IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS." FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Fenton, of Redditch, in the County of
Worcester, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS."
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS."
Sealed the 6th April 1866, and dated the 17th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Fenton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
October 1865.
I, ALBERT FENTON, of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOкs," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a machine constructed essentially in the
manner herein-after explained for pointing and barbing fish hooks previous
to the bending process by which the said fish hooks are finished. The wire
to be made into fish hooks is straightened and fed to the knives or cutters by
which the cutting off, pointing, and barbing of the wire are effected by means
of a feeder consisting of a horizontal slide situated in the axis of the machine,
the said slide having a reciprocating or backward and forward motion. At
the front of the machine is a series of pegs, between which the wire is
straightened while being fed. The end of the feeding slide carries a pressure
plate which is capable of a rising and falling vertical motion. On the
advance of the slide or feeder the said pressure plate is pressed upon the wire,
and the wire is fed forward to the cutters. On the retiring motion of the

page_text: slide the pressure plate is raised, and the wire remains stationary during the
retiring of the said slide. The wire is fed through a plate or fixed cutter at
the end of the machine. On one side of the said plate or fixed cutter another
fixed cutter is situated, and opposite the last-mentioned fixed cutter is a
moveable knife or cutter, the said moveable cutter having a motion at right
angles to the axis of the machine. On the advance of the said moveable
cutter the wire fed between the cutters is cut off from the previously pointed
and barbed wire against the plate or fixed cutter through which the wire is
fed, and the end of the wire is at the same time pointed against the fixed
cutter situated opposite the moveable cutter. While the pointed wire is held
between the fixed and moveable cutters the barbing knife or cutter situated
and working under and in a line with the wire fed into the machine advances
and makes the barb or inclined cut in one side of the wire. The barbing
knife or cutter is carried in a slide or holder, the bed of which slide or holder
is inclined, so that on the advance of the said slide the knife or cutter rises
obliquely and gives the required cut or barb to the wire. By the action of
the cutters described the end of the wire is pointed and barbed. The pointing
and barbing knives or cutters retire, and another length of wire is advanced
by the feeder or slide to the cutters. By the advance of the wire the pointed
and barbed end passes through the plate or fixed cutter at the end of the
machine, and the said wire is cut off from that about to be pointed and barbed
by the advance of the pointing cutter, and the operations already described
are repeated. The pointed and barbed wires are bent into fish hooks, and
thereby finished by the machine, herein-after described, constituting the second
part of my Invention.
The motions of the several parts of the machine are derived from two hori-
zontal parallel shafts geared to the driving shaft. The reciprocating motion
of the feeder or slide is effected by means of a connecting rod and crank, the
throw of the connecting rod being capable of adjustment to feed different
lengths of wire at pleasure. The motion of the pressure plate by means of
which the wire is fed on the advance of the slide and liberated on the retiring
of the slide is effected by a cam and connecting rod. The motion of the
moveable cutter for cutting off and pointing the wire is effected by a lever
acted upon by a cam on one of the shafts of the machine, and the motion of
the barbing knife or cutter is effected by means of connecting rods on either
side the machine receiving motion from excentrics on one of the shafts of the
machine.
My Invention consists, secondly, of a machine, constructed in the manner
herein-after explained for bending or "curb bending" the partially made

page_text: fish hooks or pointed and barbed wires made by the machine first described.
The said bending or "curb bending" consists in bending that end of the wire
which has been pointed and barbed into a nearly semicircular figure, and also
bending the said nearly semicircular part somewhat out of the plane of the
unbent part. The machine by which I effect the bending or "curb bending"
of the fish hooks consists of an upright or standard, to the bottom of which
a bed plate is fixed. The said standard is hollow, and in the hollow thereof
a vertical axis or shaft works. The said shaft bas a bent handle or lever at
its top end and a pinion on its bottom end. This pinion gears with a toothed
wheel under the bed of the machine, the said toothed wheel giving motion to
a block or moveable bed working on the fixed bed of the machine. The said
moveable bed carries a rod or cylinder of the diameter which the bend of the
hook is to have. The said rod or cylinder constitutes the moveable bending
tool of the machine. Opposite the moveable bending tool is a block fixed on
the standard or upright described. The said block constitutes the fixed
bending tool of the machine. In the moveable bending tool and in one side
thereof a recess or opening is made, one of the vertical edges of the said
opening being bevelled. In bending the pointed and barbed wires into fish
hooks a series of the said wires are fixed in the moveable bending tool by the
engagement of the barb of the wires with the bevilled edge of the recess in
the said tool. By turning the handle at the top of the vertical shaft rotatory
motion may be transmitted through the pinion and toothed wheel described to
the moveable bending tool. By the partial rotation of the said bending tool
the wires fixed therein are carried against the fixed bending tool, and the
ends of the said wires bent around and made to take the figure of the said
moveable bending tool. The horizontal sides of the recess in the moveable
bending tool are curved of such a figure that on the bending of the ends of
the wires around the said tool the bent part is twisted somewhat out of the
plane of the other part. The wires are thus bent or "curb bent" into fish
hooks.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Albert Fenton, Her special licence that I, the said Albert
Fenton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Albert Fenton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISH HOOKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Albert Fenton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert Fenton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a machine constructed essentially in the
manner herein-after explained for pointing and barbing fish hooks previous to
the bending process by which the said fish hooks are finished. The wire to
be made into fish hooks is straightened and fed to the knives or cutters by
which the cutting off, pointing, and barbing of the wire are effected by means
of a feeder consisting of a horizontal slide situated in the axis of the machine,
the said slide having a reciprocating or backward and forward motion. At
the front of the machine is a guide, in which the wire is straightened while
being fed. The end of the feeding slide carries
pressure plate which is
capable of a rising and falling vertical motion. On the advance of the slide
or feeder the said pressure plate is pressed upon the wire, aud the wire is fed
forward to the cutters. On the retiring motion of the slide the pressure plate
is raised, and the wire remains stationary during the retiring of the said slide.
The wire is fed through a plate or fixed cutter at the end of the machine.
On one side of the said plate or fixed cutter another fixed cutter is situated,
and opposite the last-mentioned fixed cutter is a moveable knife or cutter, the

page_text: said moveable cutter having a motion at right angles to the axis of the
machine. On the advance of the said moveable cutter the wire fed between
the cutters is cut off from the previously pointed and barbed length of wire
against the plate or fixed cutter through which the wire is fed, and the end of
the wire is at the same time pointed against the fixed cutter situated opposite
the moveable cutter. While the pointed wire is held between the fixed and
moveable cutters the barbing knife or cutter situated and working over and
in a line with the wire fed into the machine advances and makes the barb or
inclined cut in one side of the wire. The barbing knife or cutter is carried
in a slide or holder, the bed of which slide or holder is inclined, so that on the
advance of the said slide the knife or cutter descends obliquely and gives the
required cut or barb to the wire. By the action of the cutters described the
end of the wire is pointed and barbed. The pointing and barbing knives or
cutters retire and another length of wire is advanced by the feeder or slide to
the cutters. By the advance of the wire the pointed and barbed end passes
through the machine, and the said wire is cut off from that about to be
pointed and barbed by the advance of the pointing cutter, and the operations
already described are repeated. The pointed and barbed wires may be bent
into fish hooks, and thereby finished by the machine, herein-after described,
constituting the second part of my Invention, or by any other convenient
means.
The motions of the several parts of the machine are derived from two
horizontal parallel shafts geared to the driving shaft; the reciprocating motion
of the feeder or slide is effected by means of a connecting rod and crank, the
throw of the connecting rod being capable of adjustment to feed different
lengths of wire at pleasure. The motion of the pressure plate by means of
which the wire is fed on the advance of the slide and liberated on the retiring
of the slide is effected by a cam and connecting rod, or by a wedge. The
motion of the moveable cutter or cutters is effected by a lever or levers acted
upon by cams on one of the shafts of the machine, and the motion of the
barbing knife or cutter is effected by means of connecting rods on either side
the machine receiving motion from eccentrics on one of the shafts of the
machine.
Having explained the nature of the first part of my Invention, I will
proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent a machine constructed according to my
Invention for barbing and cutting off or for barbing, cutting off, and pointing
lengths of wire to be afterwards bent into fish hooks. Figure 1 being a side

page_text: elevation of the machine; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, a longitudinal
vertical section. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1,
2, and 3.
The wire a to be made into fish hooks is fed to the knives or cutters of the
machine by means of a horizontal slide marked 6 sliding on the bed c. The
said slide has a reciprocating motion given to it in the manner herein-after
explained. The slide 6 carries a tube d, by means of which the wire is guided
to the knives or cutters. The wire a is straightened before it enters the guide.
d by means of rollers or pegs fixed at the back of the machine; the said slide
b also carries a pressure plate, consisting of a lever e for gripping the wire
and carrying it forward on the advance of the slide b. The acting part of the
pressure plate or lever e consists of a block f, which is capable of being raised
or lowered in the lever to accommodate different thicknesses of wire to be
made into fish hooks. The pressure plate or levere of the slide is made to
grip the wire a between its end f and the bottom of the said slide on the
advance of the slide, and the said end f removed therefrom on the retiring of
the slide in the following way: On the front of the feeding slide b is a wedge
g connected by pins on the slide working in slots in the wedge (see the plan
Figure 2). The wedge is thereby capable of a limited motion in either
direction upon the slide. On either side of the wedge is a short arm or pro-
jection h, h, (see Figure 2). On the bed of the machine and on either side
the slide 6 is a fixed rail or bar i, having adjustable pegs k, l, upon it, When
the slide 6 is in the position represented in the Drawing, the wedge g has been
moved under the free end of the pressure plate or lever e,, so as to make its
opposite end grip the wire a. On the slide 6 making its advance motion, the
wire a is carried forward to the barbing knife m and cutters n, n. The slide
b having fed forward the required length of wire, the projecting arms h, h, of
the wedge g strike against tho pegs k, k, and the said wedge is thereby moved
from under the end of the lever e; the opposite end of the said lever is now raised
by the coiled spring p, and the pressure plate or lever removed from the wire.
The slide now makes its return motion, the wire remaining stationary. When
the slide has nearly completed its return stroke, the arms.h, h, of the wedge
9 strike against the pegs 1, and the said wedge is again moved under the
end of the pressure plate or lever e, so as to cause its block f to press upon and
grip the wire ready to be carried forward on the advance of the slide b. The
pegs k, l, for operating the wedge 9 are capable of adjustment on the bars i
so as to cause the slide 6 to feed different lengths of wire to the cutters,
according to the size of the fish hooks to be made. The barbing knife or
cutter m by which the barb or inclined cut is made in the wire is situated

page_text: immediately over the wire. The said barbing knife is carried by a slide or
holder 9; the said slide or holder working in inclined beds r, r, (see Figures
1 and 3). The cutters n, n, by which the length of wire last fed into the
machine is cut off from that which has been previously barbed are situated on
either side of the machine, and move in opposite directions. The barbing
The
knife m and cutters n, n, operate simultaneously upon the wire.
reciprocating motion of the feeding slide 6 is effected by the connecting rods,
worked from the crank t on the horizontal shaft u. The reciprocating motion
of the barbing knife m is effected by the excentrics v, v, and excentric rods
w, w, the said excentrics being situated on the horizontal shaft x. The advance
motion of the cutters n, n is effected by the levers y, y, the longer arms of
which are acted upon by the cams 2, 2 on the shaft x, and the return motion.
of the levers and cutters is effected by the coiled springs 3, 3. The manner
in which the holders 4, 4, of the cutters n, n, are connected to the short arms
of the levers y, y, will be readily understood by an examination of Figure 2.
The motions of the shafts u, x, for actuating the feeding slide, barbing knife,
and side cutters are obtained from the driving shaft 5 through the toothed
gearing 6, 7, 8.
The action of the machine is as follows:-When the parts are in the
respective positions represented in the Drawing the end of the length of wire
last fed into the machine has been barbed and separated from the previously
barbed length, and the slide b, barbing knife m, and side cutters n, n, are
ready to make their advance motions. On the advance of the feeding slide b,
the barbed end of the wire is carried out of the machine, and another length
of wire is fed forward. On the feeding slide 6 making its return motion the
barbing knife m descends obliquely, and makes the barb or inclined cut near
the end of the fresh length of wire, while the cutters n, n, advance on either side
and nip or sever the previously barbed length of wire from that last barbed, the
wire being gripped by the side cutters n, n, during the operation of the
barbing knife m.. The slide 6, barbing knife m, and side cutters n, n, retire
and the operations described are repeated. The pointing of the wire in front of
the barb may be effected simultaneously with the nipping or severing of the
barbed length from that previously barbed by means of squeezing or pinching
dies carried by the holders 4, in which the side cutters n, n, are held. Or the
pointing may be effected by an independent cutter worked from one of the
shafts of the machine; in this case one cutter only may be used for severing
the wire and the other for pointing the wire.
Figures 4 and 5 represent, in plan and longitudinal section respectively;
another machine constructed according to my Invention, in which the wire
"

page_text: is fed into the machine by a pair of rolls. Figure 6 represents the feeding
mechanism separately. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in Figures 4, 5, and 6.
a, b, are the feeding rolls having an intermittent rotary motion given to
them, the said rolls being geared together by toothed wheels. The said rolls
have grooves of different sizes made upon their cylindrical surfaces to suit
different sized wires to be made into fish hooks. The said rolls are capable
of a lateral motion to bring grooves of the required size into a line with the
axis of the machine, as well as a rising and falling motion. The wire c fed
through the rolls a, b, is guided by the tubular guide d; e is the barbing
knife having an oblique motion, as described with respect to the barbing
knife in the machine first described. On the bed f is a block or support g,
upon which the wire is supported during the operation of the barbing knife e.
The side cutters for nipping or severing the wire are marked h, h; the rising
of the wire c immediately behind the side cutters h, h, is prevented by the
loop through which the wire is fed. As soon as the required length of wire
has been fed by the rolls a, b, and the rolls have come to rest the barbing
knife e, and the side cutters h, h, advance simultaneously and barb the wire
and sever it from the previously barbed length, the action of the said barbing
knife and side cutters being exactly similar to that of the barbing knife and
side cutters in the machine, Figures 1, 2, and 3. The pointing of the wire
immediately in advance of the barb may be effected by pinching or squeezing
dies carried by the holders of the side cutters h, h, or by an independent cutter.
After the action of the barbing knife e and side cutters h, h, (and squeezing
dies or pointing cutter when used,) the said parts retire, and another length
of wire is fed by the rolls a, b, and the opérations described are repeated.
9,
The intermittent rotary motion of the feeding rolls a, b, is effected in the
following manner :-On the shaft k which receives motion from the main shaft
7 through the toothed gearing m, n, is a crank p, which communicates ä
reciprocating motion to the crank rod q. The manner in which the crank rod
q is connected to the crank p is best seen in Figure 6. Carried by the rod
is an arm r, which oscillates freely upon the shafts carrying the ratchet
wheel and toothed wheel u.
A pall on the arm r engages with the teeth
of the ratchet wheel t, the said pall being kept in gear by the spring w.
The construction of the arm r and parts immediately connected with it are
best seen in the separate view, Figure 6. On the connecting rod q making its
advance motion, the pall pushes forward the ratchet wheel t, which motion
is transmitted through the toothed wheel u and pinion x to the rolls a, b, and
the required length of the wire c is fed by the said rolls into the machine.
บ

page_text: บ
On the connecting rod q making its return motion, the rolls a, b, are stationary,
the pall working over the teeth of the ratchet wheel t. The connecting.rod
q is capable of being lengthened or shortened so as to increase or diminish its
stroke, and thereby increase or diminish the length of wire fed into the
machine. This is effected by means of a milled collar 2 screwed internally
and engaging with right and left handed screws 3, 4, on the connecting rod
9;
As the construction and action of the barbing knife e and side cutters h, h,
and the parts by which they are worked in this machine differ in no essential
respect from those of the machine first described, I do not think it necessary
to describe the said parts in detail; I will, however, briefly describe the parts
by which the barbing knife and side cutters or nippers are worked; 5 is the
holder carrying the barbing knife e connected by the rods 6, 6, to the clips of
the excentrics 7, 7, on the shaft k. The excentric rods 6, 6, are capable of
being lengthened or shortened, as represented, to regulate the depth of the cut
of the barbing knife e; 10, 10, are the holders of the side cutters or nippers
h, h, connected to the short arms of the levers 11, 11, the advance motion of
the levers being effected by the cams 12, 12, on the shaft k, and the return
motion by the coiled springs 13, 13. The levers 11, 11, are connected
together by the cross bar or plate 14.
My Invention consists, secondly, of a machine constructed in the manner
herein-after explained for bending or "curb bending" the partially made fish
hooks or pointed and barbed wires made by the machine first described. The
said bending or "curb bending" consists in bending that end of the wire
which has been pointed and barbed into a nearly simicircular figure, and also
bending the said nearly semicircular part somewhat out of the plane of the
unbent part. The machine by which I effect the bending or "curb bending,"
of the fish hooks consists of an upright or standard, to the bottom of which a
bed plate is fixed. The said standard is hollow, and in the hollow thereof a
vertical axis or shaft works. The said shaft has a bent handle or lever at its top
end, and a pinion on its bottom end. This pinion gears with a toothed wheel
under the bed of the machine, the said toothed wheel giving motion to a block
or moveable bed working on the fixed bed of the machine. The said moveable
bed carries a rod or cylinder of the diameter which the bend of the hook is to
have. The said rod or cylinder constitutes the moveable bending tool of the
machine. Opposite the moveable bending tool is a block fixed on the standard
or upright described. The said block constitutes the fixed bending tool of the
machine. In the moveable bending tool, and in one side thereof, a recess or
opening is made, one of the vertical edges of the said opening being bevilled.
In bending the pointed and barbed wires into fish hooks a series of the said

page_text: wires are fixed in the moveable bending tool by the engagement of the barb
of the wires with the bevilled edge of the recess in the said tool. By turning
the handle at the top of the vertical shaft rotatory motion may be transmitted
through the pinion and toothed wheel described to the moveable bending tool.
By the partial rotation of the said bending tool the wires fixed therein are
carried against the fixed bending tool, and the ends of the said wires bent around
and made to take the figure of the said moveable bending tool. The hori-
zontal sides of the recess in the moveable bending tool are curved of such a
figure that on the bending of the ends of the wires around the said tool, the
bent part is twisted somewhat out of the plane of the other part. The wires
are thus bent or "curb bent" into fish hooks.
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 in the
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly, the arrangement or combination of parts of the machine, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying
Drawings, for feeding, barbing, cutting off, and pointing lengths of wire to be
made into fish hooks.
Secondly, the arrangement or combination of parts of the machine, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying
Drawings, for feeding, barbing, cutting off, and pointing lengths of wire to be
made into fish hooks.
Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of parts of the machine, herein-
before described, for bending or curb bending barbed and pointed lengths of
wire into fish hooks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Fenton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ALBERT FENTON. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. PURBROOK.