Improvements connected with Index Rings of Cyclometers, and in the Method of and Machinery for Making such Rings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897--Accepted, 29th May, 1897
VUMIDOT ECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Index Rings of Cyclometers, and in
the Method of and Machinery for Making such Rings.
A communication from abroad by THE VEEDER MANUFACTURING COMPANY,
incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut, of Hartford,
Connecticut, United States of America.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents 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:-
Index rings or wheels for cyclometers, registers and other like purposes are
usually covered with paper upon which are printed the figures. Hitherto, the
strip of paper is applied to each wheel separately, which not only renders the
operation of applying paper to a great number of wheels faborious and
comparatively expensive, but results in lack of uniformity and of accuracy. It.
has been sought in this invention to provide for the application of the covering
paper to the rings or wheels in large numbers at one time and in such a manner as
to ensure absolute uniformity and accuracy; each wheel or ring after having been
covered and separated from the others, being printed by a rotating type wheel.
The manner in which the desired result is accomplished and the means which are
preferably employed will be fully described hereinafter with reference to the
accompanying drawing in which,-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine or device adapted for accomplishing
the result referred to, parts being broken away to show details of construction.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the plane indicated by the
line ax of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial, detail plan view of the same.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the index rings to which paper is to be
applied, also represented in the other figures of the drawing.
"In practising the invention, the wheels or rings A A which are to be covered are
assembled upon a common axis to form a cylinder, being preferably strung upon an
arbor B. As represented in Figure 3 the arbor is provided at one end with a
head b to form a solid abutment for the wheels or rings and at the other end is
screw threaded, as at 6¹, to receive a nut, as 62, (shown in dotted lines in Figure 3),
by means of which the rings may be crowded closely together upon the arbor.
Having been thus assembled to form a practically solid cylinder, the rings or
wheels are thoroughly cleaned and coated peripherally with any suitable cement
and a strip of paper C, or other suitable material is then wound spirally around
the cylinder from one end to the other, the meeting edges of such strip of paper
abutting closely to form a tight joint. When the cylinder has been thus coated
and covered with paper (a portion of such a cylinder being shown in Figures 1
and 3) it is set aside to permit the cement to harden or until it is required for
further use.
Whenever a quantity of index rings or wheels are desired for use, one of the
previously prepared cylinders is taken in hand and the paper or other covering is
cut clear through in the plane of the meeting faces of two adjacent rings, thereby

page_text: separating from the cylinder one ring or wheel with its covering. This operation
is repeated until the requisite number of separate rings or wheels is secured. The
strip of paper or other material, above referred to, may be laid on by hand, but it
is preferable to place the cylinder of rings between the centres of a machine or
device similar to an ordinary small lathe. "The cylinder may then be rotated by
band or otherwise as may be most convenient. The machine or device which is
adapted for this purpose is the same as that which may be employed to advantage
in cutting the paper subsequently and will presently be described. As represented
in Figures 1 and 2, suitable head-stocks D D' are mounted upon a suitable base
plate E and are connected by a tie-rod D2 and a guide-rod D. In the head-
stock D is mounted a threaded spindle F, carrying one of the centres f and
adjustable by means of a hand wheel or other suitable means. In the other head-
stock D' is mounted a spindle F which carries the other centre f¹ and is free to
rotate in the head stock but is held from longitudinal movement by suitable
collars and f3. This spindle may be provided with a grooved pulley f to be
rotated by a belt when desired, and with a handle f' so that it may be rotated by
hand. A driver G is mounted on the spindle and is preferably free to move
longitudinally thereon to a limited extent, having a slot g engaged by a pin ƒ³
projecting from the spindle and being pressed up to its work by a spring g³,
interposed between the driver and the collar f. The driver is adapted to engage
the arbor B in the usual manner, and the latter, together with the rings mounted
thereon, may be rotated rapidly for the purpose of cleaning and scouring the rings
before applying the cement, or slowly, for the purpose of winding the paper or
other strip C thereon, or for cutting the paper as hereinafter described.
In separating each ring from the others forming the cylinder any suitable means
might be employed to cut the paper, but it is preferred to use the means represented
in the drawing. Such means comprise a cutting wheel H which is fixed to a
spindle mounted to rotate in a frame . The latter is free to slide longitudinally
and to swing upon the guide rod D³, and is provided with a handle /* by means of
which the operator can shift it readily. The cutter is brought to bear upon the
paper or other covering as the cylinder is rotated, and is caused to sever the paper
in the plane of the meeting faces of the wheels. It is evident that a stationary
knife could be used in place of the revolving knife or cutting wheel, but the latter
is preferred. For the purpose of assisting the operator to cut the paper exactly
on the proper line, there is secured to the cutting wheel H a guard flange H,
which is set at a distance from the cutting edge equal to the thickness of each
index ring or wheel. It is preferred also to mount the cutter and guard flange so
that they may rotate upon the spindle and to interpose between the guard flange
or cutting wheel at one side of the frame ha spring which presses the guard
flange against the end of the ring about to be severed from the cylinder. As each
ring is severed from the cylinder formed by the others the cutter and guard flange
are swung out of the way and the newly severed wheel or ring is slipped along
toward the end of the arbor, the nut having been removed from the arbor. Then
the cutter is moved along into position to sever auother wheel or ring from the
cylinder formed by the others, and so on until all of the rings have been separated.
It is obvious that the figures might be printed upon the rings by means of a
rotating type wheel, while the rings are still held together by the paper, but
ordinarily the characters are printed upon each ring separately after its removal
from the machine just described.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that by applying the
paper to the rings in the manner described, it is possible to secure perfect smoothness
without extraordinary precaution and also to secure contact of the paper with the
surface of each ring at all points and therefore perfect adhesion, so that the starting
up of the paper from the ring, when in use, is prevented. Moreover, the laying of
the paper spirally about the cylinder of rings ensures a closer and more even joint
between the meeting edges of the paper on each ring than it would be possible to
obtain if the paper were applied to each ring separately.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the art of making index rings, the method which consists in assembling two-
or more separate rings so that their edges shall abut, coating said rings peripherally
with a suitable cement or other adhesive substance, wrapping the peripheries of
said rings so coated with a strip of flexible material so as to form a cylinder of
said rings, and then severing said cylinder into the separate rings of which it is.
composed.
2. In a machine for making index rings, the combination of means for supporting
a cylinder composed of two or more wheels or rings united together by a strip of
paper or other flexible material wound and fastened thereon, means to rotate said
cylinder, a cutter and means to support said cutter to move toward said cylinder to-
sever the same into the separate rings of which it is composed.
3. In a machine for making index rings, the combination of means for supporting
a cylinder composed of two or more wheels or rings united together by a strip of
paper or other flexible material wound and fastened thereon, means to rotate said
cylinder, a cutting wheel, a guide flange carried with said cutting wheel, and means.
to support said cutting wheel and guide flange to move toward and from said
cylinder and in a direction parallel with the axis thereof to sever in succession each:
separate ring from the cylinder by which it is supported and driven.
4. The combination with a series of wheels or rings held together to form a.
cylinder, of a strip of flexible material wound spirally about said cylinder and.
cemented thereto.
1 1
A
11007
PHILIP M. JUSTICE.