Patent GB-276596-A (GB)
Title: Improvement in steel wool machine
IPC: B23P17/06
Filed: 1927-05-02
Abstract: 276,596. Williams, J. K. May 2, 1927. Producing metal shavings.-In a machine constituting an improvement on that described in Specification 242,894. for making steel wool from wire, the wire is passed in a series of convolutions round a pair of grooved rotary drums and is acted upon by a number of series of cutters, each series of cutters being mounted upon a common support which may be manually adjusted to move the cutters transversely across the wire to bring fresh portions of the cutting- edges into operation. Each drum is formed of a series of grooved sections 3 having cast grooves 3<1> in the bottoms of which wire-retaining grooves 3" are cut after assembly of the sections on a vertical shaft 5. The upper ends of the shafts 5 are supported in roller bearings in the end members 9 of the upper frame 12, which is secured to side frame plates 13, and the lower ends of the shafts are similarly supported in housings 6 bolted to the base-members 1. The drums are both driven at the same speed from an electromotor 14, Fig. 16, through a changespeed gear box 15, universal shafts 16, and wormgearing 18. Each side plate carries dovetail guides 21 for cutter supports 22 carrying a series of cutters 29-one for each convolution of the wire-which are mounted in holders 27 pivoted at 28 to the cutter support. The cutters are adjusted by pairs of adjusting screws 30, 31 passing through a cover 25 secured to the cutter support. The wire W passes through channels 35 in the cutter support and is further guided adjacent the cutters by guide strips 33. The cutters have double cutting-edges of serrated form, and when the operative portion of the edge becomes dull the support 22 is moved transversely of the wire by means of a screw 36. The ribs of the guides 33 are offset at varying distances from the side plates so that the wire is guided upon an arc of a circle which is tangential to both drums, Fig. 2, this construction assisting in maintaining tension on the wire. In order to prevent twisting of the wire during its passage through the machine each guide 21 carries a support for a vertical rod 42 on which is pivoted a series of arms 43 carrying rollers 44, which have plane peripheries to engage that portion of the wire which is flattened by the action of the cutters. These rollers coact with rollers 47 having grooved peripheries to engage the rounded portion of the wire. As the wire passes through the machine it is lubricated by means of channelled members 50, Fig. 8, secured to some of the guides 21 and filled with packing 51 which is oil-soaked from lubricators 52. The attenuated wire passing from the machine is cut into lengths so that it may be conveniently bundled into scrap. For this purpose the wire passes over guide rollers 54, 55, and between feed rollers 58, 59, which feed the wire through a guide 101 to a cutter-head 84, where it is severed by reciprocating tool operated by a rocker arm 88. The latter is operated at each revolution of the feed roller 58 by a projection 92 on the feed roller which engages a rod 90 depending from tl e rocker arm. The rocker is returned by a spring 100. The lengths of wire fed to the machine are welded together and trimmed so that it is not necessary to lift the cutters over the joints in the wire.