US2481070A - Magazine forming and loading machine - Google Patents

Description

N E W O B M N MAGAZINE FORMING A-iiD LOADING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1943 6, W4. J. Ml. B QWEN WW MAGAZINE FORMING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1943 ,s Sheets-Sheet 2 [III]! 13! IIIIE iii!!! 17? I W H49. BOWEN 2,481,07@

MAGAZINE FORMING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 h 9 193 I 96 73 T i152 Z. 2; l 1 9 m 74 a 65 -5 I 75 183 61 v 62 .rj 7 1 025 60 w 1 6i :1 Q I; i 60 70 I 1 54 n 79 l1 1' 7; I 1 i 7a a: 1 1 77 i 30 j l $1 I l\ r J. M. BOWEN MAGAZINE FORMING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept W49. -J. M. BOWEN 2,481,070

MAGAZINE FbRMING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. M. BOWEN 4 MAGAZINE FORMING mm LOADING MACHINE s Sheets-sheaf 6 Filed Sept. 11, 1945 Patented Sept. 6, 1949 MAGAZINE FORMING AND LOADING MACHINE Joseph M. Bowen, West Quincy, Mass, assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1943, Serial No. 501,987

22 Claims. 1

This invention consists in an improved machine for forming or partially forming magazines or receptacles from sheet material and loading them with a predetermined number of articles. The invention is herein shown as embodied in an automatic machine for forming magazines for safety razor blades from sheet metal and at the same time loading the magazines with a stack of blades including one or more blanks. The invention is not limited in its scope to any specific magazine or to receptacles for razor blades but for purposes of illustration it will be described as embodied in a machine for forming and loading the safety razor magazine described in U. S. Patent No. 2,312,502, granted March 2, 1943, on an application of Nicholas Testi for Magazines. That magazine is adapted to contain a stack of narrow end-notched blades together with one blank or dummy blade. Besides acting as a blade magazine it serves also as a dispensing receptacle for blades, that is, the loaded magazine is to be purchased by the user and he may then supply his razor with a dozen or more consecutive fresh blades and finally throw away the empty magazine, purchasing a new full magazine when the supply has become exhausted. A blank or dummy' blade is located in the stack so that it is delivered when only one or two fresh blades remain in the magazine, thus warning the user that he is nearing the end of his supply.

An important feature of the invention consists in provision for handling a magazine of any sort to which has been supplied a spring which is to be located beneath the blade stack and tends at all times to lift the blade stack and to hold the uppermost blade of the stack yieldingly against the top of the magazine. In order to prevent the spring from displacing the blades during the forming or the loading operations I provide automatic hold-down means which are effective to hold the spring under compression throughout that portion of the machine cycle which includes the blade-delivering and magazine forming steps. The machine herein shown includes in its organization a main conveyor, such as a turret, upon Which the partially formed magazine or container is carried to successive operating stations and a loading turret upon which the final charge of blades and blanks is assembled before it is delivered to one of the partially formed magazines.

An important feature of my invention consists in a loading turret having a multiplicity of supplying stations from which difierent articles may be delivered as components of a complete charge.

For example, as herein shown the loading turret is arranged to receive first a stack of seventeen blades, then an unsharpened blank and then a stack of three blades. The final charge consists of these twenty blades with the unsharpened blank disposed at a predetermined position in the stack. At each station of the loading turret is a supplying station which includes a supply magazine from which the blades or the blanks are drawn consecutively. In this connection another important feature of the invention consists in means for temporarily lifting the blades or blanks in these magazines until a feed slide is properly positioned beneath the stack, the means being then movable to deposit the blades or blanks evenly upon the feed slide and without danger of displacement at any stage in the operation.

Another feature of the invention consists in means for centering or squaring the blades or blanks as they are advanced toward their position on the loading turret. As herein shown the blades are centered by being advanced against a gate with converging edges and the gate is displaced to inoperative position as soon as the blades have been centered. The gate is removed in this manner so that it shall not interfere with delivery of the blades to the turret.

Novel means are also provided for throwing out of operation any selected supply magazine. Other features of the invention relate to the construction of the blade-receiving stations of the loading turret. These are arranged to receive the component portions of the stack in yielding manner and to accommodate the increasing height of the stack as it is built up. For this purpose pawls are provided which engage and hold the stack by its lowermost blade as it is built up, While space for the variable remainder of the stack is provided within a recess of the receiving station.

Other features of the invention reside in the structural details of the individual fixtures upon the main turret of the machine. Each fixture includes an anvil block upon which the partially formed magazine is received and upon which it is supported for the reception of the blade stack and for the carrying out of the forming operation. Each fixture is provided with hold-down fingers which are movable periodically to engage the blade stack and its underlying spring and to compress the spring and hold the assembled parts securely upon the anvil block. Automatic mechanism is provided for retracting the hold-down fingers to permit delivery of the stack and to permit operation of the forming tools after the stack has been delivered.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of forming tools for closing together the sides of the magazine upon the completed blade stack and for crimp ing or finally shaping the inturned flanges of the magazine and for ejecting the completely filled and shaped magazine at the completion of the operation.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the entire machine;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view in front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of mechanism for squaring the blades or blank delivered by the feed slide;

Fig. 4 is a view of the machine showing the turret and associated parts in longitudinal section;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale showing a portion of an empty magazine.

Figs. 6 and 7 are views in perspective on the same scale showing a portion of the magazine in its condition in two consecutivesteps in the forming and loading cycle;

Fig. :8 is a sectional plan View on the line 8-8 of Fi 2;

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective showing a section of the main turret with one complete fixture thereon;

Fig. 1.0 is a view in perspective showing a blade stack in process of delivery to the loading turret;

Fig. 1.1 is a view in perspective showing the rear side of the loading turret and associated magazine mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a view of the magazine mechanism shown in Fig. as seen with the loading turret removed;

Fig. 13 is a detail of one of the blade-carrying stations of the loading turret;

Fig. 14 is a view in perspective showing the mechanism for closing the loaded magazine, with one of the turret fixtures in position beneath it;

Fig. 15 is a View .in longitudinal section through portions of the mechanism shown in Fig. 14.; and

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a portion of the feed slide operating mechanism.

Before proceeding to the detailed description of the machine its principal parts and manner of operation on the magazine will be briefly outlined since with that in mind the general construction may be more readily followed.

The machine comprises a turret 43 mounted on a vertical shaft ll to rotate in a step-by-step manner and carrying a series of eight radially disposed fixtures to which the magazine blanks are supplied one after another by hand as each of the respective fixtures arrives at the initial station in the cycle of operations. The various magazine loading and forming operations are performed as the turret presents and positions its fixtures at successive radial stations in the rotation of the turret.

The particular magazine selected to illustrate the operation of the machine and the steps performed thereon are clearly indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The magazine blank is formed of sheet brass of suitable thickness to be worked by bending dies and retain its shape when once completed. Fig. 5 illustrates the magazine blank under the condition in which it is delivered by hand to one of the fixtures on the turret. It is generally channel shaped, having a flat bottom [2, side walls [3 which extend upwardly in divergent relation and inturned flanges I4 extending from one end to the other of the blank. The rear side wall merges into a longitudinally projecting flnger or key H: by which the magazine is temporarily connected to the safety razor when a blade is to be delivered thereto. From the bottom I2 of the magazine blank a pair of pins project upwardly and by these pins the stack of endnotched blades is accurately located in the magazine with their sharp cutting edges held safely out of contact with all parts of the magazine. One pin IE only is shown in Figs. 5-7. In the finished magazine the pin it is of such height as to permit the uppermost blade of the stack to be pushed forward between its upper end and the inner surface of the flanges M which form the top of the magazine. The other pin I 1., shown only in Fig. 9, is longer than pin i5, extending fully to the plane of the inner surfaces of the flanges i l and holding all the blades of the stack positively against reverse endwise movement in the magazine.

In the bottom of the magazine is a leaf spring l3 slotted and held in place between the pins ['6 and l! and bowed so that it tends always to elevate the blade stack. The blades 21) shown here- .in are single-edged blades having a notch in each end for the reception of one of the pins l6 and l? and a central slot 2! to accommodate a portion of a safety razor. As will be presently described twenty of the blades 20 are assembled in a stack by a blade turret in the machine with a warning dummy blade 22 located as number four from the bottom. When the fixture is properly located with respect to the blade turret the complete stack of blades 20 with the dummy 22 is delivered to the partially formed magazine as indicated in Fig. 6 so that the end notches of the blades receive the upstanding pins l6 and I7. As the blade stack is delivered it is followed down by a pair of hold-down fingers 23, a portion of one of th se fingers 23 being shown in Fig. 6. Among the functions of the hold-down fingers is that of pressing the blade stack downwardly and flattening the underlying bowed spring 18. The holddown fingers 23 maintain the blade stack under pressure and the spring is in flattened condition as the partially formed magazine is carried to the remaining turret stations in the cycle of the machine.

After the blade stack has been assembled and delivered as above explained, the partially formed and now loaded magazine blank is brought beneath a final forming station which is located from the initial station of the turret and at this station the diverging sides 13 of the magazine are bent inwardly and the inturned flanges M are subjected to vertical pressure bringing them into parallel relation and the magazine itself into rectangular cross-section. The holddown fingers 23 are now retracted, whereupon the spring 18 becomes effective to elevate the blade stack and hold the uppermost blade thereon in contact with the inner faces of the flanges M. The complete magazine in the condition shown in Fig. '7 may now be removed from the machine by an operator stationed at the 315 station of the turret.

Having thus outlined the operation of the machine, its mechanical construction will now be described in detail.

It comprises a rectangular frame having side members 26 and 2? as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. cross girts 28 and Z9 and a top plate or table 30. A driving motor 3| is mounted upon the rear cross girt 29 and is connected by a sprocket chain 32 to a driven sprocket wheel fast in the inner end of a short counter shaft 34 journalled in the right hand side frame 26. The short counter shaft 34 carries a. driving pulley 35 at its outer end and a pinion 33 at its inner end. The pinion 33 meshes with the large gear 35 rotatable upon the main shaft 3'! of the machine which extends transversely between and is journalled in the side members and 21. The large gear is part of the loose member of a one-revolution clutch 38, controlled by a foot treadle 39 pivotally mounted on the outer face of the right-hand side member 26. Details of the clutch and its controlling member will not be described since they form no part of the invention but may be of any well-known or convenient construction. It will be sufficient to say that whenever the treadle 39 is depressed, whether or not it is held down, the clutch will be tripped and the main shaft 31 will make a single revolution corresponding to 45 rotation of the main turret and 90 rotation of the blade turret as will be presently described.

M azn turret The main conveyor of the machine, comprising in this case the turret 40 already mentioned, is mounted upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 4| which is journalled in the table 30 of the frame and a bracket 42 which projects inwardly from w the right-hand side member 26. Just above this bearing the shaft 4| carries a large gear 43 which in turn is driven by a gear 44 loosely mounted with a larger gear 48 on a parallel vertical shaft 45, journalled at its upper end in the table of the frame and in its lower end in the bracket bolted to the cross girt 28 and extending inwardly therefrom. The shaft 45 is driven from the main shaft 31 by a bevel gear set 4849.

Fast to the shaft 45 is a disk 49 shown in Figs. 2 and 8 and having mounted in its periphery a downwardly projecting r011 50 and an upstanding roll 5|. The roll 5| co-operates with a disk 52 fast on a vertical shaft 53 journalled immediately behind the shaft 35. of a Geneva motion and has four radial tracks formed in its lower face. Accordingly, at each rei-olution of the vertical shaft 45, the disk 52 and the gear is are advanced ninety degrees. The ratio of the gear 44, which [turns with the the gear 53 on the turret shaft 4| is two to one. Consequently, for each complete rotation of the shaft 45 the turret shaft 4| and the turret 4!! carried thereby are rotated 745.

The downward r011 5| on the disk 49 co-operates with a disk 55 keyed to a vertical shaft 55 journalled at the left-hand side of the shaft 45. The disk 55 is one element of a Geneva motion having four radial tracks in its upper face. It will be apparent, therefore, that for each complete revolution of the shaft 45 the driven shaft 55 is advanced ninety degrees. The shaft 55, therefore, turns twice as fast as the turret shaft Turret fixtures The turret 45 carries eight fixtures arranged thereon in 45 spacing. The turret is moved 45 in each step and the cycle of the machine may be considered as beginning when one of the fix- The disk 52 is one element carries a short crank arm 68. of this crank arm is mounted a roller 69, through tures occupies its initial station, facing the front of the machine as shown in Fig. 1. In this figure only four of the fixtures are shown since a showing of the full equipment would confuse the drawings. The construction of the individual fixtures is shown in Figs. 4, 9, 14 and 15 and W111 now be described. Each fixture has a base block 50 which is bolted to the turret 4i) and which is formed integral with an upstanding anvil block 6| having a fiat rectangular upper face upon which rests the bottom l2 of the magazine blank when the latter is supplied to the fixture by the operator. To each end of the base block 65 is secured a forked side piece 52 diverging at its upper ends to receive and fit against the diverging side walls I 3 of the partially formed magazine blank.

Inwardly from the base block 55 is provided a bracket 63 having an outer pair of upstanding arms 54 between which is journalled an oscillatory yoke '55. The ends of the yoke are formed as trunnions and the body of the yoke is offset rearwardly from the axis of rotation of its trunnion. Secured to the back of the yoke is a block 65 and the spaced hold-down fingers 23 already referred to are formed as a part of this block extending forwardly and upwardly above the yoke 55. To the back of the block 56 is secured a gear segment 6'! which is concentric with the axis of rotation of the yoke and by which it is oscillated. The right-hand trunnion of the yoke, as shown in Fig. 14, is extended outwardly and In the outer end the medium of which the yoke is rocked at one stage in the cycle of the machine.

The bracket 63 has also a rearwardly disposed pair of upstanding arms H3- in which is journalled a short horizontal shaft H carrying a rocker lever shaped at its forward end as a gear segment '52 meshing with the gear segment 51 and at its rear end projecting as a substantially horizontal roller-carrying arm 13. A torsion spring 14 surrounds'the shaft H and tends at alltimes to rock the segment 12 upwardly and, therefore, to depress the hold-down arms 23. The rocker lever l2, i3 is oscillated in opposition to the spring 14 by a vertical plunger I5 which is mounted for vertical movement beneath the roller of the arm 13, being guided in the bracket 53 and also in a bushing provided in the hub of the turret 40. Each plunger l5 carries at its lower end a cam roll 36, running upon a stationary circular face cam 11 fast to a bushing in the turret shaft bearing. The contour of the cam l! is such as to lift each plunger 15 as its associated fixture is moved out of the 180 station where the final bending of the magazineforming operation has been effected. Each plunger 15 is held raised and the associated hold "15 is permitted to drop at this point and the hold-down fingers to advance into operative position. As each plunger 15 approaches the 90 station it moves into the range of a cam lever 18 pivotally mounted above the table 33 of the frame and having a cam roller i9 at its rear end which is operated by a barrel cam fast on the upper-end of the vertical shaft 45. The cam is designed to elevate the plunger I instantaneously to permit delivery of a blade stack to the fixture while located in the 90 station and then to release the plunger I5 and permit the hold-down fingers 23 to engage the blade stack and hold it in place before the blade-receiving fixture is moved out of the 90 station. It will be seen that so long as the turret 40 is moving movement is imparted to the plungers 15 by their passage over the stationary cam TI, but at the 90 station it is necessary to move one of the plungers while the turret remains at rest and consequently the plunger is brought into operative relation with the cam lever I8. Movement of this lever is not dependent upon turret rotation since it is actuated by the constantly rotating shaft 45.

Loading turret The mechanism for supplying blades to the fixtures of the main turret will now be described. The vertical shaft 55 is journalled to rotate and reciprocate in an elongated bearing member 84 bolted to the table of the machine as best shown in Fig. l. Below this bearing it carries the Geneva disk 5 already described and below that is provided a fast collar 85 against the lower end of which bears a heavy compression spring 80. The lower end of the shaft 55 is embraced between the arms of a yoke 87 mounted to swing in journals E38 bolted to the rear cross girt 29 of the machine frame. At its forward end the yoke 81 has a swivel connection with a ring 89 fitting loosely upon the lower end of the shaft 55 and held in place by a nut threaded upon the lower end of the shaft.

The forward end of the yoke Bl has a downwardly extending arm 96 which carries a cam roll 9i arranged to run on the periphery of the disk cam as fast on the main horizontal shaft 31. The cam 92 is timed to raise the shaft 55 and the loading turret 8 iour times in each revolution of the turret and the spring 86 is effective to cushion the downward movement by gravity of the shaft with the turret. In the cycle of this turret 04 as shown herein seventeen blades are delivered to each loading station at the first depression of the turret, an unsharpened blank or dummy is delivered to each station at the second depression and three blades are delivered at the third depression. The whole accumulated stack is discharged to the main turret 40 at the fourth depression of the loading turret 94.

Each of the four stations of the loading turret comprises a rectangular block 96 attached to the lower face of the loading turret 94 by screws. 95 and tapering downwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 11. The block is forked and has two stationary end walls 9'! vertically flanged to fit the blade it is to receive. Between the end walls 91 and separated from them on both sides by recesses is a vertically movable stripper block 98 which as shown in Fig. 4 is fast to the lower end of a vertical plunger 99 and normally pressed downwardly by a compression spring I00 which encircles the plunger in a chamber provided for it in the block 96. The spaces between the end of the stripper block 98 and the side walls 91 are provided to receive with clearance the hold-down fingers 23 when the blade stack is being delivered to the magazine-holding fixture at one station of the main turret. The holddown fingers 23 operate to assist the transfer of the blade stack from its position against the under side of the stripper-block 98 into the magazine waiting beneath it. In the block 96 are journalled short horizontal parallel shafts IM and I02 connected together for equal and opposite movement by a pair of meshing gear segments I03. The shaft I0! carries a downwardly extending pawl I05 and the shaft 102 carries a corresponding pawl I04. These pawls are arranged to swing inwardly and engage the sections of the blade stack as they are delivered in position beneath the stripper block 98 and pressed upwardly against it in opposition to the compression of the spring I00. An adjustable stop screw I 05 bearing against the end of the block 96 determines and limits the inward swing of the two pawls. Shaft I02 carries also a second dog I07 normally extending in a substantially horizontal direction or at right angles to the pawl I04 already mentioned. When the dog I0! is swung upwardly the shafts I0l and I02 are rocked to separate the pawls I04 and I05. The dog I0'I'is rocked by engagement with a pivoted latch block I08 which is mounted upon the magazine mechanism. As the loading turret 94 is moved downwardly with the blade-carrying mechanism above described the dog I01 strikes a pivoted latch I08 so that pawls I04 and I05 are carried down to the bottom of the stack or stack section in separated or open position, However, the dog I01 snaps ofi the end of the block I08 when the turret 94 reaches its lowermost position and when this occurs the pawls are permitted to move into their blade-engaging position. The dog I05 is shouldered for engagement with a compression spring I69 which tends always to close the pawls when permitted to do so, see Fig. 10.

The pawls I 04 and I05 are retracted, as above explained, at each of the three receiving stations of the loading turret by engagement of the dog II]? by the respective latches I08, etc. of the three magazines H8, 2I8 and 3| 8. Independent cam operated mechanism is, however, provided for lifting the dog I01 at the fourth or delivery station of the loading turret, after the composite stack of blades has been accumulated at the earlier stations.

This mechanism comprises a bracket 8! bolted to the table 30 of the machine frame and having an overhanging arm in which is pivotally mounted a lever 82 carrying at its inner end a roll 83 movable with the lever in a path to meet the dog I 0'! and lift it at the proper time in the cycle of 0 the machine. At its outer end the lever 82 is com nected through a vertical link H0 to a cam lever Ill journaled on a horizontal fulcrum shaft I36 mentioned hereinafter. The cam lever III is rocked by a-cam I38 on the cam shaft of the machine each time the turret 40 is brought to a stop, and when this occurs the pawls I04 and I05 are separated to release the accumulated stack and discharge it into the magazine blank located beneath it in the fixture of the main carrier or turret 40.

The turret 40 is provided with a series of bushed holes 24 arranged to receive consecutively a spring operated plunger I3I mounted in an upstanding bearing I38 bolted to the table 30 of the machine frame. The plunger I3! is depressed at the proper time in the cycle of the machine by a cam 51 operating through a horizontal cam lever 58. to lock the turret in position.

M agaezne mechanism The magazine mechanisms for delivering the blades to the loading turret will now be described. Three vertical magazines of similar construction are arranged about the periphery of the loading turret 94, the magazine H0 at the front of ammo the turret, the magazine 2 I8 at the left-hand side of the turret and the magazine 358 at the back of the turret. At its right-hand edge the turret 94 is unobstructed by any magazine mechanism and overlaps the main turret 48 as shown in Fig. 2.

The magazine 9 I8 will be described in detail and it will be understood that the construction of the other two magazines are substantially identical except as to the delivery end of the feed slide. These are individually shaped to handle the particular articles which are to be delivered by the respective magazines to the loading turret. The magazine mechanism at the front of the machine includes a bracket I I2 which is bolted to the table 30 of the machine frame and includes a horizontally elongated head I l3 in which are formed ways for an elongated feed slide H4. The top of the guideway is partially closed by spacer plates or bars H5 and to these are adjustably secured by bolts a bracket lIIi having an upright channel section ll'I as best shown in Fig. 12. The magazine IE8 itself is detachably held in the upright section I H and is shaped to contain a large supply of blades, being equipped in its opposite side walls with ribs H9 adapted to receive the end notches of the blades and guide the blades in the magazine without the possibility of contact with their sharp edges. Each feed slide I4 carries an extension piece I23, best shown in Fig. 11, which is fast to the feed slide and movable in a path above the same. The extension piece I25! carries at its forward end a carrier block I2I provided with a hardened pick-off block I22. The carrier and pick-off blocks form in effect a shelf shaped to contain the component blade stack which is to be delivered by the magazine.

The magazine I I8 is designed to deliver a component stack of seventeen blades to the loading turret at each reciprocation of the feed slide H4.

The magazine 2I8 is designed to deliver a single unsharpened blank or dummy and the magazine 3I8 i designed to deliver three blades so that the complete stack eventually delivered by the loading turret 94 to each fixture of the main turret 40 consists of a single stack of twent blades and one blank or warning dummy introduced after the seventeenth blade. The parts associated with the magazine IIB are marked IUI to I55 while similar parts associated with magazines ZIB and 3I8 are marked respectively ZIJI to 255 and 3Ill to 355. The drawing may be followed more easily in some cases by referring to corresponding parts of the three different mechanisms.

The under side of the magazine IIS is covered at its lower end by a cover plate I23, best shown in Fig. 12, and the upper surface of the pick-off block I22 is arranged to slide in contact with the lower face of this cover plate. The outer end of the feed slide II4 carries a head I24 having a downwardly extending arm which is pivotally connected to the outer end of an adjustable, horizontally disposed link I25. At its inner end the link 125 is connected to the upp r end of the long arm I26 of an operating lever.

The lever arm I26 is mounted on a short shaft in a bracket I2! fast to the front edge of the table 30 and swings about a horizontal axis. Its short arm I28 projects outwardly closely adjacent to the short arm of a lever I29 mounted for oscillation about the same axis and connected to the lever arm I28 by a tension spring I30. A pair of oppositely projecting lugs or studs I 3| make a positive one-way connection between the arm of the lever I29 and the arm I28. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, one lug projects toward the right from the arm I28 and the other lug extends to ward the left fro-m the arm I29 at substantially the same distance from the common axis of the two arms. The inner end of the lever I29 is connected through an adjustable link I32 to a cam lever I 33, mounted on a horizontal fulcrum shaft I36 supported in stationary brackets in front of the cam shaft 31.

The cam lever I33 is oscillated by the cam I34 in the cycle of the machine to advance the feed slide H4 at the proper time for delivering the articles contained therein to the loading turret. It will be noted that the advancing movement of the feed slide is effected yieldingl through the spring I30. If there is any obstruction to the movement of the feed slide the lever I29 merely oscillates idly while the spring I30 is stretched and released. On the other hand the feed slide is positively retracted by engagement of the lugs I3I of the connecting levers. The limit of inward movement of the feed slide is positively and adjustably determined by a stop screw I35 which is threaded through a portion of the head I24 and contacts with the outer end of the stationary feed slide bracket head I i3.

The lever 22% which operates the feed slide of the magazine 2I8 is connected through mechanism similar to that above described to a cam lever 233 which is operated by a face cam 234 on the end of the shaft 31 instead of an edge cam like the cam I34 which operates the feed slide I l4. 7

The feed slide 3I4 of the rearmost magazine 3 I8 is operated by a lever 329 connected through an adjustable link 332 extending in from the back of the machine to a cam lever operated by the cam 334.

Means are provided for symmetrically engaging and supporting the blades or the blank to b delivered by the respective magazines and for depositing them automatically upon the shelf at the forward end of the feed slide. These means include a fork I40 which is mounted to reciprocate vertically in ways formed in the inner face of the feed slide bracket H2. The forks of this member are arranged to straddle the feed slide II 4 and to engage the lowermost blade or blank in the magazine in spaced areas on both sides of the feed slide and thus to slightl lift and support the stack of blades or blanks in the magazine until the feed slide has been retracted to its outermost position. The fork I40 is then lowered and the blades deposited squarely and without danger of tipping upon the shelf provided by the carrying block 'I2I of the feed slide. Each fork M8 is connected at its lower end to the short horizontal lever I4I journalled upon a stud projecting inwardly from the bracket I I2 and connected by a swiveled yoke I42 to the upper end of a link I43. At its lower end the link I43 is connected to a cam lever I44 pivotally mounted upon the fulcrum shaft I36. The cam lever I44 is oscil lated in the proper timed relation by cam I45 on the shaft 31.

The levers 2M and 3 of the magazines ZIB and 3I8 are connected respectively to links 243 and 343. The link 243 is connected to a cam lever 244 mounted on a stud carried by a bracket 246 which is fastened to the left-hand side frame 21. The cam lever 244 is oscillated by a cam 245 on the shaft 3'1. Similarly the link 343, as shown in Fig. 8, is connected to a bell crank lever 344 projecting forwardly from its fulcrum to engage a cam 345 on the shaft 31.

The fork I40 carries a stud I41 projectin from grew/o its forward face through a slot in a cover plate I48 which plate closes the guideway of the fork. Journalled in the bracket I26 is a short shaft I49 having at its inner end an arm I50 which underlies the stud I41. At its outer end the shaft is fast to a handle II by which the arm I50 may be rocked and the fork I48 manually lifted whenever it is desired to throw the magazine II8 out of Operation. A latch I52 holds the handle I5I in depressed position when the fork has once been raised so that the magazine may be held out of action until the operator i ready to trip the latch.

Blade centering mechanism Upon one side of the magazine bracket II2 as shown in Fig. 13 is mounted a bracket slide I54. This is connected to the bracket by dovetailed Ways and may be adjusted horizontally by a screw I55. At its inner end it carries a cross slide I56 similarly adjustable by means of a screw I51. The cross slide I56 carries a head I58 which, as best shown in Fig. 3, has parallel vertical bores for a pair of rods I59. The rods I59 are connected above the head I58 to an upper cross head I60 and below the head I58 to the lower cross head I6I The head I58 is provided with a socket midway between the rod I59 having a compression spring I62 which tends at all times to elevate the cross head structure. Its initial or uppermost position may be determined and adjusted by a stop screw I63 which is threaded into the lower cross head and bears upon a hardened abutment projecting from the lower face of the head I58. The upper cross head carries a gate having a pair of upwardly projecting posts I64 with converging inner guide faces. The upper cross head I68 carries a central upstanding post I65 which registers with an adjustable abutment bolt I86 projecting downwardly from the loading turret at each of its stations.

The cross head mechanism carried by the head I58 constitutes a centering device for aligning the blades presented by a feed slide with each other and with the receiving device of the loading turret 94. As the blades are advanced they are centered by being pressed at their ends against the converging faces of the posts I64, then as the turret 94 is moved downwardly the abutment I66 on the turret encounters the upstanding post I65 of the upper cross head and depresses this cross head against the compression of the spring I62 just ahead of the stripper or presser block 98. The posts I84 are thus carried downwardly and release the centered stack of blades. Meanwhile, the latch piece I08 has acted on the dog I01 to separate the pawls I04 and I05 so that they pass downwardly on each side of the blade stack as indicated in Fig. 11. The feed slide is, of course, rigidly supported and consequently the presser lock 98 yields upwardly to accommodate the number of blades that are included in the stack on the feed slide. At the conclusion of the downward movement of the turret 94 the dog I01 snaps past the latch I08 allowing the pawls I04 and I05 to approach each other and seize and retain between them the blades on the feed slide. Now when the turret 94 is lifted the paw-ls I04 and I05 carry the blade stack with them being hooked under the lowermost blade and holding the stripper block 98 compressed against pressure of its spring I00. In this condition the blades are carried to the second magazine M8 at which an unsharpened blank is presented by the appropriate feeding slide and added to the-stack. They 12 are thereafter carried on to the magazine 3I8 where the final three blades of the stack are similarly presented and picked up and finally the complete stack is advanced to the delivery station of the loading turret which as already explained overlaps the left-hand side of the main turret.

Magazine die-shaping mechanism To the rear right-hand corner of the table 39 of the frame is secured an upright press frame I18 carrying in its upper portion a horizontal crank shaft I1I which at its outer end is provided with a freely rotating combined fly-wheel and driving pulley I12. This is rotated by a belt from the pulley 35 on the right-hand end of the shaft 31, the belt passing upwardly over idlers I13. A onerevolution clutch I14 is provided between the shaft III and the driving pulley. This is arranged to be automatically tripped by a cam I15 on the end of the shaft 31'. The cam operates a cam lever I16 which is connected through an adjustable link I11, a bell-crank lever I18 and a link I19 to the latch of the clutch.

In the press frame I10 is provided a reciproeating cross head I operated through link I8I from a crank pin in the overhead shaft Hi. The head I88 is recessed in its lower face to receive a forked forming tool I82. The sides of this tool are provided with inwardly converging faces which engage the upper side edges of the partially formed magazine and squeeze them together into substantially parallel vertical position. The forming tool is provided with transverse recesses I83 at either side to provide clearance for the holddown fingers 23. The forming tool is recessed to provide a central rectangular passage into which the closed magazine may pass to receive a final forming operation which consists in rimping downwardly the side flanges constituting the top of the magazine.

In order to perform this crimping operation the cross head I80 and the body of the forming tool I8I are provided with a chamber in which is mounted for free movement the shank portion I84 of the crimping die I85. This die has a forked elongated portion which extends downwardly into the passage of the forming tool I82 as best shown in Fig. 15. Its lower surface is flanged so that it engages only the inturned flanges of the magazine I3. It is formed in two pieces which extend transversely some distance beyond the shank I84 which has the shape of an inverted U. When the crosshead I80 is depressed the forming tool first operates as above explained and the closed magazine is carried up into the passage thereof. The crimping die I85 has lost motion as the magazine is advanced within the chamber of the forming tool until the magazine I3 is entirely enclosed in the passage thereof. When this occurs the horizontally extended surfaces of the crimping die back up against the lower face of the cross head and a positive crimping pressure is then exerted by the die on the inturned flanges of the magazine. Fig. 15 represents the crimping die in position at the end of the crimping step.

The crimping die I85 is in turn bored to receive a knock-out bar or stripper I88 which extends upwardly into a chamber provided for it in the shank I84 of the crimping die Where it is backed up by a compression spring I81. The cross head I80 is provided with a transverse slot in which rests a cross bar I88 resting at all times upon the upper face of the shank I84 0f the crimping die. A lug I89 projects forwardly from the press frame I10 on each side of the cross head and threaded into these lugs are adjustable abutment screws I90. Each abutment screw I90 stands in the path of one end of the cross bar I88 so that as the cross head I80 moves upwardly the cross bar I88 is arrested by the abutment screws I90 with the result that the crimping die and the stripper I86 are forced downwardly. The completely formed magazine with its contained stack of blades is thereupon ejected from the cavity of the forming die and returned to the anvil block (ii of the fixture from which it was formerly removed. It rests upon this block during the-further rotary steps of the main turret 40 and may be picked out by the operator or removed by automatic machinery not shown.

In one side of the movable cross head I80 are provided vertical guideways for a tripping slide M2. The cross head is chambered to receive a compression spring I93 which tends always to hold the tripping slide downwardly in its lowermost position. A screw I94 threaded into an overhead ear of the slide I92 bears upon a portion of the cross head and positively determines the initial position of the said slide itself. This tripping slide is mounted vertically above the roll 69 on the arm 68 of the turret fixture standing beneath the plunger of the press. As the cross head I80 descends the stripper bar I85 engages the stack of blades between the hold-down fingers 23, holding them in position with their Spring in the magazine upon the anvil block. As soon as the blades are secured in place by the end of the stripper bar I86, which now acts as a secondary hold-down, the tripping slide I92 engages the roll 69 and retracts the hold-down fingers 23. The magazine at this point of the procedure is represented in Fig. 15, although the tripping slide does not show in this particular figure. As the turret leaves its position at the press the plunger I is lifted by the cam TI so that the hold-down fingers are maintained in their retracted position until after the fixture has been returned to its initial position, the loaded magazine removed and the fixture started on a new cycle of movements.

The main horizontal shaft 31 is provided at its left end with a gear I95 which rotates with the cam 234. This gear meshes through an idle pinion with another pinion I96 fast upon the inner end of a short shaft journalled in a bracket projecting from the left side frame 21 and provided at its outer end with a circular head I91. The head has sockets in its circumferential surface into any one of which a bar may be inserted for the purpose of turning the machine over by hand.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferred embodiment thereof,

1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A magazine-forming and loading machine comprising a turret having a plurality of maga- 2. A magazine-forming and loading machine 14 comprising a turret. carrying a plurality of magazine-holding fixtures and being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station, loading and forming mechanisms located at separate stations about the circumference of said turret, a spring-operated hold-down device for each fixture, a stationary cam for moving and retaining the hold-down devices in opposition to spring pressure while the turret is moving, and cam-operated means for moving each hold-down device while the turret is at rest with a fixture at one of the loading stations.

3. A magazine-loading machine comprising a turret carrying a plurality of fixtures, each having upstanding walls for positively locating and holding a blade magazine and being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station, each fixture having a support, a rocking hold-down device mounted on said support, an operating sector for the hold-down device, and a plunger movable in the direction of its own axis for rocking the sector while the turret stands at rest.

4. A magazine-loading machine comprising a main turret carrying a plurality of magazineholding fixtures and being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station, a loading turret rotatable about an axis parallel and adjacent to that of the main turret and having a plurality of blade-carrying devices, and means for moving said loading turret to bring successively said blade-carrying devices to each magazine-holding fixture of the main turret carrying them while said latter turret is at rest.

5. A magazine-loading machine comprising a turret carrying a plurality of fixtures for locating and presenting magazines of sheet material for forming operations, said turret being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station, means for delivering a stack of blades to a magazine in each fixture in a predetermined position of the turret, and means carrying a forming tool reciprocating in a path above the turret for bending the sheet material of the filled magazine while the magazine is presented by the turret in another position.

6. A magazine-loading machine comprising a main turret carrying a plurality of magazineholding fixtures and being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station, a loading turret rotatable about an axis parallel to and adjacent to the main turret, opposed members mounted in the loading turret and being movable toward each other for engaging difierent piles of blades at opposite ends and movable away from each other for delivering the piles to the same magazine presented at different predetermined stations of the main turret, and means carrying a forming tool reciprocating in a path above the turret for closing the filled magazine.

7. A machine for filling and forming blademagazines, comprising in combination a main turret having a series of fixtures for supporting magazine blanks having diverging sides, a loading turret rotatable in a plane above and adjacent to the main turret, cooperating members on said loadin turret for engaging at opposite ends component charges each consisting of a different number of blades and supplying the charges to a magazine having sides and presented in one of said fixtures, and means carrying a forming tool reciprocating in a path perpendicular to and above the main turret for closing the sides of the magazine about the blades therein.

. 8. A machine for filling blade-magazines, comprising'a loading turret having a plurality of pairs of gripping members, each pair being constructed and arranged to hold a stack of blades beneath the turret with the ends of each stack projectin into space, a carrier movable in a path adjacent to the turret, and means for transferring successive stacks of blades to the carrier including a movable device forked to engage directly the projecting ends of each blade stack.

9. A machine for filling blade-magazines, comprising a, loading turret having a plurality of spaced pairs of gripping members, each pair being constructed and arranged to hold a stack of blades in position beneath the turret, a carrier movable in a path beneath the turret and having a series of fixtures each provided with a hold down device, means for stopping the carrier in registration with a blade stack of the turret, and means operating while the turret is at rest for retracting a hold-down device preparatory to receiving a blade stack. 7

10. A blade loading machine having a main turret for presentin 'receptacles one after another in loading position, and a loading turret cooperating therewith, a series of magazines arranged about said loading turret, feed slides of different capacities cooperating with the respective magazines and movable to. transfer compo nent charges of blades of different sizes to the loading turret, and means for delivering the. accumulated charges to receptacles presented by the main turret.

11. A loading machine having a main turret for presenting receptacles one after another in loading position, and a loading turret cooperative therewith and provided with a series of upwardly yielding plungers for engaging a stack of blades, movable dogs cooperating with each plunger for maintaining the stack engaged by each plunger at a predetermined level, means for pressing suc cessive charges of blades upwardly against said plungers, and means for retracting said dogs to release the accumulated stacks for transfer to receptacles presented by the said main turret.

12. A loading machine having a main. turret for presenting receptacles one after another in loading position, and a single loading turret cooperative therewith and having a series. of bladeaccumulating devices therein, a series of magazines cooperating with said loading turret, a feed slide movable from each magazine to transfer blades to the said accumulating devices of the loading turret, and means having opposed members for centering the stacked blades by end engagement in their movement between each magazine and the loading turret.

13. A magazine-loading and shaping machine, having in combination, a turret carrying a, plurality of open fixtures for supporting partially formed magazines, each having a bowed spring therein, means for rotating the turret to present successive fixtures at different stations, means for delivering a plurality of blades to each magazine above the spring therein, a finger mounted to rock on each fixture and being movable into position for holding down the blades and spring, and a frame carrying a forming tool movable for closing the magazine in each fixture while the said finger maintains the blades and spring in holddown position.

14. A loading and sha ing machine, comprising a support for an elongated partially formed receptacle having flanged diverging side walls. means for supporting a stack of blades therein, and a closing die having diverging faces and an '16 intermediate passage into which the receptacle is carried after the diverging faces of the die have acted to close the. side walls thereof, and means operating within the passage to crimp the flanges of the. said side Walls.

1 A. loading and shaping machine, comprising a bodily movable carrier having thereon a plurality of fixtures for receiving elongated partially formed sheet metal. receptacles each having diverging side walls and containing a bowed spring and a stack of blades, a hold-down device mounted onv said fixture and having spaced apart fingers movable into the receptacle for compressing the blades and spring, guiding. means carrying a forming tool movable in a path above the carrier, and operating mechanism for moving the tool to close the side wall of the receptacle, the said tool having a recess for resolving the fingers of the hold-down device.

16. A loading and shaping machine having. a fixture. for av partially formed receptacle having a spring and a stack of blades therein, a holddown device comprising part of the fixture and normally compressing the spring and blades, a die movable toward the fixture to close the reccptacle. and having a recess afiording clearance for said hold-down, a secondary hold-down device carried by said die, and means also carried by the die for retracting the hold-down device of the said fixture as the hold-down device of the die becomes effective.

17. A loading machine comprising a rotatable main turret having a series of fixtures for receptacles to be filled, a loading turret having a series of bladeholding devices for rogressively accumulatins a charge of blades, said loadin turret being mounted to rotate in a path adjacent to the main turret, driving shaft carrying two separate studs, a radially slotted disk with which one stud (so-operates to drive the loading turret, and a second radially slotted disk with whi h the other stud co-operates to drive the said main turret at one half the speed of the loading turret, the turrets being so located that a charge of blades may be delivered from one to the other.

18.. A loading machine comprising a main turret rotatable about a fixed vertical axis, a loading turret rotatable about a vertical axis with its circumference overlapping that of the main turret, a series of blade-holding devices on the main turret, a. series of blade-collecting devices on the loading turret, and means for periodically lowering the loading turret to deposit accumulated charges in the holding devices of the main turret. I

19. A loading machine comprising a main turret rotatable about a vertical axis, a loading turret rotatable about another vertical axis with its circumference lapping that of the main turret, a series of blade-holding devices located in the main turret inradial relation, a series of bladecollecting devices on the loading turret, said turrets being arranged at different levels for independent rotation, and means for relatively moving the turrets in a vertical direction to deliver blades from one to the other.

20. A magazine loading machine comprising a turret carrying a plurality of fixtures for holding sheet metal blade magazines and being movable intermittently to carry the fixtures from station to station as the turret revolves, means for cumulatively delivering supplementaary components of a stack of blades to the same magazine in several different stations of the turret, automatic means for holding each stack in place as de- 17 livered and accumulated, and means for closing each magazine upon the blade stack therein at another station of the turret.

21. A magazine loading machine comprising a carrier having a plurality of holders and being movable to advance the holders from station to station, a loading turret movable in a path adjacent to and above the carrier, a series of pairs of blade end gripping devices carried by and spaced about the lower face of the turret and each pair of gripping devices being constructed and arranged to convey a stack of blades suspended beneath the turret, and means for separating said gripping devices at predetermined stations, thereby permitting the suspended blade stacks to pass downwardly and be accumulated in the holders of said carrier.

22. A loading machine having a main turret for presenting blade receptacles one after another in loading position, and a loading turret cooperating therewith, a series of magazines arranged about said loading turret, some contain- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 977,632 Hoyt Dec. 6, 1910 1,415,038 Jones May 9, 1922 ,833,417 Drake Nov. 24, 1931 2,096,277 Hohl et a1 Oct 19, 1937 2,216,276 Mann et al Oct. 1, 1940 2,325,133 Hill July 27, 1943

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