US1141140A - Bed-bottom-fabric-assembling machine. - Google Patents

Description

W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACH!NE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. [13. 191 l.

1 1 1 9 1 4G,, Patented J 11116 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS COJPHOTO-LITHO" WASHINGTON, D, C.

W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, I911.

Patented June 1, 1915.

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W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 191 I.

l y 1 9 l a A Patented .I 11116 1, 1915.

8 SHEETSSHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHING Tu. 5

w. J. PINE, BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3, 1911- v Patented June 1, 1915.

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W. I. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLIIIG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I3. I91! Patented June 1, 1915.

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W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men SEPT. 13. 1911.

1 9 1 %1. 9 1 %@w Patented June 1, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

THE NORRIS PETERS (20., FHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON, D c.

W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC AS SEMBLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 191 l.

Patented June 1, 1915.

8 SHEETSSHEET 7.

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'H-IE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTC-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

W. J. PINE.

BED BOTTOM FABRIC ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

APPUCATION mm) SEPT. l3. l9! 1.

1 9 1&1 1%Q Patented June 1, 1915.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO, FHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON, D. C.

WILBEB J. PINE,

0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

BED-BOTTOM-FABBIC-ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

Application filed. September 13, 1911.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILBER J. PINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county of Viinnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bed-BottomFabric-Assembling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to machines for assembling the elements of bed bottom fabrics, such, for example, as that shown in Patent No. 91l,958, issued March 9, 1909, to Frank W. Kinney.

In Patent No. 1,068,075, granted to me July 22, 1918, I have shown and described a machine designed for a similar purpose, wherein a continuous chain of wire links is disposed in parallel lengths by being laid spirally over a drum or drums with eyes of adjacent convolutions paired for the reception of connecting cross-links.

The characteristic feature of the present in vention is that of a traveling cross-link applying mechanism working in combination with means for disposing lengths of chain in parallelism, the manner of cooperation being such that the traveling mechanism steps from one pair of eyes of chain links to another while lengths of the chain are properly held, and then after a lateral shift of the chain lengths the traveling mechanism steps in the reverse direction to successively apply cross-links to pairs of chain link eyes comprising a set on the links of one of the lengths of chain to which the previous series of cross links was applied, and comprising a set of eyes on the following length of chain.

I have made reference above to the fabric shown in the Kinney patent, but in so doing I intend no limitation to a specific mechanism adapted for the handling of that particular style of fabric; for, while the mechanism as hereinafter specifically described is so adapted, it is to be understood that the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in a form adapting it to the assembling of fabric differing more or less from that shown in said Kinney patent. In this connection it may be noted that the machine of my said prior application is particularly adapted to the assembling of the style of fabric illustrated in Patent No. 865,799, issued September 10, 1907, to Henry Richardson, though neither is the invention of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 649,159.

that application limited to the handling of the one style of fabric.

Of the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in top plan view a machine embodying my present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same,that is to say, an elevation of the delivery end of the machine; Fig. 2 shows certain elements of the chain handling mechanism which appear in dotted lines in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, looking from the right of Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a vertical section taken substantially on the line -14: of Fig. 2, looking to the right as indicated by the arrows; Fig. 1- is a detail of certain cams; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 2, looking to the left; Fig. 5 is a detail showing a different relation of certain parts appearing in Fig. 5; Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2, looking to the left; Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, looking to the right; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 77 of Fig. 2, looking to the left; Fig. 8 is a hori- Zontal section taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, but only including chain feeding and shifting devices; Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail section view on an enlarged scale, taken on line 101O of Fig. 8; Fig. 11. is a detail elevation of one of the pairs of chain shifting aws; Fig. 12 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the traveling cross-link applying mechanism; Fig. 13 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 14 is a plan view of the lower portion of the same, taken substantially on the line 14-14: of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is adetail section on line 1515 of Fig. 14.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 2 designates a supporting base at opposite sides of which areerected standards 3 and 4t, and in the middle part of which is erected an elongated standard 5 havinga longitudinal slideway 5" in which travels a carriage 6. The latter supports the crosslink wire feeding and applying mechanism,

which will be described in detail herein" ards 3 and 4. To one end portion of the shaft 71s aflixed a cam 8 which operates upon a roller 9 carried by a chain-feeding lever 10. The latter is pivoted at its lower end to a lug on the standard 4, its upper arm (which is offset from the lower arm) carrying a pivoted feeding pawl 11 of bifurcated form.

A spring 12 connects the lower arm of said lever to the standard l, and it will be obvious that, with the shaft 7 in rotation, the lever will be vibrated and the feed pawl reciprocated. The pawl is shownas engaging the chain A by gravity, and constructed to ride over the head of a chain link and then take hold of the same with the reversal of movement and operate to advance the chain a link at a time. The chain advances through a trough 13 which is suitably supported by portions of the framework, and the chain is simply pushed ahead in said trough until the requisite number of links have been advanced to constitute a length or strand of the desired measurement. Then there is a disconnection and lateral displacement of the chain-length through devices presently to be described.

In Fig. 1 three parallel lengths of chain are illustrated in dotted lines, two being shown as united by'cross-links, and the third lying in the trough. There are duplicate devices arranged at opposite sides of the machine for so disposing the lengths of chain. A description of one set of such devices will suiiice. Referring more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, the numerals 16 and 17 designate upper and lower horizontally movable slides working in guideways 18 and 19 which constitute cross-heads of vertical slides 20 and 21, the latter fitting slideways 22 and 23 which are fixtures on a frame piece 24:. A pair of jaws 25 depend from the slide 16,

and a similar. pair of jaws 26 project upward from the slide 17, said jaws in each instance being constructed alike to embrace the chain in a manner illustrated in Fig. 8, a set of the jawsbeing illustrated in detail in Fig. 11. Each jaw of the pair is preferably cut away so as to have the acting portions confront each other, and these acting portions are formed with throats 26 to receive the wires of a link and the cross-head thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the jaws being also preferably notched to provide seats for rounding portions of said head, as also there illustrated. One jaw of the pair is secured to a sleeve 29 journaled in the horizontal slide, and the other jaw is secured to a shaft 30 journaled in the sleeve. Oppositely extending arms 31 and 32 project from the sleeve and shaft respectively, and have laterally projecting pins 33 connected by a spring 34 which tends to open the jaws. The pins also serve as means for closing the jaws in opposition to the spring. In the case of the upper jaws 25 ajaw. closing cross-head 40 extends above the pins and has a shank l1 sliding vertically in a fixed guideway 42 (see Fig. 1). In the case of the lower jaws 26 a similar cross-head 13 extends under the pins and has a shank 4:1 sliding vertically in a way 45 (Fig. 2).

The jaws 25 and 26, together with similar jaws at the outward side of the machine, are adapted to hold stretched between them two lengths of chain while cross-links are being applied thereto, and when the series of crosslinks has been applied, the jaws change places in connection with the lateral shift of the lengths of chain including a new length such as that illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be understood that this involves not only opening of the jaws but movement of them at right angles to the plane of the fabric being formed and lateral movements after the jaws have again moved into the plane of the fabric and closed upon the same. Taking the condition illustrated in Fig. 6 the jaws 25 would be opened by the lowering of the head 10 and then would be raised by vertical movement of the slide 20 and then moved over to the right by the shifting of the slide 16 and brought directly above the length of chain lying in the trough 13 and then again lowered and closed upon the headed end of the final link of said length. In the meantime the jaws 26 will have remained at rest and closed upon the intermediate length of chain. Thereupon, however, the two sets of jaws would move to the left together, the aws 26 shifting to the position previously occupied by the jaws 25, and the latter taking up the intermediate position. In the next operation the jaws 26 would be the ones to open, move down and then to the right and then up to take hold of the new length of chain, it being understood that in those portions of the trough where the chain is seized there is no bottom to the trough.

For the purpose of severing the length of chain there is pivoted to a depending lug 18 of the cross head 18, an arm 46 with a roller 47 resting upon the cross head 19 and an inverted V-shaped block 48 adapted to be forced between the longitudinal wires of a chain link to carry their hooked end portions out free of the oppositely projecting portions of the head of the next link. The chain link is held down during this severing operation by a pivoted spring-pressed plate 60, see Fig. 9. Said arm 46 is operated by whichever one of the slides 16 or 17 is shifted to the right. Thus the lower slide 17 has a cam projection 49 adapted to act upon the roller 47, and the upper slide 16 has a depending pin 50 adapted to act upon an upwardly projecting branch 16 of the arm. In either case the movement is sufiicient not only to spread the link wires apart and thus effect the disconnection, but also to lift the wires so as to prepare for the movement of the severed length forward in the machine or to the left as the parts are seen in Fig. 6. The front side 13 of the trough is hinged and spring-held so that it will yield to the chain when the latter is so shifted.

It will be understood that the construction at the other side of the machine is substantially the same so that the ends of the chain lengths will be similarly acted upon in the lateral displacement. However, inasmuch as the chain is simply pushed through the trough and therefore not taut therein, the arrangements for taking hold of the same at this other side of the machine are somewhat modified as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 8 and 10. Here the horizontal slide 17 is formed with an elongated bearing 17 and the shaft 30 and sleeve 29 which carry the jaws are adapted to slide through this bearing.

A comparatively strong spring 50 surrounds the bearing 17 and sleeve 29 between the boss of the arm 31 secured to said sleeve and the cross head 19*, said spring serving to hold the jaws out in the vertical plane appropriate to a stretching of the chain length taut between these jaws and the corresponding jaws at the other side. A projecting end of the shaft 30 stands adjacent the inner edge of a cam blade 52 which is secured to the framework. When the slide 17 a moves over to carry the jaws into line with the new length of chain, the engagement between the end of the shaft 30 and said cam blade causes the shaft and sleeve 29 to be forced inwardly. The jaws are of course open at this time and they remain open while moved vertically. The purpose of this particular construction is to make sure that the jaws will. embrace the end link back of the hooked portions thereof and will stretch the length of chain so that it will be taut when brought to position for the application of cross links thereto. Of course as the horizontal slide moves forward the spring 50 forces the jaws outward. The same construction is employed for the upper and the lower jaws at the outer side of the machine, see Figs. 2 and 3. The pins 33 are somewhat elongated at this side of the machine to provide for the maintenance of engagement between them and the jaw closing cross-heads notwithstanding the inward movement of the aws.

The upper jaw closing slides are operated by levers 51 and 55, Fig. 2, which are connected by links 56 and 57 respectively to bell-crank levers 58 and 59 respectively and the two bell-crank levers are connected by a link 61 so as to operate in unison. There is unified with the bell-crank lever 58 an arm 62 which has a roller 63 running against the side of a cam disk 64: which is secured to a counter shaft 65. The lower jaw closing slides are similarly operated by levers 67 and 68 which are connected by links 69 and 70 to bell-cranks 71 and 72 which bell-cranks are connected by link 73. The bell-crank 72 is unified with an arm 75 which has a roller 7 6 which runs against the side of another cam disk 77 also secured to said counter shaft 65. Nearly semicircular cam strips 80 on the said disks serve to operate the slides in proper time. The same cam disks serve, through peripheral formation, to operate the vertical slides which raise and lower the jaws. Thus the cam disk 61, Fig. 4:, operates upon a roller 81 carried by an arm 82 of a lever which is fastened to a sleeve 83, the other arm 85 of said lever being connected by a link 86 to a lever 87 which is engaged with the upper vertical slide at the outer side of the machine. To the opposite or inner end of said sleeve is secured an arm 88 which is connected by a link 89 to a lever 90 engaged with the upper vertical slide at the inner side of the machine. The cam disk 77 engages a roller 91 on an arm 92 of a lever secured to a shaft 93 on which the sleeve 83 is journaled, the other arm 94: of said lever being connected by a link 95 with a lever 96 engaged with the lower vertical slide at the outer side of the machine.

The horizontal slides are operated by other cam disks 102 and 103 secured to the shaft 65. Thus the disk 108 operates upon a roller 101 on an arm 105 of a lever secured to a sleeve 106, the other arm 107 of said lever being engaged with the lower horizontal slide at the outer side of the machine. An arm 108 similar to the arm 107 is secured to the inner end of the sleeve, and engages the horizontal slide at the inner side of the machine. The cam disk 103 operates upon a roller 110 carried by an arm 111 of a lever secured to a shaft 112 on which the sleeve 106 is'journaled. The other arm 113 of said lever engages the upper horizontal slide at the outer side of the machine. A. similar arm 111 secured to the inner end of said shaft-engages the upper horizontal slide at the inner side of the machine.

The above designated cams are so set upon the shaft relatively to the parts they operate and relatively to each other, and are of such conformation, as to effect an order of operation such as above explained, having reference to the action of the several sets of H jaws in laterally displacing the fabric in process of formation. In this connection it will be observed that the cam disks 6 1 and 77 are set oppositely to each other as to their peripheral formations, and the same is true of the cams 102 and 103. This is true to an extent also of the cam strips 80 on the sides of the disks 64 and 77, though they do overlap; for the upper and lower sets of jaws are both closed during the lateral shifting of the fabric, and remain closed at the end of the operation, one set of jaws remainingclosed throughout the operation. The other set of jaws are the only ones to partake of vertical movement in the one shifting operation; so that there is no overlapping of corresponding peripheral portions of the disks 64: and 77.

Inasmuch as the horizontal movement of a set of jaws is continuous in one direction and divided in the other direction between two successive operations, the other set of jaws moving out half the total distance simultaneously with the half movement of the first set of jaws reversely, the cam disks 102 and 103 overlap to some extent, and each comprises an eccentric portion of substantiallysemi-circular extent for effecting the full movement of the corresponding set of jaws, and separate rises, separated by a low concentric portion, together making up the balance of the periphery of the cam, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In addition to the described formation and setting of cams on the shaft 65, it is to be noted that the ratio of rotation between the said shaft and the main drive shaft 7 is 1 to 2. Thusthere is fixed to the drive shaft a gearwheel 120 meshing with a gear wheel 121 on the shaft 65, said gear wheel 121 having twice the number of teeth that the gear wheel 120 has. The gear wheel 121 is not fixed to the shaft 65, since, of course, the latter must not continuously rotate, considering that between shifts of the fabric, and while the same is held stationary and under tension by the clamping jaws, a succession of operations take place for forming and applying cross-links. Hence, in addition to the transmission gears being related as described, so as to cause a half rotation of the shaft 65 in a complete rotation of the shaft 7, and thereby alternate the jaw action by reason of opposite setting of the cams, the rotation of the shaft 65 is under control of a pattern arrangement adapted to the dimensions of fabric being assembled.

Referring next to Figs. 7 and ,7, itwill be noted that the cam shaft 65 is recessed to accommodate a rolling key 125, which key is adapted to engage either of two oppositely located notches 126 in the hub of the gear wheel 121. The rolling key has formed integral with it. or fastened to it, an arm 127 which extends out through a segmental opening in the hub 128 of a plate 129 on which is swiveled a spring barrel 130. A rod 131 extends through the said barrel, and is swiveled to the outer end of the arm 127, and a spring 132 surrounds said rod and seats in the barrel. This is a familiar form of make-andbrcak connection between rotating'elements under control of a pattern arrangement. See, Patent No. 887,224, issued May 4, 1908,

for example, my prior.

which also discloses stop devices for acting upon the rolling key, which stop devices are of the same character as those I shall now point out.

There is an abutment arm 133 pivoted at one side of a frame standard 134, and an oppositely located abutment hook 135 also pivoted to said frame standard. There is fixed to a shaft 136 journaled in said standard, a cross lever 137, the opposite ends of which are connected respectively with the abutment arm 133 and the abutment hook 135 by links 138 and 139. An arm 110 fastened to said shaft 136 is connected by a vertically extending link 141 to a slide 142 (Fig. 11 working in a fixed guideway 143, and itself supplying the guideway for another slide 200 which controls the wire feed for the cross-links in the manner hereinafter described.

A pattern band 144: is arranged to travel in a suitable guideway, and there is a finger 1 15 projecting from the slide 1 12 over said band, with a pin for resting upon plain portions of the band and entering openings therein. The formation of the band for cooperation with this pin consists in a series of holes a; with intervening plain portions of such extent as to provide for the prescribed number of cross-link applying operations which are to occur between shifts of the fabric. iVhen the pin rests on the plain portion of the band, the link 111 is held up, and the abutment arm 133 and abutment hook 135 correspondingly held in effective position so that the rolling key arm 127 will abut one or the other and hold the rolling key retired in the recess of the shaft 65, so that the gear wheel 121 rotates idly. When the pin drops into one of the openings a, obviously the rolling key will be released, and will immediately connect the shaft with the gear wheel, so that the shaft will be given a half rotation to effectthe fabric shift in the manner before explained. A cam 147, secured to the drive shaft 7, operates upon a roller carried by the slide 1 12, so that at the conclusion of the operation which shifts the fabric. the abutment members above specified will be reset. Under a condition such as illustrated in Fig. 7, this would mean that the abutment hook would become engaged with the rolling key arm 127, the abutment arm 133 having at the beginning of the operation been disengaged from said rolling key arm. Of course, in the next fabric shifting operation the reverse action of abutment pieces will take place.

assing now to the cross-link feeding, forming, and applying mechanism, the carriage 6 supports a superstructure comprising a bracket 150 carrying vertical and horizontal sets of wire straightening sheaves 151 and 152, through which the wire for the cross-links passes from a suitable source of supply, usually a reel. The bracket is fastened to a carriage standard 153 which is formed or provided at its upper portion with a lateral slideway 154 (Fig. 5), upon which reciprocates a wire feeding slide 155. The wire passes from the sheaves 152 under a grooved flange of this slide, and over a friction feed dog 156 pivoted to the slide and backing up against a lug 157 thereon. The lower end of the dog is connect-ed by a link 158 to one arm 159 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 160 of which carries a roller 161 running against the periphery of a cam disk 162 on the shaft 163, which is driven from the drive shaft 7 through the medium of a sprocket chain 164: and sprocket wheels 165 and 166. The cam disk is splined to the shaft 163. The carriage moves along said shaft, having collars 167, 168, and 169 embracing the shaft, the cam disk 162 being confined'between the collars 167 and 168, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is necessary to suspend the cross-link wire feed both during the single operation of shifting the fabric and during a succession of operations marking the completion of a fabric when a. series of cross-links should be omitted so as to separate one fabric from another. Hence, the wire feed is put under control of a pattern arrangement, and in the present instance the same pattern band 14A: which regulates the fabric shift is utilized through a marginal formation presently to be pointed out.

It will be understood that when the roller 161 drops off the high part of the cam 162, under action of a spring 170 applied to the bell crank lever, the feed slide 155 will be retracted through action of the dog 156 against the lug 157, and that when the bell crank lever is rocked the other way by the cam, the first effect is to turn the dog on its pivot and grip the wire between it and the flange of the feed slide, and that then the latter advances and projects a new length of cross-link wire into the forming head.

For the purpose of suspending the feed, there is pivoted upon the link 158 a strut 175 normally tilted by gravity to an ineffective position, such as illustrated in Fig. 5, where a V-shaped lateral projection 176 rests upon a washer under the head of the pivot bolt connecting the link 15S and the dog. The strut, however, is adapted to be forced into engagement with a lug 177 on the feed slide, as illustrated in Fig. 5*, so as to block the turning of the dog and so prevent its gripping the wire. This is brought about by engagement between the V-shaped projection 176 of the strut and the beveled end of a finger 180 which is splined to a shaft 181 journaled in suitable bearings in the framework of the machine and passing through the carriage standard 153. Said shaft, as shown in Fig. 3, has secured to its outer end an arm 182 which is pivotally connected to one arm 183 of a lever fulcrumed on the shaft 163 having an arm 190 projecting on the opposite side of said shaft and pivotally connected to the before mentioned slide 200. The latter has a finger 201 projecting over a limited portion of the pattern band and equipped with the usual depending pin for contact therewith or for engagement with openings therein. In the present instance the outer edge of the pattern band is made with a series of notches b for said pin to enter when the feed is to be suspended during asingle operation, and with an elongated notch or recess 0 for said pin to occupy when the feed is to be suspended during a succession of operations marking the completion of a fabric. The finger 180 normally stands off where the strut will not strike it. This is the condition solong as an unbroken or plain portion of the pattern band is under the finger 201, the slide 200 being then elevated so that the arm 183 of the aforesaid lever is depressed and said finger 180 correspondingly held outward. It will be obvious that when the slide lowers by reason of the pin entering a notch or the long recess in the pattern band, the lever will be tilted so as to throw the finger 180 inward. It will be noted that the notches b are opposite the holes (a; since it is during the fabric shifting operation, when the pin of the slide finger 145 is in one of the holes a, that the pin of the finger 201 should drop into one of the notches b for the purpose of suspending the wire feed. The slide 200, like the slide 142, has a roller 200 at its lower end cooperating with a cam 200 on the drive shaft.

Passing now to the matter of forming and applying the cross-link, and referring more particularly to Figs. 12 to 14, the length of wire for a cross-link is projected across an opening in a head 208 carried by the carriage upright 153. There is arranged to reciprocate vertically in this head a forming slide 209 carrying a cut-0E knife 210 and being flanged to provide for bending up the ends of the length of wire. In another portion of the head there is arranged to slide horizontally a mandrel 212 around which the wire is bent to give it the form of a staple. This mandrel works in a vertical slide 213 held down by a spring 21 1, but adapted to be forced upward along with a driver slide 215 which works between the flanges of the forming slide. The latter first bends up the ends of the wire over the sides of the mandrel, and then the latter and the driver slide 215 operate as vise jaws, securely holding the staple while it is driven upward through paired eyes of two chain links (see Fig. 13). Of course, the mandrel themandrel into operative position. The

shaft 217 is journaled in the head 208, but maintains effective relation through sliding contact with the lever 218. It is operated by a lever 230 pivoted to said head and engaging an arm 231 secured to the shaft 217,

said lever having a depending portion with a roller 232 engaging the side of a cam disk 240 splined to the shaft 163. The driverslide 215 carries a roller 24:1 occupying a cam groove in this same disk, and the forming slide 209 carries a roller 242 occupying a cam groove in another disk 245 also splined to said shaft. I

Inasmuch as the mandrel should not yield during the bending of the wire over its sides, I provide a lock to hold the slide 213 immovable during the forming operation. The said slide 213 is formed with a notch 250, and a cross slide251 is arranged in the head 208 and has a lug 252 for entering said notch at the proper time. Said cross slide is connected by a link 254 with a lever 255 pivoted to a lug on the head 208, and having at its lower end a roller 256 running against the side of the disk 2 5 so as to be acted upon by cam projection thereon. The aforesaid lug 252 also serves another purpose, to wit, that of relieving pressure between the mandrel and the wire when the mandrel is v ithdrawn. To this end. the upper side of the lug is beveled for coiiperation with the under edge of the slide 213, and the camdisk 245 has a second cam projection 251 for advancing the slide 251 when the mandrel has been'elevated as far as it moves in company with the driver slide 215. The bevel of the lug then operates to slightly elevate the mandrel so that it can be withdrawn from over the wire, with pressure between it and the wire relieved. This eases the action and protects the mandrel against Wear.

It will be understood that when two lengths or strands of the chain are held stretched between the clamping jaws as illustrated'in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and a series of cross links are to be applied thereto, the heads of parallel chain links which are first to be united have portions located opposite each other to present a pair of eyes through which the staple that is to form the cross link will be threaded. These heads and adjacent portions of the links of which they form a part and the following links overlie the head 208 of the cross-link forming mechanism, said head 208 then serving as a sort of'anvil.

2 Of course the chain links should be held fixedly in place while the staple is inserted.

To this end there is mounted to slide vertically in a superstructure 208 over the said head 208 and connected therewith by a bracket 250, a clamping slide piece 251 of bifurcated form and equipped with slidably mounted feet 252 back of which are compression springs 252*, said feet adapted to bear upon the chain links that hook over the heads of those that are to be connected by a cross link. Said clamping slide is pivotally connected at its upper end to one arm 254: of a lever pivoted to said bracket, its other arm 255 being connected by a link 256 to a lever 257 fulcrumed in the carriage 6 and having a roller running against the periphery of the cam disk 210. l Vithin the superstructure is arranged another vertical slide 258 which carries a pair of pivoted wiper jaws 200 grooved in confronting faces at their lower ends to receive the upwardly projecting ends of the cross link staple. The jaw pivot stud 2G0 lies in a short vertical slot 258 of the slide 258 and is normally at the lower end thereof, the slide being elevated and the jaws upheld with it.

The lower ends of the jaws are normally spread apart by a spring 260 connecting them above the pivot stud, and laterally projecting studs 270 on portions of the jaws below the stud are above and in line with shoulders 270 on a cross piece 271 of the superstructure. In the first part of the operation the jaws descend as one with said slide, the grooved portions of the jaws engaging the legs of the staple so that the relation of parts is as illustrated in Fig. 13, the other slide 251 having also descended to clamp the chain links. The next thing is to force the acting ends of the jaws toward each other so as to bend in the staple legs. On an ear 280 of the superstructure there is pivoted a lever 281 the outer arm of which is connected by a link 282 with a lever 283 which has a roller running against the periphery of the cam disk 2 15. The inner arm of said lever 281 is connected by slot and pin with a block 285 on the slide 258 said block having a V-shaped lower end standing between rounded edges of the upper arms of the jaws. It also has lugs 280 to act against the upper ends of the jaws. The first part of the lowering of the slide 258 causes the studs 270 to come to rest upon the shoulders 270 as illustrated in Fig. 13. Continued lowering of the said slide then forces the V-shaped end or wedge of the block 285 between the upper arms of the jaws spreading them apart and forcing the lower ends together while the studs 270 slide off the shoulders 270. Finally the lugs 265 acting against the upper ends of the jaws force them downward in unison, the studs 270 having passed ofi' the said shoulders and then lowering into a depression of the bar 1,1a1,14o W 271 between the shoulders, it being understood of course that the pivot stud 260 had meantime occupied the upper end of the slot 258*. Thus the staple ends are first bent over and then pressed down, completing the cross link.

It remains to describe how the carriage 6 is stepped along to provide for putting in one after another of the cross-links. Said carriage has a horizontal roll 300 (Fig. 5) which works in the spiral groove 301 of a cylindrical shell 302 which constitutes a screw for moving the carriage along step by step by its intermittent turning. Said shell is secured to a shaft 30%- journaled in suitable bearings on the framework and having alliXed to it, near its outer end, two drive pieces 305 and 306 in the form of single-tooth ratchets, whose teeth face oppositely and are located at diametrically opposite points (see Fig. 7). Loosely journaled upon said shaft 304 are a pair of bevel gear wheels 310 and 311 facing each other and both in mesh with an intermediate bevel pinion 312 which is supported on a suitable part of the framework (see Figs. 1, 2, and 7). The bevel gear wheel 310 has fixedly connected with it a spur gear wheel 315 (Fig. 4) which meshes with an idle pinion 316, the latter in turn meshing with a gear wheel 317 secured to the drive shaft 7. The ratio between the latter and the gear wheel 315 is 1 to 2, so that for every complete rotation of the drive shaft there will be two rotations of the bevel gears. Of course, they turn in opposite directions, and the purpose of this arrangement is to provide for stepping the carriage along first in one direction and then in the other. It will be understood that the order of operation is to apply cross-link after cross-link, the carriage starting at one end of the series and stopping at the other end, 6. 9., from left to right as the parts are seen in Fig. 1, and then to laterally displace the connected strands of chain and bring the new strand to position for being connected to the adjacent strand of the previously connected pair, and then to apply cross-link after cross-link, stepping the carriage along in the opposite direction, 6. 9., from right to left as the parts are seen in Fig. 1. The two ratchet drive pieces 305 and 306 are utilized in this connection in cobperation with. pawls 320 and 32l pivotally mounted upon the two bevel gear wheels respectively, it being understood, of course, that the two ratchet pieces are out of line with each other.

Springs 320 and 321 press the pawls to acting position, but, of course, both pawls should not be acting at the same time; and means are provided for keeping one of them out of action during the time that the other is acting to intermittently turn the screw and shift the carriage. The pawls have tails 320 and 321 which are adapted to cooperate respectively with blades 330 and 331 pivoted on a common center, but movable independently of each other and separately con trolled by a pattern band 3&0 and associated mechanism. Said blades have angular arms 330 and 331 extending oppositely to each other and connected by links 330 and 331 to slides 3411 and 342 respectively, which slides have fingers 34:1 and 34:2 projecting over said pattern band. These slides, furthermore, have rollers 3 1-1 and 3 12 which are acted upon by cams 344: and 345 on the drive shaft 7. The margin of the band has a series of elongated notches or recesses between elongated unbroken portions 6, and back of the latter are elongated slots d. The finger 3411 has a depending pin in the vertical plane of the said slots, and the finger 342 has a depending pin in the vertical plane of the notches d. When the finger 3452 is upheld by reason of its pin resting upon an unbroken portion 6 of the pattern band, the slide 3 12 is kept elevated, and consequently the blade 331 stands in the path of the pawl 321, which, by reason of its tail wiping over the beveled. portion at the upper end of said blade just as said pawl approaches the face of the tooth on the ratchet piece 306, will clear the ratchet tooth. If, on the other'hand, the finger 341 is above the plain portion of the band between two of the slots, the slide 3&1 will be upheld and the blade 330 kept in the path of the other pawl 320, with a like effect.

Assuming, then, a condition wherein said blade 330 is so maintained, then the other blade 331 would be moved into and out of the path of the pawl 321, so that said pawl will intermittently act upon its ratchet piece to turn the screw. This would result from the fact that the pin of the finger 342 would be in one of the. elongated notches (Z of the pattern band, and so the slide 342 would be raised and lowered by the cam 34-5 in each turning of the main drive shaft 7. It will be remembered that the bevel gears are rotated twice to each rotation of the drive shaft. The relation of parts is such that the slide is up and the blade 330 in position to disable the pawl after it has revolved once, so that it makes the second revolution without turning the shaft, and then by the time it approaches its ratchet piece again the blade has been retracted by the dropping of the slide, so that the pawl acts and turns the shaft again. Inasmuch as there should be no turning of the shaft in either direction during that rotation of the drive shaft which effects the lateral displacement of the fabric, the slots f are not made coextensive with the unbroken portions 6 of the pattern band, but the latter extends sufficiently to provide for both fingers 34:1 and 34:2 being held up by unbroken portions of the band during such rotation of the drive shaft.

The two pattern bands are driven through the same. connections with the drive shaft. Each band is cut with gear teeth in its inner edge, and a spur pinion 500 meshes with both sets of gear teeth, as shown in Fig. 1. This pinion is secured on the upper end of a vertical shaft 501 (Fig. 2) which at its lower end carries a pin wheel 502. On the drive shaft there is secured a disk 503 which travels between the pins of said wheel and is obliquely slotted as at 504 and extended on one side of the slot, this being a familiar form of means for turning a pattern band a step at a time. Of course, the number of teeth in one pattern band is the same as that in the other, and made to correspond with the number of operations required to complete a fabric.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for disposing chain in parallel lengths, and a traveling cross-link applying mechanism, together with means for shifting the same step by step lengthwise the chain.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for disposing chain in parallel lengths, a traveling wire feeding and cross-link forming and applying mechanism, and means for shifting the same step by step lengthwise the chain.

3. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of means for feedinga length of chain, means for severing the same, means for laterally displacing it, means for holding two such lengths of chain taut and spaced apart in parallelism with eyes of the links thereof opposite each other, a traveling cross link applying mechanism, and means for shifting the same from one pair of chain link eyes to another.

4-. In a machine" of the character described, the combination of means for feeding a length of chain, means for severing the same, means for laterally displacing it, means for holding two such lengths of chain taut and spacedapart in parallelism with eyes ofv the links thereof opposite each other,

I a traveling wire feeding and cross-link forming and applying mechanism, and means for intermittently shifting the same.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for feeding a length of chain, means for severing the same, means for laterally displacing it,

. means for holding two such lengths of chain taut and spaced apart in parallelism with eyes of the links thereof opposite each other, a traveling cross-link applying mechanism, and meansfor shifting the same from one pair of chain link eyes to another and reversing its step by step movement.

6. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of chain feeding means; chain severing means; means for disposing severed lengths of chain in parallelism and holding a laterally displaced pair of lengths with link eyes paired; a traveling cross link applying mechanism adapted to step from one pair of eyes to the next to the end of the series, the connected lengths of chain being then laterally displaced along with a new length of chain; and means for reversing the movement of the said traveling mechanism whereby it is caused to step from pair to pair of eyes of the said new length and the adjacent length previously traversed by said mechanism.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for feeding lengths of chain, jaws for grasping the same, means for opening and closing the jaws, means for moving them into and out of the plane of the chain, a second set of jaws for grasping a separate length of chain, means for opening and closing the jaws of the second set, means for moving the same into and out of the plane of the chain, means for shifting either set of jaws laterally to take up a new length of chain, while the other set remains stationary holding a precedent length of chain, and for causing both sets of jaws to move laterally in the opposite direction carrying two lengths of chain in parallelism to new positions, and a traveling cross-link applying mechanism.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for feeding lengths of chain, jaws for grasping the same, means for opening and closing the jaws, means for moving them into and out of the plane of the chain, a second set of jaws for grasping a separate length of chain, means for opening and closing the jaws of the second set, means for moving the same into and out of the plane of the chain, means for shifting either set of jaws laterally to take up a new length of chain, while the other set remains stationary holding a precedent length of chain, and for causing both sets of jaws to move laterally in the opposite direction carrying two lengths of chain in parallelism to new positions, means for moving jaws of both sets longitudinally of the chain lengths to stretch the new length, and the traveling cross-link applying mechanism.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combustion of means for holding lengths of chain in parallelism, cross link applying mechanism, a carriage supporting the same, a rotary screw engaging the carriage, and means for intermittently turning the screw.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for holding lengths of chain in parallelism, cross link applying mechanism, a carriage supto each other laterally, a rotary screw engaging the carriage, and means for intermittently turning the screw first a number of times in one direction and then a like number of times in the reverse direction.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for feeding a length of chain, means for severing the same, means for laterally displacing it, means for holding two such lengths of chain taut and spaced apart in parallelism with eyes of the links thereof opposite each other, a traveling wire feeding and cross link forming and applying mechanism, and an intermittent screw for shifting the same.

13. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of means for feeding a length of chain, means for severing the same, means for laterally displacing it, means for holding two such lengths of chain taut and spaced apart in parallelism with eyes of the links thereof opposite each other, a traveling cross link applying mechanism, and means for shifting the same from one pair of chain link eyes to another and reversing its step by step movement, said means comprising a rotary screw and reversible mechanism for intermittently turning it.

WILBER J. PINE. Witnesses:

F. P. DAVIS, MARY M. DILLMAN.

copies of this patent may he obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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