IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING AND STRAIGHTENING STEEL WIRE, AND FOR CUTTING IT INTO LENGTHS SUITABLE TO FORM THE RIBS AND STRETCHERS OF UMBRELLAS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Fox, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar,
near Sheffield, for. the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SOFTENING AND STRAIGHTENING STEEL WIRE, AND FOR CUTTING IT INTO
LENGTHS SUITABLE TO FORM THE RIBS AND STRETCHERS OF UMBRELLAS."
Scaled the 6th July 1874, and dated the 28th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th April 1874.
I, SAMUEL Fox, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar, near Sheffield,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING AND STRAIGHTENING STEEL WIRE, AND FOR CUTTING
IT INTO LENGTHS SUITABLE TO FORM THE RIBS AND STRETCHERS OF UMBRELLAS,"
to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention has for its object Improvements in Apparatus for
Softening and Straightening Steel Wire, and for cutting it into lengths
Suitable to Form the Ribs and Stretchers of Umbrellas. For these
purposes I cause the hard wires as they come from the wire drawer to

page_text: be drawn through grooves in a metal plate, which is kept heated red
hot in a furnace. The wires are retained in grooves until they are cool
to ensure their being straight, and in front of these grooves is the
apparatus by which the wires are drawn forward. The action of this
apparatus is first to move forward the wires a distance equal to the
length required for an umbrella rib or stretcher, then for an instant
there is a pause, during which lengths are cut off from the ends of the
wires, immediately after another forward motion takes place, and when
this motion ends the cutters again act, and so the work goes on
continuously.
The propelling mechanism consists of two carriages able to move to
and fro on guides, and they receive their motion from a rocking lever,
rods passing from the carriages to opposite ends of the rocking lever,
so that the carriages alternately approach to and recede from each other.
The rocking shaft takes its motion by means of a connecting rod passing
from an arm upon it to a crank pin fixed upon a wheel to which a
continuous rotary motion is given by means of any suitable connection
with the driving mechanism. The crank pin is adjustable to and from
the centre of the driving wheel, and so, the distance travelled by the
carriages can be easily varied at pleasure.
The wires pass over guides on the carriages and beneath nipping
levers, which hold the wires tight whilst the carriage travels in one
direction and releases them before the return motion commences. The
nipping levers are caused to close upon the wires at the proper times by
the partial rotation of an axis upon the carriage, which motion is given
to the axis by connecting an arm upon it with the rod, alternately
pulls and pushes the carriage along the guides. Thus it will be seen.
that the carriages act alternately to draw the wires forward, one carriage
being in action whilst the other returns. The wires having passed the
carriages are led through eyes and between cutting tools. At the
proper times the upper tools descend and shear the wires, this motion
is given by a rod passing from the tool holder to an eccentric pin at the
end of an horizontal shaft, which at its other end has an arm upon it
with which a cam-like projection upon the same wheel which carries the
.adjustable crank pin comes in contact; thus the shaft is turned partly
round against the resistance of a spring, which immediately the cam
has passed brings down the cutting tools and shears the wires.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
Fox, of Stocksbridge Works, Deepcar, near Sheffield, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Fox, Her special
license that I, the said Samuel Fox, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Fox, 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 IT
APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING AND STRAIGHTENING STEEL WIRE, AND FOR CUTTING IT
INTO LENGTHS SUITABLE TO FORM THE RIBS AND STRETCHERS OF UMBRELLAS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Fox, 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
3 Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Fox, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
softening and straightening steel wire, and for cutting it into lengths
suitable to form the ribs and stretchers of umbrellas. For these purposes
I cause the hard wires as they come from the wire drawer to be drawn
5 through grooves in a metal plate which is kept heated. red hot in a
furnace. The wires are retained in grooves until they are cool to ensure

page_text: their being straight, and in front of these grooves is the apparatus by
which the wires are drawn forward. The action of this apparatus is
first to move forward the wires a distance equal to the length required
for an umbrella rib or stretcher, then for an instant there is a pause,
during which lengths are cut off from the ends of the wires, immediately
after another forward motion takes place, and when this motion ends
the cutters again act, and so the work goes on continuously.
The propelling mechanism consists of two carriages able to move
to and fro on guides, and they receive their motion from a rocking lever,
rods passing from the carriages to opposite ends of the rocking lever, so
that the carriages alternately approach to and recede from each other.
The rocking shaft takes its motion by means of a connecting rod
passing from an arm upon it to a crank pin fixed upon a wheel; to
which a continuous rotary motion is given by means of any suitable
connection with the driving mechanism. The crank pin is adjustable
to and from the centre of the driving wheel, and so the distance travelled
by the carriages can be easily varied at pleasure.
The wires pass over guides on the carriages and beneath nipping
levers, which hold the wires tight whilst the carriage travels in one
direction and releases them before the return motion commences. The
nipping levers are caused to close upon the wires at the proper times by
the partial rotation of an axis upon the carriage, which motion is given
to the axis by connecting an arm upon it with the rod which alternately
pulls and pushes the carriage along the guides. Thus it will be seen
that the carriages act alternately to draw the wires forward, one carriage
being in action whilst the other returns. The wires having passed the
carriages are led through eyes and between cutting tools. At the proper
times the upper tools descend and shear the wires; this motion is given
by a rod passing from the tool holder and eccentric pin at the end of
an horizontal shaft, which at its other end has an arm upon it, with {
which a cam-like projection upon the same wheel which carries the
adjustable crank pin comes in contact; thus the shaft is turned partly
round against the resistance of a spring, which immediately the cam has
passed brings down the cutting tools and shears the wires.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and 3
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings liere- ..
unto annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the mechanism, the furnace
being omitted.
•
'
.
a, a, is a frame of the machine, it supports a massive cast-iron
plate b, which is grooved on the face with eight or other number of
grooves. The grooves are of such a size that the wires o to be operated
upon can pass freely through them; the wires are prevented from rising
by movable weights d. The machine is erected close to the furnace,
so that the wires pass directly from the furnace into the grooves in the
plate ; e is the driving shaft, it has upon it a belt pulley e¹ to receive
the driving belt which actuates the machine; e³ is a pinion on the axis e
gearing with the spur wheel f¹ on the axis f; f³ is a crank pin carried
by the wheel f¹ on a block which can be traversed in guides to or from
the axis by means of a screw f³; g is a connecting rod, coupling the
pin f* with an arm on the axis h; this axis has bearings on the frame
and carries two levers h¹, one at either end, and these levers by links h³
are connected with the longer arms of bell-crank levers i. The levers i
are fixed upon axes ¹ mounted upon the carriages k, k. The carriages
are supported by the wheels ¹ upon the guide rail 1, 1, which are fixed
to the frame, and strong springs m, m, hold the carriages firmly down
upon the rails and oppose a certain resistance to their movement. The
levers are limited in their rocking motion by stops ³, upon their
carriages, these stops are clearly shewn in Figure 2, which is an end
view of one of the carriages. Each time that the direction of motion of
the levers h¹ changes the levers i rock, passing from one stop k² to
the other, and afterwards the carriages are drawn or pushed along the
guide rails 1,, until the levers h¹ again change their direction of motion;
n, n, are rods which are able to slide vertically in guides on the
carriages k. Each carriage is provided with two such rods, one on either
side, and they carry between them a bar o having holes in it, into which
the tails of the spring levers p are received. Each of the carriages is
provided with eight of these levers (supposing it to be an eight wire
machine), and the levers nip and hold the wires or allow it to pass them
freely according as the bar o is raised or depressed; ³ is a bar forming
part of the carriage k; it has grooves in it in which the wires lie, and
when the wires are required to be nipped-the heads of the levers pare
forced down upon them.

page_text: :
If the wire be of the "parrgon" form the heads of the levers enter
the hollow of the wire. The levers p are jointed to stems p², which are
adjustable up or down to regulate the pressure on the wire. The rods n
are connected with the shorter arm of the bell-crank levers i, thus each
time that the carriage k arrives at the end of its course along the guide
rails and the bell-crank levers i are moved, the bar o is raised or lowered,
and the wires are nipped or released as the case may be.
It will be observed that when one carriage nips and holds the wires
the other allows it to pass freely. Beyond the carriages the wires lay
over a notched steel bar q, against which they are cut each. time that the
cutting chisels descend. These chisels are carried in a frames which
can slide up and down in guides on the frame. The frames is con-
nected by a rod t with an eccentric pin u¹ at the end of the axis u.
This axis is turned partly round each time that a bowl f' on the
wheel f¹ passes an arm v¹ mounted on an axis v on the frame. The
bowl striking the arm raises it and also another arm v² on the same axis,
and this by a chain v³ is connected with the arm u² on the axis u. The
partial rotation thus given to the axis u causes the cutting chisels r
to act. As soon as the bowl has passed the arm v¹ a strong spring u³
brings back the axis u.
The operation then is as follows:-The wire as it is unwound from
the bundles enters the furnace, the bed of which consists of a cast-iron
plate similar to the plate 6 but about seven feet long; it is grooved to
hold the wires. Beneath the bed plate is a fire-place with suitable flues,
so that the bed can be kept at a low red heat from end to end.
The wires as they are unwound from the bundles are drawn by the
machine through the heated grooves in which they are held by blades
resting upon them, the edge of the blade in the case of "paragon" wire
entering into the hollow in the wire. Issuing from the furnace the
wires enter the grooves in the plate b, and are so held straight whilst
they gradually cool, step by step the wire is drawn forward, and between
each step is a pause, during which the wire is cut off by the cutting
chisels to the lengths required; w is an axis, and w¹ a pinion upon
it, gearing with the wheel f¹. The axis w receives a winch handle when
it is desired to turn the machine by hand.
What I claim is the construction of apparatus for softening and

page_text: straightening steel wire and for cutting it into lengths suitable to form
the ribs and stretchers of umbrellas, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Fox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.