US1304780A - Wire-forming machine - Google Patents

Description

J. S. KEPLER.

WIRE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1917- 7 1,304,780. Patented May 27, 1919.

4'$HEETSSHEET I.

WITNESS.

A TTORNEYJ .I. S. KEPLEII. I WIRE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FIL ED JULY-1 917- 1,304,780. I Patented May 27,1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.-

% IIII I u GD ISEMI III WITNESS: INVENTOR J. S. KEPLER.

WIRE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1917

Patented May 27, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IN VE IV T01? A TTORNEYJ J. S. KEPLER. WI RE FORMING MACH INE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.19M.

Patented May 27, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N n I INVENTOI? 9 u 3 MM A fro/Mp5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE S. KEPLER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GAP-HOLD INCORPORATED, OF NEW roan, N. Y., A conrom'rron on NEW YORK.

WIRE-FORMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

Application filedJuly 3, 1917. Serial No. 178,436.

' retaining device for the caps of deformable tubes, which consists essentially of a piece of wire so shaped as to engage the cap and encircle the threads on the neck of the .tube,

so as to be threaded on and off of the 'neck I with the cap. The present invention is concerned with a machine for forming wire retainers of the general type described. The general objects of the invention are to provide such a machine which shall be effective to perform therequired work with a maximum capacity and of such relatively simple construction as to minimiz'eitsliability to derangement during operation. The details of the machine will appear fully from the following description of the appended drawings, in which j Figure 1 is a fragmentary View inplan of so much of the machine as is necessary for an understanding of the general cycle of operations in the formation of the retainer wire.

Fig. 2 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1, but on a somewhat larger scale, some of the parts being broken away or omitted in the interest of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in, sect ion, taken along the plane indicated by the hue 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on the planes indicated by the broken lines 4-4, of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken along the plane indicatedby the line 5-5 of Fig. 1- and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6'is a fragmentary. sectional viewtaken along the planes indicated by the broken lines 66 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 "shows the wire retainer in successive stages of its formation.

Before proceeding with the'description of the machine itself and the devices for shaping the Wire retainer into the desired form, it will be well to refer to Fig. 7 in which the retainer Wire lettered F is shown in its completed form. This retainer, it will be noticed, is formed with a loop F which is of the diameter of the neck of the tube along the threads of which the retainer is to be threaded. This loop terminates in two legs F at the ends of Which are formed eyes F which may engage lugs cast with the cap of the tube. This general form of the retainer is disclosed in the aforesaid patent. The several views of Fig. 7 lettered AF show the successive stages of the formation of the wire retainer in the improved machine according to the operations performed. For- .instance, view A shows the/straight strand of wire cut to length. The next view B shows this Wire with eyes formed at its opposite ends. Views C and D show the loop F bent in the wire with the eyes extending therefrom. View E shows the legs F of the wire bent at an angle with the plane of the movement so that only such length of wire is presented to theforming devices as is predetermined. The wire '03 after passing over the friction spools e is threaded along a channel fin a sliding block f where it is exposed to and may be engaged periodically by an eccentric frictional clamp g which is p1voted on the guide block 7'; "From the guide block. the wire extends through a guide tube for the formiu'goperations to be described. The step-by-step feeding of the wire is obtained by reciprocating the guide block f, the wire d meanwhile'being held against relative movement with relation to 'the block by its engagement by the clamping lever 9'. These reciprocations are obtained bv 7 connecting .theend of the clamping lever g operatively with a cam b on the cam shaft b (see Fig. 6). Thisconnection may com rise a link g secu red adj ustably to the end 0 one arm 9 of a bell crank lever, the other arm g of which is formed with a sector in mesh with a reciprocable rack bar 9 the free end of which carries a roller 9 which rides on mined by the length of travel of the rack bar. When the cam 6 permits the, rack bar ,1 to move in the opposite direction, the lever clamp g is drawn out of engagement with the wire and the block f is slid in the opposite direction.

Following the forward movement of the wire in the manner described through the guide tube G a vertically disposed reciprocating knife h is forced upward across the inner end of the tube G, thereby shearing the wire to length. This knife is shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. It comprises a simple plunger 71/ extending vertically through the plate a and engaged operatively by a rocker arm 11 connected operatively with a cam a" on the cam shaft 6, whereby the knife is forced upwardly across the inner end of the guide tube G at the proper time to cut the wire to length. The length of wire thus out is held in position for the forming operations by means of a finger is which presses the wire against a fixed anvil block Z carried onthe under-face of a cover plate Z for, certain of the parts to be referred to later. The finger k which is pivoted in the frame a is connected operatively by a link a bell crank lever 0 and rod 707 to a cam c on the cam shaft 0. The action of the cam is to rock the finger k in such a manner as to alternately press the length of wire, such as is shown in Fig. 7 A, against the fixed anvil Z and release it at the desired time. The length of wire maintained in the position described may rest ona sliding plate H which reciprocates horizontally on the plate a and is disposed immediately beneath the anvil Z. This plate, as shown in Fig. 2, is slotted at its front edge, as at H, to straddle the finger 70 when the latter is rocked to press the wire against the anvil.

The straight strand of wire being held agamst the anvil Z, the first operation is to form the eyesin its end indicated in Fig. 7, D. These eyes are formed by cam fingers m on spaced oscillating shafts m at the center of each of which is a projectin pin m about which the wire is to be twisted. The shafts m just described are journaled horizontally on the plate a and carry at their rear ends suitable devices for oscillating them for the formation of the eyes in the wire. The means for producing this oscillation periodically consists of opposed reciprocable rack bars m which engage, respectively, pinions 'm. carried on the rear ends of the shafts m. These rack bars as described are reciprocated against the action of a spring m by their operative connection with a cam 0 on the cam shaft 0, this cam 0 being engaged constantly by means of a roller m onthe extreme end of the racks. Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the wire after being led through the guide tube G passes between the proan oscillation simultaneously by the racks m and inthis way the eyes are formed in the wire at the opposite ends thereof.

The next step in the shaping of the wire is to form the loop shown in Fig. 7, C. This loop is formed by pressing the wire around the curved anvil block Z. This pressing is done by means ofsasliding bar 11, the forward end of which is slotted, as at n, to straddle the finger is, this forward end also being curved to conform generally to the curvature of the anvil block Z, so that when the bar a is forced forward the wire will be pressed around the curved anvil block Z and into snug engagement therewith. The required reciprocations of the forming bar at may be imparted to it from the cam shaft 0 by means of a suitable link n and bell crank lever a the movement of the bar in one direction being opposed by a spring a secured thereto, so that the bar is returned to its normal position when released by the controlling cam on the cam shaft 0.

The anvil block Z, instead of being circular, is formed at its rear side, away fromthe wire, with'inclined rearwardly extendopposed formers 0 which are inclined to one another and have at their ends angular noses 0 which are adapted to be forced into direct engagement with the wire and to press the wire into the sharp recess between the inclined faces Z and the curved portion. The character of these formers is best shown in Fig. 2 wherein are also shown adjusting devices in the form of thumb screws 0 whereby the relation of the formers to the anvil may be readily adjusted. The sliding carriers 0 in which the formers are supported are provided with rack teeth on them side edges and these rack teeth engage re-' them snugly against the inclined side'faces Z of the anvil Z. In carrying the wire forward by means of the reciprocating bar n in the manner just described, the eyes in the ends of the wire are kicked off their respective pins m by means of pivoted fingers p, to which an oscillatory movement may be imparted I in proper phase relation 'to the other operations of the machine from a cam b on the cam shaft 1) through a bell crank b and connecting link I) in a manner which appears clearly from Figs. 3 and 4. These fingers p at the required time are thrust forward and serve to press the ends of the wire toward the anvil Z.

Simultaneously with the crimping of the legs with relation to the loop the formers o, cooperating with the rearwardly extending portion of the anvil faces 1 turn the legs of the wire retainer up from the plane of the loop in the manner indicated in Fig. 7, E. It is desirable to offset the eyes from the plane of the loop in this manner, so that when the retainer is in use the eyeswill be substantially in the plane of the capwhile the loop will be below the edge thereof. For

the purpose of giving these legs their iiiclination to the plane of the loop, the rear faces Z of the anvil Z are beveled downwardly while the front ends of the formers 0 are correspondingly beveled upwardly, as at 0", to cooperate with the faces of the anvil. When the formers begin their inward travel to crimp the legs, it is to be understood that the legs lie between the ends of the formers and the beveled faces I of the anvil. When the legs are stueezed between the faces Z and the bevele ends of the formers o the are thrust upwardly along the beveled en s of the formers with the eyes until they take some such inclination to the plane of the loop as is indicated in Fig. 7, E.

Upon the completion of the described operations, the supporting plate H for the wire is retracted by 1ts operative connection through linkage H witha cam c on the cam v shaft c. This linkage includes a reciprocating bar H supported on the plate a and carrying a. roller H which rests constantly against the face of the cam c. Simultaneously with the retraction of the plate H in the manner described, the finger k is rocked out of engagement with the wire-dthereby permitting the wire to fall freely through an opening in the plate a to any suitable receptacle therebeneath. -When thus discharged it will be in the completed form shown in. Fig. 7, F.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that mechanical equivalents for some of the elements employed may be substituted to equal advantage, but all such mere substitutions are to, be deemed within the scope of this invention, the spirit of which contemplates the provision of a complete machine having the forming elements thereof so coordinated/in operation as to produce with a maximum capacity the peculiar wire retainer shown in Fig. 7

I claim as my invention:

1. A machine for forming wire retainers of the character described, comprising in combination a step-by-step feed for the wire strand, a reciprocating knife for cutting the wire'to length, devices to coil the ends of the wire, a curved anvil, a former cooperating therewith to loop the wire circularly and opposed formers cooperating with the anvil to crimp the legs of the wire, said anvil having beveled rearfaces and the last named a opposed formers having correspondingly beveled front faces to press the legs up the beveled sides and incline them to the plane of the loop.

2. A machine for forming wire retainers of the character described having a reciprocating former bar provided with a curved recess in its end, means to move the bar transversely of .the wire, a curved fixed anvil around which the wire is pressed by the bar to form a circular open loop, beveled side faces tt the rear side of the anvil, inclined opposed former bars having beveled side faces corresponding with the beveled faces of the anvil to cooperate therewith and press the legs of the wirevalon'g the beveled faces to an inclined position with relation to the plane 'of the loop. 1

This specification signed this 29th day of I June, 1 D. 1917.

- v JESSE S. KEPLER.

Images