Improvements in Wire-forming, Straightening and Twisting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire-forming, Straightening and Twisting
Machines.
I, JAMES ATKINS, of Montclair, in the County of Essex and State of Nev
Jersey, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for forming, straightening
and twisting wire, more especially wire of angular or polygonal cross-section,
such for example as may be used in making twisted wire nails.
Such wire has been formed by drawing through dies or rolls and has been
twisted by forcing or drawing it through fixed dies which are screw-shaped so
as to twist the wire as it passes through. Owing to the excessive friction of
such drawing and twisting operations they have necessarily been rather slow
and therefore somewhat expensive.
My.invention provides means for forming the prismatic wire from round wire,
by a rolling action, and for twisting the wire also by a rolling action, and the
same means may also be employed to straighten the wire.
For this purpose, the round wire is passed through a series of pairs of rolls,
whose peripheries are grooved or are otherwise formed and arranged so as to
successively act on the wire to change it from a round to a prismatic shape. From
these rolls it passes to the twisting rolls which may consist of two pairs of rolls
whose peripheries are grooved to conform to the prismatic wire, the said two pairs
of rolls being angularly displaced with reference to one another so that as the
wire passes from one pair to the other it is twisted in conformity to the grooves
in said rolls. One or more extra pairs of rolls may be added at the end to act
as straighteners, but inasmuch as three pairs of rolls fitting a wire and in line
with one another will, in general, operate to straighten same, the two pairs of
twisting rolls together with the last forming roll may in some cases suffice also
for straightening. Instead of the pair of grooved rolls, sets of rolls arranged and
formed in any suitable manner to conform to the prismatic wire may be used.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my machine for forming, straighten-
ing and twisting wire.
Figure 2 is a top view, partly in section, of same.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are detail sectional views of the successive forming rolls.
Figure 6 is an end view of the twisting apparatus.
Figures 7 to 10 are modifications.
The various parts of the machine may be mounted on a suitable frame A by
means of suitable brackets or standards. The forming rolls, of which I have shown
three pairs, BB, CC and D D₁ are journaled in brackets a, a¹, a² and are arranged
in line with one another so as to take the wire, indicated at successively. These
rolls are formed with grooves bb, cc, and dd' which may as shown in Figures 3,
4 and 5, be adapted to roll the wire gradually and successively from a round

page_text: to a triangular form. The grooves bb¹ in first set of rolls B B¹ form, when placed
together, nearly a circular section but present three equidistant flat portions which
will but slightly act on the wire in three equi-distant portions. The next set of
rolls CC are so grooved as to somewhat further act on these same parts of the
wire and the last set of rolls completely flattens the wire in these three sides so
as to form same into a triangular shape.
From these forming rolls the wire passes to the twisting apparatus. As here
shown, this consists of two pairs or sets of rolls EE and FF; the former
mounted in bearings in a bracket a of the frame, and the latter mounted in
bearings on an angularly displaceable and adjustable support G, which has a
hollow hub or stud g journaled in a bracket a¹ of the frame. The peripheries
of rolls E E and F are so formed as to conform to the wire. For example,
if a triangular wire is being operated upon, one roll E¹ and F¹ of each pair has a
triangular groove e and f, the other roll of each pair being flat, as shown in
Figure 6. The two pairs of rolls EE and FF are so arranged that the centers
of the apertures formed between them are exactly in line with the center of
aperture between the rolls DD', so that the wire can be fed directly from the
forming rolls through the twisting rolls. The first set of rolls EE¹ of the
twisting apparatus, may have its groove placed so as to conform angularly to
the groove in the last set of forming rolls, but the pair of rolls F F¹, can have the
angular direction of its groove or aperture varied, by turning the support G thereof
on its hub g. To effect this angular adjustment of the support G any suitable
means may be adopted. I have indicated for this purpose a handle H on said
support, and a locking device to hold the support in any desired angular position,
consisting of a screw clamp K, working in a slot L in a plate attached to the
frame, said screw clamp when screwed up clamping the support G to the plate in
obvious manner. Stops 2, p' may also be provided to limit the motion of the
said support G, these stops engaging for example with the screw clamp device K.
In starting the machine in operation, the support G may first be brought to a
position as by throwing it over against the stop p wherein the aperture of rolls F FI
is in angular coincidence with that of rolls E E¹, and said support G is then turned
through an angle sufficient to produce the required twist, the stop 2¹ being placed
to stop it at the required point, when the support is clamped in place and the
machine started.
The clamping of the support serves to hold and fix the set of rolls F F in such
relative position with regard to rolls E E¹, that the wire-receiving spaces between
the respective sets of rolls occupy different angular positions in the two sets
so that as the wire passes from set EE to set FF it is twisted in a constant
and uniform manner. The operation may then proceed continuously, the
rolls BB, CC and D) D' successively forming the round wire to a triangular
shape, and the rolls E E and F F¹ twisting it. The motion of the rolls aforesaid
may be continuous, as for example, would be preferable in the case of making
wire for use in extended lengths, but in case the machine is to be used as an
adjunct to a nail making machine, the motion thereof may, if desired, be inter-
mittent.
It is apparent that the amount of twist given to the wire depends not only on the
angular displacement of the two pairs of rolls EE and FF1 but also on the
linear distance between these rolls, so that given a certain angular displacement
of these pairs of rolls, the twisting effect of same may be varied within certain
limits by adjustment of said linear distance. This may be effected in any suitable
manner, as by means of a screw connection S between the brackets supporting
said two pairs of rolls, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, one of said brackets,
for example, the bracket a³ being movable lengthwise of the machine.
The shape of the grooves in the rolls EE¹ and FF¹ may be varied, Figure 9
showing a form wherein each roll has a groove conforming to one-half of a
triangular wire, and Figure 10, a form in which each roll has a groove conforming
to one-half of a square wire. Or, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, these rolls may have

page_text: flat peripheries; and the rolls themselves be angularly disposed so that these flat
peripheries correspond to the three sides of a triangle or other angular figure.
In this case, there must, of course be as many rolls as the figure has sides in this
case, for example, there will be three rolls disposed at angles of one hundred
and twenty-degrees, so that their flat peripheries, meeting at the edges form an
equilateral triangle. These rolls may moreover be arranged with their axes in a
plane at right angles to the wire, or said rolls may be somewhat tilted up so
that their peripheries correspond with the angular planes of the flat faces of the
wire.
It is also apparent that the shape of the grooves in the forming rolls BB',
CC; DD may be similarly varied, and that the sets of rolls may be formed as
shown in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10.
.
The last set of forming rolls DI', together with the two sets of twisting-rolls,
may serve to straighten the wire sufficiently, or, one or more additional pairs
of rolls as shown in dotted lines at RR', may be provided, the same being mounted
in any suitable manner so as to serve at once to straighten the wire and to aid
in twisting it.
In some cases, the set of twisting rolls E E' could be omitted, especially when
the additional set of rolls R R¹ is used. In case neither set E E' or set R R¹ is
used, the rolls FF could co-operate with the last set of forming rolls DI¹ to
effect the twisting, the rolls EE serving the function of holding the wire to
enable twisting thereof.
By prismatic wire I mean, broadly speaking, any wire of angular or polygonal
cross section, such as triangular, square or flat wire.
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. A machine for twisting prismatic wire comprising two sets of rolls having
their peripheries formed and arranged to present between them spaces which
conform to the shape of the wire, and means for supporting and fixing said rolls
so that said spaces have different angular positions in the two sets of rolls, se
that as the wire passes from one set of rolls to the other it is twisted in conformity
to said spaces.
2. A wire twisting machine comprising two sets of rolls conforming to the
wire and arranged in line with one another so that the wire can pass through them
in succession, means for varying the angular relation of one of said two sets of
rolls, to the other, and means for clamping and fixing the two sets of rolls in
definite angular relation.
13. A twisting machine for prismatic wire comprising two sets of rolls, con-
forming to the wire and adapted to pass it successively between them, a fixed
support for one of said sets of rolls, and a support for the other set of rolls which
is angularly adjustable around the line of motion of the wire as a center, and
means for fixing said support in any desired angular position.
14. A straightening and twisting machine, for prismatic wire, comprising three
sets of rolls arranged in line so as to pass the wire successively between them
and so straighten it, the peripheries of said rolls being formed and arranged to
conform to the shape of the wire in different angular positions of same in the
successive rolls and means for holding the said sets of rolls in such relative
positions.
5. A straightening and twisting machine for prismatic wire comprising three
sets of rolls arranged in line so as to pass the wire successively between them and
so straighten it, the peripheries of each set of rolls conforming to the wire, and
means for holding two of the sets in such angular relation that the peripheries
of said sets conform to the wire in a different angular position of the wire so that
the wire is twisted in passing from one to the other.
6. A machine for forming, straightening and twisting prismatic wires consist-

page_text: ing of a series of forming rolls having their peripheries formed to successively
act on a round wire to change it to prismatic form, and two or more sets of twisting
rolls, one at least of which has its peripheries formed to conform to the prismatic
wire in a different angular position to that which is given it by the forming
rolls, so as to twist the wire, such sets of rolls being arranged in line, so as to 5
straighten the wire and means for holding the said sets of rolls in such relative
positions.
Dated this oth
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.