Patent GB-190514814-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in, or relating to, Machines for Reinforcing and Welding Wire or the like Fabrics.
Filed: 1905-07-18
Granted: 1906-08-18
Abstract: 14,814. Lake, H. H., [Clinton Wire Cloth Co.]. July 18. Welding; working by electricity.-Relates to appa - ratus for strengthening cloth, asbestos, or other fabric with longitudinal and transverse wires electrically welded together through the fabric, which is fed below a roller and between a bed-plate and a reciprocating beam on to the longitudinal wires 10. The transverse wires are fed in by any suitable means. The beam is reciprocated by two adjustable rods 20, each connected by a bell-crank 21 and link 37 to a slotted lever 32, Fig. 5, actuated by a cam 35 on the shaft 31, the slotted end 33 of each lever engaging with a square block 34 loosely mounted on the shaft 31. A cross-beam 40 is reciprocated in vertical guides by the lever 32 and toggle-levers 42, 43, and is connected by brackets 51 to a beam 50, bent as shown in Fig. 9, to carry a series of insulated collars 52, in which move rectangular copper welding-bars 56, provided at the top with split collars 62 of insulating-material each carrying a thumb-screw 64, and formed at the base with grooves and curves. The stationary welding- bars 72 are carried from a girder 70 by insulated bolts. For each pair of welding-jaws, a transformer is provided, the lower jaw being connected by a bar 87 to one pole of the secondary coil, and the upper jaw being connected by a-bar 89, flexible connexion 92, and a bar 91 to the other pole. Mounted on the shaft 31 is a series of cams 97 which raise non-conducting arms 95 carrying plugs 96, causing the latter to make contact with the insulated bar 83. On a cross-beam 98 are mounted insulated brackets 100 each carrying two bellcranks 116, 112, connected by a spring 120, and a second bracket 106 bearing a spring-actuated pin 108, which makes contact with a plug 113 connected to the primary coil of the transformer, the circuit thus being-wire 82, bar 83, plug 96, pin 108, wire 111, plug 113, wire 114, and primary coil. When the welding-bars 56 are at their highest point, the bell-cranks 112 are held in position by flanges on the collars 62, and when descending by projections 118, 119 on the levers 112, 116. As the wires are softened by the welding current, the pressure of the springs 65, carried by bolts 59 attached to the bar 40, forces the upper bars to their lowest position, and the pressure of the thumb-screws 64 on the levers 116 separates the blocks 118, 119 and breaks contact between the plugs 113 and pins 108. The apparatus for feeding the fabric forward consists of a transverse beam 130 reciprocated by a rod engaging in a slotted, chain-driven wheel The beam carries a series of arms 144, to each of which is attached a hook 145 formed to straddle a longitudinal wire and provided with a shoulder 147, to engage the transverse wires, and an incline 148, which, sliding on cylindrical beam 150, causes the hook to rise. On eacli bar 72 is pivoted a spring-controlled bell. crank lever 151. which causes the transverse wires to enter the grooves 72 of the lower welding-bar. An alternative feeding-device consists of a second beam 175, Fig. 13, which is caused to approach the beam 130, and thus grip the fabric, by two cams 171.