Improvements in Hardened and Tempered Steel Wire for Reeds and other purposes, and in the Method of and Apparatus for Hardening and Tempering the said Wire.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hardened and Tempered Steel Wire for Reeds and
other purposes, and in the Method of and Apparatus for
Hardening and Tempering the said Wire.
We ROBERT HIRST and FRANK HIRST of the firm of Charles Hirst Steel
Wire Manufacturer, Cleckheaton in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
We employ a furnace through which the wire passes in continuous lengths, and
is heated, after being heated it passes through a trough or vessel in which is oil or
water or any other suitable liquid to harden it, then it passes through a trough or
vessel in which is molten metal such as lead, or other suitable metals, such metal
being heated by gas or other means, it is then drawn round a block, pulley, or
winder, then drawn through a motion which laps it evenly on to a reel at the opposite
end to where it was fed in; by this means we produce a flat ribbon wire evenly
tempered and straight.
Such wire being specially adapted for making reeds for looms, and for other
suitable purposes.
Dated thi. Ciech day of January 1800
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hardened and Tempered Steel Wire for Reeds and
other purposes, and in the Method of and Apparatus for
Hardening and Tempering the said Wire.
We ROBERT HIRST and FRANK HIRST of the firm of Charles Hirst Steel
Wire Manufacturer, Exchange Mill, Cleckheaton in the County of York, 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:
After the flat wire has been polished, we pass it through the ordinary hardening
and tempering apparatus preferably consisting of a furnace through which the wire
passes in continuous lengths, and is heated.
After being heated, it passes through a trough or vessel in which is oil or water,
or any other suitable liquid to harden it, then it passes through a trough or vessel
in which molten metal such as lead or other suitable metals, such metals being
heated by gas or other means to temper it.
It is then passed two or three times around a block, pulley, or winder, then
forwards on to a reel or winder upon which it is evenly lapped by a motion con-
sisting of a sliding rod motion the width of the apparatus and having guides for
each winder which laps it evenly on to a reel or winder at the opposite end to which
it was fed in; by this means we produce a flat ribbon wire evenly tempered and
straight, such wire being specially adapted for making reeds for looms and for other
suitable purposes.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a plan of our apparatus for drawing the wire through any hardening
and tempering apparatus, and lapping it evenly on to the winders, pulleys, or reels.
A. is the wire coming from any hardening and tempering apparatus. B are the
blocks or pulleys around which the wire is passed twice or more, these blocks are
driven by bands or straps T, directly or indirectly from the shaft K.
C are the guide pulleys to each block or pulley B, the wire then passes through
adjustable guides D, upon the slide rod E, on to the reel F, the said winders or
reels F, being operated by slipping bands or straps G, upon pulleys H and J from
the driving shaft K; by means of the said slipping motion, the wire is always kept
tight between the blocks B and the winders or reels F, through the hardening and
tempering apparatus, and so is perfectly straight on its edges, and there can be no
irregularities or jumping in the passage of the wire through the hardening and
tempering apparatus, whereas if such wire was wound direct on to the winder or
reel, without the slipping arrangement; each time the wire slipped in lapping, it
would cause jumping and irregularities in the passage of the wire through the said
hardening and tempering apparatus, and consequently unevenness in the temper of
the wire, also irregularities in the straightness of the wire at its edges. Such edges
must be perfectly even for reed making.
The sliding rod E is operated by a pin L, lever L', heart or tappet M, operated
by worm wheel N and worm P, driven indirectly from the driving shaft K, or by
other suitable means so as to move the sliding rod E and its guides D slowly
backwards and forwards, so wrapping the wire evenly upon the periphery of the
winders or reels F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it
understood that we are aware that there is no novelty in hardening and tempering
flat steel wire for reeds see Bateman's Patent No. 156278, but such wire has before
been very uneven in temper, not straight, and uneven upon the face or edge of the
reed when made up, but we declare that what we claim is :-
1. Making wire for reeds in a more perfect manner, by passing it once or more
times around a pulley or block then on to a winder or reel, operated by a slipping
rope, band, or strap, for the purposes shown and described.
2. The combination of the slipping arrangement for keeping the wire tight in its
passage from the block or pulley B to the reel, and the method of lapping the wire a
upon the winder or reel, as shown and described.
Dated this Fifth day of October 1891.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Agent for the Applicants.