IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL WIRE CARDS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN AND IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth, of the Firm of
.
Ashworth Brothers, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Card
Manufacturers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF STEEL WIRE CARDS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN AND IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashworth and
Elijah Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th
September 1880.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, of the Firm of Ashworth
Brothers, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Card Manufacturers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL WIRE CARDS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN AND IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
Our Invention relates particularly to the manufacture of wire cards from hardened
steel wire.
In such manufacture it has been found that owing to variations in the nature of
the steel an uniformly equal temper cannot be obtained with certainty, so that it
often occurs that in a single length of wire which should be hard throughout its
length some part or parts will be soft. As the adjustment of the setting machine
is made suitable to the hard parts of the wire it is not suitable to the soft portions,
and when such occur the required effect is not obtained, and frequently parts of the
machine are damaged, or in the event of the machine continuing to act properly
uniformity in the quality of the card is not obtained. The object of our Invention
is to remedy these defects, and to this end we in the first place employ apparatus
adapted to detect the soft portions of the wire and to give warning to the attendant
or to arrest the movements of the machine, or of parts thereof, or to impart such a
set curl, bend, or kink, to the wire as shall prevent the formation or setting of the
teeth, or shall otherwise lead to the detection of the inequality in the wire, and we
pply such apparatus to the card-setting machino, or to the hardening machine, or
o the dressing machine, or to any suitable machine through which the wire is
Drine 631

page_text: passed. In one arrangement we cause the wire on its way to the cutter in the card
machine to pass through a guide or aperture which will only permit the wire to
pass when straight, and we press upon the wire at intervals, and so long as the wire
is properly tempered the pressure does not produce a permanent bend, but where
the wire is soft or comparatively soft the pressure produces a kink or bend which
will not pass through the said aperture. A convenient way of obtaining the said
aperture is to employ two pieces of wire of a suitable guage to keep apart two
plates, whereby a slot-like aperture, quite smooth and straight, and sufficiently narrow
can be obtained, and to exert the said pressure a spring attached to a slide acted
on by a cam on the cam shaft may be employed. To stop the machine we prefer to
use a special stop-motion. One arm of a lever is caused to bear lightly against the
wire and another arm carries a pin or support which sustains the drop lever. When
the wire bends out of the straight line owing to its passage through the said aperture
being arrested the pin or support moves and permits the end of the drop lever to
fall, and the machine is stopped in the ordinary way. The soft portion of the wire
is then removed. The stoppage of the machine may bo determined by the extent
to which the wire yields to pressure; as, for example, an excessive yielding of wire
may cause the support to be withdrawn from the drop-lever, or may lower one end
of a drop-lever or of the ordinary stop lever, which may rest upon or be supported
by the wire, or the stoppage may take place when the end of the wire, by reason
of the bending of the wire, fails to inovo a lever or part, or the stoppage-of-the
machine may be otherwise determined by the yielding of the wire. A permanent
bend produced in a soft part-of-the-wire-may-have-the effect of preventing the wire
-from-being-scized_by_the_tooth_forming parts, but we do not consider this to be
sufficiently certain in its results. In the application of our Invention to dressing
or hardening machines we arrange for the excessive yielding of the wire to stop the
action of parts of the machine, or to give warning to the attendant, or to produce
a curl or bend, which would when the wire is fed into the card-setting machine
prevent the formation of teeth, as aforesaid. In some arrangements one arm of a
loaded lever may bear against the wire. The yielding of a soft part of the wire
will cause the said lever by a movement to break or make the circuit of an electric
alarm bell, or to release a part of an alarm apparatus or of a stop motion, or to
withdraw the support of a drop stop lover.
In an arrangement to produce a permanent "curl" in soft parts of the wire we
cause an arm of a loaded lever to bear against the wire in the interval between two
pegs or supports which by preference have angular corners, against which the wire
is pressed when it yields. Other pegs or parts are so situated as to increase the
curling action when the wire yields. This arrangement may be greatly varied. In
the second place we subject the wire to a tensile strain sufficient to break the wiro
at the soft places. Any suitable apparatus may be used for this purpose. In a
form of apparatus we consider to be suitable the wire is drawn off a druin which is
braked to such a degroe as that the strain upon the wire required to cause its
revolution will be a breaking strain for the soft portions of the wire.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th March 1881.
GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, of the Firm of Ashworth
Brothers, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Card Manufacturers.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL WIRE CARDS, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN AND IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
Ef
Our Invention relates particularly to the manufacture of wire cards from
hardened and tempered steel wire.
In such manufacture it has been found that owing to variations in the nature of
the steel an uniformly equal temper cannot be obtained with certainty, so that it
often occurs that in a single length of wire which should be hard throughout its
length some part or parts will be soft. As the adjustment of the setting machines
is made suitable to the hard parts of the wire it is not suitable to the soft portions,
and when such occur tho required effect is not obtained, and frequently parts of the
machine are damaged, or in the event of the machine continuing to act properly
uniformity in the quality of the cards is not obtained. The object of our Invention
is to remedy these defects, and to this end we in the first place employ apparatus
adapted to detect the soft portions of the wire and to give warning to the attendant,
or to arrest the movements of the machine or of parts thereof, or to impart such a
set, curl, bend, or kink to the wire as shall prevent the formation or setting of the
teeth or shall otherwise lead to the detection of the inequality in the wire, and we
apply such apparatus to the card-setting machine, or to the hardening machine, or
to the dressing machine, or to any suitable machino through which the wire is
passed. In one arrangement we cause the wire on its way to the cutter in the card
machine to pass through an aperture which will only permit the wire to pass when.
straight, and we press upon the wire at intervals, and so long as the wire is
properly tempered the pressure does not produce a permanent bend, but where the
wire is soft or comparatively soft the pressure produces a kink or bend which will
not pass through the said aperture. To stop the machine we prefer to use a special
stop motion. One arm of a lever is caused to bear lightly against the wire, and
another arm carries a pin or support which sustains the drop lever. When the
wire bends out of the straight line, owing to its passage through the said aperture
being arrested, the pin or support moves and permits the end of the drop lever to
fall and the machine is stopped in the ordinary way.
In an arrangement to produce a permanent "curl" in soft parts of the wire we
cause an arm of a loaded lever to bear against the wire in the interval between
two pegs or supports, which by preference have angular corners against which the
wire is pressed when it yields. In the second place we subject the wire to a tensile
strain, sufficient to break the wire at the soft places.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we have attached
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of reference. Referring to the
said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan of parts of an
ordinary card-setting machine, the parts not necessary to the illustration of our
Invention not being included in the Drawings. In the Figs. a is the ordinary
slider which carries the staple forming parts, and which is acted upon by the cam
shaft b as is usual. The steel wire, which is indicated by the dotted line c, passes
through the ordinary feeder d and the ordinary gripper e and through an aperture
in a guide, which is separately represented by Figs. 5 and C. The said guide
consists of a bracket which is secured to the framing of the machine, and of a
plate f which is secured by screws to this bracket. The plate f¹ and the bracket f
are kept apart by means of two short pieces of wire of a little heavier gauge than

page_text: the wire c, whereby is obtained a long smooth slot or aperture through which the
wire will just pass when straight. A hole for the passage of the wire might be
drilled or otherwise formed in the guide f, but we prefer the indicated arrangement
as it secures a straight smooth aperture of a width which can be easily regulated,
and which can be readily cleaned and trued up when required. Attached to a
projection from the slider a is a bar g, which is separately represented by Fig. 7.
To the end of this bar is fixed a spring h. Each time that the slider advances
when forming and inserting a staple the free end of the spring his pressed against
the wire cat a point between the gripper c and the guide f. The spring is so
regulated in strength, and the bar g is so adjusted upon the slider as that the wire c
when not properly hardened and tempered shall be subjected to such pressure as
shall produce a permanent bend in the wire; but when the wire is well hardened
and tempered the wire springs back into a straight line. To a fixing i is jointed a
prop which is formed with a projecting arm 2, and is separately represented in
Figs. 3 and 4. The top of this prop is formed with a narrow or rounded edge
upon which rests the lower end of a projection from the drop lever k, which is
mounted upon a fulcrum at and sustains the stop l. The end of the lever
slightly preponderates over the end l, as is usual, and the said end is sustained by
the part so long as the said prop remains in the vertical position indicated in
Fig. 1. The weight of the arin 2 of the prop tends to move the prop out of the
vertical position, and this tendency is restrained by reason-of-the-lower end-of-the
prop, or an adjustable plate thereon, bearing against the wire c. In order that the
action of the parts-may-be-understood_we_will_s
suppose that the spring / has met
_with.a.soft_place_in_the_wire, and has formed a bend therein, as indicated in Fig. 6.
When the wire is pushed forwards by the feeder the said bend-prevents the-wire-
from passing through the guide f, whereby the forward movement of the wire is
arrested, the result being that the wire between the feeder and the gripper c is bent
out of the straight line, yielding sideways to the pressure of the prop j, which thus
losing its support moves out of its vertical position, thereby allowing the end I of
the drop lever to fall. The stoppage of the machine then takes place in the
ordinary manner, the lower end of the stop piece being interposed between the
arm mou the slider, and the lever n which holds the stop rod o, whereby the said
stop rod is released. The soft portion of the wire is then drawn forwards and
cut off, and the machine is re-started. The parts i, k, and I may be varied in form
and action, so long as the indicated result is obtained. A permanent bend or curl
produced in a soft portion of the wire may have the effect of preventing the wire
from being seized by the tooth forming parts. Figs. 8 and 8ª illustrate an arrangement
for pressing upon the wire in order to produce such a permanent bend or curl.
The wire c passes between two pins 2 and the end of a lever 7 which is loaded, so
that the said end presses upon the wire. This pressure does not permanently effect
the harder parts of the wire, but the softer portions take a permanent set or curl.
Such an apparatus may be applied to the card-setting machine, or to any other
machine through which the wire passes, such, for example, as the hardening or the
dressing machines. The arrangement for pressing upon the wire, or for producing
the bend, set, or curl therein, may be greatly varied without departing from the
nature and intent of our Invention. A modification is indicated by Fig. 10. In
this example the wire is drawn between pegs or pins, which bend it out of the
straight line, and produce a permanent curl in the softer portions of the wire. In
some cases we may arrange for the movement of the lever q, or of a lever or part
substituted therefor, arising from the yielding of a soft portion of the wire to break
or make the circuit of an electric alarm bell, or to release a part of an alarm
apparatus, or of a stop motion, or to withdraw the support of a drop stop lever so
as to stop the machine in the manner hereinbefore indicated. In the second place
we subject the wire to a tensible strain sufficient to break the wire at the soft places,
as herein before mentioned. Any suitable apparatus may be employed for the
purpose, but we have illustrated what we consider to be a suitable appliance in
Fig. 9 of the Drawings. In this example represents a drum, upon which is

page_text: wound the wire to be tested. This drum is fixed upon an axle, which is mounted
to revolve in suitable bearings, and is furnished with a brake pulley 8, to which is
applied a brake rope t. A brake strap or brake blocks or other suitable appliances,
or any suitable form of brake, may be substituted for the said rope, or for the rope
and pulley. The wire passes from the drum r to a second drum u, which is caused
to revolve by any suitable means, and draws the wire from the drum r. The
weight vor the frictional resistance of the brake is so regulated as that the strain
upon the wire shall be sufficient to break the wire at any soft place or places which
may be therein.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and
the manner and means whereby the same may be carried into effect, we would
have it to be understood that we claim,-
First. Passing the wire through an aperture which will arrest bent portions of
wire, and pressing upon the wire in such a manner as shall form bends in any soft
places which there may be in the wire, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated.
Secondly. The parts g, h, and f, for the indicated purpose.
Thirdly. The propj acting in concert with the parts g, h, and f, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Fourthly. The employment of a lever or part which presses upon the wire in
order to produce a bend or curl in the softer portions of the wire, or in order that
the yielding of such portions shall cause the stoppage of the machine or give an
aların.
Fifthly. The arrangement, substantially as set forth and indicated with reference
to Figs. 8 and 84 of the Drawings or any modification of the same, for producing a
permanent curl in the soft portions of the wire.
Sixthly. Subjecting the wire to a tensile strain, which will have the effect of
breaking the wire at the soft places.
And, lastly. The arrangement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated with reference to Fig. 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Ashworth and Elijah Ashworth,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of March, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
ASHWORTH
Signed, scaled, and delivered
in presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
41, John Dalton St.,
Manchester,
(Agent for the Patentees).
MIN
ELIJAH ASHWORTH (L.S.)