Patent GB-268244-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in methods of and apparatus for making metal wool from wire
IPC: B23P17/06
Filed: 1926-11-02
Abstract: 268,244. Croad, A. K., (Brillo Manufacturing Co., Inc.). Nov. 2, 1926, Producing metal shavings; tools.-In a machine for making metal wool from wire, the wire passes from a supply reel to one or a series of rotary powerdriven drums provided with grooved peripheries which feed the wire beneath a number of resiliently-mounted serrated cutters spaced around the drums. The wire x from the braked supply reel 1 passes through grooved straightening rolls comprising a pair of groove d rolls 2 driven from an electromotor 3 and an upper cylindrical roll 5 which is vertically adjustable by a screw #. The wire then passes under a series of rolls 8 which guide the wire in a curved path to a multiple-groove roller 9 from which it passes through guide roll 10, adjustable roll 11, and lateral guides 12 to the first groove in the drum 13, the set of the wire being such as to cause it to grip the drum. After passing round the drum the wire passes again under the guide roll 9 and further guides 10, 11 to the second groove in the drum and so on until the drum is filled. The wire then passes over guide rolls 18 to the second drum having grooves slightly smaller than the first drum but otherwise similar in construction and so on to the end of the series. From the final unit 13x the wire passes through traction rolls comprising an upper adjustable idle roller and a lower roll 2a driven from the motor 3a. The drums are driven respectively by motors 15, 15a - - through gear boxes 19, 19<a>, and each drum unit comprises frame members 20 - - 26 carrying the bearings 30 for the drum-shaft 33. A semi-circular cutter-support 60 located close to the periphery of the drum is secured to the framing 20 - - 26 by bolts 63 and is further secured by a V-brace 52. The cutter support is provided with a number of spaced holes 64 for mounting the cutting-tools. The back of the drum is enclosed hy a rearwardly-extending shield adapted to receive the steel fibre or wool as it passes from the cutters. For removing the fibre a series of air jets, discharged through Y-pipes 70, 70a, Fig. 7, connected to a supply pipe 71 is employed, the strength of the blast being varied according to the gauge of the fibre. Each cutter holder comprises a stud 81, Fig. 6, screwing into the hole 64 and carrying a body portion 90 which is frictionally mounted on the stud in order to damp any tendency to cutter-vibration. The tool-holding arm 91 secured to the body is slotted to receive the cutter 94, which has a V-grooved lower surface resting upon a seat 93a to which oil is supplied from an oil cup 93b to lubricate the cutting-edge. The body 90 has a downwardly-extending ear 97 carrying a weight 98 by which pressure is supplied to the cutters. The weight-carrying arm is pivoted for adjustment and extra weights 98a may be added if necessary. Any particular knife may be held out of contact with the work by rotation of the holder about its pivot. The above-described holder is suitable for use at the top and the downwardly moving portions of the wheel, but for the upwardly moving parts of the wheel the weight of the holder itself tends to apply cutting pressure, and this pressure may be increased by applying further weights to a stud on the holder. In a modification, the weight arm is adjustable round an entire circle so that this form of holder may be used in all positions round the drum. The cutter support is provided with eyes 76 so that the support and its cutters may be removed as a unit. The motors are preferably controlled from a system indicated in Fig. 13, power being derived through terminals l<x> connected to bus-bars 7<x>, 6<x> which serve to the field bus-bars 8<x>, 9<x> and also the armature busbars 50<x>, 51<x>. The food-rolls 2, 2 at the entrance to the machine are connected to the armature 21<x>, which is normally run as a generator, the armature being short-circuited through an adjustable resistance 25<x>. The field is energized from the bus-bars 6<x>, 7<x> through a rheostat 15<x> which regulates the dynamic braking to apply drag to the wire. For the preliminary feeding of the wire the armature 21<x> may be run as a motor ; tensioning-rolls at the exit end of the machine are connected to the armature 74<x>, which is run as a motor. The motors 15a - - 15<x> are adapted to be operated either as shunt wound or compound wound motors according to the material to be shaved, the armatures 115<a> having fields comprising a separately-energized shunt winding 60x and a series winding 60y controlled by a shunting resistance 60z. The shunt windings are controlled by resistances 65<x>. The motors have a drooping characteristic and tend to be self-accommodating to variations of load or power in adjacent wire-carrying drums. A drum controller 27x is arranged to pass successively over switch points 29<x> - - 32x to operate contactor coils 33x - - 36x, thus successively closing contacts 39<x> - - 45x to cut out the main armature resistances. Closing the contact 39x opens a shunt circuit with resistance 53<x> across the armature bus-bars. When the drums are to be stopped the resistances 46x - - 48<x> are put in and the switch 52x closed so that the motors run as generators with the armatures in parallel with the resistance 53x and the fields separately excited. In a modification, the machine may comprise a single unit, Fig. 14, the supply reels and winding reels being interchangeable to facilitate suc. cessive passages through the machine. In this case the reels are driven by motors 3<z>, 3<y> respectively, the supply reel being dynamically braked in a manner similar to the rolls 2 and the motors being controlled as above described. An overhead crane is preferably employed for changing over the supply and winding reels.