Improvements in Wire-drawing Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire-drawing Machines.
I, HENRY RANKIN, of 10 and 11, Stonecutter Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (communicated to me
by John H. O'Donnell, of Waterbury, in the County of New Haven, State of
Connecticut, U.S.A.) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:.
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My invention relates to that class of wire-drawing machines in which wire is
reduced in diameter by drawing the same through a series of dies at one continuous
operation, a drawing device being interposed between two consecutive dies to draw
the wire through an adjacent die, and from which drawing device the wire is
delivered to the next die.
I will describe a wire-drawing machine embodying my improvement, and then
point out the novel features in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a wire-drawing
machine embodying my improvement looking in a direction at right angles to a
driving-shaft embodied in the machine.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, looking in a direction at right angles to that
which results in the view shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view on the plane of the line 33, Fig. 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 4 4 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6. is a detail sectional view of the die-supporting block.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures.
For drawing the wire through the dies I employ a pair of horizontally-arranged
stepped cones A A' whose stepped surfaces are formed with grooves the better
to receive and grip the wire. The several steps of the cones will increase in
diameter as the wire delivered to them decreases in diameter, and the smaller ends
of the cones will be arranged adjacent to the point of application of power to the
machine, since it is at these ends that the wire is of the largest diameter and the
work of reducing it is greatest.
B is the support for the various operative parts of the machine. It may be
elevated from the floor on legs. (Not shown). It is shown to be rectangular and
box-like in form, and comprises a tank B¹ which contains a suitable lubricating
agent for the wire undergoing the drawing process, and an outer supporting
plate Ba
CC are the supporting-shafts of the drawing-cones A A¹ respectively. These
shafts are horizontal and are journaled in suitable boxes carried on the side wall
of the tank B, and on the supporting plate B².
In the present instance the shaft C constitutes the driving-shaft and is provided
with a fast and loose pulley C³ C³ for receiving a driving belt.

page_text: Dis a spur-wheel secured to the shaft C, and from which the shaft C is driven
through a spur-wheel D' affixed to the latter shaft and an intermediate spur-
wheel D³.
A suitable belt-shifting device E may be supplied and lead to any convenient
part of the machine.
Wire
F is the die-supporting block, which is located between the drawing-
cones A. A and carries the several dies f, through which the
is threaded as it passes back and forth from cone to cone. For
each stretch of wire I have shown three dies f, separated by
longitudinal chambers fl in the die-block, the chambers providing passages for
the circulation of the lubricant. The die-supporting block is arranged at an incline
to correspond to the upper faces of the drawing-cones and the series of dies f are
arranged to bring them in the same horizontal plane as the steps of the drawing-
cones, whereby the wire passing through said dies from one cone to the other is
caused to travel in a substantially straight line.
The dic-supporting block F is provided with an internal longitudinal passage-
way f extending from end to end of the same. Said passage is preferably formed
in the floor of the die-supporting block and communicates at its lower end with the
discharge of a circulating-pump, while at its upper end it opens out into the
chambers f. The pump G which may be of any suitable construction, is driven
from the shaft C and its supply of lubricant is derived from the tank B¹. It will
thus be seen that whenever the pump is in motion a stream of liquid is constantly
being forced to the upper end of the die-supporting block and emptied into the
chambers f, through which it flows by gravity. In its descent the liquid suc-
cessively lubricates all of the wires passing through the die-supporting block, and
finally it overflows into the tank 3 by reason of its coming in contact with the
end wall of the die-supporting block.
H. is the taking-up reel or drawing-block having a vertical shaft h supported in
journal-blocks h¹. The journal-blocks are adjustable along and may be clamped
in guide-ways h² 2 provided at the side of the machine. The wire from the
finishing-die passes to and is wound upon the block H. This lateral adjustment
of the drawing-block is especially advantageous, since it is oftentimes desirable for
various reasons to wind the finished wire as it issues from the machine after having
undergone the drawing process into coils of different diameters. This necessitates
a drawing-block of a diameter corresponding to that of the coil to be wound. As
the wire delivered from the last die or from the corresponding groove of the cone
must always lead in the same direction—that is, approximately in line with the
last die. or the corresponding groove of the cone the receiving-point on the
periphery of the drawing-block must always occupy the same position in space.
Therefore, in order that blocks of different diameters may be employed, it is
necessary to move the axis h one way or the other, so that the receiving-point on
the periphery will occupy this same position. It will thus be seen that the
adjustability of the drawing-block offers especial advantages as regards the facility
with which coils of different diameters may be formed.
I is a vertical shaft journaled in a bracket i, secured to the machine and carry-4
ing at its upper extremity a bevel-wheel which engages with a bevel-wheel
carried by the driving-shaft C, the latter thus actuating the shaft I.
The shaft h of the drawing-block H is driven from the shaft I through a suit-
able belt-and-pulley connection. Either a crossed or straight belt may be utilized
for driving the shaft, which will permit, therefore, the drawing-block H to be s
driven in either direction.
Of course instead of attaching the driving-pulley directly to the driving-shaft C
it may be secured to a separate shaft and the latter connected to the driving-shaft
by gearing.
As before stated, the cones with their smaller ends adjacent to the ends of the 5
shafts are arranged horizontally. This arrangement is of importance inasmuch
as it permits the wire to be laid successively into the grooves of the cones, beginning

page_text: at the smaller ends and gradually laying the wire as it is passed through the dies
toward the outer ends, so that there is no interference by the laying of one coil of
wire with that which succeeds it, as is the case where the cones have their smaller
ends outward and their larger ends connected with the shafts. Further, as the
cones are horizontal the wire tends to remain in the grooves without any tendency
to uncoil and fall down upon the coils below, as would be the case if the cones were
arranged in a vertical direction, and, further, the dies may be properly oiled and
maintained in a better lubricated condition than is possible when the dies are
arranged on a vertical or nearly vertical line, and the splashing of the oil over the
machine and upon the floor, which results in the latter case is also avoided.
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:-
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1. In a wire-drawing machine, the combination of the parallel horizontally-
arranged supporting-shafts, means for positively driving the same in unison, the
horizontally-arranged stepped drawing-cones upon said shafts having their smaller
ends arranged mearest the driving mechanism, a die-supporting block inter-
mediate the cones provided with a longitudinal chamber, and a passage communi-
cating with the upper end of said chamber, drawing-dies supported in the die-
supporting block, and a pump having its discharge-opening communicating with
one end of the passage in the drawing-block, substantially as described.
2. In a wire-drawing machine, the combination of the stepped drawing-cones, a
die-supporting block intermediate the cones provided with a longitudinal chamber,
and a passage communicating with the upper end of said chamber, drawing-dies
supported in the die-supporting block, and a pump having its discharge-opening
communicating with one end of the passage in the drawing-block, substantially
as described.
Dated this 0th day of Inouet 1808