Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Forming Teeth in the Edges of Metal Strips, specially Applicable for Use in the Manu- facture of Clips for Attaching Card Clothing to Flats.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
[Communicated from abbad by CHARLES MILLS, Superintendent, and LOREN
WALTER PENNEY, Mechanical Draughtsman, both of Newton, in the County of
Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Forming Teeth in the
Edges of Metal Strips, specially Applicable for Use in the Manu-
facture of Clips for Attaching Card Clothing to Flats.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., l'atent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The invention is designed to make or partially make the clip or strip for attach-
ing or securing card clothing to flats. The clip is made of a long strip of flat metal
bent to an angular shape and having a narrow side and a wide side, the narrow side
having angular prongs extending from it formed by folding or bending cut sections
of the edge to an angular relation to the wide side and the wide side being adapted
to extend about the edge of the flat and upon its back to fasten the clothing thereto,
it being understood that the prongs or starts of the narrow side engage the edge of
the clothing. And this invention comprises means for providing the narrow edge
of a clip of the character specified with the said angular prongs or starts, and it
comprises a feed-way for the angular strip, a bed or support at one side of the feed-
way narrower than the exposed edge of the clip or strip which it supports, a dio
or support adjacent to the bed for supporting the clip or strip edge during tha
forming therein of a cut or slit and preferably although not necessarily having
an oblique end upon which the cut or slit is made, a down-hold or device preferably
yielding to bear upon the strip while it is being operated upon and fed, a cutter or
slitter to form in the exposed edge of the strip slits or cuts which are preferably
diagonal or oblique, but not necessarily so, and a folder or turner to fold or turn
the cut or slit sections at an angle to the narrow section of the strip or clip adapted
to engage the notches formed in the edge of the strip by the turning or making
of the prongs.
The invention is illustrated as carried into effect by an organization which
combines in one instrumentality or upon one rotating block the slitting or cutting
device, the prong folding or bending device and the strip feeding mechanism.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a view in plan of the machine.
Figure is a view in horizontal section upon the dotted line of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section upon the dotted line y-y of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail view to illustrate the feeding of the clip to which reference
is hereinafter made.
Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical section upon the dotted line - of Figure 1
and showing in elevation parts back of that line.

page_text: .
Figure 6 is a detail view in perspective enlarged to show the relation between
the feed-way, bed, die-piece and cutter and folder and .the construction and opera-
tion of the cutter and folder.
Figure 7 is a view of the angular strip or clip before the prongs or starts are
formed in one of the sides and
Figure 8 shows in perspective the strip or clip provided with the prongs or
starts.
In Figure 7 we have represented the metal strip from which the clip is made
as partially formed; that is, it is reduced to an angular shape having a wide side a
and a narrow side a', this strip is of thin metal preferably of steel or iron and of
a quality to be formed by pressure. The complete strip provided with angular
prongs is represented in Figure 8. The machine, the subject matter of this
invention, is adapted to form in the narrow side of the angular strip a series or
line of prongs or projections which are made by cuts preferably diagonal although
not necessarily so, extending from the edge of the said section inward any desired
depth and by folding the cut section on a line from the end of each cut to the edge
of the said strip section to a position parallel to the wide-section of the strip and
so as to have an angular relation thereto, (see Figure 8). To accomplish this
purpose the machine has a feed-way adapted to receive the wide section of the
strip, a bed alongside the feed-way extending to the cutting or slitting device
which supports the narrow side of the angular piece, a die-piece, the end of which
bears operative relation to the tool which forms the cut or slit, and which serves to
support the material of the narrow side of the strip during the action of the cutter,
a down-hold for holding the strip upon the bed and die-block while it is being
slit, a prong folding or bending device and a strip feeding mechanisin, and the
strip cutting, or slitting device and the strip feeding mechanism are represented
as peculiarly combined, the slitting mechanism being shown as rotary and set at
an oblique angle to the line of the feed-way and bed and operating to first form an
oblique slit while its accompanying folder or bender practically simultaneously
bends downward the point or corner to form the angular prong. And inasmuch
as it is convenient to carry the strip feeding mechanism or devices upon the same
rotary support which carries the cutter and bender we have so represented them
and they comprise one or more spiral threads which rotate into the notch or notches
partially formed by the prong making operation and which threads act to advance
or feed the strip to bring new or uncut sections under the cutter and prong folder.
In the drawings:
A represents a base mounted on legs or supports and across which there extends
a long block A, which is bolted to the base by the bolts a'. This block is provided
on its face with a shoulder a³ upon which rests a metal bed B, which is bolted
to the side of the block A', the bed being recessed or rabbeted upon its inner side
to form a way b of sufficient depth to receive the side a of the strip from which the
clip is formed. The upper surface 6 of the bed supports the narrow side a¹ of
This strip, and is somewhat narrower than. it, so that the strip extends beyond
it and laps upon the upper surface of the die block D. (See Figure 6). The strip
is held in the feed-way and upon the bed and die block during the various opera-
'tions of the devices hereinafter described; thereon,' by a down pressure or hold C,
which is represented as provided by the end of a thin metal plate shaped to
permit an upward spring or yielding action, and which is attached to the outer
side of the block A¹ by a screw or bolt, and at a place opposite the point where the
cutter engages the edge of the strip. The upper surface d of the die block is flush
with the surface of the bed, and the end of said block is oblique to the side of
the bed and in line with the face of the cutter E. The die block is adjustable upon
the block A in order that its said end may be set and maintained in proper
relation to the cutter by means of the slots and locking bolts d³, (see Figure 1).
This arrangement of bed, die block and presser permits the strip to be so presented
and fed to the cutter that its edge extending by the end of the die block is brought

page_text: into line with the said cutter E and also with the folding and feeding devices
hereinafter described.
The cutter E is formed upon or attached to the disc or roll F. For some reasons
I prefer that it be made separate, and it is so shown in Figures 3 and 6, and is there
represented as mounted in a recess e formed in the side of said disc or roll F, and
is secured to the said disc by the screws e. The outer surface of the cutter is
curved from its cutting or slitting edge, and the prong folding or turning
surface is adjacent to or back of this cutting edge.
The disc or roll supporting the cutter is carried at the end of the shaft f which
has bearings in a box f secured to the bed plate or table of the machine and at
the opposite end of the shaft is a loose pulley f, which takes a driving belt, and
also a clutch f³ attached to the shaft to rotate with it and having a sliding move-
meut by which it is moved into and out of contact with a pulley the face of which
receives the clutch and forms a member of the clutch. The shaft is so located that
the disk or roll is set at an oblique angle to the strip feed-way and so that the
slitting knife makes a cut at an oblique angle in the narrower side of the strip
and across the oblique end of the die-block, and this slitting action of the knife is
immediately succeeded by the bending downward of the slit section. ³ represents
the slit in the strip edge, as the section which is thus bent or folded and a* the
completed prong. The rotation of the cutter and folder not only brings them into
action with the edge of the strip but also removes them from action and permits
of the strip feed G to be brought into action. This feed comprises one or more
spiral threads g formned preferably in a segmental piece adapted to be attached
to the edge of the disk or roll and each one of the threads is adapted to engage
a notch in the edge of the strip or clip formed by the bending of a prong and upon
its rotation feed the strip the width of the notch or any other desired distance
according to the pitch of the teeth. As the roll is oblique to the feed-way the teeth
are of different diameters and the one having the shortest engages the last notch
formed by the cutter and folder, the second tooth engages the second notch and
the third the third notch. By using more than one tooth the strip is more
uniformly fed and spaced. There is a space or recess in the edge in the disk
or ron between the end of the feeding threads and the cutter, (See Figure 3). In
operation the angular strip is mounted in the feed-way and advanced by the hand
to the action of the cutter and a prong is formed by the making of the oblique cut
and the folding at an oblique angle to the wider section of the cut portion and the
subsequent action of the machine is entirely automatic, the first feeding thread
engaging the notch made in forming the prong and advancing the strip any desired
distance. While we have represented the cutter and folder and feed as rotating
and mounted on one block or disk for the purpose of simplicity and cheapness
we would not be understood as limiting ourselves to a machine in which the action
of these parts is rotary or combined as the slitting or folding device or devices
may be reciprocated instead of being rotary and the feed may be separated from
them and be rotary or reciprocating as desired, but we prefer the form in which
the invention is represented as organized and which we have above described.
It will be seen that in making the prongs we do not remove any of the stock of
the strip but that they are formed by cutting in a straight edge diagonal or oblique
cuts and by folding the cut sections in either direction from the strip and so as
to stand from it. And we would also say that while we would prefer a prong that
is formed by an oblique angle as it is longer and sharper, yet for some purposes the
angle of the cut may be practically a right angle and the same result be secured.
We would further say that while we have described this machine as adapted to
form prongs in the edge of a card clothing strip we do not confine ourselves to
such use of it.
In Figures 9, 10 and 11 we show a slightly modified form of the cutting, turning
and feeding mechanism. It is in the form of a spiral thread beginning at the
eutting point which is lettered 3, a notch m is formed in the front of the cutting

page_text: point and from this cutting point the spiral feeding thread continues uninterrupted.
This cutting point serves to form or cut and turn the prong and the continuous
spiral thread to feed the strip. And we prefer to make the thead upon the edge of
a conical disk.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a machine for the manufacture of card clips of the character specified,
the combination of a strip feeding mechanism, a bed upon which a section of the
strip bears, a die block and a rotary cutter and folder co-operating with said die
block and bed as specified, as and for the purposes described.
2. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a bed, a die block
adjacent thereto, a presser for holding the strip upon the bed and a rotary prong
cutter and folder, as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination in a machine of the character specified of a bed for support-
ing the strip, a die block, a rotary prong cutting and folding device and a rotary
feeding device to feed the strip by its engagement with the notches formed therein
by the cutting and folding device.
4. In a machine of the character specified a rotary feed comprising one or more
teeth or threads adapted to engage the notched edge of a strip to feed it, as and for
the purposes described.
5 In a machine of the character specified the combination of a rotary strip
feed comprising a spiral thread or tooth mounted upon a rotary support and a
tooth folder or turner, as and for the purposes described.
6. The combination in a machine of the character specified of a bed, a die block,
a rotating prong cutter, a rotating prong turner and a rotating prong feeder, the
said die block, prong cutter, turner and feeder bearing an oblique relation to the
bed as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 4th Jor of Nov 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.