A MACHINE FOR WEAVING WIRE NETTING OF IRON, BRASS, OR OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Whitehead at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th June
1854. A communication.
I, JOHN WHITEHEAD, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Agricultural
Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
MACHINE FOR WEAVING WIRE NETTING OF IRON, BRASS, OR OTHER MATERIAL," to
be as follows:-
My Invention will be the best understood by the following description,
accompanied by a reference to the accompanying Drawings, Plate 1. This
represents the elevation of the machine. A, A, A, A, is a strong upright
wooden frame; C, C, C, C, are a number of iron wheels; D, D, D, D, are a
set of brass wheels, similar to the wheels C, C, C, C, but having the upper peri-
phery cogged. Plate 2, Fig. 3, represents the wheels C, C, C, C, which are
split into two equal parts. A and B, Fig. 2, represents the wheels D, D, D, D.
which are also split into two equal parts, A and B, having the upper periphery
cogged, as before mentioned, and having in each half a perforation, a and b,
through the wheel, as shown by the dotted line. The wheels C, C, C, C,
(Plate 1), revolve upon their own axis in "steps" formed by a plate B, B, and
the wheels D, D, D, D, revolve upon their own axis in another similar plate B2.
Plate 2, Fig. 1, represents the plate B, B, and the similar plate B2, in which
the wheels D, D, D, D, revolve. It is divided up the middle, thus forming
two plates; the circular perforations, which are the "steps" in which the shanks
of the wheels turn, have their centre on the line of division. These plates
have each a rack a, u, at the same end.
is a pinion x; hence, when the pinion
betwixt which and acting upon each
revolves, the two sides of the plate

page_text: slide in opposite directions, so that each half of the holes forming the steps is
transposed; the half b going to the half A, the half c going to the half B, the
half d going to the half C, and so on, through the series. The plate B, B, and
the similar one B 2, in which the wheels D, D, work, are made to slide, as
before described, by moving the winch M (Plate 1), which operates upon the
pinions x, x. It will be evident that the halves of the wheels C, C, and D, D,
will be transposed in the same manner as the "steps" in which they revolve,
Fig. 1, (Plate 2.)
Plate 1, E, E, E, E, are two rows of spindles, one spindle being behind each,
shewn in the sketch. Thore is one spindlo to each half wheel; the spindles fit
at bottom into the wheels C, C, C, C, and at top into the wheels D, D, D, D,
and they all revolve together. Plate 2, Fig. 4, represents a spindle. a. is a
square tenon, which fits into the shoc B, and is fastened by the set screw b.
This shoe B fits into the hole B of the wheel C, (Fig. 3, Plate 2;) the holo A
being occupied in like manner with the shoe of another spindle. The top of
the spindle has a cross pin, which fits into a "slot" in the bottom of the wheels
D, D, D, Plate 1, as shewn in Fig. 2 a, Plate 2, which represents one of the
wheels D, D, upside down. This cross pin is simply to make the spindle turn
with the wheel D, Plate 1. F, F, F, is a toothed rack, worked backwards or
forwards by the pinion G; the cogged periphery of the wheels D, D, D, gears
into this toothed rack, and therefore the wheels revolve on their axis when the
rack is moved. Plate 1, H, H, H, is an iron roller, having pegs fixed upon it,
as shewn, Plate 3. The spindles E, E, E, Plate 1, are removed from their place
by unscrewing the set screw in the shoe, and dropping them out of the wheels
D, D, D. The wire to be manufactured into netting is then coiled (see Plate 2,
Fig. 4,) upon the spindle; the end is passed over the little pulley d, (Plate 2,
Fig. 4,) and through the perforations of the wheels D, D, and is carried up and
fastened to the pegs of roller H, H, as shewn, Plate 4. It will be seen that
there are two spindles to each wheel, and the wires from the two spindles pass
each through different halves of the wheel. When the wires are thus secured
the wheels D, D, C, C, and the spindles E, E, are made to revolve on their
own axis by turning the handle K, which gives motion by means of the pinion
G and the toothed rack; this causes the wires to be twisted together. When
this has been effected, the pinions x, x, are set in motion by means of the
handle M. They act upon the divided plates B, B, and the similar ones B2,
in which the wheels D, D, revolve, and transpose the halves of the wheels, in
the manner before described, and which is illustrated by comparing Plates 4
and 5. The half a of the wheel a, A, is shifted forwards, (and being the outside
half wheel it is isolated, and so forms the selvedge;) the half 6 of the wheel

page_text: In
b, B, is shifted to the half A of the wheel a, A, the half C of the wheel c, C, is
shifted to the half B of the wheel b, B, and so on, through the series.
Plate 3 the work is represented as standing in this position.
The first process then is to twist the wires, by turning the winch K, and
causing the wheels D, D, and C, C, to revolve on their own axis. When the
wires are twisted, the next process is to turn the roller H, H, so far that the
pegs number 1 shall move to a position half way betwixt the pegs number 1
and 2, as they stand in the sketch, Plate 3. The position then assumed is
shewn in Plate 6, the mesh being still hooked upon the pegs 2 and 3, and the
wire being drawn through the wheels D of length sufficient to form one-half
of the mesh. The next operation is to transpose the halves of the wheels,
as before described, by moving the pinions x, x; this stretches out the wire
forming half the mesh, as shewn in Plate 7. The next process is to turn the
roller H, H, just so much as before; this causes tho pegs number 1 in Plate 7
to hook up the newly formed half mesh. The wire is then twisted again
the roller is again turned, and the wire drawn up; the position of the half
wheel is reversed, the wire is twisted again, and a complete mesh is formed.
The web thus formed passes over the roller H, H, the pegs of which leave
it, as shewn in section, Plate 8, and it is carried through drawing rollers and
rolled on a wooden mandril. There is on each of the plates B, B, and the
similar ones B2, in which the half wheels D, D, D, D, revolve, a stop, to pre-
vent the possibility of misplacing the halves of the holes which form the
steps," in which the said half wheels revolve, so that the workman in shifting
these plates in the manner herein described cannot shift them beyond the
required point. I do not limit the size of the mesh or the width of the web.
What I claim to be new in my Invention are,―
44
First, the spindles E, E, E, E, on which the wire is coiled, and the shoes in
which they fit; likewise the half wheels C, C, C, C, and D, D, D, D, and the
plates B, B, and the similar ones B2, in which the wheels D, D, D, D, revolve;
also; the mechanism by which these plates are shifted in order to transpose the
half wheels C, C, C, C, and D, D, D, D, in the manner herein-before described.
Secondly, the toothed rack into which gear the cogged peripheries of the
half wheels D, D, D, D, and the mechanism by which the said half wheels are
made to revolve, so as to twist the wires together.
Thirdly, the general arrangement of the machine and the manner herein-
before described of using it for the purpose of making wire netting.