New or Improved Machinery for and Tools to be used in the Manufacture of Wire Fabric.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 15th June. 1895
[Communicated from abroad by WHITE MANUFACTURING Co., LD., of the City
of Minneapolis, County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, United States of
America, Manufacturers.]
New or Improved Machinery for and Tools to be used in the
Manufacture of Wire Fabric.
We, THOMAS EDMUND WALE, and WILLIAM HENRY WALE, and ALFRED
EDMUND WALE, and FREDERICK CHARLES ADIE, trading as T. E. Wale
and Sons, of Atlas Works, Oozells Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The said invention consists of the new or improved machinery and tools hereinafter
described to be used in the manufacture of wire fabric and has for its object to
facilitate and reduce the cost of the manufacture of the said fabric, and to produce
the said fabric in sheets of a larger size than has heretofore been practicable; the
said invention consists further of a new or improved machine for dividing sheets
of wire fabric into smaller sheets of desired sizes.
The wire fabric to which the said invention in part relates consists essentially of
a series of interlaced longitudinal and transverse helical coils of metallic wire.
The said invention consists first in the following arrangement and combination
of parts for feeding and interlacing the helical coils of wire to form the transverse
or crossing coils of the fabric and for shearing the fed wire and mechanically and
intermittently moving the fabric both longitudinally and transversely into position
for receiving the successive transverse helical coils of wire.
We pass the continuous piece or strip of wire from the feeding rolls of the
machine to the coiling tool or "giraffe" as usual. From the coiler the coiled
wire is passed to a guide fixed on the table or bed of the machine the said guide
consisting of a short rod or cylinder having a helical groove cut in it of a pitch
equal or nearly equal to that of the coiler. Against the outer face or end of the
said guide the blade of the shears or cutting lever works for cutting the wire coil
when it has been fed into the partly made fabric.
The
Underneath and crossing the table or bed of the machine is a shaft having
upon it a series of toothed wheels working in slots cut in the said table.
teeth or projections of the wheels are of a size and shape suitable to engage in the
meshes of the wire fabric being made, the teeth on the parts of the wheels situated
in the slots of the table projecting above the surface of the said table. The said
shaft in addition to an intermittent rotary motion is capable of a backward and
forward transverse motion or motion in the direction of its length, the said
transverse motion being equal to halt the pitch of the helix of the coiled wire which
is being fed into the fabric. The said shaft is operated in the following manner.
At the front of the machine is a sprocket wheel which is turned forward and
backward through about a quarter of a rotation by hand. The chain from the
said sprocket wheel gears with a sprocket pinion turning freely on a short
horizontal shaft passing through the front of the table of the machine. The said
sprocket pinion carries a pawl which operates a ratchet wheel keyed on the
sprocket pinion shaft the said ratchet wheel having two teeth at opposite points.
The inner end of the sprocket pinion shaft has upon it a crank arm, a pin on the

page_text: end of which acting through a connecting rod gives a forward and backward
motion to a lever engaged with the cross shaft so that the said cross shaft and its
toothed wheels are moved transversely in forward and backward direction.
The sprocket wheel at the front of the machine has near its edge a pin which
operates through a series of connecting rods the lever on the cross shaft by which
the shearing or wire cutting lever is operated. Situated on the cross shaft and at
the side of the lever for operating the shearing or cutting lever is a ratchet
wheel with which a pawl on one of the arms of the lever on the cross shaft
gears.
The action of the machine is as follows;—
The partly made fabric consisting of the longitudinal interlaced helical coils is
placed on the table or bed of the machine with one side or longitudinal edge
presented to the guide herein before described from which the transverse helical
coils are fed. The teeth of the wheels of the cross shaft projecting through the
slots in the table engage in the meshes of the wire fabric placed on the table 30
that on the cross motion of the shaft the fabric will be moved transversely on the
table and on the rotary motion of the shaft the fabric will be fed forward or
longitudinally on the table. The part of the fabric presented to the guide herein-
before referred to. is held during the feeding forward of the transverse helical coil
by a grip plate carried by the inclined end of a spindle turning in sockets or
bearings fixed near the edge of the table of the machine. The said grip plate has
grooves in its acting face crossing one another at right angles in which grooves
the coils of the fabric engage.
When a transverse helical coil of sufficient length has been passed into the fabric
the belt or band on the fast pulley of the shaft driving the feeding rolls is thrown
on to the loose pulley by the attendant or is automatically thrown on to the loose
pulley by the arrangement of parts hereinafter described so as to stop the further
feeding of the helical coil into the fabric. The grip plate by which the part of
the fabric in front of the helical guide is held is raised and the sprocket wheel on
the front of the machine is operated by the attendant, the forward motion of the
sprocket wheel effecting the cutting of the wire at the helical guide; the backward
motion effecting the advance of the fabric on the table through a distance equal
or nearly equal to the diameter of the helical coils being fed and also effecting the
transverse motion of the fabric The grip plate is then turned onto the fabric and
the said fabric is ready to receive the next transverse coil.
The said invention consists further of the methods hereinafter described of
constructing coilers or "giraffes" for forming helical coils to be used in making
wire fabrics.
We take a number, say six or seven, of short open helices of wire the pitch of
the helices being the same as that of the helical coils to be made. We also take a
similar helix but of half the length of the series referred to. We engage the series
of helices together so as to forin a compound helix and engage the short helix in
the back end of the said compound helix. The back end is thus made a compact
helix while the front end is left an open helix.
We insert in the compound helix thus made a core which completely fills the
interior of the said compound helix. The open part of the compound helix is
inserted in the collar which surrounds the acting portion of the coiler.
Instead of taking helical coils of wire one, two or more helically coiled flat
metallic strips may be arranged upon a core with the same or nearly the same
effect.
By making coilers or "giraffes" in the way described their manufacture is
simplified and their cost reduced and when worn they may be repaired by with-
drawing the worn helix and replacing it by a new one. Where two or more flat
helically coiled metallic strips are used instead of wire helices, they may be
repaired when worn by introducing a thin helical packing strip or wire between
their meeting edges so as to reduce the distance between the convolutions of the
compound helix.
14.

page_text: The said invention consists further of a new or improved wire measurer or
automatic device for stopping the feeding rolls when a sufficient length of wire has
been passed through them to make a helical coil of the required length.
.
In front of the feeding rolls we arrange a pair of guiding or supplementary
feeding rolls. On the shaft of one of the supplementary feeding rolls is a worm
which gears with a worm wheel carrying a pin or stud on its side. The supple-
mentary feeding rolls are of such a diameter that the product of their circumference
into the number of teeth in the worm wheel is equal or nearly equal to the length
of wire required to form the helical coil to be produced. On the complete rotation
of the worm wheel its stud is made to strike a pin or tappet on a lever by which
the fork or arm for throwing the driving band or belt on and off the fast pulley on
the feeding roll shaft is operated. On the stud of the worm wheel striking the
tappet, the driving band or belt is thrown from off the fast pulley on to the loose
pulley and the feeding rolls are brought to rest.
When the wire has been cut, the
attendant throws the band on the fast pulley again and another helical coil
is made.
The said invention consists further of a new or improved machine for cutting or
dividing sheets of wire fabric into sheets of a smaller size and for binding the ends
of the wires at the cut edges of the fabric.
The machine consists essentially of a pair of levers situated one over and the
other under the bed or table of the machine the front arms of the levers consti-.
tuting jaws. The said jaws are operated by lévers and connecting rods actuated
by an eccentric on the driving shaft of the machine. The rear half only 'of the
edges of the tools fitted in the said jaws consist of cutting tools, the front half
consisting of flattening tools which flatten or crush the part of the coil situated.
between them preparatory to cutting. The part of the bed of the machine on
either side of the slot in the table or bed through which the tool carried by the
lower jaw works is corrugated or ribbed and the upper jaw on either side of the
upper tool is also corrugated or ribbed so that on the closing of the jaws the fabric
is firmly gripped between the bed and the upper jaw while the tools operate.
Under and crossing the table of the machine from side to side is a shaft parallel
with the main or driving shaft, the said cross shaft having a series of toothed wheels
which work in slots in the table or bed of the machine and the teeth of which
project above the said table and engage with the meshes of and feed forward the
fabric to be operated upon. The said cross shaft is operated by a cam on the main
shaft acting on a lever pivoted to the said cross shaft the said lever carrying a
pawl which drives on the turning of the lever in one direction a ratchet wheel
keyed to the said cross shaft.
At that part of the sheet of fabric where it is to be cut, one of the helical coils
is withdrawn and metallic rods or bars are introduced into the coils on either side
of the line where the fabric is to be cut so as to prevent the tendency on the
crushing of the fabric of the crossing coils to withdraw from the sides or edges of
the fabric towards the part crushed. The said fabric is then placed upon the table
and is fed forward between the jaws of the machine. The fabiie is first crushed or
flattened at the part to be cut and then on the next forward motion the flattened
part is fed between the cutting portion of the tools an1 a fresh portion of the fabric
is brought between the crushing or flattening portion of the tools so that at each
operation of the machine a part of the fabric is cut and another part in line with
the cut part is flattened preparatory to cutting.
The said invention consists further of a new or improved instrument or machine
for cutting helical coils of 'wire.
Projecting from the table or bed of the machine is a vertical plate crossing the
axis of the helical coil to be cut preferably at an angle of forty five degrees.
The said vertical plate has a cylindrical hole in it in which hole the guide rod for the
helical coil is fixed. The part of the guide rod situated in the hole in the vertical
plate has a helical groove in it in which groove the helically coiled wire travels in
passing through the vertical plate. Pivoted to the vertical plate on the side of the

page_text: said plate opposite to that at which the coiled wire enters it, is a vertical hand
cutting lever.
When a helical coil of wire of sufficient length has been passed through the
vertical plate the cutting lever is operated the acting end of the said lever moving
in front of the hole from which the wire emerges. In cutting the wire the lever
acting against the vertical plate advances the cut off helical coil to a slight extent
so that on the feeding forward of the next coil it passes into and engages with the
one already cut by a screwing motion thereby forming a compound helical coil.
Dated the 29th day of August 1894.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
New or Improved Machinery for and Tools to be used in the
Manufacture of Wire Fabric.
We, THOMAS EDMUND WALE, and WILLIAM HENRY WALE, and ALFRED
EDMUND WALE, and FREDERICK CHARLES ADIE, trading as T. E. Wale and
Sons, of Atlas Works, Oozells Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturers, 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 the new or improved machinery and tools herein-
after described to be used in the manufacture of wire fabric and has for its object
to facilitate and reduce the cost of the manufacture of the said fabric, and to
produce the said fabric in sheets of a larger size than has heretofore been
practicable; the said invention consists further of a new or improved machine for
dividing sheets of wire fabric into smaller sheets of desired sizes.
The wire fabric to which the said invention in part relates consists essentially of
a series of interlaced longitudinal and transverse helical coils of metallic wire.
The said invention consists first in the following arrangement and combination of
parts for feeding and interlacing the helical coil, of wire to form the transverse or
crossing coils of the fabric and for shearing the fed wire and mechanically and
intermittently moving the fabric both longitudinally and transversely into position
for receiving the successive transverse helical coils of wire.
66
"
We pass the continuous piece or strip of wire from the feeding rolls of the
machine to the coiling tool or giraffe as usual. From the coiler the coiled wire
is passed to a guide fixed on the table or bed of the machine, the said guide
consisting of a short rod or cylinder having a helical groove cut in it of a pitch
equal or nearly equal to that of the coiler. Against the outer face or end of the
said guide the blade of the shears or cutting lever works for cutting the wire coil
when it has been fed into the partly made fabric.
Underneath and crossing the table or bed of the machine is a shaft having upon
it a series of toothed wheels working in slots cut in the said table. The teeth or
projections of the wheels are of a size and shape suitable to engage in the meshes
of the wire fabric being made, the teeth on the parts of the wheels situated in the
slots of the table projecting above the surface of the said table. The said shaft in
addition to an intermittent rotary motion is capable of a backward and forward
transverse motion or motion in the direction of its length, the said transverse
motion being equal to half the pitch of the helix of the coiled wire which is being
fed into the fabric. The said shaft is operated in the following manner.
At the front of the machine is a sprocket wheel which is turned forward and
backward through about a quarter of a rotation by hand. The chain from the
said sprocket wheel gears with a sprocket pinion turning freely on a short horizontal

page_text: shaft passing through the front of the table of the machine. The said sprocket
pinion carries a pawl which operates a ratchet wheel keyed on the sprocket pinion
shaft the said ratchet wheel having two teeth at opposite points. The inner
end of the sprocket pinion shaft has upon it a crank arm, a pin on the end of
which acting through a connecting rod gives a forward and backward motion to a
lever engaged with the cross shatt so that the said cross shait and its toothed
wheels are moved transversely in a forward and backward direction.
The sprocket wheel at the front of the machine has near its edge a pin which
operates through a series of connecting rods the lever on the cross shaft by which
the shearing or wire cutting lever is operated. Situated on the cross shaft and at
the side of the lever for operating the shearing or cutting lever is a ratchet wheel
with which a pawl on one of the arms of the lever on the cross shaft gears.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in plan and Figure 2 in front
elevation a machine constructed according to this part of the said invention for
leeding the cross or transverse helical coils in the manufacture of a wire fabric
consisting of longitudinal and transverse helical coils interlaced together and for
cutting off the said transverse coils;
Figure 2 represents a part of Figure 2 detached;
Figures 3 and 4 are views at right angles to one another of a portion of Figures 1
and 2 parts being broken away or removed for the better illustrating the action of
the said parts of the machine;
Figure 5 is a section on the line X X Figure 1 ;
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively in plan and front elevation the grip plate
of the machine detached and
Figure 8 represents in plan the guide for the helical coils and a portion of the
cutting lever.
Figures 9 and 10 are views of a portion of the partly made fabric produced by
the machine.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 10 both
inclusive.
A is a portion of the table of the machine on which the partly made fabric,
consisting of longitudinally interlaced helical coils only, is placed and B is the cross
shaft of the machine the said cross shaft having the series of toothed wheels b, b, b, b
thereon the teeth of which project above the level of the table as will be seen in
Figures 2 and 5 for the purpose of engaging with the meshes of the fabric.
The partly made fabric, that 18, the longitudinal interlaced helical coils into
which are inserted by hand, the first few, say five or six cross coils, is placed in
position on the table the meshes made up of the longitudinal and hand fed cross
coils at the front end being engaged with the teeth of the wheels b, b, b projecting
above the surface of the table and one of its longitudinal edges being arranged in
line with the outer edge of the guide plate c. The grip plate d, (represented
detached in Figures 6 and 7) which is capable of an angular motion in a vertical
plane, is turned upon its axis d and pressed down upon the fabric, its studded
underface engaging with the meshes and firmly holding the fabric in position. The
driving band of the machine being thrown onto the fast pulley E the feeding
rolls e, e are thereby driven through the pinions z, z, the wire being forced by the
action of the feeding rolls e, e³ into the coiler or giraffe f (see Figure 1) as usual.
The helically coiled wire emerging from the said giraffe passes to the guide g
(shown separately in Figure 6) and from thence into the partly made fabric inter-
coiling with the series of longitudinal coils composing the said partly made fabric.
A. coil of sufficient length, that is, passing from side to side, having been fed into
the partly made fabric the driving band is thrown onto the loose pulley E by hand
or by the automatic mechanism hereinafter described and the further feeding
forward of the wire thereby stopped. The grip plate is now raised into the
dotted position indicated in Figure 7 so as to disengage it from the fabric and
thereby release the fabric.
Before feeding another coil into the partly made fabric it is necessary to, first,

page_text: Bever the transverse coil just introduced from the main portion of the wire and to
move the fabric on the table forward or longitudinally through a distance equal
to the internal diameter of the helical coils and also transversely through a distance
equal to half the pitch of the coil by the following construction and arrangement
or combination of parts.
Before proceeding to the description of the parts of the machine for effecting
the motions just referred to we will briefly explain by reference to Figures 9 and 10
the necessity for the compound motion of the fabric on the table.
The front of the first cross or transverse coil y Figure 9, that is, the part of the
coil nearest the front of the machine intercoils with the first longitudinal coil ¹ at
the point where the said coil touches the dotted or guide line 1, 1 which is the
equivalent of the guide plate e Figure 1. As the helical feeding guide 'g is fixed
and all the coils pass into the fabric along the same line it is necessary before
introducing the second cross coil y'into the fabric to move the said fabric forward,
that is, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 9through a distance equal to the
internal diameter of the coil. If the fabric is moved forward through this distance
the distant side of the second coil y will on emerging from the fixed guide g
coincide with or come opposite the distant side of the first cross coil y' as indicated.
by the dotted line position of the coil y¹ in Figure 9, but by 'moving the said fabric
transversely, that is, by bringing its edge up to the line 2; 2 in Figure 10, in
addition to its longitudinal movement hereinbefore referred to, the said second or
cross coil y2 will intercoil with the front side of the first cross coil y' and with the
longitudinal coils a, a, and the other similar coils at the same points as the
front side of the first cross coil y' engages with the said longitudinal coils.
Although the transverse or cross motion of the fabric on the table takes place
simultaneously with the forward motion I will first describe the parts of the
machine for giving the forward motion and afterwards the parts of the machine for
giving the transverse or cross motion.
་་ ་་
H is a sprocket wheel situated at the front of the table of the machine which
sprocket wheel is turned backward and forward through a quarter of a rotation by
means of the radiating arm or handle H³, the angular motion being limited by the
fencing bar i (see Figure 3). At the back of the sprocket wheel H one end of a
connecting rod J is jointed the lower end being connected to a vertical rising and
falling rod k the said rod being guided by its upper forked end working over the
shaft H³ of the sprocket wheel H and by its lower end working in the staple plate or
guide . Near the lower end of the vertical rising and falling rod k a second
connecting rod m is jointed the other end of which is connected to the lever n, n'
turning on the cross shaft B. The end n' of the lever n, n¹ is provided with a
link n' by means of which the lever n, n¹ is geared to the shearing or cutting
lever o turning on the centre o¹. The acting end of the shearing lever o works
against the inclined end of the guide g. On the arm n of the lever n, n'a pawl p
is pivoted which pawl p when the said lever n, n' is brought into the dotted position
indicated in Figure 4 by the turning of the handle H to the left for cutting the
helical coils fed into the fabric, drops under one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel bl
keyed to the shaft B. On the return motion of the handle H', that is, on its
movement to the right, the arm n of the lever n, n' and pawl p are raised and the
shaft B thereby turned through a distance equal to cue tooth of the ratchet wheel b³.
The fabric engaged with the teeth of the wheels b, b, b of the shaft B is thus moved
forward through the required distance on the table A.
The transverse or cross motion of the fabric is effected as follows;-
A chain a indicated in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings passes over
the sprocket wheel H and over a second sprocket wheel or pinion h turning loosely on
the shaft q passing through the front of the table A of the machine. The said shaft q
has on its front end a ratchet disc r provided with two teeth 1, 2. A spring
pressed pawl carried by the sprocket pinion engages with one or other of the
teeth of the ratchet disc when the said sprocket pinion is turned through a
semi-rotation by the chain a. The inner end of the shaft 9 terminates in a

page_text: crank g geared by means of a connecting rods to the end of the lever i pivoted
at to the frame of the machine, the middle part of the said lever being fixed
to a sleeve which on the motion of the lever t strikes against one or other of
the fixed collars b', 6' on the shaft B.
On the operation of the handle H' of the sprocket wheel H for effecting the
cutting of a coil fed into the fabric the sprocket pinion is turned through a
semi-rotation. The pawl carried by the said sprocket wheel is thereby moved
over the ratchet disc r until it engages (when the parts are in the position
represented in Figure 2) with the tooth of the ratchet disc r, the said ratchet
disc being retained in position during this motion of the pawl over it by the action
of the retaining pawl and coiled spring u (see Figures 1, 2 and 24). On the
bringing of the handle H' into its normal position the sprocket pinion h and pawl /*
are turned in the opposite direction and the said pawl being engaged with the
ratchet disc effects the semi rotation of the said ratchet disc r, shaft q and
crank and the transverse or cross movement of the shaft B through the connecting
rods and lever t. By this means the cross or transverse movement of the fabric on
the table is effected, the said fabric being moved through a distance equal to half
the pitch of the helical coils of which the fabric is being made.
On each forward and backward motion of the operating handle H the shaft B is
moved in a contrary direction to that which preceded it, these motions being effected
by the position which the crank ☞ by the intermittent alternating motion of the
ratchet disc takes, that is to say, the transverse movement of the fabric on the
table is a to and fro movement the fabric being moved first in one direction and
then in the opposite direction.
The said invention consists further of the methods hereinafter described of
constructing coilers or "giraffes" for forming helical coils to be used in making
wire fabrics.
We take a number, say six or seven, of short open helices of wire the pitch of
the helices being the same as that of the helical coils to be made. We also take a
similar helix but of half the length of the series referred to. We engage the series
of belices together so as to form a compound helix and engage the short helix in
the back end of the said compound helix. The back end is thus made a compact
helix while the front end is left an open helix. We insert in the compound helix
thus made a core which completely fills the interior of the said compound helix.
The open part of the compound helix is inserted in the collar which surrounds the
acting portion of the coiler.
Instead of taking helical coils of wire one, two or more helically coiled flat
metallic strips may be arranged upon a core with the same or nearly the same effect.
Figure 11 represents partly in elevation and partly in section a coiler or
"giraffe" made of wire helices and Figure 12 represents a coiler made of helically
coiled flat metallic strips.
In both figures a is the back or closed part of the compound helix and a' is the
open or acting part of the said compound helix : b is the core on which the
compound helix is arranged and c is the tubular socket or collar surrounding
the coiler. The tubular socket has a hole at or near its middle through which the
wire to be coiled enters the open part of the compound helix constituting the coiler.
By making coilers or "giraffes" in the way described their manufacture is simplified
and their cost reduced and when worn they may be repaired by withdrawing the
worn helix and replacing it by a new one.
Where two or more flat helically coiled metallic strips are used, instead of wire
helices, they may be repaired when won by introducing a thin helical packing strip
or wire between their meeting edges so as to reduce the distance between the
convolutions of the compound helix.
The said invention consists further of a new or improved wire measurer or
automatic device for stopping the feeding rolls when a sufficient length of wire has
been passed through thein to make a helical coil of the required length.
Figure 13 represents a machine for making helical coils of wire provided with

page_text: the measuring or automatic stopping mechanism constituting this part of the said
invention Figure 14 is a vertical section on the line a, a Figure 13 and Figure 15
is a vertical section on the line y, y Figure 13.
"
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 13, 14 and 15.
E is the fast pulley of the machine and E' the loose pulley; e, e² are the feeding
rolls by the rotation of which the wire wo is advanced and forced through the
coiler or "giraffe Situated in front of the feeding rolls e, e² is the pair of
supplementary rolls. On the axis of the upper roll f is a worm g gearing with
a worm wheel provided with two studs 2, 2 at opposite points. Although we
have represented two studs 12, h² on the worm wheel hone only, or three or more
studs may be employed according to the length of the helical coil of wire to be
made. When one stud only is employed the length of the wire fed into the
machine is equal to the number of teeth in the worm wheel multiplied into the
circumference of the supplementary rolls f, f'; when two or more studs are
employed the length of the wire passed into the machine to form each coil is equal
to the product of the number of teeth between adjacent studs into the
circumference of the said supplementary rolls f, f2.
Turning on a centre i is a horizontal lever & the short arm of which has a stud k³
situated in the path of the studs of the worm wheel h. The end of the long
aim of the horizontal lever k bears against the long arm of a vertical lever a
pin on the upper short arm of which rests in a detent or notch a² in a horizontal
sliding bar a, thereby retaining the said bar a in position against the action of the
coiled spring, one end of which is fixed to the frame of the machine and the
other end to the pin a³ on the bar a. The bar a works in guides or uprights d, d.
A second borizontal sliding bar bis arranged parallel with the bar a the said
bar having a pin situated in front of and in contact with the stud a³ of the
bar a (see Figure 13). The horizontal sliding bar b carries the driving band
fork b¹.
The action of the automatic measuring device is as follows;-
The wire w is fed into the machine by the rotation of the feeding rolls e, es and
is drawn by the said feeding rolls e, e2 through the supplementary rolls .f thereby
giving rotation to the said rolls f, f. When the length of wire w drawn through
the supplementary rolls f. f' has rotated them a sufficient number of times for the
worm g to have turned the worm wheel through a semi-rotation one of the studs *
is brought in contact with the stud on the lever k and the said lever k is turned
aside thereby operating the vertical lever and raising the pin out of the detent
or notch a' of the bar a. The said bar a is consequently pulled by its spring c in the
direction of the arrow in Figure 13 and as the pin a³ on the bar a bears against the
pin of the barb the said bar bis moved in the same direction and the fork
throws the driving band onto the loose pulley E' thereby bringing the feeding
rolls e, e to rest. The helical coil having been cut from the main portion of
the wire w the attendant starts the machine again for the purpose of forming another
helical coil of wire by first moving the bar a by hand in an opposite direction to
that indicated by the arrow in Figure 13 until the pin 12 of the lever drops into
the detent or notch a*. The bar b is now moved until its pin & bears against the
pin a³ of the bar b by which motion the fork transfers the driving band from
the loose to the fast pulley E when the operations herein before described are
repeated.
Figure 16 represents in front elevation and Figure 17 in plan a modification of
the wire measurer or automatic stopping device for application to machines in which
the driving pulley is thrown into and out of gear with the driving shaft of the
machine by clutch mechanism instead of by the use of fast and loose pulleys;
Figures 18 and 19 represent elevations taken at opposite ends of the machine and
Figure 20 represents in perspective a portion of the machine detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 16 to 20 both
inclusive.
A is the driving shaft and a the driving or band pulley turning loosely on the

page_text: said shaft; a is the clutch by means of which the driving pulley a is thrown into
or out of gear with the driving shaft A. The clutch a' is operated by the handle b
on the cross shaft B or automatically in the manner hereinafter described. The
cross shaft B is provided at its middle with a fork 6 which fits the grooved collar
of the clutch a² (see Figures 16 and 18). The driving shaft A gives rotation to
the feeding rolls e, through the gearing c, d, f, g. The spindle of the top feeding
roll is mounted in the arm of a pressure lever h jointed at 2 and held down by
a fly nut i on the screwed end of the spring rod ; by this means the pressure
necessary to ensure the bite of the feeding rolls on the wire is maintained.
The automatic stopping of the feeding rolls e, e when the measured length of
wire has been passed into the machine is effected by the following mechanism.
The wire wo (see Figure 19) passes on its way to the feeding rolls e, e² over the
small guide roller k under the larger roller and over the second small guide
roller. By this means a rotary motion is communicated to the larger roller
and to the worm 1 on the spindle of the said roller l. The said worm gears with
a worm wheel m on the axis of which is a grip roll m². A second grip roll n² is
mounted on an axis carried by the pressure lever n pivoted at n³ and maintained
under pressure by the fly nut o on the screwed upper end of the spring connected
rod o Between the grip rolls n³, m² a horizontal sliding rod p works, the said
rod p being advanced by the said grip rolls n², m³ in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 16 against the action of the weight q and spring on the rotation of the
worm wheel m. To the end of the cross shatt B a crank arm b' is fixed the end of
the said crank arm being connected through a depending link or rods to the end
of a levert pivoted at t² to the base of the machine. A weighted arm u, supported
in the position represented in Figure 18 by the rod p, is also connected to the end
of the lever t. In these positions the parts are maintained until the measured
length of wire has been fed into the machine, when the notched part p³ of the
sliding rod p coming under the weighted arm u the said weighted arm drops into
the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 18 and pulls down the link or rod s
thereby turning the crank arm 63 and shaft B through a small angle and effecting
the withdrawal of the clutch a² from the driving pulley a. Thus, the feeding
rolls e, e are brought to rest. On the turning of the crank arm 6 in the way
described the pressure of the upper grip roll n² on the rod p is relieved by the
following arrangement of parts so that on the raising of the weighted end of the
arm u out of the notch p³ the rod p, is automatically drawn into its back or starting
position by the action of its weight q and spring r. A lever a situated under the
table of the machine supports at each end vertical rods y, y². The upper end of
the rod y bears against the underside of the crank arm and the upper end of the
other rod y bears against the underside of the pressure lever n. When the crank
arm is turned by the fall of the weighted arm u as hereinbefore described the
y is forced down and the other rod y and pressure lever n are raised thereby
lifting the grip roll n² off the rod p. Consequently as the pressure or grip on the
P is relieved on the lifting of the weighted arm u by hand out of the notch p²
the spring and weight 9 automatically draw the rod p into its back or starting
position or approximately into the position represented in the drawings.
rod
rod
The wire measurer just described may be simplified by the following modification
of the parts. The worm wheel shaft m³ is prolonged, as indicated in dotted lines,
in an opposite direction to that represented in Figure 17 and the grip rolls n², m³
sliding iod p, weighted arm u and parts connected therewith are dispensed with.
On the end of the worm wheel shaft m³ is a cam or disc m¹ carrying a small
roller m³. When by the rotation of the disc m the roller m is brought into its
lowest position it bears upon a lever and slightly depressing the long arm of the
said lever raises its short arm together with a rod connecting the said short arm
with the free end of the pressure lever h. By this means the upper feeding roll e
is raised and the bite of the feeding rolls thereby removed consequently the feeding
rolls rotate without feeding the wire into the coiler or giraffe. The wire is now cut
(the cutter is not shown in connection with this machine) and the cam or disc m* is
B

page_text: =
slightly turned by hand so as to remove the roller m³ from off the lever when the
feeding rolls e, e again commence to operate or feed forward the wire.
The machine for cutting or dividing sheets of wire fabric into sheets of smaller
size constituting part of the said invention is represented in plan in Figure 21 and
in side elevation in Figure 22; Figures 23, 24 and 25 represent parts of the
machine detached and Figure 26 represents the crushing and cutting tools of the
said machine detached; Figures 24, 25 and 26 are drawn to a large scale than
Figures 21, 22 and 23.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 21, 22, 23, 24,
25 and 26.
The said machine consists essentially of a pair of levers marked respectively A
and B, the lever A turning on a shaft d situated over the table c and the lever B
turning on a shaft e situated under the table c. The front arms of the levers A. B
constitute the closing jaws in which the crushing and cutting tools a. bare fixed.
The front arm of the lever A works in conjunction with a gripping lever A turning
on the same shaft d as the lever A which gripping lever A' firmly secures the wire
fabric to the table while the cutting tools a and b operate. The gripping lever A²
is worked by the action of the lever A, a spring buffer f being interposed between
the ends of the two levers (see Figure 24). On the descent of the acting arm of
the lever A the acting part of the lever A is pressed upon the fabric and holds the
said fabric firmly on the table while the operating jaws come together, the yielding
of the buffer spring permitting the arm of the lever A to descend after the
lever A bas come to rest. The acting or gripping face of the lever A' and the
iron face plate set in the table of the machine are ribbed or corrugated for
the purpose of improving the grip upon the fabric. The ribs are marked a¹, a', ', c
respectively in the detached sectional view Figure 25. The long arm of the lever B
terminates in three branches marked respectively b', 62, 63 the branch constituting
with the link i, pivoted to the underside of the table, a toggle joint. The long arm
of the lever B is geared to the long arm of the lever A by a link & jointed to the
said lever A and to the branch 2 of the lever B. The levers A, A' are worked
from the main shaft g which shaft is provided with the ordinary fast and loose
pulleys E, E'. On the main shaft ġ is an eccentric the rod 2 of which is
connected to the branch of the long arin of the lever B. On the forward motion
of the eccentric rod 2 the parts take the positions indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 22 in consequence of the straightening of the arms of the toggle joint 6³, i
and the operating jaws of the levers A and B are brought together. The edges of
the rear half only of the tools and constitute the cutting edges of the said tools
(see Figure 26) the front half, which do not come into actual contact on the closing
of the lever jaws, forming crushing tools for flattening the portion of the fabric
between the said frout half of the tools preparatory to its introduction into the rear
cutting half of the said tools.
The sheet of wire fabric to be divided into sheets or pieces of smaller size is
intermittently fed between the operating jaws in the following manner.
Parallel to the main or driving shaft 9 is a second shaft provided with a series
of toothed wheels 12, 12 the top teeth of which project through a slot c³ in the table c,
and engage with the meshes of the sheet of fabric placed upon the table. The saul
shaft is rotated by means of a spring pressed pawl m and ratchet wheel n (see
Figure 23) the said pawl being pivoted to a weighted lever p turning loosely upon
the shaft and being raised by a cam g' on the main or driving shaft g acting on an
anti-friction roller on a horizontal pin p² projecting from the side of the lever pas
will be well understood from an examination of Figure 23. Each time the lever p
is raised the pawl / slides over a tooth of the ratchet wheel n and on the descent of
the lever P the said pawl m acting against the tooth of the ratchet wheel 1, with
which it is engaged, advances the said ratchet wheel through a partial rotation
thereby effecting the turning of the shaft and its toothed wheels 12, 12 and the
advance movement of the fabric on the table c.
Before the fabric is placed upon the dividing table one of the coils, namely the

page_text: coil whose axis coincides with the line at which the division is to be effected, is
withdrawn from the fabric and metallic supporting rods are preferably introduced
into the coils on either side of the line where the wire fabric is to be cut, the said
rods having for their purpose to preserve on the crushing of the fabric the respective
cross coils in their places, but the said rods may be dispensed with.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that as the wire fabric is
intermittently fed between the open tools a, b a part of the fabric in the line to
be cut is crushed or flattened by the front part of the tools. On the next forward
motion of the fabric the part crushed is brought between the cutting portion of the
tools and a tresh portion is brought between the crushing part of the tools so that
on each closing of the tools a part of the fabric is cut and a part crushed for the
next cutting operation.
The said invention consists further of a new or improved hand worked cutting
instrument to be used in connection with a machine for making compound or border
coils.
Figure 27 represents the said cutting instrument in side elevation and Figure 28
represents the same in plan; Figure 29 represents an elevation (partly in section)
looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 28. This cutting instrument is
represented in conjunction with the machine represented in Figure 13 and is
marked A. Figure 30 represents the guide rod, drawn to a large scale, on which
the helical coil travels to the cutting tool.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 27, 28, 29 and 30.
The cutting instrument proper consists of a vertical lever a pivoted to a vertical
plate by means of the pin c. The guide rod d over which the helical coil passes
is situated in an eye or hole in the vertical plate the said eye or hole being
inclined at such an angle to the side of the plate that the cutter lever a when pulled
in the direction of the arrow in Figure 29 cuts the wire emerging from the vertical
plate b at right angles to the axis of the wire and at the same time moves the cut
coil forward into the dotted position indicated in Figure 30 so that on the feeding
forward of a second coil the said second coil twists or screws into the one already
cut and forms with the first coil a compound coil. On the cutting of this the second
coil the two coils are moved a little forward so that the coil last cut is pushed ont
of the path of the next coil; thus the path for each succeeding coil is cleared and
the coils fed forward twist into those already cut and add to the number of single
coils formning the compound or border coil.
When a compound or border coil of sufficient strength has been made it is
removed from off the front end of the guide rod d and the operations described
are repeated for the making of another compound or border coil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as
the said invention of;-" New or improved machinery for and tools to be used in
the manufacture of wire fabric" :-
First. The new or improved machine hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings for feeding the
cross or transverse helical wire coils into the longitudinal coils of the fabric, the
said new or improved machine consisting in the combination with a machine for
forming helical wire coils, of the guide g, the axis of which is arranged at right
angles to the interlaced longitudinal coils constituting the partly made fabric which
is placed upon the table of the machine, and of the grip plate d for holding the
partly made fabric on the table while the crossing coil is interlaced by its screwing
motion into the fabric; and also of the cross shaft B situated under the table of
the machine, the said cross shaft having upon it the series of toothed wheels the
teeth of which project through an opening or slot in the table and engage with
the meshes of the fabric thereon, the said shaft being capable of an intermittent
compound motion made up of a partial rotation for feeding the fabric forward and
of a slight motion in the direction of its length for giving the fabric a slight side

page_text: or cross motion substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of the
mechanism herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of
the accompanying drawings for giving the intermittent partial rotation and slight
side or cross motion to the cross shaft B of the machine claimed in the first claim
and for effecting the cutting of the wire when the cross coil has been fed into
the fabric in course of manufacture substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Thirdly. The method of constructing coilers or "giraffes " hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings that is to say,
forming the said coilers or "giraffes" of a series of helical coils of wire or helically
coiled flat metallic strips arranged upon a core so that the rear part consists of a
closed or compact helix and the fore or acting part of an open helix substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Fourthly. The construction and arrangement or combination of the parts of the
wire measurer or automatic device for stopping the feeding rolls when a sufficient
length of wire has been fed by them to make a helical coil of the required length
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14 and 15 of the accompanying
drawings; the said wire measurer consisting essentially in the use of a supplemen-
tary pair of feeding rolls on the axis of one of which is a worm, gearing with a
worm wheel, a stud or studs on which is or are caused to operate on the rotation of
the worm wheel a series of levers for throwing the driving band or belt on to the
loose pulley on the driving shaft substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Fifthly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the parts of the
modified wire measurers herein before described and illustrated in Figures 16, 17,
18, 19 and 20 of the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly. The construction and combination or arrangement of the parts of the
machine hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 of
the accompanying drawings for cutting or dividing sheets of wire fabric of large
size into sheets of smaller size, the said machine consisting of a pair of geared
levers the front jaws of which carry the operating tools one of the said levers
being over and the other lever under the table of the machine on which the
fabric is placed, and the combination with the said geared levers of a cross shaft
parallel with the driving shaft, the said cross shaft having a series of toothed
wheels for engaging with and intermittently feeding forward the fabric substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Seventhly. The tools herein before described with reference to Figures 21, 22, 24
and 26 of the accompanying drawings for cutting wire fabrics consisting of inter-
laced helical coils the front or first operating half of the said tools consisting of
crushing tools and the rear halt of cutting tools substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated.
or tool
Eighthly. The new or improved hand worked cutting instrument
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 27, 28, 29 and 30 of the accom-
panying drawings the said new or improved instrument consisting of a vertical
hand lever pivoted to a vertical plate inclined to the axis of the guide rod on
which the coil passes to the cutter substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
Dated the Twentieth day of April 1895.
THOMAS EDMUND WALE.
WILLIAM HENRY WALE.
ALFRED EDMUND WALE.
FREDERICK CHARLES ADIE