or equivalent driving mechanism (see Fig. 1) connecting with a gear 26 on a shaft 27, and the latter is driven by a sprocket-wheel 28, connecting, by means of a suitable wheel, with the counter-shaft 29, which extends transversely across the machine in suitable bearings and connects by gears 30 and 31 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) with the drivingshaft 32, which has a suitable pulley 33. It will be understood, of course, that the means for driving any of the parts can be of any usual kind.

When the knives 18 are drawn across the stock 12 to cut the splints, as shown above, the splints are then ejected or pushed down by plungers 34, which is a common means of ejecting matchesplints, and these plungers move down through guideways 14", (see Fig. 6,) which register with the spaces between the fingers 14. The plungers 34 are secured to a cross-head 35, which is attached. to a yoke 36, moving in suitable guideways in the machine-frame, and the arms 37 of the yoke extend downward and connect, by means of rollers 38, with the cam-slots 39 in the cams 40, these slots being produced in the ends of the cams, and one of the latter has also the face-slot 41, which receives the roller 42 on the under side of the head 43, (see Fi s. 1 and 7,) and the head connects with the plate 15, which carries the abutments 15. It will be seen, therefore, that every revolution of the cam will actuate the plungers 34 and also move the abutments 15, and the cam-slots are arranged so that these movements alternate.

In connection with the cutting mechanism any suitable carrier of the general type described can be used; but I prefer to use the holding-frames 44, which have cross-bars 45, these being preferably circular in cross-section, and the splints 12 are forced downward between the cross-bars and held by them. The frames slide longitudinally through the machine on the angle-tracks 46, and to prevent them from swaying laterally they have, preferably, a longitudinally-central rib 46, which slides through a grooved guide 47, arranged below the frame. These frames are fed through in succession one behind the other, and obviously they may be linked, if desired.

The counter-shaft 29, above referred to, connects by gears 48 and 49 with the short vertical shaft 50 at one side of the machine, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and this carries the horizontal cam 51, in which is a cam-slot 52, which actuates the arm 53 of the shaft 54 in the figures referred to, and this shaft has a second crank-arm 55, which connects with and reciprocates a slide-rod 56, which is arranged in suitable bearings transversely of the machine and which carries a pawl 57, which engages the ratchet-wheel 58 on the shaft 59, which is suitably supported. It will be seen that the turning of the cam 51 will tilt the rock-shaft 54 and reciprocate the rod 56, and the latter will impart a step-bystep movement to the ratchet-wheel and its shaft. The shaft 59 carries gears 60, which mesh with corresponding gears 61, (see Fig. 8,) and the latter are secured to the shafts 62, which extend along the frame side, as in Fig. 8, parallel with the travel of the carriers. The object of having the double-gear connection just described between the shaft 62 and the shaft 59 is to afford space for the cutting mechanism. The

the several shafts 66 are also connected by gears It is desirable to feed the carrier-frames successively into the machine, and after one has entered into position to receive the splints as they are cut it is necessary to force the second one quickly into abutment with the first. To provide for this and not interfere .with the driving mechanism, I use a tilting frame 67, which, with its mechanism, forms an auxiliary feed for the carrier-frames. This frame 67 is hinged at its rear end on one of the shafts 66, and it carries at its free end a similar shaft, '(see Fig. 9,) both of which shafts have the gears 65 to engage the rods or cross.- bars 45. The set of gears 65 at one end of the frame is covered by shields 67 At the hinged end of the frame 67 the gears 65 are loose on the shafts 66 and have hubs 68, provided' with ratchet-teeth which enga e corresponding teeth in the collars 69, w ich are fast on the said shafts. ratchet-teeth is in such a direction as to permit a carrier-frame to be pushed quickly be neath the frame 67, and the ratchet-teeth will slip, so that the said frame can be pushed quickly up against the one which has preceded it, after which the feed is as usual. If

to make the movement easier. In order that the shafts 66 at the free end of the frame 67 may turn constantly even though the frame is lifted, a train of gearing 7 0 (see Fig. 8) is usedto connect the shaft farthest forward with the one next it toward the rear of the machine.

I have shown how the frame-feed is worked from the rod 56. This serves also to actuate the splint-pushing devices to be described below and which prevent the splints from sticking between the fingers 14 as the carrier-frame advances. On the rod 56 is an arm 71, which connects by a link 72 with a tilting bell-crank lever 73, (see Fig. 3,) and the bell-crank is fulcrumed at its elbow 74 and has its longer arm connected by a link 75 with the toggle-levers 76, which are fulcrumed at 77 and connect at their outer ends with the rods 78, and these in turn are pivot-' The slant of the the comb 80 will, by the lever mechanism referred to in Fig. 3 and described above, be moved at the same time, so as to push the match-splints from between the parts 14 and 17, and thus sticking is avoided. It will be understood, ofcourse, that many other forms of mechanism can be used for moving the comb 80 without departing from the principle of the invention.

p The stock-feed is accomplished in the main by the auxiliary feed-rollers 82, (see Fig. 8 which bear on the upper and lower :edges of the strips 12 of stock, and these rollers are connected by gears 83', the lower of which connects, by means of gears 84 and 85, with a bevel-gear 86 on one of the shafts 62. The gear also connects with the lower of two gears 87, which mesh and which are attached to the shaft 88 of the supplemental feed-rollers 88. These supplemental feedrollers 88 are roughened on the outside, and

there is a pair of feed-rollers for each stri of stock, as shown best in Fig. 10. The ro lers are loose on their shafts and each roller is hollow and contains a ratchet-wheel fast on the shaft and having long teeth 89 engaged by the balls 90, as shown best in Figs. 11 and .12. The object of this arrangement is to permit the stock to be quickly fed forward when necessary to prevent skips in the match-carrierthat is, to prevent the carrier from having parts unfilled. It will be seen that when a strip of stock is nearly exhausted and its last end is about to pass between the rollers 82 another strip can be inserted behindit and pushed rapidly through the rollers 88 which necessary, the frame 67 can be lifted slightly y reason of their ratchet connection with the shaft permit this, and then the rollers,

actuated by their shafts, feed as usual until the stock is gripped by the main rollers 82.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a whole series of stock-strips 12 can be fed conveniently into the machine by means of the main and supplemental feedrollers described, that a series of splints will be cut off by each knife 18 as it passes the protruding ends of the stock, that the movement of the knives is continuous and not intermittent, that the splints are accurately guided to the carrier, that the carrierthat is, the carrier-framesare evenly and nicely fed through the machine, that there is ample provision for inserting the carrier-frames quickly one after the other, and that there is no chance for the match-splints to stick in the machine, because the plungers 34 push them down and the comb 80 81 pushes them in the direction of the stock-feed.

While I claim the details pointed out below, I lay particularstress on the continuous cutting, and it will be seen that I provide what is practically a rotary cutter having a continuous movement and having the cuttin stroke straight instead of in a circular .pat vThis has advantages over the -ordi- IIS nary reciprocating means of cutting, chiefly because it is much faster and also because it is an easier movement and because the parts are less likely to get out of order.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a match-machine com rising a stockfeed to feed a series of stoc ostrips having means for sustaining each strip individually against the action of the knives, and a series of cutters traveling in a circuitous path and intersecting the stock-feed, said cutters being spaced apart to permit the whole series of stock-strips to feed forward into a single space between the cutters.

2. A match-machine comprising a stockfeed arranged to feed a series of stock-strips in parallel relation, a series of cutters spaced apart to ermit the whole series of stockstrips to e fed forward into a single space between them, the said cutters traveling in a circuitous path which intersects the stockfeed, and each cutter having a flexible extension in its line of travel serving to support the splints after they are severed from the stock-strips.

3. A match-machine comprising a stockfeed .to feed and maintain strips of matchstock in parallel relation, a series of cutters traveling in a circuitous path and spaced apart to permit the whole series of stockstrips to be fed into a sing e space between them, each cutter having a flexible extension in its line of travel to serve as a guide for the severed splints cut from the stock, and means for pushing the splints endwise from behind a knife extension.

4. In a match-machine, the combination with the stock-feed, of a cutter adapted to move continuously forward in a circuitous path to sever the splints from the stock, a guide following the cutter and adapted to extend across the stock-feed, and plunger mechanism operating to shove the splints lengthwise during the traveling engagement of the said guide.

5. In a match-machine, the combination of means for feeding simultaneously a plurality of strips of stock having means for sustaining each individually against the action of the knives, a plurality of knives spaced apart sufficiently to allow the whole series of strips of stock to be fed forward between them, and means for moving said knives continuously forward in a circuitous pathinters'ecting the stock.

6. In a match-machine, the combination of means for feeding simultaneously a plurality of strips of stock, a plurality of knives spaced apart sufficiently to allow the whole series of strips of stock to be fed forward between them, each knife having an extension long enough to extend across the several stock-strips, means for moving the knives in a circuitous path intersecting the stock, and means for ejecting the splints lengthwise while the guide is traveling across them.

7. In a match-machine, the combination of a plurality of knives spaced apart, means for moving them continuously forward in a circuitous path, and means for projecting a series of stock-strips spaced apart and maintained individually in parallel relation between the knives while the latter are moving.

8. In a match-machine, the combination of a plurality of knives, means for moving them continuously forward and uninterruptedly in a circuitous path, means for projecting a series of stock-strips between the knives and maintaining each strip individually against the action of the knives while the knives are moving, and plunger mechanism adapted to engage the severed splints while the knife or an extension thereof is between them and the stock.

9. In a match-machine, the combination with the stock-feed, the guide-fingers, means for cutting off splints between the fingers, the carrier, means for pushing the splints lengthwise from between the fingers into the carrier, and means for pushing the matches laterally from between the fingers in a direction parallel with the movement of the carrier.

10. In a match-machine, the combination with the splint-guide fingers, the carrier below the fingers, and means for ejecting the splints longitudinally from between the fingers, of a pushing device movable with the carrier and arranged to push the splints from between the fingers in the direction of the movement of the carrier.

11. In a match-machine, the combination of the splint-guide fingers, means for pushing the splints lengthwise from between the fingers, and a carrier to receive the splints, of a comb movable in the same direction as the carrier and adapted to push the splints in said direction from between the fingers.

12. A match-machine, comprising a stockfeed, guide-fingers at the end of the feed so as to receive the stock in them, a knife shearing between the fingers and the stock-feed, movable abutments adapted to open and close the space behind the fingers, means for forcing the splints longitudinally from between the fingers, a carrier to receive the splints, and pushing devices to engage and push the splints from between the fingers in a direction parallel with the movement of the carrier.

13. In a match-machine, the combination with the frame-feed arranged in stationary bearings and adapted to engage and drive splint-holding frames through the machine, of an auxiliary feed driven by the said stationary feed, and comprising frame-engagin g gears separable from each other and adapted to swing into engagement with a splint-holding or carrier frame.

14. In a match-machine, the combination with the stationary splint-carrying frameframe-engaging gears arranged to move back" and forth in relation to each other and provided with a ratchet connection with their shafts whereby the said gears are driven posi-' tively in one direction, but can slip in the other direction.

15. In a match-machine, the combination with a gear-driven main feed for feeding splint-carrying frames through the machine, of an auxiliary feed comprising a swinging frame, a pair of gears journaled on the frame and adapted to engage the splint-carrying frames, the said gears having a ratchet connection with their shafts, and means for driving the said frame-engaging gears from the main feed.

WILLIAM FULTON HUTCHINS 3N. Witnesses:

WARREN B. HUTOHINSON. WILLIS A. BARNES.

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