Stretchers for Umbrellas and Parasols.
Year: 1885

page_text: Stretchers for Umbrellas and Parasols. ""
I WILLIAM HOLLAND of the firm of Cox Brothers and Holland of Percy Road
Greet in the County of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
RIBS AND STRETCHERS FOR UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS to be as follows:-
"
:-
My invention consists of the construction and combination of parts herein after
described of machinery for the manufacture of ribs and stretchers for umbrellas
and parasols.
Machinery constructed according to my invention for the manufacture of solid
ribs consists essentially of the following parts. The wire from the coil is fed by
the mechanism herein after described into holding jaws in an endless intermittent
horizontal carrier and a length of wire is cut off. The cat off length is carried in
succession by the carrier first between a set of tools for heading the wire at one
end and flattening it near the head and flattening the opposite or joint end and
also for "marking" the wire at its middle where the "middle bit" is to be fixed
second between a set of tools for completing the flattening of the tip or head end
and for rounding the flattened joint end of the wire and third between a set of
piercing tools for piercing the flattened ends of the rib The feeding mechanism is
constructed as follows:-The wire from the coil is drawn into the machine and
across the endless carrier by means of two series of rotating parallel straightening
rolls by which the wire is gripped the distance between the two series of rolls
being capable of adjustment according to the temper of the wire being fed. The
series of feeding rolls on one side is made to recede from the rolls on the other side
at the proper times so as to effect the intermittent feed of the wire. That is when
the required length of wire has been fed into the machine and across the carrier
the rolls separate and their grip upon the wire being relaxed the said wire comes
to rest and when the wire is stationary the length of wire to form a rib is cut off
by a pair of cutters. Or instead of using two series of parallel rolls for feeding as.
described a single pair of horizontal rolls may be employed one of the rolls being
of larger diameter than the other the circumference of the larger roll being such
that the required length of wire is fed by it at each revolution. In the periphery
of the larger roll is a cut away part and when this cut away part is brought
opposite the other small roll the grip of the rolls upon the wire and the consequent
feeding forward is temporarily suspended for the cutting off operation. The
intermittent endless carrier into which the wire is fed consists of two parallel
chains working over flanged pulleys or wheels at each end of the machine the said
pulleys or wheels being driven with an intermittent motion. The joints of the

page_text: links of the endless chain carrier are so constructed that they constitute holding
jaws into which when open the wire is fed and cut off. When the endless carrier
is making its ascending motion on the flanged pulleys at the feed end of the
machine the holding jaws are open and when the endless carrier is making its
descending motion on the flanged pulleys at the delivery end of the machine the
said holding jaws are also open and the finished ribs fall from them. When the
endless carrier is moving between the two pairs of pulleys it is horizontal and
the holding jaws close and grip the cut off wire.
The wire being cut off the motion of the endless carrier brings the wire between
the first set of tools and comes to rest. While the wire is stationary a pair of tools
at one side of the machine closes upon and flattens the tip end of the wire and
while the wire is so held a horizontal heading tool moving in the line of the wire
advances and by an upsetting action heads the wire. The pair of tools at the
middle of the machine simultaneously operate upon and “mark" the middle of the
wire and another pair of side tools flatten the opposite or joint end of the wire.
The next motion of the carrier brings the partially made rib between two pairs
of side tools by which the flattening of the tip or head end is completed and the
joint end cut off so as to round it.
The next motion of the carrier brings the partially made rib between two pairs
of side piercing tools by which the tip end and the joint end of the rib are pierced.
The rib is thus complete and is ready for hardening. On the next motion of the
carrier the holding jaws at the descending end of the carrier open and the finished
rib falls from the machine.
I will be understood that while one set of tools is operating upon one rib the
other sets of tools are operating upon other ribs.
The slides of the moveable tools of each set of tools are worked by independent
shafts by means of cams and eccentrics the said shafts being geared together by
toothed gearing.
The machinery may be modified for the manufacture of paragon ribs. In this
case the cut off lengths of trough or paragon wire are fed by hand into the endless
carrier the feeding in mechanism and cutters being omitted.
In making paragon stretchers by machinery constituting my invention I use the
intermittent endless carrier for receiving the hand fed lengths of wire and use in
conjunction therewith pairs of tools for flattening the joint ends of the stretcher
other pairs of tools for rounding the joint ends and other pairs of tools for piercing
the said joint ends the stretcher wire being fed in succession to the several pairs of
tools described. In addition to the flattening rounding and piercing tools last
described I use at each end of the machine feeding mechanism for feeding a length
.of solid wire into each end of the hollow or paragon wire placed in the carrier and
pairs of cutting tools for cutting off short pieces of the solid wire and also pairs of
closing or "rounding in" tools for closing the ends of the paragon wire upon the
short cut off pieces of solid wire. The pieces of solid wire thus closed within the
ends of the paragon wire are flattened out into the joint ends of the stretcher by
the subsequent operations effected by the flattening tools herein before described.
The feeding of the solid wire into the ends of the hollow or paragon wire
lengths in the carrier may be effected by feeding mechanism of the kind described
represented and claimed in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me
bearing date the 31st day of October 1873 N° 3547 but I do not limit myself to
the use of the said feeding mechanism.
1
1007

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Ribs and
Stretchers for Umbrellas and Parasols.
I WILLIAM HOLLAND of the firm of Cox Brothers and Holland of Percy Road,
Greet, in the County of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter
described of machinery for the manufacture of ribs and stretchers for umbrellas and
parasols.
Machinery constructed according to my invention for the manufacture of solid
ribs consists essentially of the following parts. The wire from the coil is fed by
the mechanism hereinafter described into holding jaws in an endless intermittent
horizontal carrier and a length of wire is cut off. The cut off length is carried in
succession by the carrier first between a set of tools for heading the wire at one
end and flattening it near the head and flattening the opposite or joint end and
also for "marking" the wire at its middle .where the "middle bit" is to be fixed;
second between a set of tools for completing the flattening of the tip or head end
and for rounding the flattened joint end of the wire, and third between a set of
piercing tools for piercing the flattened ends of the rib.
The feeding mechanism is constructed as follows:-The wire from the coil is
drawn into the machine and across the endless carrier by means of two series of
rotating parallel straightening rolls by which the wire is gripped, the distance
between the two series of rolls being capable of adjustment according to the
temper of the wire being fed. The series of feeding rolls on one side is made to
recede from the rolls on the other side at the proper times so as to effect the
intermittent feed of the wire. That is, when the required length of wire has been
fed into the machine and across the carrier, the rolls separate and their grip upon
the wire being relaxed the said wire comes to rest and when the wire is stationary
the length of wire to form a rib is cut off by a pair of cutters. Or instead of
using two series of parallel rolls for feeding as described a single pair of horizontal
rolls may be employed one of the rolls being of larger diameter than the other, the
circumference of the larger roll being such that the required length of wire is fed
by it at each revolution. In the periphery of the larger roll is a cut away part
and when this cut away part is brought opposite the other small roll the grip of the
rolls upon the wire and the consequent feeding forward is temporarily suspended
for the cutting off operation.
The intermittent endless carrier into which the wire is fed consists of two
parallel chains working over flanged pulleys or wheels at each end of the machine,
the said pulleys or wheels being driven with an intermittent motion. The joints
of the links of the endless chain carrier are so constructed that they constitute
holding jaws into which when open the wire is fed and cut off.
When the endless carrier is making its ascending motion on the flanged pulleys
at the feed end of the machine, the holding jaws are open and when the endless

page_text: carrier is making its descending motion on the flanged pulleys at the delivery end
of the machine, the said holding jaws are also open and the finished ribs fall from
them. When the endless carrier is moving between the two pairs of pulleys it is
horizontal and the holding jaws close and grip the cut off wire.
The wire being cut off, the motion of the endless carrier brings the wire between
the first set of tools and comes to rest. While the wire is stationary a pair of tools
at one side of the machine closes upon and flattens the tip end of the wire and
while the wire is so held a horizontal heading tool moving in the line of the wire
advances and by an upsetting action heads the wire. The pair of tools at the
middle of the machine simultaneously operates upon and "marks" the middle of
the wire and another pair of side tools flattens the opposite or joint end of
the wire.
The next motion of the carrier brings the partially made rib between two pairs
of side tools by which the flattening of the tip or head end is completed and the
joint end cut off so as to round it.
The next motion of the carrier brings the partially made rib between two pairs
of side piercing tools by which the tip end and the joint end of the rib are
pierced. The rib is thus complete and is ready for hardening.
By the further motion of the carrier the holding jaws at the descending end of
the carrier open and the finished rib falls from the machine.
The slides of the moveable tools of each set of tools are worked by independent
shafts by means of cams and eccentrics the said shafts being geared together by
toothed gearing.
The machinery may be modified for the manufacture of paragon ribs. In this
case the cut off lengths of trough or paragon wire are fed by hand into the endless
carrier, the feeding in mechanism and cutters being omitted.
In making paragon stretchers by machinery constituting my invention I use the
intermittent endless carrier for receiving the hand fed lengths of wire and use in
conjunction therewith pairs of tools for flattening the joint ends of the stretcher,
other pairs of tools for rounding the joint ends and other pairs of tools for piercing
the said joint ends, the stretcher wire being fed in succession to the several pairs
of tools described. In addition to the flattening rounding and piercing tools last
described I use at each end of the machine, feeding mechanism for feeding a
length of solid wire into each end of the hollow or paragon wire placed in the
carrier and pairs of cutting tools for cutting off short pieces of the solid wire and
also pairs of closing or rounding in tools for closing the ends of the paragon
wire upon the short cut off pieces of solid wire. The pieces of solid wire thus
closed within the ends of the paragon wire are flattened out into the joint ends of
the stretcher by the subsequent operations effected by the flattening tools herein
before described. The feeding of the solid wire into the ends of the hollow or
paragon wire lengths in the carrier may be effected by feeding mechanism of the
kind described represented and claimed in the specification of Letters Patent
granted to me bearing date the 31st day of October 1873, N° 3547, but I do not
limit myself to the use of the said feeding mechanism.
"
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in end elevation; Figure 3 in
plan and Figure 4 in longitudinal vertical section machinery for the manufacture
of solid ribs constructed according to my invention; Figure 5 represents the pair
of cutters for cutting off the length of wire fed into the machine and Figure 6
represents in side elevation and Figure 7 in plan a portion of the horizontal endless
carrier of the machine drawn to a large scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 7.
a, a is the endless horizontal carrier into which the cut off lengths of solid wire
are fed and by which they are held while the several shaping and pressing operations
are being performed upon their ends and the middle marked" for the middle bit.
The said horizontal endless carrier a has an intermittent motion given to it by the
"

page_text: mechanism herein after described. The said carrier a consists of two parallel
chains working over two pairs of flanged pulleys b, b and c, c fixed on the shafts
b, c, the bodies of the said pulleys having an angular form (see Figure 4) the
links of the carrier fitting upon the angular faces of the pulleys as represented.
The links of the carrier are jointed together by knuckle or hinge joints at a* as
best seen in Figures 6 and 7 and at each joint is a pair of holding jaws d, d
capable of adjustment by set screws. A packing of india rubber d' is placed
between one of the jaws of each pair and the abutment d³ for compensating for
the different diameters of the wire being fed and for ensuring a firm grip of the.
jaws upon the cut off length of wire. The gripping faces of the jaws d, d are
toothed or roughened.
⋅
When the endless carrier a is making its ascending motion on the flanged
pulleys b, b at the feed end of the machine, the holding jaws d, d are open and
when the endless carrier is making its descending motion on the flanged pulleys c, c
at the delivery end of the machine the said holding jaws d, d are also open and
the finished ribs fall from them. When the endless carrier a is moving between
the two pairs of pulleys b, b and c, c it is horizontal and the holding jaws d, d
close and grip the cut off wires as will be understood by an examination of
Figure 4.
.
The wire from the coil is fed between the two sets of feeding rolls e, e, e² and
fff and two sets of straightening rolls g to a hopper h situated over the
ascending end of the endless carrier a. The feeding roll e² of one set and the
feeding roll f of the other set of feeding rolls are driven in the manner herein
after described, but the other rolls are friction or guide rolls only and turn freely
on their axes. The feeding rolls e³, f* are rotated in the direction proper to carry
the wire into the machine. More than one roll of each set of feeding rolls may be
driven. The rolls f, f, f' are carried by the adjustable bar f' which can be
adjusted nearer to or further from the bar e carrying the other set of rolls by the
screws f³, f³. The required length of wire is advanced by the feeding rolls over
the hopper h to a stop or guide h at the distant end of the hopper (see Figure 3)
and by the descent of the moveable cutter i carried by the vertical slide ** the
length of wire to form a rib is cut off and falls into the said hopper. As the open
pair of holding jaws d, d on the ascending side of the endless carrier a passes
under the said hopper h the cut off length of wire marked k falls into the said pair
of jaws. By the descent of the moveable cutting off tool i the further feeding or
advancing of the wire from the coil is temporarily suspended the said cutting off
tool acting as a stop to the wire (see Figure 5). When the end of the wire from
the coil being fed into the machine is bearing against the cutting tool i the driven
rolls e, f of the sets of feeding rolls slip over the wire but do not feed it forward.
Or the intermittent feed may be effected by making one set of the feeding rolls
recede from the other set at the proper times so as to relax the grip of the rolls
upon the wire and thereby temporarily bring the wire to rest for the cutting off
operation.
As the carrier a makes its intermittent motion the holding jaws d, d close upon
the cut off length of wire k fed into the said holding jaws at the ascending end of
the carrier and the length of wire so held is brought between the first set of tools
and comes to rest. While the wire is stationary the pair of side tools at 1 (see
Figure 4) closes upon and flattens the tip end of the rib wire k and while the wire
is so held a horizontal heading tool m (see Figure 2) advancing in the line of the
wire heads the said wire by an upsetting action. At the same time the middle
pair of tools at n (see Figure 2) operates upon and marks the middle of the wire k
and another pair of side tools flattens the opposite or joint end of the rib wire k.
The cut off length of rib wire is represented of the full size in Figure 8 and the
wire after its ends have been operated upon by the heading tool and pairs of Bide
flattening tools and its middle marked by the pair of marking tools is represented
in Figure 9. The next movement of the carrier a brings the partially made rib
Figure 9 between two pairs of side tools (one of which pairs is represented in

page_text: Figure 4 and marked p) by the action of which pairs of tools the flattening of the
tip or head end of the rib wire is completed and the joint end out off so as to
round it. The partially made rib after the last described operations is represented
in Figure 10.
The next movement of the carrier a brings the partially made rib Figure 10 E
between the two pairs of side piercing tools q, q by which the tip end and joint
end of the rib are pierced as shown in the completed rib represented in Figure 11.
By the further motion of the carrier a the holding jaws d, d at the descending
side of the said carrier open and the finished rib falls from the open jaws and is
received in the receptacle r at the delivery end of the machine (see Figure 4).
It will be understood that while one set of tools is operating upon a rib the
other sets of tools are operating upon other ribs a complete rib being fashioned at
each revolution of the driving shaft.
I will now describe the arrangements of parts for operating the wire feeding
mechanism and the cutting off, heading flattening, piercing and marking tools and
the intermittent endless carrier.
s is the driving shaft carrying the usual fast and loose pulleys and fly wheel.
On the end of the driving shaft & opposite that carrying the fast and loose pulleys
is a bevil toothed wheel & which gears with the bevil toothed wheels on the top
of the vertical shaft 8' and through the train of toothed wheels 80, 86, 87 and 88 the
rolls e and f of the two sets of feeding rolls are driven. The mechanism for
driving the wire feeding rolls is best seen in Figures 1 and 3.
The moveable cutting off tool i is carried by the vertical slide is and the latter
is operated by the lever ³ the long arm of which is lifted by the nose of the cam i
on the parallel shaft t, the said shaft being driven from the driving shaft by the
spur gearing at t².
The upper tool of the pair of side tools 7, the heading tool m, the upper tool of
the pair of marking tools n and the flattening upper tool of the other pair of side
tools for operating on the joint end of the wire are worked in the following
manner. The slide of the upper tool of the pair of flattening tools is operated by
the cam ts on the shaft t. The slide of the upper marking tool n is operated by
the excentric ton the shaft t and the slide of the upper flattening tool for
flattening the joint end of the rib is operated by the excentric ton the shaft t.
The heading tool m is worked by the vertical lever m³ the upper end of which
is operated by the cam m³ on the face of the gearing wheel to the said cam m³
bearing upon the roller m' on the said lever. The manner in which the bottom
end of the lever m³ acts upon the heading tool will be understood by an
examination of Figure 2.
The slide of the upper tool of the pair of tools p and the slide of the upper tool
of the pair of tools at the opposite side of the machine for completing the flattening
of the tip or head end and for rounding the joint end so as to give the rib the form
represented in Figure 10 are operated by two excentrics u³, u on the shaft u
which is geared to the parallel shaft t by the spur gearing at u³.
The slides of the two pairs of piercing tools q, q are worked in the following
manner. On the shaft u are two box or groove cams u, ut each cam giving motion
to a crank lever us, u. One arm us of the said lever carries a roller which works
in the groove in the cam u and the other arm us of the lever is jointed to the
slide of the upper piercing tool g. By the rotation of the box or groove
cams u, u the required rising and falling motions are given to the slides u of
the two piercing tools 9, 9 as will be understood by an examination of Figures 2. 3
+ and 4.
The intermittent motion of the endless carrier a is effected in the following
inanner.
On the end of the shaft u is a crank plate us to the crank pin of which the
connecting rod u is jointed. The opposite end of the connecting rod u³ is jointed
to the pawl lever u10 oscillating loosely on the shaft c³ of the pulley cat the
delivery end of the machine. On the lever u10 is the pawl u¹¹ which engages with

page_text: the ratchet wheel u¹ fixed on the pulley shaft c³. The pulley shaft c² is locked
after the endless carrier a has been moved through the required distance by the
locking lever x, the tooth or pin x on which locking lever drops into one of a
series of equi-distant notches made in the periphery of the disc y fixed to and
turning with the ratchet wheel u". The axis of the locking lever x turns in the
bearing and the pin or tooth x of the locking lever x is withdrawn from the
notch in the disc y when the pawl lever makes its back motion by a lifting pawl ula
on the said pawl lever bearing against the roller ³ on the locking lever and
thereby lifting the tooth x from the notch in the locking disc y as will be
understood by an examination of Figure 1.
The several tools and appliances on the near or wire feeding side of the machine
are made capable of adjustment so that they can be fixed nearer to or further from
those at the distant side of the machine for the purpose of making ribs of different
lengths.
In making solid stretchers by the use of the machinery I dispense with the
heading tool and use in conjunction with the intermittent endless carrier pairs of
tools for flattening the joint ends of the stretcher, other pairs of tools for rounding
the joint ends and other pairs of tools for piercing the said joint ends. Figure 12
represents another wire feeding arrangement constituting part of my invention.
In this arrangement a large horizontal roll 2 is used in conjunction with two small
rolls 3, 3 or with a single small roll. The larger roll 2 is driven by the gearing
at y', y, y from the driving shaft 8 in the manner hereinbefore described and the
two small rolls 3, 3 are friction or guide rolls. The other rolls g, g are straigtening
rolls. The circumference of the larger roll 2 is such that the required length of
wire is fed by it at each revolution. In the periphery of the said roll 2 is a cut
away part 2 and when this cut away part is brought between the two smaller
rolls 3, 3, or opposite one of them, when only one is used, the grip of the rolls upon
the wire is relaxed and the consequent feeding forward is temporarily suspended
for the cutting off operation, the said cutting off being effected by the lever i and
parts connected with it as herein before described."
This
Figure 13 represents in plan a modification of the feeding end of the machinery
to be used for making paragon stretchers. In this case lengths of paragon wire
are fed into the intermittent endless carrier by hand and I use at opposite sides
of the feeding end of the machinery mechanism for feeding a length of solid wire
into each end of the hollow or paragon wire placed in the carrier a.
mechanism resembles the wire feeding mechanism hereinbefore described and consists
of two sets of feeding rolls 4, 4 one or more of each set of which may be driven
from the driving shaft by suitable gearing. The inner ends of the solid wires 5, 5
having been fed into the ends of the paragon wire 6 in the carrier a the cutting off
tools at 7, 7 descend and cut off short pieces of the solid wires 5, 5 the said cutting
off tools bearing upon and holding the cut off pieces in the ends of the paragon
wire 6. While the cut off pieces of solid wire are so held in the paragon stretcher
wire, pairs of side tools approach in opposite directions and close the ends of the
paragon wire upon the short cut off pieces of solid wire. Figure 14 represents
a piece of paragon wire which is fed by hand into the carrier a and Figure 15
represents the paragon wire after pieces of solid wire have been fed into its ends
and the ends of the paragon wire closed upon the cut off pieces.
The paragon wire thus provided with solid end pieces is carried by the
intermittent carrier a in succession between pairs of tools for forming the joint ends
of the stretcher. That is, the ends of the wire Figure 15 are first carried between
pairs of tools for flattening the joint ends of the stretcher wire as represented
in Figure 16; next between pairs of tools for rounding the joint ends as
represented in Figure 17 and afterwards between other pairs of tools for piercing
the said joint ends as represented in Figure 18.
In making paragon ribs by the use of my improved machinery the paragon wire
having solid pieces closed in its ends is carried by the endless carrier in succession
between and operated upon by heading fashioning and piercing tools as herein

page_text: before described and represented in connection with the machinery used for the
manufacture of solid ribs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First In machinery for the manufacture of ribs and stretchers of umbrellas
and parasols the endless intermittent horizontal carrier constructed and worked
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings for carrying the lengths of wire to be made into ribs or stretchers in
Buccession between the tools by which the ends and middles or the ends only of
the said lengths of wire are to be operated upon, whether the said lengths of wire
are fed automatically or by hand into the said carrier.
Secondly-The combination with the endless intermittent horizontal carrier
claimed in the first claim of the arrangement of the tools for operating upon the
ends and middle of the wires for making umbrella and parasol ribs or upon the
ends only of the wires for making umbrella and parasol stretchers, the said tools
being worked from the driving shaft of the machine by means of the mechanical
appliances herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly-The combination with the endless intermittent horizontal carrier
claimed in the first claim of the arrangements or combinations of parts described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for feeding the wire from the coil
into the machine to be cut into lengths prior to being conveyed to the endless
carrier.
Lastly Adapting the machinery to the manufacture of hollow or paragon ribs
and stretchers by combining with the said machinery the solid wire feeding
mechanism and the cutting off holding and closing in tools herein before described
with reference to Figure 13 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this th
1000