Soldering machine for rope chain

An automatic soldering machine for soldering a rope chain comprises a pair of gears, each with a peripheral surface defining a trench which engages one of the strands of the rope chain and which is rotatable to precisely feed and place successive link junctions of the chain relative to hollow solder applying needles. The needles are reciprocally movable and serve to apply a premeasured amount of solder paste at the link junctions of the rope chain. A heater, for example, an induction heater, heats the chain, causing the solder to flow and then set and thereby secure the chain links together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to a machine for use in connection 
with the fabrication of jewelry, specifically rope chains and, more 
particularly relates to an automatic soldering machine for automatically 
soldering rope chains. 
A rope chain is a chain in the form of a rope constituted by a helical 
series of open rings that are interlinked with one another to define a 
configuration similar to a continuous double-stranded rope. 
Prior machines of the general character indicated are exemplified by Tega 
et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,987; Tega, U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,9001, and 
Allazzetta et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,664. Allazzetta et al. is 
specifically directed to a machine by which the fabrication of rope chains 
is automated. The subject patent notes that linking the open rings found 
in a rope chain requires great dexterity, manual agility and uninterrupted 
concentration on the part of the workmen. It further notes that the 
production of these chains by hand involves long periods of time and 
consequently is very labor-intensive and leads to a high selling price. 
The Allazzetta rope chain fabricating machine and, indeed, several earlier 
machines have concentrated on automating the process of assembling and 
interlinking the open rings of a rope chain, in a manner which imparts to 
the rope chain its characteristic look. The shape of the rope chain is 
maintained in these machines by reinforcing wires which are threaded 
through the chain. 
In the known production process, subsequent to the automatic assembling of 
the chain, solder paste is manually applied between pairs of adjacent 
rings of the rope chain, the chain is heated and the solder sets. 
Thereafter, the reinforcing wires are removed. 
However, the prior art has not tackled the task of automating the soldering 
operation which is still carried out by hand. The soldering operation 
therefore consumes a long period of time, depends on less reliable manual 
labor, and is consequently labor-intensive and more costly. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide a 
machine for soldering a rope chain completely automatically. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a soldering machine for 
a rope chain or the like which is effective for applying a precise and 
consistent amount of solder paste to the rings of a rope chain. 
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a rope chain 
soldering machine which is effective for applying solder paste at 
precisely controlled locations between pairs of rings of a rope chain. 
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are realized with 
a rope chain soldering machine that is simple in construction, reliable in 
operation, and effective to fully automate the soldering process. 
Preferably, the soldering machine of the instant invention includes a 
working platform and a chain feeding mechanism for feeding the 
fully-formed but not yet soldered rope chain from a supply bin below the 
platform to a soldering station located above the platform. 
The chain is fed by means of a pair of gears each of which is rotatably 
supported on a respective shaft and positioned relative to the other gear 
so that the circumferential peripheral surfaces of the gears engage and 
hold therebetween the rope chain. 
More particularly, the peripheral circumferential surfaces are formed with 
gear teeth having a pitch that corresponds to the distance between 
corresponding links or rings in the rope chain. Operationally, the gears 
are rotated stepwise and their angular orientation and gear pitch is such 
that precise conformance is established between the gear teeth and the 
helically oriented individual open links of the rope chain. Each 
sequential rotation of the gears is designed to advance the rope chain 
from a previous to a next soldering position on the chain. 
After each rotation, first and second solder-applying hollow needles move 
laterally toward the chain and apply to it a specified, predetermined 
amount of solder paste. The paste is applied on diametrically opposed 
sides of the chain, precisely at the junction of a pair of links that are 
at that instant positioned adjacent the hollow needles. 
The process is repeated whereby minute amounts of solder paste are 
sequentially applied at the junctions between the successively presented 
links as the rope chain is conveyed past the hollow solder-applying 
needles. 
A heater, for example, an induction heater, disposed forward of the hollow 
needles in the feeding directing of the rope chain, serves to heat the 
chain to cause the solder to flow and then set and thus join the links to 
one another. Thereafter, the reinforcing wires that are removed. 
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
from the following description of the invention which refers to the 
accompanying drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring to the Figures, the present invention is directed to a mechanism 
for feeding and soldering a rope chain 10 in the form of a rope 
constituted by a helical series of open rings 13 (FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b)), in 
which adjacent rings 13 are interlinked to define a configuration similar 
to a continuous double-stranded rope. More specifically, it is comprised 
of a first, continuous strand of links 21 intertwisted with a second 
continuous strand 23. The rope chain 10 is preassembled, either manually 
or automatically, by forming, feeding and interlinking the rings 13 and 
the shape thereof is temporarily maintained by reinforcing wires 11 which 
are threaded through it. Thereafter, the open rings 13 are soldered to one 
another and the reinforcing wires 11 are removed, enabling the chain 10 to 
maintain its characteristic rope chain shape. 
To that end, a preassembled, unsoldered rope chain 10 (FIG. 2(b)) is fed as 
shown in FIG. 1(b) to emerge above a platform 12 which supports a rope 
chain feeding mechanism 9 (described below) for feeding and soldering the 
rope chain 10. A soldering mechanism 7 which serves to apply dabs of 
solder paste to the chain 10 is followed by a heating station 5 which 
heats the solder paste, causing it to flow, set, and thus solder the rings 
13 to one another. 
Specifically, the rope chain feeding mechanism 9 comprises a pair of gears 
14 and 16 supported on and rotatable by respective shafts 15 and 17. The 
gears 14 and 16 are positioned relative to one another in a manner that 
enables the gears to hold between them the rope chain 10 as shown in FIGS. 
3(b) or 4(b). 
To enable precise feeding and positioning of successive ring junctions 31 
and 33 (FIG. 2(b)) of the rope chain 10 relative to the soldering 
mechanism 7, the peripheral surfaces of the gears 14 and 16 have been 
shaped to provide a trench 19 in which gear teeth 18 are formed. The size 
and shape of the trench 19 conforms to the corresponding shape of the 
strands 21 and 23 of the rope chain 10. Further, the spacial orientation 
of the shafts 15 and 17, and hence of the trenches 19, is such that the 
strands 21 and 23 fit snugly in the trenches 19, the gear teeth 18 
registering with the link junctions 31, 33, etc. 
Each of the gears 14 and 16 is rotated by respective one of the gear boxes 
26 and 28 which are in turn driven by a motor 34 under the control of a 
motor controller 36. The motor controller 36 energizes the motor 34 in 
discrete sequential steps. This sequentially rotates the gears 14 and 16 
and serves to rotate and advance the rope chain 10 by the equivalent of 
one rope chain link, corresponding to the advancement of the gear teeth 18 
by one gear tooth. 
As can best be appreciated from FIG. 3(b), the gear 14 engages the first 
strand 21 of the rope chain 10 with its teeth gear 18 interengaged and 
registered with the link junctions 31, 33, etc. thereof. The gear 16, on 
the other hand, engages the second strand 23 with its teeth gear 18 
similarly registering with the link junctions thereof. 
As a result, when the gears 14 and 16 are rotated in the direction of their 
respective arrows 44 and 46 by the equivalent of a one gear tooth 
movement, the link junctions 31 and 33 are sequentially positioned, one 
after another, at a predetermined soldering position 20 (FIG. 1 or FIG. 
4(b)) which, as will be seen, enables the soldering mechanism 7 to apply a 
minute amount of solder paste at each such link junction 31, 33, etc. 
It will be appreciated that, since the rope chain 10 is constituted of the 
twisted pair of continuous strands 21 and 23, as the gears 14 and 16 
rotate the rope chain 10 is slowly rotated as it advances through the 
gears 14 and 16. 
The feeding mechanism 9 for the rope chain 10 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds 
to the embodiment of FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) in which the shafts 15 and 17 for 
the gear 14 and 16 are supported at the horizontally disposed platform 12. 
The rope chain 10 is fed through an opening 22 in the platform 12 from a 
bin (not shown) from which it is fed to a position above the platform 12. 
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) illustrate an alternate embodiment wherein the shafts 
15 and 17 of the gears 14 and 16 are supported in a vertically disposed 
wall 12'. Operationally, both embodiments provide the same function, 
except possibly that in the FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) embodiment a less 
cluttered platform 12 is provided. 
It is desirable that the gears 14 and 16 be resiliently biased toward one 
another. This enables the gears 14 and 16 to press on and firmly hold the 
rope chain 10 with a desired, predetermined pressure. To this end and as 
shown by FIG. 3(b), the shaft 17 of the gear 16 may have affixed to it a 
block 54 which is biased by a spring 56 that is itself anchored against a 
fixed brace 58. The gear 16 is thus resiliently urged toward the gear 14 
by the spring 56. A similar arrangement is also provided for the 
embodiment of FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) (not shown). 
After each stepped advancement of the rope chain 10, a first and second 
solder-applying hollow needle 38 and 40 is moved laterally to apply a 
controlled, measured amount of solder paste to the rope chain 10, on 
diametrically opposed sides thereof and precisely at the link junctions 
31, 33, etc. that are at that instant positioned at the soldering position 
20 adjacent the hollow needles 38 and 40. 
For ease of presentation, the needles 38 and 40 have been drawn in FIG. 1 
at an exaggerated distance away from the gears 14 and 16. In actuality, 
the solder-applying needles 38 and 40 are preferably oriented at a 
90.degree. angle relative to the plane of FIG. 3(b), whereby their 
respective needle tips 39 and 41 are able to contact the rope chain at the 
solder position 20 (FIG. 4(b)) which is located at or very near the point 
where the chain is engaged by the gears 14 and 16. 
With the needles 38 and 40, a first dab of solder is applied at a link 
junction 31 on the first strand 21 and a second dab of solder is applied 
to the link junction 31 on the second strand 23. 
As feeding of the chain continues, its link junctions 31, 33 will have had 
solder applied to them prior to their arrival and passage through the 
heater station 5 which includes a heater, e.g. an induction heater 48 and 
a heater controller 50. At the heater 48 the solder paste is caused to 
flow, set and in this manner secure the rings 13 to one another. After a 
desired length of the chain has been processed, it may be cut away and the 
reinforcing wires 11 removed to provide a completed rope chain that is 
ready to have clasps attached to it and to be polished. 
The heater/controller 50 provides electrical power to the heater 48 and 
may, if desired, be linked to the motor controller 36 by an electrical 
line 52 by which it is possible to disable the heater/controller 50 when 
the motor 34 has ceased running, to prevent overheating of the rope chain 
10. In addition, an input from the heater controller 50 to the motor 
controller 36 might be used to disable the motor 34 until such time as the 
heater 48 has reached a predetermined temperature. 
The rope chain pulling system 24 comprises pulleys 25, a support 27, a 
weight 29, and a coupling 35. The lower portion 43 of the coupling 35 is 
rotatable relative to its upper portion enabling the system 24 to pull the 
rope chain and maintain it taut while it is being slowly rotated by the 
feeding mechanism 9. 
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the concept of the soldering station 7 and 
shows a pair of L-shaped brackets 60 which are secured at one end thereof 
to the platform 12. The solder-applying needles 38 and 40 are coupled to 
solder paste reservoirs 62 that are secured to reciprocally movable blocks 
64, which slide on the short arms 66 of the brackets 60 in the directions 
indicated by the arrows 68. 
In the more accurately rendered FIGS. 5, 6(a) and 6(b), a first embodiment 
of the soldering mechanism 7 (generically depicted in FIG. 1) is shown to 
include a shell 70 pivotally supported by laterally extending hinge pins 
72 in a stand 74. As seen in FIG. 6(a), the shell 70 has an axially 
extending bore 76 and a threaded opening 78 in which a solder container 80 
is threadably secured. An orifice 82 leads from the opening 78 into the 
bore 76. 
The solder-applying needle 38 extends from a rod 84, preferably a 
cylindrical rod that is reciprocally movable within the axial bore 76 and 
which has defined in it an axially extending solder duct 86 which is in 
communication with the hollow needle 38. A radially extending orifice 88 
of the solder duct 86 communicates with the orifice 82 of the shell 70 
when aligned as shown in FIG. 6(b), enabling solder paste to flow from the 
container 80 into the solder duct 86. 
At its other end 90, the rod 84 is pivotally connected to a pulley 92, at a 
position on the pulley 92 eccentric to a pin 94 about which the pulley 92 
is rotatably supported on the support 96. As the pulley 92 rotates in the 
direction of the arrow 98 (through a motive power provided either from the 
gear box 28 via a coupling or belt 32 (FIG. 1), or through its own source 
of motive power, the rod 84 reciprocates in a manner whereby the needle 
tip 39 traverses the elliptical path 100 (FIG. 5), going through points A, 
B, C, D corresponding to the positions A, B, C, D of the pulley 92. The 
previously mentioned soldering position 20 corresponds to needle position 
D. Preferably, the coupling 32 and gear box 28 are configured to 
synchronize the motions of the gears 14 and 16 and the needles 38 and 40, 
in a manner whereby the needles 38 and 40 reach the soldering position 20 
immediately after the arrival thereat of a next link junction 31, 33, etc. 
In operation, at the position A the needle tip 39 is moving away from the 
soldering position 20. At position B, the orifices 82 and 88 become 
aligned (FIG. 6(b)), enabling solder paste held under pressure in the 
container 80 to flow into the duct 86 and form a dab of hanging solder 102 
at the tip 39 of the needle 38. Thereafter, as the pulley 92 traverses 
through the positions C and D, the needle tip 39 traverses a path that 
enables it to wipe the solder dab 102 against the link junction 31, 33, 
etc., then located at the soldering position 20. This completes a single 
solder-applying cycle. 
The soldering mechanism of FIGS. 5, 6(a) and 6(b) is repeated for the 
needle 40, so that two dabs of solder are simultaneously applied on 
opposed diametrical sides of the rope chain 10. The amount of solder that 
is applied is controlled by controlling the pressure of the solder in the 
container 80 as well as by controlling the dwell time of the pulley 92 at 
the position B and by careful selection of the cross-sectional sizes of 
the solder passageways in the rod 84, the needle 38, and orifices 82 and 
88. 
An alternate embodiment for the solder-applying mechanism 7 is shown in 
FIGS. 7(a)-7(d), which depict sequential stages in the operation of the 
alternate mechanism. In this embodiment, a modified shell or block 110 is 
horizontally disposed and reciprocally movable in an opening 112 provided 
in a fixed base 114. The block 110 has a rear flange 116 and a compressed 
spring 118 on its outer circumferential surface which is biased to urge 
the flange 116 rearwardly, against a stop 120. A solder chamber 122 in the 
forward portion of the block 110 communicates with the threaded opening 
124 for the solder container 80 (FIG. 5). The front end of the solder 
chamber 122 is bounded by a plug 126 (FIG. 7(b)) which supports the hollow 
needle 38. 
At the rear, the block 110 defines a rear chamber 128 in which a solid ram 
rod 130 having a solid needle 132 with a sharp tip 134 is reciprocally 
arranged. The solid needle 132 slides within a connecting passageway 136 
that connects the rear and the front chambers 122 and 128 of the block 
110. 
In operation, initially, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the rod 130 begins to move 
to the right in the direction of the arrow 140 while the block 110 remains 
stationary. This causes the tip 134 of the solid needle 132 to retreat 
from the entrance point 142 into the hollow needle 38, allowing solder 
paste to flow from the container (not shown) via the solder chamber 122 
into the needle 38. 
In the next step (FIG. 7(c), the ram rod 130 reverses direction as shown, 
the entrance of the solid needle 132 into the chamber 122 causing some of 
the solder paste to issue from the hollow needle 38, creating a solder dab 
102 the size of which is determined by the mass size of the solid needle 
132 and the degree of penetration of the tip 134 into the hollow needle 
38. 
In the final step (FIG. 7(d)), continued forward movement of the rod 130 
serves to push the entire block 110 forward by a distance "d", in a manner 
which enables the tip of the needle 38 to reach the soldering position 20 
and apply the solder dab 102 to the rope chain 10. 
As noted before, it is possible to control the amount of solder paste 
applied as by controlling the dwell time of the the rod 130 in its various 
positions, the pressure of the solder paste in the container 80 as well by 
selecting the shape and length of the tip 134 and of the solid needle 132. 
While the invention has been described above with respect to a rope chain, 
the same is applicable to other chains, for example to chains in which 
rings are packed following one another. Moreover, the concept of the 
invention might be used with only a single toothed gear, using an 
arrangement where the chain is supported or pressed against a back wall. 
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular 
embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other 
uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, 
therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific 
disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.