GB447315A - Improvements in and relating to apparatus for feeding lengths of wire - Google Patents

Abstract

447,315. Feeding wires from bundles. BRITISH THOMSON - HOUSTON CO., Ltd., Crown House, Aldwych, London. Oct. 14, 1935, No. 28330. Convention date, Oct. 12, 1934. [Class 142 (ii)] [See also Group XI] Apparatus for feeding lengths of wire such as the leading-in wires of incandescent lamps &c. to machines such as described in Specification 223,204, [Class 39 (ii)], for the manufacture thereof, comprises a pocket for holding a number of the wires, means for separating one wire from the remainder in the pocket, a pair of jaws adapted to grip the wire, transfer means for moving the jaws to withdraw the wire from the pocket and carry it to a delivery position and means for closing and opening the jaws at the pick-up and delivery positions. In the construction described, a series of pockets 11 are provided around a turret 12 to contain the wires 10. The pockets are closed at the bottom by a plate 16 and have outwardly inclined outer sides so that normally the bundle of wires are outwardly inclined. A plate 17 with V-shaped notches is reciprocated in contact with the side of a bundle so as to loosen it and cause single wires to lie at the apices of the notches. The plate is carried by an arm 20, at the top of an upright 22 attached to an arm 23 pivoted at 28 and rocked by a bell-crank lever 24. An air pipe 31 with nozzle apertures adjacent the plate 17 emits blasts of air to assist the separation of the wires. The delivery device comprises two jaws 14, 15 closed by spring action and mounted on a pivot on a plate 41 slidably mounted on the head 42 of a tubular post 43. A shaft 50 passes through the post 43 and is frictionally connected thereto so as to turn the head through two right angles until the pin 84 engages the side of a bracket 46. The shaft 50 also carries a cam at its upper end which moves the slide 41 in and out. A transverse slide mounted on the slide 41 carries a rack which operates a cam to open the jaws against the action of the closing spring. The slide is operated by a rocking lever engaging rollers at its ends. The bracket 46 is raised and lowered to pull the wires out of the pockets and place them in the working position. In operation, the grippers are turned through 180‹ from the position shown, opened, moved into position to grip a wire, closed, raised vertically to lift the wire clear of the pocket, turned through 180‹ to the position shown, lowered, and opened to deliver the wire. At the period of withdrawal of the wire, the air blasts come into action to separate any wire that might be adhering to the one in the gripper. Specifications 355,426 and 362,803 also are referred to.