US1943452A - Mechanism for applying reenforcing wire to clothespins - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1934. J. R. NOLAN MECHANISM ron APPLYING BEENFORCING WIRE TO CLOTHESP/INS Filed Sept. 50, 19:52 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ING WIRE T0 CLOTHES?INS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES MECHANISM FOR APPLYING REENFORCING WIRE TO CLOTHESPINS John R. Nolan, New York, N. Y.

Application September 30, 1932 Serial No. 635,485

3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for applying reenforcing wire to bifurcated wooden clothespins; having reference more especially to improvements in the wire-bending mechanism disclosed in my Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,799,698, dated April '7, 1931.

The particular machine shown and described in the aforementioned patent embodies, amongst other things, means for successively advancing clothespins to a wire applying station; wire feeding means operative to deliver a predetermined length of reenforcing wire across the path of each succeeding clothespin adjacent the crotch of the pin; vertically-reciprocative cutting and bending mechanism including a cutter blade operative to sever a wire length, and also a pair of complementary jaw members operative to bend the wire around the clothespin with the free ends of the wire extending radially beyond the space between the legs of the clothespin, and a twister having normally-open jaws operable to grip the extending ends of the wire and twist them tightly together and close to the body of the clothespin, as will more fully appear by reference to said Letters Patent.

The principal object of the present invention is to modify the construction of the wire bending mechanism in order to simplify the same and to increase its efliciency; and to this end the invention comprises novel mechanism whereby a drawing action on the wire close to the body of the clothespin is positively effected as the wire is being applied thereto; which mechanism in a preferred form will be hereinafter described; the scope of the. invention then being expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire cutting and bending head embodying the principle of my invention, showing the cutting blade and the bending fingers, together with a pin-centering and wire-clamping element, in position above the path of the clothespin, and also showing the transversely extending wire on the latter.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, as on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wire bending fingers and accessories, showing their position in relation to a clothespin and wire.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 2 through the wire cutting and bending head, showing the headjpartially lowered and its centering and wire clamping members in engaging relation to the clothespin and wire.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the head farther depressed and the wire severed and bent into U-form upon the top and sides of the clothespin.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the head at the limit of its down or active stroke, and the wire thereby bent to encircle the clothespin.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates an elongated channel structure along which bifurcated clothespins (C), end to end, are intermittently advanced in timed relation to mechanisms whereby predetermined lengths of reenforcing wire (W) are drawn from a suitable reel and each succeeding length is positioned transversely of a clothespin adjacent the crotch of the legs, and whereby such wire length is severed and bent around the clothespin with the free ends of the wire projecting radially outward.

The wire cutting and bending mechanism illustrated includes a cross-head 11 having a depending blade 12 and bending members 13, mounted for relative vertical reciprocation across the path of the wire above the clothespin in such manner that in the descent of the head the blade severs a predetermined length of wire and the members 13 then bend it tightly around the clothespin with the free ends (so) of the wire projecting radially outward in a position to be readily gripped and tightly twisted by a rotary gripper.

The cross-head, which is operated by a depending plunger 14 under the control of a suitable cam, carries a relatively fixed housing 15 through which extends a vertically-movable axial rod 16 terminating in a foot portion 17 which, in the initial descent of the cross-head, bears upon the midportion of the wire length and clamps it against the body of the clothespin. This foot portion has a V-shaped heel 18 which enters the slot of the clothespin when the rod 16 is down, thus properly positioning the slot with respect to the wire. The rod, which is provided with an external head 19, is normally raised by means of a spring 20 contained in the housing. The associated parts are so constructed and arranged that when the housing is at the limit of its upward movement the top of the housing bears against the head 19 and maintains the rod in raised position with its foot spaced above the underlying wire and clothespin, and when the housing is initially lowered the spring supported rod is moved therewith until the foot and its heel respectively engage the wire and the clothespin, whereupon the housing continues its descent against the action of the spring, as described in Patent No. 1,799,698 aforesaid.

In the previous construction the wire bending members comprised a pair of oppositely-extending complementary semi-circular jaws which were co-axiallypivoted at their inner ends to the lower end of the rod'16, and were pivotally connected intermediate their ends to the lower end of the housing by means of links, the relative mounting of the associated parts being such that when the rod was raised the jaws were in open position with their outer end faces slightly above and near the ends of the wire, and that when the rod was depressed, immediately after the wire had been severed by the cutter, the jaws were forced downward and against the opposing wire in a manner to cause it to encircle the clothespin, with the free end portions of the wire depending below the contiguous faces of the closed jaws.

In the present construction the bending members and the actuating means therefor are modified in certain particulars with the View of simplifying the construction and improving the bending operation, as will now be described.

As illustrated the bending members 13 comprise a pair of spaced pendant fingers pivoted at their upper ends, as at 22, to diametricallyopposite lugs 23 on the lower end of the housing, and having in the lower portions of their inner faces oppositely-disposed semi-circular concavities 24 which are shaped to embrace and partially encircle the body of an interposed clothespin when the fingers are closed. The lower inner faces 25 of the fingers when closed are radially disposed with respect to the clothespin and are provided with complementary wire receiving grooves or channels 26.

The fingers when positioned above the wire and the underlying clothespin fr ely depend gravity with their lower acting faces spaced apart only slightly in excess of the diameter of the clothespin, as seen in Fig. 4, which spaced relation is ensured by the contact of the fiat upper ends 27 of the fingers against the opposing bottom surface of the housing. If desired spring pressure devices for the fingers may be used, but such devices have been found unnecessary in the practical operation of the machine, even at high speed.

The pivot pins 22 for the upper ends of the bending fingers are projected at opposite sides of the respective fingers, and the projections have fixed thereto inwardly extending tappet arms The lower portion of the rod 16 has laterallyprojecting studs 29 which are conveniently formed by the ends of a cross-pin extending through the rod. These studs are so disposed below the arms that when the housing is depressed, while the rod is supported on the underlying clothespin, the arms simultaneously abut against the respective studs in a manner to swing the fingers forcibly inward.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the rod 16 is supported by its foot upon the underlying clothespin, as seen in Fig. i, and the housing is depressed against the action of the spring 20, the lower portions of the fingers l3 bear upon the opposing wire and hug the body of the clothespin, thus positively bending the wire into a 0 -form which tightly embraces the clothespin, as seen in 6. As the housing continues its descent, the -formaticn of the wire and its hugging relation to the clothespin are maintained by the channeled acting faces of the fingers until the arms 28 bear against and are swung upward by the studs 29, thus forcibly closing the concave portions of the fingers against the wire and the clothespin in a manner to draw the wire tightly around the clothespin and bring the free depending ends (at) of the wire into close parallel relation, as seen in Fig. 6.

As a simple and eflicient means to prevent the abnormal descent of the rod 16 in the absence of a clothespin beneath the foot member 17 of the rod, the channel structure 10 is provided with a suitably-disposed stop 30 against which the overhanging stud 29 on the rod abuts, thus obviating all liability of such member impinging against the underlying gripper.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, as the same may be modified within the principle or" the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim-- l. Mechanism for bending reenforcing wire about a clothespin, comprising two associated members independently reciprocable longitudinally of each other, normally-open wire-bending fingers supported by one of said members to extend longitudinally of and embrace the adja cent portion of the other member, said fingers having acting end portions, means limiting the outward movement of the fingers to enable the said end portions in the first part of the active stroke of the fingers to hug a clothespin and thereby bend the opposing wire into U-fcrm and against the opposite sides of the clothespin, and co-acting means on the fingers and on said adjacent pcrtion of other member for forcibly closing the ling-es during the rel raining part of the active stroke to the wire uniformly into close ling relation to the clothespin.

2. Mechanism for bending reenforcing wire about a clothespin, comprising two relatively movable members, the path of one of which is opposed by a clothespin, normally-open wirebending supported by the other member and having acting end portions and complementary concave surfaces adjacent thereto, means limiting the outward movement of the fingers to enable the said end portions in the partial active stroke of the fingers to hug the clothespin and thereby bend the opposing wire into Ll-fcrm and against the opposing sides of the clothespin, and means for forcibly closing the fingers to draw the wire uniformly into close relation to the clothespin during the completion of the active stroke, said last-named means comprising tappet members connected with the re spective fin ers, abutment'means in the path of said tappet members.

3. Mechanism for bending reenforcing wire about a clothespin, comprising two relatively movable members, the path of one of which is opposed by a clothespin, normally-open wirebending fingers pivoted to the other member and having acting end portions and complementary concave surfaces adjacent thereto, means limiting the outward movement of the fingers to enable the said ends in the partial active stroke of the fingers to hug the clothespin and thereby bend the opposing wire into U-form and against the opposing sides of the clothespin, and means for forcibly closing the fingers during a later part of the active stroke to draw the wire uniformly into close relation to the clothespin,

said last-named means comprising inwardly extending arms on thepivots of the respective fingers, and arm-abutment means arranged on the first-named member.

JOHN R. NOLAN.

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