An Improved Tag Stringing Machine.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Loft,, 27th. July, 1898-Accepted, 22nd: Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tag Stringing Machine.
I ARTHUR BARTRAM SNELL, of 51, Iffley Road; Hammersmith, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention; to be as follows:-
This, inventions relates to an improved tag stringing machine- and has for its
object to. construct a machine for attaching to tags: or labels the string which is
used. as. a. means. for securing the said. tags. or labels to. luggage or parcels.
In. carrying the invention: into effect, I construct a suitable frame of metal or
other, suitable material having a means provided for supporting a ball. or reel of
string. The string is. led. through. suitable guides, and tension pieces, to the front
of. the machine, where, the end: is. in position, to be grasped by a suitable clutch
which. is caused by suitable mechanism to advance,, seize the end and draw it out
into. position. for doubling; which is affected by means of a vertical revolving
disc having upon its periphery two projecting pins or studs, which engage with: the
string; and continuing, their movement draw out a length of string. The disc is
grooved: and has upon it a suitable spring device for holding the ends of the
string which lay in the groove upon the disc. The disc also carries an adjustable
knife which, severs the string. Upon the continued movement of the disc the
string becomes. engaged with a needle or projection. carried by a larger revolving
disc or wheel running in the same plane but in an opposite direction to the first
mentioned. disc. The needle or projection passes between the pins upon the smaller
disc and draws. the string, therefrom carrying it to the top of the circumference
of the wheel. Situated at a convenient point over the larger wheel or disc is a
horizontal. shaft, provided with a number of rods or arms upon, which are threaded
the tags,. the rods, passing through. the eyes therein.. One of these arms is brought
into a vertical position,, the length of the rod being such that the bottom tag
is just clear of the rod. and. rests upon a. guide plate. Whilst in this position the
advancing, needle or projection,, carrying upon its end the string engages with the
eye of the tag and upon the continued movement of the needle carries the tag with
it. The guide above referred to may consist of two plates of sheet metal having
a. slot. or opening in. the centre to allow of the free movement of the pin, and is
of such outline that the needle advancing is caused to project through the eye
and carry the string, with it. Whilst in the position last mentioned an oscillating
claw. comes into: action and passes through the looped string, lifting the same
clear of the pin and descending upon and grasping the ends of the string draws
the same through the loop, thus completing the stringing of the tag.
Upon the continued movement of the pin upon the wheel or disc the peculiar
outline of the guide causes the tag to be lifted free of the pin when it falls into a
receptacle provided to receive it.
It is obvious that the motion of the various parts may be intermittent or con-
tinuous. as may be found convenient and that instead of one needle or pin upon
the larger disc as: herein, stated a number of such pins may be employed."
Dated this 27th day of October 1897.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ARTHUR BARTRAM SNELL, of 51, Iffley Road, Hammersmith, 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 an improved tag stringing machine and has for its
object to construct a machine attaching to tags or labels the string which is
used as a means for securing the said tags or labels to luggage or parcels..
In carrying the invention into effect, I construct a frame of metal or
other suitable material and having adjacent or secured to the said frame a support
for holding a spool or ball of string. The string is located at the rear of the
machine and passes through suitable guides, a tension spring being provided to
prevent more string being drawn off than is requisite. The string is passed
through the guides aforesaid and a certain portion of the string is exposed so that
a clutch, to which motion is imparted by cams or the like, may be caused at
suitable intervals during the working of the machine to grasp the string at such
éxposed portion and draw it across the path of two peripheral extensions or pins
upon a revolving disc, which pins engage with the string and carry it forward
with them, the string for a certain portion of the revolution of the disc aforesaid
being still held by the clutch until a sufficient length has been drawn off from
the spool, when an adjustable knife carried by the disc comes into action and
severs the string, the clutch at the moment of cutting being caused to release the
end which it has hitherto retained. The disc aforesaid is recessed or channelled
upon its circumference for a short distance and the string now doubled is caused
to lie in the said channels, being retained therein by thin, metal plates secured in
any suitable manner to the sides of the disc. A spring presser is provided to
ensure the retention of the string as aforesaid and a guide is also provided to keep
the string in the requisite position.
:
Supported upon a shaft running in bearings formed in the frame is a larger
disc, or where it is intended to employ a gang of stringers two bosses with radiating
arms are attached inside the end frames to the shaft aforesaid and carry at their
ends bars to which are secured at suitable intervals apart a plate provided with a
projecting pin or stud which in its revolution passes between and engaging with
the string carried by the pins upon the smaller disc, the plate also carries a
spring clip designed to retain the ends of the string.
It is obvious that when a gang of stringers is employed it would be necessary to
provide a string tension and cutting device for each stringer, the action of each
gang being approximately synchronous, the same shaft would operate the whole
of the last mentioned devices. Running between the frames and secured thereto
at their ends are bars of angle iron supporting other bars which may be of iron
of L, or other suitable section, these latter bars having a circular contour in the
centre of their length, the ends of such bars being tangential to the said curved
portion and secured as aforesaid by screws or equivalent means to the longitudinal
bars. The circular bars are arranged side by side along the machine, a sufficient
space being left between the edges of the bar for the passage of the projections or
pins upon the bars attached to the arms upon the shaft. The circular portion of
the bars aforesaid is arranged so as to be concentric with the circle described by
the pins upon the bars so that when a tag is placed upon the bars the pins afore-
said will enter the hole at the end and push the tag forward.
Secured to a longitudinal bar, in front of the machine are a number of forked
plates under which the tags are drawn by the pin causing the pin to project

page_text: through the hole carrying with it the string, which, when the pin has reached its
maximum point of extension above the tag it is engaged by a curved forked
plate caused by suitable tappets secured to the end of its supporting rod or shaft,
to describe an arc of a circle, during its movement the ends of the limbs of the
fork passing on either side of the protruded pin and engage with the string forming
a loop and upon the further movement of the tag a second device is caused to
come into action and pass between the sides of the loop seizing the ends of the
string, which are beyond the end of the tag, and raise the same between the sides
of the loop, thus completing the attachment of the string.
In order that the invention may be the better understood drawings are appended
in which:
Fig. 1, is a front view showing part of a machine arranged with a gang of
stringers, the construction and action of the stringing mechanism being identical,
in each case only one set has been shown,
Fig. 2, is an end view.
Fig. 3, is a side view of the device for carrying the string from the cutting
mechanism to the tag.
Fig. 4, is a back end view of the device shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5, is a plan of the same.
.
Fig. 6, is a view of a tag with the string attached.
Fig. 7, is a back view of the cutting mechanism.
Fig. 8, is a side view of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9, is an enlarged view of a detail of the machine.
Fig. 10, is an enlarged view of another detail and
Fig. 11, is a transverse sectional view of the machine.
Figs. 12, 13, & 14 are views illustrating the action of stringing the tag.
1, is the frame of the machine consisting of two castings of the form shown in
the drawings. 2, is a longitudinal shaft provided with fast and loose pullies for
a belt from an external motor and which shaft 2, is located at the back of the
machine, and supported at or near its ends by bearings upon the castings forming
the frame and which shaft has at the opposite end to that supporting the pullies,
a pinion 3, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2). At the extreme end of the
shaft 2, is a disc 4, having a cam face adapted to impart a longitudinal motion to
the rod 5, shown by dotted lines, and which rod has a roller at its end in contact
with the cam 4, and a spring encircling its end between the roller and the frame
to keep the roller always bearing upon the said cam.
To impart the necessary rotatory motion to the rod 5, a lever 6, is attached
thereto which lever has a roller 7, in contact with a disc cam upon the shaft 2,
which cam is so arranged and constructed as to cause the lever at the moment
when the rod is pushed forward by the cam 4, to partly rotate carrying with it the
clutch 8, see Figs. 7, 8, and 11. The clutch 8, is composed of two parts, one of
which 9, is fixed to the pin 10, whilst the other 8, is capable of rotating upon the
said pin which pin is carried by the stud 11, secured to the rod 5, as shown.
Secured to the movable portion of the clutch 8, is a pin 12, to which is attached
one end of the spring 13, the other end engaging with the projection 13ª, upon
the stud 11, so as to keep the jaws of the clutch closed until caused to open, either
to seize the string or release it as the case may be, the opening in one case when
seizing the string being effected by the projecting piece 14 upon the boss 15 of
the disc or plate 16, secured to the shaft 2, and, in the other, when releasing the
string by the projecting pin 17, which pin serves also to secure the knife 18 to
the plate 16, a number of holes 19 being provided so that the length of string to
be cut may be regulated by placing the knife nearer to or away from the pins 20,
secured to the disc 16, said pins engaging during their revolution with the string.
21, is a projecting piece secured to the movable jaw 8, of the clutch, which pro-
jection lies in the path of piece 14, and when upon the opposite side of the disc as
shown in the drawings in the path of the pin 17 by which the knife is secured to
the disc 16. The disc 16, is provided at its sides with plates adapted to retain the

page_text: string until it is withdrawn from the pin 20; the pins being secured to a plate 23,
attached by means of a screw or the like to the disc 16. The action of the parts
enumerated is as follows:-The string X having been placed in position as shown
in Fig. 7, the rod 5, is caused by the cam in contact with the end thereof to
advance the same and the disc cam. in contact with, the roller upon the lever G
causes the rod to be rotated, lifting the clutch clear of the disc 16, until upon
the other side of the said disc, when the clutch. returns to its original position as
indicated by dotted lines Fig. 7, but whilst so doing the projection 14 comes into
contact with the piece upon the movable jaw 8, of the clutch opening the same
and allowing it to close upon and retain the string which it then lifts and carries
to the opposite side of the disc; and the pins 20 come into contact with the
string and pull out a predetermined. length thereof, the knife 18 coming into
contact with it and shearing it at the same time as the pin upon the knife bears
upon the projecting piece 21, opening the jaw and releasing that end of the
string, the ends of which are now held by the plates upon the side of the disc, the
presser 23, ensuring the retention of the string by pressing against the edge of
the disc as shown in Fig. 11.
To keep the string in position an arm 23, is provided which is carried by the
stud 23, supported by the block 23°, in turn secured to the transverse angle
bar 23d, which bar also supports the string guide 23, having a tension spring 23.
Supported by the frame of the machine is a shaft 24 actuated by the pinion 3,
which is in gear with the larger pinion 25, secured at the end of the shaft 24.
Upon the inside of the frame at the ends of the shaft 24 are two bosses 26, with
radial arms 27, to the ends of which are secured bars 28, running across the
machine and having upon them at suitable intervals apart plates 29, to which
are secured by bolts 30, 31, pins 32, shaped as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 11
and provided with a notched end 33 adapted to engage during the rotation of the
arms 27 with the string as it is carried round by the disc 16, the said disc and
arm being rotated in opposite directions, and draw the same off the pins 20. The
plate 29, has a central plate projecting at right angles to its base which plate
is shaped as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and has at one end a spring 34, secured
to the plate 29, by a screw 35, the plate at the top being slightly notched or
recessed as indicated at 36, Figs. 4 and 5, and being provided with a stop 37,
to prevent the string being drawn too far down, the string when first engaging
with the pin occupying approximately the position shown in Fig. 3, by the dotted
line X. Extending between the sides of the machine 1, and secured thereto are
bars 39, 40, to which are secured the ends of the circular bars of L, iron 41,
which bars as will be seen from Fig. 11, are tangential at their ends to the curved
central portion thereof, such curved portion being an arc of a circle concentric
with the circle described by the pin upon the plate 29, and the bars 41, are so
spaced as to permit of the passage therethrough of the pins, the flanges upon the
bars serving to retain the tag when it is carried forward by the pins. The tags
are placed upon the bars 41, a stop 42, being provided to ensure their occupying a
position in which the pin 32, will engage with the hole in the end of the tag and
upon pushing the same forward the tag will be pressed down upon the bars 41,
by the forked plate 43, secured to the bar 44, and which plate is more clearly
shown in Fig. 1, causing the pin 32, to protrude through the hole in the tag
carrying with it the string so that as the tag passes along the string will be
engaged by the horns of a forked plate 43", secured to the shaft 44*, supported in
bearings 45, formed upon the frame 1, and to which shaft a partial rotary motion
is imparted by the pin 45° secured to the periphery of the wheel 25, at the side
thereof see Fig. 2.
The pin 45, comes into contact with the plate 46 secured to the end of the
shaft 44, causing it to partly rotate, carrying with it the plate 43, the horns of
which pass on either side of the pin 32 and engage with the string as shown in
Fig. 12, withdrawing it from the pin and drawing it back as shown in Fig. 13.
Whilst in this position the shaft 48, to which is secured the finger 47, is caused

page_text: to rotate and the springs upon the sides of the finger engage with the string
holding it during the return movement of the plate 43, to its original position,
see Fig. 14. The string is now looped through the hole in the tag as shown in
Fig. 6, and the ends are retained by the finger 47 until the tag has been drawn
down by the continued movement of the pin 32 when the finger returns to its
normal position. The tangential portion of the bars 41 causes the pin to be with-
drawn from the tag when it is free to fall into a suitable receptacle. The shaft 48,
is supported in bearings formed upon the frame of the machine 1, and is actuated
by a pin also secured to the pinion 25, but in this instance located upon the inside
of the same and acting upon the plate 48", as shown in Fig. 2. The construction
of the finger is shown more clearly in Fig. 10, from which it will be seen that the
body of the said finger is approximately oval having two side springs 49, which
when brought into contact with the string engage therewith and retain it by means
of the notches 50, until it is pulled out by the movement of the pin 32, which
finally leaves the tag with its string upon the bars 41, when they fall into a suitable
receptacle.
The shafts 44, and 48 are provided with springs and stops upon their ends to
keep them always in the position shown in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a machine for stringing tags the combination of vertically disposed circular
bars upon which the tags are placed with revolving arms having pins or pro-
jections adapted to engage with the holes formed in the tags, a means being pro-
vided whereby the said pins are caused to protrude through the hole, and devices
for forming a loop and picking up and pulling the string through the said loop,
all substantially as herein described and shown by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine for stringing tags a device for pulling off from a spool a length
of string and placing same in a position so as to be doubled, and a knife for
severing the length, constructed and operating substantially in the manner set
forth and shown by the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a tag stringing
machine, constructed and operating substantially in the manner described and
shown by the accompanying drawings.
T
T1000