US923771A - Wire-fabric machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. GLAUDIN.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY z, 1903.

Patented June 1, 1909.

J. L. OLAUDIN. I WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. APPLICATION IILEDMAY 2, 1903.

923,771 Q Patented June 1, 1909. I

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. LQOLAUDIN.

WIRE FABRIC MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1908.

6 SHEETQ-SHEET 3;

Patented June 1, 1909.

J. L. GLAUDIN.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 2, 190.

' Patented June 1, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET m 7 v a M M w 4% 3 a f v f I f 2 w J z I K I ll m Nmwm\ \\\\\n WM J. L. GLAUDIN.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

' APPLICATION TILED MAY 2, 190a.

' Pa-tented June 1, 1909. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5,

Patented June 1, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

. & Q a 1 LR 1K KF LF k E U ITED s'rArEs ATENT cr mes JOHN L. ULAUDIN, OF MO RTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INTER- LOGKING FENCE COMPANY, OF MORTON, ILLINOIS, A (ORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

I WIRE-FABRIC MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed May 2, 1903. Serial No. 155,438.

To (1, whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Jenn L. CLAUDIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morton, in the county of 'lazewell and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fabric l\lachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to machines if or the manufacture of wire fabric or netting and is an improvement on the co-pending application filed by me on Mar. 21, 1902, hearing Serial Number 100,774.

F or a detail of one or more forms of fabric or netting made on my machines, attention is directed to my patents numbered 739,797 and 739,798, issued Sept. 22, 1903. It will be seen that this fabric or netting is formed of selvage strands or margin wires, mesh forming wires, and of intermediate strand or line wires; and the mesh forming wires are interlocked or intertwisted with each other, with the intermediate line wires and with the selvage strands or margin wires to form a hexagonal mesh, the meshes being graduated from top to bottom of the fabric, or not, as may be desired. Attention is also called to the interlocking twists of the mesh wires, which are right and left, or left and right, or alternately right and left and left and right.

The object of ,the present invention, while embodying the principle of a revolving frame or drum carrying aseries of twister sections adapted to receive aseries of wires and intcrtwist them during the revolving ofthe frame and delivering a finished fabric, is the provision of new and improved means for actuating the said twisters, the power devices therefor having a predetermined movement and adapted to actuate the twisters and place them in a position to receive the wires and after twisting the said wires to retain them in a position to permit the finished fabric to be re eased therefrom.

A further object of the improvement herein is to provide a power gear from which the driving devices of the twister sections receive their power and such gear is provided with a camlike surface adapted when the twisters have completed their turn for interlocking or intcrtwisting the wires to cause the twisters when finishing to revolve slightly beyond the point necessary to complete an interlock or intertwist of the wires, for the purpose of overcoming the spring of the wire. The necessity for this is, that in intertwisting two wires there is a tendency after the wires have been twisted to spring back and unless they are twisted slightly more than necessary the twist will not be firm, but by the arrangement herein, I overcome this objection by the power gear referred to and herein to be more fully described which will accomplish slightly more than a turn of the twisters to provide for the extra spring of the wires in the twist.

A further object of the invention is a series of guides slidably arranged adjacent to the twisters for guiding the wires to the twisters as they are shifted to form a hexagonal mesh. These guides, in view of the opposite twist given to the fabric, are automatically shifted alternately upon opposite sides of the machine and during the revolving ol' the frame. And means is provided carried by a suitable support for automatically separating the guides to permit of the release of the wires of the fabric as the same is drawn away in a. completed form.

A further object of the invention is a new and improved shifting device having a predetermined movement for automatically separating and shifting the mesh forming wires of the fabric to deliver the same to the twisting devices or for positively urging the moving wires into the said twisting devices of the revolving frame as they move into position (In ring such revolving thereof.

A further object of the invention is a new and improved wrapping device for the finished fabric; and this consists of a shaft and a series of rods pivotally connected w ith said shaft and with each other, designed when removed from the machine to close together for the easy removal thereof from the roll of fabric wrapped thereon.

The invention consists further in the provision of wire drums or reels supported upon means to be frictionally rotated, said means being adjustable to provide for increasing or decreasing the tension on the wires fed from the reels or drums to the revolving frame.

The invent-ion comprises details of arrangcment and the c ')nstruction of parts hcrcinafter more fully set out in the specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and claimed in the appcmled claims.

wire carriers and shifter; Fig. 14 is an elevareferred to.

In the drawings:Figure 1 is a side elevation of one side of my improved fence fabric machine; Fig.2 is a front elevation of my machine; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. i is a side elevation of a portion of ,the forward end of the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1 to illustrate certain gearing; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the head end of the revolving frame, the driving devices for imparting power to the twisters and the power gear for imparting motion to thedriving devices; Fig. 6 is a partial cross section through the revolving frame showing in elevation several twister sections and the arrangement of the twisting devices for the twisters; Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal section through the revolving frame showing a side elevation of one or more twisters, their support and the means for twisting the same; Fig. 8 is a detail view showing in elevation, one or more wire guides and the relation thereto of-the driving mechanism for the twisters Fig. 9 is a detail showing two opposite sectional views of a twister; Fig. 10 is a plan view showing certain parts which comprise the wire shifting mechanism; F ig. 11 is an elevation of Fig. 111 with the addition of suitable mechahisrri forshifting the parts seen in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is an end elevation of a portion of 11; Fig. 13 shows a section of one of the tion and section of a wire supply reel or drum and its frictional support; Fig. 15 is a cross section of the fabric wrapper Fig. 16 is a longitudinal section showing a portion of one end of the wrapper; Fig. 17 illustrates a detail in cross section taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 1 and Fig. 18 is a detail viewshowing two different forms of twists which may be made by this machine.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the figures.

In the drawings, 1 indicates longitudinal frame parts of my machine serving as a sup- .ort for the wire twistingdevices, the wire ceding reels, and wrapping mechanism, the forward end of the frame parts 1 being connected and braced by the connecting frame 2. 3 indicates boXings arranged at the point seen in the drawings at the forward end of the frame parts 1 and in these boxings is journaled a shaft 4, upon which is mounted a frame or drum to be more fully described as a revolving frame carry ing the twisting devices On one side of the machine, upon the shaft 4, is carried a gear wheel 5, which. gear meshes with a pinion 6 on a shaft 7. ,On the shaft 7 and adjacent to the pinion 6 is carried a gear-wheel-S which meshes with a pinion 9 on a power shaftlO; and on this power shaft 10, at the opposite side of the machine, -is carried a driving pulley 11 ademted to receive its 'power from any suit' able source and by any suitable means.

Helm-ring to the revolving frame or drum,

parts or removable twister supports, each forming a part of the. revolving frame. ex-

tending from head-section to h \nd-section and are seated within the grooves ll, best seen in Fig. 5. These frame parts 15 are designed to be separated apart from eeeh otb.-r and held in such position and for this purpose, I. provide the spacing blocks or plates 16. And the grooves 14- in the head sections being cut in from the edge ,of the disks, to prevent the fran'ie parts 15 from becoming dislodged, I provide the covering plates 17. The parallel frame parts 15 are provided, as will be. seen, with the slots 18 forming wire ggmes in which. are autoniaticall placed intermediate line wires, mesh-forming wires, andcablc strands or margin wires, of a fabric, to be engaged by twisting {lb-vices revolubl carried and supported between the parallel frame parts 15, and herein described. The parallel frame parts 15 in their arrangement are in pairs, thus the slots or wire grooves 18 must of necessity be opposite to each other, and for convenience, in making a graduated mesh fabric, the wire grooves or slots 18 are spaced at graduated intervals apart, as seen in the figures; however, this graduated mesh is not absqlutel; neeessae, and the slots may be made at graduated dist-anees apart' or at uniform distances from each other, whichever is most desirable. And in manufacturing a fabric having a hexagonal mesh, it is prcfm-abh to dispose the twisters, to be described, in staggered arrangement. lhat is, they are disposed in longitudinal rows between the parallel frame parts to coincide with Each alternate wire groove or slot 18 across the machine and at each alternate wire groove or slot in each succeeding pair of frame parts 15 arranged circuml'ercntiallj, on the revolving frame.

The twisting devices which have been referred to and which are best seen in Figs. 7 and 9 of the drawings, are designated as 19 and are provided with the gear teeth .30. They are each provided with a central groove or wire slot 21, passing down into the body of the twister, a])proximatel to the center thereof and are of such a formation as to do away with one of the teeth of its series, leaving the expanded opening 22 at the head of the slot 21. Each twister is provided with an extended bearing 23 from opposite sides such work.

thereof and the slot 2]. extends through such bearings, as seen in the figures. By the bearings 23, the twister-s are journaled in opposite parallel frame parts 15, as best seen in Fig. 9. Each twister is provided with a suitable clamping device, which comprises the pins 24 and 25. The'pin 24 is designed to be driven into an elongated opening 26. extending down into the bod}; of the tuister, access thereto being had from the slot 21. The pin 25 is threaded and is screwed into a threaded opening 27 at a point between two of the teeth of the said twister, the opening 27 extending through the twister and communicating with the slot 21 thereof. The pin 25 extending at a suitable angle into the twister with reference to the pin 24, any wear on the pins can be taken up b adj usting the tl'ireaded pin 25. The pins 24 and 25 which serve a clamp in the'hody of the twister to engage two or more wires for interlocking or intertwisting the same, may be arranged in the form shown in the drawings; or the pins, if desired, may be both driven in from the periphery of the twister, and I do not wish to confine myself to a clamp comprising two pins where one is adjustable and the other is not, as the pins may be of such a 'n'ia'terial that the wear thereon being so great, it would be preferable to employ pins both of which are adjustable or neither one adjustable. Associated with each twister, is a gear wheel 28-carried on the short shafts 29 journaled transversely through the parallelframe parts 15 (see Figs. 6 and 7), and to accommodate such gears 28 to the teeth of the tw'isters, I provide at opposite points thereon the larger teeth 30 which are adapted during the revolving of the twister-s and the gears 28 to mesh in the expanded openings 22 of the twisters formed by the slots 21. On one end of each of the shafts 29 and adjacent to the outer face of one of the frames 15, is carried a bevel gear 3],. 32 indicates longitudinally arranged shafts, which are journaled at their opposite ends in the head sections 12 and these shafts are arranged in a series, one shaft between each adjacent pair of parallel frames 15, and on said shafts is provided a series of bevel gears meshing with the gears 31 of the shafts 29. And for the purpose of imparting a reverse movement to each alternate row of twistcrs, the bevel gears 33 are placed with their acting faces just opposite on each succeeding shaft 32, see Fig. 6 of 'the drawings. The purpose of this opposite twist, stated in the preamble of the specification, is to twist all-mesh wires in a row across the width of the fabric right and left and each alternate row left and right; however, this is not absolutely necessary as all the twists could run in the same direction and the gearing so carried as to do On one end of the shafts 32 outside of one of the head sections and adjacent thereto, l pro vide and carry the gears 34, and the teeth of such gears are so arranged as to provide a camlike surface 35 for a purpose to be described. Each of the gears 3-1 is designed, during the revolving of the frame parts, to inn-rnu-sh with and be rotated by a segmental cam gear 36 which has a fixed col-incction with a disk 37 by means of the liolt 32%, and the said dish 37 is in turn fixedly attached to the frame parts]. The cam gear 36 referred to has the toothed portion 39 and the cam portion 40 which would he on a center line, approximately through the pitch line of the teeth, although this is not absolutely necessary and may be varied. At a point where the cam surface 40 enters the toothed portion of the gear is 'u'ovided the depressed po ion 41 of the-cam 4-0, and where the toothedportion of the gear leaves off and emerges into the cam surface 40, i provide the swelled, extended, or irregular )ortion 42. Now then, attention being called to Fig. 5 of the drawings, as the frame revolves, the gears 34, as they move over the cam surface 40, are held in a fixed )osition and stationary by their teeth a and riding on the surface of the cam; and during the further revolving of the frame, the tooth a of each succeeding gear, as it reaches the depressed portion 41 of the cam, will impart a slight rotating movement to such gear and the same will roll into mesh with the toothed portion 39 of such cam gear 36, and said gears 34 will continue to revolve during such intermcshing with the toothed portion 39 until the tooth 1) passes beyoi-id the last tooth of the portion i") when the camlike surface 35 of the gears 34 will be caused to ride around upon the swelled or irregular portion 42 of the cam 40 and ride over the slightly depressed portion 43 ef the cam and onto the cam surface 40 and remain in such position until the gears again coincide with the toothed portion 39 during the continued revolving of the rotating frame. Thus it will be seen, that duringthe revolving of the frame carrying the twisters, through the gears 28 on the shaft 29 and the bevels 3%] and 33, the latter-carried by the shafts 5% which carry the gears 34, the said twistcrs will be rotated at a pro-deternlined period for a given length of time and then retained in a fixed position during the further revolution of the frame.

By. reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that two rows of twisting devices are always in mesh, for by the arrangement, as one gear 34 leaves the toothed portion 39 of the cam gear, another gear 34 is caused to enter and intermesh with such toothed portion. The depressed portion 41 of the cam gear, is to place the gears 34 smoothly into mesh without jar or jerk and in providing the swelled or irregular portion 53 of the cam gear and the slightly depressed portion 43 together with the camlike surface 35 of the gears 34, 1 am enabled to give to the gears 15- as they leave the toothed portion 39, an additional partial revolution for the purpose of carrying the twister sections slightly beyond their normal point of stopping and to release the wires carried thereby after twisting said wires, to provide for the spring insuch wires, permitting the. twisted portions of the wires to spring back, which is their natural tendency, and for a perfect and compact inter-twisting of the wires. If this provision of adding an additional partial revolution to the. twisters, accomplished by the portions 42 and 43 of the cam gear and the cam surface of the gears 34, when the fabric was removedfrom the machine, weronot made, the wires, where they were intertwisted, would be loose and of course the fabric could not be stretched u r, as would be desirable, as the tendency would be to separate the wires and the expansion and contraction, which is a feature to be taken into account, could not be attained as perfectly as attained in my fabric by lllU provisions of the means here shown and described for properly twisting and accounting for the spring in the wires.

44 indicate longitudinally disposed rods extending through the rotary frame which lie adjacent to the parallel frame parts 15, and at the opposite ends of the machine, pass through the perforations in the head sections, see Figs. 5, 7 and 8. On the opposite end of each alternate rod 44 is suitably secured a lug -16, and the openings -15 in the head sections coincident with such lugs to, are made of suitable size to carry the rods 44 and the lugs 1-6, see. Fig. 8. During the revolving of the frame, it is designed to reciprocate the rods -t-land each alteri'iate rod in opposite directions. To accomplish this, .i provide the cams LT supported by the frame parts 48 attached to the main f'ames 1. As the rotating frame is revolyed, the lugs -16 projecting into the path of the cams 47, are engaged by the same, which will reciprocate the rods to which the lugs 4-6 are attached. The object of the rods H- is to carry a series of guides 42), and the said guides have. the angular portions 50 which overlie and move above the parallel frame parts 15; there being a series of the guides 49 for each parallel frame part to coincide with each twister section of 01 ch pair of sald frame parts; and each alternate guide.

is secured upon opposite rods 44, lying adjacent to each pair of frame parts 15, thus, as each rod is moved in the manner just deseribed, a pair of the guides l9 are brought adjacentto each other, coincident with the slots 18 which communicate with the twister sections of that pair of i rarallel frames 15. The object of the guides is to assist in directing the mesh forming wires into their .propenslots and twisters of the revolvin frame, as the said wires are shifted to coincide with the margin and intermediate line wires, with which they are to be intertwisted or connected. As the frame rc-- volves and the gears 3i move away from the toothed portion of the cam gear 35, I it is necessary to separate the wire guides 5 -19 to permit the finished fabric to be. drawn away from the revolving frame; and to accomplish this, I have provided a frame part 51 suitably supported by the. frames I te which is secured the tapered ains 52 which are struck on an arc of a circle to correspond to the circui'nference of the frame and are placed in such a position as to enter between the guides 4-9 and separate them, which will shift the rods -14 outwardly to place the lugs to in a position to engage the cams 47, just previously described.

1 will now describe the means for shifting the mesh-forming wires which are fed to the twister sections; 53 indicates a cross bar or supporting frame, its opposite ends attached to the frame parts 1. (hi the frame. 53, l pivot at- 5l for oscillation, a series of bifurcated, eamlilve plates 55, 5e, 57, 58, 59, (i0, (51, 6'2, 63 and (3-1;, each of which is provided with slots 65. Starting with the plate (5 1 the slot 65 is approximately straight and iireach succeeding plate, the slots diverge into the graduated and elongated bifurcations on. On the under side of the frame part 53, I provide th'e.scrics of graduated shifting arms (57, having the stems 68 passing up through the bar 533 on which are carrieddg he pivoted plates 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, ill (52, (32% and (Sat and form the pivot 5-l of each plate. in the outer free end of each-of the shifting arms is swiveled the depending stems 09 the arrangcment of the swivel being best seen in Fig. 13 and in the lower end of the stem (it), .i provide the wire perforations TU. ()vor lying the bar 53 and adapted to be recipro cated abovev the same and passing through the guide 71, is a bar 72, and secured to said bar 72 and projecting-laterally therefrom alternately upon. opposite sides, is shown a series of plates 73 from which depend the short studs Tl which are designed to operate in the slots (35 and ()6 of the series of plates SS--04, best seen in plan in Fig. .10. At. tached to the bar 712 are shown guiding blocks 75, through which is reciprocally carried a rod To, one end of which has the squared port-ion 77, passing through a corresponding slot in the guiding block 75 to j hold the said rod always in one position.

On the rod 7.6 are carried thi adjustable collars TS and the fixed sleeve 79; and to the fixed sleeve 79 is pivotally attached at St), a j pitman bar 81 and the opposite end of said pitman is pivotally attached at 8'. to a crank 83 carried on the upper end of the vertically disposed shaft 84, the latter journaled in the i boxing at its lowerend and the hearing so Sit) loo

ti U

at or near its upper end, motion being imparted to said shaft 84 through the shaft 7 on which is arranged a bevel gear 87, mesh ing with a bevel gear 88. on the shaft 84. For providing a fabric whose meshes are graduated, it will be noticed that the shifter-s 67 must be raduated in length and that certain of the. plates to which the stems 68 of the shifters 67 are attached must be moved in advance of each other so that the meshforming wires passing through the pins 69 of the shifters will simultaneously coincide with the slots 18 of the frames 15 which are moved into position to receive suchwires. In Fig. 10, it'will be noticed that a series of strand or intermediate line wires are shown in dotted lines to illustrate that the pivots 54 of the plates and twisters are centrally disposed between a point where the line wires are fed to the rotating frame. The collars 78 on the rod 76 are so placed with reference to the guides 75 that the rod 76 will have a predetermined and yet limited amount of movement before the bar 72 to which the guides 75 are attached, is shifted; this is to allow sufficient time for the rotation of the refvolving frame to bring the twisters into position to receive the mesh-forming wires when the wire shifters have been moved into position to deliver the wires thereto. And during the movement of the "bar 72, it will be seen that the plates 55, having the longer bifurcations, are the last to be oscillated because their shifters have the least distance to travel. For instance, the plate 64, as the bar 72 begins its movement, will be moved simultaneously therewith, but as the succceding platesofi, '62, 61, etc.,have eachthc graduated clongatcd slots, the pins 74 will travel the distance of such slots before the plates are correspomlingly moved, all of which, it is believed, is apparent from an examination of the figures. of the slotted plates i provide the pins 89 with which the said slotted 'platcs engage during their movement.

The sclvagc or margin wires as well as the intermediate line wires are directed to certain of the twistcrs of the revolving frame without lateral deflection, while the. mesh forming wires a re deflected to certain of the iwistcrs out of aliiwmcnt, whereby they are caused to alternately coincidc with adjacent liifc wires and adjacent line and inprgin wires to be. intcrt wist ed therewith.

The height of fence adapted to be made by the machine herein shown and described, contains clcrcn linewires, see the same in doffcif lines l ig. 10-;- t'hc outside wires being the sclvagc r margin wires, and ten mesh f rming \Yir-s which are adapted to be. conllt't.l("l with the said int rmediate and mar- 25in wires, somewhat in the nmnner seen in Fig. ,2. Urif desired a ninnbcrol' l be fine wires andmcsh forming wires may bc'omittcd which *neled as seen at To limit the play from. The body of the wrapper consists of will present a much shorter fence and move the position of the margin wire, as it is not absolutely necessary on a machine of this type to always manufacture a fabric having the number of line wires to correspond to the number of twisters in a row, all of which it is believed will be understood.

In the operation of the revolving frame, the same is adapted to advance the wires fed thereto in unison, and the. twisters carried thereby, as they move into proper position during the continued rotation of thefra-me are caused to receive certain of the wires which are deflected by the shifting mechanism, whereby, a fence fabric composed of margin wires, intermediate wires and mesh forming wires, is manufactured at a. very rapid speedthrough the continuous rotation of the revolving frame.

The mesh-forming wires, cable strands or margin wires, and the iIlLGlllN-Lliilffl line wires which go to form my fabric, are fed from a series of wire supply reels or drums 90. These drums consist of the body portions 91. around which the. wire is reeled and the flanges 92. These reels or drums are sup ported to frictionally rotate on the frictional collars 93 and )4 carried by the shafts 95 and Elli. The shafts 95 are journalcd in blocks 97 and the said blochs are slotted at US through which Slots are carried the securing bolts 9!) upon which the blocks 97 are slidably ad- .iu-stable by means of the slots 98. The (V shafts 96 are designed to be journaled in the frame parts 1. The frame parts i are chan lUOin Fig. 17 to permit of the carrying ofthe blocks 97 so that. they may be adjusted in their support. The object of using wire reels such as l show, and rotating them f'rictionally and upon devices which are adjustable, is to give to each wire reel an independent rotation that it may govern itself" according to the supply of wire that is i'ieccssary in making the graduated meshes and to increase or decrease the tension ofsaid wires by adjusting the blocks 97 which will raise or lower the reels on their supports, it being readily seen that the tension would be greater if the reels were lowered and lighter if they were raised, occasioned by the spreading apart of the shafts 95 and 96.

.l have-providml, in connection with my machine, as was intimated in the preamble of the specification, a fabric wrapper which. might be known as a knock-down wrapper. This wrapper is composed of a shaft 101, journaled upon the frames 1. and at the rear of the machine in the slotted boxings 102, to permit of the easy removal of the shaft therethe series of oppositely placed channel bars 103,104, 105 and 106; and the bars W3 and 104 are. pivotally connected with eachother by the straps 107 which are fulcrumed to the shaft 108, and the bars 105 and IDS-are in like manner pivotally attached to each other by the straps 109 which are fulcrumed to the shaft at 110, and the said straps bear across the shaft 101 in lines oblique to the axis of the center of said shaft as seen in Fig. 3, and with this arrangement, the'temlcncy of the wrapper is to coliapse. To assist in retaining the wrapper in a position to receive wire fabric, which also assists automatically to collapse the wrmp'per, 1 provide a collar 11], slidably carried on the'shaft 101 and to this collar at 112 is pivotally connected a reach 113 which at its opposite end is pivotall) connected with one end of the bars 105 and 100. ln placing the wrapper on the machine, the collar 111 is shoved up toward the channel bars which will cause the same to assume a position as seen in the figures and thcshaft 10] is then lodged in its bearings on the frame parts lwith the collar 111 bearing against the journal of the shaft, as seen in Fig. 3; thus upon removing the shaft from its bearings, the collar will slide outwardlv permitting the channels to collapse, when the wrapper may be removed from the roll of fabric. My object in usingchannel bars is to inclose the ends of the straps to avoid any rojections on the outside of the wrapper which would have a tendency to catch in the meshes of the fabric as the wrap 'ier is removed. On the shaft 101, at the opposite end from the collar, I carry a worm wheel 115, which when the shaft 101 is in a working position on the frame parts 1, will mesh with the worm 116 on shaft 117, the latter being journaled in bearings on the frame 1 and actuated by a beltalriven pulley 118, secured on the shaft 117. I

It is'believed that from the above description the operation of the various parts of the machine independently and combined for the purpose of weaving wire fabric, may be readily understood. And it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made which wouldcome within the scope of this invention, and I do not wish to be'confined to the details herein.

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

1. In a machine for the ma'nufactureof wire fence, the combination of a revoluble frame, a series of longitudinal rows of twisting devices having their journals in said frame and provided with toothed peripheries, gears arranged in longitudinal'rows to coincide and mcshwith the said twisters, and means for actuating said gears, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for the manufacture of Wire fabric, comprising a revoluble and supporting shaft, 21, series of longitudinal suports mounted on the shaft, a row of twistmg devlces'havmg toothed peripheriesand mounted for rotation on eaci of said sup-' ports, gearing meshing with said twistcrs, and means for actuating said gearing.

3. In a wire fence machine, the combination of a revoluble support, a series of longitudinal rows of twisting devices journaled on said support and adapted to be intermittently actuated during the continued rotation of the support, means for clamping a wire or wires in the body of the twistcrs, gears arranged in longitudinal rows to coincide and mesh with said twisters, and means for actuating said gears, substantially as specified.

4. ln a wire fence machine, the combination of a revoluble support, a series of pairs of parallel frames mounted 011 said support, revolubly supported twisting devices disposed in rows and journaled between the parallel frames, a driving shaft to *each frame of the series, and gearing interposed between the twister-s and the shafts, substantially as I specified.

5. In a wire fence machme, a statlonar bed, a rotating frame mounted on a shat journaled insaid bed, twistcrs mountedon the frame and in rows around the frame and also longitudinally of the frame, a gear having a fixed relation on thebed, and means carried by the rotating frame adapted to be actuated by the gear for imparting power to the twisters, substantially as specified.

6. A wire fence machine, comprising a re- .volving frame, a series of rows of twisting devices mounted for intermittent rotation in said frame, a cam gear fixed relative to the movement of the rotating frame, and gearing adapted to actuate the twisters by eontact with said cam gear during a partial rotation of the frame, and to retain said twistcrs in a fiiged position during the remaihdor of the potation of said frame, substantially as speciicd.

7. A wire fence machine, comprising a revoluble frame, a series of'rows of twisting devices mounted in said frame, a seriesof longitudinal shafts and gearing connecting the shafts and the twisters, gears carried on the ends of said shafts, a segmental gear having a cam surface having a fixed position relative to the movement of the rotating frame and adapted when'engaged by the gears on the longitudinal shafts to impart an intermittent movement to the twisting devices durmg the rotating of the frame, sub

said power to the said twistcrs and when rida cam'fixed relative to the movement of the twisters and having a toothed portion, a

traveling shaft carrying a series of gears adapted to impart motion to the twisters, a

pinion on the end of said shaft having a cam surface, the cam surface of the pinion designed to ride on the surface of the first mentioned cam and the teeth thereof adapted to intermesh with the toothed portion of the cam for imparting an intermittent movement to the twister-s, substantially as specified.

10. In a wire fence machine, the combination of a longitudinal row of twisters, a cam gear having a toothed portion 39 and the cam surface 40, a longitudinally disposed power shaft, gears on said shaft in mesh with said twister-s, a pinion on the end of said shaft having the cam surface 35, and means for moving the shaft to cause the teeth of the pinion to mesh with the toothed portion of the cam for imparting movement to the twisters and moving the cam surface of the pinion over the cam surface 40 0f the cam gear, substantially for the purpose specilied.

1]. In a wire fence machine, the combination with a series of twisting devices, of the cam gear 36 having the toothed portion 39, the cam surface and the swelled and dcpressed portions {f2 and 43, a shaft and driving connectimis between the shaft and twistcrs, a pinion having a cam surface carried by such shaft, the toothed piu-tionthereof designed to mesh with the toothed portion of the cam gear for revolving the twisters and as the pinion with its cam surface rides over the swelled and depressed portions of the cam to impart to such pinion an additional partial rotation and then'retain the pinion in a fixed position during the remainder of its travel over the cam surface 40, substantially as specified.

12. In a wire fence machine, the.combina tion of a pair of frame supports provided with a series of wire grooves, a series of twister sections journaled in said supports and provided with wire slots to coincide with the slots of the supports, a shaft and gearingconnecting the shaft with the twisters, means for actuating said shaft to intermittently revolve the twisters, and means for imparting slightly more than a rotation to the twistcrs and returning the twisters to a position with their slots coinciding with the grooves in the support, substantially as specified.

15;. The nuw-l'mnhuu for actuating the lnistcrs of a fem-c machine, comprising the disk th having the toothed portion 32) and [he swelled and depressed portions 12 and 13, the pinions 31 designed to mesh with the toothed portion 3.9 and having the cam surface 35 and the teeth a and b, the cam surface 35 adapted to ride over the swelled portion 42 for the purpose set forth, and the teeth a and 6 adapted to ride on the remaining portion of the disk, substantially as specified.

14. l n a wire fence machine, the-combination of a revoluble frame, a series of pairs of supports mounted on the frame to rotate therewith and provided with wire grooves.

extending toward the axis of the frame, twisting devices journaled to revolve at right angles to the rotation of the frame, and

reciprocally arranged wire guides upon. op-v posite sides of the supports and having portion's overlying the edges thereof for directing wires to the grooves in the said supports, substantially as specified.

15. In a wire fence machine, the combination of a revoluble support, a pair of frames mounted to rotate with the support and having wire grooves extending toward the axis of the support, twister sections journaled between the frames and coinciding with each alternate groove thereof, reciprocal 'wire guides having portions overl ing the frames, and, means for automatical'y shifting said guides to direct wires to the-twisters, substantially as specified.

16. In a wire fence machine, the combination of a revoluble support, a series of twisting devices mounted in said sup ort and adapted to be intermittently revo ved during the continued rotation ofsaid support, means for actuating the twisters, reciprocally disposed members carried by said su pport and having wire guides which coincide with said twisters which are adapted to be stationary bedpa revoluble frame mounted for rotation on said bed, a series of ws of twisting devices journaled for rotation in said revoluble frame, means for intermittently actuating each row of twister-s during the rotation of the frame, a series of longitudinally movable rods mounted in said frame, wire guides carried by said rods, means for moving the rods to bring the guides adjacent to each other, and. means for separating the guides, substantially as specified.-

18. A wire fence machine, comprising a stationary base, a revoluifle frame mounted for rotation on said base, a series of rows of twisting devices, means for actuating the. twisters, ascries of pairs of longitudinally movable rods mounted in said frame, wire guides alternately secured to each pair of rods, means at the opposite ends of the revoluble frame. for intermittently moving the rods in opposite directions, and means for m (to separating the guides after the rods have drawn from the reels, substantially as specibeen shifted, substantially for the purposes specified.

19. A wire fence machine, comprising a base, a frame mounted for rotation on said base, a series of rows of twisting devices disposed alternately circumfercntially of said frame, a pair of wire guides for each twister, a longitudinally movable support for said guides, a cam adapted to be engaged by said supports for moving the guides adjacent to each other during the rotation of the frame, 1 and means for separating said guides after a partial rotation of the frame, substantially as specified.

20. In a wire fence n'iachine, the combination of a rotating frame, a series of intermittently revolved twisters journaled for rota tion in said frame, wire guides for each twister mounted on a movable support in the rotating frame, a fixed cam adapted to be engaged by the supports for n'ioving the guides toward each other during the rotation of the frame, and means for separating the wire guides substantially as specified.

21. In a wire fence machine, the combinm tion of a rotating frame, a series of rows of twisting devices mounted in said frame, a pair of move blc supports lying each upon opposite sides of the twistcrs, wire guides for directing wires to each twister secured alternately to the rods upon opposite sides of said twistcrs and having extensions overlying and movable above the twisters, suitable members attached to said supports and upon the opposite ends of each alternate support, and means engaged by said members during the l0ttLtiO1l;Of the fra-n e for shifting the said support-s, substantially for the purposes specified.

22. In a wire fence machine, the combination with twisting devices. of a series of wire drums from which wire is led to-the twisters, the said drums having flanges and supported for frictional rotation upon independently movable supports, substantially as specified.

2'3. In a wire fence machine, the combination of apair of rods on which is mounted a series of collars, and a series of drums adapted by their peripheries to be supported for frictional rotation on said collars, substantially as specified.

24. in a wire fence machine, the combination of a pair of rods one of which is mounted in an adjustable support, a'scries of collars mounted for rotation on said rods, and a series of wire drums adapted by their peripheries to be supported for frictional rotation on said collars and independently of each other, substantially as specified.

15. In a wire fence machine, the combination of a series of wire reels, a support for said reels, and ll'lOtlDSfOI adjusting. said support to increase or decrease the tension of wires ficd.

26. in a fence machine, the combination of a series of traveling tuistcrs, means for operating the twisters, a series of pivotally arranged wire shifting plates, mechanisn'i connecting said plates in series, and means for actuating such mechanism and thereby oscillating the said plates at prcdetcrmincd intcrvals in. the movement of said twistcrs.

27. Shifting mechanism for a wire fence machine, comprising a series of plates, wire shifters pivotally connected with said plates, and means for oscillating caclrsucceeding plate slightly in advance of its preceding plate, for the purposes specified.

2h. Shifting mechanism .for a fence machine, comprising a scries'of-platcs. each succeeding plate from one side of the series providcd with. increased bifurcatml grooves, wire shifters pivotally connected with said plates, means operating in the grooves of the plates for osclllat ing cach succeeding plate in advance of its preceding plate, and power devices connected with the means operating in the grooves, sul'istantially for the purpose specified.

2t). Shifting mechanism for a wire fence machine, comprising a series of oscillating plates provided with sinuous grooves, wire shifters ivotally connected with said plates having depending swivel pins with wire openings, a reciprin-ally arranged bar, power dcvices for operating said bar, and n1 ans carried by the bar moving in the sinuousgrooves of the plates, substantially for the purposes spccilicdf 3t). Shifting nnchanism for the fence machine, comprising a, series of oscillatingplates, wire shifters connected with said plates and having a. swivelcd wire guide, a reciprocally arm-urged bar, connections between the bar and plates, a reciprocally arranged rod having a bearing in guides supported by the bar and provided with adjustable collars to ongagc the guides at prcdctcrniined periods, power devices, and connections between the power devices and the rod, substantially for the purposes spccilied.

31. Shifting mechanism for a fence machine, comprising a scrics of plates, oscillating shifters attached to said plates carrying swivclcd pins having a wire perforation, a. reciprocally arranged'support, connections between the. support and the plates, at power shaft, a crafnlc on one end of' the power shaft,

, gears.

cumferential rows alternately across the frame, a series of oscillating shifters carrying wire guides, adapted to be shiftedintoposition at predetermined periods to coincide' with the twisters as they are brought-into position by the revolving frame, and ower devices for oscillating the shifters, 'su stantially for the purposes specified.

33. A wire fence machine, comprising a revoluble frame, a series of twisting devices mounted for rotation in said frame, shifting mechanism, comprising a series of oscillating plates, wire shifters pivotally connected with 35. In a wire fence machine, the combination with a revoluble drum, a longitudinal row of twisters mounted on said drum, alongitudinal row of gears carried by said drumand in mesh with the said twister-s, and means for intermittently actuating said 36. tion with a traveling support, a longitudinal row of twister-s mounted on said support, a longitudinal row of gears carriedon short shafts revoluble in said support and the said gears in mesh with the twisters, bevel pinions on one end of said short shafts, a longitudinal shaft, and bevel gears on said shaft in mesh with said bevel pinions.

37. A wire fence machine, comprising a revoluble shaft, twister supports mounted on said shaft, revoluble twisting devices journaled in said supiports having their axes disposed in line wit I to, means for feeding-the wires to the twlsters,

the travel of wire fed theremeans for shifting the wires previous to thenengagement by the twlsters, gears meslnngvwith said twisters, and means for actuating said gears.

'38. In a machine for making wire fabric the combination with a plurality of staggered wire connecting devices vmounted to travel in unison, of means for leading a plurality of wires to each of said devices, means for defleeting certain of the wires later-all to form meshes, gears meshing with the sai twisters, and means for actuating said-gears.

39. In a loom ffor producing wire fabric from a plurality of continuously moving Wires fed longitudinally in the same genera direction, a sup ort, several rows of twisting devices mounte on the support and'movable In a wire fence machine,the combina-' in an endless orbit to present themin success sion to the wires, gears meshing with each of said twister-s, and means for o crating said gears during a portion only of t eir travel.

40. In a machine for making wire fabric,

the combination with a drum, of a series of staggered twisters extending around the drum and arranged to connect a plurality of moving wires, and gears disposed beneath the twisters and meshin with the same adapted to actuate the twlsters at predetermined intervals.

41. In a' machine for making wire fabric,

the combination with a drum, of a plurality of twister supports removable "from the drum, a set of twisters carried by each support and removable therewith, and ears 111 mesh with said twisters also carried y each of said supports.

42. In a machinefor making wire fabric,

the combination with means for advancing a plurality of wires, of twisters on aging a wire at intervals, a gear in mesh wit each of said twisters, and'means for operating the said gears and thereby the twlsters during the transit of the wires to connect the same to adjacent wires by reverse twists.

43. In a maclnne for making wire fabric,

the combination with a plurality of wire connecting devices in staggered arrangement, of a plurality of intermittently revoluble gears in mesh with said connecting devices, and

means for operating said gears.

44. In a machine for-making wire fabric, the combination with a plurality of twisters in stag cred arrangement, of wire uidin and deIl twist-ers, a ear in mesh with each twister, and means or operating a plurality of gears at one operation.

45. In a wire fence machine, a revoluble ecting means associated with the drum, twisters mounted in rows around the drum and also longitudinally of the drum, a-

gear revolubly mounted beneath each twister and in mesh therewith, and means for actuat-.

ing the gears in mesh with the longitudinal rows of twisters in succession.

46. In a wire fence machine, a revoluble drum, twisters mounted in rows around the drum and also longitudinally of the drum, a gear in mesh with ach twister, longitudinal shafts mountedat lintervals in said drum,

connections between the respective shafts 1 and the gears aforesaid, and means for operatin'g said longitudinal shafts in succession.

47. In a wire fence machine, a revoluble drum having longitudinally extendingrows of twister supports, each formed of a pair of oppositely located slotted frames,'a series of gears mounted in said frames, a seriesof twisters also mounted in each of said frames 'in'mesh with the gears-aforesaid, and means for actuating said gears.

48. In a wire fence machine, a fence-forming revoluble drum having at intervals longitudinally disposed revoluble shafts, a series of ears mounted longitudinally of the drum an adjacent to said shafts, connections hetween said shafts and said gears, slotted twister wheels mounted in mesh with said gears, and means for actuatim said shafts in succession as the drum is revo ved.

49. In a wire fence machine, a fenceforming revoluble drum having at intervals longitudinally disposed revoluhle shafts, a series of bevel gears spaced at intervals on said shafts, a series of short shafts spaced at intervals in said drum and at right angles to the longitudinal shafts, bevel gears on said short shafts in mesh with the gears on the lon itudinal shafts, a second gear on each of sai short shafts, slotted twister wheels mounted in mesh with said sceondgeal's, and means for actuating said longitudinal shafts in succession as the drum is revolved.

50. In a wire fence machine, a fenceforming revoluhle drum having at intervals longitudinally disposed revoluble shafts, a series of gears mounted longitudinally of the drum and adjacent tosaid shafts, conneetions between said shafts and said gears, slotted twister wheels mounted in mesh with said gears, means for rotating the drum, and means for operating the successive shafts at the same point in the travel of the drum.

5]. In a wire fence machine, a. fenceforming drum having at intervals a series of gears mounted in longitudinal rows on said drum, slotted twister wheels mounted in mesh with said gears, means for actuating said rows of gears successively as the drum is revolved, and means for limiting the actuating movement of said gears.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ll. l llAl DlN'. Witnesses:

Josicru llAr'rs, .lr., WM. (iRlMM

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