GB741997A - Driving mechanism for a machine for manufacturing wire fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

741,997. Operating clutches. WAKEFIELD, J. A. Dec. 21, 1953 [Sept. 19, 1952], No. 23528/52. Class 80(2) [Also in Group XXII] A machine for making chain link fabric including a multiple-revolution coiling shaft and an alternately driven singlerevolution shaft for operating wire severing and cut-end knuckling means has driving mechanism for the shafts which includes a continuously-driven main spindle driving the multiple-revolution shaft through an epicyclic gear and the single-revolution shaft through a clutch, and automatically-operating clutch control mechanism to cause the single-revolution shaft to remain stationary while the multiple-revolution shaft turns and viceversa, drive from the epicyclic gear being cancelled out when the single-revolution shaft turns. A continuously-driven spindle 1 alternately rotates a shaft 3 for one revolution, through worm 7, gear 9 and clutch 10, and a shaft 2 for several revolutions, through worm 6, gear 8 and epicyclic gear 26. The clutch comprises a drum 10, Figs. 9, 10, secured to the driving gear 9 and free on the shaft 3, a coupling member 12 inside the drum 10 and fast on the shaft 3 and formed with peripheral flats 14, and a cage 18, free on the shaft 3, extending between the drum 10 and coupling member 12 and loosely carrying, in slots 22, rollers 23. A peg 16 on the member 12 engages a slot 24 in the cage 18 of such a length as to allow relative rotation of the member 12 and cage 18 either to jam the rollers 23 between the member 12 and drum 10 and thus engage the clutch or to release them and thus disengage the clutch. The epicyclic gear includes an annulus 26 secured to the driving gear 8 and free on the shaft 2, a sun 28 fast on the shaft 2, and a planet carrier 27 loosely sleeved on the shaft 2 and rotatably connected to the shaft 3 through sprockets 29, 25 and chain 30. In operation, assuming the clutch 10 disengaged and the shaft 3 consequently still, the shaft 2 is rotated through the epicyclic gear until a tooth 48 on a disc 39, rotated from the shaft 2, engages a tooth 47 on a link 45 to rock a lever 40, against a spring 44, to disengage a catch 42 from a notch 43 on the cage 18 of the clutch. The clutch immediately engages to rotate the shaft 3 ,which rotates, through the chain 30, the pinion carrier 27 to cancel out the drive from the annulus 26 and thus to stop the shaft 2. During the rotation of the shaft 3 a hump 51 on the pinion carrier 27 lifts the lever 45 off the tooth 48 to allow the catch 42 to move back into a position to engage the notch 43 and disengage the clutch 10 when the shaft 3 has rotated once.