Patent GB-574059-A (GB)
Title: Shuttlecock-building machine
IPC: A63B67/18
Filed: 1943-09-01
Abstract: 574,059. Shuttlecock-making machines. HUMPHREY, W. E. Sept. 1, 1943, No. 14263. [Class 132 (iii)] A machine for building shuttlecocks has two spindles rotatably mounted in a suitable support, means for effecting simultaneous turning of the two spindles through equal angular ranges, each spindle being adapted to receive and carry a shuttlecock head, means for sinking a hole in a shuttlecock head carried by one of said spindles, and means for planting a feather in a hole sunk in a shuttlecock head carried by the other spindle. The main drive to the machine is transmitted by a motor 65, Fig. XVII, through a gear reduction 66, shaft 67, and a sprocket drive 68; to a constantly driven wheel 69, which is the common member of two friction clutches. The member 70 of one of these clutches is integrally mounted upon a shaft 24, and the driven member 71 of the other clutch, through a gear transmission 72, drives a shaft 20. The shafts 24, 20 are held against and released to the torque of wheel 69 by a system of latches. Rotation of shaft 20 imparts step-by-step turning to shaft 10 by means of dogs 74 borne by shaft 20, Fig. VIII. The said shaft 10 in turn imparts this step-byatep turning to the two spindles 4, Fig. I. Each spindle 4, Fig. X, is mounted in a bearing block 5 on the bed-plate 6 and is inclined from the vertical at the same angle at which the feathers of the vane', Fig. XXII, diverge from the vertical. Each spindle 4 carries by a pin- and-socket connection a removable chuck 7, recessed to receive the head 1 of a shuttlecock. A rotatable drill 18, Figs. I and II, carried by an arm 17 extending from a slide 16 is aligned with the driven shaft of a motor 15 and is connected thereto. The motor 15 is carried by a block 11 which, guided by means of fluidpressure cylinder 13 between ways 12, is reciprocable upon the bed-plate 6. In the block 11 is a vertically extending slideway in which the slide 16 is reciprocable. In the reciprocation of the said block 11, the motor 15 and the drill 18 are brought to a position directly above the spindle 4 on the right, Fig. I, and withdrawn from such a position. The rotation of the cam 19 on the shaft 20, Fig. II, shifts the slide 16 and thus the drill 18 downward against the resistance of a spring 21, the drill 18 thus can be brought to position for drilling in the seated head 1 a hole for a feather. The range of turning of the shaft 10 is controlled, and the cam 19 operation is co-ordinated with this turning so that the required number of holes are drilled in the head 1. When this has been done, co-ordinated operation of cylinder 13 will effect the retraction of block 11. The chuck 7 which carries the drilled shuttlecock head 1 is then taken from the right-hand spindle 4 and placed by hand in the left-hand spindle 4, Fig. I, and because of the pin-andsocket union of chuck and spindle the shuttlecock head is in the particular position necessary for the next operation. Next to spindle 4 the table 6 carries a slideway 22 in which a slide 23 is vertically reciprocable by means of the rotation of crank 24 made effective through a crank-disc 25 and a link 26, Figs. VII and VIII. The slide 23 carries a clamp which as the slide reciprocates closes and opens to grasp a feather, to plant it in a .previously drilled hole in the head, and to release it when in position. The clamp consists of two members, member 27 rigidly carried upon posts 29, Fig. I, by the slide 23 and member 28 pivotally borne by member 27 on the pin 30. The feather is originally carried by fingers 41, 42 on a standard 39, Fig. I, which is reciprocable between ways 40. When the standard 39 advances in right to left traverse, the feather is brought between clamping members 27, 28 which close, the slide 23 rises and so the feather is pulled from its seat between fingers 41, 42, standard 39 recedes. On the downward stroke of the slide 23, the feather is driven point first into one of the previously drilled holes. Stitching assembled feathers. Three identical twisters 50, Fig. VIII, are shown in a vertical stand adjacent to the left-hand spindle 4. The three twisters are rotatably mounted in a bearing block 51, Fig. XI, and are each equipped with gear intermeshing wheels 52, the whole assembly is driven through a gear-wheel 53 which, borne by a shaft 54, meshes with the lowermost of the gear-wheels 52. Each twister has a pair of needles 55, Fig. XI, provided with eyes through which threads 301, held at anchor 99, are passed. The twisters are rotated by means of two racks 57 which engage on a pinion 56, Fig. VIII, carried on shaft 54. In the exposed hole 100 between the needles, Fig. II, a feather is planted, as described, then the block 51 moves back to position shown in Fig. XI. When the last feather has been planted and stitched, the threads are removed from the anchor 99, cut free from twisters and the ends tied together pair by pair. The finished shuttlecock is then removed from the spindle.