Improvements in Machinery for Making Plumbers' Traps of Lead.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Making Plumbers' Traps of Lead.
1, WILLIAM GERRARD RENNIE of 11, Montgomery Street, Edinburgh,
Bachelor of Science, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery for making plumbers traps
of lead of the type described in the British Patent No. 4026 A.D. 1875 and
No. 3646 A.D. 1875 granted to William Robert Lake upon a communication from
Frederick Nelson Dubois of the City and State of New York, in which there is
described and shewn the parts of a machine for making plumber's traps of lead by
means of two or more plungers operated by hydraulic power and connected with
lead receivers arranged to discharge the heated lead into a suitable die, aud
provided with a hand wheel and valves for so controlling the motion of the plungers
that the lead can be forced through the die on opposite sides at different speed,
thereby causing the emergent lead to have the form of a bent tube, the curvature
of which can be regulated at the will of the operator.
Figures 1 and 2 shew a hand wheel and valves connected therewith, similar to
the before mentioned, in sectional plan and elevation.
Fig. 3 shows the die in section and Figs. 4 and 5 the die with the emerging trap
at ifferent stages of its formation.
L
The same letters are employed in all the figures in the indication of parts which
are identical.
N, N' are regulator valves similarly screwed and clamped together by a
slieve N2. The hand wheel R is fixed to the slieve N' so that by turning it the
valves N N will be moved simultaneously, one receding from while the other
approaches the respective valve seats. By turning wheel R so as to partially close
valve N and further open the valve N¹ the lead will be supplied by the intervening
mechanism more quickly on the side N³ and more slowly on the side N' of the
die G causing the ejected pipe to curve towards the side of least supply as at B,
Fig. 3. Details of the mechanism intervening between the valves N N¹ and the
die G are unnecessary for the understanding of this invention but are fully described
in said Patent No. 4026 A.D. 1875.
The wheel R is provided with an index R¹ and moves in proximity to a
scale S1 S2 S3 so that by setting the index to any position on the scale a previously
determined curvature will be produced on the pipe.
When the machine is working, the manner of operating so as to produce what is
known as an "
ess trap may be described as follows:-
"
First. The index R' is set to S by which the valves N N¹ are equally open
thereby forming the straight part A, Fig. 3.
Second. The index R is set to some position S¹, forming the curved part B,
Fig. 3.
Third. The index is set back to S³, forming the straight part C, Fig. 4.
Fourth. The index is set to S³, forming the curved part D, Fig. 4.
Fifth. The index is set back to its original position S³, forming the straight
part E, Fig. 5.

page_text: The invention which is the subject of this patent relates to an apparatus for
automatically performing the above operations. It consists in part of an electrical
indicator which controls the operating of the valves N N¹ the movements of which
are effected by a ratchet gear placed on the slieve N2 in the position w, x, y, z,
Fig. 1, which gear will shortly be described.
Fig. 6 shows diagramatically the electrical indicator with its circuits, Fig. 6A a
portion of the switchboard with its stops, and Figs. 7 and 8 are cross section and
part elevation respectively of the ratchet gear.
M is a disc carrying 6 or more switches a², 62, c², d², e², f2 with the same number
plus one of brushes a³, b³, c³, d³, e³, f³, 91, one side of each switch being connected
by a wire to a brush as shown a² to a³, b² to b³, c² to c³, d² to d³, e² to e³, f² to f³,
while the brush g' is connected by a wire g² to the battery at w². Said disc, rides
· loosely on slieve N2 and is prevented from rotating by the lug n fitting into
notch n Figs. 7 and 8. The brushes a³, b³, c³, d³, e³, f³, g₁ bear on rings a, b, c,
d, e, f, g carried by the disc M. Disc M further carries six or more electro-
magnets A, B, C³, D³, E³, F2 together with a contact-maker P and can
be rotated by means of these magnets in a manner shortly to be described,
whereby the contact-maker is made to close some one of the switches a², b³, ², d²,
e², or f³.
H is a switchboard or frame carrying five or more stops a, b, c, d, e and placed
in such a position with respect to the die G that the emerging trap will establish
electrical contact with these stops after the formation of each respective section
thus, completion of section A is determined by electrical contact at stop a,
B at
stop band so on with the other sections, completion of section E and hence of the
trap A, B, C, D, E being determined by electrical contact at the stop e.
It will be observed that for each section, curved or straight, a stop or switch is
required on the board H and that the shape of the trap is determined in part by
the position of these stops and in part by the relative openings of the valves N N¹.
The board H is preferably made portable and may be provided with fixed
stops a, b, c, d, e adjusted for forming one size and shape of trap only, or the stops
may be adjustable on the one board so as to produce traps of different shapes.
Said stops a, b, c, d, e being for electrical contact are made flexible as shewn more
particularly in Fig. 64 so as to allow the emerging trap, by a gentle pressure, to
displace and when necessary pass over them.
The electric circuits established by the trap on making contact at the several
stops are as follows:-
First. After completion of section A the electric circuit is from the battery at w¹
through die G, trap, stop a, coupling a¹, magnet A', switch a² (closed by contact-
maker P) brush a³, ring a', magnet A³, ring g, brush g', wire g² to the battery at w².
Magnets A', A are now energised by which A' causes the ratchet gear to rotate
the slieve until the index R₁ stands at some predetermined position S¹, while A²
causes the disc M₁ to rotate, thereby shifting the contact-maker P from switch a²
to 6%.
Second. The index R' having been automatically set to S₁ the trap emerges
curved, forming section B, until contact is made at b when the electric circuit is
from the battery at w' through the die G, trap, stop b, coupling 6, magnet B',
switch 62, brush 3, ring 64, magnet B2, ring g, brush g', wire g² to the battery at w².
Magnets B1, B2, are now energised by which B¹ causes the ratchet gear to bring
the index R¹ to the position S3, while B2 shifts the contact-maker from switch 62
to c².
Third. The trap emerges straight, forming section C, until contact is made at c,
when the electric circuit is from the battery at w', through die G, trap, stop c,
coupling c¹, magnet C¹, switch c², brush c³, ring c³, magnet C², ring g, brush g',
wire 92 to the battery at w². Magnets C1, C2 are now energised by which C
causes the ratchet gear to bring the index R¹ to the position S³, while C² shifts the
contact-maker from switch c² to d².
Fourth. The trap emerges curved, forming section D, until contact is made at d,

page_text: when the electric circuit is from the battery at w¹ through die G, trap, stop d,
coupling d, magnet D', switch d², brush d³, ring d', magnet D2, ring y, brush gl
wire g to the battery at w². Magnets D¹ D³ are now energised by which D' causes
the ratchet gear to set the index R¹ in its initial position S³, while D² shifts the
contact-maker from switch d² to e².
Fifth. The trap emerges straight, forming section E, until contact is made at e
when the electric circuit is from the battery at w¹ through die G, trap, stop e,
coupling e, alarm bell E¹, switch e³, brush e³, ring e, magnet E², ring 9, brush g¹,
wire g² to the battery at w². The bell E' indicates that the trap is ready to be cut
off at V V, while magnet E' shifts the contact-maker from switch e² to f³.
The attendant, having cut off the trap, presses the button key F when the
electric circuit is from the battery at w' through key F¹, switch f', brush f³, ring f*,
magnet F, ring 9, brush gl; wire g³, to the battery at w. Magnet F' is now
energised by which it shifts the contact-maker from switch f to a², thereby setting
the apparatus in its initial position for the making of another trap.
K, K' are internal ratchet wheels, K having teeth at r while K is double having
teeth at and 2. Said wheels are rotated at equal speed in opposite directions on
the slieve N2 by driving ropes Q, Qor otherwise. Gis a segment of a wheel
fixed on the slieve N2 by a key g³ and carrying four or more adjustable
brackets A, B, C³, D³.
These brackets are identically alike and are attached (two on each side) to the
wheel G by clamping bolts h, the heads of which can slide in the tee-shaped
grooves ¹². The magnets A, B, C, D¹, already referred to are attached
respectively to the brackets A³, 133, C3, D3, which latter may be described with
reference to the views shewn in Figs. 7 and 8. m is a driving pawl pivotted on the
bracket at m¹ and acted on by the lever 3 and spring 4 through the adjustment.
screw m². The lever h³ is pivotted on the bracket at 7 and carries an armature m³,
being part of the electromagnet. fixed on the bracket. t, t¹, t2, are adjustable notch-
stops clamped to the wheel G¹ by bolts 3 the heads of which can slide in the
groove 2. 4 is a stiff spring which steadies the wheel G' in the precise position
required to give a particular curvature to the trap being squirted by pressing into
one or other of the notch-stops. It will be observed that the positions of the
stops t, t, 2, on the wheel G₁ should correspond with the positions S³, S², S¹
respectively of the index R¹ on the scale S¹ S2 S3, Fig. 2. R³ R³ are masks
adjustable by the slots and arranged to mask the teeth r¹ r, of ratchet
wheels K¹, K.
The mode of action of the gear is as follows:-
-
Suppose magnet A¹ to become energised, the armature m³ will thereby be
attracted causing lever h³ to throw the pawl m into gear with the ratchet teeth r¹.
Wheel G will thereafter move in unison with ratchet wheel K' until the pawl m
is forced out of gear at R by the mask R2 while spring will mount out of the
notch and drop into notch t. Thus the slieve N2 is turned, operating valves N, N¹
and shifting the index R¹ from S² to S¹ with the result formerly detailed.
The principle of operation is the same when either of the magnets are energised;
brackets B³ C being arranged for turning the slieve clockwise, while D³ and A³
are arranged for turning it counter-clockwise. It is preferable for the purpose of
this invention that the maximum angle through which the index R¹ is rotated
should not exceed about 45 degrees from the position S2 Fig. 2.
In
The disc M' is rotated by pawls n in a manner which may now be described
with reference to the views in Figs. 7 and 8. Magnets A B C D E² F' are
identical and fixed on the disc by screws p. Each magnet has a part n³ forming
an arinature and which is carried by a lever n pivotted on the disc at no.
connection with each magnet is a driving pawl n pivotted on the disc at n' and
acted on by the spring n so as to press the armature n³ against the stop n°. w³ is
a spring which steadies the disc M¹ by pressing into one of the notches w², these
notches being arranged so that the contact-maker P may respectively close one of
the switches a b c d e f on the disc M. w³ is a mask arranged to mask the

page_text: teeth of the ratchet wheel K' thereby throwing the driving pawl n' out of gear
at the same instant as the spring w drops into the notch 20¹.
Rotation of the disc is effected as follows:-
Suppose magnet A³ to become energised the armature n³ is attracted thereby,
causing the lever nt to throw the pawl n into gear with the ratchet teeth. The
disc will now rotate in unison with wheel K₁ until the pawl n is pressed out of
gear by the mask w³, while the spring to will mount out of the notch by which the
disc was held and drop into the notch corresponding with the magnet that has just
acted. The springs n on the disc M¹ and 4 on the brackets A B³ C³ D³ are not
of themselves sufficiently powerful to draw their respective pawls out of gear until
aided by the masks w and R2, R3. After a pawl has been thrown into gear the
magnet operating it is cut out of circuit by rotation of the contact-maker P. It
will be observed that through the cyclical action of the contact-maker only one
stop on the switchboard H can be in circuit at a time thereby preventing the
electrical indicator from acting by contact of the trap with any other than the
said stop.
To facilitate the arranging of the stops for different traps or bends, couplings a¹ ¿¹
c d e Fig. 6. are provided by which one or more of the stops may be interchanged
or put out of use.
While I have described the electric circuits as being formed in part by the
emerging trap I may alternatively with that method use switches instead of stops
on the switchboard H. Said switches may be of the button or any other suitable
type and each would be connected on one side by a wire directly to the battery
at w. The several electric circuits would then be established by the gentle
pressure of the emerging trap against the buttons of the switches.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I say that I do not limit
myself to the particular class of machine described in the before mentioned patents,
as my improvements are applicable to any other class of machine in which the lead
is squirted through a die;-nor do I limit myself. to the precise details of my
hereinbefore described arrangement for operating the valves as the same may
obviously be varied in many ways, but I declare that what I claim is :-
In a lead squirting machine for the making of plumbers traps, automatically
operating the valves which control the flow of lead through the die by electrical
means as described.
Dotad this 16th
1007
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.