Improvements in the Manufacture of Splayed Cotters and in Machinery therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 27th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Splayed Cotters and in
Machinery therefor.
I, ALFRED ERNEST BUSBY, of Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Wire Chain Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to what are known as "splayed" cotters which have
heretofore usually been made by taking an ordinary half round wire cotter and by
press tools cutting off in an inclined direction a portion of the shank near its end so
as to form somewhat of a chisel point to the cotter, flat at one side and rounded at
the other, this chisel point being afterwards slightly curved or bent towards its
rounded side.
By this method of manufacture a considerable amount of scrap is formed by the
small pieces which are cut off the ends of the shanks in forming the points and there
is also a considerable percentage of wasters as it is found difficult to ensure the
cut being made in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal division of the shank
which is very essential to ensure the pointed part bending evenly and being easily
opened by a chisel when in use.
The objects of this invention are to make the said splayed cotters in such a way
that they will have a better appearance and finish, that there will be no scrap, that
the percentage of wasters will be reduced to a minimum, and the cost of manu-.
facture considerably reduced by performing the flattening and bending operations
simultaneously.
In making a splayed cotter according to my invention I take a cotter made
from half round wire which is rather shorter than the finished length and I
form the said chisel point by pressure along the shank towards its point (in
suitable dyes or tools as hereinafter described) so as to form the said flat part and
at the same time to elongate the cotter to the required length, thus preventing any
scrap. The chisel point thus formed is either bent into the required form during
the said elongating and flattening process or afterwards.
Tools or devices for carrying out the above described process or processes forming
the first part of this invention may be arranged in various ways such for instance
as the following:-A pair of gripping tools, one of which is stationary and the other
arranged to move to and fro therefrom, and which are grooved to fit against the split
cotter hold the same firmly between them around its neck leaving that part of its
shank exposed which has to be flattened and bent. One of the said gripping tools
(preferably the stationary one) extends to the end of the cotter this extended part
being somewhat rounded and grooved to the shape of the finished cotter at its rounded
side. Adjacent to the other gripping tool is a bending tool which can move to and
from the stationary gripping tool and the front end of this tool is hollowed to corre-
spond with the finished cotter. Whilst the cotter is being held by the gripping
tools the bending tool advances and bends the end of the shank and flattens
and presses it into the rounded groove in the stationary tool thus elongating
the shank and making it of the required form. The said moving tools are
operated by suitable cams on revolving shafts or otherwise. The gripping tools or
one of them has a flat part corresponding with the flat sides of the looped end of
the cotter and against which these flat sides bear, or one of them bears, so as to
ensure the cotter being held with its longitudinal division exactly at right
ngles to the face of the bending tool and thus ensure each half of the cotter
being bent evenly.

page_text: I sometimes arrange for both the gripping tools to move to close on and release
the cotter instead of only one of them.
The front of the bending tool has or may have a small wedge shaped part
which slightly divides the extreme end of shank to facilitate a chisel being
inserted therein.
The tools above described may be made straight, instead of rounded, so as to
only flatten and elongate the shank of the cotter, the rounding process being subsc-
quently performed by similar tools as at present used or otherwise.
The said bending tool may either advance and retire in a straight line or in a
curved direction partly around the stationary tool.
Another method which I employ for forming the said chisel point to the cotters
is by a pair of rolls or sectors one of which has a half round and taper groove partly
around its periphery and the other roll or sector has a corresponding parallel half
round groove which ultimately becomes flat. When the rolls or sectors are in a
certain position to allow it, the cotter is inserted into the groove, its position being
governed by a suitable stop and as the rolls or sectors revolve they deliver the
cotter looped end first and elongate the shank to the required form.
In a further modification I dispense with the use of a separate gripping tool for
gripping the cotter whilst forming the chisel shaped and bent point the cotter in
this case being suitably guided and held by the pointing and bending tools alone.
Dated this 24th day of March 1890.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY.
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Splayed Cotters and in
Machinery therefor.
I, ALFRED ERNEST BUSBY, of Sheepcote Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire,
Wire Chain Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to what are known as "splayed cotters which have
heretofore usually been made by taking an ordinary half round wire cotter and by
press tools cutting off in an inclined direction a portion of the shank near its end
so as to form somewhat of a chisel point to the cotter, flat at one side and rounded
at the other, this chisel point being afterwards slightly curved or bent towards its
rounded side.
By this method of manufacture a considerable amount of scrap is formed by the
small pieces which are cut off the ends of the shanks in forming the points and
there is also a considerable percentage of wasters as it is found difficult to ensure
the cut being made in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal division of the
shank which is very essential to ensure the pointed part bending evenly and being
easily opened by a chisel when in use.
The objects of this invention are to make the said splayed cotters in such a way
that they will have a better appearance and finish, that there will be no scrap, that
the percentage of wasters will be reduced to a minimum, and the cost of
manufacture considerably reduced by performing the flattening and bending
operations simultaneously.
On the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents in side and front views an ordinary half round wire cotter for
forming the splayed cotter shewn by Fig. 2;
Fig. 3 represents in sectional side elevation and
Fig. 4 in plan a machine for forming splayed cotters in accordance with this
invention;

page_text: Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation and
Fig. 6 is a plan of the tool box and tools of the said machine on an enlarged
scale;
Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 5 but representing the bending tool in the act of
elongating and bending the cotter ;
Fig. 8 represents the stationary gripping tool separately;
Fig. 9 shews the moving gripping tool separately and
Fig. 10 shews the bending tool separately.
In making a splayed cotter (such as represented by Fig. 2) according to my
invention I take an ordinary half round wire cotter A. (such as shewn by Fig. 1)
which is rather shorter than the finished length, and form the chisel point a²
thereon by pressure along the shank towards its point (in suitable dies or tools as
hereinafter described) so as to form the said flat part and at the same time to
elongate the cotter to the required length, thus preventing any scrap. The chisel
point a² thus formed is either bent into the required form during the said
elongating and flattening process (and this is what I prefer) or afterwards.
Tools or devices for carrying out the above described process or processes may
be arranged in various ways such for instance as that illustrated by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9 and 10 which I have found to answer well in practice and which I will now
describe. B and C together form a pair of gripping tools of which the tool B is
stationary and is held in the tool box D by the set screws d² d² d² d². The tool
box D is secured to the bed 7 of the machine (as by the screws) and the
projecting part of the bed which takes the thrust on the tool box when a cotter is
being gripped. The stationary gripping tool B has a deep groove 2 in its face
which at is shaped to fit against the cotter as shewn and the moving gripping
tool C is similarly grooved at to fit against the straight part a³ of the shank of
the cotter so as to hold the cotter firmly between them when the gripping tool C
is moved forward as hereinafter described. The moving gripping tool C can be
moved to and fro in the slot 3 in the tool box D as can also the bending tool E, a
cover plate fixed to the tool box D prevents the tools C and E rising out of the
slot d. The part a² of the cotter which has to be flattened and bent projects
beyond the moving gripping tool C (see Fig. 5) but the stationary gripping tool B
extends at to the end of the cotter, this extended part being somewhat rounded
and grooved to the shape of the finished cotter at its rounded side. The front
end of the bending tool E is hollowed to correspond with the shape of the bent
part a of the finished cotter. The stationary gripping tool B has a flat part 5 and
the moving gripping tool C has a flat part 3 corresponding with the flat sides of
the looped end a of the cotter A and against which these flat sides bear, or one
of them bears, so as to ensure the cotter being held with its longitudinal division
exactly at right angles to the face of the bending tool E and thus ensure each
half of the cotter being bent evenly. Whilst the cotter A is being held by the
gripping tools B and C as above described and as shewn by Fig. 5, the bending
tool E advances and bends the end a² of the shank and flattens and presses it into
the rounded groove in the stationary tool B thus elongating the shank and
making it to the required form shown by Fig. 2. The tools C and E then retire
so as to free the finished cotter which can then readily be picked out of the slot b²
by inserting a piece of pointed wire in the loop of the cotter. There is a
groove in the tool B to facilitate this. When another cotter is dropped into the
slot to be flattened and bent as above described, the shoulders a³ of the looped
end rest upon the top of the tool B which thus forms a stop and prevents the
cotter falling in too far.
It will be evident that the tools C and E can be operated as above described by
any convenient arrangement of mechanism, such for instance as shewn in Figs. 3
and 4 where cams are used. In this arrangement the gripping tool C is moved
forward by the two cams fixed on the revolving shaft H carried by the
machine frame Z the motion being transmitted through the slide g³ furnished with
a set screw g' at its front end which bears against the tool C. The coiled

page_text: springs give the backward movement to the tool C. The bending tool E is
moved forward by the cam also fixed on the shaft H, the motion being
transmitted through the slide furnished with a set screw 3 at its front end which
bears against the tool E. The coiled springs give the backward movement to
the tool E.
The front of the bending tool E may have a small wedge shaped part e³
(see Fig. 11) which during the flattening and bending operation enters the division
of the shank and forces the ends a² apart slightly so as to facilitate the insertion
of a chisel therein. Or this wedge shaped part e³ may be similarly formed on the
tool B.
The lower part of the tool B and the working end of the tool E may (as
shewn by Fig. 12) be made straight instead of rounded so as to only flatten and
elongate the shank of the cotter to the form shewn by Fig. 13, the rounding
process being subsequently performed by similar tools as at present or otherwise.
Instead of the tools C and E being arranged to advance and retire in a straight
line as above described they may move in a curved direction as shewn for instance
in Figs. 14, 15 and 16. In this arrangement the tools C and E are carried on a
lever turning about a centre K and moved up and down by the cam on the
shaft H. The bending tool is fixed to the lever and set up by the set screw
and the gripping tool C is free to slide to and fro in the tool box as before.
coiled spring gives the necessary pressure on the gripping tool C to cause it to
grip the cotter and the forward motion of the tool C in its tool box is limited by
the set screw Fig. 14 shews the tools when they are ready to receive a cotter
and Fig. 15 shews the same when the cam has closed the tools on to the cotter
and flattened and bent it as required.
The
Another method which I employ for forming the said chisel point to the cotters
is by a pair of rolls M. N (see Figs. 17, 18 and 19) of which the roll M has a
half round groove m turned in it and the other roll N has a corresponding fat
part n which at is inclined as shewn so that when the rolls are in the position
to allow it (as shewn by Fig. 17) the cotter is inserted into the groove m as shewn,
as far as the stop o will allow. The bars p², fixed to the roll bearings at just
a sufficient distance apart to allow of the cotter passing between, prevent the cotter
twisting or turning. As the rolls revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows
the inclined part n comes into contact with the part a² of the shank of the cotter
and gradually flattens and elongates it to the shape shewn by Fig. 13 and delivers
it looped end first as shewn in Fig. 19. The rolls M. N are by preference geared
together by the spur pinions m³ n³.
It will be evident that instead of employing the continuously revolving
rolls M and N, roll sections moving to and fro around their axes may be used.
In a further modification as shewn for instance by Figs. 20 and 21 dispense
with the use of a separate gripping tool for gripping the cotter whilst forming the
chisel shaped and bent point, the cotter in this case being suitably guided and held
by the Hattening and bending tools alone. The tools shewn by Figs. 20 and 21 are
adapted for use in any ordinary fly press. The bottom tool B has a recess in which
the cotter A lies while it is being operated upon this recess corresponding with the
shape of the finished cotter shewn by Fig. 2, and it is by preference furnished with
the peg which enters the looped end of the cotter and assists in preventing the
looped end rising when the flattening and bending tool E (which is carried by the
bolt of the press) descends.
Both of the gripping tools B and C may if desired be arranged to move to close
on to and release the cotter instead of only the tool C being moveable but I prefer
for the tool B to be fixed as above described.
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 herein described improved process of making a splayed cotter which

page_text: cess consists in simultaneously elongating flattening and bending the shank of
ordinary wire cotter by pressure, or by simultaneously elongating and flattening
subsequently bending the said shank by pressure, the cotter meanwhile being
ported and prevented from turning in the manner substantially as herein before
forth.
2. The improved tools or devices hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
ompanying drawings for carrying out the improved process of manufacturing
ayed cotters denoted by claim 1, especially characterized by,
(a) The gripping tools B and C arranged to grip the shank of the cotter and
prevent the cotter turning in combination with the tool E which while the
cotter is being so held elongates flattens and bends the said shank to the
required splayed form (Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and Figs. 14, 15
and 16), or only elongate and flattens the said shank (Fig. 12) ready for
bending by a subsequent process, as herein before set forth.
(b) The rolls N and M (or roll sectors) formed substantially as described and
shewn in combination with means substantially as described for regulating
the distance which the shank of the cotter is inserted between the rolls and
for preventing the cotter turning, so as to roll the taper flat part a² on the
cotter A and deliver the cotter looped end foremost as hereinbefore set
forth.
(c) The tool B (Figs. 20 and 21) formed substantially as described so as to
hold the cotter, in combination with the tool E for flattening elongating and
bending the cotter to the required splayed form as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 24th day of December 1890.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.