Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Safety-pins.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Safety-pins.
I, JOEL JENKINS, of Montclair, in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MANUFACTURING SAFETY-PINS 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 the manufacture of safety-pins, wherein a
wire-blank which has been previously pointed at one end and bent at the other to
receive a head or shield, is brought into register with mechanism by which a head
or shield is fitted and secured upon the bent end.
It has for its object to simplify and perfect the details of mechanism for
performing the operations of fitting and securing the heads or shields upon the
pin-blank.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a front elevation, partly in section, of the improved machine for
heading safety-pins, when constructed to secure the heads by clamping them down
upon the blank,
Figure 2, an irregular vertical section in line x, x, of Figure 1.
Figure 3, a transverse section in line y, y, of Figure 2, on an enlarged scale.
Figure 4, is a side elevation of the machine when constructed and adapted to
secure the heads by solder; and Figure 5, is a plan view of the machine as shown
in Figure 4.
A, A, represent standards in the frame of the machine, and B, a shaft supported
in suitable bearings on the upper ends of the standards. This shaft is geared by
a train of spur-wheels 10, 11, and 12, to a main shaft 13, driven by a prime motor
in any customary manner, and located in line just above the bed-plate I, of the
machine.
C, is a reciprocating block, mounted to slide up and down vertically in suitable
ways between the standards A, A, and which is actuated by a crank D, on the
shaft B, (see dotted lines in Figure 2). The crank D, is connected to the block by
a coupling rod E, pivotted to the block at a, (see Figure 2,) and made adjustable in
its length by a right and left screw coupling F.
A cutting punch G, and a forming punch. H, are secured side by side a short
distance apart, to the bottom of the vertically-reciprocating block C, to project³
therefrom in a common vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the
shaft B.
i

page_text: A cutting die L, is mounted upon the top of the bed-plate I, (see Figure 3)
immediately under the cutting punch G, and a shallow rectangular aperture, b,
slightly wider than the face of the punch is formed through the die at a right
angle with the axis of the shaft B. This aperture is adapted to receive a thin
strip of sheet metal 61, (see dotted lines Figure 5) constituting the stock out of
which the blanks for the pin-heads or shields are to be cut by the punch G. The
strip is fed forward at each stroke of the punch by mechanism such as is commonly
employed for the purpose, and which it is not necessary herein to describe. The
punch G, dropping through the die L, upon the strip b¹, will cut out a blank
therefrom, and the blank when cut out will drop into a recess c, upon a
transversely-moving plate or slide K, (see Figure 3) which is made to reciprocate
upon the top of the bed-plate I, at a right angle to the strip under the die L, and
punches G, and H, a transverse aperture being cut in the bottom of the die L, (see
Figure 1,) to allow it to pass through the same. The length of the reciprocating
movement imparted to this slide K, is such as to carry the rear end of the recess c,
which receives the blank from the cutting punch G, forward under the forming
punch H, at each rotation of the main shaft. The recess in the slide is so cut out
and fashioned in connection with a die d, formed in the bed-plate I, immediately
under the punch H, (see Figure 2), as that when the punch, H, descends upon the
blank, it will force it down out of the recess c, through the die d, into a recess e,
in the bed-plate I, beneath it, and in forcing it down will bend it into the shape
required in a shield or head for the safety-pin. This process of forming the shield
or head is well known to the art and requires therefore no further description.
The recess e, in which the shield or head is forced, is intersected by a transverse.
aperture 8, formed at a right angle with the slide K, and which extends entirely
through the bed-plate I. Within this aperture, a bar M, is fitted and so adjusted,
as that when the rear end of the recess c, in the slide K, is in position to receive
the blank from the cutting punch G, the front end of the bar M, shall just clear
the bottom of the die-opening d, and recess e, so that the shield or head deposited
vertically therein, will drop into position in front of said bar.
The front end of the feed-bar M, is furnished with an upper projection or
finger i, (see Figure 2) which, when the feed-bar moves forward, will strike the
upper, open end of the shield, standing vertically in the opening, (see dotted lines
Figure 2), and will push it over, so that the shield will be carried forward by the.
bar with its open end to the front, in position to pass upon the bent end of the
pin-blank P, upon which it is to be secured.
The pin-blanks P, P, (see Figure 5) are brought forward in succession with their
bent ends over and upon the anvil N, by means of the two, parallel, spirally-
grooved conveying-shafts R, R, rotating in a horizontal plane in front of the anvil
and at a right angle to the line of movement of the feed-bar M.
The pin-blanks P, P, are laid transversely upon the shafts R, R, at a right angle
to their axes, to rest in the spiral groove in each, and are carried forward by the
rotation of the shafts until brought upon the anvil. At this point the spiral groove
upon each shaft is carried at a right angle to the length of the shaft (see at t,
Figures 1 and 2) around' so much of the circumference thereof as may, in the
rotation of the shaft, be required to detain the blank resting in the groove long
enough at said point, to permit a shield to be placed upon the end of the blank
and made fast thereon.
So soon as the pin-blank P, enters the transverse length t, of the spiral groove, a
spring-actuated, yielding presser-foot O, carried by a vertically-reciprocating bar Q,
is made to drop upon the blank to hold it fast, (see Figure 2), whilst a punch Q
carried upon the same bar Q, so as to play directly over the anvil N, descends upon
the shield previously pushed out upon the end of the pin-blank by the bar M, and
clamps it firmly upon the same.
The movement of the bar Q, and clamping punch Q1, is obtained at proper
intervals and in proper relation to the movement of the feed-bar M, by means of an

page_text: eccentric wheel S, upon the shaft B, said eccentric being connected to the bar Q, by:
a forked coupling bar S¹, S¹, as illustrated in Figure 2.
The slide K, is attached at its outer end to a heavy, parallel bar V, (see Figure 1):
playing in a recess I' in the bed-plate I, and which serves to steady its movements.
The slide and bar are actuated by means of a lever T, pivotted to the frame at f,
(see Figure 1) to vibrate in a vertical plane parallel with the shaft B. The upper
end of this lever is provided with a lateral pin g, adapted to engage a cam groove h,
cut in the periphery of a wheel T', fixed on the shaft B, so that the rotation of the
wheel shall cause the lever to vibrate to and fro upon its pivot f, during a portion
of the revolution of the wheel and remain still during the remainder thereof. The
lower end of the lever T, is connected to the bar V, by means of a coupling-rod or
link V, pivotted to the one and the other. The pivot-pin f, upon which the lever
swings, passes through a longitudinal slot w, in the lever, so as to permit of an
adjustment of the lever notwithstanding its attachment to the bar, V.
The feed-bar M, is actuated by an eccentric-wheel 14, on the main shaft 13, (see
Figure 2) which engages two uprights 15, 15, projecting from the bar on opposite
sides of the periphery of the wheel as shown in Figure 2.
A cutting-punch may be formed to encircle the forming punch H, in manner well
known to the art, so that the latter shall descend within and through the former
upon the blank cut out by it, and force said blank into and through the forming
die in manner as has heretofore been commonly done in machines for cutting and
shaping blanks of sheet metal. In such case the strip b of metal stock is fed
directly over the opening or forming die d, under the punch H, and the slide K, is
entirely dispensed with, the operation of cutting out the blank and forcing it into
and through the die d, being performed without the necessity of a transference of
the blank, after it has been severed from the strip b. Or, the blank shields or
heads for the pins may be formed in a separate machine and delivered to the.
recess e, through a feed-tube, to be thence carried forward by the horizontal
feed-bar M, to the anvil and pin-blank.
In the operation of these devices for fitting heads upon the blanks for the pins,
the blanks are fed forward in the customary manner by the rotating shafts R, R,
or other equivalent device so as to carry their bent ends over the anvil N, and
each blank is momentarily arrested upon the anvil N, by reason of the change in
the direction of the spiral grooves on said shafts. At this moment the recipro-
cating-bar Q, descends and the presser-foot O, is brought to bear upon the blank P,
to hold it firm. As the presser-foot yields by reason of the compression of its
spring, the clamping-punch Q' descends towards the anvil to clamp and secure
upon the blank a head or shield, m, meantime fitted upon the bent end of the
blank by the movement towards it of the feed-bar M, the shield having been
tipped over by the finger i, from its vertical position at the bottom of the
opening d, in the bed-plate, into a horizontal position with its open end forward,
to pass over and upon the bent end of the blank P, when carried to it by said
movement of the feed-bar.
As the feed-bar M, moves to and from the anvil N, the clamping and forming
punches G, and H, are elevated, and so soon as the feed-bar has moved back of the
die-opening d, the punches descend and the one, G, cuts a blank from the strip b,
and the other H, forces the blank left beneath it through the opening d, into
position to be engaged and fed forward at the next movement of the feed-bar M.
During each movement of the feed-bar the slide K, moves from the cutting to the
forming punch and back again, thereby carrying the blank cut from the strip b, by
the former, into position under the latter.
In this manner a shield or head is formed and is carried and placed upon each
blank, brought to, and arrested upon, the anvil, and is then clamped and secured
upon the blank before the latter is started forward and removed from the anvil.
In certain classes of pins it is found advisable to solder the head or shield upon
the wire instead of simply clamping it thereon. For the manufacture of these pins
the clamping-punch Q, is omitted and after the head or shield has been fitted

page_text: upon the pin-blank P, by the movement of the slide or plunger M, in manner as
herein before described, the headed blank is carried forward by the rotation of the
shafts R, R, first under a machine by which a bit of solder is dropped in the recess
in the head, next under a drop-tube by which a drop of acid is deposited on the
solder, and finally in range of a burner by which the solder is melted so as to flow
into the joint between the blank and the head and thereby unite the two.
The apparatus for depositing the solder consists of a base-plate 50, upon the
top of which a reciprocating block or slide 16, is fitted to move freely in suitable
ways in a longitudinal plane to and from the conveying shafts R, R, at a right
angle thereto and on a level somewhat above the same. At the end of the base-
plate next to the shafts a bead-block 20, is fitted, and through this head-block an
aperture is pierced upon a level with the top of the slide 16.
A knife 17, is mounted to play vertically across the outer face of the head-
block 20, to traverse with its cutting blade the mouth of the opening. Immediately
beneath the mouth of the opening a funnel-shaped hopper 18, is fitted, and the
lower end of the hopper is brought into line with the heads upon the pin-blanks P, P;
conveyed forward by the rotation of the shafts, so that a bit of solder deposited
in the hopper will be delivered thereby upon a head beneath it.
A cylindrical boss or projection 19, is formed upon the top of the slide 16, and
a perforation corresponding to that in the head-block 20, and in a right line
therewith and with the upper face of the base-plate 50, is pierced diametrically
through it. A washer 21, is fitted over the cylindrical boss 19, (see Figure 6) and
spiral springs 22, 22, are inserted between the washer and the block to bear the
former up.
A wire of solder 40, is led through the apertures in the boss and head-block and
rests in its course upon the upper face of the base-plate. By pressing the washer 20,
down upon the wire, it is confined to the slide 16, so that when, under these
conditions, the slide moves forward, the wire, is forced forward through the aperture
in the head-block.
The washer 21, is brought to bear upon the wire, and the slide is made to
reciprocate by means of a lever 23, (see Figure 5) pivotted centrally upon a
pedestal 24, in such manner as to admit of oscillation both in a vertical plane and
in a horizontal plane. The front end of this lever is forked or slotted, to embrace
the boss 19, of the slide 16, and its rear end bears upon the periphery of an
eccentric wheel 25, in which a cam-groove 26, is cut to engage a pin 27, projecting
from the under side of the lever. This eccentric cam-wheel is mounted upon a
shaft 28, geared by a bevel gear 29, to the main shaft 13, (see Figure 5) and by
its rotation operates to cause the slide to travel back and forth and to force down
the front end of the lever 23, upon the washer 21, as the slide 16, moves towards
the head-block 20, and to be lifted therefrom and leave it free as the slide moves
back; hence the slide will carry the wire forward with it but will move inde-
pendently thereof on its return.
To hold fast the wire as the slide 16, moves back over it, a second lever 29, is
pivotted upon a pedestal 30, so that its front end shall extend over to bear upon
the wire on the base-plate 50, near to the head-block, and its rear end shall bear
upon the periphery of an eccentric-wheel 31, on the shaft 28, this wheel 31, being
so proportioned and adjusted as to cause the forward end of the lever to bear upon
the wire while the slide 16, moves back, but otherwise leaves it free.
The knife, 17, is fitted upon the forward end of a third lever 32, also pivottėd
upon the top of the pedestal 30, and whose rear end is made to bear on the
periphery of an eccentric wheel 33, on the shaft 28, by means whereof a recipro-
cating movement is imparted to the knife, the knife being adjusted at an angle so
as to produce a drawing cut as it traverses the mouth of the opening in the head-
block through which the solder wire is made to project. The eccentric-wheel 33,
is of such proportions. and so adjusted upon the shaft, as that the khife is made to
traverse the opening the moment the wire is held tight and the feed-slide 16, is
moving back.

page_text: An acid reservoir 34, of any suitable form, provided with a small delivery-
tube 35, is mounted in line with the conveying shafts R, R, at a level above the
same and in position to bring the mouth of its tube 35, just above the heads
fitted on the pin-blanks passing under it on the shafts R, R. The direction of the
conveying grooves is changed immediately under the tube so as to cause the blank
to stop momentarily at this point.
:
Further on, a burner 36, adapted to produce a hot flame, is placed in position to
'cause its flame to bear upon the heads of the blanks carried forward as described
by the shafts, and the shafts are again, at this point, a formed as to momentarily
detain each blank in range of the flame.
In the operation of this soldering apparatus each pin-blank P, duly headed by
the operation of the plunger M, as described, and having the head retained thereon
simply by frictional contact, is brought by the rotation of the conveying shafts R, R,
successively under the hopper 18, then under the end of the acid drop-tube 35, and
finally within range of the burner 36, and at each point is momentarily detained.
As the blank stops under the hopper 18, the knife 17, is brought into action to out'
a bit of solder from the end of the wire 40, previously fed forward by the move-
ment of the slide 16, actuated by the lever 23, in manner as described, and the bit
of solder thus cut, drops upon the head on the blank. When the blank stops
under the tube 25, a drop of acid is deposited upon the solder, so that when the
blank is brought under the influence of the flame of the burner the solder will melt
and flow into the joints between the head and the pin-wire and produce a secure
union of the two.
The headed blanks are kept in proper position as they move forward, by means
of a longitudinal supporting-plate 39, mounted parallel with the conveying-shafts,
(see Figure 5), and upon which the heads rest and slide in passing from the heading
machine out beyond the burner.
As a substitute for the conveying-shafts R, R, a wide, endless, double carrying
chain constructed of two parallel lengths of hinged links connected by transverse
pivot-pins and held uniformly apart by suitable collars on the pins, may be
employed. The chain is led over suitable sprocket-wheels at each end of the
machine so as to pass in a longitudinal plane on the level of the anvil and the
upper edges of the links in the two parallel lengths of the chain are transversely
notched to receive and support the pin-blanks laid transversely thereon.
It is manifest that the apparatus as described for applying the solder to the
heads and melting it thereon may be employed with any desired forms of machine
for fitting the head upon a pin-blank in readiness to receive the solder, and that it
is not therefore, to be regarded as useful only in connection with the one form of.
heading mechanism specially described herein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner it is to be performed I declare that what I claim is,
1. The combination in a safety-pin machine, with an anvil, and mechanism
substantially as described for conveying a wire-blank to and from said anvil, of a
reciprocating feed-bar moving back and forth in an aperture extending in a plane
co-incident with the length of the blank through the bed-plate of the machine
between the anvil and a recess formed in the bed-plate for the reception of a pin-
head or shield, whereby, in the movements of the machine, the pin-head or shield
placed in said recess, is transferred by the feed-bar to the anvil and fitted upon
the blank resting thereon, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein
set forth:
2. The combination in a safety-pin machine, with an anvil, mechanism substan-
tially as described for conveying a pin-blank to and from said anvil, and a
reciprocating clamp-punch descending over the anvil, of a yielding presser-foot
attached to the punch to descend in front of the anvil and rest upon the pin-blank
when it is detained over the anvil, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination in a safety-pin machine, with an anvil and mechanism
substantially as described for conveying a wire-blank to and from said anvil, and
a reciprocating feed-bar moving back and forth in an aperture extending in a
plane co-incident with the length of the blank through the bed-plate of the
machine between the anvil and a recess formed in the bed-plate for the reception
of a detached head or shield; of a forming punch reciprocating into and out of the
opening or die over the receiving recess which is traversed by the slide; whereby
a blank placed under the forming punch is forced by it into the receiving recess to
be thence carried to the anvil, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein set forth.
4. The combination in a safety-pin machine with an anvil block and mechanism
substantially as described for conveying a wire-blank to and from said block, and a
reciprocating feed-bar moving back and forth in an aperture extending in a plane
co-incident with the length of the blank through the bed-plate of the machine
between the anvil and a recess formed in the bed-plate for the reception of a
detached pin-head or shield; of a slide moving immediately over said receiving
recess; a cutting punch reciprocating to and from the bed-plate to cut at each
move a head blank from a strip fed forward in an extended recess above the slide ;
and a forming punch reciprocating into and out of the opening over the receiving
recess which is traversed by the slide; whereby the blank cut out by the cutting
punch is carried under the forming punch and is forced by it into the receiving
recess to be thence carried to the anvil, all substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein set forth.
5. The machine organized substantially as described, comprising a device
delivering intermittently bits of solder; a reservoir and tube delivering drops of
acid; and a burner or heating device for melting the bits of solder; in combination
with conveying mechanism substantially as described for carrying forward and
momentarily detaining in reach of each of said devices the headed ends of safety-
pins placed upon said conveying mechanism, whereby a bit of solder and a drop of
acid are automatically delivered upon each pin-head and the solder thereafter
fused thereon, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 15th day of Tune A D 1096 at the City of Na Vast