Improvements in or connected with Apparatus used for Punching Jacquard Cards.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus used for Punching
Jacquard Cards.
I, ANDREW MACDOUGALL, of Linnville, Lanark, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My said invention has for its object to construct apparatus for punching
Jacquard cards especially applicable to such cards as are used in connection with
knitting machinery the cards for which are usually punched in a slow and
laborious manner by hand. The apparatus is however also applicable for punch-
ing other classes of Jacquard cards.
In carrying out my invention I employ a screwed spindle or shaft of a length
corresponding to the length of the card to be punched, this spindle is carried by
and can rotate in bearings formed in brackets which can be attached to any
desired fixture or stand. On the screwed spindle or shaft there is an internally
screwed nut, by preference, made in halves which can be put into and out of gear
with the shaft by a cam lever, the nut being on a frame carrying a finger or pointer
the frame having also attached to it one end of the card to be punched the other end
of the card being attached to a block sliding in a groove, the card being thus kept
stretched. The screwed spindle is connected at one end by a series of change
wheels to a second spindle or shaft made without a screw and carried in bearings
so as to be parallel to the screwed spindle. On the opposite end of this second
shaft there is a ratchet wheel made with a number of teeth according to the number
of holes in the inch of the card being punched. This ratchet wheel can be turned
either by hand, or by foot through a treadle and pawl; and on each movement
turns its spindle and through the change wheels causes the screwed spindle to
revolve. This causes the nut to travel and move the card the distance of one per-
foration, the card in its movement passing beneath an ordinary hand punch
which can be brought into action to punch a perforation when required according
to the worker's reading of the design before him. The pointer carried by the
screwed nut indicates, at the same time, on a suitable scale placed in front of it,
the exact position arrived at in reading the design and punching the card, so that
the worker can stop and begin again at any time without the possibility of mistake.
When a card is punched the screwed nut can be disconnected from the screwed
spindle by the cam lever and it and its carrying frame returned quickly to the
starting position.
By my improved apparatus cards for any design and any number of perforations
to the inch can be punched with great accuracy and expedition, all that is neces-
sary to be done in changing from one gauge of design to another is to change the
ratchet wheel or change wheels to suit so that when the apparatus is put into

page_text: action the screwed nut will move along its spindle just the distance necessary
between each gauge space, the punch being also, of course, altered to suit the size
of the gauge.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus used for Punching
Jacquard Cards.
I, ANDREW MACDOUGALL, of Linnville, Lanark, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:—
My said invention has for its object to construct apparatus for punching
Jacquard cards especially applicable to such cards as are used in connection with
knitting machinery the cards for which are usually punched in a slow and
laborious manner by hand. The apparatus is however also applicable for punch-
ing other classes of Jacquard cards.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing my improvements.
Figure 1, is a plan, Figure 2, a front elevation and Figures 3, and 4, opposite
end elevations showing my improved machinery. Figure 5, is a transverse
section of a detail.
As shown in the drawings I employ a screwed spindle or shaft, A, of a length
corresponding to the length of the card, 13, to be punched. This spindle, A, is
carried by and can rotate in bearings in the ends of a bed plate, C, which can be
attached to any desired fixture or stand, D. On the screwed spindle, A, there is
an internally screwed nut, E, by preference, made in halves each half having two
pins, F, G, which work in vertical slots, H, J, in a frame or saddle, K, movable on
the bed plate, C. The ends of the two outer pins, F, work in cam slots, L, M, in a
cam lever, N, carried by the frame, K, and by the movement of the lever the halves
of the nut, E, can be put into and out of gear with the shaft, A, the nut being
shown in gear in the drawings; and to disengage the nut, E, from the shaft, A,
the lever, N, is moved upwards. The frame, K, carrying the nut, E, as described,
can slide on V-shaped guides on the bed plate, O. A finger or pointer, R, is
carried by the frame, K, and an adjustable piece, S, on the frame has attached
to it one end of the card, B, to be punched the other end of the card being attached
to a block, T, made with a spring tension device, U, and sliding in a groove, V, in
an overhanging bracket, W, at one end of the machine, the card being thus kept
stretched. In Figures 1, and 2, the card, B, and bracket, W, are shown broken.
The screwed spindle, A, is connected at one end, by a series of change wheels, X,
carried by an adjustable quadrant, Y, to a second spindle or shaft, Z, made with-
out a screw and carried in bearings in the stand, D. On the opposite end of this
second shaft, Z, there is a ratchet wheel, Z', which may be made with a number
of teeth according to the number of holes in the inch of the card, B, being punched.
This ratchet wheel, Z', can be turned in any desired manner by hand, or as shown
in the drawings by foot through a tramp lever, A' and pawl, A". The ratchet
wheel, 7, has formed or fixed on it a polygonal disc or star wheel, 72, on one of the
sides of which acts the upper end of a spring presser, B¹, carried in guides on one
end stand, D, so as to hold the ratchet wheel steady between each movement.
On

page_text: each movement of the ratchet wheel, Z', as described, the spindle, Z, is turned and
through the change wheels, X, causes the screwed spindle, A, to revolve. This
causes the nut, E, to travel and move the frame, K, and through the latter the
card, B, the distance of one perforation, the card in its movement passing beneath
an ordinary hand punch, C, which can be brought into action to punch a perfora-
tion when required according to the worker's reading of the design before him.
The pointer, R, indicates, at the same time, on a suitable scale (not shown)
placed on an inclined table, D', in front of the pointer, the exact position arrived
at in reading the design and punching the card, B, so that the worker can stop
and begin again at any time without the possibility of mistake. When a card, B,
is punched the screwed nut, E, can be disconnected from the screwed spindle, A,
by the cam lever, N, as hereinbefore described; and the nut and its carrying
frame, K, returned quickly to the starting position, by sliding it on the V-shaped
guides of the bed plate, C. In the drawings the carrying frame, K, is shown at
the middle of the machine.
By my improved apparatus cards for any design and any number of perforations
to the inch can be punched with great accuracy and expedition, all that is neces-
sary to be done in changing from one gauge of design to another is to change the
change wheels, X, or the ratchet wheel, Z, to suit so that when the apparatus is
put into action the screwed nut, E, will move along the spindle, A, just the dis-
tance necessary between each gauge space, the punch, C¹, being also, of course,
altered to suit the size of the gauge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination and arrangement of parts in or connected with apparatus
used for punching Jacquard cards substantially as hereinbefore described and as
shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In or connected with apparatus used for punching Jacquard cards, a screwed
spindle or shaft connected at one end by change wheels to a second spindle or shaft
having on its other end a ratchet wheel which can be turned by hand or foot the
screwed spindle having working on it an internally screwed nut carried by a frame
on which is a pointer and to which is attached one end of a card passing beneath a
punch, the other end of the card being attached to a block sliding in a groove sub-
stantially as herein before described.
3. In or connected with apparatus used for punching Jacquard cards the use of
a screwed spindle or shaft on which works an internally screwed nut substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Dated the Twenty-ninth day of Anril 1898.