Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Brushes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of
Brushes.
We, MCCLINTOCK YOUNG, of Frederick, in the State of Maryland, Vice-
President of the Palmetto Fibre Company, and JOHN KELLY ROBINSON, of
No. 3001, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, in the State of Illinois, President of the
Palmetto Fibre Company and of the Diamond Match Company, both in the
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 brush machines and the invention consists in improved
mechanism for boring the brush block, separating the tufts to be inserted in the
holes, forming the staples for securing the tufts in the holes and driving the
separated tufts and the staples to secure the former in place.
The invention also consists in the details of construction and combination of
parts hereinafter described and claimed.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine from the right hand side.
Figure 2 is a similar view from the left hand side.
Figure 3 is a front elevation.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the machine.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the wire feed and cutter and the tufting slide
and driver.
Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of the previous view, showing the
wire cutter retracted.
Figure 7 is a detail showing the forward movement of the clamp to bring the
wire into position to be formed into a staple by the plunger.
Figure 8 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 6 showing a face view of the
wire feed and cutter.
Figure 8 is an elevation of the wire severing mechanism and movable clamp on
an enlarged scale.
Figure 8B is a perspective of the same.
Figure 8C is a diagrammatic view showing the position which the wire occupies
with relation to the anvil when severed by the knife.
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are outline views showing the operation of the tufting
lide, the plunger and connected parts during the revolution of the machine and
llustrating the manner in which the tuft is set in the block.
Figure 13 is a plan view of the wire feed on the line 13-13 of Figure 5.
Figure 14 is a plan view on the line 14-14 of Figure 6, illustrating the action
of the device for evening the tuft before its insertion in the block.
Figure 15 is a perspective of the block holding device.
Figure 16 is a similar view of a different form of the same.
Figure 17 is a top plan view of the tufting slide.
Figure 18 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 19 is an elevation of the same as viewed from the opposite side, the slide
eing shown in an inverted position.
Figure 19 is a vertical transverse section through the tufting slide on the
10

page_text: Figure 19B is a perspective view of the main slide.
Figure 19 is a perspective view of a shorter portion of the slide detached.
Figure 20 is a plan view of the tufting slide with the tuft in position showing
the opening through which the tuft is forced into the block.
Figure 21 is a detailed view illustrating the manner in which the wire is
presented to the staple forming device.
Figure 22 is a similar view showing the manner of forming the staple.
Figure 23 a perspective view showing the manner in which the staple driver is
guided in the guiding slide.
Figure 24 is a horizontal section as viewed from above on the line 24-24 of
Figures 1 and 2, showing the shafting and pulleys for operating and controlling the
machine.
Figure 25 is a diagrammatic view showing the levers and cam for operating the
boring spindle.
Figure 26 is a similar view showing the levers and cam for operating the tufting
slide.
Figure 27 is a similar view showing the levers and cam for operating the clamp
controlling lever.
Figure 28 is a similar view of the levers and cam for operating the severing
knife.
Figure 29 is a top plan view of the tuft guiding casing and the partly filled
brush block on an enlarged scale showing how the casing forms a clear passage for
the descending tuft.
Figure 30 is a side elevation of the casing.
Figure 31 is an elevation of the casing as viewed from the opposite side.
Figure 32 is a front elevation of the same.
Referring to the drawings,
1 represents a rigid main frame which may be constructed in any form and of
any material adapted to sustain the operative parts. Near the base the frame has
arms a 20 and 620 to sustain a horizontal driving shaft 2, which is provided with
pulley 3 to receive the driving belt and with pulley 4 connected by belt 5 with
pulley 6 on the end of a main shaft 7 which is mounted in the upper part of the
main frame and provided with cams to operate the principal parts of the machine,
as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The belt 5 is kept under moderate tension by an
idler pulley 8 on a counterweighted lever which is pivotally connected to the
rigid arm 620 of the main frame, as shown in Figure 24, and which lever engages a
toothed locking bar 10. The motion of the main shaft 7 and the tuft forming and
inserting devices is controlled by the feet of the attendant through a double crank
shaft 11 mounted in the base of the main frame and carrying a sprocket wheel 11*
connected by chain 12 with a wheel 13 on the main shaft. The cranks are
provided with ordinary bicycle pedals and the attendant permits his feet to ride on
them. When the main shaft is to be stopped or slowed, the attendant has
only to exert a moderate resistance on the cranks to cause the slipping of the
belt 5. When the resistance ceases, the parts start again automatically, and
instantly.
To sustain the brush blocks during the operations of boring the same and
inserting the tufts, the frame is provided with a shelf bracket 14* attached by a
sliding joint and sustained by a vertical adjusting screw 14. Above this shelf in
the main frame is the upright vertically movable boring spindle 15 having its
pulley driven by belt 16 from pulley 17 on shaft 18 (Fig. 4) which carries a
second pulley 181 driven by belt 19 from pulley 20 on the driving shaft. The
boring spindle is moved vertically by lever 21 pivoted to the main frame as at 21*
and connected to the spindle by a link and swivel and in its turn acted on by a
cam 22 on the main shaft, as shown more particularly in Figure 25, the cam being
shaped to give a slow descent and a sudden rise to the boring tool.
Passing now to the tufting mechanism, 23 represents an upright open sided box
in which the loose fibres 24 are laid en masse subject to the pressure of the

page_text: gravitating weight or follower.25. Beneath the box 24 there is a horizontally
sliding blade 26 designed to separate from the bottom of the mass the fibres for a
tuft, gather them into compact shape and carry them to the guiding and inserting.
devices. This gathering and carrying blade, shown in detail in Figures 17 to 19,
consists of two parts, a longer part, a, and a shorter part, at, mounted thereon and
movable to a limited extent relatively thereto. The larger part is formed with a
vertical rib a¹ and a horizontal rail al which is formed about midway of its length
with a vertical slot all at the side of the vertical rib as shown more particularly in
Figure 198. The shorter part at is extended through and seated in said slot to
slide longitudinally of the longer part to a limited extent. It is confined in the
The
slot and its motion is limited by means of two screws a¹ and at which are extended
horizontally through the horizontal rail at and into a slot a formed in the shorter
part a. The rib a¹ on the longer part is provided with a notch a' in its top to
admit the fibres and is formed with an overhanging lip a³ to engage the overlying
fibres and to throw them down into the notch as the blade moves forward.
shorter member a is provided with a forwardly extending lip a³ to close over and
clamp the fibres in the notch as this part is moved relatively to the longer part.
Through the slide there is a vertical slot or opening a to permit the downward
passage of the tuft and the devices for driving it and its fastening staple. From a
stud a on the shorter slide a, an operating link 27 is extended and pivoted at its
rear end to the lower end of a lever 28 which is pivoted at its upper end, as at 28*,
to the main frame and below the pivot carries a stud or roller 29 which is acted on
by a cam 30 on the driving shaft, as shown in Figure 26.
In action these parts impart a forward motion to the slide a' and through it to
the main slide. During this movement, the shorter part a' is at the extreme limit
of its movement with relation to the part a and the notch a² in the part a is
uncovered and the open notch is filled with fibre. The motion is then reversed and
the short slide first closes the notch in the part a and then carries the main slide 26
rearward until the bunch of fibres held thereby is presented over the hole in the
brush block where the slide remains at rest, for the time being. To aid in
sustaining the ends of the fibres, a fixed slotted plate 31 bolted to the front of the
fibre box 23 is extended backward under the fibre box and along the sides of
slide 26. The bunch or wisp of fibre is carried by the slide against the rear
depending finger of a vertically slotted stop plate 32 on the lower end of a vertical
slide 33 guided in the main frame. This stop plate 32 descends through the
slide 26 as in Figures 11 and 12 and straddles the fibre still held in the notch and
holds the same in position and compresses it into shape to be acted upon by the
parts hereinafter described. Above the slide, there is a vertically slotted vertical
guiding slide 34 which is adapted to be moved down as in Figure 12 astride of the
wisp and through the slide to the brush block 35 in order to form a guide for the
descending wisp as it is doubled into a tuft and carried down into the block and
also as a guide for the staple. Within the slot of the guiding slide 34 there is
mounted the staple driving slide 37 sliding iu grooves in the inner walls of the slot.
The blade is carried by a dovetail plate 37" sliding in a similar shaped vertical
groove in the main frame. When the guiding slide descends it acts upon the
middle of the wisp and drives the same down through the opening in the slide 26
which acts to double or fold the ends upward over the driver, thus forming the tuft
which is driven home into the block by the following blade or driver. Before the
tuft is thus formed and driven, the fastening staple must be formed and placed
astride of the fibre beneath the driver. To this end the wire 38 is passed from a
reel 38 between two intermittingly driven feed rolls 39 and 40 shown in Figures 5
and 8 over an anvil 41 beneath a vertically guided cutting blade 42, as plainly
shown in Figures 84 and 8B, and between the upper and lower jaws 43-44 of a
sliding clamp, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The lower part of this clamp is:
connected by a link to a vibrating lever 46, which acts, as will be more fully
described hereinafter, to carry the clamp bodily with the severed wire to form the
staple held between its jaws to the left, beneath the driving blade and over the
!

page_text: bunch of fibres.
The upper jaw 44 of the clamp is pivoted to the lower jaw and
is acted upon by a spring 45 which tends to hold the upper jaw against the lower
jaw and close the clamp so that it will retain and carry the end of the wire after it
has been severed by the cutter 42 before alluded to. The upper jaw is acted upon
and opened at the proper time for the admission of the wire by one end of a
vertically moving lever 47, as will be more fully described hereinafter. While the
clamp is open and at a distance from the staple driver, the wire is projected by the
feed rolls over the anvil, the edge of which extends at an angle to the wire, as
shown in Figure 8B, into the clamp which then closes. The cutter then descends
and severs the wire in a line oblique to its longitudinal axis, thereby forming a
sharp point, and the clamp advances to the left until the ends of the wire stand
directly beneath the end of the slide 34 as shown in Figures and 21. This slide
then descends astride of the clamp, acting on the two ends of the wire and bending
them down over the sides of the lower jaw, thus forming a staple with its legs
seated in the vertical grooves of slide 34 under the driving blade. The clamp now
opens and retreats to the right leaving the staple in place. When the driver
blade 37 descends, it carries the staple down over the wisp and into the bight
of the tuft as the latter is formed, the motion being continued until the tuft is
carried to its place in the block and the staple seated tightly over it and into the
wood. Motion may be communicated to the several parts by any suitable driving
connections but we prefer the construction shown. A dovetail plate 37ª carrying
the driving blade 37 is connected by link 48 jointed to lever 49 pivoted at 50
in the main frame and connected by a heavy counterbalancing fiuk 51 to a
crank 52 on the main shaft whereby the blade 37 is moved upward and downward.
This dovetail sliding plate is extended upward and provided at its upper end
with a sinuous slot 53. As the blade reciprocates, this slot imparts motion to
one end of an elbow lever 54 which is pivoted to the main frame and connected
by link 55 to the slide 33 carrying the tuft arresting and compressing blade 32.
The guiding slide 34 is connected by a link 56 to one end of an elbow lever 57
which is pivoted at 58 to an arm 58 projecting from the side of the dovetail
plate 37 carrying the driving blade 37. The upper end of this lever 57 has a
stud projecting into a sinuous slot 59 in the main frame. It will be seen that as
the dovetail plate 37" which carries the blade 37 rises and falls, it carries with it
the lever 57 to operate the sliding guide, and while the blade and guide will move
together for a portion of their stroke, they will also move relatively to a limited
extent, by reason of the slot, 59. which, as the lever 57 is carried upward and
downward by the movement of the blade, will act to move said lever 57 on its axis
and cause a relative movement of the blade and the guide carried thereby.
The clamp shifting lever 46 is mounted on a rock shaft 60, Figures 4 and 6,
extended horizontally through bearings in the main frame and operated through a
crank 61 on its rear end entering a slotted cam wheel 62 on the driving shaft.
The lever 47 for opening and closing the clamp is mounted on a horizontal axis 64
carried by hangers 64 fixed to the main frame, as shown in Figures 6 and 27, and
is acted upon at its rear end by a cam 65 on the driving shaft. To aid in forming
and guiding the tuft, we provide a reciprocating arm 66, Figures 5, 9, 10, 11, 12,
which arm is connected to a lever 67, which is connected to one end of a horizontal
shaft 67 mounted in bearings 67 on the main frame. The opposite end of this
shaft is provided with an arm 67° which is engaged and driven by a cam 68 on the
main driving shaft, as shown in Figure 9. This slide retreats to permit the
advance of the brush block and to release the driven tuft as shown in Figures 9
and 10, and at the proper time previous to the descent of the tuft, is carried forward
so that its vertical passage stands over the hole in the brush block as shown in
Figures 11 and 12. The slide just described is as shown in Figures 29 to 32 in
the form of a casing enlarged at its centre where the tuft passes through it and
having at its front on one side a vertical slot 66' through which the tuft last
seated passes as the casing is withdrawn. Adjacent to the slot the casing is
provided with a lip 62 which extends laterally at the front of the casing forming

page_text: a front wall or shield for the slot, so that when the slide is moved forward over
the hole in the brush block to receive the next tuft, the casing and lip will push
the adjacent seated tufts and form a free path for the descending tuft, and in this
way the latter will not engage or contact with the said tufts.
In order to secure the proper formation of the tuft it is desirable that the fibres
should be evened and adjusted endwise in proper relation to the blade by which
they are doubled or folded into a tuft.
For this purpose we employ, as shown in detail in Figure 14, two vertical blades 69
in such position that the fibres are carried between them by the slide 26. These
blades have their carrying arms 69ª connected respectively to two depending
arms 70 and 71 which are connected by a cross rod 72, so that they are moved
toward and from each other. The arm 70 has its supporting shaft 73 carried
rearward in the main frame and provided as in Figure 4 with a crank arm 74
entering a slotted cam 75 on the main shaft.
It sometimes happens that it is desirable to have the ends of the tuft irregular.
This is effected by folding or doubling the fibres at a point at one side of the
middle. In order to effect this adjustment of the fibres in relation to the driving
device, the adjusting blades 69 have their arms connected adjustably to their levers
as shown in Figure 14 through sockets and set screws 76. This admits of the two
blades being shifted to the right or left to determine the longitudinal adjustinent of
the fibres as may be demanded.
The wire feeding rolls 39 and 40 are geared together as shown in Figures 5
and 13, and the lower roll receives motion through a ratchet wheel 39 secured to
its arbor and driven by a dog 78 on a crank lever 79 operated through link 80
from a lever 81 pivoted to the main frame, and carrying at its upper extremity a
stud which enters a groove cam on the main shaft. The upper roll 40 (Fig. 1 and 5)
is carried by a lever 83 drawn downward into contact with the lower roll 39 by a
spring 84 so that the wire is subjected to a yielding pressure. The wire severing
blade is actuated through a link 84" from lever 85, the rear end of which engages
cam 86 on the main shaft as shown in Figure 28.
In operating the machine, we treat the two brush blocks in one operation, boring
one while the other is being filled. In order that this may be done we provide in
any suitable form, a clamp or holder for connecting the blocks. A simple form is
shown in Figure 15 and consists of two sockets 87 each adapted to receive a
block and connected by a cross bar 88, screws 89, or equivalent devices, being
provided to hold the block in position. The guiding of the two blocks to the two
tools simultaneously may also be accomplished solely by hand and without the aid
of the connecting rod 88. To accomplish this the bed or table will be provided as
shown in Figure 16, with one or more studs 90 located respectively below the
boring tool and driver, and the sockets or block holders will be provided on the
under side with holes corresponding in location to the positions which the tufts are
to оссиру in the brush block. It is only necessary, therefore, for the operator
guiding the block holders by hand to shift them about, allowing the studs to enter
the holes in their under sides respectively. This will determine the position of the
two blocks at one time, so that the proper points will fall directly under the boring
tool and the driver respectively. As the boring tool is pressed automatically, it
will form a hole in one block at the same time that a tuft is driven into the
corresponding place in the other block.
By these simple contrivances the operator is enabled to handle two blocks at one
time, thus reducing the amount of labour required and increasing the output of the
machine.
It will be noted that in Figure 15 the holders are shown as being provided in
their under sides with notches 87 which receive the edge of the table and sustain
the holders in an inclined position. This construction is to provide for the boring
and driving of the tufts in the edges of brush blocks which are rounded, as shown.
In boring and tufting the flat portions of the block, the holders are held in
horizontal position on the table.

page_text: In order to remove the shavings, we provide at the base of the machine a pump
cylinder 92 having its piston 93 connected to a crank on the driving shaft and from
this cylinder we lead an air pipe 94 to a point adjacent to the boring tool so that
the chips and shavings are driven away as fast as they are formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a brush machine, the fibre box in combination with the notched slide there-
under to separate a quantity of fibres to form a tuft, means for moving the slide
under the box, the vertically movable slotted slide 32 to straddle the tuft, means
for moving the said slide vertically, the slotted sliding guide 34, the driving
blade 37, means for moving said parts, a movable clamp adapted to grasp the wire
to form a staple and present it beneath the guiding slide, means for feeding the
wire to the clamp and means for moving the latter, substantially as shown and
described.
2. In a brush machine, the combination of a fibre separating and carrying
blade, provided with a notch to gather a wisp of fibre and with a vertical opening
adjacent to the notch to permit the downward passage of the fibre therethrough
and tuft inserting mechanism adapted to carry the tuft downward through the
blade.
3. In a brush machine, the combination with a wire feeding mechanism of a
movable clamp to receive a section of the wire, a movable slide adapted to bend
a section of wire to form the staple and to retain the same temporarily, mechanism
for moving the clamp with a section of the wire beneath the slide and means for
driving the staple in the brush block.
4. In a brush machine, the combination with a fibre box of a reciprocating slide
provided with a notch to separate a wisp of fibre to form a tuft, means for
reciprocating said slide, a slotted slide 32 to straddle the separated tuft, a tuft
guide 66, means for reciprocating the same, wire feeding, cutting and carrying
devices, a vertically movable guiding blade, a vertically reciprocating driving blade
and means for operating said parts.
5. In a brush machine, the combination with the horizontally movable notched
slide adapted to separate a quantity of fibres to form a single tuft, of means for
actuating the same, a vertically movable fibre stop plate having a depending finger
adapted to be moved in the path of the separated tuft and formed with a slot to
straddle the same and means for securing said tuft in the brush block.
6. In a brush machine, the combination of the driving blade 37, of means for
reciprocating the same, the lever 57 operatively connected to said blade to move
bodily with the same, the guiding slide 34 jointed to the lever, and the fixed slotted
frame engaged by the lever.
7. In a brush machine, the combination with the tuft separating and driving
devices, of the wire clamp movable bodily beneath the tuft driving mechanism,
means for feeding the wire to the clamp, means for cutting the wire and means for
opening and closing said clamp to release and grasp the wire.
8. In a brush machine, the combination with the boring and tuft inserting
mechanisms and means for driving them simultaneously, of individual holders for
the brush blocks and a device connecting and maintaining said holders fixedly with
relation to each other at a distance apart corresponding to the distance between the
boring and tuft inserting mechanisms; whereby the brush blocks may be presented
with certainty to the boring and inserting mechanisms.
9. In a brush machine, the combination with the boring and tuft inserting
mechanisms and with means for driving said mechanisms simultaneously, of the
support provided with studs, holders for the brush blocks formed in their under
sides with openings to receive the studs and a device connecting and maintaining
said holders fixedly with relation to each other, a distance apart corresponding to
the distance between the boring and tuft inserting mechanisms.

page_text: 10. In a brush machine and in combination with the main frame, a belt-driven
driving pulley 6 sustained there by a crank shaft provided with pedals, a sprocket
wheel connected to said shaft, a second sprocket wheel connected to the driving
pulley and a chain connecting said sprocket wheels.
11. In a brush machine and in combination with a tuft driving device, means for
operating it, a tuft guide or casing 66, movable in a direction transversely of the
movement of the tuft driver, and means for reciprocating the casing.
12. In a brush machine and in combination with a tuft driving device, a tuft
guiding casing provided with an opening for the downward passage of the tuft
and with a slot for the lateral passage of the same.
13. In a brush machine, and in combination with a tuft driving device, a
reciprocating tuft guide or casing formed with a vertical opening for the downward
passage of the tuft and a slot at the front and side of the casing for the lateral
passage of the tuft when the casing is withdrawn.
14. The combination with a boring mechanism of a tuft inserting mechanism,
means for operating said mechanisms simultaneously, a single supporting table for
the brush blocks arranged beneath said mechanisms, two gauge pins or stops fixed
to the upper side of said table adjacent respectively to the said mechanisms and
two holders for the brush blocks formed in their under sides to co-operate respectively
with said gauge pins or stops.
Dated this 15th day of March 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.