US1110015A - Automatic feeding device. - Google Patents

Description

W. G. STAPLES. AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE. E

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1912.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

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WILLARD G. STAPLES, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC FEEDING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

Application filed April 8,1812. 7 Serial No. 688,208.

T0 all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that l, lVILLano G. STAPLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newburyport, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an automatic feeding device and particularly to a feeding mechanism designed for use in connection with twisting machines of the type shown and described in an application filed by me in the United States Patent Office, March 15, 1909, Serial Number 14-83598. in machines of this character the material to-be twisted is held under tension and drawn into the machine by the twisting and reeling operations.

The machine described in my application referred to above, comprises a, frame carrying a reel.

tcrial together, the ends of the strands being secured to the reel. As the twisting process continues, due to the rotation of the frame carrying the reel, the finished product is wound up upon the reel, means being provided for accomplishing this result, said means being operated by the rotation of the frame- Heretofore each machine has required the services of an operator to hold the material under tension, the operator permitting the material to be drawn into the whereby the amount of tension to which the material fed into a machine is subjected, may be regulated. 3

Further objects of the invent-ion will be specifically pointed out. and explained here inafter.

Briefly, my invention consists in providing rotatable means for holding under tension one or more strands of the material'fe'd The frame is rotated which ro-j tates the reel and twists the strands of me.-

into a twisting machine, a suitable clutch to hold said rotatable means against rotation, and means operated by the material as it is twisted for releasing the clutch to permit the material to be fed as required by the machine.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a feeding device constructed and operated in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Figs. 3 and a are plan views on an enlarged scale showing the operation of the clutch, Fig. 3 showing the position of the members when the clutch is released, and. Fig. a: showing the position when the clutch is in operation, and Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the clutch ring and the means for holding it against rotation.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the rotatable means consistof a wheel 6, having a grooved perimeter, loosely mounted on a shaft 7 secured in a sleeve 8 supported on a standard 9. The wheel is so mounted that it may be forced against the end of the sleeve. ,To prevent rotation of the wheel at the proper times any suitable clutch may be provided and one such mechanism is shown in the drawings and consists of a clutch ring 10 and a collar 11, both loosely mounted on the shaft 7 and held thereon in any adjusted position by a nut 12 on. the end of the shaft. The ring may be moved longitudinally on said shaft toward and from the wheel 6 but is held against rotary movement by a pin 33 set in the shaft which engages an inner corresponding recess let in the ring. (See Fig. The collar is capable of both a rotary and a longitudinal movement on said shaft. That face of the clutch ring further from the wheel 6 is cut obliquely and the collar is provided with an extension 18 also out obliquely to bear againstthe oblique face of the clutch ring. The collar and clutch ring are so adjusted on the shaft that when the oblique bearing faces of both are in contact, the clutch ring is not in engagement with the wheel. This adjustment is illustrated in Fig. 3 and is securedby regulating the position of the nut 12 on the end of the shaft. If the collar is then turned on the shaft the clutch ring is pushed away from the collar and against the wheelfi into the position shown in Fig. 4:. If the clutch ring be so adjusted that it is but a slight distance from the wheel when in the position shown in Fig. 3, that is, in an inoperative position, then a slight movement only of the collar is required to throw it into an operative position to hold the wheel against the end of the sleeve 8, to prevent its rotation.

The normal position of the clutch ring is shown in Fig. 4 in which the rotatable means held against rotation and in order that the rotatable means may be released as material is required in the twisting operation, I provide means whereby the collar is turned to release the clutch ring temporarily from time to time, said means being operated by the tension of the material due to the twisting operation. Use form of such means is shown and consists of a cone 15 secured on the end of an arm or lever 16 mounted on the collar 11.

In the drawings is shown a portion of a twisting machine; namely a standard 17 supporting in suitable bearings a bored shaft 18 throiiigh which the material is drawn in the twisting operation. My feeding device when applied to a twisting machine, is so arranged that the tip or apex of the cone is normally near the end of the shaft 18, or contacting the lower portion of it as shown in Fig. 1, and when in this position. the wheel held by the clutch ring as illustrated in Fig. i. To keep the cone in an upward position a counterweight 19 is slidably mounted on an arm 20 extending radially from the opposite side of the collar and secured in any adjusted position thereon by a set-screw 21.

In the use of my device where two or more strands of material are being twisted together, part of the strands are fed on one side and part on the other side of the cone, the stand or strands on one side being given one or more turns around the wheel 6. In the drawings the twisting machine is shown operating upon two strands 22 and 23, the former being led directly from a reel supported in standards 25 and the latter from a reel, 26 mounted on a spindle 27. The strand 23 passes through a guide 28, then around the wheel 6 in one or more turns to the twisting machine.

The operation of the feeding device is as follows. So long as the cone remains in the position shown in 1 the clutch ring is in an operative position and holds the wheel 6 against rotation thereby holding the strand 23 under tension. The operation of the twisting machine then causes the strands, 22 and 23 for instance, to be gradually twisted together and the end of the twist, that is the junction point 30 in Fig. 2, moves away from the twisting machine and along the surface of the cone until it reaches a point where the pressure exerted on the cone by the meeting of the strands at the junction point 30 is sufficient to overcome the force exerted by the veight 19 whereupon the cone is depressed. The depression of the cone turns the collar and releases the clutch ring permitting the wheel 6 to rotate and the strand is fed forward thereby and as soon as this occurs the end of the twist, that is, the junction point 30, moves toward the twisting machine and the weight 19 causes the cone to rise and the clutch to stop the rotation of the wheel 6. This process is continued automatically and the twisting operation as it progresses causes the clutch to be temporarily released from time to time to permit material to be fed as required.

By adjusting the position of the weight 19 the amount of tension required to depress the cone may be regulated and in that way the amount of the twist given to the finished material may be determined. At the same time, the clutch ring and collar may be adjusted to vary the amount of the movement of the cone necessary to release the clutch ring. By means of these adjustments my device may be adapted to various conditions both of materials and use.

My invention may be embodied in various other forms of construction than that herein illustrated and described without departing therefrom and I desire to claim it broadly within the scope of the following claims.

l Vhat I claim is 1. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means, comprising a material supply, a wheel for holding the material under tension, a friction clutch preventing said wheel from rotation, a junction point feeler for controlling said clutch whereby the wl eel is released and the material fed forward into the twisting machine.

2. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising rotatable means for holding the material to be twisted under tension. a clutch in connection therewith normally preventing said rotatable means from rotation and means adapted to be acted upon by the twisting material. at the junction point, as it travels back and forth, to release said clutch.

3. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising rotatable means for holding the material to be twisted under tension. frictional means for holding said, rotatable means against rotation, and means engaging and controlled by the twisting material for releasing said frictional means to permit said material to be fed into a twisting machine.

4. A feeding mechanism for twisting ma.- chines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising a wheel for holding the material under tension, :1 friction clutch to hold said wheel against rotation and means operated upon by the material at the point of junction where the strands of material are twisted together for releasing said clutch from time to time to permit said material to be fed forward by said wheel.

5. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising rotatable means for holding the material to be twisted under tension, a friction clutch and a horizontallymoving sleeve in connection with the clutch for holding said rotating means against rotation and means controlled by the downward pressure of the strands of material twisting together to release said clutch.

6. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising rotatable means for holdin the material under tension a friction clutch and a material engaging device, said rotatable means being held against rotation by the clutch which is released by the downward movement of the engaging device due to the downward pressure exerted by the strands of twisting material.

7. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently-acting releasing means comprising a wheel for holding the material to be twisted under tension, frictional means whereby said wheel is normally held against rotation but is released for the purpose of feeding the material forward and a cone connected with said frictional means, and engaged by the material to release the frictional means when the junction of the twisting strands of said material have reached a certain predetermined point.

8. A feeding mechanism for twisting machines provided with intermittently acting releasing means comprising rotatable means for holding the material to be twisted under tension, a clutch, means for normally holding it in operative engagement with said rotatable means to prevent rotation of the same and a cone mounted on said clutch and adapted to be depressed when the tension of the material reaches a predetermined point in order to release temporarily said clutch to permit the material to be drawn forward.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the 3d day of April, 1912.

WILLARD G. STAPLES.

E. F. UNIAC.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

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