US1315083A - Machine for forbtljig tie-wires - Google Patents

Description

G. M. BROUS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING TIE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-24, 19m.

1,315,083. PatentedSept. 2, 1 919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- GeorgeMfl/mw, INVENTOR WITNESSES Mm? BY ff 1 I ATTORNEY rm: cnufimnn FLANOGRAPH co-, WASHINGTON. I) c G. M. BROUS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING TIE WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24,'I918.

I 315,08 3 Patented Sept 2, 1919;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I IN R WITNESSES G WMBIUZQ VENTO I UNITED STATES PATENT oFrIoE.

enonqs M. .BROUS, or ronTLANn, onnson.

MACHINE ronronMiiis TIE-w nes.

To all whom it may concern." 1

Be it known that I, Gnonen M. BRoUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, inthecounty of Multnomah and State of Oregon have invented a new and useful Machinexfor Forming Tie-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to niachines for forming tie wires, and its object is to automatically and rapidly produce a closed loop at the end of the wire and then sever the Wire with the formed loop from the neXt succeeding length. ofwire, whereby each tie Wire comprises-a straightlength ofWire of suitable extent with a closed loop at one end thereof. 11 a 1 in accordance with the invention there is provided a twisting head orbitally revolving in a path, the diameter ofwhich determines the length of the finished tie wire, with each completed tie wire severed from the next sueceeding one as soon as the end loop of said succeeding tie wire is com leted,the operation being continuous and t e tie wire being completed and discharged from the machine on each complete orbital movement of a twisting head, the machine comprising two twisting heads on the opposite sides of the axis of rotation. 1

. The machine is provided with a holder for a reel of wire and aside from the initial threading of the machine the operation is entirely automatic, the loop in the end of the Wire being formed at a point opposite from the feeding-in side of the machine and such loop end being carried, in the pi'ogressive movement of the twisting head forming the loop, to a point adjacent to the feeding-in side of the machine, and as soon as the next succeeding loop is produced the length of Wire with the first formed loop is severed from the wire on which the second loop is produced at said secondloop and the completedtie wire with a loop at one end is then automatically discharged fromthc machine. r

The invention will be best understood from a considerationof the following dc tailed description taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings forming partof this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with theshowing of the drawings but may be changed and inodi- 55 fied so long as such changes and modifica 1 tions mark no material departure from the.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 24,1918 Serial No. 230391;

salient fe a in the appended claims.

In the drawings a Figure lis a front elevation of-a machine constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating in full lines the initial step of the operation and in dotted lines another position ofthe twisting heads of the' machine. j a

Fig. 2 is a Vertical diametric front to'rear section of the 'machine showing the rotor but omitting the twisting heads and distant partspy j j Fig.*3 isa rear elevation ofthe machine.

Figra is a plan viewof one of thetwistingheads and adjacent portions ofthe frame androtor 1 j 1 Figxli is a detail elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 4; asviewed from the right hand side thereof.

Fig." 6 isa section on the line fi 6 of Fig; 4a with the twistinghead driving pinion in mesh with a rack carried by the main frame.

Fig. 'Tis a detail view showing a wiresevermg device: with some parts in section.

Referringto the drawings, there is shown a main frame 1 conveniently made of circm lar outline with a peripheral strengthenin rilo2, acentral huh 3 and supporting legs all ofwhich constitute parts of a single casting, although such particular construction is not obligatory. The hub? constitutes or earriesa journal for a shaft 5 also having journal bearin s 6, on the upper end of a post "7 provide with abaseB made fast to thelower portion of the framelby screws 9 orotherwise; the base 8 and the legs 4 being utilized for fastening screws or bolts 10 for securing the machine to a floor or other like support. 1

in journal bearingsun ures of the invention as expressed Mounted brackets 11,12011 the rear face of the rame l is a countershaft 13 carrying a pulley 14 b means of which'power may be 'applied to the shaft l3 and from which shaft, by means of power transmitting belt 15, another countershaft116 is driven, this co-untershaft havingjournal bearings 17 18 on the rear ofthe frame lflThe countershaft car ries a bevel phiionw meshing with the betel-gear wheel 20 on the shaft 5. In thls manner theshaft 5 is driven from a source ofpowerat an appropriate speed, no attempt havingbeenmade 1n the drawings to indicate anyparticular speed, such speed de ending upon fillfiPI'lIl'lG" mover r or other spaced diameter is greater than-the diameter of the rotor. V e

;The ledge 22 and flange 23 may be conveniently formed in one piece with themain frame 1 or may be separately'formed and attached thereto, these being constructional detailssubject to variations.

The disk 21 constitutesa rotor on which atdiametrically opposite points are mounted twisting heads or devices 26, 27 respectively,

' these twisting heads being. identical and only separately designated to facilitate the description of the operation of the machine.

The twisting heads being alike, a description of one will apply to both. Each comprises a Ushap'ed frame or yoke 28 which, together with other parts, is best shown in Fig. 4. Each-twisting head is located in a depression or opening 29 in the disk or rotor- 21'adjacent to the periphery of the rotor with the v depressions diametrically face of the disk or rotor.

opposite and receiving-respective ones of the twisting head 26 and 27, these twisting heads as afwholebeing about flush with the The depressions 29 2116 providedv with side ledges 30 each having a series of perforations-'31 for receiving screws or bolts 32, extending, through legs 33 constituting the opposite legs of the yoke 28, permitting the adjustment of the yoke or frame 28 radially of the rotor so that, as will hereinafter appear, a considerable variation in the lengths ofthe tie wires is possible. At the closed end of the frame 28 there is a journal bearing 35 traversed I by an arbor 36 and carrying the latter, the

arbor having set collars 37 thereon permitting a degree of-adjustment of the arbor 36 radially with respect to the rotor 21. On the arbor on the side of the journal bearing 35 remote from the axis of rotation of the rotor is a. roller 38having peripheral flats 39 in angular relation, which relation in the particular instance shown is a right angular relation. Housed within the journal bearing 35 and fast to the arbor 36 is a gear pinion 40 traveling in overriding relation to the ledge 22 and at those portions of the ledge 22 corresponding to the depressed parts 24. and 25 of the flange. 23 are segmental rack-bars 41 and 42 respectively, the

rack bar 41 being of a length to actuate-the pinion '40 .to cause a predetermined number of rotations of the pinion 40 and arbor 36 with it. The length of the rack bar 42 is such as to' cause a quarter rotation of the arbor 36 when the rack bar engages the pinion 40, such quarter rotation of the arbor 36 bringing one 01' the other of the flats 39 into parallelism with the outer edge of the flange 23, which flange serves as a track, preventing any rotation of the arbor 36 while a flat 39 is riding thereon. In order to permit the roller 38 to turn, the depressed portions 24 and 25 of the flange 23 are provided, Wherefore, the flange 23 offers no impediment to the rotation of the pinion 40 and with it the arbor 36 while the rack bars 24 and 25 are in engagement with the pinion 40.

At the end of the arbor 36 toward the center of the disk or rotor 21 there is secured a collar or head 43 carrying a bent finger 44 with its point of connection with the head or collar 43 eccentric to the aXis of rotation of the arbor and this finger 44 extends diametrically across the head 43 in spaced relation thereto and beyond that side of the head remote from the point of attachment of the finger 44 with the head, the free end of the finger being preferably pointed. At certain phases of the operation of the machine the finger end of the arbor 36 is subjected to side strain and in order to resist such side strain a thrust member 45 is attached to one leg of the frame 28 and has a forked free end 46 bearing against one side of the arbor 36.

Beyond the ends of the legs 33 remote from the joined ends thereof is a bar 47 which may be adjusted along the ledges 30, becauseof the series of perforations 31, and erected on this bar 47 is a post 48 made quite thin in the direction of the length of the bar but which may be made as wide as the bar for strength. Pivoted to the bar 47 at one side thereof is a shear blade 49 in position to coact with the post 48 for a purpose which will presently appear. The pivot support for the shear blade may be in the form of a screw 50, or other pivotal means may be used, and projecting on the side of the pivot 50 remote from the shear blade is an arm 51 having at its end a roller 52.

The frame 1 at an appropriate point has a'cam projection 53- in the path of the roller 52 so that at a proper time in the orbital movement of the roller 52 it is brought into engagement with the cam 53, thereby causing a rocking of the shear blade into operative relation to the post 48. The shear blade 49 is held in a normally inactive position by a spring 54.

Fast to that side of the frame near the rack 42 is a carrier 55 for a reel 56 of wire 57. The carrier 55 is provided with a presser arm 57 for engaging the reel 56 and serving as a friction member or brake,

eas es pay I out the length, by a pivot bolt 58, rodkdhle tension 5s h avl'ngclarnpingparts and screws 60 permitting the degree ol? tension to be regulated as desired. 'Thewire 57- is threaded through the tension device or clamp 59, across the disk 21 to a twisting head then located o n the opposite side oi the machine, say the twisting head 26, as shown in Fig. 1. The free end or the wire is formed by hand into aloop andapplie'd to the finger 44 of the twisting head 26. On the trailing side of the post 48, the tension clamp 5'9 holds the wire sufliciently tent to prevent it from falling from the finger 44. Now, as the disk or rotor 21 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1., that is counter clockwise, the twisting head 26 carries the wire 57-, then fast to the twisting head 26 in a direction which will-cause it to sweep across the center of the disk 2 1 However, at the same time the twisting head 27 is traveling-and ultimately the post 48 thereof engages the wire 57 and carries the wire with it until that portion of thewire toward the twistine head 26 and the portion of the wire towar the intake of the machine are folded upon themselves with the bi'g'ht of the wire engaging about the ipost48 of thetwisting head 27. Because of the presence ot the short rack 42 the finger 44 is then outstanding from the disk 21. In order to insure that the outstanding finger 44 properly engages the strand 04 wire 57 then in the path cit the finger, there is provided a support 61 extending outwardly from the main frame 1 at a higher pointthan the reel support 55 and this support 61 carries a bar 62 adjust able in a direction about radial to the disk 21. The bar 62 serves as a support for a curved arm '63 having roller64 at its extremity in positionto override the wire 57 then across the disk 21 and reaching tothe opposite twisting head 26. The arm 63 has a continuation 6 5 in the form o fa head suitably shaped to engage and force the finished tie wires from the fingers 44. The discharge is facilitated by springs 66 on the bars 47, to which springs reference wilrl hereinafter be made. The roller'64 serves to hold the wire 57 close enough to thedisk 21 to insure engagement with the wire by the fingers 44 and may be termed ahol'ddown device. C

After the wire has had a preliminarylo'op 6710T1D6d in it and engaged over a respective finger 44 the machine is started operation, the preliminary loop 67 ismltimately brought to a position about that shown Flag. 1 as the position oi twistinghead 27. While this condition is being approached the pinion '40 of the twisting head '27 has reached the rack 41-, at which point the active fiat onthe roller 38 is at the recess 24. As {the twisting head 27 travels ever the rack 41 the portion of the two wires between the rotating finger 44 "and the post 48 are twisted together with the two strands of wire straddling the post 48. This occurs before the pinion 40 on the head 26 reaches the rash 42. Also before the pinion 40 reaches therack 42 the cam 53 engages the roller 52 and estuaries the 'cutte r head 49 against the tendency of the spring 54 to shear ofl the strand of wire 57 on the forward side of the post 48, whereupon, the completed strand, or the one having the preliminary twist loop 67, as the case may be, is cut oif from the twisting head previously holding it, leaving the strand connected to the machine only at the finger 44 then adjacent to the entering end of the machine. When that end of the wire strand remote from the formed loop is "out ofli, the head 65, which serves as a stripper, engages the loop and strips it from the finger 44 carryin it, such finger at the time being in trailing relation or pointing in a reverse direction to the direction of travel of the twisting head. The stripping action isfacilitated bythe springs 66, which on release from pressure, under whichthey are initially put by the wire 57, throw the wire when stripped from the finger away from the face of therotor 21 so that the wire may fall free of the machine and into a suitable receptacle, the latter, however, not being shown. The preliminarily twisted loop 67 is formed by hand but thereafter tliewire is twisted into automatically formed twisted loops 67, as shown in Fig. 4. 1

After the machine has been started and the strand with the preliminarily formed loop has been discharged from the machine, the operation proceeds entirely automatically. The finger 44 on each twisting head as it approaches the entering side of the machine points rearwardly with respect totheline of travel until the formed loop is stripped therefrom, whereupon, with the parts properly timed, the pinion 40 is brought into contact with the short rack 42 and a quarter turn is imparted to the arbor 36, thus causing the finger 44 to stand outwardly from the disk or rotor 21 so as to be perpendicular thereto and in position to engage the wire 57 then in its path, the wire being held toward the disk 21 by the roller 64. As the forward movement of the rotor 21 progresses the wire is looped with the bight on opposite sideshof the post 48 and whilein this condition the pinion 40 comes in contact with the longer rack 41, whereupon, thetwist 6'7, 4, is produced. As soon as the proper flat is 'brought into engagement withthe &

flange 23 after passing the rack 41, the cam 53 becomes active to move the shear or cutter49 to sever the forward strand of wire 57 from the rearward strand in order'of travel and from the adjacent loop produced immediately previously by the appropriate twisting head 26. At about the same time the loop at the other end of the cut strand and located near the entering end of the machine is stripped from the finger 44 car rying it, said finger" being then moved from substantial parallelism with the disk 21 into perpendicular-relation thereto by the action of the short rack 42 on the pinion 40. The long rack is designed to cause enough turns of the twisting finger 44 to produce a safe twist in the wire capable of withstanding the strains to which the wire is subjected without any liability of pulling out. The short rack need only belong enough to cause a quarter turn of the twisting finger, such movement being inactive so far as twisting the wire is concerned.

The loops and twists are all alike but the length of the wire formed into a tie wire may be varied by adjusting the twisting heads toward or from the axis of movement of the rotor. The finished product is a substantially straight wire of such length as may be desired with one end formed into a closed loop with a twist preventing the loo-p from pulling out.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a main frame with an annular ledge surrounded by an annular flange forming a track, segmental racks provided on the ledge, said flange being depressed atpoints coincident with the racks, a rotor concentric with the flange and of less diameter than the ledge and track, twisting devices arranged diametrically opposite each other and radially disposed on the rotor adjacent the periphery thereof, a portion of each twisting device projecting beyond said periphery, said twisting devices each having a pinion to engage the racks in succession as the rotor is revolved, and a roller rotatable with the pinion and engaging the flange.

2. In a machine for forming tie wires from continuous strands of wire with each tie wire having a twisted loop at one end, an upright main frame with a circular track thereon having its continuity-broken at approximately opposite points, a rotor carried by the main frame and rotatable upon a substantially horizontal axis concentric with the track, twisting heads carried by the rotor on opposite sides of the axis of rotation, twisting hooks carried by the twisting heads and each provided with a pinion and with a roller, said roller having peripheral flats movable along the track in engagement therewith, the said twisting hooks having their active ends radial to their axis of rotation, and racks associated with the portions of the track Where its continuity is broken, with one rack of a length to impart a partial turn to the hook and the other rack of a length to impart a plurality of turns to the hook.

3. In a machine of the class described, a main frame with an annular track within its margin, said track having its continuity broken at intervals, segmental rack bars on the main frame at the points where the continuity of the track is broken and located interior to and beside the track, a single rotary disk interior to and concentric with the rack bars and track, a pair of twisting heads mounted at opposite sides of the outer face of the disk, and each provided with a pinion projecting from theperiphery of the disk for engaging the racks, and a peripherally flattened roller also projecting from the edge of the disk for engaging the track, a twisting hook fast to the pinion and roller, and cuttin means for the wire carried by each twistlng head.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main frame, a rotor with recesses on opposite sides of the axis of rotation, each recess having side ledges, and twisting heads each provided with a supporting yoke the legs of which are carried by and adjustable radially of the rotor along the ledges, and each head having an arbor rotatably mounted therein and extending radially of the rotor and independently radially ad justable, said arbor having a hook-shaped finger mounted at its inner end.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a main frame, a rotor having radial depressions leading in from its periphery, said depressions having side ledges, twisting heads mounted in said depressions, each head having a yoke the legs of which are mounted upon said ledges, means for adjustably connecting said legs to said ledges to permit the radial adjustment of said heads, a transverse bar separate from the yoke having its ends adjustably connected to said ledges, and cutting mechanism carried by said bar.

6. In a machine of the class described, a twisting head including an arbor, a collar secured to the arbor, a bent and pointed finger carried by the collar at a point eccentric to the axis of rotation of the arbor, said finger extending diametrically across said collar in spaced relation to the same, being thereby disposed substantially radial to the axis of twisting.

7. In a machine of the class described, a twisting head including an arbor, a collar secured to the arbor at the inner end thereof, a bent and pointed finger mounted on the collar at a point eccentric to the axis of the arbor, said finger extending diametrically across and beyond said collar in spaced relation thereto, said arbor being adjustable ing springs for underlying the wire strand longitudinallyon the twisting head.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, a tWlStlDgliGtLCl on the rotor, said twisting head including a yoke, radially adjustable on the rotor, an arbor radially adjustable on theyoke, anda wire-engaging post adjustable with respect to the rotor.

9.111 a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, a twisting head on the rotor, said twisting head including a bar having an upstanding post, and a wire-cutting element in cooperative relation to said post car ried by said bar, said bar being adjustable with respect to the rotor and the elements of the twisting head whereby the position of the cut may be varied.

10. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a rotor, a twisting head on the rotor,

said twisting head including a bar, a post extending outwardly from the bar, a cutting device to one side of the bar and connected thereto and cooperating with the post, and a spring throw-01f device on the other side of the bar whereby the wire when out is re moved from the head.

11. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire with each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame, a rotor mounted on the main frame and having recesses on opposite sides, a twisting head in each recess, said twisting head including a rotatable arbor and a finger on the arbor for engaging and twisting the wire, a bar extending crosswise of the recess and provided with an outstanding post adjacent to the finger and between which post and finger the wire is twisted by rotating the arbor, a shear blade mounted on the bar in operative relation to the post for severing a preceding portion ofthe wire from the twist, and means on the fixed part of the machine for operating the shear blade at a predetermined point in the rotation of the rotor.

12. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire with each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame, a rotor mounted on the main frame and having recesses on opposite sides, a twisting head in each recess, said twisting head including a rotatable arbor and a finger on the arbor for engaging and twisting the wire, a bar extending crosswise of the recess and provided with an outstanding post adjacent to the finger and between which post and finger the wire is twisted by rotating the arbor, a shear blademounted on the bar in operative relation to the post for severing a preceding portion of the wire from the twist, and means on a fixed part of the machine for operating the shear blade at a predetermined point in the rotation of the rotor, the bar with the post thereon also havto throw or kiclr oif the wire.

13. In a machine for forming tie wires rom a continuous. strand of wire, main frame, a. rotor with twisting heads thereon, and a tension device for wire fed to the twisting.heads,s.aid tension device being carried by the main frame and comprising a bracket rigidly mounted on the main frame,

and a clamp pivotally mounted at an intermediate point between its ends upon the bracket and thereby made rockable, said clamp having clamping parts for gripping the wire with predetermined pressure.

14:. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire with each t1e wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a main frame, a rotor mounted thereon, twisting heads carried by the rotor on opposite sides of the center thereof, and a hold-down device carried by the main frame in the path of the wire extending across the rotor and adjustable radially with respect to the rotor.

15. In a machine of the class described, a

frame, a rotor, a twisting head on the r0- tor, and. a hold-down device carried by the frame, said device including a support, a bar slidably adjustable in the support, an arm extending at an angle from the end of the bar, and a roller adapted to be engaged with the wire to be twisted and hold. the same for engagement by the twisting head.

16. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire, a main frame, a rotor mounted on the frame, twistmg heads on said rotor, and a hold-down device carried by the frame in the path of wire extending over the rotor, said device including an arm, and a roller mounted on said arm to override the wire and hold the engagement with the wire by one of the twisting heads.

17. In a machine for forming tie wires from a continuous strand of wire with each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a rotor with twisting heads thereon for the wire, a main frame surrounding the rotor,.a support on the main frame, a stripper on the support in position to engage a formed loop on a twisting head and dis charge the loop therefrom, and springs associated with the twisting heads to force the completed tie wire out from the machine.

18. In a machine for forifiing tie wires from a continuous strandof wire with each tie wire at one end twisted into a closed loop, a rotor with twisting heads thereon for the wire, a main frame surrounding the rotor, a support on the main frame, and a stripper on the support in position to engage a formed loop on a twisting head and dis- 105 same suificlently close to the rotor to insure charge the loop therefrom, the support also as my own, and have hereto aflixed my sigcarrymg a depressmg member 1n spaced renature 111 the presence of two Witnesses.

lation to the stripper for eng a ing and holding down Wire in the path of the twist- GEORGE BROUS' 5 ing head from which a Wire loop has been Witnesses:

stripped. V M. D. CARTER,

Inv testimony, that I claim the foregoing FLORA W. HERRMAN.

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

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