US2780051A - Fastener forming machines with means for preventing actuation of the feed length changing device during operation of the former - Google Patents

Description

. BAGSHAW 2,780,051

ING

Feb. 5, 1957 c. M

FASTENER FORMING MACHINES WITH MEANS FOR PREVENT ACTUATION OF THE FEED LENGTH CHANGING DEVICE DURING OPERATION OF THE FORMER 5 Sheets-Sheet .1

Filed March 26, 1954 O 14 if/T L O Inventor 67 60 Charles M Bags/20w Z2 5 1 Feb. 5, 1957 C. FASTENER FORMING MACHINES WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTIN M. BAGSHAW 2 780,051

ACTUATION OF THE FEED LENGTH CHANGING DEVICE DURING OPERATION OF THE FORMER Filed March 26, 1954 Feb. 5, 1957 c. M. BAGSHAW 2,730,051

FASTENEIR FORMING MACHINES WITH MEANS FOR PREVENTING ACTUATION OF THE FEED LENGTH CHANGING DEVICE DURING OPERATION OF THE FORMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 26, 1954 Fig 5 124 118 M he 116 Inventor Charles M Bags/mu) i. 1

inserting devices.

United States Patent FASTENER FORMING MACHINES WITH MEANES EQR PREVENTING ACTUATIGN OF THE FREE) LENGTH CHANGING DEVIQIE DURING Ol'ERA- TION OF THE FORMER Charles Martin Bagshaw, Leicester, Engiand, assignor to United Shoe Macliinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 26, 1954, Serial No. 418,962 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 16, W53

7 Claims. (Cl. 59--75) This invention relates to fastener forming machines, and more particularly to machines in which wire-like fasteners, such as staples, are formed from continuous material and then driven into stock. While the invention is hereinillustrated as embodied in a wire staple forming and inserting machine of the character disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,016,930, granted February l3, 1912 upon an application of W. H. Borden, it will be appreciatedthat the invention is not thus limited in its application but may advantageously be employed in other machines, especially those types wherein pieces variable in length are to be severed from continuous material prior to their insertion in stock.

When fasteners such as wire staples are to be inserted in work that varies in thickness, as is sometimes the case in sccuring shoe parts together, for example, it is essential that different lengths of wire be cut off according to the different thicknesses of the work piece portions for which they are intended; The illustrative machine ineludes mechanism for positively feeding a variable length of wire intermittently, and means for severing each length ofwire thereafter to be formed into a staple having legs of equal length, the legs thus corresponding to the respective lengths of'Wire fed. As shown in the patent above referred to, the illustrative machine is accordingly provided with wire feeding and severing means adjustable under the control of an operator whereby, regardless of the length of wire severed, the center of each piece cut oif' will restupon the inner die comprising one of the staple forming dies, and hence staples having legs of suitable length will be produced and available to be effectively driven.

Machines of such construction have been well received andtheir performance generally has been found highly reliable. In some instances, notably in operating around the toe of a shoe, an operator has desired to change the length of wire fed while he continues manually to feed the work relatively to the operative staple forming and Treadle actuated means have been provided on the machine, in addition to a hand lever, for eifectingchanges in the length of wire fed, and the operator has thus been enabled to devote full attention to manipulation of the work. While no difiiculty occurs in ch'an'ging the lengths of staple legs if the machine is adjusted before it has started to feed a length of wire to be severed expe'rience has shown that, because of the rather high op e'ratin'g speed of the machine, the probability is that during the interval of adjustment by either the manual or the treadle control one piece severed is likely not to have its center in register with the center of the inner staple forming die. The result is that that piece has an improper length and is formed into a staple having unequal legs; Such a malformed staple buckles when being inserted in the work and consequently faulty clenching occurs;

Inview of'the foregoing, it is an object of this invention ice to provide in a fastener forming machine of the type having means for feeding intermittently from continuous material lengths to be severed therefrom, and having means for changing the lengths fed to provide different severed lengths adapted to be formed as fasteners suited to the stock into which they are to be inserted, control mechanism actuatable by an operator at any time whereby said length changing means is rendered effective only when said feeding means is inoperative.

To the end just stated, and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the illustrative machine, having means for intermittently feeding a continuous wire and means for changing the lengths of Wire fed by said means and to be severed for forming into staples, is provided with mechanism for operating said length-changing means including a treadle and a spring energizable thereby, actuating connections extending between said mech anism and the length changing means and operable by said spring, and means whereby the latter is permitted to operate said connections only when said Wire feeding means is inoperative.

The above and other features of the invention, together with novel combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described in connection with one embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings thereof, in Which Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper portion of an exemplary staple forming and inserting machine, portions not pertinent to the invention being broken away;

Pig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the machine partly shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, and looking from the rear and toward the front of the upper part of the machine, the wire feeding means with which the machine is provided being shown;

Fig. 4 is front elevation of the locking device with which the machine is provided, the device being shown in locked position as distinguished from Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a right side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line Vl--Vl of Fig. 5.

Since in general the construction and operation of the illustrative machine are fully set forth in the above cited patent, it will suffice if only so much thereof as is helpful to a complete understanding of the present invention is described herein.

The machine comprises a column 10 (Figure 1) carrying at its upper end a head 12 provided with a wire feeding roll 14 (Pig. 2) by which a wire 16 is fed from a reel it; to a pair of cooperative knives 2c, 20 which sever suitable lengths of wire for the formation of. staples. The wire is fed by means hereinafter briefly described over an inner staple forming die 21 (Fig. 2) fastened on the front end of a rod 22 (Fig. 3), and after a suitable length of wire has been severed by the knives 2t 2t an outer die or former 25 is moved downwardly to bend the severed piece of wire down over the inner die to form a staple. A main shaft 2 5 of the machine is provided with cam means for moving the inner die rear- Wardly after the staple has been formed so as to carry that die out of alinenient with a driver (not shown) connected to the lower end of a driver bar 26 (Fig. 2 The latter is elevated together with the driver, after they have been depressed for fastener driving by a spring 28 (Fig. 2), by means of a lug 3t} on a cam 32 on the front end of the shaft 2 5, the lug cooperating with a block 3! on the bar for this purpose.

forming staples of different lengths tie Wire cutting mechanism including the knives 2t), 2th is mounted on a carrier as (Figs. 2 and 3) (corresponding to the carrier 7% of thepatent referred to above) movable horizontally toward and from the inner staple forming die, and for insuring that both legs of any staple formed will be of the same length (provided length-changing is not executed during wire feeding), the degree of movement of the wire feeding mechanism is governed by the position of the carrier 36 relatively to the staple forming dies. Thus the wire 16 will be fed for varying distances to cause the center of the severed piece of wire to rest centrally upon the inner die. Accordingly, viewing Fig. 2, when the carrier 36 is moved to the right the severing mechanism will be brought nearer to the inner die and a shorter piece of wire will be severed, the degree of movement of the wire feeding mechanism being simultaneously automatically decreased to feed less wire.

The wire feeding means, as more fully described in said Borden patent, comprises an idler roll arranged for yielding engagement with the roll 14 (Fig. 2) to hold the wire 16 in a groove in the latter, a shaft 42 supported in the carrier 36 and on which the wheel 14 is mounted,

and means for operating that shaft including a lever 44 fulcrumed 011 a stud 46 in the carrier 36 and having at its lower end a segment 48 (Fig. 3) which meshes with a gear 50 fastened on the shaft 42. By means of operative connection between the upper end of the lever 4d and an actuating cam groove 52 in a cam block d mounted on the main shaft 24, the lever 44 is caused positively to rock the feed roll shaft 42 forwardly and backwardly. Thus, the organization is such that, viewing Fig. 3, the segment 48 will be moved through a greater are and the feed roll 14 will be actuated to feed the wire 16 through a greater distance when the carrier 36 has moved to the right. Alternatively, movement of the carrier 36 to the left results in a shorter length of wire being fed and severed. In order that the wire may be released during backward feeding movement of the roll 14 the idler roll is automatically separated therefrom by suitable mechanism such as disclosed in the patent referred to above.

The means herein shown for shifting the carrier 36,

and hence for changing the length of the wire intermittently fed and to be severed comprises, as set forth in said patent, a link (Fig. 3) connected at one end to the carrier and having athxed to its other end a roller 62 arranged to cooperate with the cam groove of a con trolling plate 64 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The latter is rotatably mounted on a stud 66 in a bracket 67 secured to the righthand side of the machine. A control handle 68 connected to the plate provides a means for turning it and thereby causing its cam groove positively to impart the desired shift in position of the carrier 36 relatively to the staple forming dies. By means of pairs of adjustably spaced stops such as those at 70, 71 (Fig. 1) on the bracket 67 the movement of the controlling plate 64 is limited so that the carrier 36 may, at an appropriate time in a cycle of the machine, be quickly moved to a proper position for producing staples with legs of equal and predetermined length without the need of calculation on the part of he operator. Since as above indicated a shift of the carrier 36 in that portion of a cycle during which a length of wire to be severed is being fed will probably result .in the production of one staple having unequal legs, mechanism now to be explained is provided for easily enabling an operator to effect a change in the lengths of the staples being formed and driven without stopping the machine, removing the work therefrom, or running the risk of inserting a malformed fastener.

A. .treadie rod '72 (Figs. l and 4) depressible at any time in a cycle by means of a treadle (not shown) is provided to enable the operator while continuing to support and feed the work with his hands to render the staple length-changing mechanism effective only in that portion of the machine cycle when no wire is being fed to the forming dies. As will be explained the mechanism for operating the length-changing mean thus comprises parts movable by the operator at will. and parts automatically 4 controlled to cause the length-changing means to be actuated only when the wire feeding means is inoperative.

The rod '72 extends upwardly through a hole in a guide plate 73 secured to the head 12. A compression spring 74 on the rod 72 is confined between a collar 76 thereon and the guide plate yieldingly to hold the rod in its normally raised position when the treadle is not depressed. Pivoted on a fulcrum stud 78 carried by the head 12 is a bell crank lever 80 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). The lower arm of the lever 30 has a ball connection with the rearward end of a locking link 82 the forward end of which is, pivotally connected to a pin 84 projecting upwardly from the plate 64. The upper arm of the lever 80 has a divided end bored to carry a horizontal trunnion pin 86 through which the rod 72 extends vertically. For purposes hereinafter explained a compression spring 88 on the upper portion of the rod 72 is confined between the pin and a nut 90 (Fig. 1) threaded on the rod and thereby maintains a shoulder 92 formed on the nod in contact with the under side of the pin 86.

The mechanism whereby the bell crank lever 80, and hence the staple length-controlling plate 64 coupled thereto by the locking link 82, is prevented during wire feeding from effecting any alteration in the length of the piece of wire fed and to be severed will next be described, reference being had particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Secured on the main shaft 24 is a segmental cam 94 having a periphery arranged to cooperate with a roll 96. The periphery of this cam 94 is of a configuration such that during that portion of the machine cycle in which the wire to be severed and formed into a staple is being fed the roll 96 will be displaced radially away from the shaft 24 to lock the wire length-changing mechanism. The roll 96 is rotatably supported by a pin 98 journalled in a cam roll carrier 100. The latter is pivotally mounted on a cam lever 102 by a pin 104, and for a reason subsequently explained a spring 106 seated in the roll carrier 1% abuts the lever 102 to urge the carrier counterclockwise as seen in Fig, 4- to the extent permitted by engagement of a face 108 on the carrier with a face 116 on the lever 102. The lever 102 is mounted on a fulcrum pin 112 carried by a bracket 114 secured to the machine head 12, and adjustably secured by a bolt 116 to the lower end of the lever 102 is a block 118 having a beveled cam surface 120 arranged to cooperate with an angular cam surface 122 (Fig. 6) of a pawl 124 that is pivoted on a screw 126 affixed in the bracket 114. A spring 128 seated in the lever 102 and abutting the head 12 urges the lever counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 4 to urge the roll 96 into cooperative position with respect to the cam 94, a stop 05 adjustable on the lever limiting its counterclockwise movement by engagement with the head 12. Displacement of the roll 96 by the cam 94 accordingly causes the block surface 120 to bear on the pawl surface 122 and thereby pivots the pawl 124 counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 5. As a consequence the pawl engages teeth 130 formed on a segment plate 132 fixedly secured to the bell crank lever 80. The teeth 130 are disposed concentrically with the axis of the stud 78. When the cam 94 has not thus caused the segment plate 132 to be locked by the pawl against movement, the plate 132 is rotatable with the bell crank lever 80 and slides in contact with a vertical face 134 formed on the machine head 12. In the event the pawl 124 first engages the top of a tooth the roll carrier 100 is permitted by the spring 1% to yield slightly (clockwise as seen in Fig. 4) until the pawl properly measures between successive teeth 130.

In operating the machine an opera-tor will have turned the feed controlling plate 64 by means of the handle 68 to a position determined by one of the stops 70, 71 to provide staples formed with legs of equal and appropriate length. Then, as the work is being fed and the fasteners are being inserted, should the operator desire to change the length of the staples being formed and yet thereafter maintain equality in the length of the legs of the respec tive staples, he need only depress the nod 72 by means of its treadle. If at the moment of such depression no wire is being fed for severance and forming into a staple, the length-changing mechanism i yieldingly but immediately operated through the spring 88 acting to shift the bell crank lever 80 counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 thus causing the link 82 to rotate the controlling plate 64 from a position determined by one of the stops 70, 71 to the predetermined limiting position of the other stop. If wire were being fed in that portion of the machine cycle when the operator depressed the treadle rod cause the pawl 124 to engage with the teeth 130 and 72, the cam 94 would, during such portion of the cycle, thereby hold the bell crank lever 80 against pivotal move ment. The treadle depression consequently merely loads the spring 38 in this interval of the cycle and, as soon as the feeding of the wire to be severed terminates, the loaded spring 88 acts through the bell crank lever 80 and the locking link 82 to operate the length-controlling mechanism by rotatably shifting the plate 64 from one of its limit positions to the other.

Upon releasing the treadle to permit the machine again to form and insert staples of the original length, the rod 72 is raised by the loaded spring 74. If at that instant it happens that wire to be severed and formed is being fed, the bell crank lever 80 and link 82 are again locked by the mechanism above described, the spring 74 thereafter being permitted to effect return of the staple lengthcontrolling mechanism to its original position only when the wire feeding portion of a cycle has ended. It will be appreciated that the invention considerably facilitates an operators control in forming and inserting fasteners of lengths appropriate to the work and also assures that wire and work will not be wasted by the production of malformed fasteners. r

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fastener" forming machine having means for forming fasteners, the combination with means for intermittently feeding and severingv from continuous material lengths to be formed by said forming means into fasteners, and means connected to the feed means for changing th-elengths, thus fed and severed to provide different length fasteners, of mechanism for operating said lengthchanging means and connected thereto comprising parts movable by the operator at will and other parts automatically controlled tocause said length-changing means to be operated only when said feeding means-is inoperative.

2. In a fastener forming machine, the combination with cooperative formers, power means for intermittently feeding and severing from continuous material lengths to be formed by said formers into fasteners, a control member, and mean connected to said power means for variably determining the lengths of material fed and severed according to the position of said control member, of mechanism operatively connected to said control member to shift it from one predetermined position to another, and means connecting said power means with said mechanism to render the latter ineffective to shift said control member during feeding movement of a length of material to be severed. i

3. In a machine for forming wire fasteners, a pair of cooperative formers, power means for intermittently feeding continuous wire to said formers, means for changing the length of different pieces of the wire thus fed and to be severed for formation into fasteners, mechanism for locking said length-changing means against operation during a portion of each cycle of operations of said power means, means including a spring connected to the length changing means for operating the latter when it is unlocked, and manually operable mechanism operative at any time in a cycle for energizing said spring to change the lengths of the wire pieces to be formed.

4. In a staple forming machine having cooperative formers and means for intermittently feeding continuous wire to be severed for the formation of staples by said formers, a control member connected to the wire feeding means and normally movable to predetermined positions to change the length of the wire fed and thus determine the length of the legs of the staples to beformed, means for locking said control member against movement when said wire feeding means is operative, and treadle operated means for shifting said control member from one of its positions to another when said locking means is inoperative.

5. In a staple forming machine having formers and means including a power shaft for intermittently feeding continuous wire to be severed for the formation of staples by said formers, a control member connected to said wire feeding means and normally movable to predetermined positions to change the length of the wire fed and thus determine the length of the legs of the staples to be formed, means for locking said control member against movement when said wire feeding means is operative, treadle operated means for shifting said control member from one of its positions to another when said locking means is inoperative, and a cam on said power shaft, said locking means being operatively connected to said cam.

6. In a staple forming machine a pair of cooperative formers, power means for feeding continuous wire to be severed for the formation of staples by said formers, a control member connected to said wire feeding means and normally movable to predetermined positions to change the length of the wire to be fed and thus determine the length of the legs of the staples to be formed, a member movable at, the. will of an operator to load a spring for urging the shifting of said control member from'one predetermined position to another, and connections between said feeding means and said control member for locking the lattcr against movement when wire to be severed is being fed, said spring being effective to shift said control member when the Wire to be severed is not being fed.

7. In a. staple inserting machine having means for intermittently feeding a continuous wire to a pair of staple formers, and means normally under the control of an operator and connected to said wire feeding mean for changing the lengths of wire fed by said means and to be severed and formed into staples, mechanism for actuating said length-changing means during non-operation of the wire feeding means, said mechanism including a manually movable member, a spring energizable thereby, and connections operable by said spring and extending from the member to said length-changing means, and mechanism automatically effective during operation of said wire feeding means to lock said actuating mechanism and render said length-changing means inoperative.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,930 Borden Feb. 13, 1912 1,520,715 r Iseman Dec. 30, 1924 2,321,380 Hacklander June 8, 1943

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