IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING WIRE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING WIRE." A communication from
abroad by Charles Dake Rogers, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of
America.
Sealed the 7th January 1879, and dated the 8th November 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th November 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRAWING
WIRE. A communication from abroad by Charles Dake Rogers, of Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America.
My improvements are applicable to that class of machines which embody a draw
plate and a coiling or drawing drum, and they have for their object the automatic
stoppage of the revolution of the said drum when the wire breaks between the
draw plate and drum during the process of drawing, or when from any other cause
the tension is removed from that portion of the wire which has passed through the
draw plate; also the automatic stoppage of the revolution of the said drum when,
during the operation of drawing, the reel standard holding the coil of wire to be
drawn becomes overturned, or otherwise displaced from its proper position on the
floor or bed of the machine.
The disagreeable results attending the breakage of the wire or displacement of
the reel standard in machines as constructed prior to my Invention are entirely
obviated in a machine constructed as herein-after described.
In machines for this purpose, as heretofore constructed, the draw plate is an
active agent in producing the stoppage of the drum's revolution, it having a motion
in the line of draft upon the wire, and the coiling drum is so arranged that it
moves in a vertical plane upon its shaft when its revolution is to be stopped.

page_text: According to the present improvements the draw plate performs no active function
in stopping the revolution of the drum, and the said drum always remains in the
same horizontal plane, whether in revolution or not. The present construction
is therefore an improvement upon the former construction of these machines, in
that the arrangement and devices used operate more speedily to stop the revolution
of the drum, and are less complicated than those heretofore in use, as will appear
by the following description.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a wire-
drawing machine having these improvements, the coiling drum and accompanying
mechanism being partly in section, and the machine represented as in operation.
Figure 2 shows a top view of the said machine with the drum partially cut
away.
Figures 3 and 4 represent in perspective various details of construction, and
Figures 5 and 6 show two variations of construction, by which the said drum may
be connected with and disconnected from its shaft, as will herein-after appear.
A represents the frame of the said machine, which is supplied with a draw plate,
as at B, and coiling drum, as at C, the latter being mounted loosely upon a con-
tinually revolving shaft D, and being retained in the same horizontal plane at all
times by its bearing on a shoulder d on the shaft D, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.
The wire is delivered from a reel, as at E, placed upon a standard, as at F, having a
heavy base F¹, and after passing through the draw plate is secured to the drum by
a clamp, as at G, in the usual manner. Securely fastened to the shaft D, and
always revolving with it, is a clutch plate, as at H, Figures 1 and 3, placed directly
beneath the loosely mounted drum, as shown in Figure 1. This plate H is slotted
in one or more places to leave an abrupt face at I, Figure 3, and is recessed to
receive and carry one or more arms, as at K, which are hinged in the recessed
portions of the plate, as shown at L, Figure 3. These arms K have upon their
outer ends dependent projections / which, when the said arms are in their normal
position, pass through the slots in the plate and extend below its under side, as
shewn in Figure 1.
For the purpose of rotatively connecting the coiling drum C with its shaft D the
said drum is supplied with a spring bolt, as at M, Figures 1 and 2, which when
depressed will enter the slotted portion of the revolving plate H, directly above the
end of one of the arms K, and take engagement against the abrupt face I of one of
the slots, being then in the position shown in Figure 1, and the operation of drawing
will commence. The force of the spring upon the bolt M is constantly exerted to
break the engagement of the said bolt with the clutch plate, therefore if such
engagement is to be maintained there must be on the coiling drum a strain in
excess of the force of the said spring. This strain is supplied during the process of
drawing by the friction of the draw plate upon the wire passing through it to the
drum, and so long as this friction is present the said drum revolves and the operation
of drawing continues, but so soon as the friction ceases by the breakage of the wire
between the draw plate and the drum, or the running out of the coil upon the reel,
there is no longer a sufficient strain upon the drum to overcome the force of the
spring upon the bolt M; it is therefore thrown up, breaking the engagement
between the drum and clutch plate, and the revolution of the drum immediately
ceases, the wire úpon the drum being kept from uncoiling by the action of the
presser N.
Another provision for the stoppage of the revolution of the drum, and consequently
of the operation of drawing, is made when the reel standard becomes overthrown,
or unduly displaced from its proper position. For this purpose the heavy base F1 of
the said stand and is so placed upon the floor or bed of the machine as to cover and
depress a vertically sliding pin O, which is seated upon one arm of a bell-crank
lever P, Figure 1. The other arm of this lever P is connected by a rod Q to an
arm R upon a vertical rod R¹. This rod R¹ bears upon its upper end an arm R²,
which is connected by a link R³ to the ring S, Figures 1 and 4, having two or more
inclined planes upon its upper side. This ring is so mounted as to allow of its

page_text: rotation, and working with it is a fellow ring S', having similar inclined planes
upon its under side, but whose motion is confined to a vertical plane by the ears 8
and guides &¹.
Attached to the rod R¹ is an arm T connected to a spring T¹, as shown in
Figure 1. The force of this spring T and the gravity of the base F of the reel
standard are in opposition, so that when the said standard is in place the pin O is
depressed, and through the bell-crank lever P, rod Q, arm R, rod R', arm R², and
link R³, the ring S is so rotated as to allow the fellow ring S¹ to assume the position
shown in Figures 1 and 4, the spring T¹ being strained, through its connection to
the rod R', by the arm T. Now the ring S₁ has upon its upper surface one or more
inclined planes or cam faces 82, located in a circle directly under the dependent
ends upon the arms K, and when the reel standard is in its proper position the
ring S, with its inclined planes 82, assumes a position below the plane of revolution
of the parts k, but should the said standard be overturned or displaced, so as not to
cover the pin O, the spring T¹ will immediately act through the arm T, rod R¹,
arm R2, and link R³, to rotate the ring S, which will raise the ring S¹, so that the
ends of the arms K will come in contact with the cam faces 82, and thereby force
the spring bolt M upward and out of engagement with the clutch plate H, and the
revolution of the drum will cease, until the reel standard. is replaced and the spring
bolt M made to again engage the clutch plate H. It will thus be seen that the
spring bolt M is the key to the stoppage of the revolution of the drum, either when
the wire breaks or the reel standard is overturned; and although I have thus far
described certain devices as acting with the said spring bolt to produce the desired
result yet I am well aware that many others may be used in connection with said
bolt without departing from the spirit of this Invention. I have in this connection
shown two variations, at Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawing, and will now proceed to
describe them.
Referring to Figure 5, H' is a clutch plate secured to the revolving shaft D,
immediately under the drum C. This plate H' has a semicircular groove with
inclined ends cut into its upper surface, in which is pivoted a latch, as at K', having
upon its end a projection depending through a curved slot in the bottom of the
groove. This latch K¹ is furnished with a spring, as at t, which swings the end of
the said latch outward until it is in contact with or near to the rim of the plate H¹.
An angular space is thus formed, into which the spring bolt M finally enters after
being depressed, and takes a bearing against the inclined end ¹ of the latch K', and
the drum is driven and its revolution stopped when the wire breaks in the manner
already described. Should the reel standard be displaced however the spring T',
through the aforesaid link connection R³, would partially rotate a flat ring
at S2, having upon its inner periphery a series of inclined faces 83, which would so
operate upon a series of arms at U, pivoted to the flanged disc V, as to swing the
cam-shaped ends of the said arms inward to engage with the dependent projection k¹
upon the latch, and so swing the latch K¹ inward and release the spring bolt M,
thereby stopping the revolution of the drum.
The variation or modification shown in Figure 6 consists simply of a disc or
clutch plate H secured to the shaft D and always in revolution with it. The said
disc is supplied with a semicircular groove having inclined ends, in which is pivoted
a latch at K, whose end k², when in its normal position, extends across the groove
and comes into contact with the spring bolt M, when the latter is depressed, the
said latch being held in such position by a spring acting upon a can finger, as at U¹,
which is connected with the said latch.
Should the wire break during the drawing the revolution of the said drum is
stopped, as herein-before described, but should the reel standard be displaced a
distinct arrangement is made in this device for accomplishing the desired result,
that is to say, the reel standard operates through the pin O, bell-crank lever P and
its connections, to depress a rod or bolt W, so that the cam finger U' may revolve
in a plane above it when the said reel standard is properly placed, but when the
said standard is removed the bolt W will be forced up by a spring and engage with

page_text: the cam finger U¹ and trip the latch K², thereby releasing the spring bolt M and
stopping the revolution of the drum. It will thus be seen that the clutch plate
and its accompanying devices may be greatly varied in form, and will operate in
connection with the spring bolt M to accomplish the stoppage of the revolution of
the drum under the circumstances specified.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. In a machine for drawing wire the combination of a coiling drum, a driving
clutch plate, and a spring bolt, when so arranged that only while a strain is
maintained upon the said drum by the wire being drawn the said drum and driving
clutch plate will be coupled together, as above set forth.
Second. In a machine for drawing wire the combination with a coiling drum, a
driving clutch plate, and a spring bolt connecting the said drum and plate, of
stopping mechanism, substantially as described, controlled by a reel standard,
whereby, when the said reel standard is unduly displaced, the connection between
the drum and its driving plate will be broken, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TAK
YY
* ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)