An Improved Method and Apparatus for the Production of Knotted or Tied Loops, and for Grouping said Loops, chiefly designed for Use in Looping or Stringing Tags, Labels, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Apparatus for the Production of Knotted
or Tied Loops, and for Grouping said Loops, chiefly designed for
Use in Looping or Stringing Tags, Labels, and the like.
I, JOHN PRICE SWIFT, of Woods Holl, in the Town of Falmouth, and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for producing from a
continuous string or cord knotted or tied loops, more particularly knotted or tied
loops having tags or like blanks suspended thereon, and for tho assembling or
grouping the said knotted loops into predetermined numbers or bunches.
In accordance with this invention, the tags are placed in or on a suitable holder,
such for instance as a chute or receptacle, with their holes or eyelets registering
with one another, and one end of the continuous twine, cord or string is passed
through the said eyelets and preferably placed in position to be engaged by a
feeder, which carries the string into position to be engaged by grippers or holding
jaws, by which that portion of the string to be formed into a loop and upon which
a tag is to be placed, is rendered substantially taut, or if desired, the end of the
string may be placed by hand in the grippers. A tag is then withdrawn from its
chute or receptacle and carried on the substantially taut string toward the grippers,
after which the said string is carried downward to form one-half or member of the
loop, the other half or member of the loop being then formed by the feeder, which
carries the string forward and into the open jaws of the grippers, as will be berein-
after described. The upper ends of the loop, which correspond to the loose ends of
the hand-made loop,-are then preferably severed from the string and mechanically.
tied into a knot, as will be described, and the tied or knotted loop is preferably
conveyed to the assembling or what I prefer to designate as the "bunching
apparatus," wherein the tied tags are suspended and assembled or grouped in
predetermined numbers to form what may be called a bunch, as will be hereinafter
set forth.
The apparatus by which the loops are formed and tied with the tags thereon
and assembled, is preferably made as will be described, and embraces novel
combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter specified.
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a tag forming and bunching apparatus embodying
this invention with parts of the apparatus omitted to enable the remaining parts to
be more clearly shown.
Figs. 2 and 3, details on an enlarged scale, of mechanism for intermittently
operating the looper to be referred to."
Fig. 4, a partial section and side elevation of the complete apparatus, the section
being taken ou the line 4-4, Fig. 1, and looking toward the left.
Fig. 5, a detail in perspective to be referred to.
Fig. 6, a vertical section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the section being
taken on the irregular line 6-6 and the "bunchers" being shown in elevation.
Fig. 7, details in perspective to be referred to.
Fig. 8, a detail on an enlarged scale of the koot forining and loop severing
device preferred by me, together with the cam for operating the same.
Fig. 9. a sectional detail to be referred to on the irregular line 9-9. Fig. 8.

page_text: Fig. 10, a detail on an enlarged scale showing the knotter and loop severing
device in their closed position.
Fig. 11, a detail in side elevation and on an enlarged scale of the form of loop
forming device preferred by me, showing one of the loopers engaged with the loop
of a tied tag.
Fig. 12, a sectional detail on the line 12-12, Fig. 11, looking toward the right
to more clearly show the construction of the looper preferred by me.
Fig. 13, a sectional detail on the line 13-13, Fig. 11, to show a construction
by which the length of the loop may be adjusted or regulated as will be
described.
Figs. 11, 12, 134, similar views of a modified form of loop forming
mechanism.
Fig. 14, a sectional detail on an enlarged scale to be referred to, to show the
mechanism by which the buncher supporting frame is intermittently moved, the
section being taken on the line 14-14, Fig. 4.
Fig. 15, a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 16, a detail on an enlarged scale of the cam for operating the tag delivering
device to bo referred to.
Fig. 17, a detail in perspective and on an enlarged scale of the loop holding
device and its operating mechanism.
Fig. 18, a detail in plan view showing the holder in its operative position.
Fig. 19, a detail in perspective and on an enlarged scale showing the tag
delivering device in the position it would occupy when about to deliver its tag to
the "buncher."
Fig. 20, a detail showing the gripping jaws, the string, the string carrier, and
the looper in position they occupy when a loop is about to be formed.
Fig. 21, a detail in perspective illustrating the parts shown in Fig. 20 in the
position they occupy when the knot is about to be tied, and also showing the loop-
bolding device, and the knotter shown in Fig. 10, in the position the latter occupios
when about to form the knot.
Fig. 22, a detail in perspective representing the knotter shown in Figs. 10 and 21
as turned through an arc of 180 degrees and into the position shown in Fig. 8, the
said figure also showing the two members or parts of the loop wound about the beak
of the knotter.
Fig. 23, a detail in perspective representing the knotter turned through an angle
of forty-five degrees from the position shown in Fig. 22.
Fig. 24, n.detail in perspective showing the knotter in its closed position just
preparatory to slipping the noose of the loop off from the knotter to form a knot in
the loop.
Fig. 25, a detail in perspective of the knotter showing the noose of the loop as
slipped off from its beak and formed into a knot, the knotter retaining hold of the
free ends of the loop.
Fig. 26, a developed view of a switch cam for operating the intermediate jaw of
the grippers.
Fig. 27, a detail on an enlarged scale partly in section to more clearly show the
preferred form of construction of the gripping jaws.
Fig. 28, a detail in plan view of the gripping jaws with the intermediate jaw
omitted.
Fig. 29, an end view of the tog-containing chute to more clearly show the
manner of holding the tags within its chute.
Fig. 30, an underside view on an enlarged scale of one of the bunchors.
Fig. 31, a detail on an enlarged scale to more clearly show the manner of
securing the disk a 47 to its shaft.
Fig. 32, a front elevation on an enlarged scale of one of the buncher driving
gears.
Fig. 38, a sectional detail on the line 33-33, Fig. 32, and
Fig. 34. a rear elevation of the gear shown in Fig. 32.

page_text: The apparatus as herein shown comprises a loop forming and tag tying portion,
and a tag assembling or bunching portion constructed and arranged to co-operate,
but to enable the invention to be more readily understood, I prefer to specifically
describo each portion separately in the order specified.
The operating parts of the loop forming and tag tying portion are supported in
a suitable framework, which, in the present instance, is shown as a substantially
oblong box or casing A erected upon a standard or upright A (see Figs. 4
and 5).
The framework A supports in suitable bearings a shaft a, (see Fig. 1) which
may be driven, as herein shown, from a shaft A2 by suitable mechanism, herein
shown as a sprocket chain a 1 passed about a sprocket wheel a 3 on the shaft a and
about a sprocket wheel a 4 on the shaft A2, the latter shaft being supported in
suitable arms A3, A4, secured to the upright or standard A 1.
The shaft a constitutes the main operating shaft of the machine, upon which are
secured various devices such as cams aud eccentrics for producing movement of
different mechanisms, as will be described.
The parts operated by the cam and eccentrics on the shaft a, as herein shown,
and which will be hereinafter specifically described, are as follows: 1st. Grippers
or holding jaws, which operate to hold fast one end of the string, cord or twine,
2nd, a feeder, which carries the string into the said jaws, 3rd, a tag carrier or
feeder mechanism, which places a tag upon the string, 4th, a looper which acts on
the string held by the jaw and carries the same downward to form one half or
member of the loop, oth, a loop holding device by which the two halves or
members of the loop are held while a knot is being tied in the said loop, 6th, a
knotting device by which the loop is severed from the string and tied, und 7th, a
brush by which the loose ends of the string retained by the grippers are removed
from the said grippers.
The grippers or holding jaws, which may and preferably will be made as herein
shown, consists of two members a4 a5 (see Fig. 28) aud an intermediate member a 6,
all pivotally secured together by the screw a 7, (see Figs. 1 and 27) and forming a
double set of holding jaws or grippers, the intermediate jaw a 6 co-operating with
the member or jaw a to form oue set aud with the jaw or member ao to form the
other set. Tho intermediate jaw a 6 is operated to co-operate first with one jaw, as
for instance, the jaw or member a 4, and then with the jaw or member a 5, as herein
shown, by a two-path switch cam a 8 (see Figs. 1 and 26) fast on the shaft a and
provided in the present instance with four peripheral grooves or chanuels
marked 2, 3, 4, 5, in Fig. 26, the said grooves forming two tracks or paths, which
are made to cross and connect with each other by a switch a 9, for a purpose as
will be described.
The members or jaws a4 a5 have their rear ends 7, 8, extended to engage a
stationary upright or stop a 10, which may form part of the framework A, and the
Baid jaws are adapted to be brought into engagement with said stop us herein
shown, by flat spring a 12, a 13 secured to the said jaws as best shown in Fig. 28,
for a purpose as will be described.
The intermediate jaw a 6 of the grippers carries at its rear end a device for
engaging the tracks or ways ou the cam a 8, the said device, in the present instance,
being represented in Figs. 21 and 27 as a follower, consisting of a top piece 10 aud
depending side pieces 12, the latter fitting into grooves forming the track or way.
The top piece 10 of the follower referred to, is provided as shown in Fig. 27 with
a stud or upright projection 13, extended up into a tubular upright 14 on the rear
end of the jaw a 6, the latter being brought into engagement with one jaw as a 4,
when the side pieces 12 of the follower are in one track or set of grooves as 2, 3,
and into engagement with the other jaw as a 5, when the said side pieces of the
follower aro in the other track or set of grooves 4, 5,-for a purpose as will be
described.
The grippere have co-operating with them a feeder for the string or twine,
preferably made as herein shown, and consisting of an arm or rod a 14 provided at

page_text: its free end with a bent finger a 15 (see Figs. 1 and 4) and secured in an upright a 16
of a movable frame or bracket, pivoted as at a 17 to a stationary portion or
support a 18, constituting a guideway for a sliding rod or bar a 19 (see Figs. 1
and 4) operatively connected to the said movable bracket or frame, it being
herein shown as provided with a square or other than round upright stud a 20
extended between a forked arm a 21 of the said movable frame. The sliding
rod a 19 may be reciprocated, as herein represented, by a cam disk a 22 fast on the
shaft a and having in one face a cam grove a 23 (see Fig. 4) into which projects
n pin, roller or stud a 24 on the sliding rod a 19. The cam groove a 23 is shaped in
suitable manner to intermittingly operate the slide rod a 19 and thereby inter-
mittingly oscillate the feeder a 14, so that after the sail feeder has carried the
string or cord to the gripping jaws and has again returned to its normal or starting
position shown in Fig. 1, it will remain stationary while one half or member of the
loop is being formed after which the said feeder becomes active to again feel the
string to the grippers to form the other half or member of the said loop, as will
be hereinafter more fully described. After the string has been carried by the
feeder a 14 to the gripping jaws, and has been firmly grasped between the inter-
mediate jaw a 6 and one of the jaws a 4 a 5, the said string is acted upon by a
looper, which forms oue half or member of the completed loop upon which the tag
is strung.
One form of looper, by which this result may be accomplished is shown in
Figs. 11 and 12, and another form of looper is shown in Figs. 11 and 124, but
instead of the particular constructions shown, I may employ any other suitable
construction of device capable of performing the work, but I prefer to employ the
form of looper shown in Figs. 1, 11, and 12. As shown in Figs. 1, 11 and 13, the
looper consists of an arm a 25, provided with a finger a 26 preferably slightly bent,
the said arm being secured to or forming part of an elbow lever a 27, loosely
mounted on a stud or pivot a 28, extended from a lug or ear 429 secured to
or forming part of a disk a 30, rendered fast on a shaft a 31 having bearings in
suitable uprights a 32, a 33, forming part of the framework. The disk a 30 may
and preferably will be adjustably clamped or secured to a disk a 300 which is fast
on the shaft a 31, the disk a 30 being secured to the disk a 300 as shown in Fig. 13
by screws or bolts a 301 extended through slots a 302 in the disk a 300.
The elbow lover a 27 may be provided as herein shown with a shoe a 34, which
co-operates with a cam a 35 loose on the shaft a 31, but held stationary by means
of a thumb screw a 36 (see Fig. 12) inserted through the slotted end of an arm or
bracket a 37 secured to a portion a 38 (Fig. 1) of the framework. The elbow
lever a 27 is adapted to be turned on its stud or pivot a 28 in one direction by the
loop of the string or twine as will be described, and is restored to its normal position,
as herein shown, by means of a torsional spring a 39 encircling the stud or pivot a 28
nud having one end fastened to the lever a 27 and its other end secured to a
collar a 40 fust on the said stud. In the present instance, the looper carrying
disk a 30 is shown as provided with four looper arms and as herein represented, the
Baid disk is provided with four circunferential lugs or projections a 41, between
which are located the shoes a 34 of the different looper levers a 27, each of the said
Jugs being provided, as shown, with a spring a 42 secured to it as by a screw 43, and
which spring acts as a buffer to relieve the force of the blow of the looper lever a 27
against the lug, when the said looper is restored to its normal position by the
spring a 38. The looper carrying shaft a 31 is intermittingly turned or rotated,
which may and preferably will be accomplished by a mechanism shown separately
in Figs. 2 and 3, and consisting of a square or other than round disk or plate a 44
fast on the looper shaft a 31, and provided as herein shown with studs a 45 corre-
sponding in number to the looper arms carried by the disk a 30, which number in
the present instance is four. The studs a 45 have co-operating with them a stud or
projection a 46 on a disk a 47, the latter being rendered fast on the shaft a, which
may be effected in any suitable manner, as by means of threaded bolts a 48 extended
through slots a 320 in the flange a 49 of a hub a 50 secured on the said shaft as by

page_text: the pin a 322 (see Figs. 1 and 31) the said threaded bolts entering suitable threade
sockets a 321 in the disk a 47. In this manner, the disk a 47 is adjustably and
removably secured on the shaft a. The disk a47, as shown, is providet at its
circumference with a cut-away portion a 51 of sufficient size or length to afford a
passageway for a corner of the plate u44 and to permit the said plate and the loopor-
carrying shaft to be partially rotated by the stul a 46 engaging one of the studs or
projections a 45, and as soon as the stud a 46 has passed by or out of engagement
with a stud a 45, the disk or plate a 44 and the looper shaft a 31 will be locked
against rotation by means of the disk a 47, one side of the plate a 44 being at such
time in engagement with the disk a 47 as represented in Fig. 3, and remaining in
engagement therewith until the stud a 46 engages another stud a 45, at which time
the cut-away portion a 51 of the disk a 47 will be in position to afford a passage for
the corner of the disk a 44 and permit it to be turned.
In the present instance, it will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 and 3, that
the looper shaft a 31 is given a quartor turn by each complete revolution of the
shaft a, and during substantially the larger part of the revolution of the shaft a
the looper carrying shaft a 31 is locked against rotation. At each quarter rotation
of the looper shaft a 31, a looper arm a 25 is moved downward in the direction
indicated by arrow 20, (Fig. 12) and carries the string held by the grippers in a
downward direction to form one ineinber or half 200 of the loop, the other membor
or half 201 of which (see Fig. 21) is then formed by the feedor arm a 14 carrying
the twine or string to the grippers, and bringing the two members or halvos
of the loop substantially close together preparatory to forming the knot; and when
the two balves or members of the loop are brought substantially close together as
described, they are engaged by a locking or holding device, which serves to retain
the two members of the loop in position to be engaged by the knotter, as will be
hereinafter described.
The loop locking or holding device may and preferably will be made as herein
shown, it consisting essentially (see Figs. 17 and 18) of a disk a 500 provided with
a finger or projection a 510, adapted to be brought over and close a passageway a52,
formed as herein shown by two plates or guide-bars a 53 a 54, secured respectively
to the top and side of a post or upright a 55 attached to a rack bar a 56, the latter
being adapted to move in a suitable guideway a 57 fastened to a stationary portion
of the machine. The rack bar a 56 may be reciprocated by means of a segmental
gear a 58 secured to or forming part of a hub a 59, mounted loosely on the shaft a
and provided with a crank arm a 60, joined by a connecting rod a 61 to a lever a 62,
pivoted as at a 63 to a bracket a 64 secured to or forming part of the framework
of the machine, the said lever being provided with a stud or projection a 65 extended
iuto a cam groove a 66 in one face of a cam disk a 67 fast on the shaft a. The
disk a 500, as herein shown, is pivotally mounted on the plate or bar a 53, and has
pivotally connected to it one arm a 68 of an elbow lover a 69, pivoted to the plate
or bar a 53 as at a 70, and having its other arm a 71 adapted to be brought into
engagement with a stud or post a 72 erected from a stationary portion of the
machine, the said post or stud turning the elbow lever a 69 so as to move the
disk a 500 in the direction of arrow 21, and bring its nuse or projection a 510 across
the slot a 52 and behind the members of the loop, as clearly represented in Fig. 18.
The two members of the loop are now in condition to be tied or knotted, which
may be effected by means of a knotting device, preferably of a construction as will
now be described, and which is best shown in Figs. 8, 10 and 22 to 25 inclusive.
The knotting device herein shown comprises two parts or members, one of which is
preferably fixed and is herein shown as a bar b, provided at its front end with a
pointed extension or nose b1, the said bar at its rear ond, as herein shown (see Fig. 8)
being made cylindrical in form and extended into a suitable socket in an enlarged
portion 62 of a shaft b 3 (Fig. 1) by which the knotter may be revolved. The
fixed member or bar b has co-operating with it a second or movable member herein
shown as an elbow levor b 4, fast on a pivot or rock shaft 65 extended through the
bar b, and having secured to it on the opposite side of the bar 6 (see Fig. 10) a crank

page_text: or arm b6, the elbow lever 64 being provided with a pointed extension or nose
piece b7, which co-operates with the pointed extension or nose piece1 of the bar b
to form the nippers or holding jaws of the knotting devico.
The movable jaw or nipper 67 may be normally brought in close contact with the
fixed jaw 1, as herein shown, by means of a spring 8, having one end secured
to the crank or arm 66, and having its other end fastened as herein shown to a
hook 9 projecting from a bar b 10 fastened as by screw 6 12 to the bar b.
The jaw 7 is adapted to be moved away from the jaw b1, which may he
nccomplished, as herein shown, by means of a lever b13 pivoteil to the fixed
member bas nt 614, and provided at its front end with a shearing extension or
nose piece b 15 constituting a knife blade, which co-operates with the jaws 167
to sever the cord or twine held therein, as will be described. The knife blade 15
may form an integral part of the lever b 13 or it may be a separate piece and bo
attached thereto as by a screw 16 (see Fig. 10). The lever 613 may be turned
on its pivot to produce a cutting action of the knife & 15 by a spring 20, herein
shown as a laminated spring secured to a suitable holder 21 fastened to the
lever 6 13. The lever 13 may be provided at its rear end, as shown, with a
collar 23, which co-operates with a cam 6 24 fastened to a rod 25 pivotally
connected as at 626 to a stationary portion of the machine, the cam 24 being
provided with an enlarged portion 627, for a purpose as will be described. The
cam 24 has pivotally connected to it, as at 6 28, a rod or arm b 29 secured to à
strap 630 of an eccentric 31 mounted on the shaft a. The shaft b3 to which the
fixed member b of the knotter is secured, may be supported in suitable uprights 30, 31,
secured to or forming part of the framework of the machine, und may be rotated
from the shaft a, us herein shown, by means of a sprocket chain 32 passed about
sprocket wheels 634 635 on the shafts a and 63, respectively, and best shown in
Fig. 4, but it is evident that the shaft b3 may be connected to the shaft a by gears.
The cam 624 operates upon the roller b 23 to turn the lever 613 on its pivot, so as
to move its knife b15 away from the stationary jaw b1 of the nippers. At the
same time, the lever 13 engages the crank or arm 66 and noves it in the direction
indicated by arrow 22, (Fig. 10) against the action of its spring 8, thereby
turning the shaft or pivot 65 and its attached elbow lever b4, in such direction as
to move the jaw b7 away from the jaw b1 and into substantially the position
shown in Fig. 8, in which condition the jaws are capable of receiving between them
the two members of the loop, as will be described. The portion 627 of the
cam 24 permits the lever b13 to be moved by its spring 620, in the direction
indicated by arrow 23 in Fig. 10, a sufficient distance to remove the lever b 13 from
engagement with the crank or arm b6, thereby permitting the latter to be moved
by its retracting spring 68 in the direction iudicated by arrow 23, in Fig. 10, thus
turning the shaft or pivot 65 in such direction as to bring the movable jaw 67
toward and into engagement with the fixed jaw b 1, thereby firmly clamping the two
members of the loop preparatory to severing the same from the string by the
knife 15, which is brought into action by the spring 620 when the roller 6 23 is
removed from engagement with the cam 624 and its enlarged portion b 27, the
movement of the lever 613, when freed from the cam 624 and the portion b 27,
being limited by a stop, shown as an overturned edge 640 on the bar b10.
The jaws b1b7 are préferably made substantially flat on one side and are
rounded on the other side, and the cutting blade or shear 6 15 is made flat on one
side and rounded on the other side.
The flat side of the cutting blade 15 is contiguous to the flat sides of the
jaws b1b7, so that when the jaws 6167 are closed and the cutting blade is in its
normal or inoperative position shown in Fig. 10, tho rounded sides of the said
blade and jaws form a substantially conical beak or horn over which the noose of
the loop is drawn to form the knot.
It will be understood, from the above description of the apparatus, that a
continuous or substantially long string or twine c is employed, and that the tags ol
are made prior to being placed in the machine, and are and may be of any

page_text: suitable form such as now commonly suspended by a loop or non-metame morous
material.
The tags c1 are provided with eyelets or holes through which the string is.
passed, and the said tags are placed in or on a suitable holder or support, herein.
shown as a chute, guideway or receptacle c 2, which is herein represented in Figs. 4
and 6 as a substantially long rectangular tube, extended through a hollow support
represented as a box 3, sustained in an inclined position by means of arms c4
attached to the rear side of the framework as by bolts or screws c 5.
The tag-containing chute or guideway c2 may be removably secured in the
box c3 as by a screw e 6. The tags el are arranged within the chute or guide-
way 2 with their eyelets or holes in line with one another, so that the string or
twine c may be passed through the eyelets or holes of all the tags contained in the
said chute.
r
The string or twine c may be taken from a ball, spool or bobbin, not herein.
shown, but which may be suitably supported abore the top of the chute c 2 and
preferably substantially in line with the same, but while this arrangement is.
preferred, as it leaves the string free and does not offer any resistance or drag to
the feeder a 14, I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular location of
the string outside of the machine, nor to any particular form in which the string is '
assembled, as it may be left in a loose state. When the string e has been fed to
the grippers as above described, that portion of the string between the grippers and
the mouth of the chute 2 is inclined and substantially straight, as represented in
Figs. 4 and 6.
The tag cl nearest the mouth or discharge end of the chute c 2 is removed from
the said chute and carried down on the substantially straight portion of the string
toward the grippers, and I prefer to remove the tag just prior to the action of the
looper. The tags cl are removed from the chute 02 by a tag feeding mechanism,
which may and preferably will be of the construction herein shown, it consisting of
a suction device composed of a pipe o 10 mounted to swing in the arc of a circle,
the said pipe being herein shown (see Figs. 4 and 6) as secured to or forming part
of a hollow fitting c 12, pivotally mounted in forks c 13 of an arm c 14 secured to
or forming part of the box c3. The fitting c 12 is connected as shown in
pipes c15 c 16 to a pipe c 17, connected as herein shown to an enlarged pipe c 17"
communicating with the cylinder c 18 of an air or vacuum pump, and in which is
reciprocated a piston c 19 having its piston rod c 20 eccentrically connected to the
hub c 21 of the sprocket wheel 634 on the shaft a. The pipe c 16 may he made of
rubber or other flexible material to permit of the pivotal movement of the '
pipe c 10, the latter for the best results, being provided with a rubber or other
flexible tip or nozzle c 22 to obtain a superior holding effect of the tag with which
it is brought in contact. The pipe e 10 may he oscillated toward and from the tag
chute or guideway e 2, as herein shown, by an eccentric e 24 fast on the shaft a and
having its strap e 25 connected by a rod c 26 to a stud or support o 27 extended
from the pipe c 10. The pipe c 17 is provided as shown with a cock or valve c 30,
by opening which, the vacuum in the cylinder c 18 and in the pipes c 17, c 16, o 10
niay be destroyed, if at any time it is found desirable so to do. The tags c in the
chute or guideway c 2 are preferably acted upon by a weight c 31, represented in
Fig. 6, as a block having a slot or opening 31 in its underside, and in which is
pivoted a pawl c 32 co-operating with a ratchet bar 33, supported upon the
bottom of the chute or guideway and extended substantially the length of the
Bame, the said pawl being kept in engagement with the said ratchet bar, as herein
shown, by a spring e34 carried by the said block or weight. The weight c31
forces the tags down toward the discharge end or mouth of the chute 2 with
Bufficient pressure to ensure the tags being in proper position to be acted upon
by the tip or nozzle c 22. The chute or guideway c 2 is preferably provided with
side ledges acting as rests or stops against which bear the ends of the tag nearest
the discharge mouth of the said chute, the said ledges or stops being formed as..

page_text: nerem snown by pieces or bars c40.041 secured to the chute 2 as by screws c 42
(see Figs. 6 and 29).
The weight or block e 31, by reason of the pawl c32 being in engagement with
the ratchet bar c33, keeps the tags between the said weight and the rests or
stops 40 41 substantially solid or compact, and the said tags are prevented from
yielding to the impact of the nozzle e 22 on the pipe c 10, when the said nozzle is
brought in contact with the end most tag in position to be removed from the chute.
By means of the pawl engaging the ratchet bar c 33, the block c 31 may be made
substantially light but yet of sufficient weight to gently force the tags down the
chute against the rests c40 41, the said tags being held by the pawls c32 as
described, so as to offer a sufficient resistance to the flexible nozzle c 22, to cause
the latter to be pressed against the endnost tag with sufficient force to fix the
rubber nozzle against the tag air-tight, so that when the pipe c 10 is moved back-
ward away from the chate o2, the tag fixed by the vacuum to the nozzle c 22 will
be carried by the said pipe out of the chute and down on the substantially straight
portion of the string toward the grippers. The lightness of the weight c31
prevents the endmost tag being jammed or forced against the side bars or
stops c40 041 with such pressure as would not permit the vacuum to pull the tag
out of the chute. The tag carried by the nozzle o 22 may be freed therefrom by
destroying the vacuum in the cylinder e 18, which may be effected by providing the
said cylinder with an air inlet, not herein shown, but which is uncovered by the
piston c19, when the latter reaches approximately the limit of its upward stroke.
After the tag is freed from the nozzle c 22, a loop is formed and knotted or tied by
the mechanisms above referred to, and the operation of which will be more fully
and connectedly described hereinafter. The completed loop with its attached tag
may then be carried forward by a delivering device, which carries it to the
assembling or bunching portion of the apparatus, as will be described, the said
device in the present instance, being shown as a segmentul arm or plate d provided
with a slit d1 and secured to the arm 2 (see Figs. 1 and 19) of a lover d 3,
pivotally secured as at d 150 to the framework of the machine to swing in a sub-
stantially horizontal path, the said lever, as herein shown, being oscillated by
means of a cam groove d4 in a disk d 5 mounted on a shaft d 6, extended sub-
stantially at right angles to the shaft a, and operatively connected to the main
shaft A 2 by means of a bevel pinion d7 on the shaft d 6 mashing with a bevel
pinion d 8 on the shaft A 2.
The cam groove d4 of the disk d 5 has extended into it a stud or roller d 9 on
one end of a lever d 10 pivoted as at d 12 (see Fig. 6) to a stationary portion of the
machine, and having its upper end as herein shown provided with a square or other
than round collar d 14 fitted loosely on the end of the said lever and extended into
a forked arm d 15 pivotally secured as at d 16 to the lever d 3. By an inspection
of Figs. 6 and 19, it will be seen that as the lever d 10 is oscillated in a sub-
stantially vertical plane, the lever d3 will be oscillated in a substantially
horizontal plane and will act to carry the completed loop with its suspended tag
from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 19, in which latter
pusition, the completed loop will be in position to be taken out of the slot d 1 of the
delivering device d.
The shaft a adjacent to the cam hub a 8 has fast on it a pulley d 20, connected
by a band or belt d 21 to a pulley d 22 secured to or forming part of a sleeve d 23
(see Fig. 1) to which is fastened a circular brush d 24 (see Fig. 6), the purpose of
which will be hereinafter described. The sleeve d 24 is loosely mounted on a stud
or arm d 25 near the outer end of an arm d 26 of a hub d 27, (see dotted lines
Fig. 6), the said hub being loose on the shaft a and provided with a crank or
arm d 28 joined by a link & 29 to a lever d 30, pivoted as at d 31 to a stationary part
of the minchine and provided with a pin or projection d 32 extended into a cam
groove d 33 in one face of the pulley d 20. The cain groove d 33 is of suitable
shape to turn the hub d 27 on the shaft a, through the lever d 30, link d 29, and

page_text: crank d 28, so as to raise the outer end of the arm d.26 and bring the rotary
brush d 24 underneath the grippers, whereby the surplus portions of the loop
retained by the grippers after the loop has been severed from the string, may be
removed from the said groove. In order that the loop may be brought nearer the
knotter when one member of the loop is firmly grasped between the jaws a 6 a 5,
the grooves or tracks 4, 5, are preferably brought ucarer the grooves or tracks 2, 3,
for a portion of their length, as from the point X to the point X 1 in Fig. 26.
The construction ensures the engagement of the beak of the knotter with the
members 200, 201, of the loop, as shown in Fig. 21.
I have thus far described an apparatus in which a loop of string or twine is
formed from a continuous string and tied with a tag suspended therefrom, and I
will now proceed to the description of an apparatus in which the tied or knotted
loops and their attached tags may he assembled in predetermined numbers or
bunches, and which apparatus I prefer to hereinafter refer to as the bunching
apparatus, which may and preferably will be constructed substantially as follows:
An arm e, secured to the standard or upright A1 of the machine, as by bolts or
screws a 1, (see Figs. 4 and 6), is cored to receive an upright rod or spindle e,2,
(Fig. 6) the portion of the spindle above the arme being shown as of larger
diameter and resting upon the upper surface of the said arm. The spindle 2 is
rendered fast to the arm e, as herein shown, by a nut e 3. On the spindle or rod e 2
is loosely mounted a sleeve e 4, which is fastqned in any suitable manner at its lower
end to the hub of a worm gear e 5 driven by a worm. e 6 on the shaft d 6. The
worm e6 may and preferably will be what is known as a "triple thread," so as to
produce the desired rate of movement of the worm gear e 3 for a purpose as will
be described.
The sleove 4 has fitted upon it at its upper end a cap e 7, which is secured to
said sleeve to revolve therewith, and which cap practically forms the hub of a
gear e 8 beveled on its underside for a purpose as will be described, the said gear
being herein represented as fastened to the cap or hub e7 by the screws e9 (see
Fig. 6). The worin gear e 5 in the present instance is provided with one hundred
teeth and the beveled gear e 8 is also provided with one hundred teeth. The beveled
gear 8 is provided in its upper surface with an annular groove 10 (Fig. 6) into
which is loosely fitted an internally geared ringe 12, with which meshes a pinion e 13
(see Figs. 1 and 5) loose on a stud e 14 carried by an arm e 15 on a hub o 15 fast
on the spindle e 2, the said hub being secured to the spindle, as herein shown, (see
Fig. 1 and 5) by the set screw e 16. The loose pinion e 13 meshes with a
pinion e 17 attached to the upper side of the bevel gear e 8, it being shown in Fig. 6,
as secured to the said gear by screws e 18. The worm e6 drives the worm gear ab,
which in turn rotates the sleeve 4 and the bevel gear 8 connected therewith, and
the pinion e 17 fast on the upper surface of the bevel gear 8 drives the loose
pinion e 13, which in turn drives the internally geared ring 12. The sleeve 64
has loosely mounted upon it a hub e 20 provided with arms e 21 herein shown as
four in number and forming one form of buncher supporting frame, the said frame
being mounted preferably upon an anti-friction bearing shown, as balls 22
(see Fig. 6), supported in an annular groove on the upper. surface of a second
sleeve or spool e 23 shown best in Fig. 4, and which for convenience in construction
is herein shown as reduced in diameter or out away at two diametrically opposite
points or sides, and which carries a substantially vertical pawl e 24 on a rod e 24"
and co-operating with a ratchet collar or ring e25, shown best in Fig. 7, the said
ring or collar being fastened to the underside of the revolving buncher carrying
frame e 20 as by pins or screws 26 (see Fig. 6). The ratchet ring 26 and
pawl e 24 constitute one form of clutch mechanism, for a purpose as will be
described,
In the present instance, the ratchet ring e 25 is provided on its underside or edge
with four teeth or notches 27 (see Fig. 7) corresponding to the number of arms e 21
on the buncher supporting frame, and into one of which the pawl e24 is normally
B

page_text: extended, as herein sliown, by a spiral spring e 28 encircling the lower part of the
pawl carrying bar or rod e 24, one end of the said spring bearing against the upper
portion or head of the said pawl carrying bar or rod, and its other end resting upon
the lower flange or head of the sleeve or spool 23. The lower end of the pawl
carrying bar e 24" is extended loosely into a hole or opening in the lower flange or
bend of the spool or sleeve e 23, to permit the said rod to rise and fall as will be
described.
Each arm 21 of the hub e 20 carries a movable "buncher," which may and
preferably will be made as herein shown, it consisting of a body portion e 30 (see
Fig. 19), made hollow at its center and provided with a series of curved slots or
channels e 31 forming arms e32, to the bottom of each of which is secured or forms
part thereof, a horizontally extended curved finger e 33, forming practically na
extension of the said arm, the said fingers forming curved slots or guideways e 34
which coincide with or form part of the slots 31, and which meet at the center of
the body e 30 and merge into or communicate with a central opening e 300, (Fig. 30)
for a purpose as will be described. Each buncher may be removably secured to its
carrying arm 21 as herein shown, by a collar or clamping arms attached to a lug
or projecting piece e 40 (see Fig. 4), secured to an upright or standard e 41 fastened
to the arm e 21 as by screw e 42.
Each buncher referred to may be provided as shown with a hevel pinion e43 in
mesh with a bevel gear or pinion 44, preferably loose on a shaft e 45 having
bearings in the upright or standard e41 and provided with a bevol pinion e 46,
which meshes with and is driven hy the bevel gear e8. The standards or
uprights 41 support a ring e47 (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6), which may be fastened to
the standards or uprights by depending lugs or ears e 480, adapted to be slipped
down over the upper end of the said uprights so as to embrace the same, and if
desired, the said lugs or ears and uprights may be screwed or pinned together.
The ring 47 is provided on its apper surface as shown with four studs or
projections e 48, e 49, 50, e51 (see Fig. 5) corresponding to the number of bunchers
in the machine, and which are engaged successively by a latch or locking mechanism,
herein shown as a lever e 52 (see Fig. 5) pivoted at one end to a stationary portion
of the machine, it being herein shown as pivoted at e53 to the bottom of the box 3
(see Fig. 6). The latch 52 is provided, as shown, with a slot or opening on its
underside, into which euccessively project the lugs on the ring e 47, and by which
the said ring, the uprights e41, the arms e 21 and hub e 20 are rendered temporarily'
stationary, while a buncher is being filled, as will be described.
The latch or locking lever e52 may be released from that stud on the ring e 47
with which it is engaged while one buncher is being filled with tags, by a
disengaging or releasing device, which may be made as herein shown, (see Fig. 5)
it consisting of a lever e 60 loosely suspended near its center to the underside of an
arın 61 on the hub e 15.
The lever 60 is made of such length and shape that one arm e62 may be
brought under a finger 63 on the latch or locking lever e52, by a stud or
projection 64 on the upper face of the internally geared ring e 12, striking against
the other arm or end e 65 of the releasing lever e 60.
Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that as the internally geared ring e 12 is
moved in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon, the stud a 64 will be brought
against the arm e 65 on the lever e 60, and will move the arm e 62 of the said lever
under the finger e 63 of the locking lever e52, the said finger, in the present
instance, being cam-shaped or upwardly inclined on its underside, so that as the
arm e 62 of the releasing lever 60 is moved under it, the said finger will be raised
and the lever 52 will be disengaged from the said stud on the ring 47 with which
it is in engagement, and which stud in Fig. 5, is shown as a 48. As soon as the
locking lever e 52 is disengaged from the stud e 48, the ring e 47, the standards 41
connected therewith, the arms e21 and the bub 20 of the buncher supporting
frame are disconnected from the stationary framework of the machine, but hold
"

page_text: stationary for a substantially short time by the arm e 62 of the lever e 60, until the
rim or stud e 64 passes by the arm e 65 of the lever e 60, after which the buncher
supporting frame is fren to be moved or rotated, which is accomplished in the
present instance, by a mechanism as will now be described, which imparts
substantially a quarter revolution to the parts enumerated or until the next stud on
the ring e47, which may be supposed to be the stud e 51, is engaged with the locking
lever 52. The mechanism by which the buncher supporting frame and the parts
sustained by it, are rotated substantially a quarter turn, is shown in the present
instance as a weight e 70 (see Figs. 4 and 14) sustained by a cord e71 passed over
a pulley e 72 and secured to a segmental shaped arm e 73, fastened as by screw e 74
to the lower portion or head of the spool or sleeve 23. The spool or sleeve e 23
and its attached segmental arm e 73 are given preferably less than a quarter turn or
revolution in the direction indicated by arrow 60, Fig. 14, to lift the weight e 70,
by means of a stud or projection e 75 on the upper surface of the worm gear e 5, the
Baid stud or projection being adapted to engage the preferably curved end e 76 of
one arm e 77 of an elbow lever e78, pivoted as at e79 to a post or upright e 80
secured to or forming part of a plate or bar e 81, herein shown as clamped to the
supporting arme by the nut e3, the elbow lever e78 having its other arm 82
connected by a liuk e 83 to the underside of the sleeve e 23.
.
From an inspection of Fig. 14, it will be seen that as the worm gear e5 is
revolved by the worm e 6 in the direction indicated by arrow 61, the stud e 75 will
engage the curved or inclined end e 76 of the arm 77, and will turn the elbow
lever e 78 so as to move the sleeve 23 and its attached segmental arm e 73 in the
direction indicated by arrow 60, until the stud e 75 in the travel of the worm gear e 5
pusbes the arm e71 out of its path of movement, and at such time, the sleeve e 23
will be locked against backward or return movement, by the pawl e 24 engaging a
new tooth in the ratchet ring 25, the said parts being thus locked until the
Jatch 52 (Fig. 6) is reloased from its co-operating stud on the ring e 47, whereupon
the weight e 70 will turn the segmental arm e 73 and the sleeve e 23 and the parts
locked to it by the pawl e 24, backward or in a direction opposite to that indicated
by arrow 60, until the backward movement of the said segmental arm is arrested
by a finger or projection 90 on the segmental arm e73, engaging a stud or
upright e 91, herein represented as forming part of a bracket 92 secured to the
arme as by bolts or screws e 93 (see Fig. 4), the said bracket being provided with
arms 94 in which the pulley e 72 is mounted.
When the worm gear eb is rotated by its worm shaft 6 in the direction
indicated by arrow 61, Fig. 14, the sleeve e4 and its attached bevel gear e 8 are
given a completo revolution to each rovolution of the worin gear e 5, the said bevel.
gear rotating each buncher through the bevel pinion e 46, shaft e 45, ratchet-
wheel e 102 and pawl e 100 hereinafter described, bevel gear or pinion e44 and
bevel pinion e48 secured to the buncher, and the said worm gear e 5 makes three
complete revolutions to every complete revolution of the internally geared
ring a 12, and consequently the sleeve 23 and its attached weight e 70 are locked
to the buncher carrying frame, until the latter is released from its retaining
latch e 52. When the arm e62 of the releasing lever e 60 disengages the locking.
lever e 52 from its co-operating stud on the ring e 47, the segmental arm e 73 and
the sleeve 23 are rotated in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 60,
Fig. 14, and the buncher supporting frame, the standards e41, and the ring e 47,
which are locked to the said sleeve by means of the pawl e 24 and ratchet ring e 25,
are moved bodily with the sleeve e 23.
The sleeve 23 and its attached arm 73 are preferably given less than a
quarter revolution, so that on the returu movement of the said sleeve in the.
direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 60, Fig. 14, the projection e 90 will
engage the upright or stop e 91 before the latch e 52 is engaged by a now stud or
upright as eб1 on the ring e47. This construction relieves the buncher supporting
frame, its sustained parts and the latch e 52 from strain or shock, such as would be

page_text: occasioned by the sudden stopping of the weight by the buncher supporting frame.
When the sleeve 28 is stopped in its return movement, as described, the
momentum carries the buncher supporting frame and its sustained
parts farther, to
As the buncher supporting frame is turned in the direction opposite to that
indicated by arrow 20, which would be in the direction indicated by arrow 70,
Fig. 1, a new buncher is presented or brought in line with the tag delivering
device of the tag tying portion of the machine.
complete a full quarter turn or until the stud e 51 engages the latch e 52.
In the machine herein shown, the internally geared ring e 12 makes one complete
revolution for every one hundred revolutions of the shaft a, but in order to obtain
the desired speed of rotation of the tag receivers or bunchere, the latter are geared
so that the beveled gear e 8 makes three revolutions while the internally geared
ringe 12 makes one, and the buncher makes ten revolutions for every revolution of
the beveled gear e 8, so that thirty revolutions of the buncher are obtained for one
revolution of the said internally geared ring.
This construction of gearing is especially advantageous on account of the
increased speed of rotation of the bunchers, and in practice, every succeeding tag
orloop is engaged by every third radial arm, there being ten to each buncher in
the present instance, which ensures the positive entrance of the loop into its proper
channel or slot in the buncher, and the positive withdrawal of the knotted looped
tag from the tag delivering device.
The bevel gear e 44, with which meshes the pinion e43 on a buncher, is
preferably loose on its shaft e46 and is rendered fast thereon to rotate the bevel
pinion e 43, while the buncher supporting frame e21 is stationary, by means of a
pawl e 100 (see Figs. 1 and 34) pivoted as at e 200 to the rear side of the gear e 44
and provided with an arm e 101 (see Figs. 4 and 33), which is extended through a
slot in the said gear and engages a tooth of a ratchet wheel e 102, fast on the
shaft e 45 and located in frout of the gear e 44. The arm e 101 may be held in
engagement with the ratchet wheel e 102 as herein shown, by means of a flat
spring e 104 secured to the pawl e 100 and engaging a stud or pin e 105 on the rear
face of the gear e44 as clearly shown in Fig. 1 and 34.
This construction permits the shaft e 45 and its ratchet wheel e 102 to be rotated
without producing rotation of the loose gear e 44 and the bevel gear 43 of the
buncher, so that, when the buncher supporting frame is moved to change the
position of the bunchers, the tag carrying lunchers are rendered practically
stationary and do not revolve, and as a result, the tags and their loops are not
snarled or mussed up but are permitted to hang separately and evenly, for by an
inspection of Fig. 32, it will be seen, that when the shaft e 45 and its ratchet
wheel e 102 are moved in the direction of arrow 200, the pawl arm e 101 and the
pawl 100 transmit motion from the ratchet wheel e'102 to the gear e 44, and
thereby produce rotation of the buncher gear e 43 and its buncher. Now, when
the buncher carrying frame is moved bodily, as above described, to change the
position of the bunchers with relation to the tog delivering device, the gear 46
will be carried around the bevel gear e 8 for a quarter of its circumference, and in
this latter bodily movement of the gear e 46, the latter will be rotated in a reverse
direction, that is, in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 200, Fig. 32,
and the ratchet wheel e 102 will, in this rotation of the gear e 46 and shaft 45,
click by the pawl arm 101 and will not produce rotation of the gear e 44, but
will leave the gear e 43 and the buncher connected to the gear 43 practically
stationary, while the buncher carrying frame is making a quarter revolution, or
until the said frame is arrested in its movement by the engagement of the
latch e 52 with the stud e 51 on the ring e 47. When the buncher frame is stopped
as described, the gear e 46 will be again rotated in the direction of arrow 200 by
the gear 8, and the buncher again set in rotation.
The bevel gear 8, during the bodily movement of the buncher carrying frame,
continues in its rotation and has a tendency to drive the bevel pinion e46 and the

page_text: ehnft e45 in the direction indicated by arrow 200, Fig. 32, but the bodily
movement of the buncher carrying frame above referred to, has a tendency to
drive or rotate the bevel pinion e46 in the direction opposite to the arrow 200, and
the bodily movement of the buncher carrying frame being much faster than the
inovement of the bevel gear e8, the said bodily movement predo.ninates, and as a
result, the bevel gear e 46, its shaft e 45 and the ratchet e 102 move in the
direction opposite to that indicated by arrow, Fig. 32, but as soon as the bodily
movement of the buncher carrying frame is arrested by the engagement of one of
the studs as e51 with the latch, the rotation of the shaft e 45 and ratchet e 102 in
the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 200 ceases, and the bevel gear 44
is immediately again rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 200 to produce
rotation of the buncher.
In order that the operator attending the machine may be given a warning
that the buncher supporting frame is about or on the point of being chauged
automatically as above described, an audible signal may be provided, which is
hereinshown as a bell f (see Fige. 4 and 6) represented as mounted on the upper
end of the spindle e 2, which latter is shown in said figures as secured to an arin or
bracket/1, attached to a stationary portion of the machine and hereinshown as the
bottom or underside of the box c3. The bell f is provided with a tapper or
hammer 2 having its arm 3 secured to or forming part of an elbow lover, pivoted
to the underside of the arm e61 and having its other arm f4 extended into the
path of movement of the pin or stud e64 on the internally geared ring 12, the
arm f4 as represented in Fig. 5 being shown as provided with an inclined or cam
shaped finger/5, under which passes the stud or pin 64, as the ring e 12 is rotated
in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon in Fig. 5. As the stud or pin e 64
pueses under and in engagement with the can shaped finger f5, it rocks the elbow
lever and moves the striker arm f3 away from the bell or gong f, so that as the
stud or pin e 64 passes from under and out of engagement with the finger f5, the
latter will descend into its normal position and bring the tapper into contact with
the bell. The bell operating arm or lover f4 is located with such relation to the
arm e 65 of the releasing lever e 60, that the bell will be operated a little before
the arm e 65 is engaged by the pin 64, to bring the arin e 62 of the said lever into
engagement with the latch or locking levere 52 to disengage the latter from a stud
on the ring e 47.
In order that any invention may be clearly comprehended, I will now
describe the operation of the complete apparatus hereinshown, which includes
a loop forming and tag tying apparatus and also a co-operating buiching
apparatus.
Preparatory to operating the apparatus hereinshown, the tags c 1 are placed in
the chute or receptacle c2 with their eyelets or openings in line with each other,
and when the said chute has been filled with the requisite or desired number of
tags, the weight 31 is placed in the chute against the uppermost tag, and the
string or twine o is then threaded through a longitudinal hole or opening in.
the block or weight 31 and through the eyelets of the tage, which may be.
accomplished by means of a substantially long needle or other suitable device, and
a sufficient portion or length of the string is then carried out from the chute and.
allowed to fall down over the finger a 15 of tho feeder arm a 14, after which the
operator starts the main shaft in rotation, which drives the cam shaft a. As the
shaft a is rotated, the thread carrying arm a 14 is moved forward and carries
the loose end of the string c to the grippers, and for purpose of illustration, we will
suppose that the loose end of the string has been brought forward between the jaw a 4
and the intermediate jaw a 6, which latter is operated by means of the cam bub a 6
to grip the end of the string between it and the jaw a 4. The string now occupies
substantially the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and is in condition to receive a
tag from the chute c2.
The tag is withdrawn from its chute, as above described, by the vacuum or

page_text: suction created by the piston a 19 and is then released from the nozzle o 22 of the
pipe 10 by the destruction of the vacuum as described, so that the tag hangs
freely suspended on the string between the chute and the jaws as represented in
Fig. 20. The looper is then brought into operation and a finger a 26 on an
arin a 25 of the same, engages the string and carries it and the tag downward,
while the looper shaft is making a quarter turn, the shoe a 34 of the arm at such
time remaining on the periphery of the cam a 35, and maintaining the said arm
rigid during the time the loop is formed and just previous to the tying of the knot
as will be described.
The looper arm is kept in engagement with the cam a 35, while one face or edge
of the other-than-round plate a 44 is in contact with the face of the disk a 47 on
the shaft a. The feed arm a 14 is then again brouglit into operation and is moved
forward, so as to bring that portion of the string between the looper arm and the
mouth of the chute, into position to be engaged by the grippers as will be
described, the said string carrying arm bringing the portion of the string referred
10, into the space between the intermediate jaw a 6 and the jaw a 5 ns clearly
represented in Fig. 21, thereby forming a loop comprising the two members 200, 201,
the end of the member 200 being firmly grasped between the jaws a 4, a 6, while
the member 201 is loosely held by the thread carrier a 14, which latter remains in
this position, until the intermediate jaw a 5 is moved by its cam a 8 to firmly grip
the string between it and the jaw a 5 as will be described.
When the members 200, 201 of the loop are in the position substantially shown
in Fig. 21, the said members are in condition to be tiel or knotted together and
severed from the string c, but in order to insure correct working of the knotter,
the string holder or locking device is brought into operation as follows:-The
cam c67 operates the rack bar a 56 (see Fig. 17) and moves it toward the rear of
.the machine, (viewing Fig. 1) or in the direction indicated by arrow 400, Fig. 17,
to cause the guide bars a 53 a 54 to embrace the members 200 201 of the loop, and
at the same time to carry the segmental disk a 500 beyond the said members, so
that on the further movement of the rack bar a 56, toward the rear of the machine,
the said disk is turned in the direction of arrow 21, Fig. 17, so as to bring its
finger or projection a 510 bebind the members 200, 201 of the loop, thereby locking
the said members of the loop and preventing them slipping off the beak of the
knotter, when the latter is operated, as will now be described.
When the two members of the loop are locked as just described and as shown in
Fig. 21, the knotter occupies the position indicated in Fig. 21 and shown in
Fig. 10, the jaws 61 67 of the knotter and the kuife b 15 being at such time closed,
the roller 23 on the lever b 13 being out of contact with the cam 6 24.
As the knotter shaft 62 is rotated, which may be effected, as above described, by
means of the sprocket wheels b 35 634 and sprocket chain 632, the beak of the
knotter, formed by the two jaws b167 and the knife 616, extends beyoud the two
members of the loop as represented in Fig. 21, and the said beak is turned over
and under the members of the loop in the direction indicated by arrow 401, Fig. 21,
and when the knotter shaft has made a half revolution from the position indicated
in Figs. 10 and 21, the members of the loop are wound about the beak of the
knotter to form: a noose as represented in Fig. 22, the roller 623 at such time
baving been brought into contact with the lower portion of the cam b 24, thereby
compressing the lever b 13 sufficiently to open the knife b 15, and at the same time
to act on the crank b6 and move the jaw b7 away from the stationary jaw b 1.
On the continued rotation of the knotter shaft 62, the roller 23 travels up the
cam 24 in the direction indicated by arrow 50, Kig. 9, and when the knotter is
brought into substantially the position shown in Fig. 23 with the jaws 167, and
the knife b15 pointing upward, the portion of the members 200, 201 of the loop
between the jaws of the knotter and the gripping jaws, which portion is
marked "55" in said figure, is in position to have the jaw 61 and the jaw 67
and knifo b 15 pass by the said portion on the continued rotation of the knotter

page_text: shaft b 2.
When the open jaws of the knotter have passed by the portion 55.f
the loop, the roller 23 comes in contact with the enlarged portion 627 of the
cam 624, und permits the lever 13 to be moved outward by its spring 620 away
from the crank 66, thereby permitting the latter to be retracted by its spring &
Bo as to close the jaw b7, which, on its movement toward the fixed jaw b1, firmly
grips the portion 55 of the loop between it and the fixed jaw 61 of the knotter,
and when the loop is thus firmly gripped, the roller 623 will have passed away
from the portion 627 of the cam 624, and will permit the lever 13 to be restored
to its original position, thereby closing the knife b 15, which acts to shear or ent
the portion of the loop held by the jaws 61 67 of the kuntter from the portion 55-
held by the gripping jaws, leaving the looper still firmly held between the
jaws b1b7 of the knotter, as clearly shown in Fig. 24.
The machine is now in condition to tie the knot in the loop, which is effected
during a second rotation of the knotter shaft 62 carrying the knotter downward as
previously described, and when the knotter with the loop held between its closed
jawe, has been turned downward, the noose of the loop is drawn off from the
beak of the knotter by the looper arm, and the knot is formed, as represented
in Fig. 25.
The loose ends of the loop are at such time firmly beld between the jaws 167
of the knotter, and are so held until the said jaws are again opened by the
roller b 28 coming in contact with the lower end or tail piece 57 of the cam 62+,
which cam, during the second revolution of the knotter shaft 62 to effect tho tying
of the knot as above described, is removed out of the path of movement of the
roller b 23 by its eccentric 631, which latter rocks the arm 625 and its attached
cam 6 24 in a backward direction, thereby lifting the tail piece 57 of the said cam
into the path of movement of the roller 623, so that the lever 613 is depressed
sufficiently to open the jaw b7 and knife 6 15 and release the end of the knotted
loop.
The noose of the loop is drawn off from the beak of the knotter to form the
knot, by the looper arm in engagement with the loop, the said arm acting to draw
upon the loop at the second movement of the looper effected by the stud 46 on the
disk a 47 engaging a second stud on the plate a 44. At about the time the noose
is drawn off from the beak of the knotter, the shoe a 34 of the looper arm passes off*
from the cam a 35, thus transforming the looper arm from a rigid to a yielding arm.
While the knot is being formed in the loop as above described, the rack bar a 56
is reciprocated in a backward direction, thereby withdrawing the arm a 71 of the
lever a 69 from engagement with the stud a 72 and permitting the said lever to be
acted upon by its spring a 710, which turns the segmental disk a 500 backward or
in a direction opposite to the arrow 21, so as to remove the locking finger a 510
from engagment with the loop; and while the loop is being knotted as above
described, the loop carrier or deliverer d is moved toward the front of the machine
by the cam d 5, so as to bring the point or finger d* (see Fig. 19) in front of the
loop, and when the knot has been tied and just previous to the loop being released
from the jaws of the knotter by the tail piece 57 of the cam a 24, the said loop
carrier d is moved backward to engage its finger with the knotted loop below the
knot, the said loop at such time being held under tension by the looper arm, which
serves to force the loop into the slot d 1 of the carrier d. The carrier d is moved
toward the rear of the machine by its operating cam d5, a sufficient distance to
bring the loop suspended from it into. position to be engaged by one of the
fingers 33 on the buncher in position to be filled, and which in its rotation, with-
draws the completed loop and its attached tag out of the slot d1 of the carrier'd,
and also assists in drawing the loop from off the looper arm, the latter being turned
on its pivot a 28 against the action of the spring a 39 by the rotation of the looper
shaft and also by the rotation of the buncher, until the looper arm has been
elevated sufficiently to permit the loop to slide off.
The looper arm, when released from the loop, is returned to its normal position

page_text: "
1
.
by its spring a 37, and to avoid wear upon the parts of the looper, the looper arm
is cushioned on its return movement by the spring a 42 as herein shown.
The carrier d may be provided as shown in Fig. 19, with a spring d 100, which
acts to keep the knotted loop in the alot d 1 and prevent its jumping out of the
slot d 1, when the loop is released by the knotter and is drawn through the slot d 1-
by the looper arm. About the time the knife of the knotter severs the loop from
the main portion of the string, the intermediate jaw a 6 is turned on its pivot by
the cam hub a 8, so as to engage the said intermediate jaw a 5, and thereby firmly
grip the string. After the knife of the knotter has acted to sever the loop from
the main portion of the string, and from the portion 55 held by the grippers, and
after the end of tho string is gripped between the jaws a 6, a 5, the rotary
brush & 24 is brought into action as above described and serves to brush from
between the grippers, the loose piece 55 of the string, which has been released by
the jaw a 6 withdrawing from the jaw a 4.
When the predetermined number of completed tags have been delivered to
one of the bunchers, which number, for sake of illustration, may be supposed to
be one hundred, the buncher supporting frame is moved, as above described, by
the operation of the releasing device acting on the latch or locking device #52,
and the full buncher is removed out of line with the tag delivering device d,
and an empty buncher is brought in line. with the said device to be filled thereby,
the full buncher being moved into position to enable the operator to con-
veniently gather the suspended looped tags on the full bunchor.
By reason of the channels or passageways e34 in the buncher merging together
into a common central opening as above described, the operator merely encircles
with his hand the loops of the tags and prevents the same revolving with the
buncher, which continues to still revolve, and as the latter revolves, the loops
are forced by the curve of the slot into the discharge or central opening e300
from which the completed bunch is readily removed, after which the loops may
be secured together as by a string in the ordinary manner of hand tying.
Referring again to Figs. 1, 11 and 12, it will be noticed that the pivots a 23 of
the looper arms are set inclined or at an other-than-right angle to the disk a 30,
which results in the carrying of the looper arm in engagement with the loop of
the tied tog, toward the bunching apparatus and out of the path of movement
of the next succeeding looper arm as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 11. In the
normal position of the looper arms, that is, while they are inoperative, their
pivots a 28 are inclined in such direction as to bring the inoperative arms sub-
stantially at right angles to the looper shaft, but in the revolution of the looper
carrying disk a 30, the angular position of the pivots a 28 with relation to the
Baid disk are reversed, so that, the looper arm in engagement with the loop of a
tied tag, when brought down into the position represented in Figs. 11 and 12,
is no longer at right angles to the looper shaft, but inclines at an angle thereto
toward the back of the looper disk, that is, toward the bunching apparatus,
thereby bringing the tied tag and its loop into better position to be taken off
by the buncher.
In the machine berein shown, the knotter is given two revolutions to one of
the shaft a, by making the sprocket wheel b 35 one half the size of the sprocket
wheel b 34.
The loop tying portion of the machine is herein shown as forming part of a tag
stringing and tying machine, but it is evident that if it was so desired, the tag
feeding mechanism and the tags contained in the chute might be omitted and the
remaining portion of the tag tying machine might be employed alone to form
knotted or tied loops from a continuous string, and therefore, I do not desire to
limit my invention in this respect.
In Figs. 11 and 12, I bave shown a preferred form of looper mechanisn, but
instead thereof, the said looper mechanism may be of other constructions, as for
instance, such as shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 134. Referring to Figs. 11ª

page_text: and 124, the looper mechanism is shown as a disk f* provided with a peripheral
flange or rim f10,- within which is located a cam f20 held stationary upon the
looper shaft a 31 by the arm a 37. The rim f10 of the looper carrying disk has
Becured to it as represented in Figs. 11 and 124, four loop forming arms, each of
which is composed, as herein shown, of a reciprocating rod f30 extended through
a tube or barrel f40 fastened in suitable. mauner to the rim f10, and in line with
a suitable hole or opening in the said rim, through which latter, the rod f30 is
adapted to enter within the rim of the disk. The rod f30, as shown in Fig. 12^
is reduced in diameter near its front end and the reduced portion is encircled by
a spring f50, bearing against a shoulder on the rod f30 and against the head /60
of the barrel or tube 40. The reciprocating rod 30 is adapted to be moved
downward in the barrel f40 against the action of the spring f50, by the cam f20,
as the looper carrying disk fx is moved about the said cam in the direction
indicated by the arrow 500. The rod or arm f30 when moved into its outermost
position, represented at the right in Fig. 124, engages the string to form the loop
in a similar manner to the bent finger a 26 of the looper arm a 25 shown in Fig. 12,
and when the disk fx has been turned so as to move the rod or arm 30 from
engagement with the enlarged portion of the cam f29, the spring 50 acts to
movo the rod or arm f30 within its tube or barrel f40 and withdraws it from
engagement with the loop; and when the rod or arin f30 is moved into its barrel
or tube 40,and into the position represented at the bottom of Fig. 124, the loop
is still held taut by an auxiliary finger or arm f100, herein shown as fastened to
a lever 12 pivoted as at 13 to supporting arms 14, fastened to the tube or
barrel 40, the lever 12 being normally held substantially close to the tube by
a spiral spring 15, represented as encircling the tubo f 40 and fastened at the
opposite sides of the lever f12 as clearly shown in Fig. 12ª.
'
The tube or barrol40 is represented in Fig. 12 as provided at or near its
outer end with a guard 16 preferably made of bent wire, which guard serves to
prevent the string sliding down too far on the looper arm. The guard f16, if
desired, may be applied to the arm a 25 of the looper shown in Fig. 12. Referring
to Fig. 13, it will be noticed that the looper carrying disk a 30, which is:
adjustably secured to the disk a 300 by bolts or screws a 301 extended through
the slots a 302, is provided with graduations or marks 200 with which
register an index or pointer 210 on the disk a 300, by which means the
adjustment of the disk a 30 with relation to the disk a 300 and thereby with
relation to the looper shaft, may be accurately determined; for if it is desired
to change the position of the looper arms to obtain different lengths of loops,
the looper carrying disk a 30 may be changed, as for instance, from the
position indicated in Fig. 13, either forward or backward, and the extent of
adjustment or movement of the disk may be readily known from the position of
the index 210 with relation to the scale f200. The looper mechanism shown
in Fig. 18 is provided with a similar finger and index scale.
By reference to Fig. 28, it will be noticed that the spring a 12 is fastened to
the movable jaw a 5 of the gripping mechanism, and that the spring a 13 is
fastened to the movable jaw a 4. When the intermediate jaw a 6 is moved by the
switch cam a 8.80 as to grip the string between it and the jaw a 4, the spring a 12
acts on the tail piece of the jaw a 4 and forces it against the intermediate
jaw a 6. In the same manner, when the intermediate jaw a 6 is moved to grip
the string between it and the jaw a 5, the spring a 13 acts against the tail piece
of the jaw a 5 to force the said jaw toward the intermediate jaw a 6.
manner; the string is firmly held alternately between the said jaws.
In this
I
When the intermediate jaw a 6. co-operates with the jaw a 4, the tail piece of
the jaw a 5 is brought into engagement with the 'stop a 10 shown in Fig. 27,
which prevents the front portion of the jaw a 5 from following the movement of
the intermediate jaw and the jaw a 4, thereby leaving an opening between the
intermediate jaw and the jaw a 5 into which the second half or member of the
When the inter-
loop is brought by the feeder a 14 as represented in Fig. 27.
C

page_text: mediate jaw a 6 co-operates with the jaw a 5, the tail piece of the jaw a4 is
brought into engagement with the stop a 10, to arrest the movement of the jaw a 4
and thereby leave an opening between it and the intermediate jaw a6 for the
admission of the string as above described.
In the present instance, I have chosen to show the switch cam a 8 RB provided
with four peripheral grooves forming two tracks or paths, but I do not desire to
limit my invention in this respect, as it is evident that the two grooves 2, 3, may
be formed into a single groove and the two grooves 4, 5 into a like groove, and
the follower be made solid instead of forked as shown in the present instance.
Furthermore, I prefer to construct the grippers as herein shown, but I do not
desire to limit my invention in this respect, as instead thereof, I may employ two
independent sets of jaws, the intermediate jaw at in the present arrangement,
practically constituting a double jaw.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops from a continuous string,
the combination of the following instrumentalities, riz.-A gripping mechanism to
hold the string or cord to be formed into loops, a looper to act on the string to
form one half or member of the loop, a feeder to carry the string to the gripping
mechanism to form the other half or member of the loop, and a knotter to tie the
loop, substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops from a continuous string,
the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz.-A gripping mechanism to
hold the string or cord to be formed into loops, a looper to act on the string to
form one half or member of the loop, a feeder to carry the string to the
gripping mechanism to form the other half or member of the loop, a knotter to tic
the loop, and means to sever the loop from the string, substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags, the combination of the
following instrumentalities, riz.-A tag holder or support, a gripping mechanism
to hold the string or cord to be formed into loops, a feeder to carry the string to
the gripping mechanism, a tag feeding mechanism, a looper to act on the string
to form oue half or member of the loop, a knotter to tie the loop, aud means to
sever the loop from the string, substantially as described.
4. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops from a continuous string,
the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A gripping mechanism
to hold the string or cord to be formed into loops, an intermittently operated
looper to act on the string to form one half or member of the loop, a feeder to
carry the string to the gripping mechanism to form the other half or member of
the loop, and a knotter to tie the loop, substantially as described.
i
5. In an apparatus for forming knotting or tied looped tags, the combination of
the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A loop holder provided with a passageway
to receive both members of the loop, and a locking device to retain both members
of the loop in the said passageway while the knot is being tied, and a cutter or
knife to sever the tied loop from the string; substantially as described.
•
6. In an apparatus for forming looped tags from a continuous non-metallic cord
or string, the combination with a gripping mechanism to hold the string whilo a.
loop is being formed, of a vacuum tag feeding mechanism operated intermittently
to place one of a plurality of tags on the portion of the string to be formed into
a loop, and a loop forming mechanism, substantially as described.
7. In an apparatus for forming looped tags from a continuous non-metallic cord
or string, an intermittently operated looper provided with a plurality of loop
forming arms or projections, substantially as described.
8. In an apparatus for formning looped tags from a continuous uon-metallic cord
or string, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A tag holder
or support holding a plurality of tags having eyelets, a string inserted through

page_text: Baid orclets, a gripping mechanism to hold the string while a loop is being formed,
a tag feeding device to carry one of the tags toward the gripping mechanism, and
a loop forming device to act on that portion of the string between the tag holder
and the gripping mechanism, substantially as described.
9. In an apparatus for forming kuotted or tied loops from a continuous string,
the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A gripping mechanism
to hold the string or cord to be formed into loops, a looper to act on the string
to form one half or member of the loop, a looper actuating mechanism comprising
a looper arm, a shaft to which said arm is secured, a disk or plate of other-than-
round shape provided with a plurality of studs or projections, a disk provided
with a slotted or open portion and having a stud or projection to engage the studs
or projections on the other-than-round disk or plate, a shaft on which said slotted
disk is mounted, and means to rotate said shaft, a feoler to carry the string to the
gripping mechanism to form the other half or member of the loop, and a knotter
to tie the loop, substantially as described.
10. In an apparatus for forming looped taga from a continuous non-metallic
cord or string, the combination with a gripping mechanism comprising jaws a 4 a 5
and an intermediate jaw a 6 provided with a follower, of a switch cam having two
tracks or ways to operate said intermediate jaw to engage it alternately with the
jaws a4 a5, and a string feeder to co-operate with said jaws, substantially as
described.
11. In an apparatus for forming looped tags from a continuous non-metallic
cord or string, the combination with a gripping mechanism comprising jaws 4 a 5
and an intermediate jaw a 6, of a switch cam to operate said intermediate jaw to
engage it alternately with the jaws a4 a5, a string feeder to co-operate with
the said jaws, and a brush intermittently brought into engagement with the
jaws a 4 a 5 from which the jaw a 6 is moved by the switch cam, substantially as
described.
'
12. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped
tags, of a tag assembling apparatus comprising a movable device provided with a
slot into which the knotted tags are passed and suspended therein, substantially as
described.
13. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags,
of a plurality of movable devices constructed to receive the loops of the tage,
and an intermittently movable frame or support for said devices, substantially as
described.
14. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags,
of a tag assembling apparatus provided with a slot or channel to receive both
members of the loop of a tied tag and suspend the same by the knot formed in the
loop, substantially as described.
15. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags,
of a tag assembling apparatus constructed to receive the loop of the tied tag, and
ao intermediate movable loop delivering device to receive the tied looped tag aud
to carry it to the assembling apparatus, substantially as described.
16. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags
from a continuous nou-metallic cord or string, of a tag assembling mechanism
comprising a plurality of rotating tagged loop receiving devices, and an inter-
mittently rotated frame supporting said devices, substantially as described.
17. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, a rotary tag receiving or holding
device, mechanism to rotate it, a rotatable supporting frame for said tag receiving
device, a locking device for said supporting frame, and means to engage said
locking device at intervals to release the said supporting frame and permit it to be
rotated, substantially as described.
18. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. A plurality of movable "bunchers," a movable supporting
frame therefor, a locking device to hold said supporting frame stationary, gearing

page_text: to move said "bunchers," a releasing device co-operating with the said locking
device, gearing to operate said releasing device, and means to move said
supporting frame when released, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
19. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities; viz.A plurality of movable "bunchers," a movable supporting
frame therefor, a looking device to hold said supporting frame stationary, gearing
to move said "bunchers," a releasing device co-operating with tho said locking
device, gearing to operate said releasing device, meaus to move said supporting
frame when released, and means to permit the said "buncbera" to remain
substantially stationary when the said supporting frame is moved, substantially as
described.
20. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-A plurality of rotatable loop receiving devices, gearing to
rotate said devices, an intermittently rotatable frame supporting said loop receiving
devices, a locking device for said frame, and a releasing device to unlock said frame
and permit it to be rotated, for the purpose specified.
21. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. -A plurality of rotatable loop receiving devices, gearing to
rotate said devices, an intermittently rotatable frame supporting said loop receiving
devices, a locking device for said frame, and a releasing device to unlock said frame,
and means to rotate said frame when released, substantially as described.
22. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, riz. A plurality of rotatable loop receiving devices, gearing to
rotate the said devices, n driving mechanism for said gearing, an intermittently
rotatable frame supporting said loop receiving devices, a locking device for said
frame, mechanism to produce intermittent movement of the said frame, a clutch to
couple the said mechanism to the said frame, and a releasing device to act on said
locking device to release the said frame and permit it to be rotated by its actuating
mechanism, substantially as described.
23, In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. A plurality of movable "bunchers," a movable supporting
frame therefor, a locking device to hold said supporting frame stationary, gearing
to move said "buuchers," a releasing device co-operating with the said looking
device, gearing to operate said releasing device, means to move said supporting
frame when released, and an audible signal actuated by the said releasing device,
substantially as described.
24. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-A rotary loop receiving device provided with alots or
channels to receive the loop of the tied tag, a support for said device, and gearing
to rotate said device, substantially as described.
25. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-A movable loop receiving device provided with slote or
channels to receive the loop of the said tag, and means to move said device,
substantially as described.
26. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags,
of a loop receiving device provided with a channel or guideway between the walls
of which both members of the loop are received and suspended therein, substantially
as described.
27. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tiod looped tags,
of a loop receiving device provided with a curved channel or guideway between
the walls of which both members of the loop are received and suspended. therein,
substantially as described.
28. The hereindescribed buncher provided with a plurality of curved channels
or guideways communicating with a common discharge opening, substantially as
described.
29. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a knot

page_text: forming device comprising a stationary jaw 1 and a movable jaw b7 and a cutter
or knife b 15 co-operating with the said jaws to form a beak, a crank or arm 66
connected to the movable jaw b7, a lever b 13 to which said knife is attached,
adapted to act on the crank or arm 66 to open the jaw b7, a cam to act on the said
lever to open the knife, means to close the said knife, and means to close the
movable jaw independent of the knife, substantially as described.
30. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a
rotary knotting device comprising holding jaws, and a knife co-operating therewith
and a lever to which the said knife is attached, of a cam to act on the said lever to
open the said jaws and knife, and means to move the said cam into and out of the path
of movement of the said lever, whereby the said cam is rendered active to operate
upon the said lever during one revolution of the said knotting device and is
rendered inactive for the whole or a portion of the second revolution of the said
knotting device, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
31. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a
rotary knotting device comprising a fixed and movable jaw, and a lever to act on
the movable jaw, of n cam to act on the said lever to open the said jaws, and means
to move the said cam into and out of the path of movement of the said lever,
substantially as described.
32. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a
knotting device consisting of a fixed jaw and a movable jaw and a knife co-operating
therewith attached to a lever adapted to operate upon the movable jaw, of a cam
co-oporating with the said lever and shaped to cause the said lever to act upon the
movable jaw of the knotter while the said lever is acted upon by one portion of the
cam and to permit the said lever to bo moved out of engagement with the said
movable jaw to permit the said movable jaw to close while the lever still remains
in engagement with its operating cam, and means to act upon the said lever to close
the knife when the said lever is out of engagement with the cam, substantially as
described.
33. In an apparatus for formning knotted or tied loops, a looper comprising a
plurality of movable arms, and a cam co-operating with said arms, substantially as
described.
.
34. In an apparatus for forming kuotted or tied loops, a looper comprising a
movable arm, and a cam co-operating with said arm and about which the said arm
is carried, substantially as described.
35. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loups, a looper comprising a
plurality of movable arms, a disk to which said arms are secured, a rotary shaft
upon which the said disk is fastened, and a stationary cam loosely mounted
on the said shaft aud co-operating with the looper arms, substantially as
described.
36. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, a looper comprising a
plurality of movable arms, a disk to which the said arms are secured, a shaft
upon which the said disk is adjustably mounted, and a stationary cam loosely
mounted on the said shaft and co-operating with the said arms, substantially as
described.
37. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, a loop holding device
comprising slotted arms a 53 a 54, and a movable tinger normally out of line with
the slot between the said arms, but adapted to be brought across the said slot to
operate, substantially as described.
38. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags from a continuous
string having thereon a plurality of tags, an inclined tag-containing chute or
receptacle provided at its month with stops or rests and having on its inclined
bottom a ratchet bar, and a movable weight in said chute provided with a hole
through which the said string is passed and having an opening, and a pawl pivoted
in said opening to engage the ratchet bar to prevent backward movement of the
said weight, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 39. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loop tags,
of a slotted loop receiving device, and an intermediate loop delivering device
provided with a slot to receive the loop, and with a device for retaining the said
Joop within the slot of the delivering device until positively removed, substantially
as described.
40. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, riz.:-A spindle, a sleeve loosely mounted thereon, a gear secured
to said sleeve, a worm in engagement with the said gear to rotate enid sleeve, a
bevel gear 8 connected to said sleeve to rotate therewith, a rotary slotted loop
receiving device, a frame mounted on said sleeve and supporting snid loop receiving
device, gearing carried by said frame and connecting the rotary loop receiving
device with the bevel gear e 8, an internally geared ring supported above the
gear e 8 and rotated therefrom, a locking device for said fraine, a releasing device
co-operating with the said locking device and operated by the internally geared
ring, and mechanism to produce rotation of the said framo when unlocked by the
releasing device, substantially as described.
41. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-A spindle, a sleeve loosely mounted thereon, a gear secured
to said sleeve, a worm in engagement with said gear to rotate said sleeve, a bevel
gear e 8 connected to said sleeve to rotate therewith, a rotary slotted loop receiving
device, a frame mounted on said sleeve and supporting said loop receiving device,
gearing carried by said framo and connecting the rotary loop receiving device with
the bevel gear e8, an internally geared ring supported above the gear e8 aud
rotated therefrom, a locking device for snid frame, a releasing device co-operating
with the said locking device and operated by the internally geared ring, a spool e 23
mounted on the said sleeve, a clutch to couple the spool to the said frame, and
mechanism operated by the worm gear to partially rotate the said spool without
producing rotation of the said frame, and means to rotate the said spool and the
said framo in a reverse direction when the frame is released from its locking devico,
substantially as described.
42. In a tag assembling or bunching apparatus, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-A spindle, a sleevo loosely mounted thereon, a gear secured
to said sleeve, a worm in engagement with said gear to rotate said sleeve, a bevel
gear e 8 connected to said sleeve to rotate therewith, a rotary slotted loop receiving
device, a frame mounted ou said sleeve, a shaft carried by said frame and provided
with a pinion in mesh with the bevel gear e 8, a bevel gear loosely mounted on the
said shaft and in engagement with a pinion on the slotted loop receiving device, a
ratchet disk or wheel on the said shaft, a pawl carried by said loose gear and
adapted to engago said ratchet wheel or disk to render the said loose gear fast on
the shaft, substantially as described.
43. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a
gripping mechanism, comprising two movable jaws a 4 a 5 and an intermediate
jaw a 6 pivotally connected together, and springs to act on the said jaws, of a stop
to arrest the movement of the said jaws, substantially as described.
44: In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, a looper mechanism com-
prising a supporting disk, a pivoted looper arm, and a pivot for the said looper
arm set at an other-than-right augle to the supporting disk, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
45. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, a looper mechanism com-
prising a stationary cam, a movable disk provided with a plurality of pivoted
looper arms having shoes to engage said cam, and a spring normally acting on said
looper arms to place the shoes in position to engage with the said cam, substantially
as described.
46. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, a looper mechanism com-
prising a disk provided with circumferential lugs or projections a 41, a plurality of
pivoted louper arms having shoes normally positioned between the said circum-
ferential lugs or projections, a spring to act on the said arms to return the said

page_text: arms and their shoes into their normal position, and a buffer carried by the
circumferential lugs and acting upon the looper arms to cushion the return blow
of the said arms, substantially as described.
47. Lu an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination with a
gripping mechaniem comprising two jaws as a 4 a 5 and an intermediate jaw a 6
provided with a follower, of a switch cam having two tracks or ways, one of the
said ways acting on the follower to move the intermediate jaw toward the jaw a 4,.
and the other track or way acting on the follower to move the intermediate jaw
toward the jaw a 5, the track or way with which the follower is engaged when
the intermediate jaw is moved to operate with the jaw a 5, being carried. toward
the other track or way for a portion of its length, as and for the purpose specified.
48. The combination with an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tage,.
of a loop delivering device provided with a slit, to receive both members of the
loop of the tied tag, and means to oscillate the said slitted device, substantially as
described.
49. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied loops, the combination of the
following instrumentalities, viz. :-A fixed jaw, a movable jaw co-operating with
the fixed jaw to grasp the members of the loop, a knife or cutter to act on the
members of the loop after the same have been grasped between the said fixed and
movable jaws, means to effect the movement of both the movable jaw and the-
cutter in one direction, and means to close the movable jaw independent of the said.
cutter, and means to close the cutter after the movable jaw is closed, substantially
as described.
50. In an apparatus for forming knotted or tied looped tags from a continuous
string, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A gripping
mechanism to grip the string, a loop holder provided with a slot or passageway to
receive both members of the loop, a locking device to close the said passageway
and lock both members of the loop in its holder, and a knotting device to act on
that portion of both members of the loop between the loop holder and the gripping.
mechaniem, substantially as described.
61. That improvement in the method of forming knotted or tied looped tags
from a continuous string having thereon a plurality of tags, which consists in
moving one of the tags upon a portion of the string to be formed into a loop;
forming the loop with the tag suspended thereon, severing the loop from the string,
and tying the said loop to form the knot, substantially as described.
52. That improvement in the method of forming knotted looped tags, which
consists in passing a string or twine or other flexible cord through the eyelets of a.
plurality of tags in a suitable chute or receptacle, firmly holding the end of the
string passed through the said tags, removing a tag from the receptacle and acting
on the string to form one half or member of a loop, carrying the string forward to
complete the loop and acting on the completed loop to sever the same from the
string and form the knot, substantially as described.
53. That improvement in the method of forming knotted or tied looped tags
from a continuous string having thereon a plurality of tags and assembling the
tied looped tags in bunches, which consists in moving one of the tags upon a portion
of the string to be formed into a loop; forming the loop with the tag suspended
thereon, severing the loop from the string, and tying the said loop to form the
knot, and automatically suspending the kuotted looped tags in predetermined
numbers to form a bunch, substantially as described.
54. That improvement in the method of forming knotted looped tags, which
consists in passing a continuous cord or string through the eyelets of a plurality of
tags; firmly holding one end of the string or cord, carrying one of the said tags on
the string toward the firmly held end, acting upon the string to form one half or
member of a loop, carrying the string toward the firmly held end to form the other
half or member of the said loop, severing the loop from the string, tying the two.
members of the loop to form a knot, and firmly socuring the end of the string from.

page_text: which tho loop is severed to leave the string firmly held and in position to form a
new loop, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.