Patent GB-310609-A (GB)
Title: Device for sorting needles and the like
IPC: B21G1/12
Filed: 1928-03-06
Abstract: 310,609. Singer Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Tivendale, W., and Baxter, J. March 6, 1928. Separating and sorting gauges.-Comprises a device for sorting sewing machine needles, light wires, &c. that have been subjected to a straightening operation whereby those straightened to a given standard are separated from the remainder. The device may be self-contained, but is described as fitted to a needle straightening machine. The needles are fed through the machine past a hammering station by two parallel conveyer screws 1, 2, Fig. 4, of opposite hand rotating at equal speed. At the delivery end adjacent the screw 1 is pivoted on a standard 7 a light lever 5 carrying a feeler 10 close above the path of the needles. A contact 13 carried at the end of the long arm of the lever 5 is normally held away from a fixed contact 14 by a torsion spring around the pivot of the lever 5 holding the latter against a stop 16. A shaft 21 parallel to and geared to the screws 1, 2 moves at half the speed of the screws and carries a cam 25 and switch drum 26. The cam is engaged on each side by a pivoted lever 29 which carries at the upper ends a pivoted bell crank lever 32, 33 the end of the longer arm 33 of which is stepped and engages a slot in a shutter operating lever 35. The arms 33 of the levers 32, 33 rest on rollers 43 carried by lever 44 mounted on pivots 45. The arms 33 are thus reciprocated longitudinally in the slots of the levers 35 but normally without affecting the latter. Secured to the same spindle 36 as the lever 35 is a shutter 39 with an inclined surface 60 defining with side walls 61 a shoot the upper edge 61<1> of which extends above the axis of the screw 1. Disposed beneath the switch drum 26 are three brushes 54, 54<1>, 54"; the central brush 54<1> is connected to one pole of a battery, &c. and the brushes 54, 54<11> to coils 47, 48 the other ends of which are connected to the contact 14. The needles 12 are fed by the screws towards the end 63 of the needle shank rest 62 at which point they drop through the opening 38 in the table 9. The needles rotate axially during their lateral movement and when a bent needle passes the feeler 10, the lever 5 is rocked and the contacts 13, 14 made. One switch segment is in contact with a brush 54 or 54" and an armature 46 together with the lever 44 to which it is attached is turned towards the coil 47 or 48 the support of the corresponding lever arm 33 being withdrawn and the step on the lever engaging the end of toe lever 35 rocking the latter and positioning the shoot 39 to receive the needle which is deflected into a receptacle not shown. The spring 35<1> restores the lever 35 and the spring 44<1> connecting the levers 44 restores the displaced lever 44 this being permitted by a slight rise of the arm 33 consequent upon the arm 32 engaging the stop 41. If the following needle is also bent the other coil is energized and the same operation is repeated with the other lever 32, 33. Needles complying with the standard drop down from the edge 63 into another receptacle. For sorting needles with flat shanks, the needles do not rotate and a plurality of detectors above and below the needle path may be employed.