US560250A

US560250A - Machine for forming pearl buttons

Info

Publication number: US560250A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1913-05-19

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet 1.

' J. H. WESSON. MACHINE FOR FORMING PEARL BUTTONS.

No. 560,250. Patented May 1 -J. H. WESSON.

MACHINE FOR FORMING PEARL BUTTONS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented May 19, 1896.

W 1nd E5555 J. 1W I UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

JOSEPH I-lAlVES VESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHENE FOR'FORIVHNG PEARL BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,250, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed August 3, 1892. Serial No, 442,074. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HAWEs WEs- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Forming .Pearl Buttons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to machines for forming buttons from blanks of mother-of-pearl, shell, and other similar substances by redueing one face of the blank to a smooth surface and forming thereon the desired design for the face of the button.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for this purpose which will form buttons of any desired design with great rapidity and with perfect accuracy.

A further object is to provide such a machine with means whereby an automatic feed of blanks to and of completed buttons from the forming devices is secured, thereby rendering the constant attention of an operator thereto unnecessary.

To these ends myinvention consists in the machine constructed and operating as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters and numerals designate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a button forming machine embodying my invention. a longitudinal vertical section of the blankfeeding and button-forming devices. Fig. 3 is an end View of the blank-holding shaft. Fig. 4 is a side and edge view of the cutter.

The letter a designates the bed of the ma chine, which is preferably made similar to the ordinary planer-bed, upon which are located a stationary'head-stock b and a tail-stock c, which is capable of a limited movement toward and away from said head-stock. \Vithin suitable bearings in the head-stockis mounted a hollow shaft d, which carries the conepulleys d and bevel-gear (1 said shaft receiving its motion by belt (1 from a suitably-disposed counter-shaft e, as shown in Fig. 1. To enable said shaft to securely hold a button-blank at the end thereof adjacent to the Fig. 2 is tail-stock, it is provided with two or more slits d extending back from said end for a short distance, to secure a gripping action thereof upon the blank, and its inner surface at said end is preferably serrated, as shown in Fig. 3, to more effectually prevent rotation of the blank therein. WVithin the tail-stock c, in axial alinement with shaft (Z, is mounted a cutter-head f, which is capable of a limited longitudinal movement, but is lfeld from rotation by a pin f, projecting therefrom into a slot f in the tail-stock, as shown in Fig. 1, or by any suitable means for such purpose. A spring f hearing at one end against a collar on said cutter-head and at its opposite end against the tail-stock, presses the cutterhead with considerable force in the direction of shaft d, and a toothed cam g, revolubly mounted upon the tail-stock and-operated by a belt g from the counter-shaft e by its engagement with a pin f 4 on the cutter-head, serves to impart to the latter a rapid succession of movements in the opposite direction in opposition to the stress of said spring. At its front end, or that end adjacent to shaft d, the cutter-head is provided with a socket and set-screw for receiving and holding the shank of the cutter h, as shown in Fig. 2. Said eutter is preferably made of chisel form, as

shown more clearly in Fig. 4, and has its cut-' ting edge provided with one or more recesses h, or other irregularities, to correspond with the design which it is desired to produce upon the face of the button.

It will be obvious that by the combined action of sprin g f and cam g the cutter mounted in the front Lend of the cutter-head will be caused to strike the face of a button-blank held by the adjacent end of shaft cl a rapid succession of blows in aplane perpendicular to the face of said blank, each succeeding blow striking a new surface, owing to the re volving movement of the blank with said shaft. Such action of the cutter very quickly reduces the face of the blank to the desired contour for the face of the button, but to efface the marks left by the cutter it becomes necessary to complete the operation by holding the edge of the cutter continuously against the face of the blank for a brief period and thereby secure a smoothing action thereof,

and this result I secure automatically by pro- 1 viding means for periodically moving the tailstock toward the head-stock a sufficient distance to move the teeth of cam g out of en gagement with pin f on the cutter-head, the cutter-head being held against such movement with the tail-stock by the engagement of the cutter with the blank against which it is operating, and then returning the tail-stock to its former position. As herein shown, such periodic movement of the tail-stock is secured by means of an elbow-lever 7t, pivoted at 7a to the bed and having its short arm pivotally connected to the tail-stock and its long arm in operative engagement with a cam m on a shaft m, journaled in the bed, for moving the same in one direction and a weight n and cord n for moving it in the opposite direction. The shaft 712 carries abevel-gear m and receives its motion from the gear (1 on shaft (1 through the intermediate shaft 0, carrying the bevel-gears o 0 which mesh with said gears (l and m respectively. The number of revolutions of the blank during the chopping action of the cutter and before it begins its smoothing action can be made to correspond with the character of the stock being used by changing the speed of shaft (1, provision for which is made by the cone-pulleys shown in Fig. 1, very hard stock requiring a greater number of revolutions than stock which is of a softer nature.

The machine as thus far described is adapted to accurately reduce the face of buttonblanks to any desired contour and with great rapidity, but to render it unnecessary for an attendant to stand over the machine and insert a new blank as fast as they are completed, and thereby nullify to a great extent the sav ing in time gained by the rapid operation of the machine, I have devised means whereby a large number of blanks can be placed in the machine at one time and automatically fed to the clutching device at the end of shaft (1 as fast as a blank is completed, the completed blanks being delivered upon the bed a or into any suitable receptacle placed thereon, which means will next be described. The bore of the hollow shaft (Z is of such diameter as to receive one of the blanks 2, placed edgewise, and to permit the latter to slide therein longitudinall y of the shaft, so that when the shaft is entirely filled with blanks, placed side by side, pressure applied to the rearmost blank will cause the entire column to move laterally within the shaft. At its rear end, or the end opposite to that at which its blankclutching means is located, said shaft (1 is flush with a chute-block p, suitably secured to the head-stock, which block is provided with a bore corresponding in diameter with that of the shaft and forming a continuation thereof. A pl ungcrp, fitted to the bore of said block and longitudinally movable therein, is pivotally connected at its rear end to avertically-disposed lever 11 pivoted between its ends to a bracket projecting from the headstocknvhich lever at its lower end is heldin e11- gagement with a faee-can1 m carried at the rear end of shaft in by a spring piwhereby said lever is operated periodically to cause an advancing and receding movement of said plunger within said block. In the front side of said. block 19 is located the vertical chute 1:), which is of a width corresponding substantially with the diameter of the blanks 2 and which is in open communication atits lower end with the bore of said block. At its upper end said chute is in open communication with a magazine or blank-holder 5, adapted to hold a large number of blanks and to deliver them in an edgewise position to said chute. There are obviously many ways in which this magazine can be formed within the spirit of the invention; but, as herein shown, it is composed of two circular shells or drums 3 4, open at one end, and the latter of which is secured to the upper end of the chute-block p. The drum 3 is of less diameter than the drum -l-,whercby it is adapted to be received within the latter, and it is centrally mounted upon a shaft 5, suitably journaled at the center of drum +1: and carrying a band'pulley 6, by which motion is transmitted thereto by belt '7 from counter-shaft e. The drum 3 is thus adapted to be revolved within drum 4: and to thereby impart a rolling movement to the blanks placed therein, and said former drum preferably made of an increasing diameter from its closed to its open end, whereby said rolling blanks are caused to approach the open mouth of chute p and to enter the same, as represented in Fig. 2. A door Sin the closed end of drum 3 serves to admit the blanks to the latter. The length of movement of plunger 1) within block 1) corresponds substantially with the thickness of one of the blanks 2, and consequently when the shaft (Z is entirely filled with blanks, as represented in Fig. 2, the forward movement of the plunger will force the blank at the front end of the shaft entirely out of the bore of the latter, said blank dropping down upon the bed a or into a receptacle placed thereon, while the second blank will be advanced to the extreme end of the shaft, where it is securely held by the clutching means before described. Upon the rearward.movement of the plunger the lowermost blank of those in chute 11 drops into the bore of block 1'), thereby causing the next forward movement of the plunger to impart to the entire column of blanks within the shaft a movement corresponding to the thickness of one blank, and so on as long as any blanks remain in the magazine 8. The parts are so timed that the advance movement of the plunger occurs simultaneously with or immediately following the movement of the tail-stock away from the head-stock, caused by the weight n, or, in other words, upon the completion of the smoothing action of the cutter upon a blank, so that when the cutter recommences its chopping movement it will be upon a new blank.

The operation of the machine thus constructed will be obvious from the foregoing description. A quantity of the circular blanks 2 being inserted within the drum 3 of the magazine and the machine set in operation, said blanks will pass one after another through chute 1) into the bore of block 19, and will be advanced within the bore of shaft cl by a succession of lateral movements, due to the action of plunger 19, until said shaft is completely filled with blanks, as shown in Fig. 2, the cutter h during such time having its regular movement, but doing no work. Then the foremost one of the column of blanks reaches the front end of said shaft, it is firmly held against movement by the compression of the end of the shaft thereon, due to the slits d, and by the serrated inner surface of the shaft, and the rapid chopping action of the cutter upon its outermost face begins, the cutter striking a new point of said surface at each blow because of the rotation of the blank with the shaft. Such action continues until, by the action of lever 7a and cam m, the tail-stock is moved to cause pin f on the cutter-head to clear cam g, when the cutter is pressed steadily against the face of the blank by spring f and thereby removes from said face the marks left by the previous action thereof. The tail-stock is then retracted by weight n, the completed blank is forced out of shaft (Z by the action of plunger 1), and the cutter begins its chopping action upon the succeeding blank, which is now held by the clutching devices of the shaft. Such operation continues automatically as long as the magazine .9 is kept supplied with blanks, the attention of an operator being required merely to see that the magazine does not become empty.

By means of the machine operating as described the faces of pearl, shell, and other similar buttons can be reduced to any desired contour with great rapidity and with entire uniformity. It will be observed that the blow of the cutter against the face of the blank is produced by the pressure of spring f instead of by positive means, whereby th cutter is enabled to adapt itself to any unevenness in the surface of the blank which may exist, and its perfect operation under all circumstances is thereby assured. The holes forming the eyes of the button can be drilled either before the blanks are operated upon by the machine herein described or afterward, as may be desired, and the preliminary rounding of the edges of the blanks can be done by any of the machines now used for such purpose.

By the use of the machine herein described a material saving in the cost of manufacture the class of buttons for which it is degned is effected, while the machine itself is comparativelysimple and inexpensive in construction.

IIavin g thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a button-forming machine, a revolving clutch for holding a button-blank, a cutter-head movably mounted in a movable support and carrying a chisel-shaped cutter, a spring pressing said cutter-head toward said clutch, a toothed cam mounted upon said sup port and engaging aprojection on the cutterhead for imparting a rapid succession of movements to the latter in opposition to the stress of said spring, a cam-actuated lever for periodically moving said support toward the clutch, and means, as a weight, for moving it in the opposite direction, combined and operatin g substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for forming buttons, a bed having mounted thereon a stationary headstock and a movable tail-stock, a hollow shaft journaled in said head-stock and having means at its front end for clutching a buttonblank, means substantially as described for forcing a column of button-blanks through said shaft by a series of intermittent movements, a cutter-head mounted for longitudinal movement in said tail-stock and carrying a cutter, and means substantially as described for imparting to said cutter-head a reciprocatory movement to cause the cutter to strike a succession of blows upon the foremost blank within said shaft, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

3. In a button-formin g machine, a bed having mounted thereon a stationary headstock and a movable tail-stock, a hollow shaft j ournaled in said headstock and terminating at its front end with means for holding a buttonblank against rotation th erein, means substantially as described for forcing a column of button-blanks through said shaft by a series of step-by-step movements, a longitudinally-movable cutter-head mounted on said tail-stock and carrying a chisel-shaped cutter, a spring pressing said cutter-head toward the end of said hollow shaft, means, as a toothed cam, for-intermittently moving it in the opposite direction, and means substantially as described for intermittently moving the tailstock toward and awayfrom said head-stock combined and operating substantially as set forth.

4. In a button-forming machine, the combination with the hollow shaft for holding a column of button blanks and the cutter adapted to engage the surface of the frontmost blank of said column, of a plunger adapted to engage the rearmost blank of the column, means for imparting an intermittent movement to said plunger, a magazine or holder for a quantity of blanks, and a chute leading from said magazine to the bore of said hollow shaft, at the rear end of the latter, arranged and operating substantially as described.

5. In a button-forming machine, the combination with a bed having mounted thereon a stationary head-stock and a movable tailstock, of a hollow shaft j ournaled in said head-stock and provided at its front end with IIO means for clutching a button-blank, a cutterhead mounted on said tail-stock and carrying a cutter, a spring pressing said cutter-head toward said hollow shaft, a toothed cam mounted on the tail-stock and engaging a projection on the cutter-head-for moving the latter in the opposite direction, means for revolving said cam, a cam-shaft journaled in said bed, a lever actuated by a cam on said shaft for intermittently moving the tail-stock toward the head-stock, and a cord and Weight or their-equivalent for moving said tail-stock in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

(5. The combination with bed cahead-block Z), and hollow shaft (Z journaled in the latter and carrying pulley cl, of shaft on journaled in the bed and carrying face-ca1n m chutehlock 1), plunger 1), lever 19 and intermediate connections between said shaft m and shaft (l whereby the former is driven by the latter, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the hollow shaft (1, of chute-block 29 provided with chute p and magazine .9 located atthe upper end of for revolving the latter, substantially as described.

JOSEPH IIAWES XVESSON. lVitn esses:

F. M. \VEssoN, S. PAYNE.