Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Barbed Wire.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Barbed Wire.
I, JOHN STEWART REID, of No. 8 Victoria Street, Westminster, Mechanician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In machines hitherto employed the barbs have been formed one at a time in
succession along the main wire or wires as these pass through the machine.
According to this invention two or any reasonably greater number of barbs are
simultaneously formed on the main wire or wires by one action of the mechanism
thereby greatly increasing the rapidity and economy of manufacture. To do this
1 form the barbs upon the wire when it is at one level and then allow it to assume
another level so that the portion that has been barbed can be drawn out through
the machine clear of the barbing mechanism.
The following is a description of the machine constructed according to this
invention and arranged to form successive groups of eight four pointed barbs upon
two main wires but it will be understood that the machine can readily be adapted
to forming groups of other numbers and that two pointed barbs or a single main
wire may be employed.
The two main wires are wound upon bobbins at one end of the machine and
from thence pass over pulleys free to move up or down on standards against springs
which absorb the shock periodically communicated to the feed bobbins by the main
wires when these are suddenly drawn forward by the barb-wire spooling mechanism
at the other end of the machine. From the spring pulleys the wires pass to two
grooved feed drums whose function is to periodically permit the wires to be
drawn forward the proper distance and no further. One of them is provided with
a stud projecting from its face which once in every revolution comes into contact
with a spring stud caused to periodically come into its path so that the feed drums
are stopped whilst the barb forming mechanism is in action but are released and
revolve when the spooling mechanism is started.
From the feeding drums the main wires pass to eight sets of barbing mechanism
each provided with a guide and shear block having in it a vertical slot with a
circular enlargement at the lower end, the enlargements lying in a straight line
between the spooling mechanism and the point at which the main wires leave
the feeding drums and when undeflected the wires lie in the enlargements.
At each end of the barbing mechanism is a blade that next the feeding drumns
being beneath the top wire the other wire passing through a hole in the blade so
that when the latter is raised it elevates the top wire only, whilst the blade at the
other end of the machine is beneath and elevates both wires simultaneously. When
these blades are raised the two main wires are deflected from their normal positions
into the narrow portions of the guiding slots which being only a very little wider
than a single wire hold the two wires one above the other and prevent them from
twisting together when the barbs are being twisted onto them. At the same time
by reason of only one wire being lifted at the one end of the machine whilst both
wires are lifted at the other end the two wires are separated throughout their
lengths so that the barbing wires can readily be passed between them as hereinafter
described.
On each side of the main wires is a slide having on it eight eccentric grips or
pawls which periodically approach to and recede from the main wires. The function
of said eccentric grips is to periodically pull forward from the feed spools the
16 cross wires required for the formation of eight 4 point barbs, and to simul-
taneously feed same forward between the two main wires. Each of said eccentric
grips is acted upon by a spring which brings the face of the grip into frictional

page_text: contact with the cross wires.
In order to ensure the cross wires being held and
fed forward without fail by the eccentric grips the faces of the latter are slightly
serrated and are made of such a curve that the friction of the cross wires against
their serrated faces will cause them to revolve slightly on their axes and thus
close upon and feed forward the cross wires, whilst permitting said grips to reopen
and slip upon the cross wires when they are moving backwards and away from said
main wires.
The main wires pass through four cylindrical wheels with their journals revolving
horizontally in bearings formed in standards bolted to the surface of the bed plate
and are designed to simultaneously lap or fold the cross wires firmly around the
main wires so as to form barbs. For this purpose they are provided at each end
with arins projecting inwards towards their centres from their interior peripheries
and to these arms are attached the lapping or folding fingers projecting beyond
the journal ends of the cylinders (which are made shorter in order to allow the
fingers to be under view in working) and revolving in slight contact with blades
vibrating vertically to raise the lower main wire without fail from its normal tension
line to the centre line of the barb forming cylinders and with the upper shear
blades hereinafter described. I prefer the cylinders to revolve one and a half
times for each one third of a revolution of the main shaft and to remain motionless
for the other two thirds of a revolution. I therefore furnish the cylinders with
spur teeth between their bearings gearing into segmental driving wheels provided
with spur teeth around one third only of their peripheries and their diameter so
proportioned to the barb forming cylinders that the latter are revolved one and
a half times by the segmental teeth at each revolution of the driving wheels. On
one side of the ring of teeth on each barbing cylinder are two concave surfaces
fitting a cylindrical portion of the driving wheel extending all round it except at
the toothed portion so that the cylinder is locked and prevented from turning
when the teeth upon it and the driving wheel are not in gear with each other.
The driving wheel is provided with a spring tooth which comes against a projection
on the cylinder in such manner that the spring is fully compressed just as the two
gear together so that the cylinder is started without shock.
There are 8 upper shear blades at right angles to the main wires one working
up and down against the front and back of cach of the four barbing cylinders.
Beneath these there are 16 lower shear cutters fixed in the guide blocks above
referred to each block being provided with two holes slightly larger than the
cross wires to admit said cross wires when these are fed forward by the barb feed
mechanism and to guide and deflect them across the edges of the lower shears at
an angle suitable for forming sharp barb points when same are severed by the
upper shear blades and at such an angle also as to enable those portions of the cross
wires which protrude inside the barb forming cylinders to be acted upon and
lapped around the main wires under the action of the fingers of said cylinders.
In order that the points of the opposing cross wires may not encounter each other
when they are being simultaneously fed forward, the guiding holes or grooves and
the lower shears on one side of the shear blocks should be higher than those on
the other side. Each of the lower shear blocks is provided with guiding plates
bolted to its sides which are bored to admit the cross wires and direct them in
a curve from the guiding plates into the guiding holes of the lower shear blocks.
The lower shear blocks have openings cut transversely through their substances
to accommodate the main wires and as above explained the upper or slotted parts
of said openings are designed to guide the main wires laterally upwards to the
centres of the barb forming cylinders and to prevent said main wires from twisting
around each other under the twisting action of the barb forming fingers.
The said slotted parts are therefore made slightly wider than the diameter of
the main wires so as to enable the latter to move freely up and down therein but
not wider than is necessary for this purpose. The lower or enlarged parts of the
openings are designed to give free passage to the finished barbs as these pass
periodically forward towards the spooling mechanism.

page_text: Beyond the barbing mechanism there are two skeleton guide wheels revolving on
horizontal pins set at different elevations but in the same vertical plane. One
is designed to keep the barbed main wires running over its grooved teeth in true
line from the feed drums through the centres of the circular parts of the openings
in the lower shear blocks whilst the other guide wheel brings the barbed main wires
running under its grooved teeth into line with the centre of the hollow journal
through which said wires pass onward to the spooling mechanism.
Said guide wheels are also designed by the conjoint frictional action of their
recessed teeth upon the barbed main wires to hold said wires firmly whilst those
are being twisted together by the action of the flyer and to prevent the twisting
action from affecting that parallel position of the main wires which is necessary for
the proper action of the barb forming mechanism.
Gripping pawls are so placed and eccentered in relation to the peripheries of
the skeleton wheels and provided with suitable springs so as to form silent grips
or feeds and thus permit the skeleton wheels to move freely forward whilst
preventing same from moving backward by closing upon the rims.
Beyond the skeleton wheels is a flyer with hollow journals through one of which
the barbed main wires pass to the interior of the flyer by whose exterior revolu-
tion they are continually twisted together into a strand and periodically wound on
the spool.
The flyer has an axial rod upon which is a sleeve carrying the spool. One end of
the sleeve passes out through one of the hollow journals of the flyer and has fixed
to it on the outside a brake drum. The hollow journal has fixed to it a driving
pulley. When the brake strap is loose the flyer and spool revolve together and
so much of the main wires (already barbed) as are between the barbing and the
winding mechanism are twisted together but when the brake strap is tightened the
spool revolves slower than the flyer and the main wires are drawn through
the machine and wound upon the spool. The brake strap is tightened at the
proper moment by a lever whose end carries a roller bearing on a cam on the main
shaft of the machine. In the operation of the machine it is necessary that the
duration of the action of cam upon the spool-brake-wheel shall gradually diminish
in the same proportion as the diameter of the barb-wire rolled on the spool
gradually increases. To effect this I make. the cam of considerable width
across its face (which is made of the exact form and length necessary to
give the desired degree of diminishing action) and I cause lever to move
progressively along the face of the cam under the action of the following
mechanism.
The cam lever is furnished with a key or feather inside its socket fitting into
a long groove cut in a rod so as to be simultaneously capable of moving along the
rod and of oscillating the same. The cam lever is firmly secured to a sleeve piece
provided with a suitable number of ratchet teeth around its periphery for its full
length and terminates in a screw nut fitting on the screw cut on the above
mentioned rod.
•
A pawl is kept normally engaged with the ratchet teeth under the pulling action
of a suitable spring. It will be seen that when rod is oscillated forward by cam
its movement is not shared in by sleeve piece which is held by its ratchet teeth
engaging with the pawl but that its backward oscillation under the contraction of
spring is freely permitted. Such progressive action results in nut advancing
gradually along its central screw and thus moving the lever along the rod and the
roller therefore, on it acting successively on different portions of the cam.
order that the combined lever and sleeve piece may be returned along rod to its
starting point when an empty spool has replaced a full one, the nut is made in twe
halves, hinged on a stud projecting suitably from the sleeve piece and is provided
with a suitable catch which enables said hinged halves to be thrown apart clear of
the central screw (thus permitting the return of the sleeve-piece) whilst enabling
said halves to be again secured together at pleasure. The barbed wires are led

page_text: onto the spool by a pair of skeleton wheels mounted on the flyer, the first of these
is so pivotted that one point of its periphery is on the axis of the. flyer. The
second roll is pivotted to a carriage working between longitudinal guides on the
flyer to which a to and fro movement is given by a screw having upon it at one
end a sleeve piece connected to it by a groove and feather so as to be capable of
slipping a short distance to and fro upon it whilst sharing its rotation. The sleeve
piece carries a pair of bevel pinions one or other of which gears with a bevel
pinion on the outer end of a radial shaft whose other end carries a bevel pinion
gearing with a bevel wheel fixed to the spool.
When therefore the flyer is turning relatively to the spool the carriage and
second skeleton wheel are traversed longitudinally by the screw and the barbed
wire is properly laid on the spool. In order to reverse the motion of the carriage
when one layer of wire on the spool has been completed and another is to be com-
menced the following arrangement is adopted. The sleeve which carries the two
pinions is free to move longitudinally but is normally prevented from so doing
by an incline upon a sliding piece which bears against a spring stop. Surrounding
each end of the screw is a helical spring which is compressed by the carriage (as
the latter approaches the end of its travel) against the above mentioned sleeve
piece. When the pressure becomes sufficient the spring stop lifts up the incline
and when it is clear the spring forces the sleeve piece longitudinally so throwing
one of its above mentioned bevel pinions out of gear and putting the other in.
The spring stop drops down onto another incline and so prevents the sliding piece
from again moving longitudinally until the carriage has reached its other end
when similar operations take place.
Dated this 20th day of Jul, 1805
J. STEWART REID.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Barbed Wire.
I, JOHN STEWART REID, of No. 8 Victoria Street, Westminster, Mechanician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In machines hitherto employed the barbs have been formed one at a time in
succession along the main wire or wires as these pass through the machine.
According to this invention two or any reasonably greater number of barbs are
simultaneously formed on the main wire or wires by one action of the mechanism
thereby greatly increasing the rapidity and economy of manufacture. To do this I
form the barbs upon the wire when it is at one level and then allow it to
assume another level so that the portion that has been barbed can be drawn out
through the machine clear of the barbing mechanism.
The following is a description of a machine constructed according to this
invention and arranged to form successive groups of eight four-pointed barbs
upon two main wires but it will be understood that the machine can readily be
adapted to forming groups of other numbers of barbs and that two-pointed barbs
or a single main wire may be employed.
Figure 1 is a front elevation to a smaller scale than any of the other figures
of the complete machine.
Figure 2 is a front elevation (partly in section) and Figure 3 a plan (partly
in section) of the two ends of the barbing mechanism.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are respectively transverse vertical sections on the
lines 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, and 7-7, Figures 1, 2 and 3. In Figures 5, 6 and 7
the blocks G are omitted and in Figures 6 and 7 the lifting blades D and C
respectively and also the upper shear blades H with their levers are omitted.

page_text: Figures 8 and 9 are an elevation and vertical transverse section or the puney A.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are a plan, elevation and transverse section of one of the
barb feeding carriages E.
Figures 13 and 14 are side and front elevations of one of the double lower guide
and shearing blocks G.
Figure 15 is a plan and Figure 16 a transverse section (on the line 16-16
Figure 15) of one of the cutters g.
Figure 17 is a plan of one of the main wire elevating levers C¹ showing the
plates C in section.
Figure 18 is a plan of the bar H' with its arms H³ and its projections H' for
carrying the upper shear blades.
Figure 19 is a sectional edge elevation of one of the skeleton guide rolls M M'.
Figure 20 is an end elevation of one of the barb twisting cylinders F with its
wheel and Figure 21 is a plan of the latter.
Figure 22 is a back elevation (to a larger scale) of one of the barb twisting
cylinders F and
Figures 23 and 24 are sections (on the lines 23-23 and 24-24 Figure 22)
showing also portions of the wheel f
Figure 25 is a front elevation (partly in section) and Figure 26 is a transverse
vertical section on the lines 26-26 (Figure 25) of the twisting and spooling
mechanism.
Figure 27 is an end elevation of the frame O of the flyer.
Figure 28 is a part front elevation and Figure 29 a plan both to a larger scale
of the mechanism for traversing the carriage T and roll T of the flyer and
Figure 30 is a section on the line 30-30 Figure 29.
Figure 31 is an end elevation (with many of the parts omitted) and Figure 32
a similar front elevation of the right hand end of the machine showing the mechanism
for tightening the brake strap on the pulley P².
Referring to Figure 1 the general arrangement of the machine is as follows:-
The two main wires are wound on two bobbins A A placed side by side and from
thence they pass over two pairs of pulleys A' and A2 to the barbing mechanisin.
After having been barbed but before they are twisted together the two main
wires pass to the skeleton rolls M M and from thence to the skeleton rolls N T
and spool R on the flyer.
The cycle of the operations is as follows:-First the ends of 16 cross wires
(supplied from spools not shown in the drawings) are passed between the two main
wires, are twisted around them and then cut off so forming four-pointed barbs.
Whilst this is being done the flyer O and spool R are revolving together so
twisting the portions of the two main wires lying between the skeleton rolls M'
and N which have been previously barbed. During these two operations the main
wires are stationary in the machine. When the barbing and twisting are complete
the spool R commences to revolve relatively to the flyer O thus winding up the wire
that has been barbed and twisted and drawing a fresh length of the two main wires
off the spools A into the machine.
I will now proceed to describe the details of the machine-In order to absorb
the shock which would otherwise be communicated to the feed bobbins A when
the main wires are suddenly drawn forward by the winding mechanism at the other
end of the machine the pulleys A' are mounted on springs as shown in Figure 1.
The pulleys A2 are mounted on a common axis, their function is to permit the
main wires to be periodically drawn forward the proper distance, that is to say
the length occupied by 8 barbs and no further. For this purpose, as shown in
Figures 8 and 9 one of them is provided with a stud a projecting from its face and
coming into contact with an arm a' (abutting against the spring a²) which once in
every revolution is caused to come into its path so that the feed drums are stopped
whilst the barb forming mechanism is in action but are released and revolve when
the spooling mechanism is started. The arm a¹ is mounted on the shaft a³ carrying
at its right hand end an arm a' (Figure 2) which is struck and deflected against

page_text: the pull of the spring a³ (Figure 8) by the pin 61 on the left hand face of the cam i
(Figures 2 and 7) once in every revolution of the cam shaft J.
The barbing mechanism consists of 10 main wire lifting plates B, C, C, C, C, C,
C, C, C and D (Figures 2, 3, 5 and 7); operated respectively by the cams b, c, c
and (Figures 1, 2, 5 and 7) on the shaft J, two barb feeding carriages E E
(Figures 3, 6, 10 11 and 12) operated by the came (Figures 1 and 6) four barb
twisting cylinders F, F, F, F, (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 20 to 24) free to revolve in
hearings (Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) and each having around the outside a
ring of teeth gearing with the wheels ffff on the shaft J, two single and three
double fixed lower shear blocks G, G, G, G, G, (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 13 and 14)
which also serve as guides for the barbing wires, and eight upper shearing
blades H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, (Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5) connected by a cross bar H
and operated by the cam on the shaft J. The latter has fixed to it the wheel .J'
(Figure 1) gearing with the pinion K' on the countershaft K driven by a belt L'
from the main shaft L.
As shown in Figure 4 the lower shear blocks G have longitudinal slots
through them terminating at the bottom in circular eyes g! When the main wires
are undeflected lying in a straight line between the underside of the roll A² and
the upper side of the roll M (Figure 1) they pass close together through the
blocks G at about the middle of these eyes and it is in this position that they
are drawn into the machine to be barbed and are drawn out again after having
been barbed, the size of the eyes being sufficient to allow the barbs to pass. After
a length of the unbarbed main wires has been drawn into the machine the first
thing is to separate them and lift them into the position in which they are barbed
namely into the slots through the blocks G. For this purpose the upper wire is led
over the V shaped edge of the plate B (Figure 7) whilst the lower wire passes
through the hole in the plate B, the latter being fixed to the lever 13 pivotted on
the rod B (Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7) and raised and lowered by the can b. When
the plate B therefore is raised the upper wire is raised more than the lower
wire, the two wires being separated by the distance between the bottom of the V
and the bottom of the hole. At the other end of the machine the two wires touch
each other and lice one above the other on the V shaped edge of the plate D.
There is therefore a triangular space between the wires, the base of the triangle
being at the plate B and the vertex at the plate D (Figures 1, 2 and 3). The
plate D is not shown to a large scale in the drawings but it is identical in shape to
the plates C (Figure 5) and it is fixed to a lever pivotted to the same rod B³ as
the lever C and the cam d by which it is operated is identical in shape to the
cams c but is set slightly in advance of them so that the plate D. rises before the
plates C. As soon however as the barbing wires have been thrust (as hereinafter
described) between the two main wires, the plates C rise and lift the lower wire
bringing it parallel to the upper wire and only separated from it by the barbing
wires. The eight plates C are fixed in fours to two levers C' (one of which is
shown separately at Figure 17) pivotted on the rod B2 (Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7).
The 16 barbing wires are supplied from spools (not shown in the drawings) to
the two barb feeding carriages EE (Figure 3) one on each side of the main wires.
One of these carriages is shown separately in Figures 10, 11 and 12. It is
provided with 8 silent pawls E' acted on by springs E. As the carriages advance
towards the main wires these pawls take hold of the barbing wires and thrust a
certain length of them forward between the main wires but when the carriages
retire the pawis lift so that the wires are not pulled back again. The carriages E E
are operated by arms E³ (Figure 6) whose ends enter slots E (Figures 3 and 10)
iu them such arms being fixed to two rocking shafts E (Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7)
to which are also fixed arms E E (Figures 3 and 6) to the end of one of which is
fixed a pin passing through a slot in the end of the other and carrying a bowl
working in the cam groove e.
One of the barb twisting cylinders F is shewn in side elevation to a larger scale
at Figure 22 and in section on the lines 23-23 and 24-24 (Figure 22) at

page_text: Figures 23 and 24. Each of these is provided on the inside with four projections
or fingers Fx which when the cylinder is rotated come against the four barbing
wires and twist them around the two main wires. The cylinders F have an
intermittent motion of rotation given to them by the wheels whose peripheries
like those of the cylinder are as shown in Figures 20 and 21 divided into three
rings or sections: the ring in the front of Figure 20 and at the bottom of
Figure 21 is cylindrical except that, as shown to a larger scale at Figure 23, it is
slotted to receive a spring fixed to the front of the tooth projecting from it.
Once in every revolution of the wheel the spring f" comes against one or other of
two teeth F on the corresponding ring or section of the cylinder F and gradually
gives way until it is bent back against the tooth in this manner the cylinder F
is put into motion without shock. The middle ring of the wheel is cylindrical
but has teeth 3 projecting from it around one third of its circumference which
come into gear with the complete ring of teeth F³ on the middle section of the
cylinder Fat the moment when the spring f' has been fully compressed. In this
manner the cylinder F is caused to revolve one and a half times for each revolution
of the wheel. The remaining section of the wheel f consists of about two thirds
of a cylinder with the remaining third cut away this forms a locking surface
engaging with projections F F on the remaining section of the cylinder Fas
shown in Figure 24. In this figure as in Figure 23 the cylinder F is just on the
point of being unlocked and coming into gear with the wheel f
After the barbs have been twisted onto the main wires they have to be cut off
from the barbing wires-this is done in the following manner. As shown in
Figures 3, 13 and 14 each of the double fixed lower shear blocks G has four
transverse horizontal holes through it each commencing at four guide eyes g¹
carried on brackets on the front and back of the block and terminating at y³ on
the right and left hand faces. The holes from the front or back are slightly lower
than those from the back or front so that the two sets of barbing wires shall not
foul each other. The blocks G also have fixed in them by screws g four cutters
whose ends lie in the holes g³. These blades consist of steel rods having their ends
cut, to the forms shown at Figures 15 and 16. The single blocks G at the two
ends of the machine arc of similar construction to the double blocks. The
16 transverse diagonal holes in the blocks G form guides for the 16 barbing wires
and when the latter are thrust forward by the carriages EE cause their ends to
advance diagonally as shown in Figure 3 into the interior of the cylinders F and
across the paths of the fingers F* fixed therein.
The upper shear blades H. are fixed to projections H2 on the cross bar H
(Figure 18) the latter having fixed to it two arms H3 pivotted on axes H* H*
(Figures 3 to 5). An up and down motion is given to the blades H by the cam h
(Figures and 4) by means of the connecting rod (Figure 4) and the lever h
pivotted at 3. These blades not only serve as cutters to sever the barbing wires
diagonally as they rest upon the cutters so as to form points but their continued
downward motion forces the two main wires out of the slots in the blocks G into
the eyes the plates B, C and D descending at this moment to allow this to be
done. The barbing has now been completed and the untwisted main wires with the
barbs upon them are in position to be drawn out of the barbing machine to be
twisted and spooled.
From the barbing machine the barbed but untwisted main wires pass over the
skeleton guide roll M (Figure 1) and under the skeleton guide roll M. A sectional
edge elevation of one of these rolls is shown at Figure 19. Each of them is
provided with a silent pawl m operated by a spring m which allows them to turn
freely when the main wires are being drawn through the machine but prevents
them from turning in the opposite direction. From the roll M the wires pass
along the axial line of the flyer to the skeleton guide roll N upon it. The distance
between the rolls M¹ and N is equal to that occupied by 8 barbs.
When the flyer
revolves the two main wires are twisted together and the manufacture of the barbed
wire is complete, the remaining operation being merely to wind it upon the spool R.

page_text: The flyer is shown in sectional side elevation and end elevation to a larger scale
at Figures 25 and 26. O is a frame (shown separately in end elevation at
Figure 27) carrying the various parts which are balanced by longitudinal bars O
bolted to it. The frame O of the flyer is mounted on hollow trunnions o o' the
latter having fixed to it the belt pulley o which is continuously driven by the
belt L from the main shaft L (Figure 1). Within the hollow trunnion o' is a
sleeve P carrying at one end the bevel wheel P¹ and at the other end the brake
pulley P2. Within the sleeve P is an axial rod Q provided with a catch Q' so
that it can be withdrawn for the removal of the spool R mounted upon it. The
spool is caused to revolve with the wheel P' by pins P³ projecting from the face of
the latter and is kept in place by the sliding nut R' secured on the rod Q by a pin.
The bevel wheel P₁ gears with a bevel pinion S' upon a radial axis S whose
other end carries a bevel pinion S2 gearing with one or other of two bevel
pinions fixed to the sleeve s², these parts are shown to a larger scale at
Figure 29. Inside the sleeve 2 is a rod s working in bearings fixed in the
flyer frame. The sleeve s² is free to move longitudinally on the rod 3 but the two
rotate together being connected by a groove and feather. The portion of the
rod which is not in the sleeve has upon it a screw thread gearing with a nut
upon a carriage T free to move between the bars forming the frame O of the
flyer. The carriage T has upon it a skeleton guide roll T2 over which the wire is
led from the roll N to the spool R. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the brake pulley P is not retarded by the brake strap the flyer and the
spool R rotate together the only result being to twist together the portion of the
two main wires which lies between the rolls M' and N. When however the brake
strap is tightened the spool is retarded and the barbed wire is wound up upon it.
Another result is that the pinion S' is driven by the wheel P' thereby rotating the
pinions and screw causing the carriage T to move along the flyer and lay the
barbed wire evenly on the spool R. In order to reverse the motion of the carriage
when the winding of one layer of wire on the spool has been completed and another
is to be commenced the arrangement shown in Figures 28, 29 and 30 is adopted
the sleeves rotates in the plate which is free to slide between the bars and is
connected by the rods to the similar plate which has projecting from its top
the double incline s' which abuts against the spring catch st. "When the carriage
approaches the ends of its course it comes against and compresses one or other of
the helical springs upon the screw gradually compressing it. Ultimately the
pressure becomes sufficient to lift the spring catch s and then the spring moves
the plates and with the sleeve s² to one side throwing the pinion s' out of gear
with the pinion S2 and the pinion s into gear with it thereby causing the carriage
to move back again.
:-
The brake strap upon the pulley P2 is tightened at the proper moment by the
lever U (Figures 31 and 32) connected by a spring to an arm V on one end of the
rocking shaft V' to whose other end is fixed the arm V carrying the roller V³
bearing on the cam W on the shaft J of the barbing mechanism.
In the operation of the machine it is necessary that the duration of the action of
cam upon the spool-brake-wheel shall gradually diminish in the same proportion as
the diameter of the barbed wire rolled on the spool gradually increases. To effect
this I make the cam of cousiderable width across its face, (which is made of the
exact form and length necessary to give the desired degree of diminishing action)
and I cause lever to move progressively along the face of the cam under the action
of the following mechanism.
The cam lever V2 is furnished with a key or feather inside its socket fitting into
a long groove cut in the rocking shaft V so as to be simultaneously capable of
moving along the shaft and of oscillating the same. The cam lever V is firmly
secured to a sleeve piece V provided with a suitable number of ratchet teeth V
around its periphery for its full length and terminates in a screw nut Vo fitting
on a screw cut on the above mentioned rocking shaft VI.
A pawl V
is kept normally engaged with the ratchet teeth under the pulling

page_text: action of a suitable spring. It will be seen that when shaft Vis oscillated
forward by the cam W its movement is not shared in by sleeve piece which is
held by its ratchet teeth V engaging with the pawl Vs but that its backward
oscillation under the contraction of the spring is freely permitted. Such pro-
gressive action results in the nut V advancing gradually along its central
screw V and thus moving the lever V2 along the shaft V₁ and the roller Vs
therefore on it acts successively on different portions of the cam W. In order
that the combined lever V and sleeve piece V₁ may be returned along the
shaft V to its starting point when an empty spool has replaced a full one, the
nut V is made in two halves, hinged on a stud projecting suitably from
the sleeve piece and is provided with a suitable catch which enables said
hinged halves to be thrown apart clear of the central screw (thus permitting
the return of the sleeve-piece) whilst enabling the said halves to be again
secured together at pleasure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In wire barbing machines the combination of mechanism for intermittently
drawing lengths of an unbarbed main wire or wires into the machine, mechanism
for simultaneously forming two or more barbs upon such main wire or wires
and mechanism for alternately bringing such main wire or wires into and out of
the range of operation of the barbing mechanism.
2. In machines such as are referred to in the first claim, a flyer which twists
together and spools the main wires after they have been barbed.
3. The feed pulley A2 and mechanism connected therewith substantially as
described.
4. The combination of the slotted blocks or guides such as G with the plates B
and D with or without the plates C substantially as described.
5. The blocks G substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
6. The combination of blocks slotted for the passage of the main wire or wires,
diagonal holes through such blocks serving as guides for the barbing wires, cutting
blades or surfaces fixed in, or forming part of the blocks, and moving blades
working against the faces of the blocks substantially as described.
7. The barb twisting cylinder F substantially as described.
8. The means for driving and locking the cylinders F substantially as described
with reference to Figures 20 to 24.
9. The barbing mechanism substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
10. The combination of the flyer, the spool carried by the flyer and the brake
for periodically retarding the revolution of the spool relatively to the flyer sub-
stantially as described."
11. The mechanism for periodically tightening the brake strap of the spool
substantially as described.
12. The mechanism for causing the carriage T to reciprocate and lay the barbed
wire on the spool substantially as described.
13. The spooling and twisting mechanism substantially as described and shown
in the drawings.
14. The rolls M and M¹ situated between the barbing and twisting mechanism
for preventing the twisting of the main wires behind them.
15. Wire barbing machines substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.
Dated this 9th day of February 1893
J. STEWART REID.