Year: 1886

page_text: I, SAM MIDGLEY, of 13 Staples Street, in the City of Lowell, in the County
of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts one of the United States of
America, Card-maker 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:-
My invention relates to card-setting machines, and has for its object to simplify
and improve the construction of the bending and stopping devices and to cause the
bending devices to "nip in," or bend towards each other, the points of a card-tooth
in order to leave the legs of the tooth parallel with each other, after the bending
or nipping devices let go of the tooth.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is a plan and figure.2 is a rear elevation
of the rock-shaft and its stand, and the bending devices which are supported by
said rock-shaft, and a part of the stop-motion mechanism; figure 3, a right side
elevation of the same and of the driving pulley and its shaft and the other parts of
the stop-motion mechanism, a part of the driving pulley being broken out and
other parts of the machine being shown in dotted lines; figure 4, a plan of the
driving shaft and a part of the frame of the machine, the sliding stop-rod and its
spring, showing also in horizontal cross section the driving pulley and the collar
fixed on the driving shaft and which forms with said pulley a clutch, and showing
also in horizontal section the arm which projects from the stop-rod and engages
with an annular groove on the hub of the pulley; figure 5, a cross section on the
line y y in figure 3, through the grooved-block which supports the benders, said
benders being represented in front elevation; figure 6, a longitudinal section on
the line in figure 1; figure 7, an isometric view of the stop-motion pins and
their holder; figure 8, a vertical cross section on the line in figure 9, showing
the pivoting of the bending lever to its support; figure 9, an isometric view of
the bender detached, and a stop-motion pin and its spring arranged below said
bender; figure 10, an isometric view of the guide-plate, which prevents the stop-
motion pins from turning on their axes.
The devices hereinafter described are used in connection with other mechanisms
which take wire from a coil, cut it to a suitable length to form a card-tooth, bend
it into the form of a staple, punch fine holes in a strip or sheet of leather and
insert the legs of said staple in said holes. These mechanisms are well known and
need no. description here.

page_text: The stands A A¹, resting upon a suitable bed B, support the hereinafter
described parts of the machine in the usual manner. The driving shaft C, the
driving pulley C¹, forming one part of a clutch and turning and sliding loosely on
said shaft, the other part of said clutch being a collar C rigidly secured to said
shaft and provided with one or more projections c² which engage with one or more
pins c which project from the sides of said pulley, the hub c³ of said pulley being
provided with an annular groove c to receive an arm d which projects from the
stop-rod D, said stop-rod sliding in bearings on the stand A. and having a collar d¹
between which and said stand A a spiral spring d², surrounding said stop-rod, is
compressed, are all of the usual construction and operation.
The expansion of the spiral spring d³ tends to slide the stop-rod D and to draw
the driving pulley away from the collar G³, and thereby to stop the machine. The
stop-rod D is prevented from operating by the upper end of a lever E, entering a
groove in said stop-rod when the machine is running properly. The lever E is
pivoted between its ends to the stand A and is kept in engagement with the
groove in the stop-rod by a spring e, secured to said stand and pressing against
the upper end of said lever E, another lever F is pivoted between its ends to
the stand A².
A connecting rod G connects the lower ends of the levers E F. A bent lever H
is pivoted between the arms of the stand A¹, said stand being shaped something
like a Y.
When the lever H is swung backward, as hereinafter described it strikes the
upper end of the lever F, or against an adjusting screw f, which is run horizontally
through the upper end of said lever F, and is prevented from being accidentally
turned by a check-nut f¹. The backward motion of the upper end of the lever F
operates the stop motion as above described. When the machine is doing its work
properly the lever H, remains stationary.
A horizontal rock-shaft I swings in bearings in the top of said stand A' and is
provided with a pendant arm i, rigidly secured thereto. A lever J is pivoted on
the stand A, and rests against an eccentric J¹ secured to the driving shaft, the
lever J and the arm i being connected by the rod K, so that when the upper end
of the lever J is thrown backward by the eccentric J, the arm i is swung back-
ward and the shaft I is rocked in its bearings, the lever J being held in contact
with the eccentric J, and the shaft I being rocked in the other direction by a
spring J secured to the bed of the machine and pressing against the back of the
arm 2.
To the rock-shaft, below the same, is secured a grooved block L, by arms ¹¹¹,
and is oscillated by the rocking of said shaft. In a longitudinal groove 12 in the
top of said block L, at right angles to the axis of said shaft I, are placed the side-
benders M. M', the object of which is to "nip in" the legs of the card-tooth, and to
support and adjust the knee benders, which make the usual bends or knees at the
middle of the legs of the card-tooth.
The side-benders M. M¹ are precisely alike, except that one is right-handed and
the other is left-handed, each side-bender, at its rear end is half as wide as the
groove 12, and has a thin spring middle part m, formed in one piece with it, said
side-bender being somewhat wider than said spring m, at its front end, at m¹, and
being provided on its upper edge just in front of said spring m with an upward
projection or ear m², said ear having an outwardly-projecting boss m³. The two
knee-benders N N₁ are also one right-handed and the other left-handed, the left-
handed one N¹ being best shown in figure 9. Each knee-bender is flat on its
under surface and is provided with a hub n, the same being a horizontal cylinder
which enters and turns freely in a corresponding hole formed in the ear m² and
boss m³ being held therein by a flat-headed screw O, turned into said hub n con-
centrically therewith, the flat head of said screw resting against the outer end of
said boss, as shown in figure 8.
The rear end of each side-bender M M¹ is provided with a longitudinal slot m*,
through which passes a vertical screw T into the bottom of the groove & in the

page_text: block L. The bender is adjusted to bring the hooks of the knee-bender to the
proper distance from the rest R named below by means of a screw P which turns
in a threaded hole in the rear end of said side-bender and is provided in its head
with an annular groove p, just wide enough to receive the top edge of the plate L¹
secured by screws l across the rear end of said block L and the groove 12.
By turning said screw P into or out of the side-benders said side-benders are
moved backward or forward in the groove 2 to adjust the distance of the hooks n¹ n³
of the knee-benders N N¹, in order that said hooks may, in their forward
motion, be carried to the proper degree of nearness to the rest R to obtain a bend
of the required angle in the legs of the card-tooth. Other screws S turn in
threaded holes formed through said side-benders from top to bottom thereof and
thrust against the bottom of said groove to throw the front ends of said side-
benders upward from the bottom of said groove in order that the hooks n' n² may
each be raised to the same height and make knees of the same angle in the legs of
a card tooth V placed over said rest, as shown in figure 3.
After the side-benders have been adjusted by the screws P and S, they are held
in place by turning down the screws T above named. The knee-benders N N¹ are
provided at their front ends with forwardly inclined hooks n' n² or wires hooked
at their upper ends and inserted in holes formed in said knee-benders and retained
therein by set-screws n³. The rear ends of the knee-benders rest upon the upper
ends of L-shaped stop-motion pins u. These pins are arranged in a block U,
secured to the underside of the block L, the vertical parts of said pins sliding in
vertical holes in said block U and being provided with collars u³, the holes in
which said vertical parts slide, being counter-bored for a distance from the top of
said block. Spiral springs W W₁ surround the vertical parts of said pins u
between said collars and the bottom of the counter-bored parts of said holes in
which said vertical parts slide. Said pins are prevented from turning in said
block U by a guide-plate Q, provided with slots q q¹ which reach backward, said
guide-plate G, being secured to the bottom of the block U in such a manner that
the horizontal parts of said stop-pins lie in the grooves q q¹ of said guide-plate.
When the machine operates properly the action of the parts herein described, is
as follows:-
By the rocking of the shaft I, the benders are thrown upward and forward
until the hooks n1 m² reach above the rest, R, just far enough to allow the legs of a
wire tooth V, driven through a sheet of card-leather to pass under said hook, and
above said rest, the benders are then drawn downward and backward and the legs
of the card-tooth drag on the hooks n¹ m² and thereby raise the front ends of the
knee-benders, turning them on their horizontal fulcrums and cause the rear ends of
said knee-benders to press the stop-pins u downward until their upper ends are
flush with the bottom of the groove 12. When the stop-motion pins u are thus
pressed downward, their horizontal parts, in swinging backward, pass into holes h
in the block h¹, secured to the lever H and do not stop the machine. In case the
legs of the card-tooth do not each enter one of the hooks n¹ n² and throw the rear
ends of the knee-benders down flat upon the bottom of the groove and thus
depress the tops of the stop-motion pins until they are flush with the bottom of
said groove 2, the lower rear ends of said stop-motion pins will strike against the
block h¹ and swing the lever H backward and cause it to strike the lever F, and
through the connecting mechanism above described, to uncouple the clutch formed
by the driving pulley C¹ and the collar C2 and allow the machine to stop.
Should the wire of the tooth fail to enter either of the knee-benders, or should
either of said hooks be broken and the necessary angle or knee not be given to the
tooth, the machine will be stopped, as above described.
The hooks n n are adjusted to the same distance apart as the holes in the
card-sheet which are intended for the reception of a single tooth, by means of
screws no, which turn horizontally in the arm A2 and thrust against the outer
faces of the side-benders, the spring-portions m of which yield under the pressure
of said last named screws,

page_text: In using any wire, especially tempered steel wire, for making card-teeth it is
necessary to bend the wire somewhat beyond the position in which it is expected
to remain when the bending pressure is removed from it. Accordingly it is
desirable to cause the hooks of the knee-benders not only to draw down upon the
legs of the tooth but in drawing down to approach each other, in order that the
points of the tooth after leaving the hooks of the knee-benders and springing
outward slightly, as they will do, may still be parallel with each other. This
result is accomplished by bevelling off the lower side-corners of the side-benders M M²,
as shown at m³, figure 5, and inserting horizontal screws me in the arm A² which
supports the rest R in such a position that, when the block L swings backward and
the lower bevelled corners of said side-benders are depressed, they will ride over
the points of said screws and cause the hooks n¹ n² to approach each other.
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:
1. The stop-pin holder, provided with vertical holes, extending through the same
and counterbored from the top, substantially as described, to receive spiral springs,
in combination with said springs and L-shaped stop-pins, the vertical arms of
which are arranged in said holes and are provided with collars above said
springs, said pins having backwardly-projecting horizontal arms, said holder being
provided with backwardly-extending slots, which receive the horizontal arms of
said stop-pins and prevent them from turning on the axis of their vertical arms,
as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of the oscillating block, the knee-benders pivoted near their
front ends and provided at their front ends with hooks, the pivots of said knee-
benders being supported by said oscillating block, the stop-pin holder provided
with vertical holes, extending through the same and counterbored from the top to
receive spiral springs, said springs and L-shaped stop-pins, the vertical arms of which
are arranged in said holes and project upward through holes formed in said oscillating
block and press against the under side of the rear ends of said knee-benders, and
which are provided with collars above said springs, said pins having backwardly-
projecting horizontal arms and said holder being provided with backwardly-
extending slots which reach from the holes in said holder and receive the horizontal
arms of said stop-pins and prevent said stop-pins from turning in said holder, as
and for the purpose specified.
3. The side-benders provided with ears having outwardly-projecting bosses, and
with cylindrical holes formed in said ears and bosses, in combination with the
knee-benders provided with hubs which enter said holes and screws turned into
said hubs and provided with heads, which rest against the outer ends of said bosses,
as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination in a card-setting machine of side-benders, the front ends of
which are adapted to be sprung towards each other, and knee-benders pivoted to
said side-benders, as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of the oscillating block, the side-benders rigidly secured at
their rear ends to said oscillating block, the middle portions of said side-benders
being elastic laterally, said side-benders being bevelled off near their front ends at
their lower side-edges, and stationary horizontal screws arranged to be struck by
said bevelled parts of said side-benders and to force said side-benders towards each
other, and knee-benders pivoted to said side-benders and provided with hooks
adapted to receive and bend the legs of a card-tooth as said side-benders and
oscillating block are swung downward and backward, as and for the purpose
specified.
6. The combination of the side-benders and the knee-benders pivoted thereto
and provided with books adapted to receive and bend the legs of a card-tooth to
form the knees of the same, stop-pins L-shaped, as herein described, means of
pressing up the vertical-parts of said stop-pins against the rear ends of said knee-

page_text: benders, said knee-benders being adapted to be rocked on their pivots by the
resistance to bending of said card-tooth and to press said stop-pins downward,
mechanism, substantially as herein described, for oscillating said benders and pins,
and the stop-motion mechanism of a card-setting machine, and its actuating lever
having a block secured thereto, provided with holes arranged to receive the
horizontal parts of said stop-pins when the same are forced downward by the rear
ends of said knee-benders, said block being arranged to be struck by the rear ends
of said horizontal parts of said stop-pins when the same are not so depressed, and
to be moved backward to operate said stop-motion, as and for the purpose
specified.
7. The combination of the frame consisting of stands supported upon a suitable
bed, a rock-sbaft, a grooved block secured to said rock-shaft beneath the same,
side-benders placed within the groove of said block and adjustable therein, knee-
benders arranged between said side-benders, and each pivoted to one of said side-
benders and provided with forwardly-inclined hooks, stop-pins arranged beneath
the rear ends of said knee-benders, and forced upward against the same by springs,
and being L-shaped, a swinging lever provided with a block having holes to receive
the horizontal parts of said stop-pins when the same are depressed and swung
backward, the driving shaft, a collar secured thereto, provided with projections,
a driving pulley sliding on said driving shaft and having projections adapted to
engage the projections on said collar, said driving pulley having also an annular
groove, a sliding rod provided with an arm which enters said annular groove,
a slot in said sliding rod, a lever, one end of which enters said slot, and means
substantially as described for connecting said last named lever and said first named-
lever, to draw said last named lever out of said slot, and a spring to slide said
sliding rod, and to cause said driving pulley to be disengaged from said collar,
when said stop-pins strike said block on said lever, as and for the purpose
specified.