Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
I DANIEL MARKS REDMOND, of Philadelphia in the county of Philadelphia and
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:―
This invention relates to improvements in tempering, piercing and trimming
machinery employed in the manufacture of ribs and stretchers for u.nbrellas and the
like the improvements being specially applicable for manufacturing paragon or
U-shaped ribs and stretchers.
The invention consists in the employment of rollers for straightening the wire in
connection with the hardening furnace a revolving brush for removing the superfluous
oil or liquid and an expansion rod and indicating lever for the purpose of indicating
the degree of heat in the tempering furnace. For piercing the ribs and stretchers,
two adjustable dies are provided, set so that the work can be placed on both of them
by hand with great accuracy by means of stops and guides hereinafter described.
For trimming the ribs and stretchers I make use of a trimming die and centering
pin combined with an adjustable die and guide and a stop for holding the work in a
central position on the second die without it being necessary to employ any
centre pin.
I will describe my invention as applied to the manufacture of paragon or U-shaped
umbrella ribs and stretchers.
The wire to form the ribs and stretchers and which is first required to be hardened
and tempered is placed upon a reel or spool at one end of a hardening furnace and
is then passed between rollers which take out the curve that is caused by the winding
of the wire on the spool and guide it and keep it from twisting as it enters the
furnace; the wire is then passed in at one end of and through an ordinary hardening
furnace and is then cooled as it leaves the other end of the furnace by means of
a suitable cooling liquid.
The wire is then passed under the revolving brush by means of which the super-
fluous oil or liquid is taken off before the wire enters the tempering furnace ; by

page_text: this operation the wire is caused to leave the furnace in a much cleaner condition,
that is to say, with less dried oil thereon besides which much less smoke is caused
from the burning oil and a much larger quantity of oil is saved which can be used
over again.
The tempering furnace is constructed with guides to carry the wire in a straight
position while being heated to a proper degreo for tempering the same; it is then
passed on to be either cut into lengths or wound on a spool as may be required.
To regulate the heat in the tempering furnace I use a heavy piece of metal which
will retain the heat at an equal temperature for a long time; this piece of metal is
made with a hole extending through its whole length in the same direction as tho
wire passes along and close to the wire; in this hole or opening I place a rod of metal
which will expand to a greater or less extent than the metal through which it passes;
one end of this rod is placed against an adjustable screw at one end and against the
shorter arm of a lever at the other end so that the difference in the expansion of the
two metals will cause the longer arm of the lever to indicate on a scale outside the
furnace the degree of heat that the metal block and the wire passing through or close
to the same is receiving; this longer arm of the lever can be also connected to a
damper of the furnace so as to shut off and open the draught thereby automatically
regulating the heat of the furnace.
I prefer to pierco the ribs and stretchers before they are cropped or trimmed but
they can if required be trimmed first and pierced afterwards. Both ends are pierced
at the same time whereby the work produced is more regular in size and the two
ends are operated on in the same space of time as has hitherto been required to
operate on one end only.
Tho piercing machine is constructed of a frame carrying a reciprocating slido longer
than the ribs or stretchers to be operated on and two die beds are fastened to it under
the slide so that they can ho set at any distance apart to suit the work to be done;
there are two tool holders on the reciprocating slide which tool holders can be set near
to or far apart from each other to suit the length of the work to be done; the said
holders carry the piercing tools which pass through the wire and into the dies in the
die bed; the work to be operated on is placed over these dies and is brought into
proper position over the dies by three stops one situated at the end and one opposite
to where the holes are pierced so that by setting the work to be operated on close up
to these three stops it is brought into the proper position to bo pierced by the piercing
tools which are held on the reciprocating slide. In order to then trim the ends of
the ribs or stretchers properly in rogard to the pierced holes I-remove the piercing
tools and in their place I employ two sets of semi-circular shaped trimming tools and
set them at a distance apart suitable to the work that is to be done; 1 then place the
rib or stretcher on a pin placed in one of the trimming dies at the proper distance
from the cutting edge thereof and pass the other end under and back against a stop
placed above and at the back of the other trimming die so that it is only necessary
to use one pin in the trimming dies as both the holes being pierced at the same time
the ribs or stretchers are all of the same length and when one hole is held by
the pin in the right placo for trimming the other hole must also come in the right
position.
Although I have described my invention as applied to the manufacture of paragon
or U-shaped ribs and stretchers it will be obvious that other kinds of ribs and
stretchers can be manufactured by slightly modifying some of the parts of the
machinery without departing from the principle of the invention.
01
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Manufacturing Ribs and Stretchers
for Umbrellas and the like.
I, DANIEL MARKS REDMOND, of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia and
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in hardening tempering, piercing and
trimming or cropping machinery employed in the manufacture of ribs and stretchers
for umbrellas and the like the improvements being specially applicable for
manufacturing paragon or U-shaped ribs and stretchers.
The invention consists in the employment of rollers for straightening the wire in
connection with the hardening furnace, a revolving brush or wiper or its equivalent
for removing the superfluous oil or liquid and an expansion rod and indicating lever
for the purpose of indicating the degree of heat in the tempering furnace.
For piercing the ribs and stretchers two adjustable dies are provided, set so that the
work can be placed in both of them by hand with great accuracy by means of stops
and guides hereinafter described.
For trimming the ribs and stretchers I make use of a trimming die and centering
pin combined with an adjustable die and guido and a stop for holding the work
in a central position on the second die without it being necessary to employ any
centre pin.
I prefer to pierce the ribs and stretchers before they aro cropped or trimmed but
they can,
if required, be trimmed first and pierced afterwards. Both ends are pierced
at the same time whereby the work produced is more regular in size and the two ends.
are operated on in the same space of time as has hitherto been required to operate
on one end only.
The piercing machine is constructed of a frame carrying a reciprocating slido longer
than the ribs or stretchers to be operated on and two die beds are fastened to it under
the slide so that they can be set at any distance apart to suit the work to be done;
there are two tool holders on the reciprocating slide which tool holders can be set near
to or far apart from each other to suit the length of the work to be done the said
holders carry the piercing tools which pass through the wire and its dies in the die
bed; the work to be operated on is placed over these dies and is brought into proper
position over the dies by three stops one situated at the end and one opposite to where
the holes are pierced so that by setting the work to be operated on close up to theso
three stops it is brought into the proper position to be pierced by the piercing tools
which are held on the reciprocating slide.
In order to then trim or round the ends of the ribs or stretchers to the required
shape and size properly in regard to the pierced holes I remove tho piercing tools and
in their place I employ two sets of semi-circular-shaped trimming tools and set them
at a distance apart suitable to the work that is to be done; I then place one end of
the rib or stretcher on a pin placed in one of the trimming dies at the proper distance.
from the cutting edge thereof and pass the other end under and back against a stop
placed above and at the back of the other trimming die so that it is only necessary
to use one pin in the trimming dies as both the holes being pierced at the same time
the ribs or stretchers are all of the same length and when one hole is held by the.

page_text: pm in the right place for trimming, the other
position.
111
THE HIGHE
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood 1 will proceed to describo
how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 2 is a plan of my apparatus for tempering umbrella and parasol ribs and
stretchers.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of my machine for trimming or cropping umbrella and
parasol ribs and stretchers the movable tools being shown in their lowermost position
and the machine being arranged to automatically effect the withdrawal of the finished
ribs or stretchers.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 is a plan of the same.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line Y Z, figure 3.
Figure 7 is a detached view of some of the parts of the machine.
Figure 8 is a front elevation drawn to an enlarged scale of the left-hand bottom
tool holder with the bottom die and stops.
Figure 9 is a side elevation, and
Figure 10 is a plan of the same.
Figures 11, 12, and 13 are similar views to figures 8, 9, and 10 but illustrating the
right hand bottom tool holder with the bottom tool and stops as arranged when it is
intended that the finished ribs or stretchers shall be withdrawn from the machine by
hand.
Figure 14 is a front elevation.
Figure 15 a side elevation, and
Figure 16 a horizontal section also drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the upper
trimming or cropping tools.
Figure 17 is a horizontal section of the die or bottom tool.
Figure 18 is a front elevation of part of the machine showing an arrangement
hereinafter described which I sometimes employ for automatically withdrawing the
ribs and stretchers from the machine after they have been pierced and cropped.
Figuro 19 is a transverso section of the same.
Figuro 20 is a similar view to figuro 19 but showing the parts in a different
position.
Figures 21 and 23 are front elevations, and
Figures 22 and 24 are side views of part of this automatic arrangement..
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
I will describe my invention as applied to the manufacture of paragon or U-shaped
umbrella ribs and stretchers.
The wire a, figures 1 and 2, to form the ribs and stretchers and which is first
required to be hardened and tempered is placed upon a reel or spool 6 at one end of a
hardening furnace c and is then passed between rollers d d which take out the curve,
that is caused by the winding of the wire on the spool b, and guide it and keep it from
twisting as it enters the furnace c; the wire is then passed in at one end of the
hardening furnace and is then cooled as it leaves the other end of the furnace by means
of a suitable cooling liquid.
The wire a is then passed under the revolving brush e by means of which the super-
fluous oil or liquid is taken off before the wire enters the tempering furnace f; by
this operation tho wire a is caused to leave the furnace fin a much cleaner condition,
that is to say, with less dried oil thereon besides which much less smoke is caused from
the burning oil and a much larger quantity of oil is saved, which oil can be used over
again.
The tempering furnace is constructed with guides to carry the wire a in a
straight position while being heated to a proper degree for tempering the same;
it is then passed on to be either cut into lengths or wound on a spool as may be
required.

page_text: To regulate the heat in the tempering furnace ƒ I use a heavy piece of metal I
which will retain the heat at an equal temperature for a long time; this piece of
metal g is made with a hole extending through its whole length in the same direction.
as the wire a passes along and close to the wire, as shown in the drawing; in this
hole or opening I place a rod of metal which will expand to a greater or less extent
than the metal g through which it passes; one end of this rod is attached to an
adjustable screw i and its other end to an index or pointer j, so that the difference in
the expansion of the two metals will cause the index or pointer to indicate on a scale k
outside the furnace the degree of heat that the metal block 7 and the wiro a passing
through or close to the same is receiving.
The index or pointer ; can be also connected to a damper of the furnace so
as to shut off and open the draught thereby automatically regulating the heat of the
furnace.
The machine for piercing the ribs and stretchers is identical with that for trimming
or cropping them except that the construction of the tools, tool-holders, and stops is
different. It will therefore be sufficient if I describe and illustrate the machine as
used for trimming or cropping the ribs and stretchers.
•
The machine is mounted upon a bench or table of convenient height.
г
a, figures 3 to 6, is the frame of the machine consisting of a base a¹ with a projecting
part a² in front extending the width of the machine and planed to carry the bottom
tool holders and two vertical supports a³, a³ with deep bosses a, a, one at the top of
each, these bosses uniting in a planed vertical facing a.
b is the reciprocating slide which is longer than the ribs or stretchers to be operated
on, this slides vertically on the facing as and is provided with two horizontal T-shaped.
grooves b1, b. At the top of the reciprocating slide 6 are two recesses 62, 62
(figure 3) in each of which a block 63 can traverso a short distanco horizontally. The
tops of the recesses are closed by the plates 6, 64. The vertical movement is given.
to the reciprocating slide 6 by means of shafts c, c which rovolve in the bosses a', a
and at the front end of each of which shafts is an eccentric pin c¹; one of these pins
works in each of the blocks 3. The shafts c, c are provided with spur wheels c², c² of
equal size, which both gear into a spur pinion d placed between them. This pinion
is secured to a shaft d', which extends from the back to near the front of the machine
and revolves in suitable bearings at a and a figure 5. The shaft
driven by any
suitable means but preferably by a driving band running on a fast pulley d², a loose
pulley being provided on to which the band is shifted for slopping the machine in
a well known manner. On the front face of the reciprocating slide are the two
holders e, e for the upper tools f, f. These tool holders when the machine is at work
are bolted firmly to the reciprocating slide 6 by bolts e¹, e' the heads of which are
located in the horizontal grooves b³,
b¹
The tool holders may be adjusted or set near to or far apart from each other to suit
ribs or stretchers of different lengths by slacking the nuts on the bolts e', e¹ and moving
either or both tool holders e, e to the right or left as required, the heads of the bolts e¹, e
travelling along the horizontal grooves 61, 6. When the required positions are reached
the nuts are tightened up. The upper tools f, fare secured to the tool holders e, e by
plates, and are adjusted by the set screws e³, 3. is the die bed or bottom tool
holder at the left hand side of the machine. It rests on the planed projecting part a²
of the framing of the machine and may be secured in any desired position thereon
by means of the screw bolt g'. The details of this bottom tool holder are shewn.
clearly in figures 8, 9 and 10.
is the centering pin which I place in the lower trimming die or tool g at tho
proper distance from the cutting edge thereof and on which I place one end of the
rib or stretcher. The pin projects vertically upwards from the face of the said die or>
trimming tool g³. The centering pin and the die or bottom tool g³ itself are carried
in a carrier g and adjusted vertically by a set screw 9º and horizontally by a set
screw 9.
g is a stop at the back of the centering pin 2 against which stop the said end of
the rib or stretcher is placed thus allowing the attendant to easily set the rib or

page_text: stretcher in its proper position. The stop g' is adjusted by means of a clip which
is tightened by means of a screw g³ and by a screw g" which fastens it to a block g"
entering the clip g. The stop is further adjusted in a backward and forward direction
by means of a screw g. is the die bed or bottom tool holder at the right band side
of the machine and hereinbefore referred to as the second dio; it is clearly illustrated
in figures 11, 12 and 13 and is of similar construction to the tool holder g except that
no centering pin is employed for receiving the rib or stretcher because, as the holes in
the ribs or stretchers will have been already automatically pierced at the proper
distance apart, it is sufficient to place them on a centering pin at one end only in the
trimming or cropping machine. is a screw bolt by which the tool holder is secured
to the projecting piece a² on the frame of the machine. is the bottom die or tool
which is formed in horizontal section with a semicircular portion corresponding to
the shape of the end of the finished rib or stretcher as clearly shown in figure 17.
The bottom die or tool is secured in position by a set screw 3. is a stop under
the edge of which the end of the rib or stretcher his passed by the hand of the
attendant the position of the rib or stretcher being thereby regulated. Tho stop i is
fastened to a lock which enters a clip 7 provided with a screw to secure it in its
proper position. The position of the stop iª forward or backward is regulated by a
screw .
The hereinbefore described stops are shown in the drawing of the proper shapɔ
when it is intended that the finished ribs or stretchers shall be withdrawn from the
machine by the attendant. If however the withdrawal of the ribs or stretchers is
required to be automatically effected by mechanism such as is hereinafter described
the stops will require to be modified by the removal of overhanging parts.
figures 3 and 4 are the top tools which are secured to the tool holders e, e
on the vertical reciprocating slido b. These tools are shewn detached in figures 14, 15
and 16.
The operation of the trimming or cropping machine assuming that it is not provided
with means for automatically effecting the withdrawal of the finished ribs or stretchers
is as follows:-
The reciprocating slide being in its uppermost position the attendant takes a rib
or a stretcher (previously pierced) and places one of the holes thereof on the centering
pin and then passes the other end of the rib or stretcher under the edge of the
stop in the tool holder (figure 11) as far as the notch. The reciprocating
slide & carrying the top tools, then descends and crops or trims both ends of the
stretcher simultaneously. The reciprocating slide with its tools then rises and the
cropped rib or stretcher can be withdrawn by the attendant. Another pierced rib or
stretcher is then placed in the machine which trims and crops it in the manner herein-
before described and so on.
The automatic withdrawal of the ribs or streteliers when trimmed or cropped can be
advantageously effected by the arrangement of mechanism shown in figures 3, 4, 5,
and 7, in which is a cam driven at the same rate as one of the shafts c by means of
mitre wheels ¹¹. On each face of the cam k is a suitably-formed groove k³, and
these grooves serve to actuate the ends of levers and by means of rollers on the
ends of the levers running in the grooves.
I
is a bell crank lever
which lift the cropped
through the shaft o
These levers and are centred at m and n respectively;
serving to raise and lower a light shaft o provided with arms p,
stretcher off the bottom tools, the arms-p, p being connected
and a small lever g and rod r to the tail end of the lever . The rib or stretcher is
carried backwards by the arms p, which in descending deposit it in an inclined
trought whence it falls into a suitable receptacle. The arms are then returned to their
original position through the action of the cam k and the lever .. As the left-hand
end of the stretcher is liable to stick on the centering pin g², a spring stop s, figure 3,
is provided on the right-hand tool holder and reciprocating slide for the purpose of
ensuring a proper removal of the ribs or stretchers. Although the inclined trough t
is shown at the back of the tool holders it can obviously, if preferred, bo placed at
the front of the same, the lovers and arms being suitably modified...

page_text: Another arrangement by which an automatic withdrawal of the cropped stretchers
can be effected is illustrated in figures 18 to 24. Figure 18 shows the position of the
parts when the upper tools are raised. Figuro 19 shows the position of the parts
when the top tool is just beginning to rise and figure 20 shows their position when
the top tool is nearly at its lowest point. Figures 21 to 24 aro drawn to a larger
scale than figures 18, 19 and 20.
Two pivotte hooks u, u are provided one being attached to each of the upper tool
holders e, e.
When the reciprocating slide & descends, the hook u is raised, as shown
in figures 20 and 24, and passes by the rib or stretcher h. As soon however as it has
passed the rib or stretcher / it falls into the position shown in figures 19 and 22 and
then when the reciprocating slide brises the rib or stretcher is lifted from tho
bottom dies or tools on which it was resting and off the centering pin g².
As the rib or stretcher rises it encounters fixed inclined pieces u, v, figures 18
and 19, which push it backwards until it clears the point of the hook u and it falls on
to the incline which delivers it into the inclined trough t.
I have described and illustrated the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
out my invention but it will be evident that some parts of the machine will admit of
variation without departing from the invention, for example the reciprocating slide
might be arranged otherwise than vertically. Further although I have described my
invention as applied to the manufacture of paragon or U-shaped ribs and stretchers it
will be obvious that other kinds of ribs and stretchers can be manufacturod by slightly
modifying some of the parts of the machinery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In machinery for manufacturing umbrella ribs and stretchers the combination of
straightening rollers, heating furnace, vessel containing cooling liquid, revolving brush
or its equivalent for removing the superfluous liquid, tempering furnace and indicator,
the wholo arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In machinery or apparatus for hardening and tempering umbrella ribs and
stretchers the use of a revolving brush or its equivalent for removing the superfluous
cooling liquid from the metal wire before it enters the tempering furnace.
3. In machinery or apparatus for manufacturing umbrella ribs and stretchers the
use of mechanism constructed substantially as described and illustrated in figures 1
and 2 of the drawings for indicating the degree of heat of the tempering furnace.
4. The combination of parts forming the improved machinery for piercing and
cropping or trimming the ends of umbrella ribs and stretchers substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 3 to 17 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In machinery for piercing the ends of umbrella ribs and stretchers the arrange-
ment of adjustable dies and stops and guides substantially as herein before described.
6. In machinery for cropping or trimming the ends of umbrella ribs and stretchers
the arrangement of fixed and adjustable dies, centering pin guide and stop, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 3 to 12 of the accompanying
drawings.