Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus Employed in the Manufacture of Umbrella Ribs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus Employed in the
Manufacture of Umbrella Ribs.
I, CARL WILHELM KORTENBACH trading as Kortenbach and Rauh, of Weyor near
Solingen in the kingdom of Prussia, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to a machine for forming the eye of the hinges for umbrella
ribs automatically and continuously, and for firmly connecting the finished eyes to the
ribs which are automatically supplied, the connection being effected without solder.
In securing the eye of the hinge to the ribs it is necessary that the eye is exactly at
right angles to the forked end of the umbrella-rib, as a slight deviation from that
position makes the further use of the finished umbrella-rib impossible. For this
reason it has hitherto been impossible to effect the connection between eye and rib by
means of machinery with an automatic supply of the ribs, in such a manner that
adjusting, soldering or other hand-work could be dispensed with.
The new machine is distinguished by an automatic feed apparatus for the umbrella-
ribs and for the special wire under operation and the cutting and stamping,apparatus
acting at the required moment. An apparatus is also provided for holding the ribs
during the connection between eye and rib.
In the accompanying illustrations Figs. 1 & 2 show the new machine in front
elevation and plan. Fig. 3 shows a section through the clamping apparatus, and Fig. 4
a section through the stamping apparatus. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the
press and clamping apparatus. Figs. 3ª, 3, 4 and 4° show details of the machine.
On the bed A of the Machine are fixed three brackets B, B', B'; of which the two
end ones are adjustable for different lengths of ribs. The bracket B contains the

page_text: stamping and cutting apparatus while the other two are provided with clamping
apparatus for the umbrella-rib. In front of each bracket is arranged a funnel-shaped
hopper. (Figs. 3 and 4) which ends in a narrow passage by means of which the ribs
fall in the right position into the feed apparatus D. From this position the ribs are
moved by the feed apparatus so far as to fall into a recess of the machine bed and over
the eye which has been already formed by the machine. (Fig. 4).
The feed apparatus is actuated by catches d d¹ (Figs. 3-3) secured to the shaft E,
from which all the other parts of the machine are actuated. As already mentioned
the rib, on falling from the hopper is caught by three slides D (Fig. 2) in the middle
and on both ends according to the position of the brackets B, B', B¹, (Fig. 4) and
moved forwards. All three slides are by means of the rings a and set screws b firmly
connected to the straight edge F which in its turn is attached on both ends to the
connecting rods G (Figs. 2, 3, 3 & 3) by rings a¹ and set screws 6. The connecting
rods G move in guides on the bed and embrace the actuating shaft E between the
catches d d which engage with two rollers c, c (Figs. 32 and 3b) thereby moving
forward G and with it the straight edge F and the slides D when d¹ (Figs. 3 & 36)
engages with c and moving G, F and D backwards when d engages with e.
The hinge eye is formed out of special wire e, the upper part of which is provided
with a recess (shown enlarged in Fig. 4) for receiving the umbrella-rib. This wire is
fed by the machine from a bobbin according to requirement. To this end the wire
passes between two guide-rollers (Fig. 5) which are provided with toothed wheels g, g².
These wheels are actuated by a pawl so that the wire receives an intermittent motion
corresponding with the breadth of the hinge eye.
The pawl is actuated by the lever H (Figs. 2, 5) the fulcrum of which is secured to
the bracket B. The long arm of H is provided with a roller which rests on the
-catch-keyed-to-the-operating shaft-E. As soon as the wire has been moved forward-
the required amount by the rollers f, f, the piece protruding from a recess in the fixed
piece (Figs. 4, 5) is cut off by the knife descending. is secured to a slide I
which moves in the middle bracket B and which is actuated by the lever K. K is
secured to the bracket B (Fig. 4) and engages by its short arm with a slot in the
slide while its longer arm rests on the catch K by means of the roller K Kis
secured to the shaft E. When E rotates-the long arm of K. is raised, the slide I with
the knife is pressed downwards and the protruding piece of the wire e is cut off.
The severed end of e is forced into a slot m of the feeder M which is moved forward
by means of a catch m³ keyed to E, and the frame M₁ (fig. 4). The frame M¹ is
arranged between the catches m³ (Fig. 2). The shaft E passing through the frame
and being provided with two rollers m² m³ arranged in a horizontal plane and
opposite to each other in such a manner that the catches m¹ engage with m² m³
upon E being revolved. This arrangement corresponds with that described for the
feeding apparatus D.
The piece of wire then passes over a funnel-shaped slot between the dies n n¹
(Figs. 4, 4) and as the slot in the feeder M goes right through, it falls into this
slot but is caught by a projecting tongue o under the dies n n' (Fig. 4) so that the
piece of wire is held in a vertical position. The feeder M is then returned. Directly
after this the movement of the feeding apparatus for the umbrella-rib takes place as
before described. The rib is moved forward by the feeding apparatus D and falls
in the slot between the dies n n (Fig. 4) and on to the piece of wire e¹ guided by
the slots, formed according to the shape of the rib, in the end brackets.
A press-bar p coming from above presses the rib into the furrow of the wire el
whereby both pieces are pressed further down until the tongue o is fixed. The press-bar p
is secured to the slide I which carries the knife / but protrudes further than as it has
to meet the severed part of e which lies lower than e itself. The rib is therefore
pressed into the piece of wire at the same time that another piece of wire is
cut off.
After forcing the umbrella-ribs into the furrow of e', the dies n² n³ of the bracket B¹
(Fig. 3) come into action and hold the rib in position. (Fig. 5). After the press-
bar P
has gone back, the inovable dies n are forced against the fixed dies n by means

page_text: of the catch N. As each of the dies is provided with a recess fitted with rounded
edges and slightly narrower than the piece of wire e', the sides of the furrow of the
wire are turned down and firmly pressed against the rib thereby firmly connecting
the piece of wire and the rib c (Fig. 4). The lower edges are rounded by the dies
so that the eye of the hinge is finished. During pressing, the eye of the rib
which is already quite finished, must be firmly held as before explained to prevent
the rib from turning, which would cause the eye to be at an acute angle instead of a
right angle to the rib. To this end a clamping arrangement similar to that before
described is fitted to the two end brackets B', B¹. The only difference in this
arrangement consists in the fact that the press bars n² n³ (fig. 3) have the shape of
the end or head of the rib (Fig. 5) and that the movement of n² n³ towards each other
is offected in one period and stopped as soon as the press bar recedes, while the
movement of the dies n n' arranged in the slide p is effected in two separate and
distinct periods. This movement of the slide N' carrying n and n¹ and the tongue Z
is necessary for closing the recess between n and n' and for bringing the wire piece el
exactly on to the tongue o.
The slide N is actuated by the catch N on the shaft E. For this purpose the
catch N is provided with two projections of different height q q' (Fig. 4).
Shortly before the time when the wire piece e¹ drops between the dies n n' the
lower projection g' has moved the dies n' so far forward that the tongue o is vertical
under the bar
pross P, has thereby approached towards n to such an extent that the
piece of wire el can just drop into the slot so formed. After the press-bar p has done
its work, the catch N (Fig. 4) has rotated so far that the high projection q engages
with the roller q thereby forcing n' forward and finishing the joint between the rib
and the eye of the hinge. After this the catches P P₁ (Fig. 2) of the middle and side
brackets engage with the opposite rollers of the rods N1 N2 and separate the dies,
when the tongue Z (Figs. 4, 4) also recedes. The rib provided with the oye then
drops through a slot on the machine bed.
The machine consequently operates in the following manner: The special wire e is
moved forwards to a given length by means of the rollers fin a furrow provided in k.
The protruding piece is cut off and falls into a recess in the feeder M while at the
same time a rib X is pressed by a press-bar p into the furrow of a piece of wire
previously cut off and resting between the dies n n' and on the tongue o. After the
rib, pressed into the eye of the binge is held in position by means of the advancing
dies n² and n³ (Figs. 2 and 3), the press-bar p and the knife are raised and the eye
is pressed onto the rib which then falls through a slot in the machine bed through the
dies. The feeder M is then moved forward and the severed piece of wire el drops into
the slot between the advancing dies n n¹. During this time the three feeders have
seized a rib X in the middle and at both ends and conveyed it to the press-bar p so
far that the rib falls between the dies n n', and into the furrow of the piece of wire e¹.
The press-bar then descends and presses the rib X into the furrow of the wire el. All
parts of the machine are actuated from one shaft upon which the different catches and
operating devices are secured in their proper positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
(1) A machine for the automatic manufacture of eyes for umbrella ribs from
continuous lengths of special wire and for connecting the eyes to automatically
supplied umbrella ribs; constructed arranged and operated substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(2) In a machine for the automatic manufacture of umbrella ribs; the combination
and arrangement of three or more brackets of which the middle one carries a cutting
device; a stamping arrangement consisting of the press-bar and spring tongue, a
movable die, and clamping devices fitted to the end brackets; all substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: (3) In a machine for the automatic manufacture of umbrella ribs; the tongue o
carried in the part 2 of the slide N, in combination with the arrangement for actuating
the die n' and the tongue, consisting of the cams or catches N having two projections
of different height for giving the slide N¹ a double motion for the dies, whereby the
tongue is first brought under the press-bar enabling it to ilo its work and thereafter 5
the die is brought into action; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.