An Improvement in and in Machines for Wiring Blanks or the like, for Envelopes, Wrappers, Boxes or other Articles of Paper, Cardboard or other readily severable Material.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in and in Machines for Wiring Blanks or the like, for
Envelopes, Wrappers, Boxes or other Articles of Paper, Cardboard
or other readily severable Material.
I, FRANK EUGENE MUNN, of 326, Fifth Avenue, New York City, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates particularly to the attachment of wire openers to blanks
from which are to be made, or which are to be attached to, envelopes, wrappers,
boxes or other articles of paper, cardboard, wood, cloth or other readily severable
material, by the use of which such materials may be readily cut on a desired
opening line and the package formed thereby opened, and my invention includes
the devising and adaptation of mechanism whereby such wire may be mechanically
attached to the blank with which it is to be used, in such a manner as to enable
the wire to be used in cutting the blank for opening the package by pulling on
the wire.
"
While wire openers such as I have above referred to have been heretofore
suggested, no mechanism, so far as I am aware, has been devised for mechanically
attaching them to blanks; I use the term mechanically attaching" in this
specification and the claims to distinguish from attaching a wire opener to a
blank by glue or other similar material, as in the case of the string openers applied
by such means, for which work machines have been patented and by which
machines it has been suggested that wires might be similarly secured.
My invention also includes the organization of a machine wherein the several
operations which require to be performed in connection with the attachment of
the wire opener to the paper may be automatically carried out.
Thus it is gene-
rally necessary to apply gum or other adhesive material to the paper blank for
making the package, and it is desirable in order to produce a completed product
at one operation, that the gumming mechanism should be a part of the same
machine as the wiring mechanism. It is also frequently desirable to fold the
paper after the wire is applied thereto in order to form it into a receptacle.
My present invention therefore includes the devising of an organized machine
having in combination mechanism for performing all of these three functions,
or the wiring in combination with either a gumming or a folding mechanism, and
also mechanism for transferring the blank from each of said mechanisms to the
next. It will. however, be understood that I do not limit myself herein to the
use of a gumming or a folding mechanism in connection with the wiring
mechanism, or to the use of either of these mechanisms in connection therewith.
If it is desired the wiring mechanism may be used by itself or in combination
with a gumming mechanism, or in combination with a folding mechanism, or, as
I have shown it herein, in combination with both.
As I am the first, so far as I am aware, to combine mechanism for mechanically
| attaching a wire opener with either a gumming or a folding mechanism, or with

page_text: both of them, I intend to claim these combinations broadly and without reference
to the special construction of any of the mechanisms.
While it is not essential to my invention broadly considered that any special
type of machine for mechanically attaching the wire opener to the blank, or a
machine for making such attachment in any special manner should be employed,
still it is a part of my invention considered within narrower limits, to provide a
machine which shall be capable of attaching the wire by causing it to penetrate
the material twice, and bending it down thereafter, so that there shall be three
parallel strands of wire at the point of attachment to the paper.
To this end my invention includes means for feeding the wire, cutting there-
from a proper length, bending down the ends or an end thereof, and causing the
same to penetrate the paper, used in connection with mechanism for causing
the bent portion of the wire to again penetrate the paper, and for thereafter
bending over the end thereof and clinching the same.
While it is generally desirable to attach both ends of the wire to the envelope
in order that it may not be necessary for the person using the opener to make
a selection between the ends, nevertheless I do not wish to limit myslf to
mechanism for attaching both ends, and I intend to include the adaptation of my
invention to the attachment of the opener to the blank at one of its ends.
Further, some other portion or portions of the wire opener besides the end or
ends thereof may be utilized for the attachment of the opener to the blank without
departing from my invention.
My invention also includes certain details of construction which will be herein-
after fully determined and pointed out in the claims. My invention may be used
for attaching a wire opener to any sort of a blank to be used for any purpose.
This blank is usually and preferably of paper, but may be of any other suitable
material, as cardboard, thin wood, or cloth. The blanks so wired may be applied
to any of a large variety of uses, among which I may specify envelopes, news-
paper wrappers, labels or sealing strips for boxes, etc.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side view of an envelope machine with the mechanism for attach-
ing the wire to the envelope mounted on it, the reel for carrying the wire supply
being broken to show other parts of the mechanism;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the envelope machine and wiring mechanism as
shown in Figure 1;
Figure 2 is a front view of the wire reel and wire take-off mechanism, the
view being taken on the line 2 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of arrow;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the upper part of the machine taken on
the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the table of the machine and the several
mechanisms for gumming, transferring, wiring and folding the envelopes, this
view showing the mechanisms on a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2;
Figure is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;
Figures 4 and 4 are detail views showing fingers for moving the blank from
the gumming mechanism to the folding mechanism;
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figures 1 and 2. This
view shows a front elevation of the mechanism for feeding, cutting, bending and
attaching the ends of the wire to the envelope blank, the different parts being
shown in the position they will assume when the operation of attaching the wire
to the blank has been completed;
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and end view of Figure 5;
Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the upper part of Figure 5, parts of the
mechanism being omitted for the purpose of illustration;
Figure 9 is a horizontal section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8:
Figure 10 is a section on the line 10 of Figure 8:
Figure 11 is a horizontal section on line 11 of Figure S;

page_text: Figures 15, 10, 14, 19 are vertical sections taken on the mes 1, 10, 14, 10
of Figure 8;
Figure 16 is a front view of part of the mechanism illustrated in Figure S.
This figure shows the wire cutter, gripping fingers and clinchers;
Figures 17 and 18 are respectively a front and edge view of the wire clinchers
and supporting plate;
Figure 19 is an enlarged view of the lower part of Figure 5, showing the
mechanism for bending the ends of the wire and forcing the same through the
envelope blank to be clinched;
Figure 20 is a plan view of Figure 19;
Figure 21 is an end view of the same;
Figure 22 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 19;
Figure 23 is a front view similar to Figure 22, parts being removed to clearly
illustrate the mechanism. This view shows the fingers for bending the ends of
the wire preparatory to its being forced through the envelope blank to be clinched;
also the plungers for forcing the ends through the blank and the sliding plate
by which the plungers are carried;
Figure 24 is a plan view of Figure 23;
Figures 25, 26 and 27 are details showing devices for accurately guiding the
ends of the wire to be bent;
Figures 28, 29 and 30 are details of wire-bending fingers and support;
Figure 31 is a section taken on the line 31-31 of Figure 6, showing in detail
the wire-feeding devices and mechanism for driving the same;
Figure 32 is a section on the line 32-32 of Figure 6, showing the cam shaft
and arrangement of cams on the same for operating the several mechanisms;
Figures 33 to 44 are front and sectional views showing the positions of the
different parts during different stages in the operation of cutting, bending and
clinching the end of the wire nearest the feeding mechanism, the positions of the
parts at the other end of the wire being the same except that there is no cutter
at the latter end;
Figures 45 to 47, the last a section on line 47 of Figure 46, show a modifica-
tion in which the wire clincher is pivoted and has a swinging instead of a vertical
movement;
Figures 48 to 50 show a swinging clincher of a slightly different construction;
Figures 51 to 55 show a modified construction, in which the body portion of
the wire length forming the opener is caused to take a position slightly out of
line with that portion of the wire length to be bent to form the legs of the opener,
this arrangement being for the purpose of causing the wire ends when inserted
through the blank for the second time to pass the body portion of the opener
without the assistance of a spring or other guide; Figure 51 being a horizontal
section through the wire channel; Figure 52 being a section on the line 52 of
Figure 53 Figure 53 being a section on the line 53 of Figure 51; Figure 54
being a horizontal section through a part of the wire channel just before the
clinching of the wire; and Figure 55 being a view similar to Figure 53, except that
the clincher is just about to descend;
Figures 56 to 61 illustrate another modification in which the clincher and the
recess in which it moves are set diagonally so as to cause the end of the wire
length forming the opener to lock across the body portion of the wire when
clinched; Figure 56 being a side elevation partly in section of this construction
of mechanism: Figure 57 a sectional view on the line 57 of Figure 56; Figure 58
a plan view showing some of the parts after the wire has been clinched and locked;
Figure 59 a plan view; Figure 60 a front view of the clincher; and Figure 61 a
plan view of one end of the opener attached to the blank after being removed
from the machine;
Figures 62 to 65 show a modified construction adapted to bend the ends of
the wire, when the latter are bent to force the wire through the blank a second
time, in an outward instead of in an inward direction.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 to 4, A is the frame of the machine, upon which is
mounted the table B. At one end of the table B is mounted the gumming
mechanism C, and at the other end the folding mechanism D. These mechanisms
are operated from the main driving shaft E by cams and connections, the cams
not being shown, but being well known in connection with this form of
mechanism. The pile of envelope blanks X is placed on a feeding table «, said
table having a vertical step-by-step feeding movement. Positioned just above
the table a and over the blanks are two gumming fingers c, c¹, the bottom surfaces
of which receive gum from a duct roll a reciprocating between two fountain rolls
in gum boxes e, e¹. This duct roll is carried by sleeves which slide on the
guide rods f, f', these sleeves being connected by links to the ends of two
vertical rock arms g, g', carried on the rock shaft and operated through suitable
connections by a cam (not shown) carried by the driving shaft E, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2. The gumming fingers c, c', are carried by a cross bar fixed
to a vertical rod sliding in a bracket j. The gum being applied to the bottom
surfaces of the fingers by roll d, the fingers will be moved downward to apply
the gum to the flaps of the envelope blank by means of links k, k and rock
arms,, mounted on the rock shafts n, n', the rock shaft being rocked by
a cam (not shown) on the main shaft E through link o (partially shown in
Figures 1 and 2). The fingers, cl, reciprocate vertically through openings in
the norizontal plate p connecting the gum boxes. When the gumming fingers
have applied gum to the blank, they will then retreat and move upwardly, carry-
ing the blank with them, it being held fast to the fingers at this time by the
gum. The fingers move upward until the blank has been positioned over and
into the path of a reciprocating carrier M, consisting of two rods m, m². When
the carrier M has arrived under the raised blank, the blank will be stripped from
the fingers c, c¹, by means of the plate p through which the fingers rise, and by
rocking fingers 2, 7', mounted on the rock shaft r, these fingers operating to
lay the blank on the carrier arms m, m'. This shaft which is rocked from
the shaft E through suitable connections also actuates the pawl and ratchet feeding
movement of the table a, through arms s, s'. The blank will now be dropped
onto the carrier M, which runs quite close to the stripping plate p, so that the
distance the blank drops is very slight. The carrier will then be moved to the
left (see Figure 1) first to the wiring mechanism and then to the folding devices D),
where the blank will then be folded to envelope form by the plunger I and the
folding wings J, (see Figure 3) in the usual manner. The carrier M is reciprocated
between the gumming and the folding devices by means of links and t, cam
lever, and came on the driving shaft E, as shown in Figure 1.
The mechanism for attaching the wire to the blank will now be described in
detail, reference being had first to Figures 5, 6 and 7, which show the several
mechanisms assembled for that purpose. Adjustably secured to the table B of
the machine is a supporting frame 100, in which is mounted one end of a
shaft 80, the other end being supported in an overhanging bracket 101. Loosely
mounted on the shaft 80 is a wire feeding disk 81, having a groove formed in
its periphery to guide and retain the wire y in proper position. A second smaller
feeding disk 82 below the disk 81 co-operates with said disk to feed the wire across
and over the envelope blank at the proper time, the disk 82 being mounted on
a swinging arm 83, which is pivoted at 84 on the bracket 101 and normally held
in engagement with the disk 81 by a spring 85 fast at one end to the lower
part of the arm $3, and at the other end to the frame 100. The arm 83 carries
an adjusting screw 86, which engages a stop 87 for properly adjusting the disk 82
with relation to the disk 81. The wire y is fed in a continuous strand from the
wire reel Y in a manner hereinafter described, to a guiding tube 88, thence
between the feeding disks 81, 82, which feed the proper amount of wire required
when the lower disk will be swung downward outwardly on the pivot 84, by a
cam 90 fixed to shaft 80 and which engages a disk 91 fixed to the stud 92 which

page_text: is carried in a sleeve 93 formed on the swinging arm 83, the stud 92 also carrying
the feeding disk 82, as shown in Figures 7 and 31.
The different parts of the mechanism shown as carried by the shaft 80 are so
arranged that the feeding disk 81 will feed the proper length of wire during
one-third of a revolution of the shaft S0, leaving two-thirds of each revolution
for the other parts to perform their work, as hereinafter described.
As one-
third of the circumference of the feeding disk 81 as it is shown would not be
sufficient to feed the length of wire necessary, if driven by shaft 80, it is, as
previously stated, mounted to rotate freely on shaft 80 and is driven at a higher
rate of speed than said shaft by means of a gear wheel 94 keyed to the shaft. 80
and meshing with a pinion 95 mounted loosely on a short shaft 96 fixed in the
frame 100 and connected by a short sleeve 97 to a larger pinion 98, which engages
a gear wheel 99 somewhat smaller than the wheel 94, said wheel 99 being fast to the
feeding disk S1. This form of gearing, as will be seen, gives to the disk 81 a
higher rate of speed than the shaft 80 and a sufficient contact with the disk 82
to feed the right length of wire before the cam 90 operates to throw the disk 82
out of engagement with the disk 81. The feeding disk 82 is driven at the same
surface speed as disk 81, by a pinion which meshes with the gear 99 of the feeding
disk 81.
The wire is fed from the feeding disks 81, 82, through a guideway formed of
a plate 102 having a groove 103 along its bottom face for the passage of the
wire, the wire being held in the groove 103 by an inwardly extending bottom
flange 104 formed on a removable cap plate 105 which has a top flange 106 resting
on a fixed abutment 107, and held in position by a pivoted arm 108, as shown
in Figures 3, 5 and 8. The guide plate 102 is fixed accurately to the flange 101
by dovetailed projections 109 formed on the bottom face of the plate 102, these
projections entering corresponding grooves in the flange 104.
The mechanism for cutting and giving the first bend to the ends of the wire,
the devices for holding the same in position while being cut and bent, and for
moving the bent wire down and through the envelope blank will now be described,
reference being had particularly to Figures 5 to 18.
The wire on being fed, will pass over a short swinging table 110, thence over
a long swinging table 111 underneath a top plate 112, having a groove 10 formed
in its lower side the entire length of the table, the tables 110, 111 and plate 112
forming bottom, top and side guides for the wire as it is being fed. The swinging
table 111 has at either end a plate 113 by which it is swung outward and away
from the plate 112 in a manner hereinafter referred to. The tables 110, 111, are
pivoted on a stationary bar 114 having a coiled spring 115 mounted en it, the
inner end of said spring 115 bearing against the table 111, and the other end is
fast to one of the bearings 116 of the bar 114, the tendency of the spring being
to normally press the table 111 upwardly against the bottom face of the plate 112.
The short table 110 forms a short bridge for the passage of the wire between the
end of the guide plate 102 and the inner end of the table 111.
Fixed onto the frame G are two vertical guiding blocks 75, 76, having guide-
ways formed in them in which reciprocate vertically two sliding plates 60, 70.
The sliding plate (60) has at its ends, as shown in Figure 16, two downwardly
extending legs 77, 78, the inner one 77 carrying a cutter plate 119, set in flush
with the surface of the legs and having a cutting edge 120 normally resting
just above the line of movement of the wire, as shown in Figures 11, 12 and 16.
The legs 77, 78, are each grooved horizontally on their lower edges at 15 and 16.
and vertically on their inner edges at 17, 18, as shown in Figures 11 and 12 and
in dotted lines in Figure 16, the horizontal groove 15 forming a top and side
guiding surface for the wire during its passage across the table 110, and the
groove 16 a top and side guiding surface for the end of the wire which passes
beyond the table 111, the portions of the wire resting in these grooves being
those portions by which the wire is attached to the blank. The vertical grooves 17,

page_text: 18, on the inner edges of the legs 77, 78, receive and guide the bent portion of
the wire after being cut and during the downward movement of the slide 60
to perform such bending, as shown in Figure 35.
The sliding plate 60 is moved toward and away from the blank which rests
on the carrier arms m, m', (see Figure 5) in the following manner;
At the upper end of the plate 60 is fixed a stud 121, which is engaged by the
forked end of an arm 122 mounted loosely on a rock shaft 123 journalled in the
guide block 75. The arm 122 is rocked by a second lever 124, which is also
loosely journaled on the rock shaft 123 outside the arm 122. The outer end
of the lever 124 engages a stud 125 fast to the arm 122, and which as shown, is
positioned about midway on the arm between the stud 121 and the rock shaft 123.
The end of the lever 124 has a slot 19 formed in it, through which the stud 125
passes, and upon which bear the inner ends of two set adjusting screws 20. The
inner end of the lever 124 carries a bowl 126 which engages a cam disk 127 carried
by the shaft 80, and so formed and positioned on the shaft 80 that the slide 60
and parts co-acting with said slide will commence to operate at the proper time,
that is, just after the wire y has been fed into position across and over the blank.
It will be seen that by having the armi 122 separated from and operated by the
lever 124 through the adjusting screws 20, a nice adjustment is obtainable for
the slide 60 and co-acting parts. The lever 124 has an upwardly extending
portion 128, to which is pivoted a spring rod 129 carrying a spring 130 bearing
at one end against an abutment 131 fixed to the guide block 76, and the other
end bearing against a collar 132 on the rod 129. The spring 130 thus tends to
hold the bowl 126 into engagement with the cam 127 and raise the slide 60 when
the operation has been completed. The guide blocks 75, 76, have secured to
their top surfaces a plate 183 which carries adjusting screws 21, the lower ends
of said screws being so positioned as to engage the upper edge of the slide 60, thus
insuring a correct position of the lower edges of the legs 7, 78, relatively to the
wire. The wire is held firmly in position while the several operations on it are
being completed by two gripping fingers 30, 31, which grip the wire against
the stationary blocks 32, 33, fast to sliding plate 70. There are thus formed
two grippers for the two ends of the wire lengths respectively cir.: Finger 20
and block 32, and finger 31 and block 33, the two grippers being positioned at the
two ends respectively of the cut-off portion of the wire a at the point where the
first bending down of the ends of the wire takes place. Each of the gripping
fingers 30, 31, are fast to arms 34, carried by a swinging plate 35, having studs 36
journaled in brackets 37 fast to the sliding plate 70. The gripping fingers 30,
31, are normally held out of engagement with the wire (that is, while the wire
is being fed across the table 111) by means of an arm 38 having a slot 39 through
which a pin 40 carried by the plate 35 passes, and is engaged by an adjusting
screw 41 in the bottom of the arm 38. The upper end of the arm 38 is pivoted
to one end of a lever 42 journalled on a stud 43 fixed in the guide block 75. The
other end of the lever 42 carries a bowl 44 engaging a cam disk 45 carried by
the shaft 80. The bowl 44 is held in engagement with the cam 45 by a spring 46,
The
one end of which is fast to the lever 42 and the other to the bracket 101, the cam
operating to raise the arm 38, and through pin 40, swing the upper part of the
plate 35 inward, and the gripping fingers 30, 31, outward away from the wire.
When the wire has been fed to the required length, the form of the cam will
immediately allow the spring 46 to actuate the lever 42 to lower the arm 38
away from the pin 40, and allow the plate 35 to be swung on its bearings and
throw the gripping fingers 30, 31, inward to grip and hold the wire.
plate 35 is swung in this manner by two springs 47, the ends of which enter
openings in two projections 48 of the plate 35, the other ends entering openings
in a bracket 49 carried by the sliding frame 70, the springs 47 acting to throw the
upper part of the plate 35 out, and the lower part thereof carrying the gripping
fingers, 30, 31, inwardly, to grip the wire against the action of the cam 45 which,
as previously described, acts to open the gripping fingers. The grippers retain

page_text: their hold upon the wire until the latter is driven and clinched. An adjustable
stop 51 is fixed on the plate 35, to limit the outward movement of the gripping
fingers. The mechanism which has been thus far described, consists of the
feeding, gripping and cutting mechanism, and the parts by which the first or
initial bending is imparted to the ends of the wire. The wire with the ends
bent down as shown in Figure 35, is now moved down to the blank, the bent
ends of the wire are forced through the blank, and said ends are then operated upon
by a separate mechanism for bending up a portion of the previously bent-down
ends, and forcing the last mentioned bent-up portions upward through the blank,
to be clinched over and down on said blank, as shown in Figures 41 and 43.
The mechanism for the final clinching of the ends of the wire will now be
described, as it forms a part of and co-acts with the mechanism which has just
been described in detail. The clinching is done by two clinching fingers 52, 53,
carried by arms 54 extending outwardly from a sliding plate 55 which rests on
the rear surface of the slide plate 70 and is moved up and down in the bracket 49
and bracket 56 (below the bracket 49) both brackets being fast to the sliding
plate 70. The clinching fingers 52, 53, are fastened on the arms 54 by brackets 72,
which extend through and outwardly from the plate 70, to position the clinching
fingers directly over the wire passing through openings 57 in the plate 70. The
clinching fingers 52, 53, and plate 55 are normally pressed downward by springs 58,
the upper ends of which engage the bracket 49, the lower end bearing against
abutments 59 fast to the plate 55, which carries the clinchers 52 and 53, to a
position where the clinchers are just above the wire, where they form an upper
guiding surface for the wire between the gripping fingers 30, 31, and pieces 32, 33,
and the edge of the cut-away portion 61 of the plate 112. A stud 62 which is
fixed to the upper part of plate 55 is engaged by plate 63 fast to the sliding
plate 60, for the purpose of lifting the plate 55 and clinchers 52, 53, against the
pressure of springs 58, to allow that portion of the wire to be clinched to enter
below it as it is forced upward through the blank. As shown in Figure 5, the
cam 127 has a cut-away portion 64, to allow the sliding plate 60 carrying the
plate to be raised at the proper time for the purpose just set forth. After an
interval sufficient to permit the wire to be forced up through the blank, the
cam 127 will again move the plate 60 downward and the spring 58 will force
plate 55 and the clinchers 52, 53, down, and clinch the wire.
This
The parts forming the mechanism just described are clearly illustrated in
Figures 8 to 17. The mechanism for moving the sliding plate 70 and its co-acting
parts toward and away from the blank is as follows; the plate 70 carries at its
upper end a stud 135 directly in the rear of stud 121 of the plate 60.
stud 135 is engaged by the forked end of a lever 136 fast to the rock shaft 123
inside the frame 100, by a set screw 137. The rock shaft 123 is rocked by means
of a lever 138 fast to the outer end of the shaft 123 by a set screw 139, the
lever 138 carrying at its end a bowl 140 engaging a cam 141 similar to the
cam 127 which operates the slide 60, the cut-away portion 64 of the cam 127 being
omitted from the cam 141. The levers 136, 138, bowl 140 and cam 141 of the
slide 70 being directly back of levers 122, 124, bowl 126 and cam 127 of the
plate 60, do not show in Figure 5, but are shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. The
lever 138 has an upwardly extending portion 142, to the upper end of which is
pivoted a spring rod 143 carrying a spring 144, one end of which bears against,
the abutment 145 fixed to the frame 100, the other end bearing against a collar 146
fast to the rod 143, the spring acting to raise the sliding plate 70 and the cam 14.1
to lower it as described previously in connection with the sliding plate 60. The
plate 133 at the top of the guide blocks 75, 76 has adjusting screws 22 to
accurately position the sliding plate 70 in its upper position in the same manner
as the screws 21 position the plate 60. When the sliding plates 60, 70. commence
to move down toward the blank, it is necessary that the tables 110, 111, should
be swung out of the path of the wire as it is carried down to the blank. This
is accomplished in the case of the table 111 by the gripping fingers 30, 31, the

page_text: lower ends of which bear directly on the upper edges of the end plates 113 of
the table 111, as shown in Figures 8 and 14.
The sliding plate 60 starts to move a little before the sliding plate 70, to
allow the cutter 119 to sever the wire and the sliding legs 77, 78, to bend the
ends y¹ of the wire down against the outer sides of the swinging plates 113 before
plate 70 moves. The plate 70 will then descend with the gripping fingers,
forcing the plates 113 and table 111 down and out of the path of the wire y, as
shown in Figure 38. The plates 113 are notched, as shown at 97. This notch 97
is so formed that when the bearing lower ends of the grippers 30, 31, have swung
the plates 113 down and outward for part of the distance through which the
said plates are moved thereby, the ends of the grippers will enter the notches 97
and permit the plates 113 to dwell in the position in which they support the inner
sides of the downwardly bent portions y of the wire.
The table 110 which extends from the wire guide 102 to the table 111 just
described, is thrown out of the path of the end of the wire y as it is being bent
down by the leg 77 of the plate 60, by the lower end of a depending arm 65
(Figure 13) pivoted at 66 to the arm 42 on the rock shaft 43. The arm 42
operates to allow the grippers 30, 31, to be closed immediately after the wire
is fed in, as previously described. As the end of the arm 42 is moved down-
wardly by the spring 46, it will carry the arm 65 down and move the table 110
down and out in the same manner that the table 111 is moved. As the arm 42
moves upward again, the table 110 will be returned by a spring rod 67 pivoted
to the table 110 and having a spring 6S, the ends of which engage respectively
the table 110 and a bracket 69 fixed to the guide block 75. The arm 65 is fitted
in a groove formed in the outer portion of the guide block 75, which has a slot 79
cut in it to allow the pivot 66 to move downward. The lower end of the arm 65
is slotted to engage a pin 71 for properly guiding the arm 65 in its movement, as
shown in Figures 8 and 13.
The description thus far has had reference to that part of the mechanism
which lies above the envelope blank or the parts which in operation come in
contact with what constitutes the inner surface of the envelope when folded.
The description to follow will refer to that part of the mechanism which lies
below the envelope blank, or the parts which come into contact with the outer
surface of the envelope when folded.
Referring particularly to Figures 5 and 19 to 28, there is fixed to the frame 100
two guide blocks 145, 146, in which moves a sliding plate 147, sliding in guide-
ways formed in said guide blocks 145 and 146, and carrying at its upper part on
either side, two driving plates 148 and 149 moving in openings 6, with which
the downwardly extending ends of the wire enter, these openings being formed
between two fixed plates 150, 151, fast to the guide blocks 145, 146. The upper
parts of the guide blocks 145, 146, have formed in them two oblique guide-
ways 152, 153, in which move two sliding blocks 154, 155, each carrying a rigid wire
bending plate 24, and a swinging wire-bending plate 25 pivoted at 20 in the sliding
blocks 154, 155, each of the swinging benders 25 being normally pressed inwardly
by a flat spring 27, as shown clearly in Figure 23. The sliding blocks 154, 155,
each have fast to them a stud 28, which studs are engaged by the forked end
of two rocking levers 156, 157, fulcrumed at 158 on brackets 159 mounted on a
plate 160. These levers 156, 157 are connected together by a link 161, one end
of which is pivoted to the lever 156 at a point below its fulcrum 158, and the other
end to the lever 157 above its fulcrum 158, as shown in Figures 5 and 19. The
levers 156, 157 are rocked simultaneously to move the sliding blocks 154, 155.
upward in an oblique direction by a cam rod 162 having a forked outer end
spanning shaft 50. The rod 162 carries a bowl 163 which engages a cam 164
carried by the shaft 50. The parts just described are returned to their normal
position by a spring 166, one end of which is fast to the lever 157 and the other
end to the table B of the machine (see Figure 5). The swinging benders 25 are
cut away on their under surfaces as shown at 13, for the purpose of allowing the

page_text: benders to be moved downward on the pivots 26 by the springs 27 when they
have reached the end of their upward movement, as shown in Figures 37 and 39,
the guideways 152 and 153 being cut away as shown at 14, for this purpose. The
sliding plate 147 carrying the driving plates 148, 149 is moved toward and away
from the blank in the following manner: The sliding plate 147 has fixed to its
lower part a bracket 167 extending upwardly and carrying a stud 168, which is
engaged by the forked end of a lever 169 fulcrumed on the frame 100 at 170, the
other end of the lever 169 carrying a bowl 171 which runs in a cam groove 172 in a
cam disk 173 carried by the shaft 50, this cam 172 being a path cam which both
raises and lowers the sliding plate 147 at the proper time, as will be seen by
reference to Figure 5.
As the wire to be operated on is very small in diameter, it will be apparent
that the guiding of the wire as it is being moved and operated upon should be
of the greatest accuracy. It has been described previously how this. guiding is
done in the passage of the wire from the feeding disks 81, 82, to the point where
the ends are about to pierce the blank and be moved down into the openings G,
which receive and retain them while the benders 24, 25 and the drivers 148, 149
operate upon them. The guiding of the ends y¹ into an opening and holding
it there in the proper position, is done by two movable guide blocks 11, 12,
details of which are shown in Figures 26 and 27. These guide blocks 11, 12,
are adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the wire in the following
manner, (see Figures 19 to 27).
Hinged at 175 to the plate 151 is a swinging plate 176, carrying at each of
its upper ends pins 8 riding in slots 9 in the guiding blocks 11, 12. The
plate 176 is rocked by a pawl 177 pivoted to a bracket 178 carried by the sliding
plate 147 as shown in Figures 22 and 23, the upper edge of the pawl 177 being
normally held in a horizontal position against the bracket 178 by the spring 179.
The plate 176 carries a downwardly projecting arm 180 having at its lower end
an abutment 181, which in the downward movement of the plate 147 and
pawl 177, will be engaged by the pawl 177 and be rocked outward, as shown in
dotted lines in Figure 22. This swinging of the lower part of the arm 180 out-
ward, will throw the plate 176 inward, thereby causing the pins 8 to move the
guide blocks 11, 12 inward and bring a groove 1 formed in the guide blocks into
the path of the end y₁ of the wire and directly below it. This will occur just
before the ends of the wire reach the blank and while the plate 147 and
drivers 148, 149 are retreating to allow the ends of the wire to enter the open-
ings 6. The guide blocks 11, 12 are guided in a horizontal direction by ribs 182
formed on stationary blocks 183 entering grooves 184 in the blocks 11, 12. The
groove 1 extends down only a portion of its length, it being cut away as shown
at 2, to allow the portion of the ends y' which are to be clinched onto the
blank to be bent up by the benders 25, the lower edge of the cut-away portion 2
being the bending point of said ends y2. When the benders 24, which make a
still further bend in portions y¹ of the ends are ready to move, the guide
blocks 11, 12, are thrown out of the path of the benders 24 until their inner
edges are flush with the outer surfaces of the openings 6, by springs 185 placed
between the plate 151 and the swinging plate 176 which carry the guide
blocks 11, 12, the outward movement of said guide blocks being limited by the
stops 186 on the blocks 183.
When the drivers 148, 149 operate to force the ends y of the wire upward
through the blank, as shown in Figures 39 to 42, said ends may tend to rise and
abut against. the under side of the overlying wire y which is resting on the top
of the blank if they were not guided to one side of said wire. To accomplish
this a thin flat spring 3 is fixed in the plate 151, the upper end of which spring
extends beyond the edge of the overlying wire y, and as the end y² is moved
up, the spring forces it to one side so as to allow it to pass the wire y freely, and
then be forced down and clinches alongside of the wire y.
While the wiring of the blank is being done, as an aid to hold the blank in

page_text: correct position until the operation is completed, and also to emboss the blank,
which is frequently desirable, an embossing mechanism is employed. This
mechanism may be of any suitable construction, that shown consisting of two
upper reciprocating male dies 200 and two lower stationary female dies 201, one
fast to the inside of the plate 160 and the other attached to plate 150, the dies
being so arranged as to emboss the blank on the flap and the body of the envelope
on either side of the wire y. When the blank has been moved to the wiring
position the upper dies are immediately moved down and engage the lower dies,
thus holding the blank between them. The upper dies are actuated by a rock
arm 202 carried by a rock shaft 203, and having a sleeve 204, to cither end of
which is pivoted a link 205, which is in turn pivoted to an arm 206 sliding in
guideways, the rear guideway 208 being attached to frame 100, and the front
guideway 207 being attached to plate 160 shown in Figures 5 and 6. The upper
dies are moved downwardly by means of an arm 210, one end of which is pivoted
to a downwardly extending cam rod 211, forked at the lower end and spanning
the shaft 50. The lower end of the rod 211 carries bowl 212 engaging a cam 213
arried by the shaft 50. The other end of the lever 210 is pivoted to a down-
wardly extending spring rod 214, having a spring 215 which engages a bracket 216
on the frame 100, and a collar 217 on the rod 214, as shown in Figures 3 and 6;
the cam 213 operating to move the embossing dies 200 down to the blank and
the spring 215 operating to return the same when the cam 213 has arrived at a
position to allow the spring to act. The dies are shown as holding the blank
in dotted lines in Figure 34, which also shows the wiring mechanism about to
commence to operate.
It should, however, be understood that a separate mechanism for this sort for
holding the blank is not essential, and that the movements of the carrier and the
wiring mechanism may be so timed that the wiring mechanism itself will retain
the blank in position while being wired.
The blank is carried from the gumming mechanism C to the wiring mechanism,
by fingers 187 adjustably fixed to the carrier arms m, m', (Figure 4). These
fingers engage the rear edge of the blank, and move it to the wiring mechanism,
and at the same time the blank which has just been wired is carried to the fold-
ing mechanism 1 by two fingers 188 pivoted in the carrier arms and frictionally
held in or out of position to engage with the blank by a flat spring 189 shown in
Figures 4 and 4. The fingers 187 in carrying the blank to the wiring posi-
tion move it against two pivoted adjustable stops 190 which fix its position
accurately. When this occurs, the fingers 188 have moved the preceding blank
to the folding mechanism, and on their return to get the blank which has just
been wired the stops 190 will be thrown down, as shown in Figure 3, by a
shoulder 191 engaging studs 192 on the stops 190, the blanks being now held
by the embossing dies 200, 201. The shoulder 191 is formed on the under side
of the carriers m, m; they being cut away as shown at 193, so as to permit the
stops 190 to rise, as above described. They are thrown up again by springs 194,
shown in Figure 21, as the fingers 188 again move toward the folding mechanism
and the shoulder 191 moves past the stud 192. The fingers 188 are thrown up
to engage the blank by pins 195 in the carrier guides 196, which engage the
lower edges of the fingers 188, and are held in this raised position by the
springs 189. These fingers are lowered again as they return, to allow them to
pass under the blank, by two studs 197 (as shown in Figures 4 and 5) which
are carried by one of the embossing dies 200 previously described. As the
fingers 188 move back from the folder D, the embossing dies will be down, and
holding the blank in position to be wired, and also bringing the studs 197 into
the path of the upper edge of the fingers 188 and throwing them downward. The
carriers are cut away at 198 for the purpose of giving clearance to the pins 195
during such movement of the carriers.
The wire is fed (see Figure 2) to the guide 88 and feeding disks 81, 82 from

page_text: the wire reel Y and through a short guide 220 by two feeding disks 221, 222,
the lower one 222 being grooved to retain the wire in position as it is being fed.
The wire is preferably fed by the disks 221, 222, a little faster than it is taken
up by disks 81, 82, and so that a supply loop will be formed, which can be
readily drawn from without danger of the wire being strained too tightly and
thereby being broken. This adjustment of the feed is secured by making the
disks 221, 222, a little larger than required to feed at the same rate as
disks 81, 82. I find it necessary to provide this slack wire from which to feed
for the further reason that if the wire is drawn into the machine under any
tension, a twisting and unevenness of the wire is produced.
The driving
mechanism for the shafts 50 and 80 is as follows:-
I
The driving shaft E (see Figure 1) carries a gear 225 which meshes with an
intermediate gear 226 mounted on a stud 227, which stud also carries a smaller
gear 228, which in turn meshes with a gear 229 carried by a stud 230 fixed on
the frame of the machine. The stud 230 also carries a bevel gear 231 meshing
with another bevel gear 232 mounted on a short shaft 233 (see Figure 2). The
short shaft 233 carries a gear 234 which meshes with a gear 235 carried by the
shaft 50. The gear 235 in turn meshes with a gear 236 carried by shaft 80,
the relative size of all the gears being such as to produce an accurate timing of
the mechanism engaged in attaching the wire to the envelope blank, one blank
being wired for every revolution of the shaft E. The driving of the feeding
disks 221, 222 is as follows; The feeding disks 221, 222 are carried by short
shafts 237, 238 mounted in a bracket 239 fixed to the table B of the machine,
the wire reel Y being supported in a bracket 240, which is also fixed to the frame
of the machine. The shafts of the feeding disks 221, 222 carry intermeshing
gears 241, the lower one of which meshes with a gear 242 carried by the shaft 233
through intermediates 243 mounted in the bracket 239, all of which is shown
clearly in Figure 2ª.
The operation of the machine is as follows: Sufficient wire is fed forward by
the feeding disks 81 and 82 to form an opener during one-third of each revolu-
tion of the shaft 80. While the wire is being fed, parts of the machine which
afterwards co-operate in bending and inserting the opener, at this time form a
guiding channel by which the thin and flexible wire is guided. This feature is
of importance, since such light wire as is required for this purpose demands sup-
port substantially on all sides and substantially throughout its length while being
fed. As soon as the feeding is completed, the cam 45 will permit the lower end
of lever 42 to rise under the pull of spring 46, thus allowing the grippers 30, 31,
to close upon the wire and hold it fast between their gripping faces and the
pieces 32, 33. At this time the clinchers 52, 53 are in their lower position
and press upon the upper side of the wire. The wire is also held in the groove 10
of the plate 112 into which it is pressed by the table 111. Immediately after
the grippers have closed, the cam 127 commences to lift the outer end of
lever 124, and thereby to depress plate 60 and bending legs. 77, 78, the first
result of which is to cut the wire and then to bend each end down to the posi-
tion shown in Figures 35 and 36 from the position shown in Figures 33 and 34,
which latter figures show the parts as they stand relatively to each other imme-
diately before the cutting and bending of the wire. During the bending opera-
tion, the body of the wire is held by the gripping fingers 30, 31. The table 111
does not serve as a support in the bending operation, its spring not being strong
enough to serve this purpose. Simultaneously with the commencement of the
bending operation the table 110 is moved out of the way of the leg 77 by
plate 65, also operated by lever 42. In the machine shown, both ends of the wire
length are bent to form legs. This machine, however, may be used for bending,
inserting and securing to the blank but one of the ends. This may obviously
be done in different ways by slight changes in the machine, as shown, but one
of the simplest ways is to shorten the lower end of bending leg 78 so that it
will not bend this end of the wire as it moves down. All parts of the machine

page_text: will then move exactly as illustrated and as described herein, but of course, will
not act to bend, insert or secure the wire except at the end acted on by leg 77.
Immediately after the wire has been bent, the cam 41 causes the outer end
of lever 138 to rise, thereby causing plate 70 to descend, and with it plate 112,
carrying the wire downwards and pushing before it, downward and outward, the
table 111, by reason of the contact of the grippers with the plates 113. The legs
of the staples as they descend are supported in the grooves 17, 18, of the
legs 77, 78, and also by the plates 113 which lie against the inner faces of the
legs 77, 78. Just before the moment at which the bent portions of the wire are
forced through the blank, path cam 172 raises the end of the lever 169 and
thereby depresses plate 147, causing the pivoted lever. 177 to come into contact
with the lug 181 and push back the extension 180 of plate 176, rocking this
plate and forcing forward the guide blocks 11 and 12 into their forward position,
being the position in which they are shown in Figures 37 and 38.
The bent-down portions of the wire now enter the openings 6 (see Figure 20)
and the guide pieces I and 12, and descend until the body of the wire,
resting in the groove 10 reaches the blank. At this moment the bending
blocks 154 and 155 moving upward under the action of cam 164 and rod 162,
strike against the projecting ends of the wire and bend them over the flanges 2
of the guide blocks to the position shown in Figures 37 and 38, the operative
part of the bending blocks being the pivoted members 25. As soon as the wire
has been bent to the position shown in. Figure 37, the blocks 155 reach a posi-
tion in which the pivoted members 25 are permitted by the cutting away of the
guide pieces at 14 to swing downward under the pressure of springs 27. There
is, therefore, no further bending of the wire performed by this pivoted member.
The other and fixed members 24 of the benders 155 now come into operation and
bend the staple up to the position shown in Figures 39 and 40, at which point
it is just ready to penetrate the blank for the second time.
As the portion of the wire comes to this position it is deflected from the
vertical by the pressure of the spring or guide piece 3 (Figure 40) so that it may
pass freely by the body portion of the wire length after penetrating the blank.
At this point the cut-away portion 64 of the cam 127 comes into operation to
permit plate 60 to rise temporarily, thereby lifting through the bracket 63 and
stud 62 the clinchers 52, 53, to the position shown in Figures 41 and 42, so as
to give clearance for the ends of the wire as they rise through the blank.
The portions of the wire are forced up through the blank by drivers 148, 149,
rising under the influence of cam 164 and the connecting parts until they reach
the position shown in Figures 41 and 42. As soon as the bowl 126 of lever 124
passes the cut-away portion 64 of the cam 127, the plate 60 again descends and
with it the clinchers 52 and 53, clinching the ends y² of the wire, the parts taking
the position shown in Figures 43 and 44.
The operation of the mechanism by which the wire is attached to the blank
being understood, the operation of the entire machine will be readily seen. The
blanks having been picked up from the pile X by the pasting fingers e, e¹, are
stripped off from said pasting fingers by the plate and the stripping fingers g,
and fall upon the guide rods m, m³, immediately in front of the driving
fingers 187. The carrier is then pushed forward through the operation of link t
and rod t and cam until the forward edge of the blanks is brought against the
stops 190, which are then in their elevated position, the rods m being cut away
at 193 so as to permit the lugs 192 to enter the same. At the same time that
a blank is being carried from the gumming mechanism to the wiring mechanism,
a blank is also being carried by the driving fingers 188 from the wiring
mechanism to the folding mechanism, these driving fingers being thrown up into
the position shown in Figure 3 by the pins 195 which ride in the grooves 198 of
the rods m¹.
These blanks having been carried to these positions as just described; the carrier
next returns under the control of the cam to transfer the next pair of blanks,

page_text: Being thus
In the travel of the carrier backwards the fingers 188 are depressed by contact
with the lugs 197 attached to the stamping dies which, in that position of the
press, are in their depressed position, while at the same time the fingers 188 are
moving forward and under the stamping dies, the latter are in their raised posi-
tion, and the lugs 197 are out of the path of the fingers 188.
depressed, the fingers 188 pass under the blank which has just been wired and
which, during this wiring, has been held by the standing dies, and retreat until
they have cleared the blank which has just been wired and are thrown up into
operative position by the pins 195. At the same time the driving fingers 187
have retreated to the position they occupy when receiving blanks from the past-
ing apparatus.
the plate 112. The
as it passes through
When the plate 55
causes, through the
In the modified construction shown in Figures 45 to 41, the clinching of the
wire is effected by means of a pivoted block 250 pivoted in
block 250 is preferably so placed that the end of the wire
the blank impinges against its face, as shown in Figure 46.
is caused to descend in the manner before described, it
agency of the bell crank 251, the block 250 to swing against the wire end y
and clinch it. When it is in its depressed position, as shown in Figure 45, the
block 250 forms a portion of the guiding channel for the wire in the same manner
as do clinchers 52, 53, in the constructions before described.
-
In the modified constructions shown in Figures 48 to 50, the clincher 252
is pivoted to plate 55 by a stud passing through a slot at its upper end, and is
provided with a lug 253 which engages with a lug 254 upon the plate 55. The
clincher is normally drawn by a spring 256. When the clincher is depressed,
it forms a portion of the wire guideway, being then in the position shown in
Figure 48. When the plate 55 rises, in the manner heretofore described, to
permit the end of the wire to pass through the blank, the clincher 252 takes
the position shown in Figure 49, under the pull of the spring 256. When the
plate 55 descends, as above described, the clincher is caused by the lug 254, to
take the position shown in Figure 50, and the further descent of the plate 55
clinches the end of the wire.
The pivoted form of the clincher is in my opinion preferable, in that it affords
less possibility for the buckling of the end of the wire while being clinched.
In the modification shown in Figures 51 to 55, the groove in the plate 112
for the reception of the wire length is placed slightly out of line with the other
parts of the groove, and the openings between plate 32 and clincher 30, and
plate and clincher 31, are made diagonal so as to connect the groove in the
plate 112 with the other portions of the guideway. This offset is for the
purpose of permitting the ends of the wire when inserted through the blank a
second time to pass up alongside of the body of the wire without the use of
special means for giving it such a course.
I prefer to use this construction rather than to employ the spring guide 3.
In the modified construction shown in Figures 56 to 61, the clinchers 52 are
set at an angle with the wire opener so that as they descend, the ends y² of the
wire are forced by the sides of the recess in which the clinchers move across the
body of the wire into the locked position shown in Figures 58 and 61. This
diagonal position of the clinchers may be also applied, if desired, to the modified
constructions shown in Figures 45 to 50, in an obvious manner.
In the modified construction shown in Figures 62 to 65, the benders 24 and 25
which move diagonally to give the second bend to the wire, are so placed as to
move outwardly instead of inwardly, and thus to give the wire an outward
instead of an inward bend. With this exception, the construction and operation
of the parts are the same as that before described.
In Figure 62, the parts are shown in the position they occupy just after the
benders 25 have bent up the end 2 of the wire about the anvil guide 11; Figure 63
shows the parts in the position they occupy when the end of the wire is about
to be forced through the blank; Figure 64 shows the parts in the position they

page_text: occupy just after the end y2 of the wire has been forced through the blank; and
Figure 65 shows the parts in their position just after the wire has been clinched.
Under the term "blank" as used in this specification, I intend to include any
sheet of suitable material from which a package may be formed in whole or in
part, or which may be applied to a package, whether or not the same has been
cut or trimmed to its final form at the time when the opener is applied. Thus
it would be within my invention to apply the openers to a continuous strip or
web of suitable material and after the attachment of the openers, to cut or trim
the blanks from the strip or web, and I intend to include under the term "blank"
the portion of the strip or web in such case to which the opener is attached and
which is afterwards detached from the remainder of the strip or web to form the
finished blank, before its manipulation to form or its application to, a receptacle.
Under the term "wire opener as used herein, I intend to include any device
of wire which may be attached to a part of a receptacle and used to open that
receptacle by severing the material of which the receptacle is composed.
It will be observed that in the operation of the mechanism above described, the
opener is placed on the inside of the blank, that is, so placed that when the
blank is formed into or applied to a receptacle, the body of the opener will lie
within the receptacle. It will further be observed that the attachment of the
opener to the blank is secure, that is, that it is sufficient to resist the pull upon
the wire when the latter is used to open the package. It is necessary that the
opener should be thus attached securely to the blank, as otherwise it would be
pulled from the blank in the attempt to perform the opening operation, without
opening the package. It will therefore be observed that the opener when
attached to the blank extends along the inside thereof on the intended opening
line, with a portion thereof securely attached to the blank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. Attaching a wire opener to envelopes, wrappers, blanks or the like,
mechanically, without the use of glue or similar material to secure such wire
opener to the blank or other article, substantially as described.
2. Providing a device for the mechanical attachment of a wire opener to a
blank or the like, in conjunction with a mechanism for gumming portions of the
blank, or with a mechanism for folding the blank, or with both mechanisms,
substantially as described.
3. A machine of the class described, when provided with devices for trans-
ferring or carrying the blank between the wire attaching device and the gumming
mechanism, or between the wire attaching device and the folding mechanism,
or successively carrying it to each of said devices and mechanisms, substantially
as described.
4. Attaching the wire by causing it to penetrate the material twice, and bend-
ing it down thereafter, substantially as described.
5. Clinching the wire after bending it as specified under head 4, substantially
as described.
6. The combination of means for presenting to a blank a piece of wire of such
length and gauge as may be suitable to form an opener for the package in the
making of which the blank is to be used, with means for mechanically attaching
the wire length to the blank in such manner that the body portion of the wire
length when applied to the blank shall lie along the inside thereof on the
intended opening line and that the blank may be cut upon the opening line
by pulling upon the wire, substantially as described.
7. In the combination of parts specified under head 6, the mechanical attach-
ment of the wire length to the blank at both ends, so that the wire shall be
held to the blank against the pull required to use the wire to open the package,
substantially as described.

page_text: 8. In the combination of parts specified under head 6, the mechanical attach-
ment of the wire length to the blank by bending the ends of each wire length,
inserting the bent ends into the blank, and securing at least one end of the
wire length to the blank in such a manner as to hold the wire against the pull
required to use the wire to open the package, substantially as described.
9. In the construction of parts specified under head 6, a mechanical wire
attaching device comprising means for bending an end of the wire length, means
for inserting the bent end into the blank with the body portion of the wire
extending along the inside thereof on the intended opening line, and means for
securing the last mentioned end to the blank in such a manner as to hold the
wire against the pull required to use the wire to open the package, substantially
as described.
10. Adding to the combinations of parts specified under heads 6, 7, 8 and 9,
means for feeding a series of blanks to the wire-presenting and wire-attaching
devices, substantially as described.
11. Adding to the combinations of parts specified under heads 6 to 10 inclusive,
mechanism for feeding a strand of wire and for cutting wire lengths therefrom,
substantially as described.
12. A machine of the class described when provided with a transferring device
to carry the blank first from a mechanism for applying an adhesive to a wire-
attaching mechanism, and then from the latter to a folding mechanism, substan-
tially as described.
13. In the mechanism specified under heads 4 and 5, causing the wire to pene-
trate the material first in one direction and then in the reverse direction, sub-
stantially as described.
14. In the mechanism specified under heads 4, 5 and 13, forming a leg or legs
on one end or both ends of the wire, and causing said leg or legs to penetrate
the material in the manner set forth under said heads 4, 5 and 13, substantially
as described.
15. In the mechanism specified under heads 4, 5, 13 and 14, bending the wire,
or the leg or legs thereof, after its first passage through the material and before
its second passage therethrough, substantially as described.
16. A machine for shaping articles of wire in which various parts co-operate
to form a guiding channel supporting the wire substantially as on all sides as
it is fed, which parts after the feeding of the wire move with reference to each
other to give the wire the desired shape, substantially as described.
17. In the construction specified under head 16, utilizing the movement of the
parts forming the guide channel for the further purpose of inserting the wire
into the material, substantially as described.
18. The combination of means for feeding wire forward, means for cutting
a length, a gripper for holding the wire length while being bent, a bender for
bending the end of the wire past the gripper, a pivoted support for the wire
while being fed in line with the bender, and means for swinging the support
out of the way when the bender operates, substantially as described.
19. In a wire bending machine, the combination of an anvil, means for bend-
ing a wire over the anvil, means for bending the wire across the space occupied
by the anvil, and means for withdrawing the anvil to permit the last mentioned
bending means to operate, substantially as described.
20. In the combination of parts specified under head 19, bending the wire upon
the anvil by means of a reciprocating bender made in two parts, movable relatively
to each other so that one of said parts may be moved out of its operative posi-
tion, substantially as described.
21. In a wire bending machine, the combination of a wire guide piece adapted
to direct the course of the wire as it is fed, with means for advancing the guide
piece to serve as a guide for the wire, means for bending the wire over the
guide piece, and means for withdrawing the guide piece so that the bent wire
may be driven, substantially as described.

page_text: 22. In the combination of parts specified under head 19, locating a recip-
rocating bender between side plates arranged to support the wire on opposite
sides while being bent, substantially as described.
23. In the combination of parts specified under head 19, providing means for
advancing and withdrawing the anvil, and for withdrawing a portion of the
bender at the proper time, to bend the wire in two directions, substantially as
described.
24. In a wire bending and inserting machine, the combination of two side
plates for supporting the wire on opposite sides while being bent and inserted,
with a plunger moving between the side plates for bending the wire, and a second
plunger moving between the plates for forcing the wire into the material to be
wired, substantially as described.
25. In a machine for forming and inserting a wire instrument, the combina-
tion of means for bending and inserting the wire, with a clincher therefor which
retreats in order to permit the end of the wire to pass through the material, and
advances to clinch the wire upon the material, substantially as described.
26. In the construction defined under head 25, so arranging the clincher that
in its normal position it co-operates with other parts of the machine to form a
guiding channel for the wire while the latter is being fed, substantially as
described.
27. In the construction defined under heads 25 and 26, the pivotal attachment
of the clincher to secure a backward and forward swinging movement thereof,
substantially as described.
28. A machine for forming an instrument of wire and attaching it to the
material in connection with which it is to be used, in which the groove which
holds the body of the wire instrument while the same is being formed and set
is slightly out of line with the grooves which receive the other portions of the
wire, so as to permit the ends of the wire when bent inward to pass freely by
the body portion of the wire, substantially as described.
29. In a machine of the class described, a mechanism for retaining the blank
while it is being wired and for preventing it from being carried backward after
it has been carried forward from the wiring mechanism to the folding
mechanism, substantially as described.
30. In the construction defined under head 29, making the blank-retaining
device in the nature of an embossing mechanism, substantially as described.
31. In a machine of the class described, a guide for deflecting the end of the
wire as it is bent, to prevent the end from striking the body of the wire, sub-
stantially as described.
32. In a machine of the class described, a clinching mechanism for the end of
the wire, so arranged as to lock the clinched end across the body of the wire,
substantially as described.
33. In a wire bending machine, the combination of a gripper (either for one
end of the wire or for both ends) which grasps the wire on the sides thereof,
and a bender which bends the end of the wire past the gripper, the wire being
thus bent without a supporting anvil, substantially as described.
Dated this 94th day of Octalian 1900
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.