IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR POLISHING NEEDLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Victor Milward, of the Firm of Henry Milward and Sons,
of Redditch, in the County of Worcester, Needle and Fish-hook Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR POLISHING NEEDLES."
Sealed the 9th April 1880, and dated the 15th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Victor Milward at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1879.
VICTOR MILWARD, of the Firm of Henry Milward and Sons, of Redditch, in the
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
County of Worcester, Needle and Fish-hook Manufacturers.
MACHINERY FOR POLISHING NEEDLES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in machinery
for polishing needles, for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 27th
day of October 1875, 3725.
In the said machinery the needles under operation are supported upon and rotated
by a steel plate, which has a slow, reciprocating, sliding motion given to it, the said
plate moving backwards and forwards at right angles to the direction in which the
needles are being carried forward by the feeding rollers. The polishing rollers or
buffs are situated underneath the steel plate, and operate upon the needles through
slots in the steel plate, as particularly described and represented in the Specification
of the said Patent and the Drawings thereunto annexed.
I have found in practice that the perfection of the polish given to the needles by
the said machinery is somewhat interfered with by certain minute lines or scratches
which are sometimes produced on the needles at the taper parts between the body
of the needle and the point.
These fine lines or scratches are produced by those parts of the steel plate on
either side of the slot through which the polishing rollers protrude to act on the
needles; and my present Invention consists of the improvements in or addition to
the said steel plate herein after described, whereby the formation of the minute lines
or scratches referred to is prevented.
I coat or cover those parts of the steel plate on which the needles are supported
with thin sheet vulcanized india rubber or other soft or elastic material; I find
vulcanized india rubber to answer well in practice. I fix a strip of india rubber on
each side of each of the slots in the plate, the said india rubber extending a short

page_text: distance over the edge of the slot on either side. I attach the india rubber to the
plate by means of cement, and further secure it by means of flat headed screws at
the ends of the strips. These screws screw into the plate, their flat heads fixing the
ends of the strips of india rubber securely to the plate. I find in practice that a
mixture of glue and whiting answers well for attaching the strips of india rubber to
the steel plate. The steel plate referred to is built up of a series of narrow plates,
each having one slot; these plates are secured together edge to edge, and virtually
constitute one plate with a series of parallel slots. When the narrow plates described
are secured together the strips of india rubber of one plate come into contact, edge
to edge, with the strips on the adjacent plates, thus virtually constituting a complete 1
covering to the steel plate.
Although I have found vulcanized india rubber answer well in practice, yet I do
not limit myself to its use, as leather or other soft or yielding and elastic material
may be used in place of india rubber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Victor Milward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th May 1880.
VICTOR MILWARD, of the Firm of Henry Milward and Sons, of Redditch, in the
County of Worcester, Needle and Fish Hook Manufacturers. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR POLISHING NEEDLES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in machinery
for polishing needles, for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 27th
day of October 1875, No. 3725.
In the said machinery the needles under operation are supported upon and rotated
by a steel plate, which has a slow, reciprocating, sliding motion given to it, the said
plate moving backwards and forwards at right angles to the direction in which the
needles are being carried forward by the feeding rollers. The polishing rollers or
buffs are situated underneath the steel plate, and operate upon the needles through
slots in the steel plate, as particularly described and represented in the Specification
of the said Patent and the Drawings thereunto annexed.
I have found in practice that the perfection of the polish given to the needles by
the said machinery is somewhat interfered with by certain minute lines or scratches
which are sometimes produced on the needles at the taper parts between the body
of the needle and the point.
These fine lines or scratches are produced by those parts of the steel plate on
either side of the slots through which the polishing rollers protrude to act on the
needles, and my present Invention consists of the improvements in or addition to
the said steel plate herein before described, whereby the formation of the minute
lines or scratches referred to is prevented.
I coat or cover those parts of the steel plate on which the needles are supported
with thin sheet vulcanized india rubber or other soft or elastic material, such as
leather. I fix a strip of india rubber or leather on each side of each of the slots in
the plate, the said india rubber or leather extending a short distance over the edge
of the slot on either side.
I attach the india rubber or leather to the plate by means of cement, and it may
be further secured by means of flat headed screws at the ends of the strips. I find
in practice that shellac or a mixture of glue and whiting answers well for attaching
the strips of india rubber to the steel plate. The steel plate referred to is made
either in one piece or is built up of a series of narrow plates, each having one slot;
these plates are screwed together edge to edge, and virtually constitute one plate
with a series of parallel slots. When the narrow plates described are secured
together the strips of india rubber or leather of one plate come into contact, edge to
edge, with the strips on the adjacent plates, thus virtually constituting a complete
covering to the steel plate.
Although I have found vulcanized india rubber or leather answer well in practice,
yet I do not limit myself to their use, as other soft or yielding and elastic material
may be used in place of india-rubber or leather.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in transverse vertical section
machinery for polishing needles provided with a reciprocating sliding carrying plate
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 a transverse
section of the said plate detached from the machine; Figures 4 and 5 represent
modifications of the said plate, as herein after explained.
a, a, are the rotating carrying rollers of the machinery, and b, b, are the rotating
buffs or polishers; c is the reciprocating sliding carrying plate for supporting and
rotating the needles while they are being carried forward by the feeding or carrying
rollers a, a, the said plate c having a backward and forward motion at right angles
to the direction in which the needles are being carried through the machine, as
described in the Specification of the Patent before referred to.

page_text: The reciprocating carrying plate represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 consists of a
base or foundation of steel or other hard metal or alloy marked c provided with a
series of parallel slots e, e, those parts of the plate c on which the needles are sup-
ported being coated or covered with strips of leather, india rubber, or other elastic
material marked d. The said strips of leather or india rubber d extend a short
distance over the edges of each of the slots e, e, on either side, leaving a space or
slot for the polishing rollers or buffs b, b, to protrude through to act upon the needles,
as seen in the cross section Figure 1.
I attach the leather or india rubber strips d, d, to the steel plate c by means of
shellac, or by a mixture of glue and whiting, but other adhesive cement or material
may be employed. In addition to an adhesive cement or material flat headed screws
may be used for assisting in fixing the strips d, d, to the plate, but in practice I have
found an adhesive cement alone answers satisfactorily.
The steel plate represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is made in one piece, but it may
be built up of narrow plates, each plate having a slot in it, the said plates being
secured together edge to edge, as illustrated in plan and cross section in Figure 4,
where the slotted plates are marked l. The several narrow plates are fixed
together at their ends by a bar m and screws n. Or the steel plate may be com-
posed of separate narrow bars having the sectional form represented in Figure 3,
the ends of the bars being connected together by screwing or brazing them to
crossing bars.
Figure 5 represents in longitudinal section a plate composed of a series of bars of
the kind last described. In the said Figure 5, f is one of the separate bars having
step formed ends g, g, upon which the connecting cross bars h, h, are fixed by screws
at i, i; k is the leather or non-metallic strip fixed to the bar.
Although I have only described and represented my Invention as applied to a
machine in which the supporting or carrying plate has a reciprocating motion, and
the frame of the rolls is stationary, yet my Invention is also applicable to machines
in which the supporting plate is stationary and the frame of the rolls has a to and
fro motion given to it, as described and represented in the Specification of my foriner
Patent herein before referred to.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
the improvements, herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, in machinery for polishing needles, the said machinery being of the kind
described and illustrated in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on the
27th day of October 1875, No. 3725; that is to say, covering or coating those parts
of the reciprocating or stationary steel or metallic plate on which the needles are
supported, or supported and rotated, during the polishing operation with leather,
india rubber, or other soft or elastic material, for the purpose and substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Victor Milward, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sighto
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
VICTOR MILWARD. (L.S.)