IMPROVEMENTS IN TEMPERING WIRES IN STRAIGHT LENGTHS FOR RIBS OF UMBRELLAS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants Umbrella
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TEMPERING WIRES IN STRAIGHT LENGTHS FOR RIBS OF UMBRELLAS AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in straightening and tempering
wires to be used in the manufacture of umbrellas and parasols or for any other
purpose for which wires tempered in straight lengths are required.
It is usual for the purpose of straightening and tempering the ribs of umbrellas
and parasols to employ a method which is also used by needle manufacturers, that
is to say-To place a bundle of the prepared wires into metal rings and whilst the
bundle is so held and is supported by rollers to cause it to be pressed upon by
another revolving roller in such a manner as to cause the wires (composing the
bundle to roll over and over whilst in contact the one with the other. The
tempering is at the same time effected by introducing into the bundle a sufficient
number of similar wires in a heated state.
The result of this operation as it has heretofore been practised is that the wires
become equally tempered from end to end which is not what is required for making
ribs or stretches of umbrellas and parasols and the wires have afterwards to be
subjected to an operation in order to soften the ends which are required to be of
a temper lower than that of the central portion.
In order to produce at one operation a suitable temper throughout the wire I
cause the bundle of wires whilst under the rolling and tempering operation to be
played upon and heated at its two ends by gas flames directed upon the surface of
the bundle whilst the wires roll over and over. This gives a uniformly higher
temperature at the ends of the bundle than in the middle from which it results
that the temper of the wires at the ends is lowered. The wires are there made
softer and this object is attained in a very uniform and convenient manner.
Dated this 14th day of February 1884

page_text: I JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants Umbrella
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TEMPERING WIRES IN STRAIGHT LENGTHS FOR RIBS OF UMBRELLAS AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES," and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in tempering wires in straight
lengths for ribs of umbrellas and parasols or for other purposes for which wires
tempered in straight lengths are required.
It is usual for the purpose of straightening and tempering the ribs of umbrellas
and parasols and other wires to employ a method which is also used by needle
manufacturers; that is to say to place a bundle of the prepared wires into metal
rings, and whilst the bundle is so held and is supported by rollers to cause it to be
pressed upon by another revolving roller (or by a straight bar to which a longitudinal
motion is imparted)-in-such a manner as to cause the wires composing the bundle
to roll over and over whilst in contact the one with the other. The tempering is-
at the same time effected by introducing into the bundle a sufficient number of
similar wires in a heated state.
The result of this operation as it has heretofore been practiced is that the wires
become equally tempered from end to end which is not what is required for making
ribs or stretchers of umbrellas and parasols and the wires have afterwards to be
subjected to an operation in order to soften the ends which are required to be of
a temper lower than that of the central portion.
In order to produce at one operation a suitable temper throughout the wire, I
cause the bundle of wires whilst under the rolling and tempering operation to be
played upon and hoated at its two ends by gas flames directed upon the surface of
the bundle whilst the wires roll over and over. This gives a uniformly higher
temperature at the ends of the bundle than in the middle from which it results
that the temper of the wires at the ends is lowered. The wires are there made
softer, and this object is attained in a very uniform and convenient manner.
The apparatus which I employ in carrying out this Invention does not differ
from that already in use except that in connection therewith I provide a flexible
pipe or pipes to which gas is supplied and which terminates at the end in a burner
from which the gas issues and being ignited burns in a long full flame. As soon as
the straightening of the wires has been effected by pressure upon the bundle the
workman taking in his hands the gas burners directs the flames on to the parts of
the wires which he desires to have of lower temper. This he does whilst the
bundle of wires is rolling over and over under the operation of the machine.
He continues to apply the flames until the result he desires is attained and for a
longer or shorter time according as it is intended that the parts on which the gas
flames are made to play should be considerably or only slightly softer than the
other parts of the wires. In wires to form the ribs and stretchers of umbrellas and
parasols it is the parts near the extremities of the wires which are required to be
of the lower temper but where it is necessary that intermediate parts of the wires
should be softer or of lower temper than the rest the result is obtained in the same
way by directing the flames accordingly.

page_text: 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 :-
The process in tempering wires in straight lengths of reducing the temper where
required by directing a flame or flames upon such parts of the wires whilst the
bundle of wires held in rings and supported by rollers is rolled over and over as
herein described.