US2335219A - Apparatus for making ornamental material - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 23, 1943. A. ABRAMSON APPARATUS FOR MAKING ORNAMENTAL MATERIAL Filed Dec. .7, 1940 INVENTOR flm/mm flfiramsan ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1943 APPARATUS FOR MAKING ORNAMENTAL MATERIAL Abraham Abramson,

New York, N. Y., assignor to Raylite Trading Company, Inc.,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 7, 1940, Serial No. 369,013 (of. 4.1-1)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for turning out a product that is ornamental, and adapted to serve for decorative purposes at holiday time and on other festal occasions.

An object of the invention is to devise a process and a machine for working a strip of suitable material into a round body of considerable length, with a central core, about which the strip is arranged in the form of a long spiral. The edges of the strip of the spiral make the edges of the turns of the spiral, which are waved or scalloped to add to the ornamental appearance.

Another object is to provide a machine by which the strip can first be easily and quickly plaited across its width, and then the core attached; to put the strip into readiness for twisting it and imparting thereto its final shape. The plaiting or crimping is done in a manner similar to the mode of operation in certain kinds of textile machinery for pleating or crimping cloth, so as to have ruifs therein, as when the cloth is to be used in pieces of proper size for cuiis at the ends of sleeves, or collars to be worn about the neck. The strip remains flat during the pleating, and is twisted as soon as the pleating is finished.

The objects and advantages of the invention are fully explained in the ensuing description, taken with the accompanying drawing, whereon:

Figure 1 shows the complete arrangement of all the parts of the mechanism for practicing my invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the twisting carriage.

Figure 3 shows a. detail.

Figure 4 shows the strip at the beginning and at the end, of the step of transversely pleating or crimping it.

Figure 5 shows the finished product.

Figure 6 illustrates in front elevation the guide rolls for the core of the article, partly in section on line 55-45 in Figure 1, and v Figure 7 shows another type of rolls.

The same numerals identify the same parts and members throughout.

In the particular description of the mechanism that the drawing presents, the numeral l denotes a strip of paper, Cellophane or the like, having a chosen width; and 2 indicates filaments of wire or cord to be worked into the product and form the core thereof when the machine is in operation. The strip I is supplied by a reel 3 and the wires or filaments 2 by separate reels 4; these reels being suitably supported to rotate as the strip and the wires are unwound therefrom. The strip l first goes through the step of pre-pleating; and to this end it is passed between a pair of fluted rollers 5. These rollers are at least as long as the strip is broad, and as the strip comes out from between them, it has transverse pleats or corrugations extending across from edge to edge as indicated at la. Though I have shown rollers for the purpose, any type of pleating or plaiting device of standard and well-known design may be employed. The pleating may even be effected in a separate, preliminary operation, before the strip is placed upon the reel 3. The reels 3 and 4 may be geared to the rolls 5 and be actuated by such connections, or they may be free to turn as the wires and strip are pulled; and in the latter instance any efficient braking or retarding means may be provided to prevent the reels from turning too fast and the material thereon from loosening. After leaving the pleating rolls, the strip travels between a pair of guide rolls 6 for the wires, one of which is now laid upon each face of the strip. As the end of the strip with the wires on its upper and lower faces emerges from the rolls 6, this end and the wires are secured to a twister l, which revolves the wires and the strip around the long axis of the latter. The wires are thus twisted together and the strip simultaneously into an elongated, ropelike body 8, consisting of successive spirals, the edges of which, because of the pleating, are scal loped or convoluted, as shown at lb.

The power to drive the machine is supplied through a shaft 9, connected to an electric motor or other unit, mounted in bearings, not shown, and carrying a pulley iii. This pulley connects through a belt i i with a pulley indicated at Ed on the shaft of the lower plaiting roll 5. It also connects by means of a separate pulley illa thereon, a belt Ila, and a pulley Ea, with the lower wire guide-roll 6. The upper guide roll has a pulley 6b on the shaft thereof from which runs a belt lib to a pulley 51) on the upper pleating roll 5; and the two rolls 6 have preferably positive engagement with each other through gears 6c affixed to the shafts thereof. Hence rotation of the shaft 9 will cause all the rolls to revolve at the required speed and in the necessary directions.

I of course can use sprocket gears and chains in place of pulleys andbelts, to actuate the plaiting rolls and the wire rolls from the main shaft 9 without slip, so that the plaiting rolls and the wire guide rolls will be turned with power enough to feed the strip forward and at the same time be maintained in step with each other. The gears are of course calculated so that the members 5 and rolls feed the strip and wires ahead at the same rate to keep the strip flat and level.

The twister l carries a shaft l2 which revolves, and at the same time is caused to move away from the rolls ii. At its end it has a pair of jaws it, through which is passed a clamping screw Ita, having a wing nut I311. When the end of the strip is inserted between the jaws I3, and the screw tightened, the movement of the bar or shaft l2 away from the rolls 6 will of course pull the strip and Wires with it. This the wheel 11b is fixed to the frame, and the wheel l'lb turns freely thereon. The remaining wheel l'lc, which is on the opposite side of the frame,

rotates on a journal rigidwith the frame |6.

n the rotatable axle I8 is a gear l9 which engages with a gear 2i] on the shaft I2; the axle I 8 in Figure 2 being shown as if broken away near one end to reveal the gear 20 below it. This shaft is mounted in hanger bearings 2i which are supported from the axles l8 and E819, and of course do not interfere with the rotation of the former. These bearings have hooks 2m which enable them to be put into position quickly, and the rear bearing 20 is fixed to the fixed shaft |8b as by binding screws 21b. Collars on the shaft [2, indicated at l 2a, in front and rear of the bearing on the shaft l8b, prevent lengthwise motion of the shaft I2, so that the gears l9 and 29 are maintained in mesh. The gears I 9 and 26 are shown as skew gears, but obviously any suitable gearing between the shafts I8 and. i2 may be employed.

The rails l5 may be as long as desired. The

carriage [4 may be impelled along the rails in any manner, as by attaching a cord to the front end and taking up the cord on a reel or drum. The drum may be turned by hand or by a motor. As the carriage moves, the rollers Ila, through the axle l8 and gears l9 and will turn the shaft l2 to twist the strip and wires in the manner set forth. Twisting attachments of this general type are well known, and either the twister shown and described above, or others now in use may be employed. In any case when the product has been pulled out to the length, and twisted to the extent decided upon, the machine is stopped; the finished strip removed, and the carriage moved back to its starting point near the rolls 6. The operation is then repeated. The wheeled twisting carriage will of course be heavy enough to rest firmly on the rails l5, and ensure that the rollers will be turned with enough power to rotate the shaft I2. Gears l9 and 2|] will be of any desired ratio. If preferred, the rollers [1a, Ill) and He can be replaced by gears and the rails by toothed rack bars, so that motion of the carriage will cause, with more certainty, sufiicient rotation of the shaft l2.

By this apparatus, a product is easily obtained inlong pieces for use as garlands or festoons, or forcutting into shorterlengths and otherwise utilized. The strips I can be of various width, and in any color desired.

The rolls 6 are mounted in bearings 22, which they engage by means of trunnions or shafts 23. The top shafts are pressed upon by shoes 24 in the bearings to regulate the contact of the rolls; screws 25 in the bearings controlling the pressure of the shoes. Near the middle, each roll has a pair of flanges 26, to form circumferential grooves 21 to guide the wires 2 as they pass between these rolls. From these flanges to the ends, the rollers will be separated a suiiicient distance to avoid smoothing out the pleats la, and the flanges will afford suificient engagement with the strip to feed it with the wires through the rolls 6. If desired the rollers may have knobs or protuberances 28 of rubber or any other substance of the right kind to assist in moving the strip l smoothly forward.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that the construction set forth is well adapted to serve the purpose of the invention, and facilitate the manufacture of the material at low cost.

While I.have set forth a specific machine, with parts and members described in detail, the dis a closure is intended as explanatory only, and I .and a twister to form the strip am not to be limited to the exact parts and connections illustrated; but reserve the right to make any changes that are in keeping with the nature of the invention and that do not depart from the principle of the same.

The rolls 5 and 6 are caused to run at the same peripheral speed, to feed the strip and wires forward smoothly; and any tendency of the flanges to obliterate the pleats is confined to the center of the strip, where it will not be noticed. The knobs 28 will not press out the pleats to any marked extent. The pleating may be more or less fine; and the finer it is, the fuller will be the body of the product when completed. This is a marked advantage, due to the operation of prepleating before the strip i combined with the wires or filaments for twisting.

I may also provide rolls 6 with bands 29 projecting a short distance from said rolls, in place of knobs 28. The strip I will be fed forward by the frictional engagement of the bands 29 with the strip; and the finages 26 may be so arranged that they merely form the groove for the wires and do not press on the strip. The bands 29 will be near the wires, so that if they press out the pleats somewhat, the efiect will again be near the middle of the strip, where it will not be noticed.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of a reel for a strip, and a pair of reels for filaments, rollers to receive the strip between them and work transverse plaits in said strip, guide rolls for receiving the strip and the filaments and advancing same, one of the latter upon each face of the strip, said guide rolls being spaced apart to prevent smoothing out of said plaits, means for actuating the plaitin rollers and guide rolls to feed the strip and filaments forward, and a twisting device to revolve 'thestrip and filaments together as they leave the guide rolls.

2. The combination of guide rolls to receive filaments and a pleated strip between same, said rolls being mounted in spaced apart relation to avoid smoothing out said strip, said rolls having knob projections to feed the strip through them, and the filaments into a spiral as they leave said rolls.

3. The combination of guide rolls to receive filaments and a pleated strip between them, said rolls being mounted in spaced apart relation to avoid smoothing out said strip, said rolls having band projections near the center to feed the strip through them, and a twister to form the strip at}? the filament into a spiral as they leave the ro s.

ABRAHAM ABRAMSON.

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