Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 6th May, 1887.
I, HENRY BRADWELL of Bolsterstone in the County of York Mechanic do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus is particularly applicable to testing the ribs and stretchers of umbrellas
but it is also suitable for testing the hardness or softness of other short lengths
of wire.
The principle upon which the action of the machine depends is that a length of
wire of any fixed hardness can be bent to a certain definite curve depending on the
degree of hardness without being permanently deformed whilst a harder wire will
break and a softer will be permanently bent.
The machine consists primarily of two plates pivotted to the frame and each provided
with a bar fixed parallel to its surface. The wires to be tested are laid either singly
but preferably a number together with one end on each of the plates and between it
and the bar. The distance between the two bars is somewhat less than the length
of the wires to be tested so that the ends of the wire project on each side beyond
the bars.
The plates which were originally in the same plane are then turned in opposite
directions towards each other till they incline to each other at a certain predetermined
angle and then they are brought back to their original position. During this movement
the wire is bent to a predetermined curve by reason of the two bars coming against
and pressing upon it near its ends which are supported by the plates. The wire or
wires are then removed from the machine and those which remain bent are sorted out.
A fresh wire or wires are then put in and similarly tested.
A simple way of giving the required motion to the plates is by means of a crank
arm on a rotating shaft and a connecting rod. By altering the distance of the point
of attachment of the connecting rod the throw of the crank and therefore the extreme
inclination of the plates can be adjusted. A further adjustment is given by moving

page_text: the points at which the plates are pivotted towards or away from each other. In this
way the machine can be set to test harder or softer or longer or shorter wire. In
testing wires which are not of a circular section is important that they should all be
placed in the same position before bending. In order to accomplish this an endway
motion that is a motion transverse to the length of the wires may be given to the bars
at the moment when they come against the wires. This motion of the bars tends to
cause the wires to roll about their axes and they then settle themselves all into the
same position. This endway motion can readily be given to the bars by cam plates
and springs.
It will easily be seen that the plates may be replaced by hars.
I, HENRY BRADWELL of Bolsterstone in the County of York, Mechanic, 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:-
The apparatus is particularly applicable to testing the ribs and stretchers of umbrellas
but it is also suitable for testing the hardness or softness of other short lengths
of wire.
The principle upon which the action of the machine depends is that a length of wire
of any fixed hardness can be bent to a certain definite curve depending on the degree
of hardness without being permanently deformed whilst a harder wire will break and
a softer will be permanently bent.
The machine consists primarily of two plates pivotted to the frame and each provided
with a bar fixed parallel to its surface. The wires to be tested are laid either singly
but preferably a number together with one end on each of the plates and between it
and the bar. The distance between the two bars is somewhat less than the length
of the wires to be tested so that the ends of the wire project on each side beyond
the hars.
The plates which were originally in the same plane are then turned in opposite
directions towards each other till they incline to each other at a certain predetermined
angle and then they are brought back to their original position. During this movement
the wire is bent to a predetermined curve by reason of the two hars coming against
and pressing upon it near its ends which are supported by the plates. The wire or

page_text: wires are then removed from the machine and those which remain bent are sorted out.
A fresh wire or wires are then put in and similarly tested.
A simple way of giving the required motion to the plates is by means of a crank
arm on a rotating shaft and a connecting rod. By altering the distance of the point
of attachment of the connecting rod the throw of the crank and therefore the extreme
inclination of the plates can be adjusted. A further adjustment is given by moving
the points at which the plates are pivotted towards or away from each other. In this
way the machine can be set to test harder or softer or longer or shorter wire. In
testing wires which are not of a circular section it is important that they should all be
placed in the same position before bending. In order to accomplish this an endway
motion that is a motion transverse to the length of the wires may be given to the bars
at the moment when they come against the wires. This motion of the bars tends to
cause the wires to roll about their axes and they then settle themselves all into the same
position. This endway motion can readily be given to the bars by cam plates and
springs.
It will easily be seen that the plates may be replaced by bars.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 2 an end view, and
Figure 3 a vertical secton (on the line X, X, Figure 1) of a machine constructed in
accordance with this invention. This machine is especially suitable for testing the
ribs of umbrellas.
In these figures, A, A, are two plates pivotted at A¹A¹ so as to be capable of
turning into the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3. Theso plates have
bars a a fixed to them. B, B, are the ribs about to be treated. C, C, are connecting
rods attachod at one end to the plates A A and at the other end carrying bosses which
entor slots in the crank arms DD. The distance of the throw of the crank arms can
be adjusted by means of the screws E E in the slots. The crank arms are caused to
revolve in opposite directions by gearing (see figure 3) driven by the belt pulley G.
G is a loose pulley on the same axis.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
When the plates A are lying in the position shown in full lines the ribs P. B are
placed upon them, the belt is then shifted from the loose pulley G¹ to the fast pulley G.
As the crank arms D D revolve the plates A are brought into the position shown in
dotted lines in figure 3 and thereby the ribs B are bent into the form also shown
in dotted lines in the same figure. As the crank arm continues to revolve the
plates A come back to their original position and the belt is shifted to the loose pulley
and the machine stopped. The ribs are then removed and replaced by another batch
to be similarly treated.
The starting and stopping the machine may be made automatic in the following
manner :-
The axis of one of the crank arms D has fixed at its other end a lever H which
revolves with it. J is a push and pull handle which is connected to a lever K pivotted
at K. The other end of this lever is connected to a rod L carrying the fork for
shifting the belt from the fast to the loose pulley. When the handle is pushed in it
causes the rod L to move in the opposite direction and thereby shift the belt from the
loose to the fast pulley. The lever K carries an incline K' which, when the handle is
pushed in and the machine is running, lies in the path of the revolving lever H.
When the machine has completed one revolution the lever H comes against this
incline and forcing it backwards transfers the belt from the fast to the loose pulley
and thereby stops the machine.
Figures 4, 5 and 6, are a plan, end view, and vertical section (on the line Y Y,
figure 4) of a modified machine which is especially suitable for testing short longths
of wire such as the stretchers of umbrellas. In this machine the plates are replaced

page_text: by fixed bars A A which serve as axes for two lever frames A² A' carrying the
bars a, a.
The frames A are jointed at A³ A³ to the connecting rods which are not
shown. Figures 4, 5 and 6, also show the method of giving an endway movement of
the bars a. These bars carry at their ends buttons M which are pressed outwards by
spiral springs N. O are cam surfaces fixed to the frame of the machine. As the
lever frames A³ are turned the buttons M come against the cam surfaces O and force
the bars a end wise thereby compressing the spiral springs which bring the bars back
again when their ends are free. In other respects the action of the machine is similar
to that shown in figures 1, 2, and 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An apparatus for testing wire which holds the two ends of the wire and bends it
through a predetermined angle substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for holding the ends of the wire consisting of hinged plates carrying
bars substantially as described and shown in figures 1, 2 and 3.
3. The apparatus for holding the ends of the wire consisting of two bars substantially
as described and shown in figures 4, 5 and 6.
4. An apparatus such as is claimed under Claim 1 and in which a transverse
motion relatively to each other is given to the surfaces between which the ends of the
wire are held for the purpose of arranging the wires substantially as described.
5. The apparatus for testing wire substantially as described and shown in figures 1, 2
and 3.
6. The apparatus for testing wire substantially as described and shown in figures 4, 5
and 6.
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בד
01
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35
1 1000
HENRY BRADWELL.