IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING UMBRELLA AND PARASOL STRETCHERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Boyle, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Tool Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING
UMBRELLA AND PARASOL STRETCHERS."
Sealed the 5th December 1854, and dated the 30th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Boyle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1854.
I, ARTHUR BOYLE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Tool Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING
UMBRELLA AND PARASOL STRETCHERS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the combining mechanical parts into a
machine for making stretchers for umbrellas and parasols, in place of perform-
ing the several processes in succession by hand and by separate tools. The
machine is so arranged, that, by the rotation of an axis with cams and connect-
ing parts, tools similar to those heretofore used are worked, and the wire is
moved to and operated on by the tools in succession, in such manner that,
without handling between process and process, the wire is fed in at one part
and is delivered at another part of the machine, formed into stretchers.

page_text: For this purpose the wire employed is drawn into the machine by suitable
nippers, and the wire is straightened in the ordinary manner as it is drawn
in; the wire is then flattened by pressure between flattening tools, brought into
action by the working of the machine. The wire by the machine is moved
forward and then cut transversely, so as to separate a length for a stretcher,
and at the same time the punching of the flattened end may be performed, or
the punching may be done afterwards. The end of the incoming wire is
moved to and is split (by the working of the machine) by tools, such as are
ordinarily used for such purpose. The split part of the wire is then, by the
working of the machine, moved to and knocked down and shaped into a fork
by tools such as are now used, but actuated by the cam shaft or axis. The
forked part of the wire is by the machine next moved to and flattened by
further tools, and, lastly, the forked parts are punched. The successive pieces
of wire cut off, as they are moved forward, aid in pushing the previous ones in
the machine up to the process of knocking down or shaping. The lengths of
wire during such time are slid in a groove formed in a steel plate. By this
combination of a series of ordinary tools, with cams and mechanism for
actuating them, and for moving the wire thereto, the wire is, by the simple
rotation of an axis, aided by cams and interposed parts, moved into the
machine, and is caused in succession to be operated on by such tools, and
delivered from the machine in the form of stretchers, without the wire requiring
to be touched by the hand between process and process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur Boyle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
BOYLE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Tool Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Arthur Boyle, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur Boyle,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: Arthur Boyle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the terin therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MAKING UMBRELLA AND PARASOL STRETCHERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Arthur Boyle, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Boyle, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say):-
:-
This Invention has for its object the combining mechanical parts into a
machine for making stretchers for umbrellas and parasols in place of perform-
ing the several processes in succession by hand and by separate tools. The
machine is so arranged, that, by the rotation of an axis with cams and connect-
ing parts, tools similar to those heretofore used are worked, and the wire is
moved to and operated on by the tools in succession, in such manner that,
without handling between process and process, the wire is fed in at one part
and is delivered at another part of the machine, formed into stretchers.
For this purpose the wire employed is drawn into the machine by suitable
nippers, and the wire is straightened in the ordinary manner as it is drawn in;
the wire is then flattened by pressure between flattening tools, brought into
action by the working of the machine. The wire by the machine is moved
forward and then cut transversely, so as to separate a length for a stretcher,
and at the same time the punching of the flattened end may be performed, or
the punching may be done afterwards. The end of the incoming wire is
moved to and is split (by the working of the machine) by tools, such as are
ordinarily used for such purpose. The split part of the wire is then, by the
working of the machine, moved to and knocked down and shaped into a fork
by tools such as are now used, but actuated by the cam shaft or axis. The
forked part of the wire is by the machine next moved to and flattened by
further tools, and, lastly, the forked points are punched. The successive pieces
of wire cut off, as they are moved forward, aid in pushing the previous ones in
the machine up to the process of knocking down or shaping. The lengths of

page_text: wire during such time are slid in a groove formed in a steel plate. By this
combination of a series of ordinary tools, with cams and mechanism for
actuating them, and for moving the wire thereto, the wire is, by the simple
rotation of an axis, aided by cams and interposed parts, moved into the
machine, and is caused in succession to be operated on by such tools, and
delivered from the machine in the form of stretchers without the wire requiring
to be touched by the hand between the process and process.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section,
and Figure 3 a plan, partly in section, of a machine suitably arranged for
carrying out my Invention. The other Figures show separate views of the
tools and parts in connection therewith, drawn full size, the nature of which
being written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here. a is
the cam shaft or axis, supported in bearings on the end framings b, b, of the
machine. The frames b, b, are connected by and support the bed plate c, upon
which the parts d, d', d², d³, d, which carry the tools rest, and which are
capable of movement on the bed c, so as to admit of the adjustment of the
tools for various lengths of stretchers, the parts d, d', d', d³, d, being fixed in
any desired position on the bed c by the set set screws d*. The cam shaft or
axis a receives motion by a band from a steam engine or other motive power
passing around the fly wheel e, which turns freely on the axis a until placed in
connection with the clutch e', which slides on a feather on the axis a. The clutch
el is moved into and out of gear by a lever, as is well understood. f is a crank,
fixed on the axis a, to which is connected the cord f, which passes between the
guide pulleys f, f, under the pulley f³, and is connected to the upright g',
carried by the slide g, which moves to and fro between the guides 9*, and is
constantly drawn outwards by the vulcanized india-rubber or other spring g
which is connected to the under side of the slide g, and, by passing round the pulley
gand through the tube g, is fixed at the other end in any convenient manner.
The slide 9 carries the nippers h, which are short levers moving on studs fixed
to the slide g. The jaws of the nippers are caused to close upon the wire
when the slide g is at its farthest position outwards, by coming in contact with
the springs h¹ fixed to the guides 9*. The jaws of the nippers are free to open
and release the wire on the outward movement of the slide g, and in order to

page_text: prevent the wire from being drawn back (when the slide 9 moves outwards)
by the nippers h, stationary nippers i are employed, which are closed on the
wire by springs, so as to hold and put sufficient friction on the wire to cause the
jaws of the nippers h to open, and thus release the wire when they are moved
outwards. is a slide to open the jaws h, and thus put the nippers h out of
action when required. is a lever, the end of which enters between the
nippers i, to open and put them out of action when required. The wire is con-
ducted from the reel between the straightening grooved rollers j, j, thence
through the guides k, k, and along a channel cut in the bed d to the flattening
tools 1, 1, which are caused to approach each other in the following manner :-
1, 1, are levers, which are supported and move on pin joints , >, formed in
the fixed part of the bed d. The lower ends of the levers l', ', enter slots
formed in the slides m, m, which carry the flattening tools 1, 1, and a to and fro
motion is communicated to the slides m, m, by the cams or eccentrics l', 1,
acting on the upper ends of the levers 1, 2, which are curved or bent over, so
as to embrace the cams or excentrics.
The wire, having been flattened, is conducted by the next revolution of
the axis a along the fixed channel or groove x to the cutting or cropping
tools, (shewn separately, full size, at Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7,) which are so
shaped that the two ends of the wire when cut are rounding, and the
Jength is proper for a stretcher, with the runner end flattened. The punch or
cutting tool n is carried by a slide 2, which receives a to and fro motion from
a lever n², acted on by an excentric ³, fixed on the cam shaft or axis a, in like
manner to that previously described for giving motion to the flattening tools,
the female die * being fixed on the bed' d', as shewn.
The next forward movement of the wire pushes the length previously cut off
along the fixed channel or groove, and up to the splitting tools, shewn sepa-
rately, full size, at Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11. The tool or cutter o is so formed,
that after splitting the end of the wire, to form the forked end of an umbrella
or parasol stretcher, the split part is raised to its original position, so that it
can again move forward along the fixed groove or channel to the shaping
tools. The tool or cutter o is carried by a slide o¹, which moves up and down
in guides formed on the fixed part of the bed d³, and motion is communicated
to the slide o¹ by the cam o, (shewn separately at Figure 12,) fixed on the
cam shaft or axis. One rise on this cam acts to depress and the other to raise
the splitting tool o; the horizontal surface o* of the tool o acts to raise up the
split part of the wire to its original position. The split end of the partially
formed stretcher is then, by the working of the machine, moved forward to the

page_text: shaping tools, carried by the fixed part of the bed d³, (shewn separately, full
size, at Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16,) where the split part of the wire is opened
and shaped into a fork by the tool p, carried by the slide p', which moves up
and down in guides, carried by the fixed upright on the bed d³, and motion is
communicated to the slide p' by the cam or excentric p³, fixed on the cam shaft
or axis. The descent of the tool p causes the pointed end to enter and open
the split part of the wire, the dies q, r, being moved endways by the further
descent of the tool p, so as to support and aid in shaping and bending the
forked end of the stretcher. From the shaping tools the stretcher is moved
forward by the working of the machine to the flattening tools, carried by the
fixed part of the bed d (shewn full size at Figures 17, 18, and 19); the
forked end of the stretcher moves along grooves in the fixed plate x, as
clearly shown in the Drawings. The end of the previous stretcher is moved
forward by the fork of the stretcher last shaped. The flattening tools s, s,
are actuated by levers s¹, s¹, and cams or excentrics s², s, in like manner
to those described for actuating the flattening tools 1, 1. is a central
piece, which is caused to rise up between the forked end of the stretcher
to form a support, against which the ends are flattened; the central piece
3 is drawn downwards by a fixed spring s*, and is raised by the projection s
(on one of the slides which carry the flattening tools), entering below the
pieces to raise it as the flattening tools approach each other; and as they
separate, the spring s acts to draw the part s downwards out of the way of
the forked part of the stretcher as it is moved away from the flattening tools
S, S. The stretcher may next be moved forward to suitable punching tools,
carried and actuated by the working of the machine in a similar manner to
the flattening tools, but I prefer to punch the holes in the stretchers after
they leave the machine in the manner ordinarily practised, and as is well
understood.
I would remark, that although I have described each operation in succession
as applied to the making of one stretcher, it should be understood that all the
operations take place simultaneously on succeeding pieces of wire, moved
forward through the several operations in succession by the feeding of wire
into the machine, so that a complete stretcher, except the punching, is
delivered at one end of the machine for each fresh piece fed at each revolution
of the axis.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately, nor I do confine myself to the details herein described;

page_text: but what I claim is, the combining of the several tools and apparatus into a
machine worked by a common axis and cams or excentrics, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Boyle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN RUBERY,
of Birmingham.
ARTHUR BOYLE. (L.S.)