AN IMPROVEMENT IN PIGMENT DISTRIBUTORS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the county
of Middlesex, consulting engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PIGMENT DISTRIBUTORS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to that class of machines used to distribute pigments in
fine art painting, and has for its object to improve the manner of attaching to the
wind wheel the pitman which operates the needle operating arm; the manner of
connecting the needle operating arm to the pitman; the manner of supporting the
needle operating arm; the manner of attaching the needle to the said arm; the
manner of supporting and guiding the bow needle; the manner of regulating the
stroke of the needle; and the construction of the needles.
These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan; fig. 2 is a side elevation; fig. 3 is a detail side view of a part
of the instrument with the air tube in section; fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of
the air supply tubes in section, shewing the construction of the seat for the valve;
fig. 5 is a side view of the improved eye needle; fig. 6 is a plan shewing the
construction where both the eye and the bow needles are used together; fig. 7 is
a plan of the cover or cap for the wind wheel and working parts of the instrument;
fig. 8 is a detail view shewing in section two air tubes; fig. 9 is a perspective of
the bow needle; and fig. 10 is a vertical section through the wind wheel, shewing
the bow needle.
A indicates the hand piece, B the pipe for supplying the compressed air to the
needles through the branch pipe C; D is the pivotted arm for controlling the
entrance of the air from flexible pipe E to the pipe B, and F is another branch
pipe for the passage of the air to the wind wheel. The parts so far described are
all of known construction.
To the side of the hand piece A is secured a plate H by set screws a passing
through slots b which, permit the plate to be adjusted longitudinally by means of
a lever extending down from the top of the hand piece and provided with a
laterally projecting shed c, at its lower end, engaging with a notch d, made in the
plate. This adjusting lever can be operated by the thumb of the hand which
liv
J.K

page_text: .
holds the piece A, so as to quickly, easily and accurately adjust the needle
connected to a part of the plate under the pipe which supplies the air thereto.
The plate H has, projecting laterally at right angles from it, a flange or plate H¹,
which has a pin on which the wind wheel G is caused to revolve by the air jet
from the pipe F. The top of the wind wheel is provided with a headed pin e,
which can be shifted from one to another of several holes made in the wheel, so as
to vary the stroke, of the pitman J, which is linked to the wheel by the pin passed
through an eye at one end of the pitman which cannot be shaken from off the
holding pin.
The needle operating arm K has, between its ends, an eye f, into which one
end of the pitman is hooked or linked. This arm rests at one end upon a flange L
extending up from the plate H., the top edge of which flange is inclined
downwardly from the end next to the wheel to the end farthest therefrom, at
which end it has a stop projection g. The object of providing this flange is to
afford a rest for one end of the needle operating arm, so that the needle may not
vibrate in its longitudinal movement, and the top edge is inclined so that the
inclination of the needle in its movement may be maintained without variation.
The opposite end of the needle-arm is bent, and fits into the vertical opening in.
a post h, rising up from a moveable arm i, which, in this instance, is pivotted to
a lug h, projecting from the plate H', so as to allow the needle arm to swing, and
forming one arm of a link, the other arm ¹ of which connects the needle operating
arm with a lever H. The arm i¹ of the link fits over the post h, and at the other
end is pivotted or rivetted to the lever M, which is fulcrumed or pivotted to the
plate H', as shewn in fig. 1. The plate H¹ also has a catch j to engage with the
edge of the ordinary cap or cover N, or a lip thereon, so as to hold the cap down
and over, and protect the wind wheel and the needle operating mechanism. The
lever M is connected with a spring O, which is pivotted at one end to the lever,
and bears at the other end against the plate H, so that when the lever, after being
pressed to drive forward the needle, is released, the spring retracts the needle.
This spring also permits the needle to be quickly projected forwards, so as to
expose a greater surface thereof to the air jet, and as quickly retracted, so as to
regulate the quantity of pigment to be deposited. By connecting the lever to the
needle arm by means of the link, as described, the extent of the projection of the
needle under the air jet tube can be regulated, and, at the same time, the length
of the needle stroke can be lengthened or shortened, for when the lever is pressed,
so as to project the needle farther under the air jet tube, the position of the post,
to which the end of the needle arm is pivotted, is changed, so that the length of
the stroke is altered. Thus the length of the stroke can be altered by the
movement of the lever, as well as by shifting the pin connecting the pitman to
the wind wheel. The lever M is prevented from slipping or moving upwardly
by a rod or pin k projecting across its top from the plate H.
The eye needle P is formed with the eye at its one end, through which the
needle arm passes, so that the two parts are held securely together, although the
arm may slide through the eye. The needle tapers from the eye or from some
point between it and the point, so that the amount of pigment carried under the
air jet tube can be varied by the gradually increasing thickness of the needle,
as well as by its stroke. The needle being very small, if it had the same diameter,
from end to end, would be so far flexible that it might be deviated from a straight
path, but, by gradually increasing its thickness from its point to its eye, it is
stiffened. The needle passes through a slotted guide plate Q, on the plate H¹, and
through a slot or recess in that portion of the plate H which divides the pigment
receptacle R from the plate supporting, the operating mechanism and then to and
under the air jet tube, its point being under the tube when the parts are resting
in their normal position. A guard S, pivotted or hinged to the side of plate H,
so as to drop over the needle, holds it in place and prevents it from rising up from
out of the slot in the plate. The needles may also be held in the slots by the lips
'm m¹ projecting from the cap or cover.

page_text: The pigment receptacle is hinged to the hand piece or plate, as usual, and is of
he ordinary construction, with the exception of the guide T. This guide arm
may extend from the plate H, as shewn in fig. 1, or from the pigment receptacle,
s shewn in fig. 6. to the air jet tube, or preferably to a point just beyond the
ube and is provided with a flange at that end, in which is formed a slot for
supporting and guiding the backbone of the bow needle when that form is used
instead of the eye needle.
This bow needle has its shank n flattened at right angles to its backbone o, so
that when the shank is placed in the slot in the plate H, and in the guide plate Q,
the back bone is at an angle to the shank, as shewn in figs. 6.and 10. The end
of the shank of this needle is slotted, as shewn in fig. 9, so that it may be sent
down over the needle arm, the lock thus formed holding it to the arm.
shank is preferably made with the eye slot, as the needle can then be more
readily put in and taken out of place, but it may be made with an eye if
desired.
The
By constructing the bow needle and supporting it as described, the small wire
which carries the pigment is held away and relieved from all frictional contact, so
that it does not wear.
If desired, the lug h¹ might be made to slide along the plate H₁ and be held
thereto at any desired point by a set screw, so as to permit of changing the
position of the post h, for the purpose of altering the length of the needle stroke.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is—
1, The combination of the wind wheel, the tapering needle provided with an
eye at one end, the operating arm passed through the eye of the needle, and the
pitman connecting the needle arm to a pin inserted in one or other of several holes,
in the wind wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2, The combination of the needle operating arm, the spring actuated lever,
and the link connection between the said arm and lever, substantially as
described.
3, The combination of the pigment receptacle, the tapering needle; the pipe
for supplying an air jet to the needle, and means for projecting the needle,
substantially as described.
-
4. The combination of the pigment receptacle, the bow needle, the guide for its
backbone, a pipe supplying an air jet to the needle, and means for projecting the
needle, substantially as described.
5, The bow needle having its shank flattened at an angle to the bow%3
substantially as described.
6, A paint distributer needle having an eye at one end and its front part
tapering to a point, substantially as described.