Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Articles of Wire.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Articles of Wire.
I, CHRISTIAN C. HILL, of No. 5142, Wabash Avenue, Chicago, in the State of
Illinois, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
This invention is to be distinguished from dies through which wire is drawn, such
dies being rigid. It is also to be distinguished from groups of rollers for reducing
wires or rods, and also from swaging dies that are revolved by a shaft and forced
towards each other to compress the wire or other article between them.
In the present invention, the wire is reduced by groups of roller dies, the wire
being drawn through between them, and in order to allow for the wire being larger
at. one place than at another, the roller dies are fitted with devices by which
they can be opened to allow the wire to pass between them, or closed to a greater
or less extent for reducing such wire as drawn along, and these roller dies are
placed so as to break joint, that is to say, that one set of roller dies acts upon
the portion of the wire that is compressed the least by the preceding set of dies,
the rollers of one set of dies coming in line with the space between the rollers
in the other set of dies.
In carrying out this invention, each set of roller dies is preferably made of
three rollers with the edges bevelled so as to set closely together and the peripheries
form the rolling die surfaces, and these sets of roller dies are mounted in a.
suitable head or carrier having mortises or openings for receiving the rollers, and
with holes for the shafts that carry the die rollers, and each shaft is provided
with an eccentric journal at the end upon which the die roller revolves, bence by
turning the shaft, the eccentric journal moves the roller towards or from the
article being reduced, and these shafts in each set are moved simultaneously by
gear segments on their outer ends acted upon by ring gears around the head, and
these ring gears receive a partial rotation in one direction or the other periodically
by any suitable means, such for instance as rock-shafts, crank arms and connecting
rods, such rock shafts and crank arms being acted upon by projections or cams
upon a revolving wheel, driven by suitable power.
Where this invention is made use of to reduce a wire continuously by the action
of the roller dies, such roller dies may be opened, and the end of the wire passed
through, and then the dies closed and the wire subjected to a continuous drawing
operation and wound up in any suitable manner. When the machine is employed
in making articles, such as bicycle spokes, the wire is passed through and grasped
by pincers, grippers, or similar devices, and as it is drawn along, the roller dies are
closed at the proper time for reducing the wire to the desired size and the required
length, and then one or more of such roller dies is allowed to open so as not to
reduce the wire or only partially to reduce it, and the grippers are moved along to
take a fresh hold upon the wire, and the spoke, or other article, is cut off at the
proper place by automatic shears, and in giving motion to the grippers it is
advantageous to employ a lever acted upon by a cam, the parts being adjustable
so as to vary the length of movement of the grippers as desired.
In reducing or rolling down a circular wire. the first pair of roller dies is
advantageously shaped so as to roll the wire to an approximate triangular section,
and the second set of roller dies nots upon the ridges of the triangular wire to

page_text: reduce the same to a round wire, and by this arrangement fins or imperfections are
not formed along the wire.
In acting upon the grippers, it is advantageous to make use of a connecting rod
from a lever or crank and a wedge intervening between the same and the gripper
jaws, so that the jaws open when being moved in one direction and grip the wire 5
when being moved in the other direction.
Dated this 14th day of February 1805
ㄧˋ
I, CHRISTIAN C. HILL, of No. 5142 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, in the State of
Illinois, United States of America, Machinist, 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 is to be distinguished from dies through which wire is drawn,
such dies being rigid. It is also to be distinguished from groups of rollers for
reducing wires or rods, and also from swaging dies that are revolved by a shaft.
and forced towards each other to compress the wire or other article between,
them.
In the present invention the wire is reduced by groups of roller dies the wire
being drawn through between them, and in order to allow for the wire being.
larger at one place than at another the roller dies are fitted with devices by which
they can be opened to allow the wire to pass between them, or closed to a greater
or less extent for reducing such wire as drawn along, and these roller dies are
placed so as to break joints, that is to say, that one set of roller dies acts upon the
portion of the wire that is compressed the least by the preceding set of dies, the
rollers of one set of dies coming in line with the space between the rollers. in
the other set of dies.
In carrying out this invention each set of roller dies is preferably made of three
rollers with the edges beveled so as to set closely together and the peripheries
form the rolling die surfaces, and these sets of roller dies are mounted in a suitable
head or carrier having mortises or openings for receiving the rollers and with holes
for the shafts that carry the die rollers, and each shaft is provided with an eccentric
journal at the end upon which the die roller revolves, hence by turning the shaft
the eccentric journal moves the roller towards or from the article being reduced,
and these shafts in each set are moved simultaneously by gear segments on their
outer ends acted upon by ring gears around the head, and these ring gears receive
a partial rotation in one direction or the other periodically by any suitable means,
such for instance as rock shafts, crank arms, and connecting rods, such rock shafts
and crank arms being acted upon by projections or cams upon a reypiving wheel
driven by suitable power.
Where this invention is made use of to reduce a wire continuously by the action
of the roller dies, such roller dies may be opened and the end of the wire passed
through and then the dies closed and the wire subjected to a continuous drawing
operation and wound up in any suitable manner. When the machine is employed
in making articles such as bicycle spokes, the wire is passed through and grasped
by pincers, grippers or similar devices, and as it is drawn along the roller dies are
closed at the proper time for reducing the wire to the desired size and the required
length, and then one or more of such roller dies is allowed to open so as not to
13

page_text: reduce the wire, or only partially to reduce it, and the grippers are moved along
to take a fresh hold upon the wire, and the spoke or other article is cut off at the
proper place by automatic shears, and in giving motion to the grippers it is advan-
tageous to employ a lever acted upon by a cam, the parts being adjustable so as to
vary the length of movement of the grippers as desired.
In reducing or rolling down a circular wire the first pair of roller dies is advan-
tageously shaped so as to roll the wire to an approximate triangular section, and
the second set of roller dies acts upon the ridges of the triangular wire to reduce
the same to a round wire, and by this arrangement fins, or imperfections are not
formed along the wire.
In acting upon the grippers it is advantageous to make use of a connecting rod
froin a lever or crank and a wedge intervening between the same and the gripper
jaws, so that the jaws.open when being moved in one direction, and grip the wire
when being moved in the other direction. It will also be readily understood that
in ordinary wire drawing with solid dies the motive power is to a considerable
extent consumed by the friction of the wire passing through the dies; and that by
substituting rolling friction for the sliding friction in the dies, as is done in my
invention, a considerable saving in motive power is effected.
In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this Specification, I have
illustrated a machine embodying the mechanism or apparatus portion of my inven-
tion, the same being one good form and what I believe to be the best form now
known to me for reducing this portion of my invention to practice; and the same
also of course showing one suitable form of tools or mechanical appliances, for
carrying out my improved process or method; though it will be obvious to those
skilled in the art that other suitable tools or mechanical appliances may be used for
practicing the process. :
In the drawing,
n
TA
Tn

page_text: with suitable recesses C¹ to receive said rollers B and B Each of the die
rollers B, Bis provided with a peripheral segmental die groove bor b'; the: die
rollers B of the first die having a somewhat Hattened but curved die groove b as
clearly shown in Figure 17, while the die groove b¹ of the second set of die rollers B¹
is circular. The die rollers have beveled faces 62, in order that the meeting rollers
of each die may together form a complete or continuous die- wall surrounding
the wire.
-
Any suitable means for rotatably mounting the rollers B, B¹ and for moving
them to and from each other and for holding them rigidly in position while doing
work upon the stock may be employed, but that which I prefer to use and have
specially designed for the purpose. is shown in the drawing. It will also be
understood that the intervals at which one or more of the dies are closed together
for work, or held open to let the stock pass without being-acted upon will be
different according to the particular work being done or article being made. The
hicycle spoke Y made by the particular machine-shown in the drawing has its
middle portion y of smaller diameter than its two end portions y¹y', the portions
of different diameter being connected by tapering. or conical shoulders y², but both
the smaller and larger. portions and also the intermediate tapering or shoulder
portions are circular in cross section; and therefore in the machine shown in the
drawing both dies are operated to close upon the passing stock at the same points
in its length and also to open in like manner. But if it were desired for example
to. roll and draw the stock in part of a round form as produced-by-the-second
die B' and in part of a different shape in cross section; as for example that produced
by the first die B, it will be understood that all that is necessary is to open the
second die B¹ at intervals while the first die B. is. closed, so that a portion of the
passing stock will have the shape of one die and another portion the different
shape of another die, and so on for as many dies or pairs of dies as may be
required.
The die rollers B and B are cach preferably journaled loosely on an eccentric
shaft or stud 63 secured to or integral with a rock shaft 64 journaled in-the head C;
so that by rocking the shaft 64 the roller dies B, B, B or B¹, B', B' may be moved
to or from each other as required to diminish or increase the: size of the die
opening or x. The rock shafts bª are preferably actuated by providing each
with a crank arm 6, furnished with a segment gear 6 that meshes with a segment
gear 67, sccured to the rotatable rings C2 C3 on the head C. The rings C² C³ are
preferably actuated or rocked. by means of the crank arms d d³ on the rocking
shaft D and rocking sleeve D; and the connecting rods d² d². The rocking shaft D
has on one end the arm d³ having on its end anti-friction rollers d³ and on the
arm d³ of the sleeve D' there.are also anti-friction rollers and these. rollers are
acted upon by arms or projections ffff, on the cam wheel F. There are
four arius or projections f, f¹, ff on the wheel- F one for opening and one for
closing each of the two sets of roller dies B B¹.
Any suitable means may be combined with my roller dies for drawing or pulling
the wire through the dies, but that which I prefer to use: in making spokes or
articles of a fixed length is illustrated in the drawing, and consists of a reciprocating
gripper, the same comprising preferably a fixed jaw 9 and a movable jaw 9;.both
mounted upon a reciprocating cross head or other movable device G¹ by which the
wire or stock is drawn through the roller dies. B B¹. The movable jaw g' is
preferably-pivoted at g² to the cross head G' and is operated or closed upon the
wire by a. sliding wedge g to which the rod g is connected and by which the
cross head is reciprocated or directly connected with the operating lever or other
moving part so that the gripper will be automatically opened and closed by the
means employed for reciprocating, the cross bead. The cross head G' reciprocates
on suitable guides or ways A' on the frame: of the machine. The cross head is
reciprocated by a lever Go pivoted at go to the frame and connected by a rod G³
to the wrist pin or crank ft on the cam wheel F.
1.
The spokes or other articles are cut to lengths required from the wire by means

page_text: of a pair of knives or cutters H. H¹ mounted on the cross head G', the movable
knife H being actuated or reciprocated by an arm h on a rock shaft H farnished
with an arm that engages a cam or projection or the wrist pin on, the cam
wheel F. The movable knife H' is returned to its normal position' by a spring h
K is the driving shaft, it is provided with a gear K₁ that meshes with gear
teeth on the cam wheel F.
The stroke or travel of the reciprocating gripper carrying cross head Gis
equal to the length of the spoke or article being made and serves thus not only
to draw the stock through the dies but to feed the stock in the measured lengths
necessary for each spoke. To adapt the machine to make spokes of different.
lengths the wrist pin is fixed adjustably to the cam wheel F so that the stroke of
the lever Go may be varied; this being done by providing the cam wheel with a
slot f' to receive the wrist pin. And to properly adjust the cross head and grippers
in relation to the dies as may be necessary to increase or diminish the length of
wire projecting through or in advance of the dies, the connecting rod 9* is made
adjustable by screw threads go and nuts g'.
The arms or projections f,ff are made adjustable on the cam wheel F by
providing said wheel with slots f in which said arms are secured by bolts f", so-
that the intervals at which each die B or B¹ is closed, held closed and opened, may
be regulated as desired to vary the length and relative position of the reduced.
portion y of each spoke.
In order to firmly hold the dies B or B₁ closed or in position while doing work,
the connecting rods d² d² which are pivoted to the arms d d³ are arranged to be.
thrown past the center by the projections which close the dies, as illustrated in
Figs. 10 and 9.
.
The knives H H¹ are so combined and arranged as shown in the drawing in
relation to the other parts as to sever each spoke from the wire at the middle of
the larger portion of the wire, so as to leave a portion y'y', of larger diameter
on each end of every spoke. By changing the relative position of the knives,.
however, each spoke or article can be severed from the wire at any point desired.
By mounting the die roller B B¹ in recesses or slots in a head or support C, as,
shown in the drawing, the walls of these recesses serve to hold or aid in holding or
maintaining the individual sections or rollers of each complete die truly in its proper
position, especially when the dies are closing upon the stock and before their bevel
faces b² come together. The head C is connected to the frame A by adjusting
screws C so that the dies may be properly aligned with the reciprocating gripper
or its cross head, for the purpose of causing the, finished product to come out.
straight instead of curved as it might otherwise do.
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:
First. The process of making wire or wire articles, consisting in drawing and
rolling the stock through a plurality of roller dies breaking joints with each other,
and moving an individual section or roller of one or more of the dies to or from the
other sections or rollers thereof, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination with two or more roller dies, the sections or rollers of
one breaking joints with those of another and the sections or rollers of each die
being movable to and from each other, of means for drawing the stock through the
die, and means for automatically moving the sections of each die to and from each
other at intervals as the wire is drawn, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination with a set of movable die rollers, of means for auto-
matically moving the rollers to and from each other, and a reciprocating gripper,
substantially as specified.
Fourth. The combination with a set of movable die rollers, of means for auto-
matically moving the rollers to and from each other, a reciprocating gripper, and a
pair of knives or cutters, substantially as specified.

page_text: Fifth. The combination with a set of movable die rollers, of a slotted head or
support in which said rollers are mounted, and shafts having eccentric studs upon
which said rollers are journaled, substantially, as specified..
Sixth. The combination with a set of movable die rollers, of shafts furnished with
eccentric studs upon, which said rollers are journaled, each of said shafts having a
segment gear arm, and a gear ring for operating said segment gear arm,
substantially as specified.
Seventh. The combination with a set of movable die rollers, of shafts furnished
with eccentric studs upon which said rollers are journaled, each of said shafts having
a segment gear arm, a gear ring for operating said segment gear arms, a rock
shaft provided with an arm, and a.connecting rod connected at one end to said
segment gear and at the other end to, the arm of the rock shaft, said connecting
rod being arranged, and adapted to be thrown past the center, substantially as
specified..
=
Eighth. The combination with two sets of movable die rollers, of a head or
support in which they are mounted, two sets of eccentric rock shafts journaled in
said head for moving the rollers to and from each other, each of said rock shafts
being provided with an operating arm, and two rocking rings mounted on the head
for operating the arms of said rock shafts, substantially as specified.
Ninth. The combination with two sets of movable die rollers, of a head or
support in which they are mounted, two sets of eccentric rock shafts journaled
in said head for moving the rollers to and from each other, each of said rock
shafts being provided with an operating arm, two rocking rings mounted on the
head for operating the arms of said rock shafts, a rocking shaft having an arm
connected by a link with one of said rocking rings and a rocking sleeve having
an arm connected, by a link with the other of said rocking rings, substantially as
specified....
Tenth. The combination with two sets of movable die rollers, of a head or
support in which they are mounted, two sets. of eccentric rock shafts journaled
in said head for moving the rollers to and from each other, each of said.rock
shafts being provided with an operating arm, two rocking rings mounted on the
head for operating the arms. of said rock shafts, a rocking shaft having an. arm
connected by a link with one of said rocking rings, a rocking sleeve having an
arm connected by a link with the other of said rocking rings, a cam wheel
furnished with arms or projections. for engaging said arms on said rocking shaft and
rocking sleeve, substantially as specified.
Eleventh. The combination with two sets of movable die rollers, of means for
independently moving the rollers of each set to and from each other at intervals,
and an operating wheel provided with adjustable arms or projections for adjusting
or regulating the intervals at which the rollers of each set are closed or opened,
substantially as specified.
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