“Challenge” Labor-Saving Iron Furnitures.
Mammoth iron furniture is made on the order of enlarged iron furniture, and it comes in pieces as large as 60 × 120 ems (pica.) Round holes are in each piece, making it light in weight and easy to handle. Special cabinets are furnished for the enlarged and mammoth furniture. The cabinets are subdivided for holding the different sizes of material, and by looking over the contents of these compartments, the die-builder can see exactly what sizes of furniture is available to suit the requirements of each die. The cabinets save a great deal of time, as the die-maker does not have to “sort out” the furniture from a “mixed” assortment of sizes.
Showing Cabinet holding font of No. 3 Mammoth Iron Furniture. Opposite side of Cabinet holds other sizes of Mammoth Iron Furniture. This Cabinet also holds all standard lengths of M. & W. Interlocking steel furniture.
In these days of high wages and short working hours, the folding box maker should have a plentiful supply of both wood and metal furniture, and the furniture should be systematically stored in cabinets so that the die-maker can work to the best advantage. A plentiful assortment of improved metal furniture, plain iron furniture, and enlarged or mammoth iron furniture, in cabinets, will pay big dividends in any folding box plant.
STEEL CUTTING RULES AND STEEL CREASING RULES.
All dies used for cutting and creasing folding boxes are constructed of steel cutting rules and steel creasing rules, and with the proper material and devices, the box maker will have no difficulty in building his own dies to suit all requirements.
The apprentice in the folding box industry should carefully note the fact that there are two kinds of steel cutting rule—one kind is called “hard” cutting rule, the other kind is known as “soft” cutting rule. The hard steel cutting rule is used for all straight-line die work which does not call for the rules being bent into round, oval or odd shapes. The soft steel cutting rule is used in all cases where rule-bending is to be done. For example, a die having round corners for the flaps of folding boxes would call for the use of soft cutting rule in forming the round corners. All odd-shaped dies, such as dies for cutting hearts, semicircles, ovals, etc., are made of soft steel cutting rule on account of the soft rule bending to the special shapes easily. “Square” dies for cutting diamonds, oblongs, crosses, keystone, and other straight-line work of this class, are made of hard steel cutting rules.
The “hard” and “soft” steel cutting rule, and the regular creasing rule, comes in strips from 24 to 30 inches long, and is sold by the foot. The standard height of steel cutting rule is .923 in. The standard height of steel creasing rule is .918 in. Both the cutting and creasing rules are made in various thicknesses, from 2-point size up to 6-point size, but the 2-point cutting and creasing rules will do for the greater portion of all folding box work. The following list will give the reader an idea of the standard kinds of steel cutting and creasing rules: