Improvements in Continuous Wire Drawing Machinery and Apparatus for Threading a Series of Dies upon the Wire for such Machine.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Continuous Wire Drawing Machinery and Apparatus
for Threading a Series of Dies upon the Wire for such Machine.
I, CHAUNCEY CLARK BALDWIN, a resident of the City of Elizabeth, County of
Union, State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The nature of this invention comprises first, an improved gearing to operate a
series of drawing rolls arranged alternately with a series of wire-dies, whereby
each drawing-roll is rotated at a slightly greater surface speed than the wire is
drawn through the succeeding wire-die, whereby each roll is prevented from
holding the wire back from the following die, and the strain on the wire in draw-
ing it through each die is thus due to that die only.
Second, an improved construction for the bed and gearing of a wire-drawing
machine for operating two independent sets of dies and drawing-rolls from a
central shaft or shafts so as to perform the independent drawing of wire by the
continuous process at the opposite sides of the same machine. Instead of a draw
bench under which the driving gear is mounted, the two sets of dies are arranged
at opposite sides of a central shaft or shafts and all the bearings for the apparatus
are upon the upper side of a large cast iron bed or frame, which holds all the
parts firmly while carrying them in completely accessible positions.
Third, the nature of the invention comprises an apparatus by which the entire
series of dies used for reducing the wire by continuous drawing may be quickly
threaded upon the forward end of the wire, with suitable intervals to permit the
application of the dies to a series of rotary die-holders arranged in a straight
line upon the machine and slitted at the side to admit the wire.
The constructions embodying this invention embrace,
First, a bed formed with a long water trough at each side, and a central driving
shaft supported in bearings between the two troughs.
Second, a series of drawing rolls mounted at each side of the machine upon
horizontal spindles at right angles to the driving shaft, with a particular arrange-
ment of the bevel wheels which drive the pairs of roll spindles at opposite sides
of the shaft, by which the strain upon the bearings of such shaft is wholly
balanced.
Third, bearings for such spindles alternated upon the bed with a series of
bracket-standards each carrying a rotary die-holder and a bearing for the con-
tinuous gear shaft to drive such die-holder by spur gearing.
Fourth, an improved annular friction support for the rotary die-holders, by
which they may be supported upon annular friction balls and the ball-races
renewed when worn. In this construction, the rotary die-holder has teeth upon its
periphery to drive it, and the ball-races are made removable, and are slit from one
edge toward the center to admit the wire laterally.
Fifth, the rolls in each series graduated in size so as to draw the wire with more
rapidity as it is reduced in size, and the gearing connecting the roll spindles with

page_text: the central driving shaft also graduated in size to increase the speed of the blocks
which draw the finer wire, without excessive enlargement of such blocks to secure
the desired draft.
Sixth, an annular ring of hardened steel secured removably upon the face of
cach draw block so that it may be reversed edgewise or renewed, when worn by the
grip of the wire, the steel ring being secured to the body of the block by a key
or dowel so as to turn the ring positively.
Seventh, a particular construction for the cast iron bed of the entire machine,
by which it is divided longitudinally in the middle and the parts secured together
with the bolting flanges, and still further strengthened by securing the bearings
for the central driving shaft over the central joint of the bed to strengthen the
same.
Eighth, a separate cast iron end piece secured upon the bed to carry the bear-
ings and shafts for the clutches for operating the two finishing drums.
Ninth, interchangeable steps adapted to support the spindles of finishing drums
of different diameters in line with the wire, such steps being secured removably
upon the opposite sides of such end piece and connected by bevel wheels with the
said clutches.
Tenth, a lifter for removing the coil of wire from the finishing-drum, comprising
lifter arms fitted loosely to grooves in the body and flange of the drum, and
extended above the same and rigidly attached to a spider by which the arms may
be lifted simultaneously.
Eleventh, a special attachment for threading a series of drawing dies upon the
wire, comprising a winding drum and its spindle, a clutch and its spindle with
gearing connecting the same to the winding drum spindle, a support with die-
holder fitted to move thereon parallel to the side of the winding drum, a frame
having bearings for the shafts and supporting all the parts in their operative
position, and a lever pivoted upon the frame with connections for actuating the
clutch.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of October 1908
THOMAS S. CRANE,
New York, NY., Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Continuous Wire Drawing Machinery and Apparatus
for Threading a Series of Dies upon the Wire for such Machine.
I. CHAUNCEY CLARK BALDWIN, residing at the City of Elizabeth, County of
Union, State of New Jersey, U.S.A., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement : —
The obiect of the present invention is to double the capacity of a continuous
wire-drawing machine without doubling its cost or size, and this object is attained
by disposing in a single horizontal plane the shafts. spindles, and gearing for
operating the drawing-rolls, so that the bearings for the shafts and spindles may
be readily supported and adjusted upon the upper side of a cast iron bed. The
machine is provided upon each side with a series of rotary wire dies alternated with
drawing-rolls, and requires a central driving shaft and drawing-roll spindles in
pairs, arranged one spindle upon each side of the shaft.
The central shaft is furnished with a bearing between the spindles of each pair,
and with two independent pairs of bevel gear wheels adjacent to such bearing for
connecting the shaft with the two spindles so as to rotate the rolls forwardly at
opposite sides of the machine,

page_text: This arrangement of the bevel gears balances the strain upon the central bear-
ings, while the entire arrangement makes the cost materially less than where the
driving shaft and gearing are placed below the bed or below the plane of the
drawing-roll spindles, as it disposes all the parts in completely accessible positions.
The bed requires a central longitudinal depression, and a continuous box or plat-
form at each edge of the same to support the bearings for the drawing-roll spindles,
the box-form of casting giving great strength and rigidity to the bed, which is
still further increased by casting a water-trough integral with the bed along the
outer side of each box. The depression between the two boxes is required to
receive the bearings of the central driving shaft and the bevel gear wheels to
connect the same with the spindles. Such a machine for drawing heavy wire
is from six to eight metres in length, which is too large to make the bed advan-
tageously in a single casting, and to divide the bed without weakening its strength,
it is cut longitudinally upon the center line c, and the bearings for the contral
shaft are bolted over the joint to strengthen the same.
An elevated seat is formed at one end of the depression between the boxes, to
support the primary bearing of the central shaft.
: The drawing-rolls are graduated in size upon each side of the machine to
increase the speed of the wire as it is decreased in size, and the bevel gear wheels
connecting the roll-spindles with the driving shaft are also graduated in size,
to secure the desired variation in speed without excessive variation in the size
of the rolls or bevel-wheels. The iront corners of the bed are provided with
seats to which steps are attached for supporting the finishing drum spindles in
a vertical position, and as it is necessary to use drums of different sizes, inter-
changeable steps are made with various degrees of projection from the seat, so as
to sustain the drums of various diameters in line with the wire-dies.
The wire is coiled upon the surface of the drawing-rolls between each of the
wire-dies and wears such surface rapidly, and to preserve and renew the surface
readily the roll-body is formed with a hardened steel ring secured detachably upon
its periphery, and the ring held from turning by a key or dowel. When one edge
of such ring is reduced in diameter it may be reversed, and when excessively
worn it may be quickly removed and another substituted in its place.
In wire-drawing machines having a rotary die it has been common to make the
die-holder of steel so as to form a ball-race upon the rear side; but such ball-race
can only be renewed by replacing the entire die-holder, which is a very expensive
construction, as the holder requires a shank to revolve in the bearing and teeth
cut upon its periphery to rotate it.
In the present invention, the rotary die-holders are formed each with a cast
iron gear having a shank cast thereon, and the end-thrust of the wire-die is
resisted by means of steel ball-races fitted around the shank between the die-
holder and the bearing, and held to each by a short pin or dowel. Such ball-races
can be readily renewed when worn, and the expense of renewing the entire holder
is thus avoided.
In a machine having a series of rotary die-holders, the dies are of gradually
diminished apertures, and it is common to slit the die-holder and its bearing
from the side to the center, and to thread the required series of dies (for one
set of holders) upon the forward end of the wire before applying the dies to the
holders, the wire being dropped into the slits until the wire is in the center of
the holder, and each die then fitted into a socket in a holder.
My invention includes an appliance for rapidly threading the wire through the
set of dies used upon one side of the machine.
In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan of the double machine; Fig. 1 a plan of the
step for a small finishing drum with dotted line 3, 3, showing its relation to the axis of
the wire-dies. Fig. 1" is a step for one of the large finishing drums, such as is shown
in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is an end view of
the finishing drum step; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the machine taken on line 6, 6,
in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the end next the finishing drums; Fig. 5 is

page_text: a plan of the bed. Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the die-holders; Fig. 7 is a
longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 8 an end view of one of the ball-races.
Fig. 9 is a side view, and Fig. 10 a section of one of the drawing-rolls, and
Fig. 11 is a diagram of the dies threaded on the wire. Fig. 12 is a side elevation,
and Fig. 13 a plan of the finishing drum and its lifter. Fig. 14 is a plan of the
threading appliance; Fig. 15 a side elevation of the same; Fig. 16 a front eleva-
tion of the same; and Fig. 17 a perspective view of the die-holder used in the
threading appliance.
In the bed, A designates the water troughs at the edge, B the hollow box
forming a platform at the inner side of each trough, and the central depression
(see Figs. 3 and 5) in which is the longitudinal division e provided with flanges c¹.
Seats are formed in the bottom of the depression to support the bearings D
of the central driving-shaft D, and an elevated seat C2 supports the primary
bearing of the driving-shaft, which is provided with driving-pulley D².
E designates five graduated drawing-rolls upon each side of the machine,
alternated with die-holders I. El are the roll-spindles, and F their bearings
mounted upon the boxes B. A bearing D is bolted upon one of the seats ²
between the spindles E of each pair, and F and F designate the separate pairs
of bevel gear wheels adjacent to such bearings, to drive the two spindles forwardly,
as indicated by the arrows a in Fig. 1.
With this arrangement, one of the spindles in each pair produces a downward
thrust upon the driving-shaft, and the other produces an upward thrust, which
perfectly balances the strain upon the adjacent bearing F.
Brackets H, upon the boxes, carry the bearings h for the rotary die-holders I,
and bearings for the gear shaft H¹ which drives the die-holders by gears h².
Each gear shaft H' is driven independently by pullies H2. In Figs. 6 to 9, the die-
holder is shown with cylindrical shank 1' cast in one piece with the cast metal
gear I which forms the body of the holder, and which is provided in the rear with
the socket for the wire-die i.
The bearing his shown in section in Fig. 7, and the detachable steel ball-races j
are shown between the bearing and the back of the gear I. The bearing, the
gear, and the ball-races are all slit from the periphery to the center, to insert the
wire laterally; the dies i having been previously strung upon the wire at suitable
intervals (as shown in Fig. 11) to place the dies in their respective dic-holders
and to wrap several coils of wire about each of the drawing-rolls, as indicated by
the line W in Figs. 1 and 11.
Figs. 9 and 10 show the drawing-roll E with a removable flange upon the outer
side, and the hardened steel ring E held upon the body by such flange and rotated
with the body by a key e or dowel e¹. J designates the finishing drums, which are
provided with lifters J¹ to remove the coil of wire when finished. The drum
spindle K is held vertically in the step K¹, which is formed, as shown in Fig. 4,
with a clutch-shaft bearing k and with an angle-foot ¹ adapted to bolt upon one
of the front corners L of the bed. The clutch-shaft 7 drives the drum by gears l¹,
and has clutch M actuated by hand-lever N or N.
The two clutch-shafts are driven from the central driving-shaft by spur gears O
and bevel gears 0', all of which are mounted upon a transverse bed-piece C¹
which is bolted to the end of the main bed, across the joint of the latter, to
strengthen the same. The clutch-levers N, N¹, stop or start the finishing drums,
and (in connection with the gear shaft pullies H2) enable the dies and finishing
drum upon either side of the machine to be stopped independently of the other,
to adjust the dies and wire upon that side of the machine for commencing the
drawing operation.
The bolting of the bearings B₁ upon the seats 2 over the joint e greatly stiffens
the bed, and assists with the hollow boxes B which rest upon the foundation at
opposite sides of the bed, in preventing jar and vibration under the rapid rotation
of the numerous toothed wheels employed. Such vibration is very violent at
the high speed required, and my construction controls it in a very effective manner.
The speed of the drawing-rolls is graduated in the following manner.

page_text: The spindles E of the first and second drawing rolls next the finishing drum J.
have bevel gears F' of the same size, as shown in Fig. 1, and the first roll is of
larger diameter than the second so as to produce the required difference in speed.
The third roll from the finishing drum has also a bevel gear F1 of the same size,
while the roll itself is smaller than the second.
The fourth roll is of the same size as the third, while the bevel gear F¹ is larger,
to properly reduce its speed. The bevel gear of the fifth roll is of the same size
as the bevel gear F¹ of the fourth roll, but the fifth roll is smaller than the fourth,
and the gearing rotates all of the rolls at a slightly greater surface speed than the
wire is drawn through the die which succeeds such roll. The wire is thus supplied
freely to each die, and the tension of drawing it through the die is limited to the
resistance of that die alone.
The finishing drum J has a flange 2 at the bottom provided with radial grooves p¹,
and a series of lifter arms J¹ are fitted to the grooves and extended considerably
above the body, and are connected by a spider to lift the coil of wire from the
drum when it is filled.
It is found in practice that if the spider is attached within the upper ends of
the armis, the tension of winding the wire upon the arms bends them inwardly
between the ends, and prevents the coil from slipping easily off of the arms when
removed from the drum and inverted. I therefore prefer to attach the spider
to the arms intermediate to their ends, thus making the arms most rigid where the
tension of the wire upon the arms is greatest. When the lifter is removed from the
drum with the coil, another lifter can be supplied to continue the wire-drawing
instantly, while the coil upon the previous lifter can be tied up, and readily
removed from the coil by inverting the same.
These operations are applicable to coils weighing nearly two hundred pounds,
in which wire like No. 10 gage exerts an enormous tension upon the lifter arms,
and in which the finished coil is too heavy to readily lift by hand. The lifter is
elevated from the drum J by any suitable means for hoisting it and shifting it to
the desired location. Fig. 11 shows the series of wire-dies threaded upon the
wire in readiness for application to the split die-holders, and for coiling about the
intermediate drawing-rolls, as is suggested by the coils e² in the figure.
The several dies are of successively diminished apertures so as to reduce the
wire, for instance, from quarter inch diameter to No. 10 gage in six steps, and the
apparatus for threading the dies upon the wire is shown in Figs. 14 to 17 inclusivé,
where W designates two frames provided with bearings in the upper part, sup-
porting a drum shaft w and clutch-shaft w¹.
The shafts are connected by gears w², and the clutch-shaft is provided with
driving pulley and clutch w to stop and start the drum shaft at pleasure. The
drum W³ is overhung at one side of the frame, and provided upon the outer end
with a gripper w³ to grip the forward end of the wire and draw it in succession
through the several dies. A guide-bar W is projected from the frame parallel
with the side of the drum, and a die-holder W2, shown in perspective in Fig. 17,
is fitted movably to such guide-bar to support the dies one at a time as the wire
is drawn through the same.
A lever a is provided to actuate the clutch, and may be arranged for operation
by hand or treadle, a treadle X being shown in the drawing; which is preferable,
as it leaves the hands of the operator entirely free.
The drum W operates differently from a finishing drum as the wire is not
wound adjacent to a flange, and crowded gradually away from the same as it
accumulates; but in the present construction the forward end of the wire is pointed,
and carried through the dies sufficiently to be grasped by the gripper. The pres-
sure upon the treadle then causes the drum to rotate, and the wire is wound upon
the drum in coils side by side, while the die-holder W2 moves gradually along
the guide-bar W¹.
The die-holder is moved automatically by the lateral pressure of the coils, and

page_text: the movement of the drum is continued until the operator judges by his experience
that the wire is sufficiently drawn to receive the succeeding dies of the series.
The wire is shown in Fig. 14 with one die previously drawn upon the wire, and
the drawing operation commenced to reduce the wire through a second die, and the
reduction in size is shown in such figure, but not in Fig. 11 where the scale is
too small.
With this appliance the dies can be readily threaded upon the wire at suitable
intervals to apply the dies and wire to the die-holder and drawing-rolls, and when
the wire runs out on either side of the machine, the dies can be inserted to start
a fresh wire in about one and a half minutes. The provision of the pullies H²,
for driving the gear shafts H₁ independently, permits the dies upon either side
of the machine to be operated, while those upon the opposite side are stopped to
insert a fresh wire and set of dies.
The finishing drum upon one side of the machine can also be stopped indepen-
dently of that upon the other side by its own clutch lever N or N¹.
The double machine thus described costs much less than two single machines,
and is capable of doing the same work, as either side can be operated indepen-
dently, while both have the same frame and central driving-shaft. It is obvious
that the advantages of a single frame and of independent operation, can be secured
by using two shafts instead of one in the center of the frame, to drive the two
sets of drawing-rolls; but the single shaft is preferable, as it secures greater
compactness and cheapness of construction.
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: -
1. A continuous wire-drawing machine having a series of wire dies alternated
with a series of drawing-rolls, and a driving-shaft, as D, and series of roll-spindles,
as E, to rotate the rolls, the rolls in the series being graduated in size continuously
from one end of the series to the other, and the spindles being connected with the
driving-shaft by pairs of bevel gear wheels graduated in size continuously from one
end of the series to the other, whereby the required variation in the speed of the
rolls is effected partly by the graduation of the rolls and partly by the graduation
of the gear wheels, and any excessive variation in the size of the rolls or gear
wheels is avoided, substantially as herein set forth.
2. A continuous wire-drawing machine provided at its opposite sides with
independent sets of wire-dies, and mechanism, as the shafts H, for rotating such
dies independently, one or more central driving-shafts, two sets of drawing-roll
spindles journaled in pairs alternately with the two sets of wire-dies, drawing-
rolls mounted upon the spindles, gearing connecting the central shaft or shafts
with the drawing-roll spindles, and two finishing drums with clutches for stopping
and starting the same independently, to draw the wire from the last die at each
side of the machine.
3. In a continuous wire-drawing machine having a central driving-shaft with
drawing-roll spindles arranged horizontally at opposite sides of the same and
geared thereto, a cast iron bed provided at each of its sides with a continuous
hollow box extended to the base of the bed to rest upon the foundation, and form-
ing a platform to support the bearings of the drawing-roll spindles, and having
a central longitudinal depression between the said boxes to receive the bearings
and the gear wheels upon the driving-shaft, substantially as herein set forth."
4. In a continuous wire-drawing machine having a central shaft with drawing-
roll spindles arranged horizontally at opposite sides of the same, the combina-
tion, with a cast metal bed having a longitudinal box at each side to support the
bearings of the drawing-roll spindles, with a longitudinal depression between
the two boxes for the bearings and gear wheels upon the central shaft and a divi-
sion upon the middle line of the bed with bolting flanges to secure the parts
together, of an end bed attached to the other two parts across the joint of the

page_text: same and provided with steps for the spindles of the two finishing drums, sub-
stantially as herein set forth.
5. In a continuous wire-drawing machine having a central shaft with drawing-
roll spindles arranged horizontally at opposite sides of the same, and two series of
wire-dies at the outer sides of the machine, the combination, with a cast metal
bed having a longitudinal box at each side to support the bearings of the drawing-
roll spindles, and seats at the opposite front corners of the bed to sustain steps
for the finishing-drum spindles, of interchangeable steps of various projections
fitted removably to such seats and adapted to sustain finishing drums of various
diameters in line with the wire-dies, substantially as herein set forth.
6. In a continuous wire-drawing machine having rotary dies, a pair of removable
steel ball-races slit from the periphery to the central opening, and inserted between
cach rotary die-holder and its bearing, as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a continuous wire-drawing machine, the finishing drum having the body J
and flange p provided with a series of grooves as set forth, the series of lifter arms J¹
fitted to the grooves in such body and flange and extended above the body, and
the spider P secured rigidly to the arms, whereby the arms are held in the same
relation when removed from the drum, and require inversion to remove the coil
of wire, substantially as herein set forth.
8. In an appliance for threading a series of wire-dies upon the wire, the com-
bination, with a winding drum and its spindle, of a clutch-shaft and its spindle
with gearing connecting the same with the winding drum spindle, a lever for
actuating the clutch at pleasure, a die-holder with a support close to the side of
the winding drum, and a frame having bearings for the shafts and supporting all
the parts in their operative positions, substantially as herein set forth.
9. In an appliance for threading a series of wire-dies upon the wire, the com-
bination, with the side frames W, of the bearings upon the upper part with drum
shaft and clutch-shaft w¹ journaled therein, and connected by the gears w²,
the drum W3 overhung at the side of the frame and provided with the gripper w³,
the guide-bar W₁ projected from the frame at the side of the drum, with the
die-holder W2 fitted movably thereto, the driving pulley and clutch W upon the
clutch-shaft, and a lever for actuating the clutch at pleasure, the whole arranged
and operated substantially as herein set forth.
10. The continuous wire-drawing machine constructed and operated substan-
tially as herein shown and described.
101 1
T "
1000
At No. 10, Wall Street, New York, N.Y.,
THOMAS SEXTON CRANE,
Agent for Applicant.