Year: 1895

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Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895

page_text: Figures 20, 21, 22 and 23 are views of a preferred die mechanism.
The strip of leather from which the finished loops are to be made is fed into the
guide way 31 (Figs. 1 and 2) at the left hand end of the machine setting on edge
where it is taken by gripper jawe 11 and moved between the slitting knives 2 which
now move together vertically and slit the strip from edge to edge. When the two
knives meet the upper one follows the lower one down a trifle to insure the complete
slitting of the strip. The feed jaws 1, 14, are carried on blocks 5' reciprocated
in guides 4¹ by swinging arms, 6', the lower one of which is connected with a
reciprocating post 7' moving in a guide way 8 (Fig. 1) being operated by the
lever 9¹ and the cam 10. The slitting knives are carried by heads. 111 reciprocated
vertically in, guides of the standard' 12' by the levers 13' 14' pivoted at 13, the
vertical slides 15¹ 16' being connected to the levers and moved by cam grooves, in
the faces of the cams 10 and 18. While the strip is being slit it is held by
clamps 191 (Fig. 3) pressed toward each other by wedges 20 operated by rods 21'
(Figs. 1, 2 and 3) lever 221, and spring 231 and withdrawn after action by the
rod 24' connected to the lever 22' which rod is operated by the cam projection 26'
on the cam 18' and the lever 271. When the wedges are withdrawn the clamps are
moved apart by the springs 28. The clamps serve to center the leather strips and
this is important, as these strips vary in thickness and it is necessary that they
shall be presented to the knives so as to be slit in the center.
!
After the strip is slit, it is fed forward one step so that the slitting knives will
act on another part of the strip leaving intact portions, between the slits (as in
Fig. 7). The slitted strip passes through the guide way 29¹ and its slitted end
finally arrives within the box 31' having spring plates 321 (plan view Fig. 5) to
guide the strip accurately. Here the slit of the strip is entered by the radial
arbor 33 of a rotary feeding head 34' the end of said arbor being wedge shaped
or sharpened (Fig. 4) to enter the slit and draw the strip along out of the guide
box to a position directly beneath the arbor when in vertical position. The bed
piece 35 upon which the box 31' and the strip are supported is now raised to
thrust the slitted part of the strip upon the arbor and at the same time a cutting
knife. 36' rising quicker and in advance of the bed piece severs the first section of
the slitted strip and this is forced on to the arbor thus providing a separated.
slitted blank from which the completed loop is to be formed. The bed piece has a
standard 371 fitted in a guide 38' on the main table (Fig. 4) and moved to raise
the bed with the slitted strip by a lever 40' connected to the standard by a link 41¹
and operated from a cam 43 on the cam shaft 43 by a link 43, an arm 43" and
rock shaft 43 (Fig. 4). The knife is operated as the bed piece rises by a
lever 44 (Fig. 4) connected at, its front end with the knife and having its rear
end in the path of an arm 45' which is thrown down to strike the rear end of the
lever which rises with the bed piece, said lever being supported in a bracket 461
of said bed piece. The arm 45' is thrown down by an arm 47' connected thereto
and the cam 48' which operates. the arm 47' by a link 49. After the blank
is thrust on the rotary head, the head is turned step by step through the
gearing 50¹, 51, 52, 53', (Figs. 1 and 4) until the arbor with the slitted blank is
directly beneath and in line with the radial arm 31 of the first rotary head 32 of
the finishing mechanism. At the next upward movement of the bed piece 35¹ to
place a second blank on the lower arbor of the feeding head 34', the first blank on
the upwardly extending arbor of said head is transferred to the arm 31 of the
the transfer plates 54' secured to the bed piece and engaging
rotary head 32 on the arbor so that as the bed piece rises the collar will be
the transfer collar
moved by the transfer plate to push the blank onto the arm of the head 32., The
gear 511 is on the shaft of and moves with the upper head to transmit the motion
to the lower one in unison therewith. The upper head is rotated by a rack bar 39
engaging a pinion 38 loose on the shaft of the head, and having a disc 37 with a
pivoted pawl 36 engaging a ratchet fixed on the shaft of the head (as in Figs. 1
and 6), the rack bar being reciprocated by a lever 40 and a cam 42 on the shaft 43
(Figs. 1 and 2) the head being thus rotated step by step in one direction. At

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the first movement after receiving, the blank from the feeder head it carries the
blank to the presser mechanism. The blank is now in the form shown in Figure 8
having been spread from the flat form of the slitted strip as in Figure 7. The
presser blocks 50 (Figs. 1, 9 and 10) are to act op the square edges 60 of the
spread blank and are carried by levers 51 pivoted at 52 to a slide 52 the opening
and closing of the levers, being done by links 53, a sliding piece 54, a fork 55,
engaging a pin 64 on the piece 54, said fork being carried by a swinging lever 56,
operated by a link 57 from a cam groove in the cam 59. The action of the
pressers is to make the blank assume a more ring like form. After each
action, the presser mechanism is retracted to allow the rotary carrier head
to turn, by a lever 61 operated by a groove in cam 48 Figures 1 and 2, and
after the next blank is moved into position for pressing, the lever returns
the pressers to working position. The fork 55 forms a detachable connection
for operating the slide 54 so that the main slide 52* may continue to move
back after the presser levers are fully opened and this fork is controlled to
engage or disengage the pin 64 by the lever 65 and a projection 69 on the cam 59,
Figure 9. The fork is held down by riding against the part 70 of the slide 54
until in the forward movement, the overhanging part is removed and the fork then
rises under the action of the spring 74 to engage the pin 64. A spring 77 tends
to open the front ends of the presser levers, said levers have adjustable sections 79
with set screws 80s to take up the wear at the presser blocks. This rotary head
now makes a step by step movement and carries the pressed blank around in line
with the arm of a second head 32 similar in all respects to the first and operated in
precisely the same manner from the same rack bar 39. These heads and those
bereinafter mentioned are all similarly operated and are held accurately in position
by stop pius 85 (Figs. 1, 2 and 9) engaging therewith and operated from the rock
shaft 88 through levers 87, said shaft being operated by an arm 90 on the shaft
(Figs. 1 and 2) and liuk 89 from a cam 91 on the shaft. 43, there being one stop
pin for each head. The pressed blank is transferred from the radial arm of head 32
to that of 32 by the collar 81, each arm of all the heads having one of these
collars, which in transferring are slid on the arms by plates 83 (Figs. 2, 24 and 6)
pushed forward through guides 92 to engage the grooves of the collars by levers 93
on rock shaft 94 operated by arm 95 from a groove of cam 96 on the shaft 43
(Fig. 2). The plate has a bevelled end 98 (Fig. 6) to lift the aciding latches 99
of the collars 81 so that the collars may be slid on the arms, and also a notch 100
to fit a pir 101 (Fig. 6) so that the collar will be held in proper position after
the latches are released. When the plate engages the collar the block 92 is moved
by a rod 102 reciprocated by a lever 104 (Figs. 1 24) from a cam 105, said rod
having collars 103 embracing the block (Figs. 1-2—6).
The lovers 93 connect with the plates 83 by pins 130, carried on small
cylinders 131, sliding in the frame, said pins passing loosely through the plates
and levers. This connection allows the blooks to be shifted laterally in trans-
ferring. The transfer collars when operated, transfer the blank from one head t
the next and there is a set of transfer devices for each head similar to those just
described..
itu
The head 32ª now makes a partial turn and carries the pressed blank to the trimmer
cutters 105* arranged to trim the pressed end of the blank. These cutters are on
spring arms 106 and are rotated by saitable belting. The cutter holder 107 is
moved vertically in its guides 111 to move the cutters to and from the work and
along the blank by the link 112, lever 113 and arm 114 operated by the grooved
cam 115. After the cutters are lifted to normal position, the head 32 carries the
pressed and trimmed blank to the head 32b onto the arm of which it is now trans-
ferred by mechanism similar to that described and this head advancing one step,
carries the blank to the top edge trimmer having a knife 118 on a shaft 120 held
by bracket 121 fixed on guide 122, vertical movement to the shaft and cutter being
imparted by the yoke, 123, arm 124, lever 126, link 128 and a cam 129. The
rotary head 32° now receives the blank through transfer mechanism and presents

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it in reversed position to a second trimming mechanism similar to that described so
that what were formerly the lower edges of the blank are now trimmed. These
cutters act to trim off the upper and lower edges of the blank left in slitting the
leather into strips. The rotary head 32d now receives the 'blank and carries
it through a bath of blacking 135. The head 32 is revolved reversely to the heads
described by the rack teeth 39 which engage the under side of the pinion instead
of the upper as in the other instances (see Fig. 11). The rotary head 32 receives
the blank at the next transferring action and carries it to the ink distributing
pads A on spring arms B* rotated by shaft E, which is moved vertically through
mechanism similar to that described in connection with the edge trimmer 118.
The blank is next transferred to rotary head 32' which carries it to the sponge 137
for applying harness dressing which is supplied from a reservoir 139, the sponge
and reservoir being rotated by shaft 140 which also is meved vertically to secure
good distribution by mechanism similar to that described. The sponge is carried
eccentrically by the reservoir. A valve 150 regulates the supply of dressing to the
sponge.
The radial arms of the head 32 have limited rotary movement which is given to
them by projecting pins 151 thereon (Figs. 2ª 12 & 15) striking the cam piece 153
thus turning the arm about 3 of a revolution and turning the blank thereon into an
inclined position to be transferred to the loop stick 155 having a rectangular cross
section to correspond with the shape of the completed loop (Figs. 13, 14 & 16).
This inclined position of the loop brings the edges which have been pressed and
trimmed out of the same vertical plane and into an angular plane so that the
pressed parts of the blank will not form the corners of the completed loop when
compressed, but will be at the ends thereof. Springs U return the radial arms to
normal position. The transfer to the loop stick is effected by a set of transfer
mechanisms 8393 similar to that described. The loop stick carrier 159 (Figs. 1
& 2A) is operated step by step by a pawl and ratchet 160, 161, lever 163, link 164,
pawl lever 165 and cam 162 on the shaft 43. The loop sticks carry the blank from
the head 32' opposite to the sleeve 167 which is inclined to correspond to the cross
sectional inclination of the loop stick. The sleeve is carried by a slide 168, moved
'by a lever 170 from a cam 171 and the blank is pushed by this sleeve into, the
precise position on the loop stick necessary for the subsequent operation. Each
loop stick has upper and lower die sections 172 173 (Figs. 13, 14 & 16) carried by
'lever 174 pivoted to heads 176, fixed' to the loop stick shank. Springs 175, hold
the dies normally open. The dies are forced together by studs 177 on arms 178 of
compression heads 179 and when closed' the locking sleeve 176 on shank of the
loop stick is forced forward by spring pins 180 (Fig. 2A) in the loop stick carrier.
The locked' dies with the blank are now moved by the table between the compression
heads 179 (Figs. 2 and 16) sliding in guides 182, and having spring rods 184 to
give a yielding pressure to the dies. The dies (Figs. 13 and 14) have oblique die
faces 187, 188 at right angles, the long faces 187 pressing the top and bottom
while the short faces press the slides of the loop simultaneously and at one operation
of the die sections. The compression heads are moved by blocks and eccentric
pins a, b, (Fig. 16) on shafts c, d, operated through gears 7, 9, from intermediate
gear h, on the shaft i driven by belt wheel K (Figs. 12 and 16 and 1 and 24).
This belt wheel is loose on the shaft and has an automatic clutch connection there-
with, which determines when it will impart movement to the shaft for the
compression action. This clutch comprises a spring block K¹ adapted to strike the
stud Kon the collar K³ fixed on the shaft i, it being prevented however, at regular
intervals, from striking said stud by a slide K which is normally raised by a
spring Kto contact with and press back the spring pin as the belt wheel revolves,
and cause it to pass by the stud K without operating the collar K and shaft,
but when the slide is lowered by the cam 148 and levers K and K2, (Fig. 12)
the spring pin will strike the stud, and the shaft will be moved thus operating the
compression heads during this revolution and until the slide is again raised by its
spring. The loop now having been completed is carried by the table 159 around
i
...

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P
to the slide (Figs. 14 and 24) having a head to engage the rear flange of the
locking sleeve 176ª so that when moved through its guide bracket o by the lever
operated from the cam 162, the locking sleeve is retracted and the spring 175 opens
the dies and exposes the completed loop for discharging. The table now carries
this loop stick and loop to the station X (Fig. 2). Gripper arms S, S on levers t
pivoted to the slide u now advance by reason of the forward movement of the
slide given thereto by levers x, y, z, from a cam 200 (Figs. 2 and 12). The gripper
levers are held apart by the spring latch t¹ pivoted to one lever and engaging a
catch on the other lever. When the gripper heads have gotten into position in
the rear of the loop, the latch contacts with the lug t (Fig. 2) and the levers
spring together by the spring 4. The latch t¹ now engages the outer side of the
catch to hold the gripper levers closed and heads together. The slide u with
the grippers now retracts, drawing the loop off of the loop stick to be discharged.
The final retracting movement of the slide u brings the other end of the latch t'
in contact with the lug thereby releasing the gripper levers which now open by
their inclines to working against pins which opening movement draws the latch
from engaging the lug allowing it to spring into engagement with the catch t²
of the gripper levers again to hold them apart for the next action. The discharge
grippers thus open and close as they are moved from and towards the loop stick
and in both open and closed position they are held securely by the latch t.
A spring stop pin 159* operated by the cam 201 and lever 162* holds the loop
stick table accurately in position after each movement.
In Figures 17, 18 and 19 is shown the preferred form of trimmer cutters to be
used in place of the trimmers 105. These consist of knife blades A, B on opposite
sides of the arm C having the loop blank y thereon and carried by pivoted
supports D, D' which are connected to move in unison towards and from the blank
by a pivoted lever J having pins L, L, engaging pins M, N, on the pivoted
supports. A bearing block E presses on the loop blank and the thickness of the
blank at this point will determine the position of the knives. The block is carried
by a pivoted link F and bears on a pivoted piece G which imparts the movement
of the bearing block Esto the pivoted support D and this support in turn controlls
the position of the support D¹ and knife B. The knives will thus trim off an
amount depending on the position of the bearing block E. This mechanism is
carried by a cross head D2 on a slide D. The cutters are double edged so that
they trim on each movement up and down. These cutters automatically adjust
themselves and thus produce a blank of uniform thickness.
In Figures 1 and 2 is shown a buffer mechanism for presenting a yielding stop
to the action of the loop stick table and reduce the jar on the stop pin. This
consists of a bell crank lever A pressed by a spring I and pivoted on a rocking
lever B, the said lever A having a spur G normally in the path of the locking
sleeve 176 of the carrier table so that just before the table completes one step in
its movement, the sleeve will hit the spur G of the spring buffer lever and this
will apply a yielding stopping, force to the table to gradually stop it, so that when
the stop pin 159 engages the table there will be no shock or jar. The buffer
lever A is lowered to disengage the table after each arresting, action, by the
return of the pawl lever 165 to normal position after having moved the table, said
lever drawing upon the slotted link F which rocks the shaft K through the
arm D and thus swings the rocking lever B downward.
The spring lever A now released from the sleeve 176 springs into normal
position against a rubber, stop H ready for 'the next action.
The rocking lever is raised by the spring J as the pawl lever 165 moves
forward to turn the table and the buffer lever A thus gets into position for
stopping the table. As a preferred form of die, to be substituted for the dies of
Figures 13 and 14, we show (in Figs. 20-23), an effective pair of dies in which the
upper and lower die sections D and C slide in the die frame A when_forced
together by the compressors described. The lower die has projections (Fig. 22)

page_text: with inner inclined surfaces. to receive corresponding outer surfaces d' on the upper
die (Fig. 21) which is composed of two pivoted sections d pressed normally apart
by a spring d and carrying a pivoted bearing block in a cavity between the
sections. This block has a plane bearing face and the inner bearing faces on the
projections of the die sections are at right angles thereto. When the dies are
forced together, the hinged die sections of the upper die will be closed by their
projections bearing against the inclines of the lower die projections and the ends
of the loop on the loop stick (Fig. 23) will thus be pressed while the sides will be
pressed by the plane bearing face of the bearing block d' and that of the lower die.
The front edges of the loop will be confined and properly pressed by plates E' F'
attached to and sliding with the upper and lower dies, said plates meeting at a
central point and closing one side of the die cavity. These plates have pins passing
through a part of the dies and springs ef encircle the pins, give a yielding
pressure to the plates. The rear edges of the loop are confined and pressed by a
laterally movable block of on the loop stick having inclined surfaces to contact
with similar inclines on the projections ef of the die. As the dies are pressed
together this block is forced against the remaining side of the die cavity.and
confines the loop. The dies are forced apart by any suitable spring or springs
connected thereto. The dies are locked by spring bolts having inclined ends
to enter notches e f (Figs. 21 and 22) of the dies. The bolts may be retracted
through any suitable means acting for instance upon their stems ef.
We desire to be understood that instead of cutting the leather into strips, slitting
the strips and cutting off the blanks afterwards, we may cut off the slitted sections
simultaneously with the slitting action and feed the slitted blanks to the finishing
mechanism; or under some circumstances it may be found desirable to cut the
blanks into lengths proper for the loops before slitting, and then slit and finish.
The various imechanisms used at the different stations or stages of the work may
obviously be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of our
invention.
What is claimed in respect of the herein described invention is :-
1. A machine by which seamless loops are made direct from a leather strip or
leather blanks, comprising knives for slitting the leather strip or blanks, pressing
mechanism by which the slit blanks are pressed and shaped, and trimming and
finishing mechanisms; and adapted to automatically introduce a plain leather strip,
or leather blanks, and step by step, move this material, slit it, press the loops, and
trim and finish them; the said operations being successively performed substantially
as herein described.
2. In a machine for making seamless leather loops from a strip or blanks, a
moving mechanism having one or more arbors or like devices, substantially as
described, onto which the blanks when split are pressed and held, and on which,
they are operated upon in the automatical manufacture of such loops.
3. A machine for making seamless loops direct from leather strips or blanks, in
which the leather strip or blanks is or are fed and slit, a moving device having
arbors or analogous provisions, onto which the slit blanks are pressed, and a
succession of similar moving devices, and means for transferring the said slit and
partly made loops from one to another of such devices, the said blanks or loops
being operated upon in the successive devices by pressing, trimming and finishing,
blacking and dressing mechanisms (or pressing, trimming, and finishing mechanisms),
and whereby the blanks, introduced' as plain leather, are gradually and successively
passed through the machine from device to device, and operated upon in such
devices, and discharged as complete loops.
4. In a machine for making leather loops direct from leather strips or blanks,
having moving devices with arbors, or like provisions, onto which the blanks wheu
split are pressed, 'and' on which they are operated upon, the employment and
arrangement in connection with such devices, of the pressing, trimming, blacking,

page_text: dressing, and completing devices, severally set forth in the description of the
machine described with reference to and shewn in the drawings, operating in the
manner substantially as described.
5. In a machine for producing automatically compressed loops direct from
leather strips or blanks, the herein described improvement, consisting in arranging
and adapting the loops to be delivered to the compressing mechanism, and to be
compressed therein in such a manner that the pressing parts of the blank will be
disposed at the ends of the loops, i.e, will not form the corners of the completed
loop when compressed.
6. In a machine for making leather loops from leather strips or blanks, means
for slitting the blank comprising two knives moving towards each other to slit the
leather from each side; substantially as described.
7. The complete machine for making, automatically, finished loops direct from
leather strips or blanks, having the various mechanisms arranged in relation to
each other, and operating in combination, particularly as herein set forth with
reference to and as shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.