US1208372A - Traverse mechanism for cable-making machines. - Google Patents

Description

W. N. RETTINGER. TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR CABLE MAKING MACHINES.

APPLIC ATION FILED NOV- 20, 19I5 Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Inventor Witneses Attorneys WILLIAM N. RET'IIN'GER, OF BOURBON, INDIANA.

TRAVERSE MECHANISM FOR CABLE-MAKING MACHINES.

Application filed November 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. RET- TINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bourbon, in the county of Marshall and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Traverse Mechanism for Cable-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a traverse mechanism adapted especially for use upon a cable making machine, and aims to provide a novel and improved mechanism for directing the cable properly upon the winding mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a rear view of the mechanism, portions being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cable guiding mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the friction clutch or slip connection between the winding and cable guiding mechanisms.

The present construction is adapted particularly for use upon a cable making machine, including the main frame 1, carrying the winding mechanism 61 and the cable guiding mechanism 60.

The winding mechanism 61 embodies a transverse tubular shaft 82 carried by the frame, a reel or spool 83 being mounted upon the shaft 82 for winding the cable C thereon. The reel 83 can be removed, or the cable can be unwound therefrom, which ever is desired. A sprocket wheel 81 is keyed to one end of the shaft 82 and is connected by an endless sprocket chain 85 with a driving element.

The cable guiding mechanism embodies a frame 87 carried by the main frame 1, and through which frame 87 is journaled for rotation one end of a transverse shaft 86 which is operatively connected with the shaft 82. Thus, a sprocket wheel 88 is keyed upon one end of the shaft 86 and is connected by an endless sprocket chain 89 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1913..

Serial No. 62,543.

with a sprocket wl1eel;'90 mounted loosely upon a sleeve 91 slidable upon the shaft 82 between the reel 83 and sprocket wheel 84;. The sprocket wheel 90 is fastened by means of connections 92 with a friction disk 93 mounted loosely upon the shaft 82. A diametrical member 94 is keyed or otherwise secured upon the shaft 82 adjacent the disk 93 and has angularly extending ends 95 overhanging the wheel 93. Friction shoes 96 are secured to the arms of the member 94 and bear against the respective face of the disk 93, and curved friction shoes 97 bear against the periphery of the disks 93. Screws 98 are threaded through the angularly extending ends 95 of the member 94- and coiled wire expansion springs 99 are disposed between the screws 98 and shoes 97, for forcing the shoes 97 tightly against the periphery of the disk 93. In order to carry the shoes 97 around with the member 9 1, said shoes are connected by links 100 with brackets 101 attached to the member 941. Thus, when the member 94: is rotated, the shoes 97 will be carried around therewith, and the shoes 96-97 in hearing against the disk 93, will tend to rotate said disk with the member 94, whereby the disk 93 will rotate the sprocket wheel 90 to actuate the shaft 86. The shoes 96-97, however, can slip to allow the shaft 86 to rotate slower, if necessary. This provides a friction clutch or slip-connection whereby there is a tendency for rotating the shaft 86 at a certain speed, but allowing said shaft to 1'0- tate slower.

The screws 98 can be adjusted for increas ing or decreasing the tension of the springs 98, and the frictional engagement. between the shoes 96 and disk 93 is controlled by the following device. A longitudinal rod 102 extends into the shaft 82 and a nut 102 is threaded upon the outer end of the rod 102 and bears against the respective end of the shaft 82. A transverse pin 103 is engaged to the inner end of the rod 102 and works within longitudinal slots 103 with which the shaft 82 is provided. The ends of the pin 103 are engaged rigidly with the sleeve 91, and a disk 10 1 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 82 and bears against the respective end of the sleeve 91 between the sprocket wheel 90 and disk 93. Springs 105 are disposed between the disks 104 and 93, whereby said springs force the disk 93 against the shoes 96. By adjusting the nut 102, the rod 102 can be adjusted for correspondingly adjusting the sleeve 91 and disk 104, to regulate the tension of the springs 105.

The mechanism 60 embodies a transverse screw 106 carried by the frame 87 above the shaft 86, and a cable guiding member 107 has a nut 108 threaded upon the screw 106. This member 107 is guided for transverse movement along the screw 106 by transverse guide rods 109 and 110, the member 107 having a pulley 111 at its upper end and bearing against the rod 110. The mem ber 107 is thus guided for transverse movement, and will not rotate. The member 107 has a slot for the passage of the cable C within which slot is mounted a pulley 112 over which the cable passes. A lever 113 is fulcrumed between its ends as at 116, and a pair of intermeshing gears 114115 is carried by the lever 113 at the opposite sides of its fulcrum. One end of the shaft 86 is j ournaled through one arm of the lever 113 and has the gear 114 attached thereto. A gear 117 is secured to the screw 106 adjacent one end thereof and is adapted to mesh with either of the gears 114115. Consequently, when the lever 113 is swung to bring one of the gears 114115 into mesh with the gear 117, the screw 106 is rotated in one direction for moving. the member 107 correspondingly, and when the lever 113 is shifted to bring the other gear thereof into mesh with the gear 117, the screw 106 is rotated in the opposite direction to move the member 107 correspondingly. The member 107 may thus be moved back and forth for laying the cable properly upon the reel 83 as the cable is wound thereon, the member 107 being moved proportional to the speed of rotation of the reel 83, so that the cable is wound snugly in superposed layers upon the reel 83.

The device for operating the lever 113 embodies a lever 118 fulcrumed at one end to the frame 87 above the lever 113, one end of the lever 113 having a hook 119 overhanging the lever 118, so that the lever 118 is movable between the hook 119 and the respective arm of the lever 113. A lever 120 has one end pivoted to the free end of the lever 118 and has its other end pivoted to a swinging standard 121 pivoted upon a bracket 122, said standard 121 being connected by a retractile spring 123 with said bracket, to normally move the lever 120 toward the lever 118, so as to move the joint of the levers 118-120 either upwardly or downwardly.

In order to hold the lever 113 in one position with the gears 114117 in mesh, that arm of the lever 113 which has the hook 119 is provided witha projecting finger 124 with which a hook or latch 125 is engageable, said latch being pivoted to the bracket 122. A latch releasing lever 126 is fulcrumed to the bracket 122 and is connected by a link 127 with the lever 120. Said lever 126 has a cam 128 coiiperable with the latch 125, whereby when the lever 120 is raised, the lever 126'is swung so that the cam 128 swings the latch 125 to released position. A spring 129 is connected to the latch 125 and normally tends to swing said latch into engagement with the finger 124. An upright link 130 has its upper end connected to the joint of the levers 118-120 and has its lower end pivoted to the end of the long arm 131 of a bell crank or L-shaped lever 132, the elbow of said lever 132 being fulcrumed to the intermediate portion of the frame 87. Levers 133-134 are fulcrumed to the frame 87 adjacent the opposite ends of the screw 106, and said levers 133134 are connected by links 135 with the short arm 136 of the lever 132. The member 107 has outstanding fingers 137-138 projecting in opposite directions to engage the respective levers 133-134.

Supposing the parts to be in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, with the gear 114 in mesh with the gear 117, the screw 106 will be rotated to move the member 107 from the left to the right as seen in Fig. 1. This will lay the cable C in a similar direction upon the reel 83, and when the member 107 reaches the lever 134, the finger 138 contacts with the lever 134 and swings the same, which pushes the links 135 so as to raise the long arm 131 of the lever 132 and to swing the lever 133 from the left to the right as seen in Fig. 1. When the long arm 131 of the lever 132 is raised, the link 130 will swing the levers 118120 upwardly. Before the lever 118 strikes the hook 119, the lever 120 pulls the link 127 sufliciently to swing the lever 126 so that its cam 128 releases the latch 125 from the finger 124, and then, when the lever 118 strikes the hook 119, the lever 113 will be raised with the lever 118. This will disengage the gear 114 from the gear 117, so that the movement of the member 107 in the respective direction will be stopped, and when the levers 118120 are moved above a straight line position, the spring 123 comes into play for moving the joint of the levers 11812O upwardly, since the standard 121 is moved to break the joint of the levers 118-120. This will bring the gear 115 into engagement with the gear 117 so that the screw 106 is now rotated in the opposite direction, to move the member 107 in the opposite direction. When the member 107 reaches the lever 133, the finger 137 swings the lever 133 to the position illusstrated in Fig. 1, and this swings the levers 134-132, the lever 134 being swung to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and the long arm 131 of the lever 132 being swung downwardly. When the lever 132 is swung as just indicated, the link 130 is pulled downwardly, to pull the joint of the levers 118 120 downwardly below a straight line position, the lever 118 contacting with the lever 113 and disengaging the gear 115 from the gear 117. The spring 123 will then move the levers 1l8120 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, to bring the gear 114 into mesh with the gear 117, the finger 124 engaging the latch 125 to hold said gears in mesh. The member 107 is thus again moved from the right to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1. This operation is repeated, so that the member 107 is moved back and forth for properly laying the cable upon the reel 83.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a screw, a cable guide having a nut engaging said screw, a lever fulcrumed between its ends, a pair of gears carried by the opposite arms of said lever, operating means connected to said gears, a gear secured to said screw with which said pair of gears are adapted to mesh alternately, means for oscillating said lever and holding it in either position, a pair of levers operated by said guide at the opposite ends of the screw, and

an operative connection connecting said levers and the oscillating means.

2. In a machine of the character described, a screw, a cable guide having a nut engaging said screw, an operating shaft, a lever fulcrumed between its ends, a pair of gears carried by the opposite arms of said lever and connected to said shaft, a gear secured to the screw with which said pair of gears are adapted to mesh alternately, a pair of lovers operated by said guide at the opposite ends of the screw, a lever associated with the first mentioned lever, the first mentioned lever having portions between which the third mentioned lever is movable, and the first and third mentioned levers being movable relative to one another, spring means for holding the third mentioned lever at either of two positions, a latch for holding the first mentioned lever, and means for releasing the latch when the third mentioned lever is operated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. RETTINGER.

Witnesses SAMUEL LEMLER, SAMUEL GRIFFITH.

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

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