AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FORMING WIRE INTO SPIRAL COILs
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hamilton E. Towle, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, now of Newgate Street, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hamilton E. Towle at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th September 1870.
I, HAMILTON E. TOWLE, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, now of Newgate Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FORMING WIRE INTO SPIRAL COILs,” to be as
follows:-
:-
My said Invention relates to a simple but thoroughly efficient apparatus
for forming spiral coils of wire. The said apparatus comprises a former,

page_text: which is a short round piece of steel or other suitable metal, on whose
surface is cut a spiral groove corresponding to the desired pitch of the
spiral coil and the diameter of the wire to be used. This former is fitted
within a socket, and when the apparatus is to be used it is made tight
therein by means of a set screw or other suitable device. Projecting
from one side of the socket is a perforated branch or nipple, whose
internal passage or bore communicates with the inner end of the spiral
groove on the former, the outer end of the said groove terminating at the
front or open end of the socket, so that there is an uninterrupted passage
through the nipple, through the groove, around the former, and out at
the end of the socket. This nipple stands obliquely to the axis of the
former, its inclination being the same or nearly the same as that of the
spiral to be produced. The wire to be coiled is fed into the nipple and
forced forward by a pair of feed rollers arranged in front of the said
nipple, which rollers are turned by any convenient driving mechanism,
and are made adjustable to suit wire of any diameter. The socket has
a shank or stem at the back by which it is secured in the standard or
frame of the apparatus, a screw or other suitable fastening being used to
secure it properly in place. It is necessary that the perforation or bore
of the nipple should be in such a position that the wire enters the socket
tangentially to the former, and will therefore meet with no resistance
as it enters the groove, that is to say, at the point where the coiling
action commences. When the former is properly fixed its end lies
against the bottom of the socket. A portion at the end of the said
former is cut away to leave space for the inner end of the nipple which
projects within the socket far enough to meet properly the commence-
ment of the spiral groove of the former. The length of the former
need not be in any case more than about sufficient to allow a turn
and a half or two complete turns of the spiral groove.
resistance to the passage of the wire is that due to the friction encoun-
tered in passing through this short space, and this friction is reduced
to a minimum by the use of oil or other lubricating material, the
socket being provided with a hole for the introduction of the same to
the wire.
The only
In one arrangement of my said Invention the feed rollers are placed
with their axes parallel to the axes of the socket and former, but I prefer
to have the said rollers arranged with their axes at a right angle to the

page_text: direction of the bore of the nipple, as the feed of the wire will be thereby
rendered more direct, and the adjustment of the rollers as their surfaces
become worn may be conveniently effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hamilton E. Towle in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, HAMILTON
E. TOWLE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
now of Newgate Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Hamilton E. Towle, Her special licence
that I, the said Hamilton E. Towle, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Hamilton E. Towle, my executors
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FORMING
WIRE INTO SPIRAL COILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Hamilton E. Towle, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My said Invention relates to a simple but efficient apparatus for pro-
ducing spiral wire coils by means of devices arranged as herein shown and
described, in which provision is made for uniformity in the pitch or
turns of the spiral, so that substantially uniform coils of any length are
readily produced, a property which is essential where the wire coils are
to be interwoven.
The said apparatus comprises a former, which is a short round piece
of steel or other suitable metal, on whose surface is cut a spiral groove
corresponding to the desired pitch of the spiral coil and the diameter of
the wire to be used. This former is fitted within a socket, and when the
apparatus is to be used it is to be made tight therein by means of a set
screw or other suitable device. Projecting from one side of the socket
is a perforated branch or nipple, whose internal passage or bore com-
municates with the inner end of the spiral groove on the former, the
outer end of the said groove terminating at the front or open end of the
socket, so that there is an uninterrupted passage through the nipple,
through the groove, around the former, and out at the end of the socket.
This nipple stands obliquely to the axis of the former, its inclination
being the same or nearly the same as that of the spiral to be produced.
The wire to be coiled is fed into the nipple and forced forward by a pair
of feed rollers arranged in front of the said nipple, which rollers are
turned by any convenient driving mechanism, and are made adjustable
to suit wire of any diameter. The socket has a shank or stem at the
back by which it is secured in the standard or frame of the apparatus,
a screw or other suitable fastening being used to secure it properly in
place. It is necessary that the perforation or bore of the nipple should
be in such a position that the wire enters the socket tangentially to the
former, and will therefore meet with no resistance as it enters the groove,
that is to say, at the point where the coiling action commences. When
the former is properly fixed its end lies against the bottom of the
socket. A portion at the end of the said former is cut away to leave
space for the inner end of the nipple which projects within the socket
far enough to meet properly the commencement of the spiral groove of
the former. The length of the former need not be in any case more

page_text: worn.
wire through the guide R° from the supply reels, and passing it through
the nipplet forces it to follow the spiral groove around the former f, and
thus produces the desired coils, which as they are formed successively
pass off from the outer end of the former until the requisite length is
obtained. The set screws & regulate the "bite" of the feed rollers
on the wire to prevent slip, while the washers w, w³, and nuts u, u¹,
permit the substitution of a fresh portion of roller surface to act on the
wire when the earlier used portions of the rollers may have become
The socket S compels the wire to follow the spiral groove of the
former until the requisite number of turns has given the proper size and
pitch to the coils, when the diminished circumference of the former, as
shown at f¹, allows them to escape from the apparatus. The spiral
groove may be cut in the interior surface of the socket which envelopes
the piece called the "former," which latter in this case would become
a cylindrical piece with an unbroken surface; but I prefer to form the
spiral groove on the exterior of the piece around which the wire is made
to curve, that is to say, on the "former" itself. The purposes of the
former are to give the proper diameter to the wire, which is to be
forced to pass and coil around it, and to give the coils the proper
spiral pitch.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into effect, I
claim,―
First. The combination of feed rollers with a socket which encloses
a spiral groove for the purpose set forth.
Second. A former consisting of a spirally grooved piece or mandril
enclosed in a socket, for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination of the aforesaid former with feed rollers for
the purpose set forth.
Fourth. Arranging the perforated branch or nipple in relation to the
socket and spiral groove substantially as and for the purpose described.
Fifth. Making the feed rollers adjustable on their shafts, substantially
as herein specified, or by other suitable and convenient means for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: Sixth. The apparatus herein described, having the socket, former,
feed rollers, and other parts combined and arranged together, substan-
tially as herein specified for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hamilton E. Towle, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
) Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
Patent Agent,
HAMILTON E. TOWLE. (L.S.)
176, Broadway,
New York City ;
Southampton Buildings,
London.
&
98, Newgate Street,
London.