IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING FISH HOOKS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MANUFACTURING FISH HOOKS."-A communication from abroad by
William Court, John Cox Barton, and Robert Henry Alexander,
all of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America
;
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th August 1874.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,. do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR Manufacturing Fisп Hooкs," ´to be as follows:
This Invention relates to the manufacture of fish hooks of various kinds,
including back ring hooks, side ring hooks, and -flat head-hooks, and it
consists in various novel combinations of dovices whereby said articles are
:

page_text: produced in a rapid and most perfect manner by or from a coil or continu-
ous supply of wire. This wire is fed forward intermittently the necessary
length or distance to form a hook by a reciprocating eccentric feeding dog
controlled by a locking-up screw and liberating screw, said feeding dog
passing the wire to or between flatting dies. These dies flatten the wire on
opposite sides to partly form the point of the hook. The barb of the hook
is cut in the wire by a special cutter while the latter is held by the flatting
dies, after which the flattened and barbed hook section, or piece of wire
of a length sufficient to form a hook, is sovered by a cross cutter from
the main body of the wire. While or nearly at the same time.as tho
flatting and barbing of one hook section is being performed, as above-
mentioned, and before the severing or cutting off of the previously
flattened and barbed hook section, tho last-mentioned hook section which
has been carried forward by the feeding forward of the wire, is submitted
to the action of trimming dies, by which its flattened portion is cut to
shape to produce the point of the hook. After the hook section has
been thus trimmed at its point and severed from the wire in the rear, it
is taken hold of by a transferer, which moves it out of the way of the
next feed of the wire, and puts it into a notched carrying chain and
under a bolding bar arranged over the latter, such action also bringing
the rear end of the hook in proper relation with a ringer which forms
the ring at its back end. A turning device then comes into operation
in the machine to turn the hook with its barb upwards for the purpose
of passing the latter under and between swinging rotary mills during
the intermittent movements of the carrying chain, said mills milling
both the point and barb. The hook, afterwards passing from under
a flexible extremity of the holding bar, is caught by or delivered on to a
bender which shapes the hook, and which is provided with a discharger
for throwing off the mado hook.
When what is known as a side ring hook is to be produced a recipro-
cating depresser also may be used to crook the wire in rear of the ring
and below it.
To form flat head hooks the ringer is dispensed with, also the cross
cutter herein-before referred to, and there are substituted for them dies
operating to form the flat bead, such dies also serving to cut or slicar off
one hook section from the next one in rear of it.

page_text: 1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any timo
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING FISH HOOKS," being
a communication to me from abroad by John William Court, John Cox
Barton, and Robert Henry Alexander, all of Brooklyn, in the State of
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,.
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, referenco being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of fish hooks of various
kinds, including back ring books, side ring hooks, and flat head hooks.

page_text: and it consists in various novel combinations of devices whereby said
articles are produced in a rapid and most perfect manner by or from a
coil or continuous supply of wire. This wire is fed forward inter-
mittently the necessary length or distance to form a hook by a
reciprocating excentric feeding dog controlled by a locking-up screw
and liberating screw, said feeding dog passing the wire to or between
flatting dies. These dies flatten the wire on opposite sides to partly
form the point of the hook. The barb of the hook is cut in the wire by
a special cutter while the wire is held by the flatting dies, after which
the flattened and barbed hook section or piece of wire of a length suffi-
cient to form a hook is severed by a cross cutter from the main body of
the wire. While or nearly at the same time as the flatting and barbing
of one hook section is being performed, as above mentioned, and before
the severing or cutting off of tho previously flattened and barbed hook
section, the last mentioned hook section, which has been carried forward
by the feeding forward of the wire, is submitted to the action of trimming
dies, by which its flattened portion is cut to shape to produce the point
of the hook. After the hook section has been thus trimmed at its point
and severed from the wire in the rear it is taken hold of by a transferer,
which moves it out of the way of the next feed of the wire and puts it
into a notched carrying chain and under a holding bar arranged over
the latter, such action also bringing the rear end of the hook in proper
relation with a ringer which forms the ring at its back end. A turning
device then comes into operation in the machine to turn the hook with
its barb upwards for the purpose of passing the latter under and between 2
swinging rotary mills during the intermittent movements of the carrying
chain, said mills milling both the point and barb. The hook after-
wards passing from under a flexible extremity of the holding bar is
caught by or delivered on to a bender which shapes the hook, and which
is provided with a discharger for throwing off the made hook.
When what is known as a side ring hook is to be produced a re-
ciprocating depresser also may bo used to crook the wire in rear of the
ring and below it.
3
To form flat head hooks the ringer is dispensed with, also the cross
cutter herein-before referred to, and there are substituted for them dies 3
operating to form the flat head, such dies also serving to cut or shear
off one hook section from the next one in rear of it.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. I is a plan of the machine with

page_text: Fig. 28 is a side elevation of a device used in connection with tho
machine for making flat head hooks, the same being a substitute for tho
ringer.
Fig. 29 is a plan of said device with the upper die and part of its
operating lever removed.
Fig. 30 is a longitudinal elevation of cortain devices for making flat
head hooks; and Fig. 31 is a perspective view of a flat head hook as
made by the machine.
Referring in the first instance from Figures 1 to 28 inclusive, the wire,
which may be supplied from a reel or otherwise, is first fed through or
between straightening rollers, not shown in the Drawings, to a wire
feeding device which mainly consists of an excentric feeding dog A, to
which the wire is introduced through an opening & shown in Fig. 10, said
dog being pivotted to and carried by a reciprocating carriage or slide B,
which receives its motion alternately towards and from screws C, D,
by means of a bell-cranked lever E operated, as regards giving a forward
movement to the carriage B, through an excentric F on the main shaft G,
and through or by a spring H as regards the backward movement of
said carriage. The lever E has its fulcrum c in a slot, which, without
altering the throw of the excentric F, provides for giving a variable
general length of feed to the wire, according to the length of hook
required. A more accurate adjustment in this respect, also the proper
action of the excentric feeding dog A as regards its lock and liberation
of the wire at the beginning and end of each intermittent feed, is
obtained by means of the locking up screw C, against which the dog A
strikes when completing its back stroke, and a liberating screw D against
which said dog strikes at the end of its forward stroko or that of the
slide B carrying it.
Each intermittent feed of the wire projects the latter the necessary
distance through or between flatting dies I, J, which also may be
holding dies to retain the fed wire in position when the excentrio feeding
dog A moves back. The one (I) of these flatting dies may be stationary,
and the other J movable. These dies serve as the wire is successively
or intermittently advanced by the excentric feeding dog A to form a
succession of flats d (Figures 18 and 19), and during such operation to
hold on the wire while the excentric feeding dog, after it has been
released by the liberating screw D, makes its back movement, or special

page_text: holding devices may be used to hold on to the wire during the back
action of the excentric foeding dog A.
The movable flatting die J is moved and held forward at the proper
time, and for the requisite interval relatively to the stationary flatting
die I to produce the flat d by means of a cam K on the main shaft G,
and said movable die J is returned and kept in contact. with, the
operating cam K by means of a spring L
The wire having been fed forward and flattened as described has, while
held by the flatting dies I, J, its barb e.cut in it by means of an oblique
cutter f, which receives its motion by or from a lever M through a
cam N on the main shaft G. After this a cross cutter g, having an
intermittent reciprocating action, is projected forward to divide the wire
at the advanced end of its flattened portion, as shown in Fig. 19, such
action being produced by a cam projection O on the side of the cam K
§ as against a spring Z, which draws said cutter back. Supposing how-
ever the wire to have received, say, two feeds at starting (the first
operation being a lost one), so as to pass the wire into or between
trimming dies P, Q, and supposing the wire to have been previously
flattened and barbed, as described, which action and preliminary feed
of the wire will best describe the general operation, then tho trimming
dies P, Q, (and before the wire is severed by the cross cutter g into a
length necessary to form a hook) first act upon the advanced end of the
wire or forward flatted portion d to trim or cut off the flat d in line with
the barb e, as shewn by dotted line at the left hand of Fig. 18. But it
5 should here be observed that as the wire is fed into or between the
trimming dies P, Q, it is passed under or free of a transferrer R, having
a forward motion given it by a cam. R³..
The trimming dies P, Q, the one Q of which is stationary and the
other one movable, are constructed essentially as represented in
Figures 4 and 5, only the one being right hand and the other left hand
as it were. The movable trimming cutter P receives its forward and
back motion by means of an outside and inside cam S (see Figures 14)
on the shaft G.
After the wire or advanced flatted portion. d has been trimmed as
› described then the travelling trimming die P moves back, and the.
transferrer R, which is formed with gripping jaws at its forward end; as.
more clearly shown in Fig. 2, and may be supposed to occupy. a back

page_text: position, moves forward to take hold of the wire between the flatting
dies I, J, and the trimming dies P, Q. The cross cutter then acts to.
sever the wire, and the transferrer R, holding the severed portion or
embryo hook in its jaws, is lifted by a projection on the movable
trimming die P, coming under an incline on the lower surface of the
transferrer to place the transferrer and severed wire section or embryo
hook which it holds out of the way of the next advance feed of the flatted
and barbed wire into the trimming dies P, Q. Simultaneously with this
lift of the transferrer R, or after its lift has been effected, and while it
continues raised and is moving forward, a pin l on the projection i of tho.
movable trimming die P, during the back motion of the latter, acts
upon à side incline m of the transferrer by or during the continued
forward. motion of the latter to put the trimmed hook carried by the
transferrer into cross notches n of an endless carrying chain T to bring.
the rear portion of the embryo hook, which then assumes the form shewn
in Fig. 20 of the Drawing, in lino with a presser ringer U (see Fig. 7),.
that not only has a forward and backward movement, but also a partially.
rotating one for the purpose of turning or forming the ring o in the
back end of the embryo hook while the latter is held in the one set of
cross notches n under the forward end of an upper holding bar V, the 2
ringer U then occupying an advanced position. The hook having been
ringed, the ringer U then slides backwards to take its prongs out of tho
ring o, the transferrer R meantime remaining stationary till the ring is,
formed. After this the upper line of the carrying chain T moves forward
to take the ringed but embryo hook out of the transferrer R and pass it 2
under the holding bar V. The transferrer R then moves back and to one
şide in proximity to the flatting dies I, J, by means of a spring p, to in
due course repeat its action as before.
The ringer U has its necessary turning motion communicated to it by
means of a bevil pinion W and toothed sector X, said pinion being in 3
feathered gear with the sliding and rotating ringer, and the toothed
sector X being operated by its connection with a crank shaft A¹ which
is vibrated alternately in opposite directions, as required, by a yoke, rod,
or lever B¹ actuated by a cam or excentric C' on the shaft G against a
pin a³ and a spring D' combined. The requisite intermittent forward 3
and backward movement of the ringer U is effected by the alternate
action of a cam E¹ on the shaft G, and a spring a³ upon a sliding rod F¹
connected with the ringer U. The motion of the endless carrying
j

page_text: chain T which travels round end pulleys 6', 6', is also intermittent, such
motion being derived from a cam G' on the shaft G acting against a
rod H which is pivotted at its forward end to a pawle lever I' that
actuates a ratchet J' on the shaft of one of the pulleys b'. This gives
the forward motion at intervals of the carrying chain T, a spring c¹
serving to return the pawle lever I and rod H to their normal position
for a succeeding action in due course by the cam G³.
.
What has been described for the action of the several parts as regards
their formation of one embryo hook applies equally to their action as
regards the production of successive hooks, and as each embryo hook
after it has been deposited by the transferrer R within its respective
cross notches n of the carrying chain T, and had the ring o formed in it
is carried forward under the holding bar V, it is brought by the inter-
mittent action of the carrying chain opposite a notched turning device J*
(Figures 1 and 7) which occupies a lateral position relatively with the
upper line of travel of the chain. This device is projected forwards
or in towards the travelling chain, and at the same time partially rotated
on its own axis to permit of its taking hold of the ring o of the embryo
hook and turning the latter with its barb e upwards or into such a
position that it can force the ring o of the hook into the notches or
countersunk edges on the one side of the chain. The notched turning
device J's is thus operated and afterwards-returned to its normal-position
by a lever K and rod L' connected with the lever M, which combination.
gives the necessary reciprocating sliding action to the dovice Jo. Its
requisite turning motion first in one direction and then in the other is
imparted while being projected forwards or backwards by a pin on its
shank arranged to travel within a helical groove in a sleeve within
which the stock or shank of the turning device J* slides, as shown in
Fig. 1. The object of thus arranging and securing the retention of the
embryo hook within the carrying chain with its barb e upwards is to
effect the filing of the barb by means of swinging rotary milling tools
M', N', (Figures 6 and 15), constructed to successively file the top and'
sides of the barb e, as said hook by the intermittent action of the
carrying chain is brought opposite the tools which receive independent
rotary motion by means of pulleys on their shafts, and are swung first
forward and then backward in a lateral direction relatively to the
carrying chain by their attachment to hangers O¹, P¹, fast to a rocking
shaft Q which is vibrated by means of a slotted crank or lever c², a
.

page_text: rod j', a lever K', and excentric S' on the main shait &, as against a
spring Tv.
A
As each embryo hook after it has thus been prepared is passed by tho
intermittent action of the carrying chain T under the holding bar V it
finally reaches a flexible or jointed and spring held extremity g' of the latter
which provides for its removal from the carrying chain as the barb e of
the hook by the action of said chain is brought down and within or over
a curvilinearly reciprocating hooked bender A' with its back supported
by a rest h¹ on the base or disk which carries the bender, and with the
back edge of the body of the hook resting against a fixed adjustable 1
stop (see more particularly Fig. 3, also Fig. 1 of the Drawing). The
bender A or disc carrying it, and which forms a part thereof, is then
turned in direction of the arrow a¹ in Fig. 3, which causes the embryo
hook to be bent around the back of the bender A' so as to cause tho
hook to assume the form shown in Fig. 23, after which the bent hook in 1
the back curvilinear action of the bender A² is passed over an inclined
discharger B and jerked out of or delivered from the machine ready for
polishing or further dressing as required.
The necessary and timely action of the bender A* is produced by a
reciprocating toothed sector C³ in gear with a pinion ¹ connected with
the axis of the bender, said toothed sector receiving its motion, first in
the one direction, and then in the other, by means of a slide or rod D³,
a spring E' pulling back on said rod, and a cam G on the main
shaft G.
When it is desired to have the ring o of the hook occupy a lateral
instead of a back position, or in other words to produce a side ring hook,
as shown in Fig. 27, then it will be necessary to modify certain of the
details, as shown in Figures 21, 25, and 26 of the Drawing. Thus,
instead of the pronged ringer U occupying a horizontal position, as in
the several Figures herein previously described, it is arranged vertically
between the flatting dies I, J, and tho forward end of the carrying
chain T, and in like relation with the transferrer R. The action however
as regards ringing the hook is the same; for instance, after the trimmed
hook has been carried by the transferrer R into the cross notches » of the
carrying chain T, and its rear portion brought over the pronged ringer U
(Figures 24, 25, and 26), said ringer U is moved upwards to enable its
prongs to clip or grasp the wire in between them, after which the ringer

page_text: is partly rotated to form the ring, and simultaneously or thereabouts
with such action, an intermittently reciprocating horizontal depresser a
comes forward to crook the wire at the back of the ring, or rather body
of the hook adjacent to the ring, for the purpose of throwing the 'ring in
central position with the stem or body. Such depresser athen retires,
also the ringer U-descends out of the way to leave the hook at liberty'
for further action as herein-before described, with reference to the back
ring hook, and to put the ringer U and depresser. a' in their normal
positions for further action on a succeeding hook.
The necessary up-and-down movement of the ringer U in Figures 24,
25, 'and '26,. is effected by the joint action of a cam R³ (Figures 12, 24,
and 25), on the shaft G, arranged to depress the one end of a lever R*
which operates at its other end to lift the ringer U, while a spring b
serves in due course to depress it. The turning of the ringer U
alternately in reverse directions is effected by the cam O' acting in the
rear, instead of in the front on a pin a³ of the yoke rod or lever B', as
against the spring D¹ to give an intermittent reciprocating motion to
the crank shaft A¹, having attached to it the toothed sector X which
gears with a rack c¹ of a sliding bar D', that by means of a further
rack d' on it operates. the pinion W of the ringer. The depresser a*
which gives the crook (e') in the back of the hook near the ring is
actuated by the combined action of a cam ƒ' on the crank shaft A' and
a spring g*.
When it is desired to form flat head hooks, as represented in Fig. 31
of the Drawing, then a modification substantially as represented in
Figures 28, 29, and 30 of the Drawings, is used in place of the ringer
and other appertaining devices. Thus after the barb has been cut by
the barb cutter f, and the flatting dies I, J, have formed the flat d in
the wire instead of the ringing devices herein-beforo described, and tho
cross cutter for separating the hook section being used, the cam O' on
the main shaft G is caused to operate a lever A*, and bring down a top
die or punch B* against a lower fixed die A³ after the flatting dies have
ceased to operate. This not only shears off the one hook section from
the next one in rear of it, leaving the previous hook section for operation
by the transferrer R and trimming dies as herein-before described, but
forms the flat head o' on the hook, as represented in Figures 30 and 31
of the Drawing, other actions and operations being similar to those
herein-before described.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Machines for Manufacturing Fish Hooks," as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim, the arrangements of mechanism as |
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hero-
unto set my hand and scal, the Sixth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.