Improvements in Machines for Making Wire Bail Handles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making Wire Bail Handles.
I, DAN LEONARD HILL, of Keene, in the County of Cheshire, and State of
New Hampshire, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 machines for bending wire bails for buckets, pails, tubs,
and like packages generally provided with wire handles or bails to facilitate the
carrying of the same.
The object of the invention is the provision of a machine which with slight
modifications can be adapted for forming a variety of handles and bails and for
bending the extremities of the said bails to any required angle or into hooks or
eyes, as required and to suit the means employed for fastening the said bails or
handles to the pails or packages for which they are designed.
Further object, and advantages will become apparent on reference to the
following description and the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with and
embodying the principles of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a front view thereof.
Figure 3 is a detail section on the line X X of Figure 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow.
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line Y Y of Figure 1 showing the instru-
mentalities for regulating the feed of the wooden handles.
Figure 5 is a section on the line Z Z of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the
arrow showing a spacer and the spacer-actuating mechanism.
Figure 6 is a plan section of the central portion of the machine on the line W W
of Fig. 2.
Figure 7 is a section ou the line V V of Fig. 1 looking to the right showing the
cutter and its actuating mechanism.
Figure 8 is a detail view in section about on the line U U of Fig. 1 of the
wire-feeding devices the gearing being shown in full.
Figure 9 is a detail view of the grooved wire-feeding wheels.
Figure 10 is a detail view showing the co-operation of the wire-crimpers and the
spacers.
Figure 11 is a detail view of the wire-coiling mechanism.
Figure 12 is a detail view in section on the line T T of Fig. 5 showing the
elative disposition of the spacer to a guide of the hopper.
Figure 13 is a modification of a wire-coiler.
Figure 14 is a detail view thereof.
Figure 15 shows a variety of forms of bails and handles adapted to be formed
by a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 16 is a detail view of an arm for bending the wire about the former.
Sunilar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the various views.
The bed 1, has brackets 2, in which is journaled a shaft 3, adapted to be driven
in any convenient manner and from any suitable source of power, and for the sake
of simplicity of illustration the said shaft is shown supplied with a crank + for the
application of manual power to drive the same. Mutilated bevel gear-wheels 5
are secured upon the shaft 3 and the cog-teeth thereof are adapted to mesh with
bevel-pinions 6 secured upon the rear ends of shafts 7 which shaits are journaled
in brackets 8 made fast to the bed 1. These shafts 7 incline in opposite directions

page_text: and are formed on their front ends with wire-coilers 9 which will vary accordingly
as the ends of the hails or handles are to be simply bent, formed into eyes or
fashioned into hooks, and, as shown, these coilers consist of arms 10 extending at
right angles to the shafts 7 and outward extensions 11 at the extremities of the
arms 10. These extensions 11 project across the path of the end portions of the
wire about mandrels 12 and to admit of the end portions of the wire being formed
into eyes the outer sides of the arms 10 have reccs-es 13 which receive the
mandrels 12 so as to admit of the extensions 11 moving around the said mandrels
so as to form and complete the eyes when it is required to form the latter at the
ends of the bails or hat dles. The mandrels 12 are formed at the upper end of
plates 14 which are firmly halted to the brackets 8.
Guides 15 are supported at their outer ends upon standards 16 and at their
inner ends upon brackets 17 and these guides curve slightly in the direction of
their length and are open at their front sides for the outward e-cape of the wire
when the latter is bent into the required shape to form the completed bail or
handle. Formers 18 are located opposite the inner ends of the guides 15 and are
secured to the latter by plates 19 and these formers may have any requned shape
to suit the pattern and finish of the completed bail or handle, and, as shown, are
curved so as to adapt the machine for the construction of bails for buckets and
kindred vessels.
Levers 20 are fulcrumed near their front ends to the brackets 8 and normally
occupy a horizontal position, being supported upon springs 21 which return the
levers to an initial position after being operated upon by cams 22 arranged upon
the shaft 3.
The front ends of the levers 20 operate in the space between the outer ends of
the guides 15 and the mandrels 12 and are intended to grip the end portions of the
wire between the mandrels 12 overhanging portions of the guides 15 and th
extremities of the said levers 20. To prevent any possible slipping of the we
the levers 20 are formed with depressions 23 in which the wire is seated whe
gripped during the operation of the wire-coilers.
Coil springs 24 are mounted upon the shaft 7 and are secured at one end to the
said shafts and at their opposite ends to the brackets 8 and these springs serve to
return the shafts 7 and wire coilers 9 to a normal position after the bevel pinion- 6
hecome di-engaged from the cog-teeth of the mutilated bevel gear wheels 5. The
amis 10 engage with the upper portion of the plates 14 and limit the backwar.l
movement of the shafts 7 and maintain the wire coilers in an initial position.
A wire cutter (see Figs. 1 and 7) is placed in proximate relation to the outer enl
of one of the guides 15 and consists of a standard 25 having an opening 26 for the
passage of the wire and a lever 27 fulcrumed upon the standard 25 and having a
cutting edge 28 to co-operate with the cutting edge at the inner end of the
opening 26 so as to sever the wire. A spring 29 operates upon the lever 27 so as
to return the latter to a normal position after being actuated by means of a trip 30
secured upon the shaft 3, and a stop 31 previded on the standard 25 engages with
the lever 27 and limits the backward movement thereof and holds it in a normal
position against the tension of the spring 29. A stop 32 is located at the outer
end of the guide opposite and remote from the wire-cutting mechanism and limits.
the movement of the wire when the latter is fed into the machine.
The wire-feeding mechanism (see Figs. 1 and 8) comprises grooved wheels 33
and 34 the latter having a diameter about four times the diameter of the smaller
gioved wheel 33 and being secured to a vertical shaft 35 which is journaled in a
frame 36. A gear-wheel 37 on the upper end of the vertical shaft 33 meshes with
a pinion 38 on a journal of the grooved wheel 33 so as to rotate the latter.
A yoke 39 operates in a slot 40 in the frame 36 and its ends bear against the
journals of the grooved wheel 33, and a U-spring 41 has one end bearing against
the yoke 39 and its opposite end is engaged by a set-screw 42 by means of which
the tension of the spring 41 is regulated, so as to press the grooved wheel 33 with
a greater or less force against the groored wheel 34.

page_text: The set screw 42 operates in a th eadel opening at the end of the frame 36 and
is adapted to be turned by means of a wrench or other suitable tool so as to vary
the tension of the spring 41 when required. The grooved wheel 33 is removable
from the frame 36 and the latter has notches 43 extending inward from its edges.
to admit of the free passage of the journals of the said gro ived wheel 33 when it is
required to remove or replace the latter. A plate 44 is secured to the frame 36
and has an opening 45 in the plane of the grooves in the peripheral edges of the
wheels 33 and 34, and serves to receive and guide the wire into the passage formed
by the grooves in the edges of the said wheels.
A rack bar 46 meshes with a pinion 47 loosely mounted upon the lower end of
the vertical shaft 35 and is held and returned to a normal po-ition by means of a
spring 48. A ratchet wheel 49 is formed with or secured to the pinion 47 and turns
loosely upon the shaft 35 and its teeth are engaged by a spring-actuated pawl 50
carried by a plate 51 secured to the shaft 35 so as to turn with the latter. Hence
when the rack-bar 46 is moved rearwardly it will rotate the pinion 47, ratchet-
heel 49 and cause a corresponding movement of the shaft 35 and its attached
parts by means of the pawl 50 and the plate 51 thereby causing a movement of the
grooved wheels 33 and 34 and a corresponding feed of the wire. A second rack-
bar 52 is attached to or forins a continuation of the rack-bar 46 and its teeth occur
at right angles to the teeth of the rack-bar 46 and are adapted to be engaged by
the cog-teeth 53 at the outer end of a toothed segment 54 fixed upon the shaft 3
and by means of which the rack-bar 52 is actuated in the operation of the machine.
A guard 55 is secured to the bed 1 and extends over the rack-bar 52 and holds the
latter down upon the bed and assists in directing it in its reciprocating movement,
and pins 55 are disposed upon opposite sides of the said rack-bar to prevent
lateral displacement thereof. The pins 55, have attachment with a plate 55"
secured to the bed 1.
By reason of the ratchet and pawl connection the rack-bars 46 and 52 are
returned to a normal position under the influence of the spring 48 the instant the
toothed segment becomes disengaged from the rack-bar 52 after actuating the
latter to operate the wire-feeding mechanism.
The wire crimpers 56 are pivotally connected at their inner ends to a plate 57
supported upon the brackets 17 and have their front ends notched or depressed as
shown at 58, and terminating opposite the inner ends of the guides 15, the lower
portion of the said guides projecting and having the notched ends 58 of the wire-
crimpers operating thereover. Short bars 59 have their front ends pivotally
connected with the wire crimpers 56 and their rear ends are beveled and engaged
by cams 60 secured upon the shaft 3 and these bars 59 are guided in their
movements upon the plate 57. Plates 61 extending parallel with the plate 57 are
firmly and bracingly attached at their rear ends to the latter, and arms 62 are
pivoted at their inner ends to the plates 61 and have elongated openings 63 near
their pivotal ends through which extend pins or studs 64 attached to or forming a
part of the short bars 59 and by means of which the said arms 62 are actuated
when the short bars 59 are moved forward by engagement therewith of the
cams 60. These arms 62 operate over the guides 15 and their outer ends 65 are
bent so as to extend across the grooves of the guides 15 and engage with the end
portions of the wire forming the bail or handle and remove the latter from the
mandrels 12 and from the guides 15 and shape them over the formers 18.
Springs 66 are attached to the arms 62 and to the brackets 2 and are designed to
return the arms 62 to a normal position and at the same time reset the wire-
crimpers 56 and the short bars 59 after the latter are disengaged from the
cams 60
Ina-much as the machine is designed for wiring wooden handles to be used in
connection with the bails it is necessary to provide a hopper for receiving the said
wooden handles 67 in a pile, and this hopper is composel of similar vertical
guides 68 which extend in parallel relation and are closed in ou three of their
sides, the open sides facing and being adapted to receive the cod portions of the

page_text: nandles. In order to facilitate the introduction of the handles into the hopper the
upper extremities of the guides flare. Retainers 69 are located at the lower end of
the hopper to support the pile of wooden handles and prevent the latter from
dropping therefrom, and these retainers are shaped like a pallet and their nibs.
operate across the path of the handles and admit of the latter being fed one at a
time into proper posit on for the passage of the wire therethrough in the formation
of the bail. These retainers are secured to a shaft. 70 which is mounted at its ends
in the guides 68. An arm 71 projects from the shaft 70 and is connected by means
of a rod 72 with a lever 73 near the rear end or side of the bed and which has its
upper end extending within the path of a trip 74 on the shaft 3 so as to be engaged
thereby at the proper time for actuating the shaft 70 to control the feed of the
handles 67. A spring 75 operates upon the lever 73 and holds the latter in such a
position that the lower nibs of the retainers 69 will extend beneath the lowermost
handles and support the pile. The spacers 76 for preventing the crimping of the
handle or bail close against the ends of the wooden handles are thin bars which are
adapted to reciprocate in grooves 77 formed vertically in one side of the outer
walls of the guides 68 and these spacers are tapered slightly at their upper ends to
prevent inter erence with the handles 67 in the vertical movements thereof. The
lower edge portions of the spacers are cut away on a curved line so as to facilitate
the crowding of the wire beneath the shoulder formed by cutting away the lower
portion of the guides 68. A shaft 78 is journaled in brackets 79 rising vertically
from the rear ends of the plates 61, and arms 80 extend forwardly from the
shaft 78 and engage with projections 81 of the spacers 76 so as to operate
the latter. These projections 81 work in slots 82 formed in the outer sides of the
guides 68 and limit the movements of the spacers 76. An arm 83 extends
rearwardly from the shaft 78 and is adapted to be engaged by a cam 84 on the
shaft 3 which cam is so disposed as to actuate the arm 83 and move the spacers
across the ends of the handles 67 prior to the operation of the wire-crimpers 56
thereby preventing the crimping of the wire into the end of the handle. A
spring 85 is attached to the arm 83 and is intended to return the latter to a normal
position when disengaged from the cam 84.
When it is required to form handles and bails and supply the same with
wooden handles 67, the latter are fed by hand into the hopper, and the wire for
forming the bails or handles is supplied to the grooved wheels 33 and 34 and fed
by them to the guides 15 the stop 32 limiting the feed of the wire after a proper
length has been fed to the machine. The lowermost wooden handle 67 will occupy
such a relative position that the wire 86 will pass through the longitudinal opening
thereof. After a proper length of wire has been fed to the machine the wire-
feeding mechanism will be thrown out of gear and the cutter will come into play
and sever the wire to form the bail or handle from the main portion. Immediately
after the action of the cutter the wire-coilers will be actuated and bend the
extremities of the wire into the required form. The spacers will be projected
across the ends of the lowermost halle 67 and the wire crimpers will operate and
crimp the wire at the ends of the handle. When the crimping is effected the
arms 62 will move and shape the end portions of the wire around the formers 18
and an instant later the retainers will move so as to release the completed
bail or handle when the machine is in position for a repetition of the operation just
described.
In the modification shown in Fig. 13 the inner end of the shaft 7 will be provided
with a pinion 87 which meshes with a corresponding pinion 88 on a vertical shaft,
and a pin or stud 89 is eccentrically disposed upon the pinion 88 and is designed to
engage with the extremity of the wire forming the handle or bail and bend the
same in the form of a hook about the vertically-reciprocating mandrel 90 which is
actuated from a suitably-disposed cam on the shalt 3 by means of the lever 91.
This is only one of a variety of modifications within the scope of the invention and
by means of which the machine is alapted for forming any one of the variety of
bails or handles illustrated in Fig. 15. Therefore it is to be understood that in

page_text: the embodiment of the invention various changes in the form, proportion and the
minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit
or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
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 machine for forming wire bails or handles comprising oppositely-disposed
guides, formers placed opposite to the guides, a wire-feeding mechanisin for
supplying the wire in proper lengths to the guides, a cutting-mechanisin for severing
the wire, wire-coilers at the outer ends of the guides for giving the required shape
to the extremities of the wire forming the hail or handle, and arms for removing
the end portions of the wire from the guides and shaping the same about the said
formers, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.
2. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination of a hopper,
wire-receiving guides placed upon opposite sides of the hopper, and wire crimpers
operating in the space between the inner ends of the guides and the opposing sides
of the hopper for crimping the wire at the ends of the wooden handle, substantially
as set forth for the purpose described.
3. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination of oppositely-
disposed guides mandrels disposed in proximate relation to the outer extremities of
the said guides, levers independent of and co-operating with the mandrels and the
said guides to grip the end portions of the wire, and wire-coilers for bending the
extremities of the wire about the mandrels, substantially as set forth for the purpose
described.
4. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles, the combination of oppositely-
disposed guides having their upper portions overhanging or projecting at their
outer ends, mandrels arranged in proximate relation to the projecting end portions
of the guides, levers for gripping the ends of the wire between the mandrels and
the projecting portions of the guides, and wire-coilers for bending the extremities
of the wire about the mandrels, substantially as set forth.
5. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination of oppositely-
disposed guides, formers placed opposite the open sides of the said guides, wire-
coilers at the outer ends of the guides, and arms having their end portions
operating in the space between the wire-coilers and the outer ends of the guides
and extending across the path of the wire to engage with the latter and bend it
about the said formers, substantially as set forth.
6. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination with the
hopper for receiving the wooden handles and wire crimpers, of spacers adapted to
be projected across the ends of the wooden handles and receive the thrust of the
crimpers during the operation of crimping the wire at the ends of the handles,
substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination with the
hopper, and wire-crimpers, of spacers adapted to work in vertical grooves formed
in the outer walls of the hopper and having outwardly-extending projections
working in slots in the sides of the hopper, and arms engaging with the said
projections for operating the spacers simultaneously, substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination with the
hopper for receiving a pile of wooden handles of a rocking retainer, having nibs
for supporting the handles within the hopper and adapted to feed one at a time
into proper position and actuating mechanism for oscillating the said retainer,
substantially as set forth for the purpose described.
9. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles the combination with the
hopper, of a shaft located at the lower end of the hopper, pallet-shaped retainers
carried by the said shaft, and actuating mechanism for rocking the shaft in its
bearings whereby the handles are fed one at a time, substantially as set forth for
the purpose described.

page_text: 10. In a machine for forming wire bails and handles, the combination of grooved
wheels, a shaft supporting one of the grooved wheels, a connected ratchet wheel
and pinion loosely mounted upon the said shaft, a spring actuated ratchet bar
meshing with the pinion, and a spring actuated pawl operatively connected with
the said shaft and adapted to engage with the said ratchet wheel, substantially as
set forth for the purpose described.
11. A machine for forming wire bails and handles the same comprising a hopper,
guides disposed upon opposite sides of the hopper, formers placed opposite the open
sides of the said guide-, wire-coilers at the outer ends of the guides, levers disposed
to grip the end portions of the wire during the operation of the wire coilers, a wire
cutter disposed in proximate relation to one of the wire-coilers, a wire-feeding
mechanism in proximate relation to the said cutter, retainers for supporting the pile
of wooden handles in the hopper and releasing and feeding the same one at a time,
spacers at the lower end of the hopper, wire crimpers for crimping the wire at the
ends of the wooden handles, and arms having their end portions extending across
the path of the wire to remove the latter from the said guides and shape it
about the said formers, substantially in the manner set forth for the purpose
described.
Dated this 31st day of March 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.