Improvements in Soldering Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left...21st June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Soldering Machines.
I, JACQUES WEHRLIN, of Vevey, in Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
My invention consists essentially of an apparatus working like a soldering iron.
but in a continuous and automatic manner, and having the solder contained in a
suitable cavity formed in the soldering iron and fed therefrom continuously, or not.
on to the articles or pieces to be soldered, said solder being maintained in a liquid
state by any suitable means.
The apparatus may be combined with any appropriate means for feeding the
articles or pieces to be soldered, to the soldering iron.
The following description refers to the combination of the above mentioned
soldering apparatus with means for soldering the bodies or tubular portions of
cylindrical tin boxes.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the whole machine and Fig. 2 a vertical
section on the line a. y. of. Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the channel or casing in
which the soldering process takes place.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the right hand end of said channel or casing, and of one of
the mandrels carrying the tin boxes to be soldered.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line, z, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the soldering iron.
Fig. 7 shows a tubular portion of a cylindrical tin box, as formed by means of an
independent machine, before being placed into my improved soldering machine.
In all the figures the same letters refer to the same parts.
The soldering iron (Figs. 3 and 6) consists of a hollow cylinder A, the lower end
of which is shaped, in the machine shewn, as soldering irons are generally shaped.
But the shape of the iron may be varied according to the form or shape of the
articles or pieces to be soldered. The interior of the cylinder A contains the
solder which is maintained in a liquid state by means of two, or more, suitable blow
pipes B. The solder issues from the cylinder A through a small hole a formed by
the intersection of two conical recesses, one of which is turned inside the bottom of
the cylinder and the other outside the said bottom. The hole a, thus formed, is
not bordered by any cylindrical surface, but is formed by sharp circular edges.
Passing centrally within the hollow cylinder A, is a rod A' having a conical
end a which acts like a valve to close the hole a so long as the rod A' is firmly
pressed towards the bottom of the cylinder A. Hence, if the rod A, be raised, by
any suitable means, the liquid solder contained in the cylinder A will run out
through the opening a, so long as the said rod is kept raised, but will cease to flow
directly this rod is again lowered. For the purpose of allowing the solder to
readily run out on to the object to be soldered, the lower surface of the soldering
iron may further.be provided with a recess a².
The blow pipes B are connected, on the one hand, with a gas pipe C, and, on the
other, with a pipe D containing compressed air. A casing E surrounds the
soldering iron and the blow pipes for the purpose of preventing loss of heat by
radiation.
The soldering apparatus is fixed to the framing F of the machine. The cylinder A
is, by preference, supported by means of two pivots a³ resting in suitable bearings
so disposed as to control the height of suspension of the cylinder or soldering iron A
over the article or piece to be soldered.

page_text: The tubular portion or body N, of the cylindrical tin boxes (for the soldering of
which the machine shewn in the drawings has been devised) is caused to pass
beneath the above described soldering iron or cylinder A and to be soldered,
cooled, and ejected from the machine, by the means and in the manner about to be
described.
Two endless chains I and K pass over corresponding chain wheels G¹ and H¹
which are fixed upon the axes G and II located transversely between the front and
back framing F. These chains run in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1,
the axis G carrying a gear wheel G2 which is driven by a pinion L. These chains
are connected to one another by means of equidistant square rods or cross pieces M
(Fig. 4) carrying the mandrels for holding the tubes N to be soldered, and for
carrying them along and beneath the soldering iron.
The tubes N, rolled to the form shewn in Fig. 7, by means of an independent
machine forming no part of this invention and not here described, are placed by
hand on to the mandrels O', 0, at the right hand end of the machine.
The aforesaid mandrels consist of two semi cylinders O2 and O2 having sliding
shoes P and P² connected to them by means of bolts p' and p². The square bolt. M
traverses the semi cylinders O' and O and holds the latter always in the direction
in which the chains are running. The semi cylinder 0 and its sliding shoe P¹ are
maintained at a suitable distance from the chain I by means of a tube or sleeve o
and the semi-cylinder 0 and sliding shoe P are pressed towards the semi
cylinder O by means of the spring ox contained in the tube o2, whereby both the
semi cylinders 01, 02, form a cylinder of slightly smaller size than that of the
tubes N to be soldered by the machine, these tubes being thus capable of easily
fitting on to the mandrels O', 02. According to the motion of the chains I and K,
the mandrels 01, 0%, and the tubes N fixed thereon, are carried into the cylindrical
channel formed by the semi cylinders Q₁and Q2, the inner diameter of which is
exactly the same as the outer diameter of the tubes N to be soldered. These tubes
must therefore be pressed against the inner walls by the semi cylinders Q and Q
and this is effected by means of the shoes P, P2, sliding on suitably wedge-shaped
exterior faces of the semi cylinders QQ. These wedge shaped exterior faces
cause the mandrels 01, 02, to open or separate and the spring ox to be compressed.
so as to cause the mandrels 01, 0%, to press the tube N against the inner cylindrical
walls of the pieces Q', Q²
As I am aware that the thickness of the tin plates used in the manufacture of
the tubes N will not be always exactly the same, I therefore provide, on the
exterior faces of the pieces Q1 Q2, suitable guiding plates or strips 71 and 2 which
are acted upon by springs, and on which the sliding shoes P1, P2, slide and cause
the mandrels 0, 0, to constantly and firmly press the tube N against the inner
walls of the pieces Q1, Q2, whatever may be the thickness of such tube. The
plates or strips are divided into lengths corresponding to those of the
shoes P1, P2 so as to act only upon one pair of such shoes at a time.
The tubes N, formed as shewn in Fig. 4, are placed, as already described, upon
the mandrels 01, 0, at the right hand end of the machine and turned into such a
position as to bring the joint to be soldered uppermost. When entering the
channel Q, Q, the mandrels 01, 02, are open, as above mentioned, and the tube N
is pressed against the inner walls of the cylindrical channel Q, Q. The
rod or cross piece M, as well as the bolts p¹, ², pass between the semi
cylinders QQ The tube N, in its course through the channel Q', Q, first meets
a felt roller R which is mounted in a bearing on Q and rests, by its own weight,
upon the tubes N which are brought beneath it. Said felt roller is made wet with
chlorate of zinc, or its equivalent, which is caused to drip upon it from a holder S.
Thus during the passage of the tube N through the channel Q', Q, the whole
length of its joint to be soldered will be moistened with the chlorate of zinc and
without any risk of such chlorate getting into the interior of the tube N.
In Fig. 3 the tube is shewn at the moment it is passing beneath the soldering-
iron. At the very moment that the front of said tube reaches the soldering-iron,

page_text: the semi-cylindrical pieces O¹, 0³, meet the projections t of two levers T, T, upon
which rest the arms U of a cross-piece U¹ fixed to the above mentioned rod A¹
which acts as a valve to control the flow of the liquid solder from the cylinder A.
The rod A¹ is pressed down by means of a weight A2 fixed to its upper end, and
is raised by means of the levers T, T, and arms U, U, when the semi-cylindrical
pieces 0, 0, meet the projections t of these levers. These projections are so formed
as to keep the rod A' lifted, that is to say, the solder runs out of the cylinder A so
long as a tube N is passing beneath the hole a, in said cylinder. The solder which
is flowing upon the joint of the tube is then equally distributed and smoothed by
the cylinder A by reason of its passage beneath the latter. After this passage the
soldered joint of the tube N is carried in a recessed part of the piece Q to
which is connected a branch D' of the tube D of compressed air, the latter cooling
the soldered joint before the tube leaves the machine."
The axis carries a loose disc V to which is affixed a chain wheel over which
passes an endless chain acted upon by a chain wheel X fixed to the axis H. The
chain wheel e being of smaller diameter than the chain wheel X, the disc V will
be caused to rotate with greater speed than the chain wheels G and H, but in the
same direction of rotation. The disc V is provided with suitably forked arms V1
so disposed as to engage the back of the soldered tubes N when they reach the
left hand end of the machine, as shewn in Fig. 1, and to throw these tubes into a
receptacle W.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Soldering Machines.
I, JACQUES WEHRLIN, of Vevey, in Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My invention consists essentially of an apparatus working like a soldering iron,
but in a continuous and automatic manner, and having the solder contained in a
suitable cavity formed in the soldering iron and fed therefrom continuously, or not.
onto the articles or pieces to be soldered, said solder being maintained in a liqui.i
state by any suitable means.
The apparatus may be combined with any appropriate means for feeding th
articles or pieces to be soldered, to the soldering iron.
The following description refers to the combination of the above mentione
soldering apparatus with means for soldering the bodies or tubular portions
cylindrical tin boxes.
In the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification, Fig. 1 represents a front
elevation of the whole machine, and Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line, y, of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the channel or casing in
which the soldering process takes place.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the right hand end of said channel or casing and of one of
the inandrels carrying the tin boxes to be soldered.
Fig. 5 is a section on the line y, z, of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the soldering iron.
Fig. 7 shows a tubular portion of a cylindrical tin box, as formed by means of
an independent machine, before being placed into my improved soldering machine.
In all the figures the same letters refer to the same parts.

page_text: The soldering iron (Figs. 3 and 6) consists of a hollow cylinder A, the lower
end' of which is shaped, in the machine shown, as soldering irons are generally
shaped. But the shape of the iron may be varied according to the form or shape
of the articles or pieces to be soldered. The interior of the cylinder A contains
the solder which is maintained' in a liquid state by means of two or more suitable
blow pipes. B.
The solder issues from the cylinder A through a small hole «
formed by the intersection of two conical recesses, one of which is turned inside
the bottom of the cylinder, and the other outside the said bottom.
The hole a,
thus formed, is not bordered by any cylindrical surface, but is formed by sharp
circular edges.
Passing centrally within the hollow cylinder A, is a rod A¹ having a conical
end a¹ which acts like a valve to close the hole a so long as the rod A is firmly
pressed towards the bottom of the cylinder A. Hence, if the rod A' be raised by
any suitable means, the liquid solder contained in the cylinder A will run out
through the opening a, so long as the said rod is kept raised, but will cease to flow
directly this rod is again lowered. For the purpose of allowing the solder to
readily run onto the object to be soldered, the lower surface of the soldering iron
may further be provided with a recess.a².
The blow pipes B are connected on the one hand with a gas pipe e, and on the
other with a pipe D containing compressed air. A casing E surrounds. the
soldering iron and the blow pipes for the purpose of preventing loss of heat by
radiation.
The
The soldering apparatus is fixed to the framing F of the machine.
cylinder A is, by preference, supported by means of two pivots a³, resting in
suitable bearings so disposed as to control the height of suspension of the cylinder
or soldering iron A over the article or piece to be soldered.
The tubular portion or body N of the cylindrical tin boxes (for the soldering
of which the machine shown in the drawings has been devised) is caused to pass
beneath the above described soldering iron or cylinder A, and to be soldered,
cooled, and ejected from the machine by the means and in the manner about to be
described.
Two endless chains I and K pass over corresponding chain wheels G¹ and H¹
which are fixed upon the axes and H located transversely between the front
and back framing F. These chains run in the direction indicated by the arrow
in Fig. 1, the axis G carrying a gear wheel G2 which is driven by a pinion L.
These chains are connected to one another by means of equidistant square rods or
cross pieces M (Fig. 4) carrying the mandrels for holding the tubes N to be
soldered, and for carrying them along and beneath the soldering iron.
The tubes N rolled to the form shown in Fig. 7 by means of an independent
machine forming no part of this invention and not here described, are placed by
hand; onto the mandrels 01, 0, at the right hand end of the machine.
The aforesaid mandrels consist of two semi-cylinders 0 and 02; having sliding
shoes P and P² connected to them by means of bolts pland p². The square
bolt M traverses the semi-cylinders 0 and 02 and holds the latter always in
the direction in which the chains are running. The semi-cylinder 0 and its
'sliding shoe P¹ are maintained at a suitable distance from the chain by means of
a tube or sleeve o', and the semi cylinder 0 and sliding shoe P² are pressed
towards the semi cylinder O¹ by means of the spring o* contained in the tube o",
whereby both the semi-cylinders 0, 0, form a cylinder of slightly smaller size
than that of the tubes N to be soldered by the machine; these tubes being thus
capable of easily fitting onto the mandrels 01, 0%. According to the motion of the
chains and K, the mandrels 00 and the tubes N fixed thereon, are carried
into the cylindrical channel formed by the semi-cylinders Q and the inner
diameter of which is exactly the same as the outer diameter of the tubes N to be
soldered: Tliese tubes must, therefore; be pressed' against the inner walls of the
semi-cylinders Q and Q2; and this is effected' by, means of the shoes P and P
sliding on suitably wedge-shaped exterior faces of the semi-cylinders Q1, Q.

page_text: These wedge-shaped exterior faces cause the mandrels 0¹, 0², to open or separate-
and the spring ox to be compressed, so as to cause the mandrels 01, 0², to press the-
tube N against the inner cylindrical walls of the pieces Q¹, Q³.
As I am aware that the thickness of the tin plates used in the manufacture of*
the tubes N, will not be always exactly the same, I therefore provide on the
exterior faces of the pieces Q1, Q2, suitable guiding plates or strips 7', 7, which
are acted upon by springs, and on which the sliding shoes P1, P2, slide and cause
the mandrels 0, 0, to constantly and firmly press the tube N against the inner
walls of the pieces Q1, Q, whatever may be the thickness of such tube. The
plates or strips q', 2. are divided into lengths corresponding to those of the-
shoes P1, P2, so as to act only upon one pair of such shoes at a time.
The tubes N, formed as shown in Fig. 4, are placed, as already described, upon
the mandrels 0, 0, at the right hand end of the machine, and turned into such.
a position as to bring the point to be soldered uppermost. When entering the-
channel Q, Qthe mandrels 01, 02, are open, as above mentioned, and the tube N is.
pressed against the inner walls of the cylindrical channel Q, Q. The rod or
cross piece M, as well as the bolts p, p, pass between the semi-cylinders Q1, Q2.
The tube N, in its course through the channel Q, Q, first meets a felt roller R,.
which is mounted in a bearing on Q, and rests, by its own weight, upon the-
tubes N which are brought beneath it. Said felt roller R is made wet with.
chlorate of zinc, or its equivalent, which is caused to drip upon it from a holder S..
Thus, during the passage of the tube N through the channel Q', Q2, the whole.
length of its joint to be soldered will be moistened with the chlorate of zinc, and'
without any risk of such chlorate getting into the interior of the tube N.
In Fig. 3 the tube is shown at the moment it is passing beneath the soldering
iron. At the very moment that the front of said tube reaches the soldering iron,
the semi-cylindrical pieces o', and o², meet the projections of two levers T, T,
upon which rest the arms U of a cross piece U fixed to the above mentioned
rod A which acts as a valve to control the flow of the liquid solder from the
cylinder A. The rod A¹ is pressed down by means of a weight A², fixed to its
upper end and is raised by means of the levers T, T, and arms U, U, when the-
semi-cylindrical pieces 0% 0%, meet the projections of these levers. These.
projections are so formed as to keep the rod A' lifted, that is to say, the solder-
runs out of the cylinder A. so long as a tube N is passing beneath the hole a in
said cylinder. The solder which is flowing upon the joint of the tube is then
equally distributed and smoothed by the cylinder A by reason of its passage
beneath the latter. After this passage the soldered joint of the tube N is carried
in a recessed part of the piece to which is connected a branch D¹ of the.
tube D of compressed air, the latter cooling the soldered joint before the tube-
leaves the machine.
The axis G carries a loose disc V, to which is affixed a chain wheel v over
which passes an endless chain acted upon by a chain wheel X fixed to the
axis H. The chain wheel being of smaller diameter than the chain wheel X,.
the disc V, will be caused to rotate with greater speed than the chain wheels G
and I, but in the same direction of rotation. The disc V is provided with suitably
forked arms V, so disposed as to engage the back of the soldered tubes N when they
reach the left hand end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and to throw these.
tubes into a receptacle W.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that whaț I.
claim is :-
._
1. The improved soldering machine having its parts arranged, combined, and
operating, substantially as herein described and shown with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. A soldering iron having the solder contained therein in a suitable cavity and
maintained in a liquid state by heating the soldering iron by any suitable means,.

page_text: and mechanism for feeding said liquid solder continuously, or not, onto the articles
to be soldered, substantially as described.
3. The soldering iron, or cylinder A, having a hole a with sharp circular edges,.
in combination with a rod A working like a valve to close said hole a, as described
and shown.
4. The combination of the soldering iron, or cylinder A with suitable blow
pipes B for the purpose of melting the solder contained in the hollow cylinder A,
as described.
5. The combination with the rod A', of the bent arms U of the cross piece U'
which are temporarily acted upon to allow the liquid solder contained in the hollow
cylinder A to flow out of the opening a, substantially as described and shown.
6. The combination with the endless chains 1 and K, of the square bolts M,
semi-cylindrical mandrels 01, 0% provided with shoes or sliders P1, P2, for the
purpose of carrying the tubes N to be soldered, between the semi cylindrical
pieces Q and Q2, substantially as described and shown.
7. The combination of the endless chains and K, with the projections t, t, of
the levers T, T, for the purpose of temporarily raising the rod or valve A¹, as
and for the purpose specified.
8. The combination of the cylindrical channel formed of the parts Q, and Q
with a felt wheel R, wetted with chlorate of zinc, or the like, as and for the
purpose specified.
9. The combination of the chains I and K and of the axes G and H of the
chain wheels G' and K', with a loose disc V carrying a chain wheel driven by
means of an endless chain from a fixed chain wheel X, and provided with forked
arms VI, as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 21st day of June 1892.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.