Improvements in Machines for Placing Fibre on Wire.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1895-Accented, 13th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Placing Fibre on Wire.
We, FRANKLIN STREATER RANDALL, Electrician, and JOHN SHALLCROSS,
Lawyer, both of No. 1514 Orthodox Street, Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 a machine for plaoing strips of loose fibre on wire;
and the invention consists in the use of a mandrel constructed hollow, a revolving
plate attached thereto, provided with a rotating conical condenser, tension devices,
guide eyes for the lashing threads, and winding reels.
It further consists in the use of devices for directing the fibre to the wire and
rolls for vertically drawing the wire to be covered from a let-off reel and winding
the same on a take up reel.
We have illustrated our invention by a drawing herewith. In which
Figure 1, is a front view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the revolving plate carrying the rotating
condenser and winding spools or reels for lashing the fibre on the wire.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same and showing clearly the stationary
and revolving tapering condensers.
Similar letters denote the same parts.
In the drawing A, A, refer to upright standards, journaled between which, at
the bottom is a let-off reel N, which contains the naked wire L, to be covered,
the finished wire passing over a drum T, journaled between the standards A, A,
at the top.
The wire after passing over the said drum, is wound upon the take-up reel N',
in the rear of the machine.
Directly below the drag-rolls B, resting upon a transverse bearing A', between
the upright standards is a hollow mandrel C, in which .supported by a bracket n¹
from one of the standards is a hollow tapering tube k, entering into the top of
which is a short conical tube k' rotating with the hollow mandrel C, to the top
end of which is secured a circular plate C', upon the face of which concentrically
are loosely revolving spools or reels D, provided with the winding and lashing
threads d.
We may secure diametrically on the upper face of the circular plate C³, a comb
or brush constructed with teeth, the extremities of which taper from the bottom to
top, and would be preferably formed of two independent sections, each of which
is made adjustable to suit the different thicknesses of covering of fibre to be
placed on the wire.
A circular guide stand H, also secured to the face of the circular plate C', is
provided with small apertures or eyes h, through which the threads d, pass to the
covering from the winding spools D.
In the operation of the device the strip of fibres E, being first attached to the
wire is afterward directed to it by means of the drawing and feeding rolls K,
situated directly below the tapering stationary tube or condenser k.
To avoid stretching the strip of fibres and thereby producing thin places in the
covering, the can G, containing the loose strip of fibres E, is supplied with a very
loosely revolving roll g, over which the strip is compelled to pass, thereby relieving
it as far as is practical from any tensile strain.

page_text: The thickness of the covering to be given to the wire of fibre, having been
determined, the loosely constructed strip is placed in the can G, then guided to
the wire by means of the drawing and feeding rolls described, and attached to it.
The said feed rolls receive their power by means of one of the drag roll shafts
and the sprocket chain t.
Power is applied to the shaft p, by means of the drive belt I, a bevel gear 4 on
the said shaft engaging the bevel gear 3 secured on the end of the tapering hollow
mandrel C, and as the circular plate must revolve rapidly the horizontal shaft p,
must be speeded and geared to the hollow mandrel of the plate accordingly.
The drag rolls B, are also driven by means of the bevel gears 7, 5, 6, 2, and
shaft 21, from the power shaft, and take-up reel N¹, is revolved from the said
shaft by means of a suitable belt, this arrangement of drive, however, to both of
the above mentioned parts we may materially change, using it may be a sprocket
chain to communicate the needed motion from the drive shaft to the drag rolls,
and take-up reel.
As the wire is being drawn upward by the drag rolls the fibre strip is drawn to
it and moves vertically with it at the same speed, and entering the mouth of the
stationary tapering condenser enclosed in the quickly revolving hollow mandrel C,
the diameter of the tapered opening of the short revolving condenser regulating the
thickness of the covering and compressing the straightened fibres firmly against
the wire.
Upon the emerging from the upper small end of the tapered condenser, the
fibre may then be acted upon by a comb or brush, the extremities of the teeth of
which would press tangentially upon the cotton fibres, and by reason of the high
revolution given to the plate to which the condenser is secured, the loose
surface fibres and those of a limited depth of the strip will be combed or brushed
around the outside not disturbing those parallel fibres underneath. Said comb is
not indispensable.
After passing through this device and all the loose fibres having been forced
into and around, the covered wire is then drawn but a short distance upward
directly in front of the guide stand H, the upper end through which the thread d
passes corresponding to the contour of the covered wire, the lashing threads
holding it firmly in place finishes the covering smoothly after the winding thread
is in place.
Electric wires covered in the manner described could first be treated to a bath
of some insulating compound before the fibre was applied or even afterward, they
also could be soaked in some insulating material, but in covering them in the
manner shown with the raw fibre we are able to produce a much cheaper product
inasmuch that a single operation in either case is all that is required to secure a
sufficient amount of fibrous material to hold the insulating liquid.
The flexibility of the covering for the wire is greatly increased as also is the
covering much tougher and tenacious, the fibre becoming so thoroughly permeated
with the insulating material and forms such a homogeneous mass that it resembles
in most respects rubber, and it has proven in many cases nearly as efficient as an
electrical nonconductor.
A wire covered in the manner described will give the same diametric measure-
ment throughout its whole length, because of the uniform condition of the strip
of parallel fibres, and while it must be in this condition for to apply it, it is robbed
of quite all of its tensile strength, and we are quite sure this being the case, up to
this time it has deterred inventors from practically applying it.
By the use of the machine shown and the character and condition of the stock
used we are able to apply evenly to the wire many feet a minute and place the
metal core directly central in the covering.
As before stated the above described machine uses the fibre as it comes from
the drawing frame, giving the strip of parallel fibres a uniform product throughout,
and we claim to have discovered great advantages by using the fibre in this con-
dition, the placing of it on the wire uniform in thickness, securing a greater

page_text: flexibility, in the covering and particularly making it mechanically possible to
apply fibre longitudinally, a result never heretofore practically attained by using
any other form of product. The combing spirally of those outer loose fibres that
stand off from the parallel fibres to a limited depth knits and compacts them
in a manner never heretofore accomplished, making a thoroughly finished
product.
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. In a machine for covering wire with strips of loose fibre, the combination
with a pair of drag-rolls B, and reels N, N₁, stationary conical condenser,
revolving plate provided with tapering rotating condenser, and winding reels, the
threads from said reels lashing the fibres firmly around the wire, when constructed
to operate as set forth.
2. In a machine for covering wire with strips of loose fibre, the combination
with a pair of drag-rolls B, and reels N, N', of the drawing and feeding rolls K &
hollow mandrel, a stationary hollow tapering tube or condenser, a revolving
plate provided with a rotating tapering condenser and winding spools, as
set forth.
Dated this 10th day of June 1895
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.