Patent GB-223204-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to machines for making glass stems for electric lamps and the like
IPC: H01K3/10
Filed: 1924-09-17
Abstract: 223,204. British Thomson-Houston Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Fagan, J. T., and Staudenmeir, L.). Oct. 9, 1923, [Convention date]. Making lamps.-In machines of the type described in Specification 180,125, for making lamp stems of the kind described in Specification 147,293, each head mounted on the rotatable spider comprises a number of chucks for receiving the parts of the stems and automatic means are provided for opening the chucks in proper sequence to receive these parts, which, with the exception of the leading-in wires, are fed into the machine automatically. Each head comprises a chuck 29 for holding exhaust tubes, supports 51 for the upper ends of the wires, a flare-tube chuck 31, a chuck 32 for holding the wires, a cane-glass chuck 33, and tubular supports 34 for the lower ends of the wires. The cranks for operating the jaws of the chucks are all mounted on a shaft 38 arranged in the head, lost motion of different degrees being provided between the cranks and the shaft so that the degree of turning the shaft determines which chucks are opened thereby. At the first loading position, lengths of cane glass are fed from a hopper A<1>, Fig. 9, to the chuck 33. Agitators A<3> mounted on a rocking shaft A<4> permit the glass rods to run down ways A<14> into a groove in a rocking shaft A<15> which delivers them singly into a gripper A<19> mounted on an arm A<25> adapted to be swung about a pivot A<28> from a horizontal to a vertical position where it is gripped by the chuck. The feeding of rods may be arrested by turning a stop A<37> manually into the path of a finger A<42> on the shaft A<15>, thereby preventing this from turning sufficiently to release a rod. At the pext loading position a flare-tube is fed to the chuck 31 by a feeder of the kind described in Specification 212,412. The operator stands at the next loading position and inserts the wires in the flare tube and in the tubular holders 34 and the chuck 32. At the next loading position an exhaust tube is fed from a hopper to the chuck 29 by a feeder similar to the cane-glass feeder, but in this case the transporter C<36>, Fig. 15, after being swung about a pivot C<41> by the pull of a rod C<38> from a horizontal to a vertical position is caused to move vertically downwards along guide-rods C<46> to insert the exhaust tube into the flare-tube already in position. The glass parts are pushed by vertically moving members up to stops which position them accurately. As the assembled parts are carried onwards around the machine they are heated, pinched together, and an aperture is blown through the pinch as described in Specifications 147,293 and 180,125. At the unloading position, the completed stem passes into a hook J<1>, Fig. 21, mounted on a carrier J<3> adapted to slide on and to rotate about a vertical rod J'. When the hook rises, a pin J<15> is released and closes the hook around the lamp stem and this is pulled vertically out of the chucks, and when near the upper position an arm J<24> working in a slotted cam-plate J<27> swings the carrier round to a delivery shoot and into contact with fixed pins J<29>, J<30> which tilt the carrier about a horizontal pivot J<4> and retract the pin J<15> to deliver the lamp stem into the shoot.