Improved Apparatus for Covering Lacing Hooks and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Covering Lacing Hooks and the like.
I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, of Newton, County of Middlesex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 means used for applying a covering of plastic material,
such as a pyroxyline composition, to metallic articles such as the heads of lacing-
hooks and the like, and it has for its object to provide a simple and convenient
apparatus of this class, whereby the covering operation may be rapidly and
efficiently performed. The invention consists in the improvements which I will
now proceed to describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-
Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a portion of the supporting plate or base
forming a part of my improved apparatus.
Figures 2, 3, and 4 represent sectional views on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, in an
enlarged scale, showing the parts of the apparatus at different stages of the
operation.
Figure 4 represents a perspective view of the holder for the lacing hook or the
like to be covered.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are top views, each showing a portion of the base plate and
a laciug-hook holder therein.
Figure 8 represents a view similar to Figure 4, showing a surface formed to mold
the covering on the neck of a lacing-hook.
Figures 9 and 10 represent sectional views, showing a different mechanical
construction embodying my invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings-referring first to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive,-
a represents a base-plate, in which is formed a socket al, which is of substantially
cylindrical form. In this socket is fitted to move in and out a holder b which is
adapted to hold a lacing book or the like to be covered, the said article being in
this case a lacing-hook c. The holder b has an outer face b' which, when the
holder is at the bottom of the socket, is within the outer end of the socket, as
shown in Figures 3 and 4, the socket extending above or outside of the face 6' and
constituting a cavity which receives a circular disk or blank d of the covering
material and holds said disk in its proper position relatively to the lacing-hook and
to the molding-die e hereinafter described. The molding-die e is affixed to a plate
or carrier e, which is movable toward and from the base-plate a, said die having a
cutting edge e and being formed to press the blank d down upon the head of the
lacing-hook held by the holder b, cutting off the surplus marginal portion of said
blank and forcing a portion of its material through an orifice or orifices in the head
of the lacing-hook aud against the face & below said head, thus forming a molded
cover c which is interlocked with or anchored to the head of the lacing-hook, as
shown in Figure 4.
The holder b is movable in the socket a¹ to elevate the face b¹ and the lacing-hook
thereon above the base-plate a, as shown in Figure 2, for the ready removal of the
covered hook and the application to the holder of an un-covered hook. The
holder b, as here shown, has a cavity 62 below the top face b', said cavity being
formed to receive the shank portion of the lacing-book. In one edge of the top

page_text: face b¹ is formed a recess 63 communicating with the cavity 62 and formed to receive
the neck which connects the head and shank of the lacing-hook.
I prefer to form an enlargement a² at the upper end of the socket a', said
enlargement being above the top face 6 of the holder 6 when the latter is in its
lowest position in the socket, the bottom a³ of said enlargement being flush with and
constituting an extension of the top face 6' of the holder, said extension being
arranged to co-operate with a portion of the cutting edge e' of the die e¹ of the
die e in forming the margin of the cover cat and near the neck of the
lacing-hook.
The holder may be guided in its movements and prevented from rotating in
the socket hy any suitable means, preferably a key or spline g inserted in a cavity
formed for its reception in the wall of the socket a' and projecting into a groove g
formed in the holder b, the inner end of said groove and the lower end of the key g
forming stops which limit the outward movement of the holder, as shown in
Figure 2.
The operation is as follows: The holder b being raised, the lacing-hook is placed
upon it, as shown in Figure 2. The holder is then depressed, carrying the hook
into the socket, and a blank d of pyroxyline composition is placed in the mouth of
the socket, above the holder and resting on the head of the hook, as shown in
Figure 3. The die e is then depressed, as shown in Figure 4, and molds the
material of the blank in the manner described and shown, the holder, base-plate,
and die being suitably heated to soften the blank and make it sufficiently plastic to
assume the form shown in Figure 4. After the formation of the cover, the holder b
is raised, thus removing the covered hook from the socket and permitting its ready
removal from the holder.
b
The base-plate a in practice will contain a large number of sockets and holders,
and said plate is preferably portable or movable, so that it may be set up edgewise
while the uncovered hooks are being applied, and may then be placed horizontally
upon a suitable supporting bed while the dies e, which are assembled in a corre-
sponding number on a suitable die-plate or holder e', are being brought down to
mold the covers. The holders 6 may be simultaneously raised to eject the covered
hooks from the die-plate by placing the die-plate upon a series of pins or spindles i
affixed to a suitable supporting base or plate and arranged to coincide with
orifices formed in the bottom of the base-plate a and communicating with the
sockets a', the base-plate a being removed from the bed which supports it during
the molding operation above described and placed upon the pins it which support
the holders in their elevated position during the removal and application of the
hooks. Any other suitable means may be used for simultaneously raising or
displacing the holders, without departing from the spirit of my invention.
I do not limit myself to the provision of blank-receiving cavities in the sockets
at the outer ends of the holders, as the blanks may be cut by the dies from sheets
placed between the dies and bed, or the blanks, if previously formed, may be held
in any other suitable way.
It is obvious that the essential features of my invention, namely, a base-plate
having a socket and a holder formed to be contained in the socket and to hold the
lacing hook to be coated therein, the holder and socket and socketed plate being
relatively movable so that the holder and a portion of the article engaged therewith
are securely held within the socket when the said parts are in their operative
position, and are removable from the socket to permit the ready application and
removal of the article, may be used in apparatus for covering other like articles
the form of the holder and die, and if necessary, of the socket in the base-plate,
being modified to suit the form of the article.
By my improvement, I am enabled to form a cover upon a lacing-hook or the
like, without forming a mark across the top surface of the cover, as is necessarily
the case when said top surface is formed by the two half-dies the joint of which
extends across said surface.
In Figure 8, I show a cavity as formed in the wall of the socket a' adjacent to

page_text: the recess 6 in the holder b, said cavity being formed to mold an extension of the
cover on the outer side of the neck of the lacing-hook.
In Figures 9 and 10, I show the holder as a stud or projection 610 formed on a
fixed bed or plate 61, the corresponding socket al being formed in a removable
5 plate a¹. In this case, the holder is exposed for the application and removal of
the article by removing the plate a¹, the holder being covered and the article
confined by placing the plate a" on the plate 6".
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:
1st. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a base or plate having
a socket, a holder formed to be enclosed by said socket and adapted to support an
article to be covered, and a die formed to act on a plastic blank interposed between
the holder and die, the holder and socketed plate being relatively movable to cover
and uncover the holder.
2nd. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a base or plate having
a socket, a holder movable in said socket and adapted to support an article to be
covered, a die formed to act on a plastic blank interposed between the holder and
die, and means for displacing the holder to raise the covered article from the
socket.
3rd. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a base or plate having
a socket and a molding face at one side of the socket, a holder formed to be enclosed
by the socket and having a molding face which coincides with the molding face on
the bed when the holder is in its operative position, and a die adapted to co-operate.
with said molding faces in forming a head from a plastic blauk on an article
supported by the holder.
4th. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising, first, a base or plate
having a socket and a molding face at one side thereof; secondly, a lacing-book
holder formed to be enclosed by said socket and having a head-supporting and
cover-molding face at its outer end, a shank-receiving cavity under said face, and a
neck-receiving recess between said cavity and face, the said molding face coinciding
with the molding face of the bed when the holder is in its operative position; and
thirdly, a die formed to co-operate with said molding faces in forming a covering
on the head of a lacing-hook.
5th. A lacing-hook covering apparatus comprising a movable base or bed having
a series of sockets which are open at oue side of the plate, and hook-holders
movable in said sockets, each having a head-supporting and cover-molding face at
its outer end and a shank-receiving cavity below said face, the said cavities being
within the sockets when the holders are in their operative positions and projected
from the sockets for the reception and removal of the hook-shanks when the
holders are displaced.
6th. A lacing-hook covering apparatus comprising a movable base or bed having
a series of sockets which are open at one side of the plate, hook-holders movable
in said sockets, each having a head-supporting and cover-molding face at its outer
end and a shank-receiving cavity below said face, the said cavities being within
the sockets when the holders are in their operative positions, and means for
simultaneously displacing said holders.
7th. A lacing-hook covering apparatus comprising a movable base or bed having
a series of sockets which are open at one side of the plate, the other side of the
plate having orifices coinciding with the sockets, hook-holders movable in said
sockets, cach having a head-supporting and cover-molding face at its outer end and
a shank-receiving cavity below said face, the said cavities being within the sockets
when the holder having a series of pins adapted to enter the orifices in the bed to
simultaneously displace the hook-holders.
8th. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a holder adapted to
support an article to be covered, a base or plate having a socket formed to receive

page_text: said holder, the mouth of the socket forming a blank-receiving cavity above the
said holder, and a die formed to act on a plastic blank in said cavity, the socketed
plate and holder being relatively movable to cover and expose the holder.
Dated this 24th day of February 1896.
ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.