NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPIRAL GROOVES IN WIRE to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPIRAL GROOVES IN WIRE
to be as
follows:-
"
This Invention relates first, to an improved process of giving to round wire a
different shape in cross section such for example as a cross shape or fluted or star
shape, the longitudinal projections or ridges, and the grooves or recesses formed in
the wire thereby being spirally arranged. Wire of this shape has heretofore been
made by drawing through a die of the shape desired for its cross section and
afterwards twisting the wire to give the required spiral form or in some instances
the grooved portions are made by cutting away or removing the metal, in which
case the metal has usually been removed in spiral grooves or recesses.
· These processes are both objectionable because where the spiral grooves are
formed by grooving the wire straight and then 'twisting it, the fiber of the metal
is strained, thereby changing the structure and disarranging the metallic molecules
and by the second process viz. grooving the wire by removing portions of the
metal, it is obvious that the wire is materially weakened in proportion to the
quantity of metal removed. This improved process hereinafter described has for
its object to overcome these drawbacks by giving the wire the proper section-shape
by impressing or indenting its surface by suitable dies so arranged as to revolve
around the wire as it progresses through them and thus giving the desired spiral
form without necessitating any twisting in the fibre of the wire or cutting or
removing any portion of the metal thereof.
The second part of this Invention has relation to the machine and mechanism.
for attaining this end and consists in the construction of parts of the wire grooving
or indenting machine which will be hereinafter described.
At one end of the bed plate of the machine is a pedestal or upright, supporting
the bearing, for the shaft or arbor of a revolving die. The shaft is tubular so as to
form a central passage for the purpose of permitting the wire that is to be grooved
and "spiralled" to pass through. The die may consist of a frame work provided
with a series of hardened rollers, the peripheries of which may be shaped to impress
Prins G71

page_text: upon the wire passing through them a series of longitudinal indentations giving
the wire a cross or ✗ shape. The plane of rotation of the said discs is inclined to
the axis of the wire passing through them so as to give the angular recesses
and the projecting portions or edges of the wire produced by them the required
epiral arrangement along and around the wire, and the entire die, being free to
rotate with its shaft in the bearing would travel around the wire drawn through it
being actuated only by the rollers themselves just as a tap or die is guided by the
threads cut by it. In order however to relieve the wire of all twisting strain the
said die is positively rotated at the proper speed by actuating mechanism operated
by the longitudinal movement of the wire being acted upon. The said wire after
passing through the passage of the arbor is turned once or twice around a drum
mounted in bearings on the main frame and provided with a bevel gear meshing
with a pinion in turn carrying a gear, meshing with a second pinion fixed upon the
arbor of the die. The wire after passing around the said drum is connected with the
drawing mechanism, by which it is pulled through the die, and by its friction rotates
the drum and through the connected gearing also turns the die. The arbor of the die
is provided with an enlargement or shoulder bearing against the end of the bearing
of the said arbor, and thus receiving the longitudinal pressure upon the said arbor
caused by the resistance of the rollers to the wire passing through them.
In practice, the wire will usually be passed through a series of machines similar
to the one described, the die of each succeeding one being constructed to enter more
deeply into the wire until the desired shape is produced.
Dies can be constructed to give any desired cross sectional shape to the wire, and
the spiral form is produced without any twisting in the fibre of the wire itself,
spiral channels or deep impressions being made round the wire.
The shaft of the drum may be driven by power and the said drum thus made to
draw the wire through the die.
.

page_text: with a bevel wheel O gearing with a pinion P in turn carrying a spur wheel R
gearing with a pinion S fixed upon the arbor D of the die E. The wire passing
round the said drum M is connected with the drawing mechanism, by which it is
pulled through the die, and by its friction rotates the drum M, and through the
connected gearing, also turns the die E as before described. The arbor D of the
die E is provided with an enlargement or shoulder T, bearing against the end of
the bearing C of the said arbor (a washer T being inserted if required) and thus
receiving the longitudinal pressure upon the said arbor D, caused by the resistance
of the rollers I to the wire passing through them. By modifying the construc-
tion of the machine the arbor D could be dispensed with and the spur wheel S be
placed upon the shoulder T.
In practice, the wire will usually be passed through a series of machines similar
to the one shown the die of each succeeding one being constructed to enter more
deeply into the wire until the desired shape is produced.
It will be seen that dies can be constructed to give any desired cross-sectional
shape to the wire, and the spiral form is produced without any twisting in the
fiber of the wire itself spiral channels or deep impressions being made round the
wire.
The shaft of the drum M may be driven by power and the said drum thus made
to draw the wire through the die.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. The process of indenting or grooving wire spirally which consists in imparting
the desired configuration and spirality to the wire by drawing the same through a
revolving set of rotating dies or rollers substantially as set forth.
2. The hollow arbor D revolving round the wire which passes through it, and
carrying the grooving rollers I rotated by the wire itself which is indented or
grooved by contact with side rollers substantially as described.
3. The mechanism substantially as specified revolving the rollers I around the
wire and consisting of the drum M driven by the wire itself bevel gearing O. P
spur gearing R. S and arbor D. ·
4. The drum M driven by power and serving the double purpose of drawing the
wire through the rollers I and imparting to the said rollers through the intervening
mechanism then revolving motion around the wire substantially as set forth.
5. The grooving rollers I having their plane of rotation inclined to the axis of
the wire in such manner that as they are rotated by the wire they also traverse
round it thus forming spiral grooves in the wire substantially as specified.
Dated this Seventh day of June 1884.