IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING WIRE FABRICS FOR JEWELLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR MAKING WIRE FABRICS FOR JEWELLERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by William Charles Edge, of
Newark, in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United States of
America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING WIRE FABRICS For
JEWELLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by William
Charles Edge, of Newark, in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United
States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for making wire tubes either
for jewellers or other purposes. The principal object of the present Invention is to
permit of the continuous operation of one machine.
The machine heretofore made produced wire tubing in a vertical position, and
around a guide rod, and when the end of the guide rod is reached the machine has
to be stopped and the finished tube taken off and the new tube started.
The present Invention enables the machine to be operated continuously when
once started.
It need never be stopped as no dependence is placed upon any guide
rod around which the finished tube is held.
The present Invention consists of various details of improvement, such as a new
crimping device, a new device for contracting the crimps that are first formed
by toothed wheels, a new loop expander for enlarging the loops that have been put
through finished meshes of the wire fabric, new mechanism for feeding the tiuished
fabric continuously, and thereby presenting the meshes already formed to the loops
of the crimped wire for connection therewith, all as hereinafter more fully
described.
Other details of improvement will also be herein after referred to.
In the accompanying Drawing

page_text: front elevation partly in section of the same; Figure 2ª is a detail face view of the
loop bending cam; and Figure 2b, a sectional view of same on line x, x, Figure 2;
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the machine; Figure 3a, a sectional perspective
view of the crimp-compressing mechanism; Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on
the line c, c, Figure 2; Figure 5 is a vertical cross section on the line c, h, Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a detail edge view partly in section of the crimp contracting mechanism;
Figure 7 a detail edge view of the toothed wheel carrying part of the crimp con-
tracting mechanism; Figure S is a diagram showing the wire after it has been
crimped, and before the crimps have been contracted; Figure 9 is a diagram showing
some of the crimps already contracted; Figure 10 is an enlarged face view partly
in section of the crimp contracting mechanism showing some of the crimps
contracted and some not; Figure 11 is a vertical cross section of the machine on
the line k, k, Figure 2; Figure 12 is a horizontal section on the line q. q, Figure 2;
Figure 13 is a detail vertical section on the line k, q, Figure 11; Figure 14 is a
diagram of the finished wire fabric made flat; and Figure 15 is a detail sectional
view through one end of the wire fabric showing it supplied with a new loop;
Figure 16 is an enlarged section through the front end of the cylinder I.
The letter A represents the frame of the machine, and B is the main shaft to
which continuous rotary motion is imparted by suitable means. This main shaft
which is plainly shown in Figure 1, is provided with three worms a, b, d, which
serve to slowly turn three gear wheels c, j, l, respectively.
The wheel e is mounted upon a shaft C shown in Figure 5, which shaft carries a
broad ribbed or tooth wheel finto which gears a toothed wheel g and a ribbed
wheel both of which are carried by a shaft D. The teeth of the wheels g and h
are cut alike or nearly so, and these two wheels are placed face to face, as shown
in Figure 5 and as indicated in Figure 2. But they are set with reference to each
other so that their teeth will not coincide, but will be somewhat out of line, so
that one of the wheels in this example, the wheel g, will be the driving wheel for
the shaft D, and the other wheel the crimping wheel. The wire E which is to
be worked into the fabric is passed in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 2
between the wheels f and h, and is crimped between these wheels by means of
their teeth.
Now if the wheel were also directly turned by positive contact with the teeth of
the wheel, there would be danger of crushing or cutting the wire E between these
two wheels, and in order to avoid this I have placed the wheel g with its teeth
somewhat out of line against the face of the wheel h. The driving wheel f
imparts motion to the crimping wheel by means of the wheel g, and not by
means of direct contact with the teeth of the wheel h, so that the crimping wheel h
itself will have no other office to perform than to give shape to the wire.
The
extent of adjustment of the teeth of the wheels and to each other, can be
regulated by means of a screw or screws i that unite with the two wheels, and
pass through slots in one of the wheels, so that for the different forms of crimps the
teeth may be set more or less out of line.
The wheel which is turned by the worm is mounted upon a shaft F and
serves to revolve the same slowly. This shaft F carries a wheel C (see Figures 4, 6,
and 7).
Through the wheel G near the outer circumference thereof are fitted a series
of sliding blocks m, which are by springs n pressed against a stationary cam
edge o. These springs n are attached to and carried around by the wheel C, and
press against the inner ends of the sliding blocks m. The outer ends of these
sliding blocks m are in contact with the cam surface o, which is formed on an
annular plate that is firmly secured in the shell H that embraces and in part
conceals the wheel G and all its appurtenances.
Near to the inner face of the wheel G is placed into a suitable socket p a spring
bolt which has a forked end, as shown in Figure 4. The upper prong of this
fork, which is the furthest distant from the axis of the shaft F, is by the spring of
the bolt held in contact with the toothed or undulating face of the wheel G.

page_text: This toothed or undulating face is clearly shown in Figure 7, and indicated in
Figure 3a, and as the wheel G revolves this toothed face bearing against one prong
of the spring bolt, causes, in connection with the spring of the bolt, the said bolt
to reciprocate in its socket, or to fly in and out, and thereby to bring its lower
prong alternately in line with and out of line with the sliding blocks m. T'o this
end the lower prong of the spring-bolt is ranged in the same circular line or path
in which these sliding blocks m are carried by the wheel G (see Figure 2.)
Now by reference to Figure 10, which is an enlarged diagram of this crimp con-
tracting mechanism, showing an outer face view of the wheel G, it will be seen that
the crimped wire E entering the shell H in the direction of the arrow shown in
Figure 10, and along the inner face of the wheel G, has its crimps, as they are
made by the wheels f, h, so spaced that they will be taken up successively by the
inwardly projecting blocks m of the wheel G, and carried along by said wheel
during the rotation of the same.
Whenever an uncontracted crimp approaches the bolt r, of which the lower
prong is shown by dotted lines in Figure 10, this bolt is shot out into the way of
such loop or crimp of the wire E and prevents, for the time being, the further advance
of said crimp, and as the wheel G continues to turn, that one of the inwardly
projecting blocks m which is nearest the bolt and approaching the same,
necessarily contracts such crimp or compresses it between itself and the bolt.
This is clearly shown in Figure 10, where the bolt is shown by dotted lines.
As soon as the actuating block m has approached the outwardly projecting bolt
near enough to insure the requisite degree of compression of the crimp, the bolt is
pushed into its socket by one of the teeth on the face of the wheel Ġ, and at the
same time the actuating block m which assisted in the compression just described
arrives opposite a recess in the cam plate o and is pressed outwards by its spring n
so as to be entirely out of the way of the wire E. The wheel G continues to turn
slowly, and the next succeeding block m by so doing feeds the wire along until the
next crimp of the wire arrives opposite the lower prong of the bolt r, at which
time the bolt is suddenly shot forward into such crimp, taking the place which was
formerly occupied by the last preceding actuating block m, and the operation is
then continued as before.
In order to make this part of the description somewhat clearer, and pointing
once more to Figure 10 of the Drawing, I will for the sake of exactness mark
one of the sliding blocks m, the next one m², the next one m³.
The wheel G turns in the direction indicated, that is to say, so that m²
follows m.
The Figure shows a compressed crimp between the bolt aud the block m, and I
wish it to be understood that at this time the bolt will be drawn out of the way of
the wire in one direction, and the block m also drawn out of the way of the wire in
the other direction. Thereupon, the wheel continuing to turn, the next block m²
travels along until the crimp, within which the block m was formerly contained,
arrives in line with the bolt r, whereupon the bolt is shot into said crimp,
forming a stationary abutment against which the advancing block m² will compress
the crimp in the same manner in which it appears in the Drawing, that the block m
has compressed the previous crimp between itself and the bolt.
The toothed wheel l, which is revolved by the worm d of the shaft B, is an
annular wheel, as indicated in Figure 1, and is mounted upon a cylinder I, which
is hung in the frame A, as shown in Figure 11. The toothed wheel carries
another toothed wheel 8, which, as shown in Figure 3, meshes into a pinion t, whose
arbor is hung in the frame. The arbor of the wheel t carries at the opposite side,
which I will call the front of the machine (the shaft B being at the back), another
pinion which gears into a toothed wheel v that is as large as and exactly in
line with the toothed wheel l.
This wheel v is also annular but has a notched inner edge, so that in each of its
notches it receives one of the expanding pius J (see Figure 11), and so that as
the wheel v is revolved it will carry these expanding pins around and cause them.

page_text: to move along the outer circumference of a stationary disc L. This disc L has a
cam groove which is inclined, as indicated in Figure 11, and which receives inwardly
projecting lugs or noses from the expanding pins J. Thus, as the wheel v revolves
around the disc L and carries the expanders J around with it, these expanders are
pushed towards and drawn away from the cylinder I, and in this respect the
machine is so arranged that the expander which is directly to the left of the
axis of the disc L (see Figure 2) is pushed most outward, and that one which is to
the right of the axis of the disc L is drawn furthest away from the cylinder I.
To the face or front edge of the rotating cylinder I are bolted or otherwise
fastened a series of projecting rods a², between which are formed spaces, as clearly
indicated in Figure 13.
The cylinder I revolves together with these projecting rods a² at precisely the
same ratio as the wheel v revolves together with the expanders J, and there is an
expander J opposite each space between two rods a², so that whenever an expander
is pushed outwards it will enter into the space between the two rods a² which is
in its frout.
Within the circle which is formed by the rods a² is also attached to the
cylinder I (as is more clearly shown in the detail view, Figure 16) a ring b² of
metal, which ring has a roughened inner circumference, as is likewise shown in
Figure 13. This ring surrounds a collar that projects from a stationary
tubing M, that has its supports in suitable brackets N, which are rigidly secured to
the frame A. Through the tube M. is put another tube O which carries within the
cylinder I a collar e². Through the tube O is put a rod P which carries at its
inner end, and within the collar e, a suitable expanding device f² made on the
principle of a chuck, said expanding device affecting a split ring R which can by
means of said expanding device be forced further out or drawn more together, to
lessen or increase the space between itself and the inner circumference of the
cylinder I. The outer edge of this split ring has spiral grooves, screw-like, turned
around it, and may also carry frictional wheels with roughened edges, as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 1.
The rod P can be turned by means of a handle at the outer end to suitably affect
the expanding device. By means of another suitable screw g² the disc L can be
much further or less far away from the cylinder I, so that thus access to the face of
the cylinder I is easily had, and also the distance to which the expanders are inserted
into said cylinder regulated.
In final explanation of the machine I have to state that opposite to the inner end
of the cylinder I is attached to a stationary part of the machine the cam plate h²,
which terminates in the roller is, as indicated in Figures 2 and 2ª.
Before operations are commenced a cylindrical piece of wire netting of the
diameter which will enable it to be inserted between the ring d² and the cylinder I
is put into said space, and the expander f is then set so as to grip said netting and
insure proper frictional contact upon said netting of the roughened ring b². This
ring b² being turned, turns the netting, and as this netting is being revolved around
the spirally curved edges of the split ring R, the netting receives a slow screw
motion in a backward direction, that is to say, away from the disc L. When first
inserted this ring of wire netting is so placed that its front meshes project a short
distance beyond the face of the collar d². In this position the crimped wire E,
which I have described as having been shaped by the toothed wheels fand and
by the apparatus G and r, reaches contact with the inner circumference of the
projecting portion of such finished wire cylinder, as indicated in Figure 2.
It will be seen that the wire E follows the cam edge of the collar d², and that
it is thus gradually pushed outwards until its compressed loops or crimps are passed
through the projecting meshes of the finished wire cylinder which is in the machine,
and when these loops have been pushed through, the expanders move them and
enlarge them so that the loops cannot again be withdrawn from the meshes of the
wire cylinder, as indicated in Figure 12. Those loops of the wire E which are to
the left of the axis of the rod P receive the fullest thrust of the expanders, and as
in rotating the cylinder I and by the other parts of the machinery the finished wire

page_text: the
cylinder is made to carry the wire E along with it in the direction of the arrow,
expanders are gradually withdrawn from the expanded loops, and these expanded
loops are then brought in contact with the cam 2 and finally with the roller is, by
contact with which they are gradually flattened down, as in Figure 2b, and then as
the screw motion of the finished wire cylinder draws them inwards they become
part and parcel of the finished wire fabric.
In making this machine it is not at all essential whether the loops of the wire E
are put through one mesh only of the finished wire fabric, as shown in Figure 15,
or whether they are put through two meshes of wire. After the machine has been
started in manner described, it can be continuously operated for an indefinite length
of time. The wire E after it has been locked to the finished cylinder becomes part
thereof and increases the length of wire fabric and adapts it to receive new portions
of the crimped wire E as long as may be desired.
The Invention is of course applicable to all sorts of wire work, whether the same
be used for jewellers' purposes, for making window screens, or the like, and I do not
limit the use of the Invention to any particular purpose.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,―
1st. In a machine for crimping wire the combination of the toothed crimping
wheel with the toothed transmitting wheel g and other crimping wheel h, the
wheels and being placed face to face, but with their teeth somewhat out of line,
substantially as described.
2ndly. The combination of the crimping wheel f with the toothed wheel g and
crimping wheel h and with the adjusting screw or screws, substantially as
specified.
3rdly. The combination of the wheel G, sliding blocks m, springs n, and cam
edge o with the spring bolt 7, the wheel G having a ribbed or toothed face for
actuating said bolt, substantially as described.
4thly. In a machine for making wire fabrics the combination of a reciprocating
bolt with rotating and reciprocating blocks m for compressing the crimps of the
wire in a continuous operation, substantially as specified.
5thly. The combination of the rotating cylinder I carrying projecting rods a² and
the roughened cylinder with the expansion ring R and with the loop expanders J
and their carrying cam L and ring V, as described.
6thly. The combination of the stationary collar d², loop inserting cam ², and loop
bending cam h² with the rotating cylinder I and with a series of rotating and
reciprocating expanding tools J ranged in a circle, and with mechanism for moving
said tools J back and forth in rotation for operation, substantially as specified.
7thly. In a machine for making wire fabrics the rotating and reciprocating
expanding tools J, combined with the cylinder I, which receives the finished wire
fabric, and with mechanism for gradually screwing the said fabric outwards,
substantially as described.
Sthly. In a machine for making wire cylinders the combination of apparatus for
crimping the wire and for compressing the crimps with apparatus for inserting the
crimps into meshes of finished wire fabric, and for gradually feeding the finished
wire fabric by screw motion, all in one continuous operation, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.