US1625691A - Needle-straightening machine - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24. 1925 INVENTOR William fluendale ATTORNEY 1927. l 625 691 Apnl w. TIVENDALE 3 NEEDLE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Jan.24. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WZ/ka'm Iii enable fl yvmm TTORNEY mm m .W. TIVENDALE NEEDLE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 \w. ENN

ain- ATTORNEY April 19, 1927.

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Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM TIVEN DA LE, OJ? CLYDEBANK, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNQR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEVJ' JERSEY, A CORPORATION", OF NEW JERSEY.

NEEDLE-STRAIGHTENING MACHINE.

Application filed January 24, 1925, Serial No. 4,378, and in Great Britain February 13, 1924.

This invention relates to machines for straightening sewing machine needles and the like, as exemplified for instance by the disclosure in my prior Patent No. 1,161583, of December 21, 1915, and in Patent No. 1,125,706, of January 19, 1915, to H. E. Noon. The primary objectof the present invention is to provide a machine of this character capable of increased production over machines of prior constructions.

In its preferred form, the present improved machine includes a needle-hopper pivotally supported upon the machine frame. whereby the hopper may be at will swung out of operative position, for instance, to quickly relieve any jamming of needles be tween the hopper and needle-feeding means. .lvleans are provided for successively delivering needles from the hopper to two substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand and rotating in opposite directions, the needles being deposited upon a rest-bar and a supporting ledge spaced therefrom, whereby the needles are advanced laterally by said conveyor-screws. A sectional pressure is opposed to a portion of the length of the rest-bar. said presser yieldingly engaging the needle-shanks whereby a friction facing on the presser puts a drag on the top side of said shanks and causes the advancing needles to rotate axially. The axially rotating needles are advanced by the conveyor screws past a plurality of hammering stations. each including a peening hammer, an opposed anvil and a hammer-blow controlling mechanism substantially as fully d1sclosed in Patent No. 1,125,706. before referred to. successively act on different portions of the length of each needle; in the present in stance the first hammer acts to straighten the blade immediately adjacent the needleshank; the second hammer acts upon the blade interi'nediate the shank and point. while a third hammer acts upon the blade closer to the point thereof. The opposed rest-bar and presser terminate above an opening in the machine table past the last hammering statioiuwhereby the straightened needles are free to. drop through said opening into a suitable receptacle.

The hammers individually and In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a multiple hammer needlestraightening machine constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a ortion of the machine as viewed from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a portion of the machine as viewed from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a sectionalview substantially on the line A-A of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on the line B B of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantially on the line CC of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view substantially on the line D.D of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a sectional view substantially on the line EE of Fig. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 aredetail views of one of the anvils.

Referringto the drawings, the operativ mechanism of the present improved needlestraightening machine is mounted upon a table 1, supported by suitable legs 2. Projecting laterally from the table 1 is a studshaft 3 upon which a driving pulley 4c and a spur-gear 5 are journaledfor unison rotation. The driving pulley 4 may have belt connections with any suitable power source, while the spur-gear 5 meshes with a similar gear 6 secured upon the projecting end 7' of a needle conveyor-screw 8. The screw 8 is journaled adjacent one end in a bearing-bracket 9 adjustably mounted on the table 1 and is supported at its opposite end by a pintle '10 suitably secured'in an adjustable extension 11 of a bearing bracket 12. A conveyor-screw 13 is disposed in substan- 'tial axial parallelism and'in spaced relation with respect to the conveyor-screw 8,

the top of the screw 13 being approximately at the level of the axis of screw 8; Theconveyor-screw 13 is supported at one end by a pintle 141 suitably fixed in an adjustable bracket 15, mounted upon the table 1 and is journaled at its opposite end} in a bearingbracket 16 adj ustably secured upon the table 1. Mounted upon one end of the conveyor screw 13 is a spur-gear l7 driven from a spur-gear 18, secured upon the conveyor screw 8, by means of intermeshing intermediate gears 19 and 20 supported by adjacent brackets 21 and i2 adjustably mounted Lil upon the table 1. It will be apparent that by means of the described gearing the screws 8 and 13 rotate in opposite directions, said gearing having a ratio whereby said screws rotate at equal speeds upon rotation of the pulley *1. The screws 8 and 13 are of opposite hand, their prime function being to act in conjunction to advance the needles laterally past a multiple of hammers, as will hereinafter appear.

While the needles to be straightened may be manually suplied to the conveyor-screws, the present machine includes means for auto matically, supplying the needles to said screws. Said means comprises a needle hopper 23 having inclined side walls, as 24, provided with vertical slots 25; a relatively fixed end wall 26 and an adjustable end wall 27 carried by a supporting-bar 28 adjustably secured by means of a set-screw 29 in an aperture provided in a vertical member 30 of a hopper-frame 31. The hopper-frame 31 is pivotally supported upon the table 1,

whereby the hopper 23 may be at will swung out of operative position. To this end the hopper-frame 31 is provided with spaced apertured ears 32 and 33, in which are fixed the pintles 34 and 35 journaled in conically apertured bushings 36 and 37 provided in a bearing-bracket 38 suitably secured upon the table 1. The hopper-frame 31 has a base 39 which rests upon the table 1, being held in position thereupon by a clampplate 40, a screw-bolt l1 and a clamp-nut l2. By releasing the clamp-nut 42, the hopper-frame 31 may evidently be swung about the axis of the pintles 34:, 35 out of operative position.

Secured in a suitable aperture provided in the vertical member 30 of the hopperframe is a flanged bushing 13 according a journal for a shaft 44: carrying a needle de' livering barrel 4-5. Carried by the reduced outer end of the shaft 14: is a spur-gear 4:6 driven-from a similar gear 4-7 carried by a counter-shaft 18 journaled in bearing brackets 19 and 12 supported by the table 1. The counter-shaft 18 carries a worm-wheel 51 driven by a worm 52 which is fixed upon the end of conveyor-screw 8. Upon oper' tion of the machine, the needle-delivering barrel 1 5 is therefore constantly rotating in the operative position of the hopper-frame and inasmuch as the brackets 49 and 12 are independent of said frame, the latter may be readily swung away from the driving mechanism of the barrel-shaft 44. Fixed upon the stationary bushing 43 is a needleblade supporting sleeve 53 which together with the needle-shank supporting barrel closes the bottom of the hopper 23 and there "fore constitutes the hopper-base.

Rising from the lateral ar1n'39 oi the 11o e1=:r1-m11e are'two vertically apertured bosses 54 and 55 in which are slidingly mounted the vertically disposed guide- bars 56 and 57 having heads as 58 and 59 upon the upper ends thereof. Mounted in a suitable horizontal guideway 60 provided by the head 58 so as to be slidable transversely of the length of the bar 56 is a holder (31 in which are secured by nuts, as (32 the reduced ends of parallel pressure-bars (33, extending,

forwardly through the slots 25 of the hopper 23. The head 59 similarly carries pressure-bars (it which project through said slots 25, while extending rearwardly from the heads 58 and 59 are handles and 66. 1n the operation of the machine one pair of pressure-bars as for instance pressure-bars are employed to bear upon the needles in the hopper until said hopper is partly emptied, whereupon a further supply of needles is put into the hopper above said pressure-bars (33 and held under control by the other pair of pressure-bars 6%. The pressure-bars 63 are then withdrawn from the hopper by pulling upon the handle 65 to cause a sliding movement of the holder 61 in the guidcway 60 of the head 58, whereupon said bars 63 may be employed to control the succeeding needle-supply, etc. Pressure for the guidebars 56 and 57 may be obtained in any suitablemanner, as for instance, by means of weights 67 (only one oi which is shown) attached to said guidebars below the table 1.

The needles are successively delivered. from the hopper 23 to the conveyor- screws 8 and 13 by the barrel 15, which is provided with peripheral prooves or pockets 68 for reception 0.1" the shanks of the needles, the needle-blades as before mentioned being sustained by the sleeve 53. Secured to the lower edge of oneof the side walls 2st oi the hopper is a curved guard-plate 69 which partially surrounds the barrel 15 and confines the needles within the grooves 66 during their movement to the delivering point. To insure that the needles are delivered from the pockets G8 at the proper time, there is provided a stripper-plateTO, which is secured to the lower edge of the other inclined hopper-wall 2s and has a nose 71 which projects into acircumiereutial groove 72 provided in the barrel 45. A supplemental side wall is provided tor the hopper 23 adjacent the barrel 45, this supplemental wall being constituted by a segmental flange 73 having a shank 7H1 secured upon the bracket 12 by means of a screw-bolt 7 5.

lVhen the needles are deflected from the barrel 15, the shanks 76 thereof are deposited upon a rest-bar 77 situated between the conveyor- screws 8 and 13 almost the entire length thereof, while the blades 78 oi the needles overlie a supporting ledge 79. The rest-bar77 is adjustably secured by screwbolts 80 upon a pluralityot angle-brackets 81 upon the table 1, while the supporting Ull liiu

ledge 79 is sustained by the rest-bar 77 through the intermediary of spacing blocks 82. The ledge 79, however, extends from the receiving end of the conveyonscrews only to a point adjacent the first anvil, to be later described. The upper surface of the rest-bar 77 is fiat and the height of said surface is such that the shank end of a needle resting thereupon is at the level substantially, of the axis of the screw 8, whereby said shank end of the needle follows the groove of said screw and is held against longitudinal movement in one direction by the base of the screw-threads. The blade 78 of the needle overlies the screw 13 and follows the groove thereof and it will be apparent that the combined action of said screws 8 and 13 is to advance the needles laterally, with said needles maintained substantially at right angles to the axis of the screws, the points of the needles being preferably very slightly in advance of the shanks thereof relatively to the direction of travel. It will be observed that the receiving end of the screws 8 and 13 are of slow pitch, merging into threaded portions of more rapid pitch past the several hammering stations.

Overlying the rest-bar is a sectional presser comprising a plurality of alined presser-plates 83, each of which is secured by screws as 84: upon a presser-lever 85. The presser-levers are each supported for pivotal movement by a fulcrun'i-p'in 86 bridging spaced ears of an angle-bracket 87 adjustably secured upon the table 1. Said angle-brackets 87 each carry a stopplate 88 between which and a presserdeve'r is interposed a coil expansion spring 89. The actionof the springs 89 of each of the pressers is preferably limited by a stopscrew 88 adjustably carried by a presses lever 85 and bearing upon the stop-plate 3:18. The under side of each of the presser-plates 83 has a facing 90 of rubber or other suitable friction material to put a drag on the top side of the needle-shanks to cause rotation of the needles as they are advanced by the conveyor-screws between the presserplates 83 and the rest-bar 77. By means of the described construction each of the pressers may yield independently of each other.

The mechanism employed for actuating and controlling each of the hammers preferably substantially fully disclosed. in the prior U. S. Patent No. 1,125,706 hereinba fore referred to, the entire hammer actuating and controlling mechanism being mounted upon an auxiliary frame 91 supporteiil upon the table 1 for bodily and angular adjustment toward and from the conveyorscrews 8, 13. Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings, the auxiliaryframe 91 is formed with a rearward extension 92 provided with a rectangular slot 93 closed at its outer end by a capplate 9 1 secured by screws, as 95 upon the end of the frame-extension 92. Slidingly disposed in the slot 93 is a guide-block 96 into which is threaded a horizontal adjusting screw 97 of which the forward unthreaded end is journaled in an aperture 99 provided in the frame-extension 92 and of which the unthreaded shank is journaled in the cap-plate 9st. against endwise movement with respect to the frame-extension 92 by providing said screw with a collar 99 held against one side of the cap-plate 94: by securing a manipulating knob 100 upon the screw-shank at the opposite side of the said cap-plate. The guide-black 96 is rigid with a hinge-pin 101 disposed in an aperture 102 provided eccentrioally in a circularly adjustable bushing 103 journaled in a depending boss 104. on the table 1. The bushing 103 is formed with an end-flange 105, bearing against the under side of the boss 1041 and provided with a plurality of apertures 106 whereby a suitable tool may be employed for adjusting the bushing. Secured upon the lower end of the hinge-pin 101 is a collar 107 and threaded upon the upper end of the hinge-pin 101 above the guide-block 96 is a nut 108 by means of which the hinge pin and the bushing 103 are secured in position; the bushing being additionally secured by means of a set-screw 109.

The auxiliary frame 91 is also provided with lateral ears 110 into which are threaded the securing bolts 111. of which the heads 112 bear against the under side of the table 1 and the shanks pass through enlarged circular apertures 113 formed in said table. The reduced and squared upper ends of the bolts 111 each receive a similarly apertured dog-head 114-, whereby said bolts may be loosened or tightenei'l by manipulation of said dog-heads 114, which are secured by lock-nuts 115. Bean ing against opposite sides of the auxiliary frame 91 horizontal adjusting screws 1'10 carried by brackets 117 on the table 1. The described construction evidently provides for a variety of adjustments of the frame 91.. For instance, by loosening the bolt 111 and the nut 108, the frame 91 may be adjusted in a right line toward or from the conveyor-screws by manipulating the knob 100, by reason of the fact that the adjusting screw 97 is held against endwise movement with respect to the frame 91 and is threaded into the relatively stationary guide-block 90. An accurate angular adjustment may be obtained by manipulating the side adjusting screws 116 to swing the frame about the hinge-pin 101. while a combination adjustment may be obtained by rotating the bushing 103 The screw 97 is held which eccentrically carries the hinge-pin 101.

Secured upon the auxiliary frame 91 are a plurality of spaced bearing-standards 118 in which is journaled a hammer-actuating shaft 119 carrying at oneend a. belt-pulley 120 which may have belt connections with any suitable power-source. Secured upon the shaft 119 between said standards 118 are three cam-wheels 121 formed with a series of peripheral teeth 122. Also journaled in said standards is a hammer rock-shaft 123, upon which are secured the split-hubs 1241 having rearwardly extending curved arms 125 adapted to have a wiping enga ement with the cam-teeth 122. Extending lorwardly from each of said hubs 124 is an arm 126 formed on its upper side with a plurality of notches 12? to receive the upper loop oi? a tension spring; 128 whose lower end is suitably attached to the frame 91. The springs 12S serve to yieldingly maintain thearms 125 in operative relation with the l1ammer-retracting cam-wheels 121 and to impart peening impacts to the hammers. Suitably secured upon the hammer rocleshalt adjacent each of the arms 125 is the hub 129 of ahammer-helve 130 carrying at its free end a hammerhead 131. The hammer-helves 130 are of unequal lengths, whereby the hammers act upon the needles at different portions of the length thereof.

The degree of hammer-iuipact is directly controlled by the needles, there being provided in the present machine an individual controlling mechanism for each hammer. This controlling mechanism is constructed and operates substantially as disclosed in said prior Patent No. 1,125,706 comprising, generally, a feeler-contact device 132 which influences a vibratory lever 133 to which is secured a resilient stem 13st carrying the active member 135 of the impact regulator. The member 135 is interposed between a striking shoulder 136, formed on a lateral wing 137 of each of the hammer-halve hubs 129, and a fixed abutment 138 provided on the bearingstandards 118 adjacent said hubs 129.

Adjacent the paths of reciprocatory move ment of each of the hammers is disposed an anvil comprising an angle- piece 139, 140, of which the member 139 is secured for vertical adjustment upon a bracket 141 by means of a screw 142 passing through an elongated slot 143 provided in said bracket. In order to conveniently effect the required vertical adjustment of each of the anvils, an adjusting screw leti is threaded into each of the members 1 10 of said anvils, said screws 14st bearing upon the frame 91. Each of the brackets 1 11 is formed with elongated slots1d5 entered by screws L16 whereby said brackets are secured for individual horizontal adjustment upon the frame 91. As previously explained, the supporting ledge 7 9 terminates immediately adjacent the first of the anvil-brackets 141, for the subsequent control of the needles by the pressers 83 obviates any further necessity for supporting the advancing needles adjacent the points thereof.

The rest-bar 77 and the rearmost prcsser 83 extend slightly beyond the last hammering station, i. e., to a point above an opening 1-17 formed in the table 1, whereby the straightened needles are free to drop through said opening 147 into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

Means are provided for instantly stopping the operation of the needle supplying and ad "ancing mechanism when from any cause this action is desirable. This step ping means comprises a shaft 148 disposed below the table 1 and journaled in suitable bearings provided for the purpose. Secured to one end oi the shaft 148 is a stoparm 149 of which the end 150 is adapted to engage the shank of a stop-screw 151 upon the driving-pulley 1 when the knob 152 upon the opposite end of the shaft 148 is manipulated for this purpose. To insure the proper position of the stop arm 1 19 with respect to the screw 151 when it is desired to render the same effective, the hub of the knob 152 is provided with a stopshoulder 153 adapted to engage a pin 15 t projectii'ig from the side of the table 1.

The operation of the machine will be a pparent from the detailed description thereof herein. The needles are successively delivered from the hopper 23 by the barrel -15 to the conveyor- screws 8, 13, being sup ported by the rest-bar 7? and the ledge 79. The screws 8, 13, advance the needles laterally, l'il'st somewhat slowly and then relatively faster with the points of the needles very slightly in advance of the shanks thereol. The shanks of the advancing needles pass under the first of the alined presscrs 83 whereupon the friction facing 90 of said pressers induces axial rotation of the needles. T he rotating;- needles advance past the several hammering stations, the individual hammers acting upon the needles in the same manner as in the machine 01 Patent No. 1, 125,706, with the exception that they individually act upon their respective port-ions of the length 01 the needle-blades, as explained. The needles are advanced to the hannners so closely in succession that each hammer is practically constantly acting to straighten needles, whereby the production rate is increased over prior machines of this character.

Having thus set. forth the nature oi the invention, what I claim herein is -111 imedic-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to indi-' vidually act upon each of the needles at different portions of the length thereof, and means for relatively feeding the needles and hammers during effective needlestraightcning operations of said hammers.

2. A needle-straight'ening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to individually act upon each of the needles at different portions of the length thereof, and means for rotating the needles during effective needlestraightening operations of said hammers.

3. A needlestraightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to individually act upon each of the needles at different portions of the length thereof, and means for relatively feeding the needles and hammers and for rotating the needles during effective needle-straightening operations of said hammers.

4.. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to successsively act upon each of the needles at different portionsof the length thereof, and means for relatively feeding the needles and hammers during effective needle-straightening operations of said hammers.

5., A needle straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to successively act upon the needles at different portions of the length thereof, and means for rotating the needles axially during effective needle-straightening operations of said ham- HIGI'S.

sively act upon each of the needles, and

means for rotating the needles during effective needle-straightening operations of the hammers thereupon.

9. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon. the needles, and uninterruptedly acting feeding means continuously advancing the needles past said hammers.

10 A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon the needles, continuouslyacting feeding means for advancing the needles past said hammers, and means for inducing rotation of the advancing needles during the feeding movement thereof.

11. A needlestraightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon the needles, substantially parallel conveyor-screws for feeding the needles pastsaid hammers, and means for rotating said conveyor-screws.

12. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon the needles, substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand for feeding the needles past said hammers, and means for continuously rotating said conveyorscrews.

13. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, means for advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand, means for supporting the advancing needles substantially at the level of the axis of one of the conveyor-screws, and means for rotating said screws.

14. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, means for advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand, means disposed between said screws for supporting the advancing needles substantially at the level of the axis of one of the screws, and means for rotating said conveyor-screws.

15. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, means for advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand, means disposed bet-Ween said screws for supporting the advancing needles substantially at the level of the axis, of one of the screws, means opposed to said supporting means for inducing rotation of the advancing needles, and means for rotating said conveyor-screws.

16. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, means for advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screws, needlesupporting means disposed between said conveyor-screws, a presser opposed to said supporting means comprising a plurality of alined sections yielding independently of each other, and means for rotating said conveyor-screws.

171 A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to suecessively act upon the needles, feeding means for advancing the needles past said hammers, means for inducing rotation of the advancing needles comprising a plurality of alined presser-sections, and means for causing said presser-sections to yieldingly engage the needles independently of each other.

18. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to successively act upon the needles, feeding means for laterally advancing the needles past said hammers, supporting means for the advancing needles, and means opposed to said supporting means for inducing rotation of the advancing needles comprising a plurality of alined spring-pressed presser-sections yieldingly engaging the needles independently of each other.

19. A. needle-straightening machine including a hammer, means for advancing needles laterally past said hammer comprising substantially parallel c0nvey0r-screWs, means for rotating said screws, and means for supporting the advancing needles substantially at the level of the axis of one of the conveyor-screws, said means for supporting the needles terminating at a point between the hammer and the end of the effective portions of said screws to permit discharge of the straightened needles therefrom.

20. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, feeding means for advancing needles past said hammer comp1is ing substantially parallel conveyor-screws of opposite hand, needle supporting means disposed between said conveyor-screws, a friction faced presser-plate opposed to said supporting means, a presser-lever carrying said resser-plate, means for causing the presserplate to yieldingly engage the needles, and an adjustable stop for limiting the needleengaging movement of said resser-plate.

21. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, feeding means for laterally advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyorserews, a needle supply hopper, and means for automatically delivering needles from said hopper to the conveyor-screws.

22. A needle-straightening machine including a hammer, feeding means for laterally advancing needles past said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyorscrews, a needle-supply hopper, means for automatically delivering needles from said hopper to the conveyor-screws in the opera tive position of said hopper, and means permitting shifting of said hopper to an inoperative position.

23. A. needle-straightening machine including a hammer, feeding means for laterally advancing needles to said hammer comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screvvs, a needle-supply hopper, a hopper-frame sustaining said hopper, a pivotal support for said hopper-frame permitting the swinging of the hopper from an operative to an inoperative position, and means for delivering needles from said hopper to said needle-feeding means.

24. In a needle-straightening machine, the combination with a supporting table, needlefeeding means, and a needle-straightening mechanism, of an auxiliary frame sustaining said needle-straightening mechanism, and means for securing said auxiliary frame upon said table for bodily i'ldjustmcnt of the nee 1lle-straightening mechanism relatively to said needle-feeding means. i

25. In a needle-straightcning machine, in con'ibination, a supporting table, a needle support, an auxiliary frame supported by said table, a needle-straightening mecluinimu mounted upon said auxiliary frame includinga vibratory hammer and liau1mer:u:tuating and controlling means, and means for adjusting the auxiliary frame in a right line upon said table relatively to said nccdlcsupport.

26. In a needle-straightening machine, in combination, a supporting table, a needle support, an auxiliary frame supported by said table, a needle-straightening mechanism mounted upon said auxiliary frame including a vibratory hamm and hannner-actu ati ng and controlling! means, and means permitting angular adjustment of the auxiliary frame upon said table relatively to said nee-- die-support.

27. In, a nccdle-straightoning machine, in combination, a supporting table, a needlesupport, an auxiliary frame supported by said table, a needle-straightening mechanism mounted upon said auxiliary frame including an anvil, a vibratory hammer, and hammer-actuating and controlling means, and means permitting relative adjustment of said auxiliary fume and needle-support.

28. In a needle-straightening machine, in combination, a supporting table, anauxiliary frame supported by said table, a ganghammer needle-straightening mechanism mounted upon said auxiliary frame, and means permitting adjustment of the aurailiary frame upon said table to effect a unit adjustment of said straightening mechanism.

29. In a needle-straightcning machine, in combination, a supporting table, an auxiliary frame supported by said table, a gang-hammer needle-straightening mechanism mount ed upon said auxiliary frame, needle-femiing means for advancing the needles laterally past the hammers of said straightening mechanism, and means permitting relative adjustment of said auxiliary frame and needle-feedingmeans.

' 30. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to suecessively act upon the needles, means for feeding the needles laterally past said hammers during straightening operations thereof, means for actuating said hammers, and means for controlling the degree of impact of the hammers independently of each other.

31. A needle-straightening machine having a needle-straightening mechanism, means for feeding needles past said straightening mechanism comprising substantially parallel conveyor-screws, and means for antomatically delivering needles to said conveyor-screws, the threads of said eonveyor-screws merging from a relatively slow pitch at the point of delivery of the needles thereto into a more rapid pitch adjacent the straightening mechanism.

32. A needlestraightening machine having needle-straightening mechanism, means for feeding needles to said straightening mechanism comprising a needle-shank advancing conveyor-screw and a needle-blade advancing conveyor-screw substantially parallel to said shank advancing screw, and means for supporting the needle substantially at the level of the axis of the needleshank advancing screw, said blade advancing screw having a relatively smaller diameter than the shank-advancing screw.

33. A needlestraightening machine having needlestraightening mechanism. means for feeding needles to said straightening mechanism comprising a needle-shank adancing conveyor-screw and a needle-blade advancing conveyor-screw substantially parallel to said shank advancing screw, and means for supporting the needle substantially at the level of the axis of the needle-shank advancing screw to overlie the blade advancing screw.

34. A needle-straightening machine having a needle-straightening mechanism, and means for continuously feeding needles past said straightening mechanism comprising conveyor-screw means, the threads of said conveyor-screw means merging from a relativelv slow-feeding pitch into a more rapidfeeding pitch adjacent the straightei'iing mechanism.

35. A needlestraightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon a needle at different needle-straightening stations, means for feeding a needle from one to another of said stations, and means for rotating the needles during effective needle-straightening operations of said hammers.

86. A needle-straightening machine having a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon a needle at different needle-straightening stations, means for feeding a needle from one to another of said stations, means for rotating the needles during effective needlestraightening operations of said hammers, and hammer impact controlling means including feeler devices arranged one at each station.

37. In a needle-straightening machine, an anvil, a hammer, hammer actuating means, ha miner-impact controlling means including a feeler, and means for feeding a needle sidewise over said anvil during the needle straightening operation of said hammer.

38. In a needle-straightening machine, means for feeding needles sidewise along a a prescribed path, and a plurality of hammers arangcd to act at different stations lengthwise of said path and in different Zones *idthwise of said path, the hammer initially acting upon a needle having its zone of action farthest removed from the point of the advancing needle.

39. In a needle-straightening machine, means for feeding needles sidewise along a prescribed path, and a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon the needles at different stations lengthwise of said path and in different zones widthwise of said path progressively approaching the point of an ad vancing needle.

d0. In a needle-straightening machine, means for feeding needles sidewise along a prescribed path, a plurality of hammers arranged to act upon the needles at different stations lengthwise of said path and in differ-- ent Zones widthwise of said path progressively approaching the point of an advancing needle, and hammer-impact controlling means including feeler devices arranged one at each station and in different zones widthwise of said path.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM TIVENDALE.

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