Improvements in the Method of and in Apparatus for Flattening or Shaping Wire for Cards.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in the Method of and in Apparatus for Flattening
or Shaping Wire for Cards.
We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the flattening at intervals of the wire used in the manu-
facture of wire cards. By the use herein of the term flattening we do not exclude the
ovalising of round wire or other not specified alterations of the section of the wire.
In the manufacture of wire cards staples have been used which have been flattened
from the points to the bend of the staple or thereabouts the wire used having been
flattened at intervals by pressure between dies. When using the hard steel wire
which we introduced into use for the purpose the said method of flattening is not
suitable and the object of our invention has been to devise a method which would be
more effective. We flatten the wire by means of a rapidly vibrating hammer or
pressure which we will term the flattener and which effects the alteration in section
by means of a number of successive blows or squeezes so that the alteration is
gradually produced. We consider it preferable to impart a limited stroke to the
flattener and to move the anvil toward the flattener as the flattening of any part
proceeds or otherwise to move the part which acts upon the flattener or to cause the
flattener to approach nearer to the anvil. The anvil may be moved toward the
fiattener by means of a sliding wedge or of a revolving cam or excentric or of a
screw or of a lever or by other suitable means. The flattener may be actuated by
mechanical parts receiving motion from a revolving shaft or be actuated by fluid
pressure. We prefer to employ a rapidly revolving excentric or cam shaft which
forces the flattener toward the anvil at each revolution the return of the flattener
The
being effected by means of a spring or by the action of the excentric or cam.
anvil is sustained by a wedge which is acted upon to move the anvil toward the
flattener during the flattening and to withdraw the anvil to permit the wire to be fed
forward. To prevent the grooving of the flattener and anvil we prefer to traverse.

page_text: .
to and fro guides through which the wire passes the guides being moved either at
intervals or by a continuous slow motion. Instead of moving the anvil we might
mount the aforesaid excentric or cam shaft upon a lever or upon a sliding carriage
which would be acted upon to produce the same effect as the said wedge. In some
cases the flattener and anvil might be faced with dies suitably shaped to effect the
required alteration in the sectional form. We prefer to attach the flattening
apparatus to the card setting machine or to apply the said apparatus so that it works
in concert with the said machine but we may feed wire which has been flattened by
a detached apparatus to the setting machine. When the flattening apparatus is
connected with the setting machine the said excentric or cam shaft may be driven
from the cam shaft of the machine and the parts which control the variable distance
apart of the flattener and anvil be actuated by the same shaft so as to obtain concerted
action.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester
Agents.

page_text: or Shaping Wire for Cards.
We GEORGE ASBWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth Brothers
of the Moss Brook Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, 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 and accompanying drawings
--
Our Invention relates to the flattening at intervals of the wire used in the manu-
facture of wire cards. By the use herein of the term flattening we do not exclude
the ovalising of round wire or other not specified alterations of the section of the
wire. In the manufacture of wire cards staples have been used which have been
flattened from the points to the bend of the staple or thereabouts the wire used having
been flattened at intervals by pressure between dies. When using the hard steel wire
which we introduced into use for the purpose the said method of flattening is not
suitable and the object of our invention has been to devise a method which would be
more effective. We flatten the wire by means of a rapidly vibrating hammer or
presser which effects the alteration in section by means of a number of successive
blows or squeezes so that the alteration is gradually produced. We consider it
preferable to impart a limited stroke to the flattener which we will hereinafter term
the presser and to move the anvil toward such presser as the flattening of any part
proceeds or otherwise to move the part which acts upon the presser so as to cause
such pressure to approach nearer to the anvil.
In order that our Invention may be clearly understood we will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings contained in sheets 1 to 4.
In the said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the apparatus
which we have designed for application to an ordinary card setting machine the plane
of the view being at right angles with the axis of the cam shaft of such machine.
Fig. 2 also partly in section is a back elevation of the same apparatus the point of
view being at the back of the setting machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus with the upper part removed to show the anvil
over which the wire traverses.
The Figs. on sheet 4 are illustrative of a modification in the apparatus.
In Figs. 1 and 3 the cam shaft of the card setting machine is indicated by a and
in Figs. 2 and 3 a part of the table which carries the acting parts of such machine
appears at b. The apparatus which we employ for flattening the wire is bolted to a
bracket which we secure to the side of the machine framing. The wire which is
being fed to the setting machine is indicated by c. The said wire passes through eyes
in a forked guide d and between an anvil e and a vibrating presser f. This presser is
secured to or formed upon the lower end of a presser piece f' which is fitted to slide
vertically in a bored. cavity.in a standard g which is secured to the bracket. The
anvil block el is also fitted to slide in a square-chamber below the said cavity the

page_text: .
walls of the said chamber being formed by the two sides of a cross slot g¹ in the
standard g and the inner ends of two blocks g' which are secured to the standard. A
horizontal shaft is mounted to revolve in bearings in the upper part of the standard
and is formed with an excentric against which a head upon the presser piece fl is
forced by a spring i. A rapid revolving motion is imparted to the shaft by means
of a belt pulley. The part has a very slight amount of excentricity and the
speed of revolution is very high so that during the time required to form and insert
one card staple several to and fro movements are imparted to the presser the spring i
re-acting against the pressure of the excentric.. The anvil block e¹ is supported by a
wedge which is fitted to slide horizontally on the bottom of the cross slot g'. A
sliding bar mounted in bearings m. m is acted upon by a cam which is fixed upon
the cam shaft of the setting machine and appears at n in Figs. 1 and 3. The said bar
is formed with anarm which is provided with an adjustable screw o. The end of this
screw bears upon the thicker end of the wedge k which is kept in contact with the
screw by means of a spring k¹. The cam n is formed to impart a sliding movement
in the indicated direction to the bar and this movement is transmitted to the wedge.
A spring effects the return movement of the bar. As the wedge slides to and fro
the anvil is raised and lowered by the action of the sliding wedge k.
When the parts are in the positions represented in Fig. 1 the formation of a flat
place upon the wire is just being completed and the further movement of the cam n
will permit the bar to make a quick return movement in the direction contrary to
the indication the wedge k at the same time moving back so that the anvil is lowered.
The wire is thus released and is then fed forward by the ordinary mechanisin of the
setting machine. The cam next moves the bar quickly in the indicated direction
whereby the wedge is caused to make a quick movement in the indicated direction and
the anvil is thereby raised the parts being so adjusted as that the wire is nipped
between the anvil and the vibrating presser and slightly flattened. During nearly
half a revolution of the cam shaft the wedge is gradually moved in the indicated
direction by the action of the slightly excentric part of the cam which is marked by
the arrow in Fig. 1. the anvil being thus gradually raised. This gradual raising of
the anvil takes place during the time required for the parts of the ordinary machine
to sever a length of wire bend it into a staple and insert it in the foundation. It will
be seen that during this gradual lifting of the anvil the wire will become gradually
flattened between the vibrating presser and the anvil the change in section being
effected by a number of successive squeezes. Preparatory to the ordinary forward
movement of the wire the anvil is again lowered and the wire is again fed forward.
The length of each flat formed on the wire is less than the length of wire which is
severed to form a staple so that parts of the wire extending between the flat places
are left round or unchanged as seen in Fig. 4 which represents a piece of the flattened
wire drawn larger than the full size. The flattening apparatus is so adjusted in
position as that the cutting dies shall sever the wire in the centre of the flat places at
the points indicated by the dotted lines. To enable this adjustment to be effected
with nicety the standard g is mounted to slide in a straight line upon the bracket b¹
in a direction parallel with the line of movement of the card wire the adjustment
being effected by means of a five threaded screw p. It will be readily understood
that if the wire passed over the anvil in a fixed line the faces of the auvil and presser
would in time become grooved however hard such surfaces might be made. We there-
fore prefer to shift the line of movement of the wire either at intervals or by a continuous
to and fro movement. For this purpose we have devised mechanism which slightly
moves the guided after each flattening operation. The said guide is fitted to slide in a
direction at right angles to the general line of movement of the wire. To the guide dis
hinged one end of an excentric link which is acted upon by an excentric which is
mounted to revolve upon a stud. To the said excentric is secured an elliptical wheel s
which gears with a corresponding wheel s which is secured to a ratchet wheel t. A pawl u
is hinged to the end of a sliding bar . The other end of this bar is formed with an
inclined face with which a corresponding face on a piece which is secured upon the
end of a bar v¹ comes in contact at intervals whereby the bar u¹ is slightly pushed
1°

page_text: end wise in its bearings and the pawl is thereby caused to rotate the wheel t to the
extent of a tooth. The bar is the bar which carries the fillet guide in the ordinary
setting machine and which makes an endwise movement after the setting of each
staple reversing the direction of such movements at the completion of each cross row
as is well understood. The said bar acts upon the bar u at the end of each of its
furthest movements in one direction so that the wheel t is slightly rotated at intervals
after the insertion of a few card dents. It will be seen that during each complete
revolution of the wheel t the wire will be traversed to and fro across the face of the
anvil the movement of the wire being very gradual so that furrows are not worn in
the faces of the anvil and presser. The intention in using the elliptical wheels is to
correct the action of the excentric. If the excentric were directly attached to the
wheel the wire would travel across the anvil at an irregular rate and would rest for a
time at the end of its traverse in each direction so that the faces of the anvil and
presser would be worn irregularily and would become grooved at the said places of
rest of the wire. The elliptic wheels correct this tendency to irregular wear to a
great extent by increasing the speed of the excentric when it is passing the "dead
points." In place of the excentric and elliptic wheels for transmitting motion from
the wheel t to the guide d we might use a heart wheel or any other suitable means.
The drawings on sheet 4 show another method of moving the guide d to and fro.
In this example the excentric is formed or fixed upon a worm wheel w which revolves
upon a fixed stud. A worin i engages with this worm wheel and upon the worm
shaft is fixed a ratchet wheel a. A pawla which engages with this ratchet wheel is
mounted to swivel upon a stud which is fixed to a lever y which swings upon the
worm shaft. This lever is provided with an adjustable screw y'. At each forward
movement of the wedge to lift the anvil block the thin end of the wedge strikes the
end of the screw y' whereby the lever y is moved in the indicated direction and the
pawl turns the ratchet wheel to the extent of a tooth. It will be seen that by
répetitions of these movements the wire will be traversed to and fro over the face of
the anvil as in the case of the example first described. The guide d might be moved
at intervals by the attendant but we prefer the self acting mechanism for the purpose.
We do not confine ourselves to the details of the parts which effect the lateral
traversing of the wire so long as the wire guide is slowly traversed to and fro either
continuously or by slight intermittent movements nor do we confine ourselves to the
method of actuating the vibrating presser nor to the means for raising and lowering
the anvil. The latter might be moved toward the presser by means of a revolving
cam or excentric or of a screw or a lever or by other suitable means.
The presser
might be actuated by fluid pressure as for example it might be connected with a
piston acted upon by steam or compressed air so as to be rapidly vibrated. Instead
of moving the anvil toward and froin the presser we might make the anvil stationary
and cause the presser to approach nearer to and to recede further from the anvil
whilst it is making a number of vibrating strokes as for example the shaft h might be
mounted in or upon a lever which would be acted upon by a cam or part so that the
said shaft would be moved toward and from the anvil in such a manner as to produce
the same result as we obtain by raising and lowering the anvil or the said shaft or the
parts which would actuate the presser might be mounted upon a sliding carriage
which would be moved to produce the same result or a sliding wedge might be inter-
posed between the cam or excentric and the head of the presser piece. In some
cases the apparatus might be applied to the card setting machine in such a manner as
that the presser would vibrate, horizontally instead of vertically. It will be under-
stood that when using the apparatus to ovalise the wire or to otherwise change the
section of the wire at intervals the anvil and presser would be prepared to effect the
required change in section. We have shown and described our apparatus as being
attached to the card setting machine so as to work in concert with the same because
we are adopting this arrangement in our own practice but it must be understood that
in some cases the machine might be quite independent of the setting machine it being
only necessary to provide it with a cam shaft corresponding to the shaft a and with
means for drawing forward the wire after each flattening operation. The apparatus

page_text: is such as we propose to use in the formation of the card tooth for which we have
obtained the grant of Letters Patent Number 15035 of the year 1886 but the said
apparatus may be used in the production of any other card tooth which is flattened
ovalised or changed in section."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The combination of parts arranged and designed to act substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated.
(2) In a machine for flattening or altering the section of card wire by pressure a
rapidly vibrating presser and an anvil in combination with parts for decreasing the
mean distance between the presser and anvil during each operation so that the wire
is flattened or shaped by a succession of squeezes or blows substantially as set forth
and indicated.
(3) In a machine for flattening or altering the section of card wire the rapidly
vibrating presser f and the anvil e in combination with parts for gradually moving
the said anvil toward the presser during the operation so that the flattening is effected
by a succession of squeezes or blows substantially as set forth and indicated.
(4) In a machine for flattening or altering the section of card wire the rapidly
revolving excentric ¹ the presser piece f¹ the spring the pressor f the anvil e carried
by a sliding anvil block e¹ in combination with the sliding wedge k for moving the
anvil toward the presser substantially as set forth.
(5) As applied to a card setting machine the rapidly vibrating presser of the anvil e
the sliding wedge the sliding bar and the cam n for acting upon the said bar
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(6) As applied to a card setting machine the wire guide d traversed to and fro the
rapidly vibrating presser or hammer of the anvil e the last two parts shorter on the
face than the length of wire cut off to form a card staple combined with means for
rapidly vibrating the said presser and with means for lessening the distance between
the presser and the anvil during the times when the wire is at rest substantially as
set forth.
(7) As applied to a card setting machine the anvil e moved toward and from a
presser or wire flattener by means of a cam n upon the cam shaft of the setting
machine so that the anvil is withdrawn to permit the wire to be fed forward and is
moved toward the presser when the wire is at rest in order that a flat may be formed
upon the wire in combination with a reciprocating presser or flattening tool sub-
stantially as set forth and indicated.
Dated this 19th day of December 1888.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.