NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE DIAMETER OF WIRE OR RODS FOR WIRE DRAWING, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Orin Lewis Hopson, of Waterbury, in the State
of Connecticut, United States of America, but at present residing
at Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, for the
Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR REDUCING
THE DIAMETER OF WIRE OR RODS FOR WIRE DRAWING, AND FOR OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Douglas F. Maltby,
of Waterbury, Connecticut, aforesaid.
Scaled the 14th April 1870, and dated the 27th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Orin Lewis Hopson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th October 1869.
I, ORIN LEWIS HOPSON, of Waterbury, in the State of Connecticut,
5 United States of America, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR REDUCING

page_text: PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
In wire drawing it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the end of
the wire or rod to be drawn for introducing the said end into the hole
in the draw plate through which the wire or rod is to be drawn. This
is usually effected by filing or compressing the end of the wire.
The said Invention consists of the construction and arrangement
herein-after described of the parts of machinery or apparatus for effecting
that object.
The said machinery or apparatus consists of a rectangular frame
within which two dies are supported and work, the acting edges of the
dies meeting in the middle of the frame, the opposite edges being
connected with the frame so as to be capable of turning somewhat in
the manner in which the flaps of double doors open and close in their
frame. On the acting edges of the dies semicircular depressions are
made, those in one die being opposite to those in the other die, each pair
of the said depressions constituting when the dies are closed a circular
opening similar to one of the holes in an ordinary draw plate. The
holes in the dies are smaller at the front or acting face of the dies, and
expand from the said face backwards to the other or back face of the
dies. The dies can open only in one direction, that is, in a direction from
the back towards the front or acting face of the dies. The said dies are
pressed into their closed position by a strong spring, and a stop or stops
limit their return motion. In order to reduce the diameter of the end of
a wire or rod the said wire or rod is introduced at the back face of the
dies and pushed forward. Being unable to pass through the front face
of the dies the said wire or rod presses open the dies, and thereby
temporarily enlarges the opening between them, through which opening
the wire or rod can now pass. When a sufficient length of the wire or
rod has been passed through the front face of the dics the said wire or
rod is drawn backwards or in a direction opposite to that in which it was
introduced when it closes the dies, the said dies gripping the wire or rod
between them. By continueing the motion of the wire or rod the end.
protruding through the front face of the dies is drawn through the
opening by which the wire or rod is gripped, and the diameter of that
part is reduced by a drawing action similar to that of the ordinary draw
plate. One or any required number of holes of different sizes may be
made in the edges of the dies.

page_text: Although I have only described the said Invention as applied to the
reduction of the diameter of a wire or rod for wire drawing, yet the said
Invention may be used for reducing the diameter of the ends of screws
and for various other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Orin Lewis Hopson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,, I, ORIN
LEWIS HOPSON, of Waterbury, in the State of Connecticut, United States
of America, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Orin Lewis Hopson, Her
special licence that I, the said Orin Lewis Hopson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Orin Lewis
Hopson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the 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
"NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE DIAMETER
OF WIRE OR RODS FOR WIRE DRAWING, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Douglas F. Maltby, of Waterbury,
Connecticut, aforesaid, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Oriu Lewis Hopson, my executors or administrators, 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 Orin Lewis Hopson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
In wire drawing it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the end of
the wire or rod to be drawn for introducing the said end into the hole in
the draw plate through which the wire or rod is to be drawn. This is
usually effected by filing or compressing the end of the wire.
The said Invention consists of the construction and arrangement
herein-after described of the parts of machinery or apparatus for effecting
that object.
The said machinery or apparatus consists of a rectangular frame
within which two dies are supported and work, the acting edges of the
dies meeting in the middle of the frame, the opposite edges being con-
nected with the frame so as to be capable of turning somewhat in the
manner in which the flaps of double doors open and close in their
frame. On the acting edges of the dies semicircular depressions are
made, those in one die being opposite to those in the other die, each
pair of the said depressions constituting when the dies are closed a
circular opening similar to one of the holes in an ordinary draw plate.
The holes in the dies are smaller at the front or acting face of the dies,
and expand from the said face backwards to the other or back face of
the dies. The dies can open only in one direction, that is, in a direction
from the back towards the front or acting face of the dies. The said
dies are pressed into their closed position by a strong spring, and a stop
or stops limit their return motion. In order to reduce the diameter of
the end of a wire or rod the said wire or rod is introduced at the back
face of the dies and pushed forward. Being unable to pass through the
front face of the dies the said wire or rod presses open the dies, and
thereby temporarily enlarges the opening between them, through which
opening the wire or rod can now pass. When a sufficient length of the
wire or rod has been passed through the front face of the dies the said
wire or rod is drawn backwards or in a direction opposite to that in
which it was introduced, when it closes the dies, the said dies gripping
the wire or rod between them. By continuing the motion of the wire
or rod the end protruding through the front face of the dies is drawn
through the opening by which the wire or rod is gripped, and the
diameter of that part is reduced by a drawing action similar to that of
the ordinary draw plate. One or any required number of holes of
different sizes may be made in the edges of the dies.

page_text: Although I have only described the said Invention as applied to the
reduction of the diameter of a wire or rod for wire drawing, yet the said
Invention may be used for reducing the diameter of the ends of screws
and for various other purposes.
Having explained the nature of the said Invention I will proceed
to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner
in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, and Figure 2 in horizontal
section, taken on the line a, Figure 1, machinery or apparatus con-
structed according to this Invention, the dies being closed in position to
draw or reduce the wire or article.
Figure 3 represents in front elevation, and Figure 4 in horizontal
section taken on the line b, Figure 3, the said dies opened ready for the
introduction of the wire through their acting face preparatory to the
drawing process.
Figure 5 represents a back elevation and edge view of the said
machinery or apparatus, and Figure 6 is a vertical section of the same
taken on the line c, Figure 5.
Figure 7 represents a back clevation of the frame, and Figure 8
represents a back elevation and plan of the dies detached.
Figure 9 represents the spring for closing the dies detached. The
same letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the Figures
of the Drawing.
d is the rectangular frame, within which the two dies e, e, are sup-
ported and work, the acting edges of the dies meeting in the middle of
the frame. The outer edges of the dies e, e, are concave and work
upon the convex portions d², d, of the frame (see the horizontal sections,
Figures 2 and 4. By this means the two dies e, e, are made capable of
turning in the frame d after the manner in which the flaps of double
doors open and close in their frame. The inner or acting edges of the
dies are engaged together at top and bottom by the knuckle pieces e², e³,
on one die entering depressions e³, e³, in the other die. By thus engaging
the dies together their outer concave edges are maintained in close
contact against the convex parts d³, d², of the frame, and the said dies
are made to move simultaneously. Each of the acting edges of the
dies e, e, is provided with a series of semicircular depressions, each pair
of the depressions constituting when the dies are closed a circular

page_text: opening. The openings in the dies are marked fff, and are similar
to the holes of an ordinary draw plate. By an examination of Figures 5;
6, and S, it will be seen that the holes f,f,f, in the dics e, e, are smaller
at the front or acting face than at the back face, the said holes expanding
from the front face backwards to the other face of the dies. The front
face of the dies is marked A and the back face is marked B in Figures 2
and 4. The dies e, e, can only open in one direction, namely, in the
direction from the back face B towards the front or acting face A, as
represented in Figure 4. The said dies e, e, are pressed into their closed
position (Figures 1 and 2) by the strong spring g, the free end of which
presses by means of the projection or stud 2 (see Figure 9) upon the
front face of one of the dies, as represented in the Drawing. This
spring can be turned aside on the centre g³ when the dies e, e, are
required to be removed from the frame d. The return or back motion
of the dies from the face A to the face B is limited by the stops h, h, on
the frame d cut away parts e of the dies e, e, permitting the said dies to
pass over the stops until the back face of the dies lics flush with the
back of the frame d (see Figure 2).
The action of the machinery or apparatus is as follows:-The end of
the wire or rod or article to be reduced is introduced into one of the
openings at the back face B of the dies e, e, and pushed forward
towards the front acting face A. The said wire or rod being unable to
pass through the opening in the front of the dies (which opening is
smaller than the wire or rod) the said wire or rod pushes open the dies,
as represented in Figures 3 and 4, and thereby temporarily enlarges the
opening between them at their front face, through which opening the
wire or rod can now pass. A sufficient length of the wire having been
passed through the dies when the said dies are in the open position,
represented in Figures 3 and 4, the wire or rod is then drawn backwards
or in a direction opposite to that at which it was introduced. By this
backward motion of the wire or rod it closes the dies, as represented in
Figures 1 and 2, the said dies gripping the wire or rod between them.
By continuing the backward motion of the wire or rod the end pro-
truding through the front face A of the dics is drawn through the
opening by which the wire or rod is gripped, and the diameter at that
part is reduced by a drawing action similar to that of the ordinary draw
plate. The dies e, e, may be provided with one opening only, or two
openings or more than three openings as may be required.

page_text: Having now described the nature of the said 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 the said Invention; but I claim as the said Invention, the new or
improved machinery or apparatus for reducing the diameter of wire
or rods for wire drawing and for other like purposes herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
machinery or apparatus consisting essentially of two dies provided with
one or more openings in their acting edges, the said openings expanding
from the front or acting face to the back face of the said dies, the said
dies being constructed and supported in their frame and made to operate
upon the wire or rod or article the diameter of which is to be reduced,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Orin Lewis Hopson, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witnesses,
JOHN W. HILL,
CHARLES A. MASON,
Waterbury,
Connecticut,
United States.
ORIN LEWIS HOPSON. (L.S.)