US2760827A - Machine for preparing bristles for brushes - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1956 c. E. MAYNARD MACHINE FOR PREPARING BRISTLES FOR BRUSHES Filed July 27,1950

5 Sheets-Sheet l Q IIITXIII lill I I ll I l l l l l l.. l O 0 O 0 0 0 0 D D D. 0 mv vm wm @o 0 9 Nl@ O- w@ w@ OO OO- @m v No. NQ LQ Q G o D o o 0 0 0 o o, E F e P @Q NQ Q Q mm mwN @Q NQ AUQ mv DE@ Nv 0 ,O.. 0 www U nu m\ m INVENTOR CHARLES EDGAR MAYNARD Aug. 28, 1956 c. E. MAYNARD 2,760,827

MACHINE FOR PREPARING BRISTLES FOR. BRUSHES Filed July 27, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 aff l INVENTOR '6 5.8 'v5 f2, CHARLES EDGAR MAYNARD ug- 28 1955 c. E.'MAYNARD 2,760,827

MACHINE FOR FREPARING BRISTLES FOR BRUSHES Filed July 27, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 "1 66 65 :,128- INVENTOR E .24 CHARLES EDa/m MAYNARD ATTQRNEYS Aug. 28, 1956 c. E. MAYNARD Y Filed July 27, 195o MACHINE FOR PREPARING BRISTLES FOR BRUSHES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.8

INVENTOR CHARLES EDGAR MAYNARD Aug. 28, 1956 c. E. MAYNARD 2,760,827

MACHINE RoR RRERARING BRIsTLEs FOR4 BRUSHES Filed July 27,'1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 36 lNvENToR CHARLES EDGAR MAYNARD BY 9L a@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent MACHINE FOR PREPARING BRISTLES FOR BRUSHES Charles Edgar Maynard, Florence, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Company, Northampton, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1950, Serial No. 176,100

Claims. (Cl. 300-2) This invention relates generally to brush making machinery and in particular to a machine in which a series of related operations are successively performed to ll clamps with rows of thermoplastic filament bristle elements and to round one end of each bristle element. The filled clamps hold the bristle elements in spaced relation as sub-assemblies ready for insertion in a brush back to complete a brush.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine to carry out, automatically, the initial steps in the method of brush making disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 96,518, filed June l, 1949, now Patent No. 2,647,019, July 28, 1953.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for use in making brushes having spaced single artificial bristles rather than tufts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine with means to feed strands or filaments of thermoplastic material into a clamp, such as the type of clamp shown in my patent referred to above, sever the strands to leave bristles of measured length and in spaced relation in the clamp, and then remove that clamp and position an empty one in its place.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which: a

Fig. l is a plan view of the new machine threaded with a plurality of single strands or filaments of thermoplastic material;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view 0n line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of part of the structure shown in Fig- 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 4 but with certain parts removed;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the clamp filling portion of the machine;

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section of the clamp filling portion of the machine;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the portion of the machine shown in Figs. 5 and 6 taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 2 with the magazine removed for clarity;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective View of the machines strand severing knife and clamp removing means;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the lower end of the chute 86 shown in part in Fig. 9;

Figs. l1, 12, 13, and 14 are views of the clamp holder illustrating how the clamp is turned in the holder for rounding the protruding bristle ends;

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view of the machines air pressure system; and

Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. l5.

In the practice of this invention there is provided a simple and eiciently operated machine particularly adapted for use in single bristle brush making, but which may also be adapted for use in making other types ofl brushes. The machine illustrated and described, in continuous automatic operation, acts to insert a number offstrands of thermoplastic material, such as nylon, into "ice a clamp for a measured distance, to sever the strands and leave bristle elements of measured length in and partially protruding from the clamp, to remove the clamp from its filling position and drop it onto a chute replacing an empty clamp in the lling position, to discharge the filled clamp from the chute into a holder and move the clamp under grinding wheels to round one end of each bristle element protruding from the clamp, turning the clamp in the holder to do so, and then to bui the ground rounded ends of the bristle elements so that they are ready for insertion in a brush back to make a single bristle (as distinguished from a tufted) brush.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings, strands 10, of thermoplastic material such as nylon, are drawn through grooved guide plates 11 by multiple pairs of driven pressure or feed rolls consisting of a lower roll 12 (Fig. 7) and an upper roll 13. Both rolls of a pair may have surfaces of rubber or one surface may be steel and the other rubber.

Lower rolls 12 are fixed to a shaft 14 (Fig. 7), the ends of which are rotatably supported by lower side plates 15 and 16 of the machine (Figs. 6 and 7). A gear 17 (Fig. 6) is mounted on one end of each shaft 14, outboard of plate 16, and a collar 18 is keyed or pinned to eac'h end of these shafts 14.

Between gears 17 and meshing with them to form a train, are pinions 19 (Figs. 6 and 8) which are mounted on stub shafts 20 rotatably supported by lower side plate 16. Both lower side plates 15 and 16 are fixed to a base plate 21.

Two upright channel supports 22 (Figs. 3 and 7) are also fixed to the base plate 21. A cross plate 23 bridges the upper ends ofiupright channel supports 22, held to these ends by angle brackets 24 which are fastened to both the channels 22 and the cross plate 23. (See also Fig. 1.)

Mounted on cross plate 23 is an air cylinder 25, the piston rod 26 of which extends through a central opening 27 in the cross plate 23. (Figs. 3 and 7.)

The lower end of piston rod 26 is turned down and threaded and adjustably fastened to it by nut 28 is a cross bar 29 (Fig. 3). The cross bar 29 is attached at each end to side bars 30 and 31 (Figs. 3, 6 and 7 which in turn are fixed to upper side plates 32 and 33 respectively.

Both upper side plates 32 and 33 are provided with slot openings 34 (Figs. 6 and 8) and ways 35 in which slidably fit upper roll adjusting plates 36 (Figs. 2 and 7 These plates 36 have a central opening through them to rotatably support the ends of axles 37 fixed to upper rolls 13. Extending through side bars 30 and 31 are threaded roll adjusting plate screws 38 (Fig. 7). One end of each screw 38 is pinned, as indicated at 38', to a roll adjusting plate 36 and an adjusting nut 39 on the other end is held against side bars 30 or 31 by the weight of the rolls 13 and roll adjusting plates 36. Turning adjusting nut 39 raises or lowers upper pressure rolls 13 providing means to adjust the pressure of the rolls 12 and 13 on the strands 10.

On the end of each axle 37, outboard of upper side plate 33 (Fig. 6), is keyed or pinned a gear 40 which will normally mesh with its corresponding underlying gear 17 until air pressure is admitted to air cylinder 25 to raise upper side plates 32 and 33 and the attached structurel A cross space bar 41 (Figs. 1, 6 and 7) is attached to and extends across the rear edges of upper side plates 32 and 33 and across their front ends is attached a cross spacer bar 42. These cross spacer bars 41 and 42, together with cross bar 29 hold the upper side plates in the same spaced relation as lower side plates 15 and 16.

To keep the upper and lower side plates in alignment when the upper side plates are raised, four guide posts 43 are provided. The lower end of guide posts 43 are fixed to guide post carrier blocks 44 which are in turn fixed to lower side plates 15 and 16. Fastened to upper s ide ',plates 32 zand 33 `are `blocks 45 (Figs. 3, 6 and 7) having openings therethrough tted with lbushings 46 to receive .guide posts 43. Bushings 46 slide freely on guide posts 43 and provide means for constant alignment of lower side plates 15 and 16 .and upper kside plates 32 and 33 when the-latter plates a-re raised or lowered.

Attached to the upper inside edges of the lower side plates 15 and 16 are support bars 47 (Fiss. 5 and 7) to which :are secured .spacer bars 48 and the grooved guide `plates 11 which receive the strands 10. The guide plates 11 (Fig. 7) consistnof an upper and lower plate with a plurality of matching grooves which respectively encase a .strand when the plates are tit-ted together and secured zby :bolts .49 (Fig. 5) through the plates 11, spacer bars 4.3 `and to :the support :"Dars 47.

When the guide plates 11 are threaded with strands and upper side plates 32 and 33 are in the normal lowered position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the surfaces of pressure rolls 12 and 13 (Fig. 7) engage the strands 1l) stretching between .the guide plates 11 and the .teeth of the upper gears 4i) are in mesh with those of the lower gears 17. The 'lower gears 17 are joined together by pinions 19 (Fig. 6) to form a train of gears which when driven through one of the pinions 19 causes shafts 14 and 37 to rotate the pressure rolls 12 and 13 and move the strands 11i through the guide plates 11.

The drive pinionv19 is driven by an air cylinder 50 attached to one of the upright channels 22. Pinion 19 is driven through a ratchet or overrunning clutch 51 (Figs. 6 and 8) fixed to it and connected to piston rod 52 of air cylinder 50 by connecting links 53 and a ratchet or clutch arm 54. A screw block 55 (Fig. 6) with screw 56 provides an adjustable stop to limit the down stroke of the piston rod 52 and the travel of the strands 1t) through the plates 11. By the construction described, each strand 10 makes a straight line running tit through the machine.

To shear off the strands 1t) after the length measured by the piston stroke vadjusting screw 56 has been moved through the frontmost plate 11 by the rolls 12 and 13, there is provided a knife back plate 57 (Fig. 7), a front knife guide plate 58 and a knife 59.

Both back plate 57 and knife guide plate 58 are fastened to the front guide post carrier blocks 44 (Figs. 4 and 7) which are attached to the front edges of lower side plates and 16 and knife 59 reciprocates in an opening 6@ (Figs. 7 and 9) between the plates 57 and 58.

Back plate S7 is provided with an opening 61 (Fig. 7) to receive the forward end of the foremost strand guide plate 11 and front knife guide plate 58 has a series of holes 62 (Fig. 9) through which the strands 10 may pass.

Knife 59 is shaped as shown in Fig. 7 and in dotted outline in Fig. 4 with a blade portion 63 and two legs 64 to which legs are attached spring buttons 65. Springs 66, positioned between base plate 21 and spring buttons 65, normally hold the knife in raised position.

A piston rod 67 of an air cylinder 68 bears against the upper part of knife 59 to move the knife downward in its shearing stroke and compress springs 66 which return the knife to raised position when air pressure is released from piston rod 67.

Air .cylinder 68 is attached to a bracket 69 (Fig. 3) fixed to cross space bar 42 extending across the front edges of upper side plates 32 and 33. Bracket .69 has slots 70 to permit vertical adjustment of the air cylinder 68 and knife 59.

Fixed to the front edge of knife guide plate 58 is a clamp support block 71 (Fig. 7), and above the `clamp support 71 is a clamp holding magazine 72 (Fig. 7). A bracket 73, attached ,to cross space bar 42, holds the magazine above `clamp support 71 .only ,slightly more than the .height of a `single clamp 74.

To hold a clamp 74 on the clamp support block 71 and to remove it from the block and allow another clamp to drop onto the block from magazine 72, two movable fingers 75 are provided.

Fingers 75 slide on clamp support block 71 and pass through holes 76 (Fig. 9) in the front knife guide plate 5S and back plate 57, knife 59 being slotted at 77 (Fig. 4) to permit this. One end of each finger 75 always remains in its knife plate hole 76 for guiding purposes. Near these ends of fingers 75 are recesses 78 (Fig. 9) into which the ends of a clamp 74 (Fig. 7) loosely fit so that when the recesses 78 are positioned beneath the magazine 72, a clamp 74 can drop flat from the magazine and rest on clamp support block 71, in position to receive the ends of the Inylon strands as lthey issue through openings 62.

The outer ends of fingers 75 are attached to a slide plate "7? through spacer .blocks 89. The edges of slide plate 79 slide .in ways 31 (Fig. 8) of upright plates 82 fixed to 4base plate l21 (Fig. 7). Slide plate 79 is attached yto piston rod 83 of an air cylinder 34 so that when air is admitted to the cylinder through opening SS to extend piston rod 33 by pressure on the piston, slide plate 79 retracts fingers 75 and recesses 78 in fingers 75 drag a filled clamp 74 from the flat surface of clamp support block 71 to a beveled portion of the upper surface of block 71.

The clamp '7-4 then falls from the recesses 78 in the fingers 75 and slides down the beveled portion of block 71 to drop onto a sharply inclined chute 86. (See also Fig. 9.)

A spring 86 (Fig. 7) within the cylinder S4 returns the piston rod 83 to its retracted position when the air pressure is removed. This permits the recesses 7S of fingers 75 to again register with the magazine 72 so that another clamp 74 may drop from the magazine onto the flat `surface .of clamp support block 71.

The upper edge of chute .S6 is fixed to clamp support block 71 and the lower end of the chute overhangs a chain conveyor 87 (Fig. l).

Conveyor 87 consists of sprockets 3E mounted on a shaft S9 driven .by a motor not shown, and sprockets 88 mounted on a shaft 90 with two spaced chains 91 around .the two sets of sprockets.

Fixed .to the chains 91 of conveyor 87 are cross bars 1% (Fig. ll) to which are attached clamp holders 167 having sloping portions 168 and 1519.

The lower end of chute 86 (Fig. 3) overhanging the conveyor' S7 is parallel with the conveyor but is high enough above it so that a clamp 74 may be discharged from the chute 36 into a clamp holder iff! by discharging means now to be described.

Chute 36 (Figs. 3 and l0) has a dumping gate 111i at its lower end and a sloping ramp portion 111 adjacent the gate. The gate 11@ is pivotably held .to the chute by pins 112 (Fig. l0) and has a dump lever pin 113 around which fits the fork of a dumping lever 114.

Dumping lever 114 pivots on pin 115 fixed to stationary support 116 and a spring 117, between and connected to lever 114 and support 116, keeps the gate 11() normally closed as shown in Fig. l0.

Attached to the forward edge of each clamp holder 197 is a dumping lever tripping bar 113 (Figs. 2 and ll). As each clamp holder passes under the chute 86, the bar 118 on a clamp holder 107 engages the end of the vertical hanging portion of dumping lever 114 opening the gate 114) so that a clamp '74 may slide into a clamp holder and rest in the position shown in Fig. 14.

Bar 118 and the hanging portion of dumping lever 114 are so positioned that when a clamp holder is carried on from underneath the gate 110, the bar 118 rides past lever 114 and spring 117 closes the gate.

A .clamp 74 discharged from the `chute gate 110 rests against the rear `sloping portion 168 of a clamp holder 107 (Fig. 14) so that the edges of the sheared end of the strands 10, protruding from the clamp 74 and moved forward rankwise, may be ground by the first rapidly rotating grinding roll 92, the ends of the strand engaging the grooves in roll 92 and the short length of exposed strand being bent from side toside, slipping from one groove to another to round the ends.

Clamp holders 107 are provided with a clamp flipping bar 119 (Figs. 12 and 13) pivotably pinned to a supporting member 121 (Fig. l1) fixed to the rear edge of each clamp holder 187. A flat spring 122 (Figs. 12 and 13) attached to the member 121 keeps the flipping bar 119 normally aligned with the clamp holder 107 as shown in Fig. l2.

To initiate and synchronize the operations of the machine, three cams 1.24, 125 and 126 (Figs. Sand 15) are mounted on shaft 90 of the conveyor belt 87. Above cams 124, 125 and 126 suspended from base plate 21 by a bracket 127 (Fig. 6), are respectively air valves 128, 129 and 130 (Fig. 15), each having an inlet port 131 (Figs. and 16), an outlet port 132, an exhaust port 133, a spring 1341 and a port opening and closing plunger 13S projecting from the valve casing. Each inlet port is connected with an air pressure supply line 136 from a compressor not shown.

Fixed to each plunger 135 are an exhaust port closing disc 137 and an inlet port closing disc 138, the former having an air passage opening 139 through it, and the latter having air passage openings 140. Spring 134 bears against the top of disc 137 and normally keeps the plunger 135 positioned so the exhaust port 133 is open and inlet port 131 is closed.

When a plunger 135 is pushed upward by cam 124, 125 or 126, spring 134 is compressed, disc 138 is raised open.- ing inlet port 131 and disc 137 raised closing exhaust port 133 so that air from supply line 136 may flow through inlet port 131, air passage openings 140 in'disc 138 and out outlet port 132.

When cams 124, 125 or 126 pass the plunger and cease to hold it depressed, spring 134 moves. the plunger downward so that disc 138 closes the inlet port 131 and shuts off air pressure from supply line 136, and at the Sametime disc 137 moves past exhaust port 133 opening the exhaust port and connecting it with outlet port 132 and with the valve chambers through passage 139 in disc 137 and openings 140 in disc 138.

Air valve 128 is positioned above cam 124 and its outlet port is connected by a conduit 141 to air cylinder 59 which drives the strand moving rolls 112 and 13 through ratchet or clutch 51 (Fig. 6) and the train of gears 17, 19 and 4G.

Air Valve 129 overliesy cam 125 and its outlet port is connected by a conduit 142 to the knife operating air cylinder 68.

Air valve 130 over cam 126 has its outlet port connected by a conduit 143k to slide plate retracting air cylinder 84 whichy operates to removeV a clamp 74 from supportv block 71.

Air cylinder 50 has a spring 144 encasedwithin it which normally holds the piston rod 52 in the retractedposition shown in Fig. 6 and retracts piston rod 52 to this position after air pressure ceases to be exerted on the piston 1125 of cylinder 59. The two air cylinders 68 and 84 are of similar internal construction.

Air cylinder 25 (Figs. 1, 7 and l5), which raises thel upper side plates 32 and 33 and upper rolls 13, has a piston 146 (Fig. 15) attached to the inner end of piston rod 25 with a lower port 147 below the piston and a conduit 148 connected to a four-way valve 149.

An upper port 151i is provided above piston 146 in i cylinder 25 with a conduit 151 leading to valve 141-9. An exhaust line 152 and the air supply line 136 are also connected with the four-way valve 149. When valve 149 is turned so as to connect air supply line 136 and upper port conduit 151, lower port conduit 148 is connected 6, with exhaust line 152, and when the valve 149' is turned to connect air supply line 136A with lower port conduit 148, upper port conduit 151 is connected with exhaust line 152. A shut-off valve 153 may also be placed between valve 1119 and the supply line 136.

To operate the machine, valve 153 is opened and valve 149 moved so as to connect air supply line 136 with lower port conduit 148. Air cylinder 25' then raises the upper side plates 32 and 33, upper rolls 13 and the structure attached to the side plates 32 and 33. The grooved strand guide plates 11 are separated and the leading end portions of the strands 1@ are laid in the grooves of plates 11. The plates 11 are then bolted back together with bolts 49 (Figs. 5 and 7) and valve 149 moved to let piston rod 26 of air cylinder 25 lower upper side plates 32 and 33 and upper rolls 13 to operative position so that rolls 12 and 13 are in contact with the strands 10 extending between guide plates 11. The machine is now threaded Magazine 72 is filled with clamps 74, the bottom clamp resting on clamp support block 71 (Fig. 7) with its ends fitting in recesses 78 of fingers 75 so that the clamp is held firmly against the front knife guide plate 58 with the openings through the clamp in alignment with holes 62 through the front knife guide plate 58. The machine is ready to operate.

The motor (not shown) to drive the grinding and bufhng rolls is started and then the motor (not shown) to' drive the conveyor 87.

As shaft 96 is rotated by the chains 91 and sprockets 88, cam 124 depresses plunger 134 (Fig. 15) of air valve 128 and opens its inlet port permitting air pressure to reach air cylinder 50. The downward stroke of piston rod 52 of air cylinder 50 revolves pressure rolls 12 and 13 through the clutch or' ratchet 51 (Fig. 6) and the gear train 17, 19 and 48; Thisy feeds a length of strands 10 through guide plates 11 and holes 62 through front knife l guide plate 58 into the adjacent openings of a clamp 74. The length of material fed vinto the clamp is determined by the stroke of piston rod 52, which may be adjusted' by raising or lowering the adjusting stop screw 56 (Fig 6)".

Further revolution of the shaft causes the raised portion of cam 124 to pass the plunger 135 of air valve 12S (Fig. 15). The valve spring 134 closes the valve. and the spring 144 in air cylinder 50 raises the piston rod 52 for another operation.

Cam on shaft 90 then opens air valve 129 and permits air cylinder 68 to move the knife 59 down and shear the strands 10 adjacent the inner edge of the front knifev guide plate 58. This leaves a series of short lengths 0f strands 10 in the clamp 74 which may be used as bristle elements in making single bristle brushes. These bristle elements are of a length equal to the full width of the Clamp 74 plus the thickness of plate 58', this latter length protruding from the front edge of a clamp 74.

When the raised portion of cam 125 passes the plunger of air valve 129, the knife is raised by springs' 66 for' its next shearing operation.

Further revolution of shaft 90 then causes carri 126 to open air valve and let air pressure into air cyl'- inder 84. This retracts the slide plate 79 and attached fingers '75 dragging the filled clamp 74 from the at surface of clamp support block 71 to thek beveled portion of the block where the filled clamp 74 falls through theV recesses 78 in the fingers 75 and slides down into chute 86 (Fig. 7).

The raised portion of cam 126 then passes the plunger of air valve 130 allowing cylinder 84 to return the finger 75 to their normal position where their recesses 78 underlie the magazine and another clamp 74 falls onto the support block 71 and into the recesses 78.

The filled clamp 74 slides down chute 86 and when it reaches the bottom end of the chute, shaft 90 has rotated to a position where a clamp holder 107 trips the chute gate 110 and the clamp slides into the clamp holder with 7 the projecting portions of the bristle elements cut from strands 10 upright (Fig. 14).

As thus delivered to conveyor 87 the bristles are held in condition and advantageously positioned for further finishing operations, for example, the shaping of the bristle ends by grinding rolls 92-93 and bufling rolls 94-95, suitably driven by conventional belts, pulleys and gearing as indicated at 96 to 105 inclusive. In the position delivered, the clamped bristles may be simply carried under the buing rolls by the conveyor, the clamps being tlipped from a rear sloping position to a forward sloping position by the engagement of clamp flipping bars 119 with pins 123 (Figs. 13 and 14), and subsequently returned to a rear sloping position by engagement of the clamp by springs 120. The clamp may be taken from the end of the conveyor in any suitable manner.

As shaft 90 continues to revolve, these operations are repeated. The magazine may be refilled with clamps While the machine operates and the only need for stopping the machine is to rethread when the source of supply of strands 10 to the machine is exhausted.

Having fully disclosed my invention, I claim:

l. A machine for preparing bristles for insertion in brush backs which comprises means for intermittently projecting the free end portions of a plurality of strands of stiff bristle material in predetermined spaced relation, a clamp support positioned to support a clamp in the path of advance of the strands and in position to receive the leading end portions of said strands upon actuation of said projecting means, means intermediate said support and said strand projecting means to sever the strands and leave a plurality of bristles of predetermined length within the clamp, and clamp feeding means to successively remove a clamp from said support and position a second clamp thereon, and means to actuate said clamp feeding means immediately following the actuation of said severing means and immediately prior to the actuation of said strand projecting means.

2. A machine for preparing bristles for brushes which comprises, means for advancing a plurality of strands of bristle material in predetermined spaced relation, a clamp support and a retractable finger mechanism having a clamp engaging portion adapted to engage and position a clamping member on the clamp support in the path of advance of the strands to receive the leading end portions of the strands, a knife rearwardly of the clamp reciprocable to sever the clamped portions of the strands and leave a plurality of bristles of predetermined length and in predetermined arrangement within and partially protruding from the clamp, a movable clamp holder, means to retract said finger mechanism and remove a bristle lled clamp from the clamp support, and means to deposit a so removed clamp in said clamp holder with the protruding ends of the bristles exposed, and means to advance said clamp holder and bristle lled clamp.

3. In a machine for preparing bristles for brushes, guiding members having guides for spacing strands of bristle material in a predetermined rel-ation, means for advancing strands through the guides, a clamp support, `forward of the guides, positioned to support a clamping member in lthe path of advance of the strands to receive the end portions ofthe strands as the latter are yadvanced through the foremost guides, a strand cutter between the foremost guides and the clamp support `to sever the clamped portion of the strands and leave a plurality of bristles of predetermined length and in predetermined arrangement within and partially protruding from the clamp, a clamp holding magazine having a discharge 4opening over said clamp support, retractable fingers slidable between the magazine and clamp support, said fingers having recesses spaced from the ends thereof `and registering with the magazine opening to permit a clamp Ito drop from the magazine onto the clamp support and into said recesse means to retract the ngers to move a lled clamp from the clamp support as the ends of the fingers block the magazine opening, a yseries of movable clamp holders, mean-s to receive a filled cl-amp from Athe finger recesses and deposit it in one of said clamp holders with the protruding ends of the bristles exposed, means to return said fingers lto their inserted position and allow another clamp to fall `from the magazine and lbe held in bristle filling position in the linger recesses, and means to advance the clamp holder containing the filled clamp.

4. ln a machine for preparing bristles for brushes, grooved guiding members for spacing strands `of bristle material, pressure feed rolls to `advance the strands through the guiding members, a support block spaced ahead of the foremost guiding member and laligned therewith to position a clamping member in the path of the strands to receive and clamp the leading ends of the strands, a strand cutter forward of the foremost guiding memlber and spaced from the clamp -a predetermined distance to sever the clamped portion of the strands and leave a plurality of bristles in and partially protruding from the clamp, a clamp holding magazine with an opening overlying the support block, a retractable finger mechanism slidable `between the magazine and said block having clamp holding recesses spaced from the ends of the ngers thereof, said support block having a flat clamp supporting surface and a beveled edge forward of said dat surface, means to retract said finger mechanism yand. pull a lled clamp from the dat surface of the support block yto the beveled edge, an inclined chute adjacent the beveled edge to receive a clamp falling therefrom, a series of clamp holders movable under the lower end of the chute, discharge means at the lower end of the chute adapted to deposit a clamp in a clamp holder with the bristle ends protruding from `the clamp exposed, and means to advance the holders and lled clamps.

5. In a machine `for preparing bristles for brushes, guide plates and feed rollers for advancing strands of bristle material in spaced parallel relation, means to move the rollers intermittently and advance the strands, a clamp support to position a clamping member in the path of the -advancing strands to receive the leading end portions of the strands, a strand cutter spaced rearwardly of the clamp support, and means Ito intermittently operate the cutter and sever the clamped portion of the strands to leave bristles in and protruding from a clamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,767 Izawa Mar. 19, 1929 1,714,547 Cleaves May 28, 1929 1,888,675 Izawa Nov. 22, 1932 1,911,550 Cave May 30, 1933 2,227,126 Cooke Dec. 31, 1940 2,303,800 Swann Dec. 1, 1942 2,317,401 Hall Apr. 27, 1943 2,406,707 Over-'beke Aug. 27, 1946

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