A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF FEEDING EYELETTING MACHINE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Whitfield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1883.
CHARLES WHITFIELD of Kettering in the County of Northampton Engineer
"A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF FEEDING EYELETTING MACHINE"
This Invention has for its object a new or improved self-feeding eyeletting
machine The first part of my invention relates to improved mechanism for
automatically feeding the eyelets so as to prevent all risk of their jamming as now
so frequently occurs Such improved mechanism consists of a box, to receive the
eyelets constructed in such a manner that the eyelets can only escape from it when
they are in one position through suitable outlets into an annular space surrounding
the box, the base of such annular space being preferably a continuation of the
bottom of the box. Out of this space they are delivered into a shoot connecting
the annular space with the eyeletting dies The plane of the box and the shoot
are placed at an angle with the horizontal plane somewhat greater than is required
to overcome the friction between the eyelet and the bottom of the box and shoot
so as to ensure each eyelet being carried by the force of gravity to the lowest point
The box and base of the annular space are both made revolving so that each
revolution facilitates the egress and travel of the eyelet from the box into the
annular space and from thence into the shoot
The second part of my invention relates to an improved arrangement of the
actuating levers and consists of the combination of two levers one of which is
worked by a treadle and acts on the plunger containing one of the eyeletting dies
while the other is in the form of a bell crank one arm being attached to the feeding
apparatus and the other arm engaging with the other lever by a cam arrangement
The cam is so arranged that when the lever which works the plunger has moved
through a certain angular distance it is engaged by the bell crank which moves the
feeding apparatus out of the way of the dies The return action bringing back the
bell crank to its original position

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent tiled
by the said Charles Whitfield in the Patent Office on the 30th June 1884.
CHARLES WHITFIELD of Kettering in the County of Northamptonshire Engineer
A NEW OR IMPROVED SELF FEEDING EYELETTING MACHINE
The first part of my invention relates to improved mechanism for automatically
feeding the eyelets so as to prevent all risk of their jamming as now so frequently
occurs. Such improved mechanism consists of a box to receive the eyelets
constructed in such a manner that the eyelets can only escape from it when they
are in one position through suitable outlets into an annular space being preferably
a continuation of the bottom of the box. Out of this space they are delivered into
a shoot connecting the annular space with the eyeletting discs. The plane of the
box and the shoot are placed at an angle with the horizontal plane somewhat
greater than is required to overcome the friction between the eyelet and the bottom
of the box and shoot so as to insure each eyelet being carried by the force of
gravity to the lowest point
The box and base of the annular space are both made revolving so that such
revolution facilitates the egress and travel of the eyelet from the box into the
annular space and from thence into the shoot
The second part of my invention relates to an improved arrangement of the
actuating levers and consists of the combination of two levers one of which is
worked by a treadle and acts on the plunger containing one of the eyeletting
dies while the other is in the form of a bellcrank one arm being attached to the
feeding apparatus and the other arm engaging with the other lever by a cam
arrangement The cam is so arranged that when the lever which works the
plunger has moved through a certain angular distance it is engaged by the bell
crank which moves the feeding apparatus out of the way of the dies the return
action bringing the bell crank to its original position.
A convenient method by which I carry out my invention is shewn in- the
accompanying sheet of drawings reference being made to the figures thereon which
represent like parts
Figure I is a side elevation shewing the general arrangement of the machine:-
Figure II is a front elevation of the same
Figure III represents the eyelet box in elevation and part of the bed in section
through the line P k in Figure IV in which an eyelet i is shewn passing from the
annular space to the shoot
Figure IV is a plan of the bed the position in elevation of which is shewn at d
in Figure I.
Figure V is a section of the box shewing an interior flange or projection l.
Figure VI is a section of the shoot on the line x y in Figure 4 which is formed
by the bed and side guides
It will be seen that the lever a in figure 1 is so constructed that it can be
attached to a treadle or otherwise by means of a cord chain or rod at the end ; the
opposite end being connected with the plunger b and cam lever c which carries the
bed d as shewn. When the lever a is pulled down the plunger b in which is fixed
one of the eyeletting dies is forced up until the projecting pin c passes through the
bottom eyelet in the shoot as in other machines constructed for a like purpose-
When this is done the lever a engages the cam-lever o by means of a roller or pin
and the frame which carries or forms part of the shoot is then moved out of the
way of the ascending or bottom die and plunger which can then close with the top
or upper die shewn at f

page_text: As the lever a resumes its original position it causes the plunger to descend but
the cam is so constructed that the lever c remains at rest until the plunger and die
are low enough to avoid fouling the shoot containing the eyelets when it is
brought in a position ready to supply another eyelet to the dies. The lever a is
brought back by a spring shewn herein at g or by other suitable means
Figures III. IV. V. VI and VII shew in detail the construction of the box and
bed which I employ for feeding the eyelets dispensing with brushes or other modes
of forcing the eyelets as heretofore practised. The box is fixed by means of a
wingnut or other suitable arrangement on the spindle n which has a ratchet t
attached to it so that each backward and forward movement of the bed causes the
spindle and with it the box to pass through some part of its revolution
The general details of the box and annular space s are shewn in Figures III, V
and VII. The interior flange or projection greatly facilitates the egress of the
eyelets through the apertures by preventing overcrowding-Figure VII shews a
horizontal section of the box through the line vw in Figure V.
As the box revolves the eyelets gravitate through the apertures into the annular
space whence they escape either direct into the shoot or as soon as the friction
between the eyelets and the base of the annular space which revolves in the
direction shewn by the arrow carries them into such a position that they can
escape
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention and a means by
which the same can or may be carried into practice I claim as my invention
First the interior projection or flange in self feeding eyeletting machines for
preventing overcrowding or glutting of the eyelets within the box in passing into
or through the apertures and
Secondly the arrangement herein before setforth and shewn in the accompanying
drawings whereby the friction between the revolving base and the eyelets carries
them into a suitable position for escaping into the shoot from the lowest point of
which they are taken by the dies
In witness whereof I the said Charles Whitfield have hereunto set my hand
and seal this
day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four
CHAS. WHITFIELD. (L.S.)