IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND TREATMENT OF WIRE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, of Saint John Street Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND TREATMENT OF
WIRE."
Sealed the 4th October 1867, and dated the 8th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th April 1867.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of Saint John Street Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for" IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND TREAT-
MENT OF WIRE," to be as follows:-
My first improvement comprises machinery for pointing or tapering the
metallic rods previous to drawing, so that the end may enter the hole in the
draw plate; this is generally done by heating the end and then hammering it to
a point on an anvil. Attempts have been made to do this by revolving cutters
and by rolling, by thrusting the red hot end between two plane conical rollers
in the direction of their axes, but my improved apparatus is shown in Sheet 1,
where Figure 1 shows an elevation, and Figure 2 an end view. A, A, arc
two cylindrical rollers with a taper half groove cut in each; this groove passes
round a part of the circumference of the rollers only; the two rollers are

page_text: geared together and are driven by the half wheel B, which is kept revolving.
When this wheel B is out of gear with the small spur wheel 6 the weighted
part of the latter causes it to drop to the bottom, and the rollers will be in the
position shown at Figure 3, so that the end of the rod can be passed between
them; but when the wheel B locks into 6 the rollers will commence to revolve
in the direction of the arrows, and the two half grooves coming together will
form a groove gradually diminishing in diameter and depth as the rollers
revolve, and by these means squeezing the rod or wire to a taper form, as
shown in Figure 4. Instead of the half wheel B the rollers may be driven by
friction, the axis of one roller being prolonged and having a pulley attached,
motion being given to the latter; when necessary, by bringing a second wheel
(by which the power is transmitted) in contact with the first when the rollers
are required to move; when the friction wheel is withdrawn the rollers will
stop and separate as before by the counterweight c.
The second part of my Invention is as follows:-Figures 5, 6, and 7 show
apparatus for the purpose of welding wire according to my Invention. The
groove formed by the rollers d, d, is parallel instead of taper, as in the machine
before described for pointing wire. The rollers are geared together by the
wheels e, e, and the top roller is driven by a worm wheel f, the worm rising
out of gear of its own accord when pressure is taken off the treadle. The
worm is constantly revolving, and when the heated wire is placed between the
rollers d, d, and the screw brought into gear with the wheel f, the rolls d, d,
revolve and compress the wire and weld it together; before the wire is placed
between the rolls the two ends should be brought together and a slight blow
given them just to keep them together, so that the revolution of the rollers
may not draw them asunder before the pressure comes on the right part, care
being taken to put the junction on the right side to be taken through; on
letting the worm out of gear the rollers are brought into the position shown in
Figures 5 and 6 by a balance piece g, a part of the front lip or flange of each
roller being cut away to allow of the introduction of the wire, as shown at h,
Figures 5 and 6.
Another arrangement for welding wire is shown at Figures 8 and 9. In this
'case the bottom roller d is replaced by a straight piece of metal i grooved like the
roller; a reciprocating motion is given to the roller by the crank k and con-
necting rod b, the roller frame m moving in a slide, so that it cannot be forced
away from the bed n.
The roller and the bed are geared together that the
part of the roller that is cut away to receive the wire may always be in the
same place.
Another arrangement for welding is seen at Figure 10. In this case o is an

page_text: arm jointed at p, and carrying
grooved top tool at q, a bottom tool also
grooved to correspond with the wire is fixed at r when the heated wire is
placed on the bottom tool, when motion is given to the pinion s and spur
wheel s with the wheel, it causes the eccentric t to force the top tool on to the
wire and to repeat the blow as long as it is found necessary; this plan will
answer very well, but will not give the iron where it is welded the fibrous
character that the rolling does. Instead of a jointed lever, as shown in
Figure 10, the upper grooved piece may be fixed in a slide moved by a crank,
or a cam, or eccentric.
Another arrangement of machinery for welding is shown at Figures 11, 12,
and 13.
A, A, are two rollers, the upper having a vertical motion in the slide B.
The two rollers are represented in contact, the upper with the slide B having
been depressed by the cam C; when not at work the rollers are separated about
an inch. The action of the machine is as follows:-Motion is given to the band
wheel F and pinion D by a treadle and fork; the pinion D causes the wheel E
and cam C to revolve, and brings the slide and roller into the position shown in
the sketch; but as the wheel E has teeth only on a part of its periphery by the
time the cam is in the position shown the wheel is out of gear. The wheel G
which is loose on its shaft commences to revolve at the same time as the wheel
E, but until the projecting lug reaches the arm H the crank I and connecting
rod J do not move, but as soon as the arm and lug come together motion is
given to the rollers a short distance in reverse directions, and when the power is
taken off the band wheel and pinion D the counterweight K causes the cam
C to reverse its position, and the wheel E takes into gear with the pinion D
and causes the wheel G to move part of a revolution backwards, and brings
the lug away from the arm I; the counterweight L at the same time brings
the two cranks at the half stroke, so that when the two ends of the wire are
brought to the welding heat and placed on the bottom roller, motion being
given to the pinion D, the cam forces the slide and top roller down and
squeezes the wire together, and the reverse motions of the rollers communi-
cated by the wheel G and crank J rolls it into a round and perfect form, and
imparts a fibrous character to the iron. It is necessary that the counterweight
L shall bring the crank into a position of half stroke before the work con-
mences, or otherwise the weld would only be rolled from the centre off one
end and not the other half at all, and it is essential that the rollers do not
revolve until they come together, or nearly so, as if it was otherwise the
wire would be moved, and the compression would take place at the wrong
part of the wire.

page_text: The third part of my Invention has for its object stretching or straight-
ening wire, by which all the welds or weak parts are tested, and if defective
are detected and cut out. Figures 14 and 15 show in elevation and plan
a machine for this purpose.; A, A¹, are two wheels or drums of the same size
and geared together by two spur wheels B, B, of the same number of teeth,
and the pinion C, consequently the surfaces of these drums, are driven and
revolve at precisely the same speed. The wire to be stretched is placed on
the swift D, and is passed four or five times round the drum A over the
pulley E and then round the drum A¹ a few times, and is then taken away
by the drum F on which it is wound, being driven by the band and wheel, a
jockey wheel and pulley a, a', keeping it from running loose on the drum A.;
a fixed inclined plane or knife is fixed at A and A' to cause the turns of wire
to render across the drum, so that the turns shall not over-ride each other.
Now if the pulley E remained in one place the wire would not be stretched
at all as it is passed from A to A', but the pulley E with its frame gradually
ascends the vertical frame b, by means of the screw c, or a rack or any other
suitable mechanical arrangement might be substituted, the amount of stretch
to be given to the wire being regulated by the change wheels d, e, f. The
bundle of wire to be stretched being as before mentioned placed on the swift
D is then passed through the jockey wheel and pulley round A a few times
over pulley E (which should be at the lowest part of the frame), then round A¹
a few times, and then to the drum F, but to enable the whole length of the wire
to be stretched a sinall chain or another piece of wire should be attached to the
drum, which should reach round the drum A¹ a few times, and over the pulley E,
taking the place of the wire to be tested; so that when the pulley E begins to
ascend the end of the bundle of wire is just leaving A, and on its passage
A¹ gets stretched equally throughout the whole length of the bundle, the
pulley E gradually ascending, the framework giving the wire a certain per-
centage of stretch according as it has been arranged with the change wheels.
By the time the bundle has been all wound off the swift D the pulley has
almost reached the top, the height to which it ascends depending on the length
of the bundle. To bring the pulley down again the handle and small bevil
wheels throw the nut out of gear with the screw, and the frame and pulley
descend by their own weight the balance weight i checking the momentum.
Figure 16 shows another arrangement to obtain the same result, in this
case the ascending pulley is dispensed with, and one of the drums is made to
traverse a horizontal bed by means of change wheels and a screw increasing
the distance. between the drums at a speed in accordance with the amount of
stretch required. I do not confine myself to the precise method of accomplishing

page_text: this object, so long as the essential features are preserved of stretching wire
by using two drums, the surfaces of which travel at an equal speed, the length
of wire between such drums being gradually increased while the wire is being
wound from one drum to the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS HENLEY, of Saint John Street Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Telegraphic Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Thomas. Henley, Her special licence that I, the said William Thomas
Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Thomas Henley, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND TREATMENT OF
WIRE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas
Henley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their bands 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Henley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My first improvement comprises machinery for pointing or tapering the
metallic rods previous to drawing, so that the end may enter the hole in the

page_text: '
draw plate. This is generally done by heating the end and then hammering
it to a point on an anvil. Attempts bave been made to do this by revolving
cutters and by rolling, by thrusting the red-hot end between two plane conical
rollers in the direction of their axes; but my improved apparatus is shown in
Sheet 1, where Fig. 1 shows an elevation, and Fig. 2 an end view. A, A, are
two cylindrical rollers with a taper half groove cut in each; this groove passes
round a part of the circumference of the rollers only. The two rollers are
geared together and are driven by the half wheel B, which is kept revolving.
When this wheel B is out of gear with the small spur wheel b the weighted
part of the latter causes it to drop to the bottom, and the rollers will be in the
position shown at Fig. 3, so that the end of the rod can be passed between
them; but when the wheel B locks into b the rollers will commence to revolve
in the direction of the arrows, and the two half grooves coming together will form
a groove gradually diminishing in diameter and depth as the rollers revolve,
and by these means squeezing the rod or wire to a taper form, as shown in
Fig. 4. Instead of the half wheel B the rollers may be driven by friction, the
axis on one roller being prolonged and having a pulley attached, motion being
given to the latter when necessary by bringing a second wheel (by which the
power is transmitted) in contact with the first when the rollers are required to
move; when the friction wheel is withdrawn the rollers will stop and separate
as before by the counterweight c.
The second part of my Invention is as follows:-Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show
apparatus for the purpose of welding wire according to my Invention. The
groove formed by the rollers d, d, is parallel instead of taper, as in the
inachine before described for pointing wire; the rollers are geared together by
the wheels e, e, and the top roller is driven by a worm wheel f, the worm
rising out of gear of its own accord when pressure is taken off the treadle.
The worm is constantly revolving, and when the heated wire is placed between
the rollers d, d, and the screw brought into gear with the wheel f, the
rollers d, d, revolve and compress the wire and weld it together; before the
wire is placed between the rolls the two ends should be brought together and
a slight blow given them just to keep them together, so that the revolution of
the rollers may not draw them asunder before the pressure comes on the right
part, care being taken to put the junction on the right side to be taken
through; on letting the worm out of gear the rollers are brought into the
position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 by a balance piece g, a part of the front lip
or flange of each roller being cut away to allow of the introduction of the
wire, as shown at h, Figs. 5 and 6.
Another arrangement for welding wire is shown at Figs. 8 and 9. Io

page_text: this the bottom roller d is replaced by a straight piece of metal grooved like
the roller; a reciprocating motion is given to the roller by the crank k and
connecting rod 1, the roller frame m moving in a slide so that it cannot be
forced away from the bed n. The roller and the bed are geared together in
such manner that the part of the roller that is cut away to receive the wire
may always be in the same place.
Another arrangement for welding is seen at Fig. 10. In this case o is an
arm jointed at p, and carrying a grooved top tool at q; a bottom tool also
grooved to correspond with the wire is fixed at r; when the heated wire is
placed on the bottom tool and motion is given to the pinions and spur
wheels with the wheel it causes the excentric t to force the top tool on to
the wire, and to repeat the blow as long as it is found necessary; this plan
will answer very well, but will not give the iron where it is welded the fibrous
character that the rolling does. Instead of a jointed lever, as shown in
Fig. 10, the upper grooved piece may be fixed in a slide moved by a crank,
or a cam, or excentric.
Another arrangement of machinery for welding is shown at Figs. 11, 12,
and 18. A, A, are two rollers, the upper having a vertical motion in the
slide B. The two rollers are represented in contact, the upper with the
slide B having been depressed by the cam C; when not at work the rollers
are separated about an inch. The action of the machine is as follows:-
Motion is given to the band wheel F and pinion D by a treadle and fork.
The pinion D causes the wheel E and cam C to revolve, and brings the slide
and roller into the position shown in the Drawing, but as the wheel E bas
teeth only on a part of its periphery, by the time the cam is in the position
shown the wheel is out of gear. The wheel G, which is loose on its shaft,
commences to revolve at the same time as the wheel E, but until the pro-
jecting lug reaches the arm H the crank I and connecting rod J do not move;
but as soon as the arm and lug come together motion is given to the rollers a
short distance in reverse directions, and when the power is taken off the band
wheel and pinion D the counterweight k causes the cam C to reverse its
position, and the wheel E takes into gear with the pinion D and causes the
wheel G to move part of a revolution backwards and brings the lug away from
the arm I; the counterweight L at the same time brings the two cranks at
the half stroke, so that when the two ends of the wire are brought to the
welding heat and placed on the bottom roller, motion being given to the
pinion D, the cam forces the slide and top roller down and squeezes the wire
together, and the reverse motions of the rollers communicated by the wheel G
and crank J rolls it into a round and perfect form, and imparts a fibrous

page_text: character to the iron. It is necessary that the counterweight L should bring
the crank into a position of half stroke before the work commences, or other-
wise the weld would only be rolled from the centre off one end and not the
other balf at all; and it is also essential that the rollers do not revolve until
they come together, or nearly so, as if it was otherwise the wire would be
moved, and the compression would take place at the wrong part of the wire.
The third part of my Invention has for its object stretching or straightening
wire, by which all the welds or weak parts are tested, and if defective are
detected and cut out. Figs. 14 and 15 show in elevation and plan a
machine for this purpose. A, A', are two wheels or drums of the same size,
and geared together by two spur wheels B, B, of the same number of teeth,
and the pinion C, consequently the surfaces of these drums, are driven and
revolve at precisely the same speed. The wire to be stretched is placed
on the swift D, and is passed four or five times round the drum A, over the
pulley E, and then round the drum A¹ a few times, and is then taken away by
the drum F, on which it is wound, being driven by the band and wheel, a
jockey wheel and pulley a, a, keeping it from running loose on the drum A;
a fixed inclined plane or knife is fixed at A and A' to cause the turns of wire
to render across the drum, so that the turns shall not over-ride each other.
Now if the pulley E remained in one place the wire would not be stretched
at all as it is passed from A to A¹, but the pulley E with its frame gradually
ascens te vertical frame b by means of the screw C, or a rack or any other
suitable mechanical arrangement might be substituted, the amount of stretch
to be given to the wire being regulated by the change wheels d, e, f. The
bundle of wire to be stretched being, as before mentioned, placed on the
swift D, is then passed through the jockey wheel and pulley round A a few
times, over pulley E (which should be at the lowest part of the frame), then
round A¹ a few times, and then to the drum F; but to enable the whole
length of the wire to be stretched a small chain or another piece of wire
should be attached to the drum, which should reach round the drum A¹ a few
times, and over the pulley E, taking the place of the wire to be tested, so that
when the pulley E begins to ascend the end of the bundle of wire is just
leaving A, and on its passage to A' gets stretched equally throughout the
whole length of the bundle, the pulley E gradually ascending, the framework
giving the wire a certain per-centage of stretch according as it has been
arranged with the change wheels. By the time the bundle has been all
wound off the swift D the pulley has almost reached the top, the height to
which it ascends depending on the length of the bundle. To bring the pulley
down again the handle and small bevil wheels throw the nut out of gear with

page_text: the screw, and the frame and pulley descend by their own weight, the balance-
weight i checking the momentum.
In this
Fig. 16 shows another arrangement to obtain the same result.
case the ascending pulley is dispensed with, and one of the drums is made to
traverse a horizontal bed by means of change wheels and a screw, increasing
the distance between the drums at a speed in accordance with the amount of
stretch required.
I do not confine myself to the precise method of accomplishing this object
so long as the essential features are preserved of stretching wire by using two
drums, the surfaces of which travel at an equal speed, the length of wire
between such drums being gradually increased while the wire is being wound
from one drum to the other.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in machinery for the manufacture and treatment of wire,-
First, the machinery for pointing or tapering metallic rods previous to
drawing, constructed and acting substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the machinery or apparatus for welding wire, constructed and
acting substantially as herein-before described and illustrated at Figs. 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the machinery for stretching or straightening wire, constructed and
acting substantially as herein-before described and illustrated at Figs. 14, 15,
and 16 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. T. HENLEY.
(L.S.)