Improvements in Machines for Stringing the Dies upon the Wires in the Operation of Wire Drawing.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Stringing the Dies upon the Wires in
the Operation of Wire Drawing.
I, CHARLES ABERNETITY COWLES, of 52, North Cliff Street, in the City of
Ansonia, County of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, United States of
America, Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained, in and by the following statement:-
-
I will describe a machine embodying my improvement and then point out the
novel features in claims.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embody-
ing my improvement, certain parts being broken away and others being shown in
section.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken as indicated by the dotted liner,
Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by the line y y, Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine illustrating a modifi-
cation.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a machine of modified form embodying the
improvement, certain parts being broken away and others being shown in section.
Fig. 8 is a front elevation of certain parts of the machine shown in Fig. 7
showing parts in different positions.
Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section at the plane of the dotted line vv, Fig. 7.
Fig. 10 is a top view of the machine.
Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section taken as indicated by the dotted line ww,
Fig. 7.
Fig. 12 is a longitudinal vertical section of gripping jaws comprised in the
machine.
Fig. 13 is a horizontal section of the same.
Fig. 14 shows the wire with drawing dies strung upon it as such wire will be
taken from the machine.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, A designates the framework, consisting of a
front piece a¹, a rear piece a². and cross pieces or stretchers a³. In the front
and rear pieces of the framework, a shaft B is journalled. On the front end of
this shaft is loosely mounted a head C, which carries a pair of jaws C¹, these jaws
being connected so as to be capable of a swinging movement, and also a sliding
movement in the direction of their length.
As here shown the head C has a centre hub c¹ that fits upon the shaft B, and
at its circumference a cylindric flange that extends rearwardly.
Inside the flange is one part 3 of a clutch the other part of this clutch being
fitted to slide lengthwise of the shaft B and engage to rotate therewith by means
of a spline. The clutch here shown is a ratchet tooth clutch the sliding part of

page_text: which is controlled at the pleasure of the operator, and when the sliding part is
properly shifted the head will be instantaneously released and be permitted to
rotate freely in a reverse or opposite direction. The sliding part 4 of the clutch
is adjusted lengthwise of the shaft by means of a lever which is here shown
as fulcrumed by a pin 6 to a bracket c. At its upper end it is bifurcated and
provided with pins to engage with a circumferential groove in the part of the
clutch, and at its lower end it is pivotally connected by means of a pin with
one end of a rod which at its other end is connected by a pin c¹0 with a
lever that serves to operate another clutch presently to be described. The
levers c, c thus connected by the rod may be operated in any suitable manner,
as for instance, by a foot-lever 12 which is fulcrumed by a pin 3 to a stand c¹4
and connected by a link c15 to the lever c. It will be seen that the foot-lever c¹³
is of such shape that the attendant can, by pressure of his foot upon different
portions, move the levers c, cl in either direction. I do not wish to confine
myself to operating both the levers 5, cll together as illustrated, as a foot-lever c¹³
might be used for each independently of the other.
Upon the shaft B is affixed a gear wheel b, and this engages with a gear
wheel b¹ affixed to a shaft 62, which is intended to be journalled in the front and
rear pieces of the framework A, although in Fig. 3 it is shown as broken away
so as not to extend to the front piece of the framework.
Upon the shaft 62 is also affixed a gear wheel 63 which engages with a gear
wheel 6. This gear wheel 64 is affixed to the hub of one part b of a clutch,
whose other part 66 is affixed upon a shaft 67 that is journalled in the front and
rear pieces, a¹ and a² of the framework A. This is constantly driven, it being in
the present instance provided with a pulley by which it may derive motion
through a belt.
The part 65 of the clutch is free to turn independently of the shaft 67 upon
which it is mounted.
The clutch as here shown is of a kind which is well known in the art. and its
part 6 has a split ring whose ends may be drawn together by the oscillation of
an arm 68 to embrace the part 66 of the clutch. For oscillating the arm 68 in
such a manner as to tighten the split ring, I mount upon the shaft a cone 69
in such a manner that it may be moved lengthwise of the shaft 67. A con-
venient means for moving the cone is a lever 610 fulcrumed by a pin to a
bracket 13 extending rearwardly from the front piece a¹ of the framework A.
This lever is bifurcated to embrace the cone, and is pivotally connected thereto
by pins 63. The lever is extended downwardly beneath the cone so that it may
be acted on by a wedge 614 which is supported upon a bracket 615, extending rear-
wardly from the front piece a¹ of the framework A. The purpose of this wedge
is to automatically stop the head C from rotating, as will be hereinafter more
fully set forth. On the shaft 67 is affixed a gear wheel 610 which engages with a
gear wheel 617 Fig. 1 that is affixed to a shaft 618 which is journalled in the
front and back pieces a¹ and a3 of the framework A. This shaft 618 operates the
dies employed for pointing or swaging the end of the wire preparatory to drawing
the wire through the drawing dies. Any form of swaging device may be used in
connection with my machine, such, for example, as the "
machine, and hence I do not deem it necessary to describe any particular swag-
Dayton' swaging
ing or pointing mechanism. Upon the hub of the part 65 of the clutch at one
side of the gear wheel 6 a sprocket wheel 619 is affixed. From it extends a
sprocket chain 620 to a sprocket wheel 621 mounted loosely upon a shaft 62 that
is journalled in any suitable framework, as for instance, in brackets extending
from the front and back pieces a¹ and a³ of the framework A. At one end of
the hub of the sprocket wheel 21 is one part 623 of a two part ratchet clutch.
The other part 624 of said clutch is fitted upon the shaft 62 so that it may slide
lengthwise thereof, but connected by a spline so that it must rotate with the
shaft.
"
The lever c" which I have heretofore explained as being capable of adjustment

page_text: by means of the foot-lever c¹ has its upper end bifurcated to engage with a cir-
cumferential groove with which the part 624 of the clutch is provided. This lever
is fulcrumed by a pin to a bracket that extends from an arm attached to
the back piece a² of the framework A.
When the part 6 of the clutch is moved into engagement with that part of the
clutch which is affixed to the sprocket wheel 621 rotary motion will be imparted
by the sprocket wheel to the shaft 6. Upon this shaft 6 is affixed a wind-
lass 62 around and from which a rope 626 may be wound and unwound.
At one end of the windlass a ratchet wheel 627 is provided so as to turn with
the windlass, and with which co-acts a pawl 68 pivotally connected by a screw 629
on a bracket extending from the front piece a of the framework A. Normally
this pawl is in engagement with the ratchet wheel 627 so that unless it is
thrown out of engagement by the hand of the attendant the rope 626 will be incap-
able of unwinding. Affixed to the shaft 622 is a pinion which engages with
a gear wheel 60 that is loosely mounted upon a stud b carried in the bracket
extension on the part a¹, and affixed to the gear wheel 640 is a pinion which
is in engagement with a gear wheel 63, loosely mounted on the shaft 62. The
gear wheel 63 is provided on its face with a dial 6, and adjacent to the dial is
affixed an index finger 65 also carried on the bracket extension. s represents a
hand crank provided on the shaft for turning the windlass. The rope 626
extends around a guide pulley 630 which is supported by a post 631 extending
upwardly from the floor. From this guide pulley it descends downwardly to sup-
port a weighted pulley . After passing through this weighted pulley the rope
extends upwardly to an arm which I have shown as extending from the
post Upon a rope 626 a projection 64 is arranged.
With this arrangement of parts, the rope b carrying the projection 6, will
when wound upon the windlass, engage with the arm & carried by the slide
piece D, so that when a sufficient number of feet of wire have been drawn
through the first die, the slide piece can be made to move forward and stop the
rotating of the head. The mechanism operated by the slide piece for stopping
the rotation of the head consists of an arm d that projects from its rear to engage
the wedge and move it in such direction, that it will, by acting upon the
lever 60, move the cone away from the arm 68. Thus the split ring of the
clutch 666 will be loosened so that motion will no longer be transmitted from
the shaft 67 except to that shaft 618 which operates the wire pointing dies.
The shank of the wedge 61 works in guides 65. A shoulder 6 formed at the
junction of the wedge with its shank acts against the guide to limit the return
movement of the wedge and consequently of the slide piece.
Between the guide and the collar 37 which is affixed to the shank of the
wedge, a spring 638 is coiled. This spring serves to move the wedge in such a
direction as to allow the lever 610 to be manipulated to throw the cone 69 forward
in order that it may disengage the two parts of the clutch 65, 66. It also serves to
move the slide piece D back to the starting position.
The operation of this form or device is as follows: The rope 626 is wound upon
the windlass by the hand crank s until the projection is in such a position
that when the windlass is operated by the herein before described mechanism, the
projection will engage with the arm d to move the sliding piece D forward.
The end of the wire is pointed in the swaging mechanism carried by the
machine and its end inserted through the die which is placed in the die holder E,
and the swaged or pointed end gripped by the jaws carried by the head. The
machine is then started by pulling down the lever 10 to throw the cone into
engagement with the split collar so that the disc 65 will be rotated. At the same
time the foot-lever c¹2 is operated to throw the clutch into engagement with
the clutch face carried by the head, and the clutch 24 into engagement with the
clutch face 623. As the head is rotated it draws the wire through the die, and
at the same time the rope is wound upon the windlass to cause the projection b³1
to engage with the arm d. As soon as the projection 6% comes into engagement

page_text: with the arm d the slide D is moved forward, which in turn causes the wedge
shape block 614 to engage with the lower end of the lever 610 to move the cone 69
out of engagement with the split ring and in this manner stop the machine.
The wire coiled upon the head is loosened by the reverse movement of the head,
and removed therefrom with a die remaining on the wire, and the coil with the
die is supported on either the hook d² or d³. The wire is again pointed by the
swaging device carried by the machine, a smaller die placed on the wire, and the
operation repeated. It will be understood that after the machine is stopped the
pawl is moved out of engagement with the ratchet 27 to allow the weighted
pulley to return the projection and thus permit the wedge 64 to be returned
to its normal position by the spring 6..
Before the machine is started to string the second die, the windlass is turned
by the crank s to wind the rope thereon, thus giving the proper adjustment for
the projection 634, so that it will move forward the piece 1) to stop the machine
at the proper time. This operation occurs before the stringing of the third die
and for each successive die. If desired, however, after the stringing of the first
die, the projection 6 may be adjusted in the manner described to such a position
that it moves forward the piece D to stop the machine when each of the fol-
lowing dies are in approximately their proper position.
The jaws C are formed upon levers c16, c17 which are pivoted together between
their ends by a pin 18. The jaws are at one end of the levers. At the other end,
the levers are made to embrace a wrist pin C³ extending from the rotary head C.
The surfaces of the levers which embrace this wrist pin converge towards the
extremities of the levers so that any strain lengthwise on the levers will cause
the wrist pin to have a cam-like action on the ends of the levers with which it
co-acts. This, of course, will cause the jaws at the other end of the levers to
grasp the end of wire which is between them more tightly.
Adjacent to the jaws is a holder E for a drawing die e. The end of a piece of
wire to be drawn having been pointed is passed through a drawing die, and
while the latter is supported by the die holder E, the end of the wire is placed
between the jaws C. The machine being started the wire will be drawn through
the drawing die for any desired length.
Adjacent to the jaws C¹ the rim of the rotary head C is provided with an
incline or notch 21* that drags the wire on to the outer surface of said rim 3.
The wire will be wound by the rotation of the head around this rim until the
sufficient amount has been drawn through the die, which is at the time supported
by the die holder E. When the machine is automatically stopped in the manner
described, the rotary head C suddenly reverses, caused by a strain upon the wire;
perhaps sometimes the ratchet clutch c³, c conduces to this. One diametrical
half of the head C is made heavier than the other so that when it stops its move-
ment in the reverse direction the jaws C will be above the shaft B. This is due
to recessing one portion of the head. The recess thus formed is advantageous
for accommodating the jaws as the head rotates. This reverse motion of the
head causes the jaws to loosen their hold upon the wire, and as the coils, by their
resilience, will enlarge, they are readily removed from the head.
A coil having the die upon it will be held upon the hook da and the other
coils may be held in the hand of the operator in the position of the coil w in
Fig. 1. The operation is then repeated with a die of smaller size and so on until
the wire is threaded through the proper number of dies from where it is taken to
a wire drawing machine and strung thereon in the usual manner.
Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, I need only add to the description already
given of my machine that the slide piece D has attached to it the scale d, the
attachment being made as here shown by the arm do. The face of the scale d³
is grooved and has a slide piece & carrying the arm d, fitted to it in such a way
that it may be clamped in different positions by means of a thumb nut d. The
arm may be conveniently adjusted on the scale by means of the slide and
thumb nut.

page_text: The operation of this form of device is similar to that described in connection
with the form of machine shown in Figures 1 to 4. The arm d is adjusted ou
the scale to the position where the projection 63 is to engage it to move forward
the slide piece D, and put in operation the mechanism herein before described to
stop the machine.
I will now turn to Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
Here the shaft B has combined with it the rotary head C in the same manner
as already described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and it also has
affixed to it a gear wheel b. This gear wheel engages with the gear wheel 646
which surrounds the shaft 647, having affixed to it a gear wheel 618 that engages
with a gear wheel 6 affixed to a shaft 650. This shaft 60 has affixed to it a belt
pulley by which motion may be transmitted to this shaft. With the shaft 67, the
clutch 65 66 and 68 is combined in the same way that the said clutch was combined
with the shaft 7 in the example of my improvement illustrated by Figures 1,
2, 3 and 4. This clutch is controlled by a lever 610 and a wedge 14 and these
parts operate as already described in connection with the example of my improve-
ment illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The gear wheel 6 which I have described as surrounding the shaft 67 is
affixed to the hub of the part 65 of the clutch.
It will be understood that when the lever 610 is suitably shifted by hand or by
the wedge 64 it will disengage the part 65 of the clutch and hence the gear
wheel 66 from the shaft 647, and will thereby stop the rotation of the shaft B and
head C.
The wedge 64 has its shank supported by the guide 651, and has affixed to it two
collars 6 and 653. These collars co-act with the arm d which is affixed to the
slide piece D. The collar 652 limits the movement of the wedge in one direction
by coming in contact with the guide 651.
The collar 653 and the arm d contact, and the latter moves the wedge forward in
the proper direction to stop the rotation of the head C by acting upon the
lever 610
A spring 654 surrounds the shank of the wedge between the guide bracket b
and the collar 656. This spring moves the wedge into inoperative position, and
also, through the contact of the collar 653 with the arm & starts the movement
of the slide piece D in the direction away from the rotary head C.
The die holder E supports the drawing die e to be threaded. As here shown
the die holder is pivotally connected with the front piece of the framework A
by means of a bolt e10.
The end of the wire is pointed and passed through the die and is
grasped by the jaws C¹. The rotation of the head C winds up the wire upon it,
drawing it through the die e. After the coils of wire have been released from
the rotary head they will be hung upon the hook d² as already described in con-
nection with the first example of my improvement, and the operation repeated.
If preferred, the scale mechanism described in connection with the stringing
mechanism may be dispensed with, and the following arrangement of parts
employed, which are shown in Fig. 7. The slide piece D is provided with a
drum do and with a bifurcated protuberance d", which may also support the die.
In this form the end of the wire is pointed as usual, passed through the die and
gripped by the jaws of the clamp C. The machine is then started to draw a suffi-
cient amount of wire through the die which may be determined by the diameter
of the head C, or the number of coils of wire drawn around the head, after which
the machine is stopped and the drawn wire removed. The end of the wire is again
pointed, and gripped by the jaws of the clamp, the first die being held by the
bifurcated protuberance d" carried on the slide piece D, which for this operation
is moved away from the head a certain distance, and a portion of the drawn wire
between the die and the head is wrapped around the drum 10. The machine is
started and the wire drawn through the die until the wire tightens around the
drum do, at which time the slide piece D will be drawn toward the head until it

page_text: reaches the end of its movement, at which time the machine is stopped and the
wire drawn through removed from the drum. This operation is again repeated
until all the dies are strung upon the wire, it being understood that the slide
piece D is moved back before the beginning of each drawing subsequent to the
first, the die placed in the holder and a portion of the wire wrapped around
the drum d10. With this arrangement I have found in practice that the dies will
be strung accurately upon the wire, so that the wire can be readily placed in
position on a drawing machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a machine for stringing dies upon wire, the combination of a drawing
head capable of rotation in two directions, means for rotating said head in one
direction to draw the wire through a die, a device for controlling said means to
stop the further rotation of the head and permit the head to rotate freely in a
reverse or opposite direction to relax the tension upon the wire, and automatic
means for gripping and releasing the end of the wire, substantially as described.
2. In a machine for stringing dies upon wire, the combination of a drawing
head capable of rotation in two directions, jaws carried by said head for gripping
the end of the wire as the head is rotated in one direction, means for rotating said
head in one direction to draw the wire through a die, a ratchet clutch in said
means adapted when thrown into action to instantly start said head in the drawing
direction and when thrown out of action to instantly stop the rotation of the head
to permit it to rotate freely in a reverse or opposite direction, and a lever
mounted independently of said head for throwing said clutch into and out of
action, substantially as described.
3. In a machine for stringing dies upon wire, the combination with a rotating
head provided with jaws, of a die holder, means for rotating the head, a ratchet
clutch in said means for instantly stopping the rotation of said head, and a friction
clutch also in said means for gradually starting the rotation of said head, sub-
stantially as specified.
4. In a machine for stringing drawing dies upon wire, the combination of a
rotating head carrying gripping jaws, means for rotating said head comprising a
clutch, and a sliding piece for carrying the wire adapted to operate said clutch
when drawn towards the head to prevent the further rotation of the head, sub-
stantially as described.
5. In a machine for stringing drawing dies on wire, the combination of a draw-
ing head provided with gripping jaws, means for rotating said drawing head com-
prising a clutch, the die to be strung on the wire, and a piece adapted to slide
toward the head at intervals and to operate the clutch to prevent further rotation
of said head, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a rotary head provided with jaws, and means for rotat-
ing the said head in one direction and permitting it to move in another direction,
of a piece carrying supports for wire threaded with drawing dies, said piece being
movable towards and from the rotary head, and a stop mechanism for the rotary
head operated by said movable piece, substantially as specified.
7. The combination with a head provided with gripping jaws and capable of
rotation in two directions, one to move a wire along and the other to relax the
tension upon the wire, a sliding piece carrying a wire strung with drawing dies
and adapted in its movement toward the head to prevent the movement of the
head for drawing, and a scale for determining the forward movement of the piece,
substantially as described.
8. In a machine for stringing drawing dies on wire, the combination of a draw-
ing head capable of rotation in two directions, operating mechanism for said head
comprising a clutch, a die holder, a device adapted to be moved toward the draw-
ing head when the wire is being drawn through the die, and means in connection

page_text: with said device for causing it to act on the clutch at a predetermined period to
stop the rotation of the head in the drawing direction, substantially as described.
9. In a machine for threading wire through dies, the combination of a dio
holder, means for drawing the wire through a die in said holder, means for point-
ing or swaging the wire preparatory to threading the wire through the die, said
pointing or swaging means being driven by the wire drawing means, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.