New or Improved Machinery for Counting Needles.
Year: 1885

page_text: New or Improved Machinery for Counting Needles.
We ROBERT SMITH BARTLEET trading as William Bartleet and Sons of Abbey
Mills Redditch in the County of Worcester Manufacturer and WILLIAM TANDY of
N° 39 Cranswick Road South Bermondsey Estate London Machinist do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
COUNTING NEEDLES to be as follows:-
"
The said invention consists of machinery for counting needles the parts of which
are constructed and combined or arranged in the manner hereinafter described.
By the use of the said machinery needles are counted in series of twenty five
each (or other required number) and delivered on the paper in which they are to
be wrapped or onto a metal or other plate as desired.
The said machinery is constructed essentially as follows:-A vertical shaft or
axis works in bearings situated respectively at or near the top and bottom of the
fixed framing of the machine. Motion is communicated to this shaft from a
horizontal shaft by means of bevil gearing. The horizontal shaft may be driven
by hand or steam or other power. To the top of the vertical shaft an annular
platform is fixed the said platform carrying twenty five (or other number) of
carriers or hoppers open at top. In these carriers the needles from which the
series are to be counted are placed. In the bottom of each carrier is a slot radial
to the shaft and a vertically sliding picker-up works in each slot. The top of the
picker up is forked so that when it is raised through the needles in the carrier it
picks up one of them. The lower end of each picker up is provided with a roller
which bears upon a fixed annular incline near the bottom of the machine. This
incline rises uniformly in the direction in which the rollers travel over it through
the greater part of its length its highest part joining its lowest part by a steep
incline.
When a rotary motion is given to the vertical shaft the carriers containing the
needles are carried round and the pickers-up as their rollers travel up the incline
rise in their carriers and when at their highest points their forked tops protrude
above the tops of the carriers each forked top of the pickers up holding a needle.
As the pickers-up approach their highest point their forked tops come opposite to a
fixed nearly horizontal forked plate which I will call a gatherer. The horizontal
1177

page_text: forked arms of the gatherer pass between the vertical forked ends of the picker-
up and beneath the needle carried by the picker up. As the picker-up advances
it comes to the rapidly descending part of the incline and its roller travelling down
the said part of the incline the picker-up is withdrawn from the gatherer leaving
the needle upon the said gatherer. The twenty five or other number of pickers-up
thus reach in rapid succession the gatherer and deposit their respective needles
upon it. The gatherer is slightly inclined and the needles roll down it onto a
paper or wrapper placed to receive them there being a projecting ledge on the
gatherer for the edge of the paper or wrapper to be put under. They are removed
on the wrapper by the attendant and are wrapped up in the usual way or are left
on the plate at the bottom of the gatherer ready to be picked up for sticking into
cloth or paper.
Between the twenty fifth carrier and the first is an unfilled space and during
the interval in which this part of the rotating annular platform is passing the
gatherer no needles are delivered. During this time the attendant removes one
counted quantity of needles on its wrapper and places another wrapper or plate at
the rear of the gatherer for the reception of the next counted quantity of needles.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We ROBERT SMITH BARTLEET, trading as William Bartleet and Sons, of Abbey
Mills, Redditch in the County of Worcester Manufacturer and WILLIAM TANDY
of N° 39 Cranswick Road, South Bermondsey Estate, London, Machinist do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The said invention consists of machinery for counting needles the parts of
which are constructed and combined or arranged in the manner hereinafter
described.
By the use of the said machinery needles are counted in series of twenty five
each (or other required number) and delivered on the paper in which they are to
be wrapped or onto a metal or other plate as desired.
The said machinery is constructed essentially as follows A vertical shaft or
axis works in bearings situated respectively at or near the top and bottom of the
fixed framing of the machine. Motion is communicated to this shaft from a
horizontal shaft by means of bevil gearing. The horizontal shaft may be driven
by hand or steam or other power. To the top of the vertical shaft an annular
platform is fixed, the said platform carrying twenty five (or other number) of
carriers or hoppers open at top. In these carriers the needles from which the
series are to be counted are placed. In the bottom of each carrier is a slot radial
to the shaft and a vertically sliding picker-up works in each slot. The top of the
picker-up is forked so that when it is raised through the needles in the carrier it
picks up one of them. The lower end of each picker up is provided with a roller
which bears upon a fixed annular incline near the bottom of the machine. This
incline rises uniformly in the direction in which the rollers travel over it through
the greater part of its length, its highest part joining its lowest part by a steep
incline.
When a rotary motion is given to the vertical shaft the carriers containing the
needles are carried round and the pickers-up as their rollers travel up the incline
rise in their carriers and when at their highest points their forked tops protrude
above the tops of the carriers, each forked top of the pickers-up holding a needle.
As the pickers-up approach their highest point their forked tops come opposite to
a fixed nearly horizontal forked plate which we will call a gatherer. The horizontal
forked arms of the gatherer pass between the vertical forked ends of the picker-up
and beneath the needle carried by the picker up.
As the picker up advances it comes to the rapidly descending part of the incline
and its roller travelling down the said part of the incline the picker-up is withdrawn
from the gatherer leaving the needle upon the said gatherer.
The twenty five or other number of pickers-up thus reach in rapid succession
the gatherer and deposit their respective needles upon it. The gatherer is slightly
inclined and the needles roll down it onto a paper or wrapper placed to receive
then there being a projecting ledge on the gatherer for the edge of the paper or
wrapper to be put under. They are removed on the wrapper by the attendant and
are wrapped up in the usual way or are left on the plate at the bottom of the
gatherer ready to be picked up for sticking into cloth or paper.

page_text: Between the twenty fifth carrier and the first is an unfilled space and during the
interval in which this part of the rotating annular platform is passing the gatherer
no needles are delivered. During this time the attendant removes one counted
quantity of needles on its wrapper and places another wrapper or plate at the
rear of the gatherer for the reception of the next counted quantity of needles.
We will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner
in which this invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent elevations taken at right angles to one another of
needle counting machinery constructed according to this invention; Figure 3
represents a plan of the same and Figure 4 a vertical section of the same;
Figures 5 and 6 represent sections of portions of the machinery taken at right
angles to one another, drawn to a larger scale, the said Figures 5 and 6 exhibiting
some of the pickers-up at their highest positions, one of the said pickers up having
delivered a needle to the fixed forked plate or gatherer and the other pickers-up
being about to deliver the needles supported on their forked and grooved tops to
the gatherer. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures of the Drawings: a is the vertical hollow shaft of the machine working
upon the spindle b fixed at top and bottom to the framing of the machine (see the
section Figure 4). The hollow shaft a is driven by the bevil gearing c, c from the
horizontal driving shaft d by the spur gearing e, e the said driving shaft d being.
driven by a pulley and band or by hand. On the top of the vertical shaft a the
annular platform f is fixed the said platform f having secured to it twenty five (or
other number of) carriers g, g in which the needles to be counted are placed The
annular platform f turns freely about the central fixed spindle b the said platform f
being preserved in its place by the washer and screw nut at a* the said washer
taking a bearing upon a shoulder on the spindle b as seen in Figure 4. The bottom
of each carrier has an inclined hopper 93 (see Figures 5 and 6) on which the needles
rest and through the column of needles in the said hopper the pickers-up herein
after described rise. In each carrier g is a vertically sliding picker-up h forked at
its upper end as best seen in the enlarged views Figures 5 and 6. The branches
of the fork of the picker up h are grooved at top and in the said grooves the needle
picked up from the carrier g is received as the said picker-up rises through the
needles in the carrier. The picker-up works through a slot in the hoppered bottom g³
of the carrier g the said slot being radial to the central shaft a (see Figure 3).
The lower end of each picker-up h is provided with a roller h which bears and
travels upon a fixed annular incline i near the bottom of the machine. The highest
part of the fixed incline i joins its lowest part by a steep incline as best seen in
Figures 4 and 6, the said steep incline being marked and is situated under the
needle gatherer. The horizontal roller bearing plate h³ of each picker-up h works
upon the vertical guide rods k, k fixed to the platform f and around the said rods
and between the said plate h³ and the underside of the platform f are coiled
springs 1, 1. By means of the coiled springs 7, 1 the rollers of the pickers-up h are
maintained in close contact with the incline i and the rapid descent of the pickers
up in their carriers effected for delivering the needles to the gatherer, the guide
rods, accurately preserving the pickers up in their vertical sliding motion.
Between the first and last carriers g, g the space m is left (see the plan Figure 3).
Over the machine is a horizontal table n at which are stationed the persons
employed in wrapping up the counted needles or removing the counted needles
for sticking them on paper or fabric. The table n supports the inclined plate
or needle gatherer p the end of which is forked as seen in the plan Figure 3.
Down the gatherer p the needles delivered from the pickers-up h roll onto the
paper or wrapper 2 placed on the said gatherer to receive them. In the gatherer
is an undercut ledger into which the edge of the needle paper q is passed (see
Figures 1 and 6) The action of the machinery is as follows:-As the vertical
shaft a is rotated the carriers 9, 9 containing the needles to be counted rotate
with the said shaft and the platform f, and the pickers up has their rollers
travel up the incline & rise in their carriers and each picks up a needle and when

page_text: the pickers-up are at their highest points the forked tops of the pickers-up protrude
above the tops of the carriers g, g, each forked top of the pickers-up holding a
needle. As the pickers-up approach the highest point of their travel their forked
tops come over the forked end of the plate or gatherer p and the needles carried by
the pickers-up are removed from them onto the gatherer. The manner in which
the needle is removed from the picker-up h is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. That
is to say, as the carrier advances under the gatherer p the forked end of its picker
uph passes between the horizontal forked end of the said gatherer and as the
picker-up at that moment is made rapidly to descend by its roller travelling down
the rapidly descending part 2 of the incline i, the picker-up is suddenly withdrawn
from the gatherer p leaving the needle upon the said gatherer (see Figure 5) which
needle rolls down the said gatherer and is deposited on the needle paper q. In this
way the twenty five (or other number of) pickers-up h first pick up the needles
from the carriers g and in rapid succession reach the gatherer p and deposit the
needles upon it which roll onto the paper q placed upon the gatherer. The needles
deposited on the paper q are removed by the attendant and wrapped up in the
usual way.
When the needles are to be stuck into cloth or paper the gatherer is
not furnished with wrappers and the twenty five needles are deposited at the
bottom of the gatherer onto the table n or onto a plate placed to receive them.
It will be seen by an examination of the plan Figure 3 that between the first and
last carriers g on the platform f there is an unoccupied space m and during the
time in which that part of the platform is passing the gatherer no needles are
delivered. During this time the attendant removes one counted quantity of
needles on its wrapper and places another wrapper or a plate at the rear of the
gatherer for the reception of the next counted quantity of needles or removes
the counted needles for sticking them into paper or fabric as before explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim;
First The combination in machinery for counting needles of a rotating platform
supporting a series of twenty five (or other number of) carriers or hoppers con-
taining the needles from which the required number is to be removed and a
corresponding number of vertically sliding pickers-up forked and grooved at top
working through the columns of needles in the said carriers, the said pickers up
being arranged with respect to the carriers or hoppers and operating substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly Supporting the vertically sliding pickers-up of the machine upon a
fixed annular incline having a rapidly descending part on which incline the said
pickers up travel as the platform makes its rotation and the combination therewith
of the rollers, springs and guide rods described and represented whereby the
pickers up are raised and lowered in their carriers or hoppers at the proper times
for taking up the needles from and raising them above the carriers and for
depositing the needles upon the gatherer substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly-The combination with the machinery claimed in the previous claims
of the forked gatherer or receiving plate marked p, q for withdrawing the needles
from the pickers up as they pass the said gatherer substantially as berein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying. Drawings.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.