US2575771A

US2575771A - Mount reshaping apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2575771A
Application number: US84827A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell Arthur Page
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1949-04-01
Filing date: 1949-04-01
Publication date: 1951-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1968-11-20

Description

NOV. 20, 1951 R L 2,575,771

MOUNT RESHAPING APPARATUS Filed April 1, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnv'enbor Ar hhur' P. RusseLL,

b8 MC- K 25 His A*l:=t'orne 1951 A. P. RUSSELL MOUNT RESHAPING APPARATU;

Filed April 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnven lrov: Arthur P. RusseLL,

His A t' torneg.

Patented Nov. 20, 1951 MOUNT RESHAPING APPARATUS Arthur Page Russell, Maple Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April 1, 1949, Serial No. 84,827

(Cl. Mil-71.6)

7 Claims. 1

My invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing cathode supporting assemblies or mounts for electric discharge devices, and more particularly to apparatus for reshaping the assembly or mount to eiiect a rearrangement of the cathode.

The invention relates still more particularly to automatic apparatus for manufacturing cathode assemblies in accordance with the method disclosed in patent applications Serial No. 84,884, Norman E. Kewley, and Serial No. 84,788, Jack M. Coughlin, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the same assignee and which provide for the attachment of the cathode in one position on the mount and the subsequent rearrangement of said cathode to a second position. The method permits adaptation of previously employed and highly successful methods of mounting cathodes to the manufacture of a particular mount structure wherein the cathode is arranged in a position which is not within the practical limits of said prior method.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for reshaping a mount of a discharge device, which apparatus is capable of effecting a 90 degree displacement of the cathode. The apparatus is particularly adapted to bend the leading-in wires of the mount so as to rearrange a cathode held initially in a position transverse to the longitudinal axis of said mount into a position in alignment with said axis.

Another object of my invention is to provide mount reshaping apparatus adaptable for incorporation in combination with other automatically operated apparatus providing for the advancement of the mount successively to a plurality of work stations and providing suitable driving means timed with theadvancement of the mount. The apparatus has an automatically repeated cycle of operation clearing it from the path of movement of the mounts between work stations after operative periods and performing the rearrangement of the cathode in a manner avoiding damage thereto and interference between parts of the mount. Such apparatus provides for the manufacture of a mount having the cathode arranged substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis thereof by automatic apparatus incorporating certain features of previously employed apparatus and with the onsequent retention of the advantages of uniform, efficient and economical manufacture of such apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description of a species thereof and from the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing,Fig. 1 is a planview of mechanism comprising my invention showing its arrangement at two adjacent work stations along a path of movement of the mount; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are corresponding perspective views, on a larger scale, of the mount and certain operating elements of the apparatus during successive steps in the course of manufacture; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus developed from a section taken therethrough along line 5-5, Fig. 1, when viewed from the direction indicated; Fig. '6 is a corresponding side elevation of the bending mechanism of the apparatus occupying the first of the two reshaping work stations taken by the mount; Fig. 7 is an end view of the anvil constituting an element of the bending mechanism; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a curling mechanism occupying the other work station; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of actuating means of the apparatus. r

The apparatus shown in the drawing is adapted to be associated with or incorporated in other mount-making means advancing the partially completed mount l in turn to each of a number of work stations including the two work stations A and B and providing a constantly rotated cam shaft driving the apparatus in proper synchronism with the advance of said mount I. The apapratus is mounted along a course of movement of the mount I, indicated by the dash-dot line 2, and comprises the bending mechanism 3 located for the most part to one side of work station A and the curling mechanism 4 located below and along said course at work station B. The bending mechanism 3 and the curling mechanism 4 are also adapted to arrangement at one work station and in that instance are successive- 1y operated. A table (not shown) provides the means of supporting the apparatus in proper operative relation with the positions taken by the lower end of the mount l which is arranged so that the inner portions of the leading-in

wires

5 and 6 and the coiled filament or cathode I are lowermost. "The table separates the apparatus from the cam-actuated operating means (Fig. 9) located directly below. The advancing or conveying means and cam shaft can be that of the mount-making apparatus disclosed in Patent 1,907,532, J. Flaws, Jr., of May 9, 1933, which is assigned to the present assignee, or preferably a combination of said apparatus and elements of the mount-making apparatus disclosed in Patent 2,380,742, J. Flaws, Jr., dated July 31, 1945, which is correspondingly assigned. The above-referred to apparatus provides movable conveyor or carrier means 'fOr holding the mount 1 in an orientated position in which the cathode I is lowermost and the leading-in

wires

5 and 6 to which said cathode I is attached, are in the plane of the course of travel. The means for supporting the mount I is herein represented by the

jaws

8 and 9 which effect their support through engagement with the vitreous exhaust tube III extending from the vitreous stem I I, the principal supporting element of the mount I.

The cycle of operation of the reshaping apparatus is initiated upon arrangement of the mount I at station A when a movement of the bending anvil I2 and the adjacent bending-fingers I3 and I4 of the bending mechanism 3 carries them into operative relation to the mount I'. The anvil I2 and fingers I3 and I4 occupy positions to one side of the course of travel of the mount I, to provide clearance for movement of the mount to and from work station A, and are" supported indirectly by the slide I5 which'is held by the bracket I6 and arm -II extending from the table I8 (only partially shown) of the complete mount-making apparatus of which the apparatus shown is a part. The positioning movement of the anvil I2 and the bending fingers I3 and I4 is introduced there,- in by movement of the slide I5, which is located below retaining plates I9 and 26 in ways in the bracket I6, and corresponds directly to that of the slide I5 inthat said anvil I2 is mounted, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, upon a block 2I pivoted about a pin 22 carried by the forward end of said slide I5 and in that the fingers I3 and I4 are mounted upon

jaws

23 and 24 respectively pivoted about the stud 25 extending from the upper surface of said slide I5. Actuation ofthe slide I5, in turn, depends upon the movement of the sub-slide 26 located within ways in said slide I5, which sub-slide 26 is connected by link 21 to the operating lever 28 of the bending mechanism, and transfers movement to the slide I5 through pressure against the'helical spring 29 which is located between the end of the sub-slide 26 and a portion of the slide I5. A strap 30, extending across the end of the slide I 5 and blocking movement'of the block 3| located on sub-slide 26-, prevents the expansion force of the spring 29 from effecting separate movement in the slide I5.

The bending mechanism 3, like allother portions of the apparatus, effects the proper timing of its operations because of the timed functions of the operating means (Fig. 9), which means is driven by the cam shaft 32, the main driving means of the complete mount-making machine. The presently considered advancing movements of the anvil I2 and fingers I 3 and I4, for instance, are effected by the rotation of the cam shaft 32 which turns a-portion of the cam 33 into engagement with the roller 34 on lever 35, causing an upward movement of said roller 34 and the adjacent portion of the lever 35. This motion is,in-turn, transferred to the operating lever 28 of the bending mechanism 3 through the connecting rod 36 connecting the opposite end of lever and one end of the lever 28. Both lever 35 and operating'lever 28 turn about fixed points, the former about the pivot shaft 37 mounted on brackets 38 (only one shown) extending from the lower surface of the. table I8, and thelatter about the pivot pin 39 held by bracket I6, and

effect a direct transference of motion. The roller 34; which" lies within a groove 40 within the face of the cam 33, is restricted in its movements by the confines of said groove 4 which is spaced at various distances from the cam shaft 32 at different points about theoam 33. At the par- 4 ticular moment when the bending mechanism 3 is held in a retracted position, to allow the introduction of the mount I to station A, the cam shaft 32 is turning a portion of the cam 33 having a concentric portion of the groove M into engagement with the roller 34; whereas, in the directly succeeding interval during which the positioning movements of said bending mechanism 3 occur an outwardly tracking portion of the groove 48 is carried into engagement with said roller 34. Each cycle of operation of the apparatus is brought about by one revolution of the cam shaft 32 and accordingly each portion of the cycle and the operations within said portions are initiated by a respective portion of the rotation of said shaft 32.

The operative period of the apparatus consumed in bringing the anvil I2 and bending fingers I3 and I 4 to operative relation to the mount I also causes the adjusting finger 4i, located on the opposite side of said mount I, to initiate its cycle of operation. The finger 4| performs the function of adjusting the end of the leading-in wire 5 to a position slightly out of alignment with the longitudinal axis of the mount I so that the succeeding operations of the bending mechanism 3 can bend the ends of both leading-in

wires

5 and 6 inward toward each other without interference therebetween and without unduly kinking the cathode I extending therebetween. To perform this function, the finger M, which is mounted directly opposite the leading-in wire 5, is caused to swing about its supporting pivot pin 42 sufiiciently to deflect and bend said leading-in wire 5 slightly out of its normal plane. This operation occurs when the movement of the slide I5 has progressed to such an extent that the end of the arm 43, located beyond the forward end of said slide I5, is brought into engagement with the lower end 4! of the finger 4i and pressure thereagainst turns finger ii about the pivot pin 42. The finger ii is turned against the contraction force of the helical spring 44 extending between the posts on the upper end of said finger 4! and the upper portion of the support arm 45 and takes no other movement in that the support arm 45, which also holds pivot pin 42, is attached to the side of the stationary support standard 43 for the curling mechanism 4 located at station B.

. Still another operation occurs during the advance of the slide I5, the operation being a lowering movement of the bending anvil I2 which occurs when said advance is being completed. The lowering motion of the anvil I2 is for the purpose of positioning the bottom surface 4! thereof at the point along the length of the leading-in

wires

5 and 6 where the bend is to take place and, since it takes place when the movement of the slide I5 is almost complete, is brought about after said anvil I2 has passed between the leading-in

wires

5 and 6. At that time, the lower portion of the support block 2I for said anvil I2 strikes the stop screw 48 (Fig. 6) on the arm 49 extending from the stationary bracket I6 and the block 2I is tilted downwardly against the resisting force of the compression spring 53 located between it and the end of slide I5. The block 2I is hinged upon the pin 22 and, until engagement with stop screw 48 is eifected, is tilted upward to the extent allowed by the shoulder 5I on the end of the slide I5.

At the moment when the anvil I2 and the bending fingers I3 and I4 are completely positioned in operative relation to the mount I and zpz-smr a 5. the-adjusting ringerv 4i has-completed its operation, the motion of the slidewldis interrupted by the. engagement of the stop screw 52 (Fig. 1) on anear 53 thereof with the stop block 54 attached to the upper edge of the stationary bracketiii. The bending function occurs. in the directly following interval when the bending. fingers .I 3 and l lmove toward. eachother and, by so doing, wipe the ends of the leading-in

wires

5 and 6 across and up against the lower surface of the bending anvil I2. This particular bending operation is also brought about by the movement of .the oper ating lever 28 under the influence .of the operating means as said movement presentlyeifects a separate movement of. the cam 55 which is engaged by the supporting

jaws

23 and 24 for the fingers I3 and I4. Rollers 56 on theends of the jaws 23 and 2'; have heretofore been located within relatively closely spaced ends of diverging channels 5? within the cam 55 and are carried 2 by the separate movement of the cam 55 into more widel spaced portions of the channels 57 whereby said

jaws

23 and 24 are caused to close on each other. The cam 55 is mounted at a fixed position on the block 3! carried by the sub-slide 2s and takes the movement of said sub-slide '26 which is introduced therein directly from operating lever '23 and which can, at present, effect onlya"separate movement of said sub-slide 26 within the'ways of slide "[5 and a further compression of the spring 29. The bending fingers 3 and i l effect their contact with the leadinginwires 5 andi'i through rollers 58--5'8 mounted thereon and cause said

wires

5 and 6 to take a right'angle bend at the edge of the bottom sur face i? of the anvil T2. The center of the cathode l'pat'such times, is twisted upward into cavity 59 (Fig. 7) in the bottom of "the anvil i2, taking the shape shown in Fig. 3.

The succeeding operations of the bending mechanism 3 are those separating said'mec'hanisni "from the now partially reshapedmount occur in a reversely duplicated series of operations like those described. These disengaging operations of the bending mechanism a are brought about bythe return motion of the 'operating lever 28 and effect, in turn, the outward swingo-f the bending fingers l3 and 1'4, a raising movement in the anvil 12, andthen the complete retraction of the anvil 'l 2 and said bending fingers l3 and M. The adjusting finger =4! swings back to the position shown in the course of the above operations when the arm 43 is withdrawn from contact therewith by "the retraction 'of slide I5.

The raising movement of the anvil 1'2 prior to its retracti'on movement assists in causing its disengagement from the leading-in wires "5 and 6 and avoids any possibility of said wires 5 and (i being pulledsideward out of position by the retracting movement of saidanvil 12. The positionof leading-in wire '5 isnot materially changed by thewithdrawa'lof the adjusting'finger M and remains slightl offset from leading-in wire 6 so th'atno interference occurs-between their ends.

The following indexing movementof the mount r i produced by the support means therefore advances said mount I. along dash-dot line 2 to station 13 and into effective range of the operations of the curling mechanism 4 located thereat. The indexing movement passes the mount I over the length of the curling spindle Bil of said mechanism 4, which is then located below the course of movement as shown in Fig. 8, and is complete when said mount l is positioned just clear of the endofsaid curling spindle 60. "Subsequently occurring operations of the apparatus provide for the upward movement of the curling spindle 60 whereby the mandrel 6i extending through thesicenter thereof is brought to a position oppiositea.anid-portion. of leading-in wire 6. This function iofrthe mechanism 4. arranges the curling spindle 60 and associated elements thereof 'at operative relation to the mount l and is effected through. movementof the supporting slide 62 for said" curling spindle .60 under the influence of the :sub-sli-defl, which is in turn actuated accordingto the rotation of the cam 64 (Fig. 9) of the operating means. The curling spindle 60 is journalled within an extending portion of the slide 62 which is free to operate vertically Within waysin thesupport standard 46 in which it is held by side plates Gdand presently has the same motion as the sub-slide 53, as the pressure ofexpansion of spring '56 located above said sub-slidefit in a vertical passage in slide 62 keeps the laterally extending ear 6'5 on said sub-slide 63 against'the end shoulder 68 on the slide 62. A link 69 joins the sub-slide 63 to the lever 70 of the operating means which initiates the present motion by turning the cam E i so that the roller Hon one end of lever is is carried into a portion of the groove 12 located nearer the drive shaft 3-2. The curling spindle 58 becomes properly located with respect to the mount 1 when the upward movement thereof progresses to the limit established bythe engagement of the lug (3 (Fig.5) on the back of slide 62 with the stop screw. on the 'lugof support standard 46. Prior to this operative period an opening in the standands 4:6 directly behind the center of the slide 62 provided clearance for the lug l3 and prevented interference with the motion of the slide 62.

Next in the orderof operations of the curling mechanism 4 is the advance of the mandrel 6] longitudinally outward .of the end of the curling spindle fill and the rotation of said curling-spindle 69, both operations of which occur simultaneously. The purpose of the advance of mandrel Si is to position :it toone "side or" and across the leading-in wire 6 as shown in Fig. 4 so that the free end of said leading-in wire 6 can be bent over it by the wiping action of the arcuate movement produced in pin 15, in eiTect an extending eccentric end portion of spindle 60, by the rotation of said spindle 60. As shown particularly inFig. 8, the mandrel 6| extends through the full length of the-spindle and takes a position controlled by the engagement of the lever 16 with a roller "mounted by means of the block 18 on said mandrel 6|. The spindle so, on the other hand, "extends through the full width of the slide 62 and takes a rotative position determined by the engagement of the gear 19 upon. its outer end with the vertically positioned rack til. The movements developed in the mandrel 6i and the spindle '60 are the result of continued upward movement of the sub-slide E3 after motion of slide 62 is stopped and are effected by the independent motion of the cam. 8|, which engages the roller 82 extending from lever it, and of the rack :88, respectively, at such times. The independent motion or the sub-slide 53 is absorbed in the further compression of the spring between it and slide 52 and transfers its motion directly to the cam a: and rack 83) since both are mounted'on the-laterally extending ear 51 thereof. Inasmuch as the lever 2'6 associated with the mandrel BI is pivoted upon the stud 83 extending from the now stationary slide 52, it is rocked so as to advancesaid mandrel 61 when the separ'a'te motion of the cam 8| advances the offset portion of the channel 84 therein into engagement with the roller 82. The separate motion of the rack 8i) turns the spindle 6B in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the end, so that the offset pin E in said end is carried against the free end of the leading-in wire 6 below the mandrel 6i, and bends said end sideward and then upward to the position shown in Fig. 4. The rack 86 has heretofore held the spindle 60 at such a position that the upward positioning movement of said spindle cc caused the pin 15 to appear upon the opposite side of the leading-in, wire 5 from mandrel BI and is limited in its movement by the operating means so that the required bend is effected in the leading-in wire 6. In the presently described instance, the pin 15 has a circumferential groove 84 therein at the point of engagement with the leading-in wire 6 to prevent said wire 6 from slipping to one side and is moved by rotation of spindle 653 only sufficiently to arrange the cathode 1 into the plane of the stem ll.

The return downward movement of the subslide 63 turns the spindle Ell so that the pin 15 is separated from the now completed mount, retracts the mandrel fil into said spindle 60 from its position within the loop in leading-in wire 6 and then lowers said spindle 6i! and associated elements of the curling mechanism 4 away from said mount. These operations complete the cycle of operation of the curling mechanism and automatically occur in proper sequence during the return of the sub-slide 63 which remains under the control of the operating means. The return operations are the reverse of those previously described in detail having to do with the bending of leading-in wire 6, and are followed by an inoperative period, still under the control of the operating means, when the completed mount is indexed from station B and another partially completed mount I is indexed to said station.

What I claimjasnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for reshaping a mount having approximately parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterally across the ends thereof comprising the combination of means to sup-port said mount and carry it along a definite path to a plurality of work stations; bending mechanism at one of said work stations comprising a bending anvil, cooperating bending fingers movable toward and away from the anvil from opposite sides, means to support and advance the bending anvil and fingers to and from an operative position at said work station to arrange the anvil between end portions of the lead-in wires of the mount and the bending fingers on opposite sides thereof, means for actuating the bending fingers to cause the said end portions of the leadin wires to be pressed against and bent over a portion of the anvil so that said end portions extend toward each other; curling mechanism at a second station comprising a rotatable curling spindle having respectively axially and eccentrically projecting pin portions at one end thereof, means to support and advance said spindle to and from an operative position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent a mid-portion of one lead-in wire of the mount, means for rotating the spindle to cause the eccentric pin to curl and double over one portion of the lead-in wire about the axial pin to cause the said cathode to extend in substantially the same direction as the parallel portions of said lead-in wires; and

means to effect the actuation of said mechanisms in proper synchronism.

2. Apparatus for reshaping a mount having approximately parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterally across the ends thereof comprising the combination of means to support said mount in an inverted position with the cathode lowermost and horizontal and to carry it along a definite path to a pluralitv of work stations; bending mechanism at one of said work stations comprising a. bending anvil. cooperating bendin fin ers movable horiaontallv toward and away from the anvil, means to sup ort and advance the bending anviland fin ers hori ontally to and from an operative position at said work station to a ran e the anvil between end portions of the lead-in wires of the mount and the bending fingers on op osite si es thereof, means for actuating the bendin fin ers to cause the end nortions of the lead-in ires to be pressed a ainst and. bent over a ort on of the anvil so t at said end portions extend horizontally toward each other: curling mechanism at a second station and below the path of movement of t e mount compr sing a horivontal curlin s indle having resoectivelv axiallv and eccentrica lv projecting pin portions at one end thereof. m ans to su ort said spind e and move it vertically to a position wherein. the end thereof is located adiacent a mid-portion of one lead-in wire of a mount, me ns rotatin the s indle to cause the eccentric nin to c rl and double over-one ortion of the lead-in wire about the axi l pin to cause the said. cathode to extend. verticallv in substantially the sa e direc ion as t e parallel ortions of said lead-in wires: and means to efiect the actuation of said mechanisms in proper synchronism.

3. Ap aratus for reshap ng a mount having apnroximatelv arallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode exten ing laterally across the ends thereof com rising the combination of means to support said mount in an inverted position with the cathode lowermost and carry it along a deflnite oath to a plurality of work stations: bending mechanism at one of said work stations comprising a bending anvil, cooperating bending fin ers movable toward and away from the anvil from op osite sides, means to support and'ad- Vance the bendin anvil and fingers to and from an operative position at said work station to 'arran e the anvil between end portions of the leadin wires of the mount and the bendin fingers on opposite sides thereof, means for act ating the bending fingers to cause portions of the lead-in wires to be pressed against and bent over a portion of the anvil so that said end portions extend toward each other: curling mechanism at a second station comprising a hollow rotatable curling spindle having an eccentricallv projection bin at one end, a mandrel pin movable through the spindle to and from a position wherein it projects outwardly of the end of the mandrel, means to support and advance the spindle to and from an operative position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent the mid-portion of one lead-in wire of a mount at said station, means for advancing and then retracting the mandrel pin and for rotating the spindle at the said operative position to cause the eccentric pin to curl and double over the end of the lead-in wire about the mandrel pinto cause the said cathode to extend in substantially the same direction as the parallel portions of said lead-in wires; and means to e1- feet the actuation of said mechanisms in proper synchronism.

4. Apparatus for reshaping a mount having approximately parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterally across the ends thereof comprising the combination of means to support said mount in an inverted position with the cathode lowermost and horizontal and to carry it along a definite path to a plurality of work stations; bending mechanism at one of said work stations comprising a bending anvil, support means including a horizontally positioned slide supporting the anvil, cooperating bending fingers pivoted on the slide for horizontal movement toward and away from the anvil, means for moving the slide toward and away from the mount to advance the bending anvil and fingers to an operative position at said work station to arrange the anvil between end portions of the lead-in wires of said mount and the bending fingers on opposite sides thereof, means for actuating the bending fingers to cause the end portions of the lead-in wires to be pressed against and bent over a portion of the anvil so that said end portions extend horizontally toward each other; curling mechanism at a second station and below the path of movement of the mount comprising a horizontal curling spindle having respectively axially and eccentrically projectin pin portions at one end thereof, means to sup ort said spindle and move it vertically to a position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent a mid-portion of one lead-in wire of a mount. means for rotating the spindle to cause t e eccentric pin to curl and double o er one portion of the lead-in wire about the axial pin to cause the said cathode to extend verticallv in substantially the same direction as the parallel ortions of said lead-in wires: and means to effect the actuation of said mechanisms in proper svnchronism.

5. Apparatus for resha ing amount havin anproximatelv parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterall across the ends thereof com risin the combination of means to support said mount in an inverted position with the cathode lowermost and horizontal and to carry it along a definite ath to a luralit of work stations; bending mechanism at one of said work stations comprisin a bending anvil, sup ort means includin a horizontally positioned slide, means for pivotin the anvil for movement in a vertical plane on the slide, cooperating bending fin ers pivoted on the slide for horizontal movement toward and away from the anvil, means for moving the slide toward and away from the mount to advance the bending anvil and fingers to an operative position at said work station to arrange the anvil between end portions of the lead-in wires of the mount and the bending fingers on opposite sides thereof, means actuated by movement of the slide for swinging the anvil to and from a lowered position, means for moving the bending fingers to cause the end portions of the lead-in wires to be pressed against and bent over a portion of the anvil so that said end portions extend horizontally toward each other; curling mechanism at a second station and below the path of movement of the mount comprising a horizontal curling spindle having respectively axially and eccentrically projecting pin portions at one end thereof, means to support said spindle and move it vertically to a position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent a mid-portion of one lead-in wire of a mount, means for rotating the spindle to cause the eccentric pin to curl and double over one portion 10 of the lead-in wire about the axial pin to cause the said cathode to extend vertically in substantially the same direction as the parallel portions of said lead-in wires; and means to effect the actuation of said mechanisms in proper synchronism.

6. In combination with apparatus for supporting and carrying a mount along a definite path to a plurality of work stations, said mount having approximately parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterally across the ends thereof and being supported by said apparatus with the cathode lowermost, a curling mechanism at one of said stations comprising a hollow rotatable spindle having an eccentrically projecting pin at one end, a mandrel pin movable longitudinally through the spindle from a retracted position to an advanced position wherein it projects outwardly of the end thereof, movable support means for carrying the spindle to and from an operative position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent the midportion of one lead-in wire, actuating means for the support means, means attached to the mandrel pin and controlling the longitudinal position thereof, a movable cam engaging the last-mentioned means, a gear attached to the spindle, a gear rack engaging the gear, a means for actuating the cam and gear rack to move the mandrel pin to its advanced position across the lead-in wire and to rotate the spindle so as to cause the eccentric pin to curl the lead-in wire about the mandrel pin.

7. In combination with apparatus for supporting and carrying a mount along a definite path to a plurality of work stations, said mount having approximately parallel lead-in wires with a coiled cathode extending laterally across the ends thereof and being supported by said apparatus with the cathode lowermost, a curling mechanism at one of said stations comprising a hollow rotatable spindle having an eccentrically projecting pin portion at one end, a mandrel pin movable longitudinally through the spindle from a retracted position to an advanced position wherein it projects outwardly of the end thereof, movable support means for carrying the spindle to and from an operative position wherein the end thereof is located adjacent the mid-portion of one lead-in wire, means attached to the mandrel pin and controlling the longitudinal position thereof, a movable cam engaging the last-mentioned means, a gear attached to the spindle, a gear rack engaging the gear, movable operating means connected to the support means for the spindle and attached to the cam and gear rack for causing actuating movements therein, and a stop means for interrupting the positioning movement of the spindle, said actuating means being arranged to thereafter actuate the cam and gear to move the mandrel pin to its advanced position across the lead-in wire and to rotate said spindle so as to cause the eccentrio pm to curl the lead-in wire about the mandrel pm.

ARTHUR PAGE RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,821,894 Otaka Sept. 1, 1931 1,907,532 Flaws May 9, 1933 2,297,950 Flaws Oct. 6, 1942 2,327,033 Flaws Aug. 17, 1943