IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING BARBS ON FENCE WIRE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING BARBS ON FENCE WIRE." A communication from
abroad by Alanson Cary, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America
Sealed the 23rd January 1880, and dated the 19th November 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th November 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING BARBS ON FENCE
WIRE." A communication from abroad by Alanson Cary, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to construct a machine for nicking or splitting
ribbon wire used for fences so as to give such wire a barbed edge, and the Invention
consists in a machine combining a reciprocating head carrying the cutters, a feed
bed, and die plate, feeding rollers, and an intermittent feed motion, whereby the
ribbon is fed forward beneath the cutters, and the operation performed rapidly
without waste of material.
The construction and operation will be more particularly described with reference
to the accompanying Drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine;
Figure 2 is a rear elevation; Figure 3 is a plan view; Figure 4 is a sectional side
elevation on line x, x, of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of the feed bed and die
plate; Figures 7 and 8 are detail views. Similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in the several Figures. A is the bed plate of the machine, upon
which is fixed the pillow block a that supports the feed bed B, and is extended up
and formed as a box a' for the horizontal driving shaft b that is furnished with a
pulley b', to which power is applied by belt. Upon the forward part of the box a¹
above the bed B is fixed a head C that carries in a dovetailed recess the slide c
that is connected through the head C to the shaft b by a crank pin or cam, so that
the slide c is vertically reciprocated by the revolution of shaft b. Upon the bed.
plate A at opposite sides of the pillow block a are fixed the standards d, d², and
D. All

page_text: e, el, which carry respectively the shafts f, f1, and g, g², of the upper and lower
feed rollers h, h¹, and i, i, the shafts of each pair of rollers being parallel with the
driving shaft b and the feed rollers at opposite sides of the bed B. The shafts f, ƒ¹,
of the feed rollers h, h³, are at the delivery side of the bed B, the upper shaft f being
supported by the forward standard d in a box f that is fitted to slide in a vertical
slot in the standard, and is pressed down by a spiral or other spring h³ so as to
impart pressure to the feed rollers. The upper shaft g is supported in the standard e
by a sliding box e³ in the same manner, except that instead of a spring there is a
rod k fitted in the standard 7 to rest on the box e³, and upon the head C is hung a
hand lever resting on rod k, by which pressure may be given to the feed roller i for
purposes hereafter described. The lower feed rollers h', ', are formed each with a
peripheral groove, as shown, of the width of the ribbon that is to be operated upon,
and the upper rollers h, i, are formed of a width to enter the same grooves.
The intermittent feed motion is given during the upward movement of the
slide c by mechanism at the back of the machine shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, and
next described.
Upon the rear ends of the lower feed shafts f¹, gl, are fixed gear wheels m, m',
respectively, which are connected by an intermediate pinion n that is fitted to
revolve freely on a stud projecting from the block a. Upon one or other shaft
(preferably f¹) is fixed a ratchet wheel o, and the same shaft carries loosely an
arm p, upon the outer end of which is a pawl q that is kept in contact with the
wheel o by a spring p³. This device constitutes a pawl carrier that is operated by
the rod r, which is connected to arin p and to a crank pin on the driving pulley b¹,
so that the feed shafts f¹, gl, are given an intermittent revolution in the same
direction at once. The shafts f¹, g¹, are geared to shafts f, g, by the gearing 8, 8',
and t, t¹, as shown, and the rod r may be fitted adjustably at its connection to
pulley b' or arm p, so that the amount of feed at each movement may be regulated.
In the lower end of the reciprocating slide care fixed the cutters or punches u,
preferably 3 in number, and fitted adjustably in any desired manner, so that they
may be set down to compensate for wear. The manner of fitting the punches is
shown in Figure 7, where they are clamped in a recess of the slide c by a plate u',
with blocks intervening to retain them the proper distance apart, and are pressed
down by screws w³ fitted inside c. The cutters u are each formed with a cutting
edge inclined at about an angle of 45° to the direction of the feed, so as to cut or
nick the ribbon, as shown by Figure 6, about half its width across, more or less.
The feed bed B is recessed to receive the fixed cutters v forming the die plate,
which cutters are of the same shape as cutters u, and are clamped by a block that
is to be set up and held by screws v, shown in Figure 8. Upon the bed B are
adjustable plates w, held by screws, between the edges of which plates the ribbon
passes over the cutters v. In operation the ribbon of fence wire is entered between
the rollers i, ¹, across the bed B to the rollers h, h', and during its passage is cut
or nicked by the reciprocating cutters u. The feed takes place while the cutters u
are rising, and each movement of the feed should carry the last cut portion a suitable
distance beyond the cutters. The action of the cutters tends to bend the cut portion
down, which assists the cutting; but the ribbon is bent flat again by the feed rollers
h, h', so that it may be readily rolled for further manufacture. In first feeding the
ribbon as described the end is to be inserted between the rollers i, ', and the
requisite pressure given by the lever / to carry the ribbon forward until caught by
the rollers h, h¹. The lever is then to be relieved, so that the feed will be accom-
plished by the last named rollers only. By these means the ribbon may be cut at
its extreme end, and there will be no waste of material at its first entering. By
relieving the entering rollers of pressure as mentioned there will be no risk of buckling
or strain by reason of irregularities of feed in the two sets of rollers.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,-
1st. In machines for cutting barbs on fence wire a reciprocating head carrying

page_text: cutters, feed rollers operated intermittently, and a feed bed fitted with fixed cutters
or a die plate combined for operation, substantially as described and shown.
2nd. In machines for cutting barbs on fence wire the combination with the
reciprocating cutters, feed bed, and intermittent feed rollers of entering feed rollers
fitted with a lever for imparting the required pressure, and having an intermittent
revolution, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
3rd. In machines for cutting barbe on fence wire the combination with the upper
feed roller shaft of the sliding box e³, rod k, and lever 1, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
4th. In machines for cutting barbs on fence wire the combination with the con-
tinuously revolving shaft and reciprocating cutter head of the ratchet wheel o,
arm p, spring pawl q, and connecting rod r, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
5th. In machines for cutting barbs on fence wire the reciprocating slide c, cutters u,
bed B, and fixed cutters v, combined together, and with an intermittent feed
mechanism, substantially as shown and described.
6th. In machines for cutting barbs on fence wire the plates w combined with
the fixed cutters v and feed bed, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.