IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING WIRE to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: We THOMAS COGLAN HORSFALL and SPENCER HENRY BICKHAM Junior Card
Makers and WILLIAM HOULDSWORTH Manager, all of Bridgewater Works
Pendleton in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING WIRE to be as
follows:-
"
This invention relates to the construction of improved apparatus for straightening
wire of small sizes such as is generally used in the manufacture of wire cards
employed for carding cotton and other fibrous materials; also for wire used in wire
weaving, stringing piano-fortes, and for other purposes for which fine, wire is
employed.
The invention consists principally of a small hollow spindle supported upon
suitable bearings, and having at one end a face plate or carrier.
On this face plate or carrier are mounted three studs so fixed as to be equi-
distant from each other and from the centre of the hollow spindle. On each of
these studs is fitted, so as to revolve freely, a roller with circular grooves cut in
the periphery so as to leave flanges of the original diameter so as to resemble a
series of small discs or washers fitted onto a boss.
These grooved rollers having the studs on which they work parallel (or nearly
so) to each other and to the centre of the hollow spindle, will be so arranged that
the flanges or discs of each roller shall work into the grooves or recesses of the
two others, in such a way that the inner point of intersection of the circumferences
of the three flanges shall coincide (or thereabouts) with the centre of the hollow
spindle.
The wire to be straightened is passed through the centre of the hollow spindle
and through the inner point of intersection of the flanges whereby it will be
pressed by each flange of each roller into grooves or recesses of the others, and
whilst the flanges are thus in contact with the wire, the hollow spindle and face
plate will be caused to revolve, at any required velocity round its own axis.
And thus the rollers are carried round in such a way that their flanges roll on
the surface of the wire and thus straighten it in all directions as it is being drawn
through the hollow spindle in the direction of its length.

page_text: The rollers may (if preferred) consist of single discs, in which case we employ
four instead of three and we arrange them in pairs following each other and so
that a line drawn through one pair shall be at right angles to a line drawn through
the other pair.
Instead of the face plate also a boss having three or four radiating arms may be
used to carry the studs upon which the rollers revolve; and whether a face plate,
or radiating arms be employed for this purpose we mount the studs therein and fit
them with regulating screws in such a manner that the rollers may be set to or
from the centre of the hollow spindle as the nature of the wire under operation
may require.

page_text: We THOMAS COGLAN HORSFALL and SPENCER HENRY BICкHAм junior, Card
Makers and WILLIAM HOULDSWORTH Manager all of Bridgewater Works
Pendleton in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING WIRE" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the construction of improved apparatus for straightening
wire of small sizes such as is generally used in the manufacture of wire cards
employed for carding cotton and other fibrous materials; also for straightening
wire used in wire weaving, stringing piano fortes and for other purposes for which
wire is or may be employed.
The construction and use of our improved apparatus will be readily understood
on reference to the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation
thereof.
Fig. 1. in the annexed drawing is a side elevation and Fig. 2 an end view of our
improved apparatus constructed to work with three grooved rollers, and Fig. 3 is a
view of the face plate hereinafter mentioned showing the radial slots and screws
for adjusting the rollers.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation and Fig. 5 an end view of the apparatus shown as
constructed to work with four rollers or discs. Fig. 6. is a view showing a method
in which the grooved rollers may be constructed.
The invention consists principally of a small hollow spindle a, a supported upon
suitable bearings in a headstock b, b and having at one end a face plate or
carrier c, c and at the other a grooved or other pulley d, d by which it is driven.
On this face plate or carrier c, c are mounted three or more studs e, e, e so fixed
as to be equidistant from each other and from the centre of the hollow spindle a, a;
(three are shown at Figs. 1. and 2).
On each of these studs is fitted so as revolve freely a roller f, f with circular
grooves cut in the periphery leaving flanges f and f* of the original diameter so as
to resemble a series of small discs or washer fitted onto a boss.
3
These grooved rollers f,f,f having the studs e, e, e on which they work parallel
(or nearly so) to each other and to the centre or axis of the hollow spindle a, a
will be so arranged that the flanges or discs f*, f* of each roller shall work into
the grooves or recesses of the two others, and that their circumferences shall
intersect each other and preferably in such a way that the inner points of inter-
section of the said circumferences of the three flanges f*, fx shall coincide (or
thereabouts) with the centre of the hollow spindle a, a.
The wire g, g to be straightened is passed through the centre of the hollow
spindle a, a and through the inner point of intersection of the flanges fx, fx
whereby it will be pressed more or less by each flange of each roller into the
grooves or recesses of the other rollers, and whilst the flanges f*, f* are thus in
contact with the wire, the hollow spindle a, a and face plate c, o will be caused to
revolve, at any required velocity round its own axis. And thus the rollers f. f,f

page_text: are carried round in such a way that their flanges f*, f*, f*, roll on the surface
of the wire g g, g and thus straighten it in all directions as it is being drawn
through the hollow spindle a, a in the direction of its length from one reel to
another.
Instead of forming solid grooved rollers as above described they may be formed
by stringing a series of flanges or washers i, i with collars k k intervening upon a
long boss or tube 7, as shown at Fig. 6.
l
The rollers may (if preferred) consist of single discs f¹f¹, ƒ ƒ³ as shown at
Figs: 4 and 5 in which case we employ four instead of three and we arrange them
in pairs following each other, the pair f¹, f' being nearer to the face plate c, c than
the pair ff, and so that a line drawn through one pair shall be at right angles to
a line drawn through the other pair.
Instead of the face plate c, c also a boss having three or more radiating arms
may be used to carry the studs upon which the rollers revolve; and whether a face
plate or radiating arms be employed for this purpose we mount the studs e, e, e in
radial slots therein and fit them with regulating screws h, h, h or other similar
device (see Fig. 3) in such a manner that the rollers fiff may be set to or from
the centre of the hollow spindle a, a as the nature of the wire under operation
may require.
We would also remark that although the rollers or discs f. f are hereinbefore
described as merely mounted on studs e, e, e in such a way that they are caused to
roll on the surface of the wire by the revolution of the face plate or carrier c, c, in
some instances we find it advisable to give a positive revolving motion to the said
rollers or discs by means of spur gearing round their respective axes, at the same
time that they are carried round the axis of the tubular spindle a, a by the
revolution of the face plate or carrier c, c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim as our invention is
First. The combination for the purpose of straightening wire of a hollow
revolving axle having at one end a face plate or radial arms carrying three or more
flanged or grooved rollers or discs equidistant from each other and from the centre
of the said axle or nearly so and so arranged that their outer circumferences
intersect each other substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawing annexed.
Secondly. We claim the use (for the purposes of straightening wire) of flanged
or grooved rollers or discs substantially in the manner herein before set forth.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicants,
4, St. Anu's Square, Manchester.
Dated this 26th day of August 1885,
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicants,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.