US1209186A - Rope-splicing machine. - Google Patents

Description

C. N. MCCLINTOCK. ROPE SPLICING MACHIN.

APPucATloN man Nov. 30. 1915.

1,209,186. v Patented De.19,1916.

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C; N. McCLlNOCK.

ROPE S'PLICING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 30. 1915.

1,209,186. Patented De@.19,1916.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

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Application filed November 30, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. MGCLIN- Toon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elwood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope-Splicing Machines, of which the following is a specific-ation.

This invention relates to the general subject of wire stapling machines, and has particular reference to a novel device for tying or uniting rope ends with wire.

Primarily, the invention has in view the provision of a device that is of special utility in securely fastening the ends of the rope lengths togetherl in the manufacture of rope halters, and wherein it is necessary to not only provide a strong, tight joint, but one that is smooth and without burs or rough edges that might cut or otherwise injure the animal. Although the invention is particularly useful in this adaptation, it will of course be understood that the same isnot limited to this application, but is susceptible to a wide range of uses, wherein free or loose ends of ropes, cables and the like are to be fastened or connected to form a secure joint, or else to form a splice to make short pieces into continuous lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device that not only crosses the wire tie over the ends of the ropes to be joined, but also compresses the rope ends and then buries or imbeds the ends of the wire staple into the body of the joint, thus making a compact and safe union.

A further object is to provide a strong and reliable device whereby a maximum force may be applied on the tie wire or staple by a foot lever, while the bending elements actuated thereby are controlled by a hand lever which insures accuracy ofadjustment, and thereby materially aids in forming a perfect joint.

FJ ith the above and other objects in view which will more readily vappear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Serial N o. 64,329.

the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure l is a side elevation of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the staple head, with a stapler and rope end therein, and the bender' members carried by the compression rods crossed to receive the free ends of the staple. Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position of the hand lever when the bender members are brought back to normal position to cross the wire overthe rope. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and t, but showing the bender members carried from their normal position indicated by dotted lines, to a lower position to bend the crossed ends of the wire staple around the rope ends to be united. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a wire staple of the type preferably used for tying the rope ends together. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a finished joint formed by the present machine.

Similar reference characters designate Corresponding parts throughout the several Lfigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention, it is proposed to provide a machine which will be as light'as possible, consistent with the necessary structural strength for obtaining the desired leverage and compression to make a smooth, compact joint, and to this end, the invention essentially comprises a light but strongand substantial metallic framework, including the relatively fixed supporting standards l and 2. v

Y As will be observed from Fig. l, the standard 2 is provided with an angular attaching portion 8 having at one end an opening 4 for receiving a screw or equivalent fastening for securing the machine to the floor. The upper end of this rod is preferably symmetrical, and substantially parallel with the opposite standard l which is maintained in its relatively fixed` position, by being attached to the cross frame 'member 5. That is to say, the standard 2 being secured to the floor, provides a rigid support, but the standard l, for purposes which will hereinafter more fullyv appear, is preferably free to swing at its Vlower end, but is given a with the standard 2 by means of the boltsV In connection with the standards 1 and 2, and their attachment with the cross piece 5 by the bolts 6 and 8, it will be noted that the standard 1 is preferably pivoted on the bolt 6, so that the said standard 1 will have an adjustment play, but no vertical movement. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide for the relative adjustment of the jaw ends 9 and 10 of the standards 1 and 2. That is to say, in order to accommodate ropes or Cables of different diameters, it is obvious that it is necessary to Vary the space between the jaws 9 and 10 of these standards, and in order to accurately accomplish this result, the said standard 1 is provided at a point below the pivot 6 with a suitable adjusting screw 11. As will be clear from Fig. 1, this screw is in threaded engagement with the standard 1, and has its end 12 bearing against the stationary standard 2. Thus, as the same is screwed into the bar 1, the end 12 thereof will abut against the bar 2,' and consequently the bar 1 will be pushed away from 2 below the pivot 6 so that the jaw 9 of the standard 1 will move toward the jaw of the bar 2, and thus narrow the space therebetween. The reverse rotation of the screw allows for widening` the space between the upper ends of the bars, and enables the same to receive ropes of larger diameter.

The jaws 9 and 10 of the relatively fixed supporting bars or standards 1 and 2 constitute a staple head, designated in its entirety by the character H, and which preferably includes a socket S for receiving the rope ends. As will be clear from the foregoing description, the relative adjustment of the aw 9 of the bar 1 with respect to the jaw 10 of the standard 2, permits the socket to be made larger or smaller to suit different size ropes. The extreme upper ends of the jaws are provided with clearance faces 13 and 14 which are beveled in opposite directions, and are also provided with open vertically disposed disalined slots 15 and 16 which are adapted to receive the arms 17 and 18 respectively of the bridge piece 19, the center of which is preferably formed into a rectangular anvil block 20, constituting a support for the base of the staple when it is placed in'the head H. From Fig. 2, it will be seen that the inner sides of the jaws 9 and 10 have formed therein suitable grooves 21 and 22 which are designed to receive the opposite arms of each staple,

while the base thereof rests on the block 20. lt will also be observed from this gure that the grooves 21 and 22 are out of alinement, so that when the staple is placed in the head H, it will assume an oblique position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby great-ly facilitating the bending down of the staple ends without interference and forming the complete loop for embracing and compressing the rope ends.

Gn each side of the relatively fixed standards 1 and 2, are the relatively movable compression rods 23 and 24, having at their upper ends the disalined bending members 25 and 26, respectively. The said rods are loosely connected at their lower ends as at 27 and 28 with actuating plate 29, which has pivotally connected thereto as at 30, a. link 31. This link 31 connects at 32 with a foot lever 33 pivoted at P to the rigid standard 2. Another link 34 connects with the link 31 also at 32 and is pivoted as at to the extreme lower end of the standard 1. Therefore, upon a downward movement of the foot lever 33, the link 31 will draw the actuating plate 29 downwardly, and thereby pull the compression rods 23 and 24 downward also. For the purpose of maintaining the actuating plate 29 in its normal position, the same is supported `by the springs 36 and 37 which have their lower ends connected with the bolts 27 and 28, while their upper ends are attached to the lower one of the bolts 8 on the cross frame 5.

As the compression rods 23 and 24 are pivotally carried with the plate 29 by means of the bolts 27 and 28 it will be clear that the bending members 25 and 26 may readily be brought toward each other, and since they are so arranged on the standards that they are out of transverse alinement, they may readily pass each other as shown in Fig. 3. In order to control the crossing of the bender members 25 and 26, the compression rod 24 has pivotally connected therewith as at 38 a hand lever 39, which is in turn connected as at 40 with a link 41 which connects as at 42 with the oppositev standard 23. Thus, as the operator moves the hand lever upwardly, the standards 23 and 24 will be drawn toward each other, and when the handle of the lever 39 is thrust downwardly, the standards are forced apart. For the purpose of preventing the standards being forced more than the required distance apart to properly bend the wire around the rope ends, the rod 23 carries a gage plate 43 having a vertical slot 44 for receiving the lever 39. The depth of this slot 44 may be varied by means of a suitable thumb nut device 45 arranged slidably therein. Accordingly, it will be clear that when ropes of varying diameter are used, the downward throw of the lever 39 may be readily controlled through the adjustment iso L of the nut 45 in the slot 44, thus preventing the bender heads 25 and 26 being forced so far apart that Athey will miss the ends of the wire staple upon their downward stroke.

With further reference to the bending heads 25 and 26 carried by the upper end of the vertically movable compression rods 23 and 24, it will be observed that the same are provided on their inner side faces with a suitable die recess 46, and a bender boss 47 having a rounded nose 48 at its lower end. Owing to the oblique disposition of` the staple in the socket S of the head I-I, it will be clear from Figs. l and 3 that when the members 25 and 26 are brought into crossing relation the die recess 46 of the bending element 25 will receive the free end of the staple which is farthest from the normal position of the bender head, while recess-46 of the bending member 26 will likewise receive the other end of the staple which is farthest therefrom.

.Referring now to the operation of the device, it will be noted that Fig. l shows the normal position of all of the several parts. In this position, the foot lever 33 is inclined upwardly, and the hand lever 39 is in its atrest position, thus permitting the compression rods 23 and 24 to assume their normal position, whereby the bending members 25 and 26 are situ-ated above 4the bender head I-I. With the parts in this position, a U-shaped staple of the character shown in Fig. 6 is placed in the staple grooves 21 and 22 of the socket S, so that the entirestaple is disposed obliquely across the block 20 of the anvil 19. The ends of therrope to be tied or spliced, are then placed within the arms of the staple, in superposed relation, and the device is ready for forming the wire loop about the rope ends.

The operator rst raises the hand lever 39J to bring compression rods 23 and 24 toward each other on the bolts 27 and 28 as pivots, thus crossing the bending members 25 and 26 so that the die recesses 46 thereof` are placed in position to respectively receive the free end of the staple farthest from the normal position of the bender member which engages the same. After the bender members 25 and 26 are thus brought into crossing relation, and into position. for receiving the ends of the staple, a slight downward movement upon the foot lever 33 causes the plate 29 to move downward and thus pull the compression rods also downward carrying therewith the members 25 and 26, thereby placing all of the exposed ends of each arm of the staple within the die recesses 46 thereof. While the free ends of the staple are thus engaged in the die recesses, and pressure is maintained upon the foot lever 33, the hand lever 39 is moved downwardly to thereby push the rods 23 and 24 apart, thus separating or lpulling the members 25 and26 back toward their normal position, and crossing the free ends of the staple over the .top rope end, as clearly-shown in Fig. 4. In this way, the wire staple is formed into a loop around the rope ends, but as yet has not been tightened so that the joint is made secure.

From the position shown in Fig. 4, further pressure on the foot lever 33 pulls the members 25 and 26 downwardly to theV position shown in Fig. 5, thus bending the free ends of the staple by means of the rounded noses 48 of the bending bosses 47 on each of the members 25 and 26, into a complete loop formation. As the downward pressure on the foot lever 33 is continued, the hand lever 39 is preferably slightly raised so that the compression members 23 and 24 are brought toward each other, thus forcing the curved end edge 49 of the members 25 and 26 against the cut ends of the wire staple and firmly compressing the same into the rope ends. As the upward pressure on the hand lever 39 and downward pressure on the foot lever 33 continues, it will be apparent that the curved portions of the rounded edges 49 of the members 25 and 26 will force the eXtreme ends of the staple into the body of the ropeV shown in Fig. 7 the hand lever 39 is moved back to normal position shown in Fig. 1, and as soon as the foot pressure on the lever 33 is removed, the springs 36 and 37 will Vpull the plate 29 upwardly, and thus return the members 25 and 26 carried` at the upper ends of the compression rods 2,3 and 24 to normal position ready for the. neXt operation. v Y

Without further description it is believed that the many features and advantages of the invention `will be readily apparent, and it will also be understood that various changes in the form, proportion'and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A machine of the class described including. a staple-holding head having a socket for receiving a staple, bending means normally disposed above said head, means for moving said bending means into position to engage the ends of said staple ar-` ranged within said staple socket, and means for moving said bending means while engaged with the ends of the staple to form means for moving said elements into crossing relation, means for moving said bending means while crossed into engagement with the end portions of said staple and urther moving the same to bend the said end portions into a loop, and means carried by said bending elements for turning the extremities of the staple inwardly toward each other when the loop is formed.

3. A machine of the class described including a staple-holding head having a socket or receiving a staple, bending elements normally disposed above said head, means for moving said elements toward and from each other to engage with the ends of said staple, and means for moving both elements together while engaged with the staple in such a direction as to bend the ends of the same into the form of a loop.

4. A machine of the class described including a relatively iXed staple head having an adjustable staple socket, oppositely arranged bending members movable toward said head, and means for bringing said bending members into crossing relation and spreading the same apart.

5. A machine of the class described including relatively fixed supporting standards having a staple receiving socket at their upper ends, oppositely arranged compressing rods, bending 'members carried by the upper ends of said rods, means for reciprocating said compression rods, and means for also varying the lateral distance therebetween.

6. A machine of the class described including a staple-holding head comprising adjustable jaw members providing a stapleholding socket, bending members coperating with said head, means for varying the lateral distance between the said bending members, and separate means for imparting a movement thereto at right angles to said lateral movement.

7. A machine of the class described including a staple-holding head comprising opposite jaw members having disalined slots and spaced to provide a staple socket, and bending means movable transversely and longitudinally of said staple-head and adapted to work in said slots.

8. A machine of the class described including a staple head comprising spaced adjustable jaw members, a bridge piece lying between said jaw members and coperating therewith to provide a staple socket, and reciprocating bending means movable with respect to said jaw members.

9. AV machine of the class described including a staple head comprising spaced adjustable jaw members having disalined slots and obliquely located staple receiving grooves on their inner faces, a bridge piece fitting in said slots and having an anvil portion, said bridge piece cooperating with crossed relation, and means for imparting a reciprocatory motion thereto.

11. A machine of the class described including a staple head comprising spaced adjustable jaw members forming a staple socket, staple bending means consisting of oppositely arranged compression rods, disalined bender members carried by said rods, a hand-lever device for bringing said bender members into crossing relation and separating the same, and a foot-lever device for actuating said compression rods.

12. A machine of the class described including a staple head comprising spaced adjustable jaw members providing a staple socket, staple bending means consisting of oppositely arranged compression rods, an actuating plate pivotally connected to the lower ends oit' said rods, springs for maintaining said plate in normal position, disalined bender members carried by the upper ends of said rods, a hand-lever device for bringing said bender members into crossing relation and separating the same, and a foot-lever device for actuating the plate to which the compression rods are attached.

13. Almachine of the class described including a pair of spaced supporting stand'- ards, a rigid frame piece for pivotally connecting with said standards and maintaining the same in spaced relation, jaws formed at the upper ends of said standards, means for adjusting the space between the jaws, and bending means movable vertically and laterally with respect to said jaws.

14. A machine of the class described including a pair of spaced supporting standards, a rigid frame piece pivotally supporting said standards, jaws formed at the upper end of said standards, means for adjusting the space between said jaws, compression rods arranged on opposite sides of the standards, bend-ing members carried by the upper ends of said rods, an actuating plate pivotally connected to said rods, means for reciprocating said plate, and means for moving said rods laterally with respect to each other.

15. A machine of the class described including a pair of spaced supporting standards, a rigid frame-piece pivotally connected with said standards, jaws formedat the upper ends thereof, means carried by one of said standards for adjusting the space between said jaws, compression rods arranged on opposite sides of the standards, disalined bending members carried by the upper .ends In testimony whereof I hereunto ax my of said rods, an actuating plate pivotally signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

connected with said rods springs connecting said plate with said rigid frame-piece, CHAS' N' MCCLINTOCK a 'foot-lever device for reciprocating said Witnesses:

plate, and means vfor moving said rods lat- R. E. MARSHALL, erally With respect to each other. CEAS. H. F IsK.

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

Washington, ID. C.

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