US2174092A - Apparatus for forming fabric structures - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1939. A. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR FORMING FABRIC STRUCTURES Filed April 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l mm 1 mm mm mm h mu. Ms

INVEN 711R.

Sept. 26, 1939. A. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR FORMING FABRIC STRUCTURES Filed April '7, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR. WM

Sept. 26, 1939. A. MARTIN 2,174,092

APPARATUS FOR FORMING FABRIC STRUCTURES Filed April 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig. 3. 18

' Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR FORMING FABRIC STRUCTURES Arehworth Martin, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application April "I, 1938. Serial No. 200,804

My invention relates to apparatus for making plaster-ground fabric structures which comprise plaster-reinforcing mesh, to the rear side of which is secured a backing sheet or form sheet,

5 the fabric structure being placed upon studding or other framework with the mesh outwardly and plaster or cement then applied against the same in the forming of walls, floors, ceilings, etc.

For convenience of handling and installation,

it has been common practice to assemble the backing sheet and the reinforcement mesh in unitary relation at the factory. The methods heretofore employed in assembling the backing sheet and the mesh have been somewhat expen- 15 sive, owing to the fact that such operation has usually been performed either bythe manual insertion of wire clips at various spaced points, to tie the backing sheet to the mesh, or by intermittently-operable mechanical means. In the latter case, the backing sheet and the mesh are periodically advanced past a given point, and at each pause portions. of the sheet are deflected through the mesh and lacing wires or the like are threaded through the said portions, each wire lying partly in front of the wire mesh and partly behind the paper. Not only are such operations tedious and expensive, but in many instances holes of objectionable size are made in the backing sheet during insertion of the sheet-retaining or tie elen ments.

One object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby reinforcement mesh and backing sheets of any length can be advanced conti nuously ,and. the sheet automatically attached to the mesh during said advancing movement.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for forming tanged tie strips or staple elements from a continuous strip of material, in timed relation to traveling movement of a mesh and backing sheet, and for applying said elements to the sheet and the mesh to hold these elements in assembled relation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved means for attaching backing sheets to 45 reinforcement mesh, without tearing or cutting of the sheets to an objectionable degree.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus partly in section and partly inelevation; Fig. 2 is a plan 50 view thereof partly in section; Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line III-HI of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line V--V of Fig. 4. Q

a The apparatus is shown as employed for attaching a paper backing sheet 3 to a metallic mesh 1. The mesh 1 comprises longitudinallyextending strand wires 3. and cross bars 9 welded thereto, the backing sheet and the mesh being connected in assembled relation bytie bars l0, 5 as they pass through the machine. The tie bars M are disposed against the lower or exposed face of .the backing sheet 6 and have tangs pushed" through the sheet and clenched or bent around the strand wires 3. 10 I The apparatus is provided with a framework |2 in which is journalled a drive shaft l3 which may be driven by a motor or from anysuitable source of power. The shaft l3, through reduction gearing it, drives a shaft l5. At one end the shaft |5 carries a sprocket wheel |3 which, through a sprocket chain l1, drives a sprocket wheel l8 that is mounted on a shaft Hi, the shaft 13 being suitably journalled in the framework II.

The shaft I9 carries a series of sprockets 2| for driving chains 22. The chains 22 pass around sprockets 23. The sprocket chains 22 in effect form a conveyor for pulling the mesh 8 through the machine, the dogs 24 on certain of the chain links making engagement with the cross bars 3 25 of the mesh. .The mesh in entering the machine is drawn across a guide plate 25 which affords vertical support for the mesh. A similar supporting plate 26 is provided at the exit side of the apparatus for supporting the fabric against sagging. The backing sheet 6 is drawn from a roll 21 past tensioning rollers 28 and across a guide roller 23. Advancing pull to the backing sheet is transmitted from the mesh through the tie bars l0.

The backing sheet and the mesh are continuously advanced past a station A where the tie bars H) are applied to connect the sheet and the mesh. Means for applying the tie bars to the rear side of the sheet and bending over the tangs thereof, comprises a crosshead or U-shaped bar member 3| which extends transversely of the mesh and has legs 32 and 33 which serve as hammers or plungers for driving the tie bars into connected relationship with the sheet and the mesh. The legs 32 and 33 are moved vertically in guideways 34, the crosshead 3| being moved along slideways 35 of the guides-34. The member 3| carries rollers 33 that move along guide surfaces 31 of the slideways 35 to prevent binding of the legs 32 and 33 in the guideways. The member 3| is supported at its ends upon springs 38 that are in turn supported upon brackets 33 carried by the framework,' these springs when compressed of the fabric.

and then released serving as power springs to drive the hammer members 32 and 33.

The shaft I! also carries a sprocket wheel 43 that has driving connection through a chain 4| with a sprocket 42 on a shaft 43. The shaft 43 has bevel gear connection at 44 with ashaft 45 that carries a cam 43. There is a similar bevel gear connection at 41 (Pig. 3) between the shaft 43 and a shaft 43 that carries a cam 43.

The legs 32 and 33 are slotted at 33 for the reception of the shafts 45 and 43 and to permit of vertical reciprocation of the hammers. The cams are disposed between the legs 32 and 33 and operate upon the bottom wall of the member 3| to depress it against the springs 33 for the purpose of storing power and rendering the springs effective to drive the hammers upwardly with great force. The bottom wall of the member 3| is cut out at 52 and 33, so that the bar can move upward when the high lobe portions 54 of the cams move out of engagement with the member 3|.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cams have depressed the hammer member 3| to its fullest extent and are in position to release said member. Upon release of the member, the springs 33 will snap the hammer upwardly with great force and rapidity, causing the plungers 32 and 33 to shear ofl tie strips and push their tangs ll through the backing sheet 3. As the tangs are pushed through the backing sheet they encounter an anvil or bending die 53 which has recesses 51 therein that are elongated in the direction of travel The recesses are so formed as to cause the tangs II to be bent around the strand wires 3, in the manner shown in Fig.5. The member 3| is provided with compressible members 58 such as rubber pads, that engage adjustable stops 59, for limiting upward movement of the hammers 32-33, and causing the hammers to rebound slightly, thereby to relieve the tie bars from the clenching pressure. It will be apparent that the hammers remain in engagement with the tie bars only for a very small fraction of a second, during the clenching operation, and

continuous movement of the paper and the fabric is therefore possible.

The cam lobes are so shaped that immediately upon the completion of an upward movement by the hammers, the cams begin to retract the crosshead 3|, such movement being sufficiently fast to get the hammers 32 and 33 out of the path of the advancing V-bars 9'. This rapid retractive movement of the crosshead is continued until the hammers 32-33 reach an intermediate lower position below the line of feed of the tie strips. The cam lobes have dwell portions of sufllcient length that the hammers are caused to remain in their intermediate position, out ofthe line of feed of the tie strips, a suflicient time to permit of feeding additional strips into stapling position.

At the stapling station A, the backing sheet 6 is depressed between the cross bars 3 and against the strand wires, so as to avoid tearing of the paper through upward movement of the hammers. This tightening is effected by rollers 63 and "which are carried by arms 62 and 33, respectively. The arms 32 and 33 are mounted on rock shafts 34 that extend transversely of the machine and are yieldably urged in a direction to press the rollers against the paper by springs 35 connected to crank-like extensions 63 of the shafts 34 and to the framework of the machine. As the mesh and the paper are advanced, the

paper is snugly held against the rear side of the mesh by the rollers 33 and 3|, the arms for said rollers yielding, as above explained, to permit passage of the V-bars.

Idle rollers 61 are provided on the anvil block to hold the mesh strands against being pushed up into the anvil grooves 31 by pressure of the rollers 60 and 3|.

While separately-formed tie strips may be fed into-position to be driven by the hammers, I find it practical and economical to form tanged tie strips in a continuous sheet of metal, and to have the hammers shear off each tie strip from its associated sheet or have the hammers complete the severance of the tie strips from the sheets.

The tanged tie strips for the hammer 32 are formed in a metal sheet 13 which is drawn from a supply roll and is intermittently advanced in timed relation to movement of the hammers in a manner to be hereinafter explained. The sheet 10 is drawn past a die II, where it is cut or slit and bent to form the-tangs Punches 12 are mounted in a supporting block 13, there being a punch 12 provided for each tang which is to be formed in the sheet 10 and the punches being spaced laterally oi. the machine in accordance with the spacing of the strand wires 3. It is not necessary, however, to provide a tang for each strand wire. Each punch is actuated by a cam 14, all of which cams are mounted on a shaft 13. The shaft I5 carries a gear 13 which meshes with a gear wheel 11 that is mounted on a shaft 13. Gear wheel 11 also meshes with a gear wheel 19 on a shaft 80, that has bevel gear connection at 8| with the shaft 45, the shaft 43 thus serving to drive the cam shaft 15 and the shaft 13. 'fhe tang-forming operation by the punches I2 is effected during pauses in advancing movements of the tie strips.

In order to facilitate the shearing of the tang strips Hi from the sheet III by the hammer 32, I provide means for forming lines of weakness and division between the tie strips. This means comprises a bar 83 that extends transversely of the machine and is pushed toward the strip by cams 84 that are mounted on the shaft 13. The outer face of this bar has cutting edges which may entirely cut through the strip for the major portion of its width, leaving only small connecting portions to be sheared by the hammer, or it can simply make part depth cuts throughout the width of the sheet.

The tang strips for the hammer 33 are formed 7 in the same manner as the strips for the hammer 32, in that the sheet 83 is fed-past a die 31 and punches 88, and past an indenting mechanism 89. These elements are actuated in the same manner as are the punches I2 and the indenting bar 33.

Step-by-step advance movement of each of the sheets 10 and 86 is effected by pawl and ratchet mechanism. In each instance this mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 33 that is secured to a shaft 9| which carries axially-spaced rubberfaced feed rollers 32, the spaces between the rollers permitting passage of the tangs II. The faces of the rollers bear against the tang sheet which is supported from beneath by idler rollers 33. Rotation of the rollers 32 will, of course, feed the sheets 13 and 33 toward the hammers 32 and 33 respectively, the sheets advancing between suitable guides and through feed slots I32, the foremost strips I3 being projected into the path of movement of the hammers.

Each shaft 9| is intermittently rotated by a pawl 94 that is pivotally mounted on one arm of a rocker lever 95 which is loosely supported on.the shaft 9|. One end of a pull rod 99 is connected to the lever 95 and its other end is connected to an arm 91 that is secured to a stub shaft 99.

The shaft 99 carries an arm 99 that at its inner end is provided with a roller that is disposed in the path of movement of the hammer member II. An operating spring illl is connected to the pawl arm 95 and to a stationary bracket on the frame.

During the later stage of downward or retractive movement of the hammer member, the arms 99 are depressed and the pawls 94 are moved idly relative to the ratchet wheels against the tension of the springs i0l. Upon upward movement of the hammers 32 and 33, the foremost tang strips iii are sheared off, as above explained. Then the hammers are retracted rapidly to their intermediate position and pause therein for a brief period. During this initial downward travel of the hammers, as soon as they pass the ends of the tang strips, the tension of the springs lill causes the tang sheets to be advanced through the feed slots I02, thus projecting the forward tang strips into position to be sheared oif upon the next cycle of movement of the hammers. Feeding movement of the sheets is automatically arrested when the ends of the sheets engage the walls of the guideways 94 opposite the feed slots I92. After the pause, downward movement of hammer member 3|, after it has cleared the slots, is continued by the cams 46-49, whereupon the arms 99 are depressed, as above described. Thus the springs lill operate and advance the tang sheets before the hammer member 3i again engages the rocker arms 99.

When the hammers begin their driving movement, the arms 99 are released and the tension of the springs ml is imposed on the ratchet wheels 90, but no feeding takes place since the ends of the sheets 10 and 86 bear against the.

walls of the guideways 34; while after the foremost strips have been sheared off, the ends of the sheets bear against the interposed side of .the hammers.

While I have shown the placing of two tie strips between each of the adjacent V-bars 9, it will be understood that in some instances, and particularly in cases where the V-bars are closer together, a single tie strip will be sufllcient. Also it will be understood that the tie strips can be applied to flat mesh which has cross wires instead of the cross bars 9.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the metallic mesh and the backing sheet are continuously advanced by the conveyor chains 22 past a. zone at which the mesh and the sheet are connected in assembled relation by pronged tie bars or strips. At the attaching zone, the backing sheet is snugly held against the rear side of the mesh by presser members 60 and SI that yield as cross bars or other projections on the mesh pass thereover. The pronged tie bars are driven against the rear exposed side of the backing sheet, and their prongs pushed through the sheet and against bending dies at the opposite open side of the mesh, whereby the prongs are brought into clenching engagement with the mesh.

The tie bars are driven by a reciprocating driving member which is reciprocated in timed relation to the rate 0f.travel of the mesh and the backing sheet, so that with the passage of each unit of length of the mesh and the sheet past the attaching zone, the driving member completes a cycle of movement. During each cycle, the driving member is actuated by power springs with such forc and rapidity that the tanged tie bars are brought into clenching engagement with the mesh very quickly and the clenching pressure is immediately removed from the tie bars through controlled rebound of the driving memher. Thus, the composite fabric is assembled without interrupting the movement thereof and without liability of tearing or mutilating the backing sheet. The driving member is at first retracted rapidly to an intermediate position below the line of feed of additional tie bars, and then its retraction is continued at a slower rate to its lowermost position. During retraction of the driving member, the power springs are compressed to render them operative to drive the driving member in its next cycle.

As the driving member clears the feed slots, the tension of the springs liil actuates the pawl and ratchet mechanisms to advance the sheets I0 and 89 and project the foremost tang strips into position to be severed therefrom and driven by the hammers on the succeeding power stroke. The tang strips are thus quickly fed, and during the subsequent stage of slower retraction of the driving member, the punching mechanisms and the indenting mechanisms for forming tangs and lines of weakness and divisionon the sheets 10 and are actuated. Thus, by retracting the driving member at different rates of travel, sufficient time to permit of feeding, punching and cutting of the sheets 10 and 96 to form partiallyconnected tie strips is provided during each cycle of movement of the driving member without requiring a slower rate of travel of the fabric.

Therefore, for travel of each unit of lengthof the fabric and each cycle of operation of the tie bar forming, feeding and driving mechanism, a minimum time is required to assemble each unit of length of the composite fabric, consequently permitting of faster traveling movement of the mesh and the backing and hence increasing the rate of output of the apparatus.

The composite fabric produced on my machine is employed in a well-known manner, namely plaster is applied against the wire mesh and the adjacent side of the backing sheet. By having the sheet held forward toward the plane of the mesh at points between the V-bars, a thinner layer of plaster or cement will be sufllcient at those areas, since the structure as a whole will be strengthened by the thicker layer of plaster which embeds and is reinforced by the V-bars 9, the plaster body thus being ribbed at intervals on its rear'side.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for supporting the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected together, means for moving a tanged tie strip against the exposed side of the sheet and forcing the tangs through the sheet, and means for clenching the tangs around certain of the mesh elements.

2. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for supporting the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected together, means for continuously advancing the sheet and the mesh, means for simultaneously moving a tanged tie strip against the exposed side of the sheet and forcing the tangs through the sheet, and means for clenching the tangs around certain of the mesh elements.

3. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for supporting the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected together, means for advancing the sheet and the mesh, means for placing a tanged tie strip against the exposed side of the sheet, in a position transverse to the path of advancing movement, and for forcing the tangs through the sheet, and means for clenching the tangs around certain of the mesh elements.

4. Apparatus for'attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for advancing the sheet and the mesh in parallel planes, means for forming stapling elements from a continuoussheet, and means operable in timed relation to said advancing means and said formin means, for driving the stapling elements through the sheet and bending the prongs'thereof around certain of the mesh elements.

5. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for continuously advancing the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected, and means operable during said advancing movement for driving stapling elements through the sheet and bending the prongs thereof around certain of the mesh elements.

6. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh having rib members on one side thereof, comprising means for advancing the sheet and the mesh means for deflecting the sheet toward the plane of the mesh, at points between the ribs, and means operable during said advancing movement, for applying connecting elements to hold said sheet and mesh in assembled relation at said points.

'7. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh having rib members on one side thereof, comprising means for advancing the sheet and the mesh, means for deflecting the sheet toward the plane of the mesh, at points between the ribs, means for placing tie strips against the exposed side of the sheet, at points between and in parallelism with the rib members, and means for connecting the strips to the mesh at said points. i

8. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising means for continuously advancing the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected, means operable during said advancing movement for driving stapling elements and bending the prongs thereof around certain of the mesh elements, and a yieldable device positioned to be compressed by said driving 55 means and to effect slight reactive movement of said means at the completion of a driving stroke.

9. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet to reinforcement mesh, comprising meansfor continuously advancing the sheet and the mesh in position to be connected, means operable during said advancing movement for driving stapling elements and bendingthe prongs thereof around certain of the meshelements, andan adjustable striking surface limiting the distance which the said driving means will be moved toward its prong-clenching position.

10. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet member to reinforcement mesh member, comprising means for advancing the members in position to be connected together, a member for driving stapling elements into connected relationship with said members, a power spring for moving the driving member in a direction to drive the stapling elements, a member operating in recurring cycles and in timed relation to the advancing means, to retract the driving member against the spring and then release it, and means operable during said retractive movement to form stapling elements and to feed them into position to be driven.

11. Apparatus for attaching a backing sheet member to a reinforcement mesh member, comprising means for advancing the members in position to be connected together, a member for driving staplingelements 'into connected relationship with said members, a power spring for moving the driving member in a direction to drive the stapling elements, a member operable in recurring cycles to retract the driving member against the spring and then release it, the retractive movement being first at a rapid rate and then at a relatively slower rate, means operable to feed stapling elements into position to be driven, at the completion of said rapid stage of movement, and means operable during the slower stage of movement, to form additional stapling elements.

' 12. The combination with means for advancing members to be connected together by stapling, of

a member for driving. stapling elements into connected relationship with said members, a power spring for moving the driving member in a direction to drive the stapling elements, a member operable in recurring cycles to retract the driving member against the spring and then release it, means operable during one stage of said retractive movement, to feed stapling elements into position to be driven, and means operable during another stage of the retractive movement, to form additional stapling elements.

ARCHWORTH MARTIN.

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