IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC LINES FOR SUSPENDING PICTURES AND WINDOW SASHES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAID METALLIC LINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hookham, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Screw Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METALLIC LINES FOR SUSPENDING PICTURES AND WINDOW SASHES AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE
SAID METALLIC LINES."
Sealed the 1st September 1876, and dated the 24th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hookham at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March 1876.
GEORGE HOOкПAм, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Screw Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC LINES FOR SUSPENDING PICTURES AND
WINDOW SASHES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF THE SAID METALLIC LINES."
My improvements in metallic lines for suspending pictures and window sashes
and for other like purposes consist in constructing the said lines of steel wire
covered with a binding of copper or brass wire and having in addition a binding of
cotton or other thread impregnated with wax or other waterproof material. The
said binding of waxed thread is coiled upon the steel wire forming the core of the
line at the same time as the copper or brass wire, and fills up, or nearly fills up the
space between the coils of the copper or brass wire and the steel wire. The said
waxed thread protects the steel from the action of moisture, especially at any part
or parts of the line which may be bent. At such places the coils of the copper or
brass wire separate on the convex side of the curve or bend, and but for the under
coating of waxed thread the steel at these parts would be exposed.
In place of steel wire for the core iron wire may be substituted, and metals and
alloys other than copper and brass may be employed for the covering wire.
Threads of other fibrous material may be substituted for the cotton threads
described.
My improvements in machinery for the manufacture of the said metallic lines are
as follows:-I mount a hollow spindle or axis in bearings similar to the bearings
of a lathe head, and on the rear end of the said hollow spindle I mount a fly wheel.
On that part of the spindle between the bearings I mount the required driving
pulley, which may be rapidly thrown into and out of gear with the spindle by

page_text: means of a spring clutch. On the front part of the hollow spindle is a loose reel
containing the copper or other wire with which the steel wire is to be covered, and
in advance of the said reel and near the extreme end of the hollow spindle is a disc
capable of sliding on and rotating with the spindle. A bow spring between the
said disc and reel is made to press upon the reel with the pressure required to
produce the desired tension in the copper wire by adjusting the said disc on the
spindle at a point nearer to or further from the reel. In front of the rotating hollow
spindle, and at a short distance therefrom, and in a line therewith, is a fixed tube
carried by a support on the bed of the machine, and on that end of the said fixed
tube opposed to the end of the rotating spindle is a cap capable of turning on the
said fixed tube. This cap carries an eyelet through which the thread is guided to
the steel wire. The steel wire to be covered passes through a hole in the said cap
and the covering both of copper wire and waxed thread is effected on that portion
of the steel wire emerging from the said cap. The disc on the end of the hollow
spindle carries on its front the reel of waxed thread and also the guide wheels by
which the copper wire from the loose reel is conducted to the steel wire. The said
disc also carries a rod which engages with a radial rod on the cap on the fixed tube,
and thereby communicates to the said cap a rotatory motion.
The said rotating
cap terminates in a wedge-shaped incline, the summit of which when the machine
is in work bears against the shoulder formed upon the steel wire by the coiled
copper wire. By the coiling of the copper wire this shoulder is constantly advancing
on the steel wire, but as the rotating incline preserves the same vertical plane the
covered wire is made to retire by the pressure of the said incline on the advancing
shoulder of the coil.
In starting the machine the steel wire is passed first through the fixed tube and
its cap, and then through the hollow spindle. The ends of the copper wire and
waxed thread respectively are attached to the steel wire near the cap of the fixed
tube. Rotatory motion being given through the gearing to the hollow spindle the
copper wire and waxed thread are coiled upon the steel wire, the latter being
advanced as it is covered by the action of the incline on the rotating cap of the fixed
tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hookham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
September 1870.
GEORGE HOOKHAM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Screw Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC LINES FOR SUSPENDING PICTURES AND
WINDOW SASHES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF THE SAID METALLIC LINES."
My improvements in metallic lines for suspending pictures and window sashes,
and for other like purposes, consists in constructing the said lines of steel wire
covered with a binding of copper or brass wire, and having in addition a binding
of cotton or other thread impregnated with wax or other waterproof material.
The said binding of waxed thread is coiled upon the steel wire forming the core of
the line at the same time as the copper or brass wire, and fills up or nearly fills up
the space between the coils of the copper or brass wire and the steel wire. The
said waxed thread protects the steel from the action of inoisture, especially at any
part or parts of the line which may be bent. At such places the coils of the
copper or brass wire separate on the convex side of the curve or bend, and
but for the undercoating of waxed thread the steel at these parts would be
exposed.
In place of steel wire for the core iron wire may be substituted, and metals and
alloys other than copper and brass may be employed for the covering wire.
Threads of other fibrous material may be substituted for the cotton threads
described.

page_text: My improvements in machinery for the manufacture of the said metallic lines
are as follows-I mount a hollow spindle or axis in bearings, similar to the bearings
of a lathe head, and on the rear end of the said hollow spindle I mount a fly wheel;
on that part of the spindle between the bearings I mount the required driving
pulley which may be rapidly thrown into and out of gear with the spindle by
means of a spring clutch. On the front part of the hollow spindle is a loose reol
containing the copper or other wire with which the steel wire is to be covered, and in
advance of the said reel, and near the extreine end of the hollow spindle is a disc
capable of sliding on and rotating with the spindle. A bow spring between the
said dise and reel is made to press upon the reel with the pressure required to
produce the desired tension in the copper wire, by adjusting the said disc on the
spindle at a point nearer to or further from the reel. At the front of the rotating
hollow spindle a tube is fixed provided with a cap or second tube; this cap carries
eyelets through which the wire and thread are guided to the steel wire. The steel
wire to be covered passes through a hole in a nozzle fixed in the tube described,
and the covering both of copper wire and waxed thread is effected on that portion of
the steel wire emerging from the said nozzle. The disc on the end of the hollow
spindle carries on its front the reel of waxed thread, and also the guide wheels by
which the copper wire from the loose reel is conducted to the steel wire. The
rotating nozzle terminates in a tapering or conical end, a cam like nose on which,
when the machine is in work, bears against the shoulder formed upon the steel wire
by the coiled copper wire. By the coiling of the copper wire this shoulder is con-
stantly advancing on the steel wire, but as the rotating cam-like end of the nozzlo
preserves the same vertical plane the covered wire is made to retire by the
pressure of the said cam-like end on the advancing shoulder of the coil.
In starting the machine the steel wire is passed through the spindle and tube and
nozzle described. The ends of the copper wire and waxed thread respectively are
attached to the steel wire near the nozzle of the tube; rotatory motion being given
through the gearing to the hollow spindle, the copper wire and waxed thread are
coiled upon the steel wire, the latter being advanced as it is covered by the action
of the cam-like end of the rotating nozzle of the tube.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section and end elevation drawn to a large
scale a piece of metallic line made according to my Invention. In the said Figure 1
a represents the central steel wire or core of the line; b the copper or brass binding
or covering; and c the binding or covering of waxed thread or other waterproofing
material. The bindings of copper and waxed thread b, c, are simultaneously coiled
upon the central core a, the coils of wax threads alternating with the threads of
copper or brass b as represented. By an examination of the Drawing it will be
seen that the coils of waxed threads c fill up or nearly fill up the space between
the coils of copper or brass.b, the said coils of waxed threads protecting the steel
wire or core a from the action of moisture. I prefer to employ covering wire of
about the same diameter as that of the steel wire or core, but I do not limit myself
to any particular proportions.
Figure 2 represents in side elevation; Figure 3, in plan; and Figure 4, in end
clevation, a machine constructed according to my Invention, for the inanufacture
of the metallic line represented in Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a part of the machine; and Figure G
is a detached portion of Figure 5 drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6;
is the hollow rotating spindle or axis of the machine through which the steel
wire or core a is passed, upon which the bindings of copper or brass and waxed
thread are to be coiled. The said hollow spindle & turns in the bearings e, e, and
has a fly wheel d² at its rear end; f, f, are loose driving pulleys on the hollow
spindle d. The motion of the pulley is transmitted to the fast pulley on the
hollow spindle d by a spring clutch in the following manner:-The said spring

page_text: clutch consists of two semicircular clips of wood marked i, i, pressed forcibly around
the fast pulley by the strong flat coiled spring, the ends of which are connected
together by the hook at 7. On the pulley f is a driver f³, which is situated between
the cutaway ends of the semicircular clips i, i. On the rotation of the loose
pulley fits motion is transmitted through the driver f³ to the spring clutch or
clips i, i, and frictionally from the said spring clutch to the fast pulley h. By
means of the said spring clutch the motion of the driving pulley f is transmitted
to the hollow shaft d gradually and very smoothly. The motion of the hollow
shaft d, d, is arrested by shifting the driving band from the loose pulley f to the
loose pulley f; m is the loose reel near the front end of the hollow spindle carrying
the copper or brass wire, and fixed to and turning with the hollow spindle d is a
disc n, which disc is capable of a slight sliding motion on the spindle. Between
the loose recl m and disc n is a bow spring m² for putting the required tension on
the reel m.
The pressure of the bow spring m² is regulated by adjusting the disc n
nearer to or further from the reel m by the screw nut at n. The disc n carries
at its front the reel p of waxed thread, and the guide m³ and guide wheels m², m³,
by which the copper or brass wire is conducted to the steel core or wire u.
the front end of the spindle da tube q is fixed by a set screw q, and to the said
tube a cap is fixed, the said cap having eyelet holes in it through which the
copper wire band waxed thread care guided to the steel wire a. At the extreme
end of the tube q and coincident with the axis of the hollow spindle d is a nozzle 8,
inade in halves and connected together and to the tube g by a screw (see Figure 5).
The steel wire a to be covered passes through a hole in this nozzle, and the covering
both of copper wire and waxed thread is effected on that part of the steel wire a
emerging from the said nozzle s. The construction of the nozzle s is best seen in
the enlarged views, Figure 6. Its protruding end is tapering or conical, a shoulder s
being formed on one of the halves of the tapering or conical end. The nose or
extreme end markeds of the nozzle has the function of a cam for advancing the
wire.
On
The steel wire or core a to be covered is fed through the hollow spindle & and
nozzle 8, and by the rotation of the said spindle the disc n, tube y, cap 7, and
nozzle 8, 8, 8, are rapidly rotated, and the copper wire band waxed thread c are
coiled upon the wire or core a. Before starting the machine the ends of the copper
wire and waxed threads respectively are attached to the steel wire a near the
nozzle 8. By the action of the machine the copper wire band waxed thread c pass
over the cam-like nose 3 of the rotating nozzle, and over the wire a on the
shoulder 8 of the said nozzle. As each coil is formed on the wire a the said coil
is made to advance by the action of the rotating cam-like nose 83 of the nozzle upon
the coil. It will be understood that by the coiling of the copper wire ba shoulder
is constantly advancing on the steel wire or core a, but as the rotating nose or
cam of the nozzle preserves the same vertical plane the covered wire is made
to retire by the pressure of the said nose or cam on the advancing shoulder of the
wire.
Although in describing the machine I have referred to the core as being made of
steel, the covering wire as being made of copper or brass, and the protecting
covering as being made of waxed thread, yet the said parts may be made of the
other metals and materials herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
First. The improvements in metallic lines for suspending pictures and window
sashes and for other like purposes herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the said metallic lines of a core of
steel or iron wire, covered with a wire binding of copper or brass, or other metal 5
or alloy, in conjunction with a binding of waxed thread or other waterproof
thread, substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Secondly. The construction and combination of the parts of machinery, herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, for the manufacture
of the metallic line claimed in the preceding claim.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hookham, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE HOOKHAM. (L.S.)