IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNAP HOOKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
SNAP HOOKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES.". -A communication from abroad by Francis C. Nye, of
New York, in the United States of America.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd March 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SNAP HOOKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
SIMILAR PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by Francis C.
Nye, of New York, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery which is more particularly
A

page_text: designed to make wire snap hooks in which the loop and sides stand in a
plane at right angles to the hooks with the arms crossing each other,
but the construction of the machine may be modified without changing
its principle, so as to make snap hooks and similar articles of all sizes,
with or without one or more middle bends in the arms of the snap hook,
with the loop of a round, square, or other form, and adapted to a strap
or link of any desired width or diameter, with the loop or the swell in
the arms round or flattened and made of wire, of a round, half round,
oval, square or other form, or of other flexible material of requisite
strength and elasticity. The Invention is however particularly appli-
cable to the production of wire snap hooks or similar articles in which
the arms cross each other or the plane of the hooks is at right angles
with the plane of the loop or eye, or one hook is exactly concentric with
the other, or both hooks are of the same size; or in which the arms
are respectively sprung up and down preserving the elasticity of the
wire.
In the manufacture of these articles according to this Invention the
coil of wire of suitable size, strength, and elasticity is placed on a reel
in a convenient position to be fed into the machine at one side of it, and
the end of the wire is introduced into the carrier after passing it
between rollers which uncoil the wire. The machine being adjusted to
supply the proper length of wire and form the given article, and being
put in operation the wire is fed into it by the carrier and passes across
the bed of the machine, upon which it rests, through the notches of two
vertical roulettes, and beneath the horizontal movable die or plunger,
which first bends the wire against the front of the former, and the
piece is cut off by shears of the proper length for forming the given
article. The roulettes are partially rotated during the return movement
of this front plunger, and advance the cut pieces of wire in their notches
along the bed of the machine and beneath the plunger, and present the
ends of one of the pieces of wire to revolving cutters to be milled or
dressed by them to the required form. The cutters are secured in hori-
zontal movable spindles which bring the cutters into yielding contact
with the ends of the wire while the roulettes are at rest, and during the
milling of its ends the piece of wire is held firmly in its place on the bed
of the machine by a forked gripper, and is further prevented from
moving by the notches of the roulettes, the cutter heads, and the rotation
of the cutters in opposite directions.

page_text: The front plunger rides in its backward movement over the piece of
wire which has had its ends milled, and the roulettes advance this piece
of wire in their notches along the bed of the machine to a position
between this plunger and the former, where it is delivered by the
roulettes to this plunger to be moved by it out of the notches and up to
the former, and receive its first bend. The piece of wire is guided in
its advance to the former after its ends are milled, so that when it
arrives at the former its ends are equally distant from the middle line
of the machine, running from the front to the rear, and accordingly the
hooks of the finished article are both of the same size and form. The
front plunger is forked to embrace both sides of the former near its
front, and the opening thus made is of a square, round, or other shape
to conform to the corresponding part of the former, around which the
plunger bends the piece of wire. The former is a stationary die, against
which movable dies act in forming the loop and middle bends and
crossing the arms of the snap hook or other article, and is set in about
the centre of the machine above the bed in an inverted position with its
face down, so that the finished article may drop from the machine into a
receptacle set under it, when the pusher which works through an
aperture in the former knocks it off the former. The face of the former
is provided with suitable projections, against which the movable dies
bend the wire to form the loop and middle bends of the article, and the
sides of the face of the former are inclined in opposite directions, both
from the front to the rear, and from the middle to either side of the
former, so as to allow the elevated and depressed arms of the wire to be
swept under them, and they support and guide the movable dies which
make the middle bends in the arms. The back of the former is slotted
to allow the vertical movable dies to move in it, and the lowest of the
two sides of the slot forms a part of the stationary die or abutment,
against which the lateral movable die which bends the elevated arm of
the wire acts in the crossings of the arms of the wire. The back of the
former assists in guiding and supporting the movable mandrel, around
which the rear plunger bends the wire to complete the hooks. An
opening is made in the bed below the former and extending towards the
rear of the machine, of suitable size and shape to allow the finished
article to drop from the former into the receptacle set under the
machine. The piece of wire is bent against the front projection on the
face of the former by the front plunger, and the loop is partially made
of the riven form

page_text: The two arms of the piece of wire as it is bent between the front
plunger and the former are swept round on the bed of the machine, and
the upper surfaces of the lateral movable dies and the left-hand arm is
then sprung down by the inclination in the under side of the cap of the
rear plunger and the overhanging inclined side of the face of the former,
and between them and the depression in the upper surfaces of the lateral
plungers and the bed of the machine and the right-hand arm in the
latter part of its movement is sprung up the inclined surface formed by
the inclined plane set on the bed of the machine and the upper surface
of the lateral plungers and of the standard which supports the mandrel,
and between this inclined surface and the overhanging inclined side of
the face of the former and the inclination in the cap which covers the
rear plunger.
The surfaces between which the arms move are respectively inclined
uniformly both from the middle to the sides, and between the front and
rear of the machine, and the angles of depression of the left-hand arm'
and elevation of the right-hand arm are the same, and the arms are
sprung up and down sufficiently to bring them in contact with each
other at the point where they cross each other, and by thus springing
them up and down respectively without bending them, the elasticity of
the wire is preserved in the finished article. Lateral horizontal movable
dies or plungers next act upon the respective arms of the wire,
successively moving at right angles to the front plunger, two of which
move the wire simultaneously one on each side of the former, and the
first two bend the respective arms of the wire against the projections on
the face of the former, completing the loop and making the inward
bends and partially forming the swell in the arms, and the next two
cross the arms carrying the left-hand arm below and across the right-
hand arm, and the right-hand arm above and across the left-hand arm,
and bend them nearly at right angles against abutments formed by the
inner end of the upright standard which supports the mandrel, and the
back of the inclined plane set on the bed at the right-hand side of
the opening for the left-hand arm, and by the left-hand side of the slot
in the former and the left-hand side of the slot in the cap which covers
the rear plunger for the right-hand arm. These two lateral plungers
also complete the swell in the respective arms of the wire, and the other
two lateral plungers and the second projection on the face of the former
are dispensed with when the article is formed without the inward bends

page_text: in the arms.
One of the plungers has a recess on its under side to allow
the wire to pass under it. The hooks are next formed by two double
movable dies or plungers, and in case the plane of the hooks is to be at
right angles to the plane of the loop, two vertical movable dies or
plungers, one descending and the other ascending, both of the same
construction and each formed with two male and female dies, next act
reciprocally upon the straight portions of the arms and in connection
with the two lateral plungers which cross the arms, and they partially
form the hooks by bending the left-hand portion of the arm as the arms.
stand crossed downwards against the lateral plunger which moves the
depressed arm and between the male die of the descending vertical
plunger and the corresponding female die of the ascending plunger, and
between the male die of the ascending plunger and the corresponding
female die of the descending plunger, and by bending the right-hand
portion of the arm upwards against the lateral plunger which moves the
elevated arm, and between the male die of the ascending vertical
plunger and the corresponding female die of the descending plunger, and
between the male die of the descending plunger and the corresponding
female die of the ascending plunger. These vertical plungers move
partly in the slot in the former and partly in the opening in the bed of
the machine, which is square in that part which lies between the former
and the rear of the machine. These vertical plungers next make their
return movement, and the ascending plunger is further moved towards
the rear of the machine after its downward movement is finished by
means of a pin and slot so as to be out of the way of the hooks when the
finished article drops from the machine. A horizontal mandrel advances
and passes through the partially formed hooks, and is supported rigidly
by an upright standard secured to the bed of the machine between the
mandrel and the lateral plunger next to it, and by the rear end of the
former and a seat in the bed of the machine opposite to the inner end of
the mandrel. A horizontal movable double die or plunger next moves
forwards from the rear of the machine towards the mandrel, and bends
the remaining straight portions of the respective arms of the wire round
the mandrel completing the hooks; the upper left-hand die of the rear
plunger bends the straight portion of the left-hand arm of the wire as
the arms stand crossed round the mandrel, while the lower left-hand dié
supports the portion of the hook formed in that arm by the vertical
plungers, and the lower right-hand dic of this plunger bends the straight
portion of the right-hand arm of the wire round the mandrel, while the

page_text: upper right-hand die supports the portion of the hook formed in the
right-hand arm as the arms stand crossed by the vertical plungers.
The rear plunger and the mandrel together with the front and lateral
plungers which have supported and preserved the bends previously made
in the wire during the forming of the succeeding bends, next make their
return movements, releasing the finished article which is gently knocked
off the former by the vertical rod or pusher passing through the former,
and drops from it by its own weight through the opening in the bed of
the machine.
The inner ends of the moveable dies or plungers are made to conform
to the desired shape of the article where they respectively act upon the
wire; and the front and lateral plungers are made in two parts united by
a loose joint, so that the front plunger may ride over the piece of wire
on the bed of the machine in its backward motion, and the lateral
plungers may rest in recesses in the bed of the machine with their upper
surfaces flush with the bed, so as to offer no obstruction to the arms of
the wire as they are swept over the bed of the machine round the
former, and for the same reason the mandrel is withdrawn out of the
way while the previous bends are made in the wire; and the scats of
the lateral plungers are partly formed by plates set in the recesses in the
bed of the machine in line with the opening below the former, and
having their outer edges inclined, so that the lateral plungers formed in
two parts and hinged together may ride upon them in their forward
movement, and be brought into line with the respective arms of the wire
when they act on them. All of the moveable dies have their inner ends
grooved to fit the wire and act upon the wire successively, so that the
respective bends are made in the piece of wire of suitable elasticity,
without marring or breaking it or exerting a tensile strain upon it.
All of the plungers, the moving shear, the roulettes, the milling
spindles in their reciprocating movement, the carrier and mandrel are
actuated by cams placed upon one of the shafts of the machine,
preferably the lower shaft, and during each revolution of this shaft all
of these tools except the roulettes make one complete movement forwards
and backwards, and a finished snap hook or other article is made and
delivered from the machine. All of these cams are grooved upon their
sides or periphery and connected with their levers by studs and rollers
moving in their grooves, and all of them are placed within the bearings

page_text: of the shaft in the frame of the machine, except the cam which actuates
the lever of the carrier. The front and rear plungers are actuated by
one cam which is grooved upon both sides, and the two lateral plungers
on each side of the former are actuated by one cam which is grooved
upon its periphery only. The rotation of the milling spindles and their
cutters is effected by means of pulleys secured to the spindles and to the
motor shaft and belts passing over them, one of which is crossed in order
to rotate the cutters in opposite directions.
The apparatus for feeding the wire, cutting it into pieces of a given
length, and milling, dressing off or pointing the end of the pieces, is
also applicable to the preparation of wire to be employed for other
purposes.
This apparatus is arranged in the following manner :-The feeding
devise consists of an adjustable slide bar extending at right angles from
the left-hand side of the machine of which the side nearest to the rear of
the machine is flat and the upper and lower edges are bevelled, and
of the carrier which is dovetailed to fit the beveled edges of the bar, and
is provided with a spring and gibb at its lower edge and is reciprocated
back and forth on the flat side and beveled edges of the bar by an
adjustable lever and link. The carrier is channeled in its side with a
round channel to allow the wire to pass through it, and has an opening
in its side to accomodate a dog or clamp of the carrier which is pivoted
to the upper part of the carrier. The lower end of the clamp is grooved
to fit the wire and rests upon the opon part of the channel in the carrier,
and is inclined to it towards the head of the side bar. The upper end
of the clamp is united by a universal joint to the link which connects
the carrier with the lever which moves it; the other end of this link is
connected by a stud with the slotted end of the lever of the carrier;
this lever has another slot at its fulcrum through which passes an
adjustable sleeve having a collar on the under side of the lever, and
secured to the lever by a nut on its upper surface. A stud passes
through this sleeve and a slot in a arm extending from and secured to
the side of the machine and forms the fulcrum of the lever. The lever.
is thus made adjustable and enables any required length of wire to be
fed into the machine. Between the carrier and the head of the slide bar
an upright lug or ear is formed in the slide bar, and a pawl on the flat
side of the bar is connected with this lug by a pin on which it moves,
and its lower end is grooved to fit the wire and allow it to pass into the

page_text: machine through the groove in the pawl, and its short grooved seat for
the wire which it secured to the flat side of the slide bar near its head
and upon which the pawl rests; the pawl is also inclined to the seat and
towards the head of the slide bar. A coil spring secured to the lug of
the pawl and having its other end resting upon the upper end of the
pawl, causes the pawl to press gently upon the wire in the seat. Upon
an arm secured to the outer end of the slide bar adjustable horizontal
rollers are placed, between which the wire passes before it enters the
carrier. The slide bar is secured to the under surface of the bed by
bolts passing through the bed, outside of the bracket which supports the
left-hand roulette. The bed of the machine has a slot where these bolts
pass through it, so as to adjust the shears to the required length of wire.
The slide bar rests upon the frame of the machine between the edge of
the bed and the head of the milling spindle, and is formed with a head
on the side next to the milling spindle. To the lower part of this head
the lever of the moving shear is jointed, and in the upper part is screwed
the fixed shcar, and the hole through it tapers towards the inner or
cutting end. The moving shear has a cutting edge of a semicircular
form, and works on an arc of a circle having its centre in the jointed
fulcrum of a lever, and face to face with the inner surface of the head
of the slide bar.
When the lever of the carrier commences to move forwards the
grooved end of the clamp of the carrier takes a firm hold upon the wire
previously passed through the channel of the carrier, and as the lever
continues to move forwards the wire is carried forward by the carrier and
moved through the grooved end of the pawl and its seat, and the
aperture of the fixed shear and the notches of the roulettes, and beneath
the front plunger past the guides and up to the adjustable stop which
arrests the movement of the wire into the machine by the momentum of
the carrier and its lever, and with the adjustable slide bar and lever of
the carrier ensures the feeding of exactly the given length of wire into
the machine, so that the snap hook is formed of the determinate size.
While the carrier moves backwards the pawl holds the wire and prevents
it from being carried back, and the inclined end of the clamp of the
carrier in like manner holds the wire while the carrier moves forward
and prevents the carrier from moving on the wire. The wire is cut by
the shears as soon as the carrier has completed its forward motion.
The piece of wire cut to the proper length is moved on the bed of the

page_text: machine towards the former, and presented to the milling spindles by
the radial notches or slots of two roulettes or discs secured on a
horizontal shaft, having its bearings in two vertical brackets secured to
the bed of the machine on each side of the front plunger and in front of
the recesses, where the milling spindles are set and extending towards
the rear of the machine. The roulettes are placed on the shaft between
its bearings in the brackets, and each of the roulettes is provided with
these notches in its periphery at equal distances and of uniform depth
and width, which are sufficient to allow the wire to pass freely through
the notches as it is fed into the machine, and out of them as it is moved
by the front plunger up to the former.
The shaft of the roulettes is set between the carrier and the milling
spindles, and at such height above the bed of the machine as to bring
the lower notches of the roulettes, as they are rotated, into the openings
in the bed, and to have the wire pass through the notches at about the
middle of their depth. The notches are thus inclined to the bed of the
machine where the wire passes through them and when it is delivered
from them, but are nearly perpendicular to the bed when the ends of
the wire are milled, and a portion of the notch is below the bed of the
machine as the wire is moved along the bed in the notches of the
roulettes. The notches are made with flaring mouths on the side where
the wire enters them so as to guide the end of the wire and ensure its
passing through the notches, and the wire is further guided as it passes
from one roulette across the bed of the machine, and beneath the
forward part of the front plunger to the other roulette by two suitable
guides secured to the bed of the machine in proper positions one on each
side of the front plunger, and the first of these guides directs the wire
downwards as well as across the bed, until it passes under the front
plunger. The roulette next to the shears which cut the wire is provided
with pins on its inner side, one below each notch, and the hook of a
catch engages with these pins successively as they come to the proper
position above the shaft of the roulettes, and by its backward move-
ment towards the front of the machine partially rotates the roulettes
periodically at the proper time and moves the lower notches in the
opposite direction, and the wire in the notches of the roulettes is thus
advanced on the bed of the machine towards the former. An upright
standard is secured to the upper surface of the back part of the front
plunger, and a horizontal stud passes through this standard to one end

page_text: of which a catch is pivoted, and the other end of this stud is provided
with a roller which fits in the slotted end of the lever of a pusher.
A catch is formed with a hook or projecting end which rides over and
drops behind one of the pins of the roulette in its forward movement,
and draws the pin in its backward movement and thus rotates the
roulettes. A coil spring passing around the stud to which the catch is
pivoted and resting on the catch, ensures the hook of the catch dropping
behind the pins, and retaining its hold on the pin while it draws the pin
backwards. Both of the roulettes are exactly alike except the pins
upon the side of one of them, and they arc secured to their shaft so as
to bring the notches of the respective roulettes exactly in line with one
another. Between the roulettes and an upright standard secured to the
back part of the front plunger are two upright columns, one on each
side of the front plunger, and both within the brackets which support
the shaft of the roulettes. These columns are united at their upper
ends by a cross piece or yoke and provided with bolts which partially
secure the brackets to the bed of the machine. Two vertical slotted
studs are secured to the middle of this yoke, one to the upper and the
other to the lower surface of it, and the lever of the pusher is bung
horizontally in the slot of the upper stud, and the lever of the gripper
in the slot of the lower stud. A flat spring is secured between the
bracket and column next to the roulette which has the pins, and this
spring extends towards one of the roulettes, and is grooved at its other
end in its upper surface to fit the pins of the roulette, which pass
successively into this groove as the roulette is rotated and are held
steady there, thus keeping the roulettes from moving while the ends of
the wire are milled. An adjustable stop is secured to the bed of the
machine outside of the right hand roulette, and between the milling
spindle and the bracket and opposite to the notch of the roulette,
through which the wire passes as it is fed into the machine. This stop
has a slot in its base through which it is bolted to the bed, and which
enables it to be set at any required distance from the shears which cut
the wire.
The slot in the end of the lever of the pusher is angular, one portion
of it running lengthwise of the lever, and the remaining or front portion
inclining downwards and the roller which is fitted and moves in this slot
causes the pusher to descend by its downward movement in the inclined
part of the slot, and to ascend by its upward movement therein. The

page_text: end of the lever of the gripper is inclined to fit an inclined toe secured
to the front plunger near the front of the machine, and in the forward
movement of the front plunger this toe passes under the inclined end of
the lever of the gripper, and brings the gripper down firmly upon the
piece of wire that is ready to be milled and holds it there until the
milling is performed and passes out with the backward movement of the
front plunger leaving the gripper free to rise from the wire. A flat
spring secured between the yoke and its lower slotted stud, and resting
on the lever of the gripper between its fulcrum and its inclined end
causes the gripper to move up from the wire as soon as the front
plunger commences to move backwards. The movement of the front
plunger thus gives motion at the proper time to the roulettes, the pusher,
and the gripper.
The roulettes are at rest while the carrier is feeding the wire into the
machine and the ends of the wire are milled, and they are moved only
during the backward movement of the front plunger. The ends of the
wire are milled or dressed to the desired form by cutters, one on each
side of the machine, secured to and near the inner ends of their spindles,
which are supported in heads secured to recesses in the bed of the
machine. The inner ends of each spindle are bored of a size to admit
the wire, and the inner apertures of the bores are made flaring so as to
direct the ends of the wire into the bores and insure the milling of the
ends of the wire before it is formed into a snap hook. The recesses are
made sufficiently deep to bring the bores in the inner ends of the spindles
in line with the piece of wire on the bed of the machine, and the left-
hand recess is large enough to receive as well the slide bar with its head
and the moving shear and the notches of the roulette, as the head of the
cutter, and in order to accommodate these parts the recess on that side
of the machine is cut entirely thro' the bed. The spindles have
recesses on one side near their inner ends, and the cutters are set in these
recesses where the bores in the spindles terminate. Upon the outer sides
of these recesses the spindles are provided with shoulders, which are
formed by turning the spindles of unequal diameters, the inner parts
being of larger diameter than the outer, and these shoulders are supported
and reciprocated back and forth in one of the bearings of the spindles.
Coil springs are placed between these shoulders and loose collars
encircling the spindles, and having square grooves in their periphery, in
which engage rollers and studs fitting in the rollers and secured to levers

page_text: which move the collars backwards and forwards on the spindles. By
means of this collar, spring, and shoulder, and the reciprocating motion
of the spindle, each of the cutters is brought into yielding contact with
the end of the wire during the milling, which is thus effected gently and
uniformly. On the other side of the respective collars and between them
and the outer bearings of the spindles, pulleys arc secured to the spindles
by set screws, and belts pass respectively over these pulleys and other
pulleys on the upper shaft of the machine by which the spindles of the
cutters arc rotated. One of these belts is crossed, and thus the spindles
are rotated in opposite directions, which aids in preventing the wire from
revolving during the milling of the ends. The bores in the ends of the
spindles also support the wire while its ends are milled. The wire is
kept from moving during the milling of its ends by the gripper, the
notches of the roulettes, the bores in the ends of the spindles, the
rotation of the spindles in opposite directions, and the yielding contact
of the cutters with the ends of the wire. The gripper is forked and the
two prongs seize the wire on cach side of the front plunger. The ends
of the prongs are provided with square grooves in line with the wire, and
the width of the grooves is little less than the diameter of the wire, so
that the two prongs of the gripper impinge upon the wire with the edges
of their grooves and take a firm hold upon it. The gripper stands
vertical and in line with the milling spindles, and is brought down upon
the wire by a horizontal level extending from the middle of the gripper
toward the front of the machine. The cutters are formed by steel pieces
grooved diagonally at one end, which comes next to the apertures of the
bores in the spindles. The cutting edges are exactly the same in both
cutters, and of a semicircular or other shape proper to cut the ends of
the wire to a tapering or other desired form. The ends of the wire are
cut only by one of the upper edges of the grooves, one end of the wire
being cut by the rear upper edge and the other end by the front upper
edge of the groove. The thickness of the steel pieces and their position
in the recesses of the spindles is such that the cutting edges meet the
wire exactly in a plane passing through the centre of the wire and
parallel to the bed of the machine on which the wire rests. The cutters
are rendered adjustable by means of slots. The spindles of the cutters
are rotated constantly, but are moved to and from the wire by the
lovers.
The milling is performed on the circumference and towards the centre
of the wire, and the form of the cutters and their path of motion do not

page_text: permit the ends of the wire to be shortened by the cutters. The milling
is commenced immediately after the forward motion of the front plunger
is finished and is completed, and the cutters are moved backwards from
the wire by the time when the piece of wire in advance of that on which
the milling is performed is formed into a snap hook. The wires thus
prepared when required for the manufacture of snap hooks are bent and
finished by means of the apparatus herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight, hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term.
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SNAP HOOKS, WHICH Iм-
PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Francis C. Nye, of New York, in
the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
-
The said Invention relates to machinery which is more particularly
designed to make wire snap hooks of a form generally similar to that
which is shown in full size in Figures 15 and 16 of the annexed
Drawings, in which example the hook is about two and three-quarters
inches in length and made of steel wire of the size numbered 9, on
Washburn's gauge, but the construction of the machine may be modified
without changing its principle so as to make snap hooks and similar
articles of all sizes from one quarter of an inch or less to five or more
inches in length, with or without one or both of the middle bends in the
arms of the snap hook, shown in Figure 15, with the loop of a round,
square, or other form, and adapted to a strap or link of any desired
width or diameter with the loop or the swell in the arms round or
flattened, and made of wire of a round, half-round, oval, square, or other
form, or of other flexible material of requisite strength and clasticity.
The Invention is, however, particularly applicable to the production of
wire snap hooks or similar articles in which the arms cross each other,
or the plane of the hooks is at right angles with the plane of the loop
or eye, or one hook is exactly concentric with the other, or both hooks
are of the same size, or in which the arms are respectively sprung up
and down, preserving the clasticity of the wire.
In the manufacture of these articles according to this Invention the
coil of wire of suitable size, strength, and elasticity is placed on a reel
in a convenient position to be fed into the machine at one side of it, and
the end of the wire is introduced into the carrier after passing it between
rollers which uncoil the wire. The machine being adjusted to supply
the proper length of wire and form the given article, and being put in
operation, the wire is fed into it by the carrier, and passes across the
bed of the machine, upon which it rests, through the notches of two
vertical roulettes, and beneath the horizontal movable die or plunger,
which first bends the wire against the front of the former, and a piece
is cut off by shears of the proper length for forming the given article.
The roulettes are partially rotated during the return movement of this
front plunger and advance the cut pieces of wire in their notches along

page_text: the bed of the machine and beneath the plunger, and present the ends
of one of the pieces of wire to revolving cutters to be milled or dressed
by them to the required form. The cutters are secured in horizontal
moveable spindles, which bring the cutters into yielding contact with the
ends of the wire while the roulettes are at rest, and during the milling
of its ends the piece of wire is held firmly in its place on the bed of the
machine by a forked gripper, and is further prevented from moving by
the notches of the roulettes, the cutter heads, and the rotation of the
cutters in opposite directions.
The front plunger rides in its backward movement over the piece of
wire which has had its ends milled, and the roulettes advance this picco
of wire in their notches along the bed of the machine to a position
between this plunger and the former, where it is delivered by the
roulettes to this plunger to be moved by it out of the notches and up to
the former, and receive its first bend. The piece of wire is guided in
its advance to the former after its ends are milled, so that when it
arrives at the former its ends are equally distant from the middle line
of the machine, running from the front to the rear, and accordingly the
hooks of the finished article are both of the same size and form. The
front plunger is forked to embrace both sides of the former near its
front, and the opening thus made is of a square, round, or other shape
to conform to the corresponding part of the former, around which the
plunger bends the piece of wire. The former is a stationary die, against
which moveable dies act in forming the loop and middle bends, and
crossing the arms of the snap hook or other article, and is set in about
the centre of the machine above the bed in an inverted position with its
face down, so that the finished article may drop from the machine into
a receptacle set under it, when the pusher, which works through an
aperture in the former, knocks it off of the former. The face of the
former is provided with suitable projections, against which the moveable
dies bend the wire to form the loop and middle bends of the article, and
the sides of the face of the former are inclined in opposite directions
both from the front to the rear, and from the middle to either side of
the former so as to allow the elevated and depressed arms of the wire
to be swept under them, and they support and guide the moveable dies
which make the middle bends in the arms. The back of the former is
slotted to allow the vertical moveable dies to move in it, and the lowest
of the two sides of the slot forms a part of the stationary dic or

page_text: abutment, against which the lateral movable dio which bends the
elevated arm of the wire acts in the crossing of the arms of the wire.
The back of the former assists in guiding and supporting the movable
mandrel, around which the rear plunger bends the wire to complete the
hooks. An opening is made in the bed below the former, and extending
towards the rear of the machine of suitable size and shape to allow the
finished article to drop from the former into the receptacle set under
the machine. The piece of wire is bent against the front projection ou
the face of the former by the front plunger, and the loop is partially
made of the given form.
The two arms of the piece of wire as it is bent between the front
plunger and the former are swept round on the bed of the machine and
the upper surfaces of the lateral movable dies, and the left-hand arm
is then sprung down by the inclination in the under side of the cap of
the rear plunger, and the overhanging inclined side of the face of the
former, and between them and the depression in the upper surfaces of
the lateral plungers and the bed of the machine, and the right-hand arm
in the latter part of its movement is sprung up the inclined surface
formed by the inclined plane set on the bed of the machine and tho
upper surface of the lateral plungers, and of the standard which supports
the mandrel, and between this inclined surface and the overhanging
inclined side of the face of the former and the inclination in the cap
which covers the rear plunger.
The surfaces between which the arms move are respectively inclined
uniformly both from the middle to the sides, and between the front and
rear of the machine, and the angles of depression of the left-hand arm
and elevation of the right-hand arm are the same, and the arms are
sprung up and down sufficiently to bring them in contact with each
other at the point where they cross each other, and by thus springing
them up and down respectively without bending them the elasticity of
the wire is preserved in the finished article. Lateral horizontal movable
dies or plungers next act upon the respective arms of the wire,
successively moving at right angles to the front plunger, two of which
move the wire simultaneously, one on each side of the former, and the
first two bend the respective arms of the wire against the projections on
the face of the former, completing the loop and making the inward
bends, and partially forming the swell in the arms, and the next two

page_text: cross the arms, carrying the left-hand arm below and across the right-
hand arm, and the right-hand arm above and across the left-hand arm,
and bend them nearly at right angles against abutments formed by the
inner end of the upright standard which supports the mandrel, and the
back of the inclined plane set on the bed at the right-hand side of
the opening for the left-hand arm, and by the left-hand side of the slot
in the former, and the left-hand side of the slot in the cap which covers
the rear plunger for the right-hand arm. These two lateral plungers
also complete the swell in the respective arms of the wire, and the other
two lateral plungers and the second projection on the face of the former
are dispensed with when the article is formed without the inward bends
in the arms.
The hooks are next formed by two double movable dies or
plungers, and in case the plane of the hooks is to be at right angles to
the plane of the loop two vertical movable dies or plungers, one
descending and the other ascending, both of the same construction, and
cach formed with two male and female dies, next act reciprocally upon
the straight portions of the arms, and in connection with the two lateral
plungers which cross the arms, and they partially form the hooks by
bending the left-hand portion of the arm as the arms stand crossed
downwards against the lateral plunger which moves the depressed arm,
and between the male die of the descending vertical plunger and the
corresponding female die of the ascending plunger, and between the
male die of the ascending plunger and the corresponding female die of
the descending plunger, and by bending the right-hand portion of the
arm upwards against the lateral plunger which moves the elevated arm,
and between the male die of the ascending vertical plunger and the
corresponding female die of the descending plunger, and between the
male die of the descending plunger and the corresponding female die of
the ascending plunger. These vertical plungers move partly in the slot
in the former and partly in the opening in the bed of the machine,
which is square in that part which lies between the former and the rear
of the machine. These vertical plungers next make their return move-
ment, and the ascending plunger is further moved towards the rear of
the machine after its downward movement is finished, so as to be out
of the way of the hooks when the finished article drops from the
machine. A horizontal mandrel advances and passes through the
partially formed hooks, and is supported rigidly by an upright standard
secured to the bed of the machine between the mandrel and the lateral
plunger next to it, and by the rear end of the former and a seat in the

page_text: bed of the machine opposite to the inner end of the mandrel. A
horizontal movable double die or plunger next moves forwards from the
rear of the machine towards the mandrel, and bends the remaining
straight portions of the respective arms of the wire round the mandrel,
completing the hooks. The upper left-hand die of the rear plunger
bends the straight portion of the left-hand arm of the wire as the arms
stand crossed round the mandrel, while the lower left-hand die supports
the portion of the hook formed in that arm by the vertical plungers,
and the lower right-hand die of this plunger bends the straight portion
of the right-hand arm of the wire round the mandrel, while the upper
right-hand die supports the portion of the hook formed in the right-hand
arm, as the arm stands crossed, by the vertical plungers.
The rear plunger and the mandrel together with the front and lateral
plungers which have supported and preserved the bends previously made
in the wire during the forming of the succeeding bends next make their
return movements, releasing the finished article which is gently knocked
off the former by the vertical rod or pusher passing through the former,
and drops from it by its own weight through the opening in the bed of
the machine.
The inner ends of the moveable dies or plungers are made to conform to
the desired shape of the article, where they respectively act upon the wire,
and the front and lateral plungers are made in two parts united by a loose
joint so that the front plunger may ride over the piece of wire on the bed
of the machine in its backward motion, and the lateral plungers may
rest in recesses in the bed of the machine with their upper surfaces flush
with the bed so as to offer no obstruction to the arms of the wire as they
are swept over the bed of the machine round the former, and for the
same reason the mandrel is withdrawn out of the way while the previous
bends are made in the wire, and the seats of the lateral plungers are
partly formed by plates set in the recess in the bed of the machine in
line with the opening below the former, and having their outer edges
inclined so that the lateral plungers formed in two parts and hinged
together may ride upon them in their forward movement and be
brought into line with the respective arms of the wire when they act on
them. All of the movable dies have their inner ends grooved to fit the
wire, and act upon the wire successively so that the respective bends are
made in the piece of wire of suitable elasticity without marring or
breaking it, or exerting a tensile strain upon it,

page_text: Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the former and adjacent
parts.
Figure 7 is a transverse section at about the line 1, 2, of Figure 5;
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are in about full size.
Figure 8 is a transverse section at about the line 3, 4, of Figure 5.
Figure 9 is a plan; and Figures 10 and 11 are elevations of the
former, the parts being shown as inverted from the position in the
machine, and are represented in about full size.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the upper
vertical plunger, both sides of which are shown.
Figure 13 is a section through the upper and lower vertical plungers
at the line 5, 6, (Figure 6).
Figure 14 is a section of the rear plunger at the line 7, 8, (Figure 6).
Figures 15 and 16 are elevations of the snap hook complete; and
Figure 17 is an elevation of a portion of one of the rouletts.
The bed a and frame 6 of the machine are of the requisite size, shape,
and strength to receive the parts herein-after described, and are sup-
ported upon suitable legs or standards. The motor shaft x is mounted
in bearings in the frame and is rotated by hand or power, and gives
rotation to the shaft y by the pinion and wheel x². Upon this shaft y
are the cams which gives the various movements to the dies or plungers
which act upon the wire. The feeding device consists of the adjustable
slide bar o extending at right angles from the left-hand side of the
machine, by which the side nearest to the rear of the machine is flat, and
the upper and lower edges are bevelled, and of the carrier c² which is
dovetailed to fit the bevelled edges of the bar, and is provided with a
spring and gibb at its lower edge, and is reciprocated back and forth on
the flat side and bevelled edges of the bar by its adjustable lever c³ and
link c. The carrier is channeled in its side with a round channel to
allow the wire to pass through it, and has an opening in its side to
occomodate the dog or clamp c of the carrier which is pivoted to the
upper part of the carrier. The lower end of the clamp is grooved to fit
the wire and rests upon the open part of the channel in the carrier, and
is inclined to it towards the head cº of the slide bar. The upper end of
the clamp is united by a universal joint to the link c' which connects
E
1

page_text: the carrier with the lever c³ which moves it. The other end of this link
is connected by a stud with the slotted end of the lever of the carrier.
This lever has another slot at its fulcrum through which passes an
adjustable sleeve having a collar on the under side of the lever and
secured to the lever by a nut c" on its upper surface. A stud passes
through this sleeve and a slot in an arm c" extending from and secured
to the side of the machine and forms the fulcrum of the lever. The
lever is thus made adjustable, and enables any required length of wire to
be fed into the machine. Between the carrier and the head of the slide
bar an upright lug or ear is formed in the slide bar, and the pawl c¹ on
the flat side of the bar is connected with this lug by a pin on which it
moves (see Figure 1), and its lower end is grooved to fit the wire and
allow it to pass into the machine through the groove in the pawl and its
short grooved seat for the wire which is secured to the flat side of the
slide bar near its head, and upon which the pawl rests. The pawl is
also inclined to the seat and towards the head c of the slide bar. A
coil spring secured to the lug of the pawl and having its other end
resting upon the upper end of the pawl causes the pawl to press gently
upon the wire in the seat. Upon an arm secured to the outer end of
the slide bar adjustable horizontal rollers c¹ are placed, between which
the wire passes before it enters the carrier. The slide bar is secured to
the under surface of the bed a by bolts passing through the bed outside
of the bracket e' which supports the left-hand roulette e. The bed of
the machine has a slot where these bolts pass through it so as to adjust
the shears d, d, to the required length of wire. The slide bar rests
upon the frame of the machine between the edge of the bed and the
head of the milling spindle, and is formed with a head cd on the side
next to the milling spindle. To the lower part of this head the lever d²
of the moving shear d¹ is jointed, and in the upper part is screwed the
fixed shear d, and the hole through it tapers towards the inner or cutting
end. The moving shear has a cutting edge of a semicircular form, and
works on an arc of a circle having its centre in the jointed fulcrum of
the lever d, and face to face with the inner surface of the head c° of the
slide bar (see Figure 2).
When the lever c³ of the carrier c³ commences to move forwards the
grooved end of the clamp c of the carrier takes a firm hold upon the
wire w previously passed through the channel of the carrier, and as the
lever continues to move forwards the wire w is carried forward by the

page_text: carrier and moved through the grooved end of the pawl c¹ and its seat
and the aperture of the fixed shear d, and the notches e of the
roulettes e, e¹, and beneath the front plunger h, past the guides e', e³,
and up to the adjustable stop c¹, which arrests the movement of the
wire into the machine by the momentum of the carrier and its lever,
and with the adjustable slide bar and lever of the carrier ensures the
feeding of exactly the given length of wire into the machine, so that the
snap hook is formed of the determinate size. While the carrier c² moves
backwards the pawl c¹ holds the wire and prevents it from being carried
back, and the inclined end of the clamp of the carrier in like manner
holds the wire while the carrier moves forward and prevents the carrier
from moving on the wire. The wire is cut by the shears d, d³, as soon
as the carrier has completed its forward motion.
The piece of wire cut to the proper length is moved on the bed a of
the machine towards the former k and presented to the milling spindles
,, by the radial notches or slots e² of two roulettes or discs e and e¹
secured on a horizontal shaft e³ having its bearings in two vertical
brackets e, e³, secured to the bed of the machine on each side of the
front plunger h, h', and in front of the recesses i, j, where the milling
spindles are set and extending towards the rear of the machine. The
roulettes are placed on the shaft between its bearings in the brackets,
and each of the roulettes is provided with these notches e* in its
periphery at equal distances and of uniform depth and width, which are
sufficient to allow the wire to pass freely through the notches as it is
fed into the machine, and out of them as it is moved by the front
plunger h, h, up to the former k.
The shaft of the roulettes is set between the carrier c² and the milling
spindles, and at such height above the bed of the machine as to bring
the lower notches of the roulettes as they are rotated into the openings
in the bed, and to have the wire pass through the notches at about the
middle of their depth. The notches are thus inclined to the bed of the
machine, where the wire passes through them, and when it is delivered
from them, but are nearly perpendicular to the bed when the ends of
the wire are milled; and a portion of the notch is below the bed of the
machine as the wire is moved along the bed in the notches of the
roulettes. The notches are made with flaring mouths on the side where
the wire enters them, so as to guide the end of the wire and ensure its

page_text: passing through the notches, and the wire is further guided as it passes
from one roulette e across the bed of the machine and beneath the
forward part of the front plunger to the other roulette e' by two
suitable guides e', e³, secured to the bed of the machine in proper
positions, one on each side of the front plunger h', and the first of
these guides e directs the wire downwards, as well as across the bed,
until it passes under the front plunger k. The roulette e next to the
shears which cut the wire is provided with pins e' on its inner side, one
below each notch, and the hook of a catch e engages with these pins
successively as they come to the proper position above the shaft e³ of
the roulettes, and by its backward movement towards the front of the
machine partially rotates the roulettes periodically at the proper time
and moves the lower notches in the opposite direction, and the wire in
the notches of the roulettes is thus advanced on the bed of the machine
towards the former k. An upright standard h is secured to the upper
surface of the back part h¹ of the front plunger, and a horizontal stud h¹*
passes through this standard, to one end of which the catch e¹0 is
pivoted, and the other end of this stud is provided with a roller which
fits in the slotted end of the lever f³ of the pusher f. The forward part
of the catch e¹0 is formed with a hook or projecting end, which rides
over and drops behind one of the pins e of the roulette in its forward
movement and draws the pin in its backward movement, and thus
rotates the roulettes. A coil spring e passing around the stud 18 to
which the catch e¹ is pivoted, and resting on the catch ensures the hook
of the catch dropping behind the pins e and retaining its hold on the
pin while it draws the pin backwards. Both of the roulettes e, e', aro
exactly alike, with the exception that the roulette e¹ is alone provided with
the pins e upon its side, and they are secured to their shaft so as to
bring the notches e² of the respective roulettes exactly in line with one
another. Between the roulettes and the upright standard h¹ secured to
the back part h' of the front plunger are two upright columns e¹³, el,
one on each side of the front plunger, and both within the brackets e¹, e³,
which support the shaft of the roulettes. These columns are united at
their upper ends by a cross piece or yoke e¹ and provided with bolts,
which partially secure the brackets et, e³, to the bed of the machine.
Two vertical slotted studs f³, g*, are secured to the middle of this yoke,
one to the upper, and the other g* to the lower surface of it, and the
lever of the pusher f is hung horizontally in the slot of the upper
stud f', and the lever g³ of the gripper g in the slot of the lower stud 9*.

page_text: A flat spring is secured between the bracket e* and column e¹ next to
the roulette which has the pins, and this spring extends towards the
roulette e, and is grooved at its other end in its upper surface to fit the
pins e of the roulette, which pass successively into this groove as the
roulette is rotated and are held steady there, thus keeping the roulettes
from moving while the ends of the wire are milled (see Figure 17). The
distance between the notches of the roulettes is such that when one of
the notches is in line with the wire as it is fed into the machine the
second notch from it towards the former k is in line with the milling
spindles, . When the catch e¹ commences to move backwards the
two notches in the two roulettes e, e¹, which correspond with each other,
are in line with the wire as it is fed into the machine, and by cach.
backward movement of the catch the next succeeding notches, one in
each roulette, are brought in line with the wire as it is fed into the
machine, and the next preceding notches are brought in line with the
milling spindles &,, while the notches second in advance are brought
to the position where the piece of wire is delivered from them in advance
of the front plunger / to be moved by it to the former. An adjustable
stop c¹ is secured to the bed a of the machine outside of the right hand
roulette e¹ and between the milling spindle j and the bracket e³, and
opposite to the notch of the roulette e', through which the wire passes
at it is fed into the machine. This stop has a slot in its base, through
which it is bolted to the bed a, and which enables it to be set at any
required distance from the shears d, d', which cut the wire.
The slot in the end of the lever f³ of the pusher f is angular, one
portion of it running lengthwise of the lever, and the remaining or front
portion inclining downwards, and the roller, which is fitted and moves
in this slot, causes the pusher f to descend by its downward movement
in the inclined part of the slot, and to ascend by its upward movement
therein. The end g³ of the lever g³ of the gripper 9 is inclined to fit an
inclined toe ³, secured to the front plunger near the front of the
machine, and in the forward movement of the front plunger h¹ this
toe passes under the inclined end of the lever g³ of the gripper g,
and brings the gripper down firmly upon the piece of wire 10' that is
ready to be milled, and holds it there until the milling is performed, and
passes out with the backward movement of the front plunger h', leaving
the gripper g free to rise from the wire. A flat spring 76 secured
between the yoke e¹ and its lower slotted stud g, and resting on the

page_text: lever g³ of the gripper between its fulcrum and its inclined end gð,
causes the gripper g to move up from the wire as soon as the front
plunger commences to move backwards. The movement of the front
plunger thus gives motion at the proper time to the roulettes e, e', the
pusher f, and the gripper g.
The roulettes are at rest while the carrier is feeding the wire into the
machine and the ends of the wire are milled, and they are moved only
during the backward movement of the front plunger. The ends of the
wire are milled or dressed to the desired form by cutters i, j, one on
each side of the machine, secured to and near the inner ends of their
spindles, j, which are supported in heads i³, 1³, secured to recesses i*, j*,
in the bed of the machine. The spindles 22, j³, have respectively two
bearings in their heads ³, j³, one at the outer end of each spindle and
the other near the inner end. The bearings are formed in journal boxes,
half in the heads and half in the caps, covering the spindles at the
bearings and secured to the heads. The spindles ², j², aro set trans-
versely upon the machine, and between the guides 1, l', and the head c
of the slide bar on the left-hand side and the adjustable stop c¹ on the
right-hand side of the machine. The inner ends of each spindle are
bored of a size to admit the wire, and the inner apertures i, j, of the
bores are made flaring, so as to direct the ends of the wire into the bores.
and insure the milling of the ends of the wire before it is formed into a
snap hook. The recesses i, j, are made sufficiently deep to bring the
bores in the inner ends of the spindles in line with the piece of wire in
the bed of the machine, and the left-hand recess is large enough to
receive as well the slide bar e with its head c and the moving shear d¹
and the notches e² of the roulette e as the head of the cutter i, and in
order to accommodate these parts the recess * on that side of the machine
is cut entirely through the bed a. The spindles, j³, have recesses on
one side near their inner ends, and the cutters i, j, are set in these
recesses where the bores in the spindles terminate. Upon the outer
sides of these recesses the spindles are provided with shoulders, which
are formed by turning the spindles of unequal diameters, the inner parts
being of larger diameter than the outer, and these shoulders are sup-
ported and reciprocated back and forth in one of the bearings of the
spindles. Coil springs ¹, j", are placed between these shoulders and
loose collars, 18, encircling the spindles, and having square grooves in
their periphery, in which engage rollers and studs fitting in the rollers,
C

page_text: and secured to the levers 217, 17, which move the collars backwards and
forwards on the spindles. By means of this collar, spring, and shoulder,
and the reciprocating motion of the spindle, each of the cutters is
brought into yielding contact with the end of the wire during the
milling, which is thus effected gently and uniformly. On the other
side of the respective collars 2¹³, 13, and between them and the outer
bearings of the spindles, pulleys ¹³, 18, are secured to the spindles by
set screws, and belts 10, 110, pass respectively over these pulleys and
other pulleys x, x, on the upper shaft x of the machine, by which the
spindles i, j, of the cutters are rotated. One of these belts, videlicet,
that ¹º, is crossed, and thus the spindles are rotated in opposite direc-
tions, which aids in preventing the wire from revolving during the
milling of the ends. The bores in the ends , j, of the spindles also
support the wire while its ends are milled. The wire is kept from
gripper g, the notches e³
moving during the milling of its ends by the
of the roulettes, the bores in the ends of the spindles, the rotation of the
spindles in opposite directions, and the yielding contact of the cutters i, j,
with the ends of the wire. The gripper is forked, and the two
prongs g¹, g³, seize the wire on each side of the front plunger h, h³. The
ends of the prongs 9¹, 9%, are provided with square grooves in line with
the wire, and the width of the grooves is little less than the diameter of
the wire, so that the two prongs g¹, 9², of the gripper impinge upon the
wire with the edges of their grooves, and take a firm hold upon it. The
gripper 9 stands vertical and in line with the milling spindles ², j³,
g
and
is brought down upon the wire by the horizontal lever g³, extending
from the middle of the gripper toward the front of the machine. The
cutters i, j, are formed by steel pieces grooved diagonally at one end,
which comes next to the apertures ",, of the bores in the spindles.
The cutting edges are exactly the same in both cutters, and of a semi-
circular or other shape proper to cut the ends of the wire to a tapering
or other desired form. The ends of the wire are cut only by one of the
upper edges of the grooves, one end of the wire being cut by the
upper edges of the grooves, one end of the wire being cut by the rear
upper edge ¹, and the other end by the front upper edge j¹ of the
groove. The thickness of the steel pieces and their position in the
recesses of the spindles i, j, is such that the cutting edges,, meet
the wire exactly in a plane passing through the centre of the wire and
parallel to the bed a of the machine on which the wire rests. The
cutters i, j, are secured to the recesses in the spindles by screws passing

page_text: through slots in the steel pieces, and are sharpened by simply whetting
the cutting edges 1, 2, and as the cutting edges,, wear off the
cutters are adjusted by the slots, which enable the cutters to be moved
one i forwards and the other j backwards towards the centre of the
spindles, j, sufficiently to bring the cutting edges ¹, j, always in
contact with the wire at its ends when the milling is to be performed.
The spindles,², of the cutters are rotated constantly, but are moved to
and from the wire by the levers ¿¹, 17.
The milling is performed on the circumference and towards the centre
of the wire, and the form of the cutters and their path of motion do not
permit the ends of the wire to be shortened by the cutters. The milling
is commenced immediately after the forward motion of the front
plunger is finished and is completed, and the cutters are moved back-
wards from the wire by the time when the piece of wire in advance
of that on which the milling is performed is formed into a snap hook.
The cut piece of wire with its ends milled is made into the snap hook
by the stationary die or former / set about in the middle of the machine;
the horizontal movable die or plunger having a reciprocating move.
ment on the bed a between the front of the machine and the former k,
four horizontal movable dies or plungers n, o, p, r, having reciprocating
movements on the bed a, two of them, n, p, between the left-hand side
of the machine and the former k, and two o, 1, between the right-hand
side and the former; the stationary dies or abutments k¹, p¹¹, u³, pl²,
against which two, p, r, of these lateral plungers, one on each side of the
machine, act; two vertical movable dies or plungers 8, t, having recipro-
cating movements in an opening in the bed, a movable mandril u and a
horizontal movable die or plunger having a reciprocating movement
on the bed a between the rear of the machine and the former or the
mandril u, against which it acts.
12
The front plunger, which first bends the piece of wire against the
former, is made in two parts h, h³, which are united by a hinge or loose
joint (see Figure 2), and the forward part h is forked at its end so as to
make a horizontal opening in it of suitable size, grooved to fit the wire,
and of a square, round, or other shape, to conform to the front pro-
jection ³ on the face of the former, round which it bends the wire to
make the loop of the snap hook. The forked end /* is depressed below
the under surface of the remainder of the plunger to the same depth as
the height of the seat of the back part of the plunger, which is raised

page_text: upon the bed a of the machine a little higher than the diameter of the
wire, so as to allow the pieces of wire to move freely on the bed of the
machine beneath the plunger h, and between the seat of the back part h¹
and the depressed end /* of the fore part of the plunger. This
depression h is inclined at the rear to the under surface of the remainder
of the plunger, so that in the backward motion of the plunger the
depressed end 7* slides upon the most advanced piece of wire, which is
held in the notches e² of the roulettes e, e¹, and carried forward by them
upon the bed a of the machine, while the plunger is moving backwards,
and drops down to the bed a again as it falls behind this piece of wire,
which is carried further forward by the roulettes until it is delivered by
them between the plunger and the former ready to be bent into form.
The bed a of the machine is the seat upon which the depressed end /* of
this plunger moves in its forward motion, and also in its backward
motion, except while it is riding over the piece of wire. The forward
end 8 of the raised seat of the back part of this plunger is in line with
the seat of the wire w as it is fed into the machine formed by the
tubular shear d, the seat of the pawl c¹³ and the channel of the carrier,
and serves as a guide for the wire as it passes to the notch e³ of the
right-hand roulette e¹. The forward part of this plunger is kept to
the bed a of the machine by a flat spring / secured to the upper surface
of the back part 1 of this plunger by a tap bolt, which passes through
the spring and plunger and screws into one of the guides of the back
part h¹ of the plunger, and secures this guide to the under side of the
plunger. The back part h¹ of this plunger is also kept in position by
another. guide secured to its under side by a tap bolt which passes
through the plunger and the base of the upright standard h¹, and screws
into the guide and secures the standard h¹ to the upper surface of the
back part h¹ of the plunger. Both of these guides fit into a slot in the
bed a of the machine and have flanges extending beyond the slot on
each side, which move along the under side of the bed a, the guides
being thus shaped like the letter T. These guides are beneath the
plunger h, and are not shown in the Drawings. As this plunger moves
the piece of wire forwards to the former k the ends of the wire are
brought up against two upright adjustable guides 2, 1, one on each side
of the plunger, with their front ends rounded off towards the front and
sides of the machine, but having each of their rear ends at exactly the
same distance from the central line of the machine and parallel to each
other. Each end of the wire is in contact with one of these rear points

page_text: at the instant when the front plunger begins to bend the wire around
the former k, and hence both of the hooks in the finished snap hook are
of the same size and shape. These guides 1, P, are made adjustable by
means of slots in their bases, through which pass screws and secure the
guides to the under surfaces of two horizontal guides 71, 7", one on
each side of the machine, which keep the wire down upon the bed of
the machine while it is moved from the roulettes to the former, and
during the first part of the sweep of the arms of the wire round the
former.
The stationary die or former is composed of a square head k and a
shank k¹, on which is a screw thread, and the face of the former is
provided with two projections k³, k³, against which the wire is bent by
the plungers to form the loop and middle bends of the snap hook, or
with but one projection k³ when the former is used in making a snap
hook without the inward bends 207, 20%. The surfaces *, ³, of the face
are bevelled or inclined in opposite directions, and both of these inclined
surfaces make the same angle with the flat shoulder k of the former,
where the shank k¹ projects from the head k. The surfaces k*, k* of the
face are inclined so as to allow the two arms of the wire to be sprung up
and down respectively without bending them out of a straight line when
the wire is bent round the former by the front plunger, and hence the
sides of the face are inclined both longitudinally and transversely, the
left hand side k' as the former stands in the machine being inclined from
the rear of the head upwards to the front k³, and from the middle of
the face upwards to the left hand side of the head, so as to allow the
left hand arm of the wire to be sprung down, and the right hand side **
of the face being inclined from the front 48 upwards to the rear k¹ of the
head, and from the middle of the face downwards to the right hand
side 10 of the head, so as to allow the right hand arm to be sprung up.
These surfaces k*, k³, also support and guide the lateral plungers, n, o, p, r,
in making their bends in the wire against the former k. The shank k¹
of the former has a hole " through its centre, which extends through
the head k, and the aperture in the face of the former is between the
two projections k², k³, on the face. The rod or pusher f, which knocks
off the finished snap hook from the machine, is fitted in this hole, and
moved up and down in it. The lower end of the pusher is provided
with a head shaped like the letter T, and the face of the former has a
recess in it to accommodate the head of the pusher when it is withdrawn

page_text: within the former k during the forming of the snap hook. In the
downward movement of the pusher the T head meets the arms of the
finished snap hook at the neck formed by the inward bends between the
loop and the swell in the arms, and pushes the snap hook gently from
the former. The upper end of the pusher is connected by a pin and
socket with the lever f³, which actuates the pusher.
of the head,
The shank ¹ and head k of the former are made in one piece, and the
projections k², k³, on the face of the former may also be made in the
same picce, but it is preferred to make them in separate pieces from the
former, so that they may be removed if they become broken, or it is for
any other reason desirable to remove them, and replace them by new
ones without changing the whole former. The projection k³, round
which the loop woe is formed, is dovetailed to the face of the former, and
secured thereto by a screw k¹³ passing through the front /
and the other projection ³ is fitted in a socket in the face, and secured
thereto by a pin passing through the right hand side of the head.
The back of the head of the former is provided with a slot k¹8, and the
sides of the slot 1 support the upper vertical plunger 8, preventing it
from being sprung out of its proper path, and the depressed end ¼” at
the left hand side of the slot makes in conjunction with the under
surface p¹¹ of the cap of the rear plunger at the left hand side of
the slot v¹ in the cap with which it is in line, the abutment against
which the opposite or upper arm of the wire is bent when the arms are
crossed. A small portion of each of the hooks is formed by the vertical
plungers 8, t, in this slot in the former. The back k' of the head of
the former on the right hand side of the slot is grooved at its lower edge
where it guides and supports the square head u¹ of the mandrel u. The
former is placed in about the centre of the machine with its face down
and its shank k¹ up, and the projection * around which the loop is
formed nearest to the front of the machine, and the slot ¹ in the former
nearest to the rear of the machine, and with the back k³ of the head
extending beyond the rear side u of the upright standard u' sufficiently
to afford a seat and support for the square head u¹ of the mandrel u, and
the former is secured to a support of suitable shape by a nut kª,
and the support is bolted at its ends k, s, to the cap v10, which covers
the rear plunger v. An opening q, q', made in the bed a beneath the
former, and extending towards the rear of the machine, of which the
portion q in front of the upright standard is of similar shape to the

page_text: respectively to the extent of a little more than one-half of the diameter
of the wire at the point where the arms cross each other, so that the
two arms are in contact with each other where the crossing is made in
them.
The plane of elevation of one arm and the plane of depression of the
other make respectively the same angle with the plane parallel to the
upper surface of the bed of the machine, and passing through the front
plunger h, the former k, and the centre of the wire between them. The
arms of the wire are sprung up and down respectively, as they are swept
around the former in order to carry the two arms across each other after
after the lateral bends are made in them, without making an abrupt or
sharp bend in one or both of the arms, and to keep the arms straight until
the vertical plungers meet thom, and to preserve the spring of the wire in
the finished snap hook at the point where the arms cross each other.
The elasticity of the wire at that point maintains the arms of the wire
always in contact with each other in the snap hook. The ends of the
arms of the wire are guided, as they are elevated and depressed
respectively by the under surface of the cap " which covers the rear
plunger v. This cap is set on the bed of the machine with its front
edge in line with the rear side m³ of the recess m¹ in the bed, and has a
slot v¹ in it of the same size and in line with the square opening q¹ in the
bed, which is to the rear of the rear side m¹ of the recess m¹ in the bed.
The vertical plungers s, t, and the vertical portion v³ of the rear plunger
make part of their movement in this slot. The inclined plane 7¹¹, up
which the right-hand arm of the wire is sprung, is set on the bed a to
the rear of the recess m' in the bed and in line with the side m¹ of the
recess m³, and with its back 12 in line with the right-hand side of the
square opening q¹ in the bed, and is secured to the bed a by counter-
sunk screws, and its upper surface is also inclined from the side in line
with the side m¹ of the recess upwards to its opposite side. The
depression p in the bed a down which the left-hand arm of the wire is
sprung extends to the rear of the recess m in the bed, and is inclined
from the left-hand side of the square opening q' in the bed upwards to
the length of the inclined plane 7", and from the side of the recess m
towards the rear of the machine downwards to the width of the inclined
plane. The under surface of the cap v¹ of the rear plunger has two
recesses ¹³, p, in it, one on each side of the slot " in the cap, and
above and parallel with the inclined plane ¹¹ and the depression pu

page_text: in the bed respectively, and the space between each of these recesses and
the inclined plane and depression below them respectively is sufficient
to allow the respective arms of the wire to pass freely up and down in it.
The height of the inclined plane as well as the depth of the depression,
is sufficient to bring the two arms of the wire nearly in contact in
making the crossing in them.
The upper surface of the upright standard u¹ is bevelled or inclined,
both from its inner end 6 towards the side of the machine downwards,
and from its front side us upwards to the opposite side u in line with the
inclined plane, and the upper surface of the steel piece m³ is inclined
both from its inner end towards the side of the machine upwards, and
from it front side downwards to the opposite side, so as to be in the same
plane with the depression p¹ in the bed, and afford seats for the respective
arms of the wire as they are sprung up and down in their sweep round
to the former. This movement of the front plunger makes the first
bend in the wire, partially forming the loop, and leaves the two arms of
the wire with their ends resting respectively upon the inclined plane r¹!
set on the bed, and the depression p¹ in the bed.
There are four lateral plungers n, o, p, r, two on each side of the
former, which are made in two parts n, n', o, o¹, p, p², r, r¹, united by a
hinge or joint n³ and move forwards and backwards in recesses m, m¹,
sunk in the bed of the machine, and up and down the bevelled edges of
flat plates m³, m³, fitted in the recesses m, m³, and forwards and back-
wards upon these plates and in directions at right angles to the front
plunger h.
The recesses m, m³, are made to fit the plungers n, o, p, r, which are
imbedded in them side by side and move to and from the former in
contact with each other, and the plates m², m³, fitted in the recesses have
their inner edges m², m³, square, and their outer edges m³, m³, bevelled or
inclined abrutly to the bed of the recesses and towards the side of the
machine, and the respective outlines of the square or inner edges m³, m³,
of these plates are the same as the opening q, with which they are set in
line, and the plates m², m³, are secured to the bed of the recesses by
countersunk screws. Each of these plates is of the same and uniform
thickness, which is a little more than the diameter of the wire. The
recess m' in the bed of the machine, upon the right-hand side of the
opening, is made wider than the recess m upon the left-hand side, and
C

page_text: each of the lateral plungers is rounded so as to ride up and down the
bevelled edge me, m', of the plate easily. The upper surface of the
forward part of each of the lateral plungers is beveled or inclined at its
inner end both from side to side and lengthwise, so as to correspond
respectively with the inclination of the inclined plane ¹¹ set on the bed,
and with the depression p¹ in the bed, and so that when the plungers
n, o, p, r, are bending the wire round the former their inner ends may be
supported at their upper surfaces by the beveled faces k, k³, of the
former. Accordingly the upper surface of the inner end of the first of
the lateral plungers n on the left-hand side of the former is beveled
downwards from the front to the rear side and upwards from the inner
end, and the corresponding surface of the second lateral plunger p next
to it is beveled still more in both directions to allow the left-hand arm of
the wire to be sprung down as it is swept up the former by the front
plunger p, while the corresponding surface of the first lateral plunger on
the right-hand side of the former is beveled upwards from the front to
the rear side and downwards from the inner end, and the corresponding
surface of the second lateral plunger next to it is beveled still more in
both directions to allow the right-hand arm of the wire to be sprung up
as it is swept up to the former by the front plunger h.
The inner ends of the lateral plungers n, o, p, r, are made to conform
respectively with the projections,, on the face of the former k,
against which they bend the wire and are provided with grooves which
fit the wire and are inclined so as to correspond with the upward and
downward direction of the respective arms of the wire. Two of the
lateral plungers p, r, not only finish the middle bend in the respective
arms of the snap hook commenced by the other lateral plungers n, o, but
also carry the arms across each other, the upper or right-hand arm over
the lower arm, and the lower or left-hand arm under the upper arm, and
bend them against dies, stops, or abutments k", p¹¹, u³, r¹², so that when
the motion of these plungers is ended, the two arms are crossed and bent
nearly straight and parallel to each other.
The inner ends of the lateral plungers p, r, which cross the arms of
the wire, are respectively provided with fingers p', r', at their upper
edges on the side nearest to the back plunger v, which may be formed
by elongating the end of each of the plungers p, r, at that place, and
the plungers bend the wire by means of these fingers or elongated ends.
2

page_text: pass
over
The groove in the end of each of these plungers is continuous, extending
from one side of the plunger to the other. The projecting end of the
plunger which moves the upper wire has a recess beneath the finger r",
groove to
so as to allow the finger with the upper wire in its
the lower wire in the groove of the plunger p, which moves it and the
lower wire in the groove of the finger p7 of the plunger p which moves
it to pass under the finger in the crossing of the two arms of the wire,
and the thickness of this finger p³, ³, is sufficient to allow the grooves to
be made in it, though but little more than the diameter of the wire.
The under surface of the finger " at the rear edge and the recess below
this finger, are made concave so as to fit the wire and afford a seat for
the lower wire, while the vertical plunger t is making the upward
bend we in it, and the upper surface of the finger p' of the plunger p
which moves the lower wire at its rear edge is made concave so as to fit
the wire and afford a seat for the upper wire, while the vertical plunger
is making its downward bend to in it. The upper surfaces of these
plungers are partly guided by caps n', o', one on each side of the
opening q, covering them back of their joints, and secured to the bed of
the machine by tap bolts, which also pass on the side of the recess
nearest to the front of the machine through the guides 70, 7, and secure
these guides to the upper surface of the caps n', o'. The two arms of
the wire cross each other directly behind the rear projection /³ on the
face of the former, and between the inner end of the upright standard u*
which supports the head of the mandrel, and the depression " at the
left-hand side of the slot 10 in the back of the former. The first two
lateral plungers n, o, commence to move forwards just before the front
plunger h completes its forward motion, and make the inward bends w³, w³,
in the respective arms of the wire completing the loop w°, and partially
forming the middle outward bends wº, 2010, in the arms, and they remain
in contact with the arms and preserve the form in which they have bent
them, while the other lateral plungers and the vertical and back plungers
are acting on the wire, and they commence to move backwards just
before the forward motion of the back plunger is completed. The
form in which the arms of the wire is bent by these lateral plungers is
shewn in Figure 5 of the Drawings. The second lateral plungers p, r,
commence to move forward just before the forward motion of the other
lateral plungers is finished, and they meet the wire just after the inward
bends are made in the arms of the wire, and complete the outward
bends wo, 2010, in the arms of the wire and carry the arms across each

page_text: other, the elevated or right-hand arm above and across the depressed or
left-hand arm, and the lower arm below and across the upper, and bend
the arms against their respective abutments, first causing the ends of the
wire to move into the opening q' in the bed and against the back 1
of the inclined plane ¹¹, and the under surface of the cap v₁ of the
rear plunger at the left-band side p" of the slot in the cap, as the
forward motion of these lateral plungers continues, the arms of the wire
are moved across each other and diagonally against the end ue of the
standard u which supports the head of the mandrel, and the left-hand
side of the depression in the face of the former, and angular bends are
made in the arms near the point where they have crossed each other, so
that the arms lie straight as shewn at 2018, 21, with their planes nearly
parallel to each other, and extend into the square opening q' in the
bed a.
These lateral plungers remain in contact with the wire while the
vertical and back plungers are acting on the wire, and commence to
move backwards at the same time with the back plunger. The form in
which the wire is left by the action of these lateral plungers unan it is
other, the elevated or right-hand arm above and across the depressed or
left-hand arm, and the lower arm below and across the upper, and bend
the arms against their respective abutments, first causing the ends of the
wire to move into the opening q' in the bed and against the back r
of the inclined plane 7", and the under surface of the cap v₁ of the
rear plunger at the left-band side p" of the slot v in the cap, as the
forward motion of these lateral plungers continues, the arms of the wire
are moved across each other and diagonally against the end u of the
standard u which supports the head of the mandrel, and the left-hand
side of the depression in the face of the former, and angular bends are
made in the arms near the point where they have crossed each other, so
that the arms lie straight as shewn at 2013, 2014, with their planes nearly
parallel to each other, and extend into the square opening q' in the
bed a.
These lateral plungers remain in contact with the wire while the
vertical and back plungers are acting on the wire, and commence to
move backwards at the same time with the back plunger. The form in
which the wire is left by the action of these lateral plungers upon it is
shown in Figure 5.
There are two vertical plungers or bending dies s, t, which move
simultaneously, and at the same rate of motion, and one of which, 8,
moves downwards in the square opening q¹ in the bed, and the slot k¹e in
the back of the former, and the slot 1 in the cap of the rear plunger,
and the other, t, upwards in the square opening q', and in the slot 12 in
the
cap,
to make their bends in the respective arms of the wire, and they
partially form the hooks and bend the straight remaining portions 2017, 2018,
of the arms nearly at right angles with the bed of the machine. These
vertical plungers form a semicircular bend 2015, 2018, in each of the arms of
the wire, so that the two bends, if in the same plane, would make a nearly
true circle. Both of these plungers are exactly alike at their inner ends
where the hold and bend the wire, so that when their ends are brought
together, as in the machine where one ascends and the other descends at
the same time, and in such direction that their ends meet exactly, they
fit into each other. Each of these plungers is recessed on both sides at
its inner end so as to form two dies 81, 82, 83, 84, t¹, t², t³, t, on each side,
one of which is a male die 82, 83, t¹, ³, and the other a female die 8², '&',
t2, t, and the plungers are so adjusted in the machine that upon their
ends coming together each male die of one of the plungers is in the
female die which is on the reverse side of the same male die of the other

page_text: plunger. One of the male dies 8¹, f, of each of these plungers bends an
arm of the wire against its female die ", s, in the other plunger, and
forms the semicircular bend 2015, 16, in it, and at the same time the
other male die 8³, to, of the latter plunger bends the same arm against
its female die ³, 83, in the former plunger, and causes the arms 2017, 2018, to
stand nearly at right angles to the plane of the loop w, of the snap hook.
The male die 83, 3, which forms this nearly perpendicular bend in the
straight arm is longer than the male die 8', t¹, which forms the semi-
circular bend sufficiently to meet the end of the wire w¹3, 2014, before the
shorter male die t', 8', of the other plunger meets it and commences to
make its semicircular bend in it, so that the respective arms of the wire
are supported while the semicircular bends are made in them by the
lateral plungers near the crossing of the arms, and by these longer male
dies ³, t, near the ends of the arms, and are prevented from being
sprung down or up and sideways in the opening q', in the bed by the
male dies s¹, t', of the descending or ascending plungers which form the
semicircular bends in the arms.
The male die 8¹, A, of each of these plungers which form the semi-
circular bend in the wire is of a round form, and the other sido die 8³, 1³,
is of an elliptical, and the female dies 8, 83, t, t, are concave and
made to conform respectively to their male dies. Both the concave and
convex ends or bending surfaces of the dies are grooved with round
grooves to fit the wire, and afford a seat for it in making their respective
bends in the wire. Each of these vertical plungers s, t, is of a thickness
a little more than the two diameters of the arms of the wire which are
bent in them. These vertical plungers commence to move the ascending
plunger upwards, and the descending plunger s downwards, as soon as
the two lateral plungers p, r, which cross the arms of the wire have
ceased to move forwards, and the ascending plunger t bends the lower
arm u¹ of the wire upwards against the descending plunger s, and the
under surface of the projecting part of the lateral plunger which
moves the upper arm of the wire and forms the semicircular bends w¹ in
the lower arm, and at the same time the remaining straight portion w¹8
of the lower arm is bent downwards and nearly at right angles to the
plane of the bed of the machine; and the descending plungers bends
the upper arm w¹ of the wire downwards against the ascending plunger t
and the upper surface of the projecting part pr of the lateral plunger p
which moves the lower arm of the wire and forms a semicircular

page_text: bend to¹³ in the upper arm, and at the same time the remaining straight
portion 107 of the upper arm is bent upwards and nearly at right angles
to the bed of the machine; and these plungers move back again, the
ascending plunger t downwards, and the descending plunger & upwards,
immediately after making their respective bends in each arm of the
wire.
The form in which the wire is left after these vertical plungers have
made their bends in it is shown in Figure 6. The descending plunger &
is secured to its levers by tap bolts so, but the ascending plunger t
extends below its connection to, t, with its lever to and is pivoted to its
lever, and this lower part has a stud in its side near its end which
engages in an angular slot in a bar t secured to the frame 6 of the
machine, and by this means the grooved end of the ascending plunger t,
after it has moved downwards and out of the opening q' in the bed of the
machine, is further moved towards the rear of the machine by the
movement of the stud towards the front of the machine in the
slot, so as to be out of the way of the finished snap hook when it
drops from the machine. This slot in the bar is straight for a portion
of its length, in which the stud to of the lower part of the plunger
moves downwards in the downward motion of the plunger, and the
direction of the remainder of the slot is towards the front of the machine,
and the stud to moves in this latter portion of the slot during the
remainder of the downward motion of the lever of the ascending plunger,
and swings the grooved end of the plunger towards the back of the
machine.
The vertical plungers are slotted, where they are secured to their
levers, the upper plunger by tap bolts 86, and the lower by a pin to
through slots in the lever and plunger, and they are thus rendered
adjustable, and they are set in the machine in such position that both
move in making the semicircular bends in the wire past the central line
running through the centre of the hooks of the finished snap hook, and
the point of crossing of the arms, and move to exactly the same distance
beyond said central line, so that the two hooks of the finished snap hook
are exactly concentric with each other.
The mandrel u fits in the recess m' in the bed on the right-hand side
of the opening q' in the bed between the upright standard u* in the
plate m³ set in the recess and the side m¹ of the recess, and it moves on

page_text: cap
the bed of the recess and the plate m³ set in the bed, in its upper
surface is flush with the bed, except at its inner end, and is guided by
the side m of the recess, and the plunger next to it, and by the
o' which covers it, as well as the plungers o, ?, on the same side of
the opening 7. The inner end 4 of the mandrel is raised and rounded
sufficiently to fit the semicircular bends 2010, 2010, in the arms of the wire,
and bring the centre of the round end of the mandrel into said central
line of the finished snap hook, and its inner end is also tapered slightly
so as to pass readily into and through the semicircular bends in the
arms of the wire. The under surface of the mandrel at its inner end
is recessed, so as to allow the mandrel to pass over the plate set in the
bed of the recess. The square head u¹ (see Fig. 1) next to the round
portion of the inner end of the mandrel is supported by the upright
standard in the plate m³ set in the recess m', and the tapering end of
the round mandrel u fits into the cavity mo made in the upper surface
of the steel piece m³ set opposite to the mandrel in the recess m. The
round mandrel u and its squaro head u¹ are also supported by the lower
edge of the back k' of the former on the right-hand side of the slot 410
in the former, and the mandrel is thus held firmly while the back
plunger is completing the bending of the hooks round it. The mandrel
is drawn back out of the way of the arms of the wire as they are swept
over the bed of the machine in making the first bend in the wire, and
commences to move forwards while the vertical plungers s, t, are moving
away from the wire and passes through the semicircular bends 2015, 2016,
after the vertical plungers have moved away from them, and remains
within the semicircular bends until the back plunger has bent the
.hooks round it, and commenced its backward motion, when the mandrel
moves backwards and leaves the finished snap hook free to drop from
the machine.
The rear plunger is made in two parts v, v¹, united by countersunk
screws, so that the forward part o may be readily removed and another
substituted for it of the same or different size. The inner end v² of the
forward part is forked, so as to leave a vertical circular opening for
Th
T
11 of the

page_text: each other.
The shorter dies v³, v³, in each side of the opening bend the
straight portions 2017, 2018, of the arms of the wire round the mandrel and
complete the hooks. The longer dies v', ', in each side of the opening
meet the semicircular bends w015, 2018, formed by the vertical plungers
before the shorter dies meet the straight portions of the arms and
support the semicircular bends, while the straight portions of the same
arm are bent round the mandrel, and thus prevent the semicircular
portions from being bent up or down, and out of the circular form,
while the straight portions of the arms are bent round to complete the
hooks. The rear part v of the back plunger is square, and the fore part
of it is also square for a short distance from the connection between the
two, but the remaining portion v² to the inner end of the plunger is
flattened, so as to bring the flat portion in a vertical position in tho
machine. The width of this flat portion is a little more than the
diameter of the hooks in the finished snap hook, and its thickness is a
little more than two diameters of the wire, and the dies in each side of
the opening are made with continuous grooves in them, fitting the wire
so that they partly encircle the two hooks in completing the bending of
the hooks.
The back plunger is fitted in two right angled grooves v³, v¹, one v³
made in the bed of the machine, and the other in the cap which
covers the back plunger which serve as guides and supports for the
plunger in its forward and backward motion, and the plunger is set
cornerwise in these grooves, and its vertical end moves in the square
opening formed in the bed of the machine and in the cap of the back
plunger. The back plunger v commences to move forward as soon as
the forward motion of the mandrel is ended, and the longer end v² of
the upper part of the opening meets the semicircular bend in the
lower arm of the wire and supports it, while the shorter end ³ of the
lower part of the opening on the same side of the vertical portion o³ of
the back plunger is bending the straight portion 2018 of the same arm
round the mandrel u to complete the hook in it, and the longer end o³
of the lower part of the opening meets the semicircular bend w¹³ in the
upper arm of the wire and supports it while the shorter end of the
upper part of the opening on the same side of the vertical portion o³ of
the back plunger is bending the straight portion 107 of the upper arm
round the mandrel and completes the hook in the upper arm, and the
back plunger commences to move backwards as soon as the two hooks

page_text: its two guides. The right-hand side of the double cam has the groove
upon its right-hand side and actuates the crank lever 13 of the rear
plunger which has its fulcrum v¹ in the other bracket v secured to the
under side of the bed, and is connected with its plunger by the link v
which is jointed to the rear end of the plunger. Next to the double cam
are placed the cams y³, y, one on each side of it, which actuate the levers
of the verticle plungers s, t, the pin and roller of the lever 8³ of the
upper or descending plunger engage in the groove in the right-hand
side of the cam y which is placed on the left of the middle cam, and
has its fulcrum & in the upright lug &10 formed in the plate which covers
the cap
of the rear plunger, and the pin and roller of the lever t³ of the
lower or ascending plunger passing under the bed engage in the groove
in the left-hand side of the cam y' which is place on the right of the
middle cam. Next in position are placed on each side of the middle
cam the cams y³, y', having the grooves upon their periphery in which
engage the pins and rollers of the levers n¹º, o¹º, p¹³, 14, of the four
lateral plungers, the levers p¹³, 14, of the second lateral plungers p, r,
which carry the arms of the wire across each other are bent, and their
pins are placed behind and near the pins of the levers 2210 01, of the first
lateral plungers n, o; the ends of the two pins are less than an inch
apart, and the front pins are connected with the respective levers n¹º, 010,
of the first lateral plungers, and the back pins with the levers p¹³, pls,
of the second lateral plungers. All of these levers n¹º, o¹º, p¹³, 14, pass
under the bed, and are pivoted on bolts which afford the fulcrums
11, o, p,, of the levers and pass through the plungers and the bed,
and the levers are connected with their respective plungers by links
pivoted to the levers and connected with the respective plungers by
stems formed on the under side of the respective plungers, and passing
through the respective links and moving in slots formed respectively
in the recesses m, m³, in the bed beneath the respective plungers. Thesc
links are shown by dotted lines in Fig. I.
10
The cam y which actuates the lever ¹º of the mandrel is placed on
the right of the middle cam and next to the cam y³, which actuates the
lever o0, 1, of the two lateral plungers o, r, on the right-hand side of
the former, and has the groove upon its periphery. The lever u of
the mandrel is above the bed and pivoted at its fulcrum u¹¹ by a bolt to
bracket, extending from the secured to the rear right-hand corner
of the bed, and is pivoted also at its end to the link us which connects

page_text: 10 13
it with the mandrel, and is pivoted to the upper surface of the mandrel
near its outer end. The cam 78 which actuates the lever d³ of the
moving shear d¹ is placed to the left of the middle cam and next to the
cam y' which actuates the levers 71, p¹³, of the two lateral plungers n, p,
on the left-hand side of the former, and has the groove in its right-hand
side. This lever d³ passes under the bed and is bent at right angles at
its fulcrum d³ (Figure 2), where it is pivoted to the lower part of the
head c of the slide bar. The two remaining cams y¹, y°, placed within
and next to the bearings of the shaft have the grooves in their periphery,
in which engage the pins and rollers of the respective levers i", ", which
actuate the milling spindles j, j³. The right-hand lever
passes under
the bracket u¹ and is pivoted to it at its fulcrum ³ in the front end
of the bracket opposite to the fulcrum of the lever of the mandrel, and
also passes under the outer end of the mandrel. The left-hand lever 217
is pivoted at its fulcrum is to the upper surface of the arm c", which is
secured to the left-hand side of the bed and affords the fulcrum of the
lever of the carrier. The respective studs of the levers 2", ", of the
milling spindles are secured to the upper surfaces, and near the outer
ends of the levers and fit in the rollers in the under part of the grooves
in the respective collars 2¹³, 113. The cam y" which actuates the lever of
the carrier is placed on the left-hand end of the shaft y outside of the
wheel, and has the groove in its periphery. The direction of the
respective grooves in the cams is such as to actuate the respective levers
at the proper time to give the respective movements to the plungers,
shear, carrier and milling spindles.
The coil of wire, of suitable size and quality, is placed upon a reel in
a convenient position to be fed into the machine, but before the wire
enters the channel of the carrier it is gently uncoiled by leading it
between the adjustable rollers c¹ (Fig. 3), which restores it to about the
same state as in the course of its manufacture after it was drawn and
before it was coiled, without straightening it or impairing its elasticity.
The carrier c² commences to move forwards at the same time with the
front plunger h, and finishes its forward motion by the time when the
vertical plungers 8, t, make their return movement, and the backward
motion of the carrier commences as soon as the shears d, d¹, have cut
the wire, and while it is moving backwards the hooks of the snap hook
are finished and the complete snap hook is knocked off of the machine.
During the forward motion of the carrier the roulettes are at rest

page_text: and the most advanced piece of wire is moved out of the notches of the
roulettes and formed into a snap hook, except the completion of the
hooks by the back plunger and the mandrel. Accordingly there are
four pieces of wire in the machine at the same time, except when the
finished hook is knocked off, one of which is just cut, the next in
advance is idle in the notches of the roulettes, the third piece is having
its ends milled, and the fourth is receiving its bends which form it into
a snap hook, and while the front plunger is moving forwards one
piece of wire is in advance of it and passing up to the former and
around it, and the two next behind it are in the notches of the roulettes,
and the carrier is feeding the fourth piece through the notches of the
roulettes.
The machine is automatic in its entire operation, and all of its motions
are positive. After the machine is in full operation at each revolution
of the shaft y upon which the cams are placed a complete snap hook is
delivered from the machine.
The operation of the machine may be as rapid as required, and it
will make twenty-four snap hooks a minute, although it is run at a low
rate of speed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The machine for making the snap hooks and other similar
articles of manufacture of given form, substantially as described.
Second. The former (%), front plunger (h), lateral plungers (n, o,
P, ), vertical plungers (s, t), rear plunger (v), abutments k¹, p¹¹, uª, 71º,
and respective inclination and depression, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described.
Third. The stationary former k, the front plunger h, h¹, the lateral
plungers », o, and the lateral plungers p, r, arranged and operating to
make the loop, the inward bends, and the outward bends successively in
the arms of a piece of wire or other suitable material, substantially as
described.

page_text: Fourth. Forming the snap hooks and other similar articles with the
respective arms elevated and depressed by means of the respective
inclination and depression of the surfaces, which afford scats and guides
for the arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Fifth. Crossing the respective arms of the snap hook and other similar
articles by means of the projecting ends p, r, of the lateral plungers and
their abutments k¹, p¹¹, uº, ¹³, substantially as described.
Sixth. Carrying one of the arms of a bent piece of wire across the
other by means of the moveable die porr and its abutments, substan-
tially as described.
Seventh. Forming the hooks of a snap hook or other similar article by
means of the two lateral plungers p, r, the vertical moveable dies s, t,
the rear plunger v, and the mandrel u, substantially as described.
Eighth. The lateral plungers p, r, and the vertical moveable dies or
plungers 8, t, arranged and operating to make the semicircular bends 1
15, 18, in the two arms of a piece of wire or other suitable material,
substantially as described.
Ninth. The moveable die s or t constructed with two male and two
female dies in its end, substantially as described.
Tenth. The plunger constructed with the two dies v³, 0, v³, v³, at 2
each side of its inner end, substantially as described.
Eleventh. Forming semicircular bends 2015, 2018, into concentric hooks
by means of the movable die acting against the dies formed by the
mandrel and the elongated portions v³, v, of the same movable die,
substantially as described.
Twelfth. The stationary die or former k, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Thirteenth. The respective abutments k, p, u, 12, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
2
Fourteenth. The movable dies or plungers s, t, arranged so that their a
ends act upon each other, substantially as described.
Fifteenth. The movable die constructed in two parts united by a loose
joint or hinge, substantially as described.

page_text: Sixteenth. Moving the ascending plunger out of the way of the
hooks as the finished snap hook or other similar article drops from the
machine by means of the pin to and slot in the arm, substantially as
described.
Seventeenth. The movable die or plunger ", constructed with the
projecting end and the recess in the under side to allow the wire to
pass under it, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Eighteenth. Causing the movable dies to rise and fall in the course of
their backward and forward motion by means of the joints in the dies,
and forming their seats in recesses and plates with beveled edges set in
the recesses, substantially as described.
Nineteenth. The two movable dies n, p, or o, r, actuated by one cam,
the levers of each die engaged in the one groove of the cam, substantially
as described.
Twentieth. The upright guides or gauges 1, 1, for bringing each end
of a piece of wire at the same distance from the central line of the
machine, substantially as described.
Twenty-first. The movable die ' in combination with the roulettes
e, e¹, pusher f, and gripper 9, operated by the movable die h¹, and
arranged substantially as described.
Twenty-second. The roulettes e, e¹, the gripper g, and the milling
mechanism, substantially as described.
Twenty-third. The roulettes e, e¹, supported upon their shaft e³, in
combination with the bed a and the openings therein for the roulettes
e, e', substantially as described.
Twenty-fourth. Rotating the roulettes e, e¹, at the same time with the
movement of the movable die h, h, in opposite direction thereto, by
means of the catch and pin e¹ of the roulette e and the stud of the
standard secured to the same movable die h, h³, substantially as
described.
Twenty-fifth. The roulettes e, e¹, substantially as described.
Twenty-sixth. The milling mechanism for milling the ends of a piece
of wire before it is made into a snap hook or other similar article, sub-
stantially as described.

page_text: Twenty-seventh. The cutter for milling the end of a piece of wire set
in the recess of the milling spindle, substantially as described.
Twenty-eighth. Bringing the cutter which mills the end of a piece of
wire into yielding contact with the end during the milling by means of
the spindle, shoulder spring, and collar, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described.
Twenty-ninth. The gripper g, inclined end g³, and toe 2, substantially
as described.
Thirtieth. The gripper / constructed with grooved prongs, substantially
as described.
Thirty-first. The pusher f, stud 1, and moveable dic 1, ', substantially
as described.
Thirty-second. The pusher f working through the former k and its
hollow shank k³, substantially as described.
Thirty-third. The combination of the slide bar c, carrier c², clamp c³,
with the shears d, d¹, and roulettes e, e, all arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.