The wire a a is conducted from the reel before men tioned to the machine, and first passes over a rest or frame b, which has a notch in each of its sides to re ceive the wire, and to keep it down in these notches. It is also passed through a wire eye or ring c, to which a sufficient weight is appended, to cause such a friction as will keep the wire steady. The wire next passes through a guide, formed by a hole in a piece of iron d, fixed by screws to a vertical standard G, rising from the iron frame IT, on which the whole mechanism is erected. By the guide d the wire is presented to a pair of rollers or wheels 1), by which it is drawn forwards. These wheels are exactly of the same size, and, being beneath each other, only one can be seen in the figure. The lower roller, which is hidden, is fixed upon an axis, which extends across the frame, its ends being support ed by the joints of the centre screws 20, 20. The axis is turned round by means of a toothed \vhed 7 upon the main axis, and acting in another exactly similar to it, lixed immediately beneath upon the axis of the lower roller, which is perpendicular to the main axis ; but the teeth of the wheels being both inclined at an angle of 45° to their respective axes, become parallel at the points of contact, and the wheels turn each other round, by a similar action, to the endless screw ; from which, however, this mode of communication differs most ma teriall), in the circumstances of the two wheels, or screws, (for they partake of the nature of both) being of equal dimensions and similar forms. This communica tion causes the lower roller to make a revolution for every one of the main axis. At the Opposite end of the axis of the lower roller, a cog-wheel is fixed, and ope rates upon another of exactly similar dimensions, and placed over it, so as to conceal the former. This wheel is fixed upon the axis (shewn by dotted lines) of the upper roller D, which is mounted upon the points of the centre screws, held in a frame marked II. This frame is attached to a standard G of the frame by two centre screws, so that it will rise on the points of these as an axis, and dins permit the upper roller to rise and ftII, lo accommodate itself to the wire, and press it so last upon the lower roller as to draw it forwards. The pres sure is occasioned by a strong spring K fixed on the frame I, and its end hooked beneath a projecting part (not shewn) or the standard C.
The rollers D deliver the wire into a steel tube, e f, (sec also Fig. 3, where it is shown separately,) the hole through which being but just large enough to admit the wire, straightens it in the manner of dies, and, together with the rollers, completely takes out any crooks in the The tube, (or pair of dies,) e is made in two halves, which are held together by the same clamp screw, which fastens them into the bracket I, that sup ports them. The end f of the steel dies, which is enlarged, as shewn in Fig. 3, and has a smooth flat face, is the point where the wire is cut off, by means of a small knife g, fixed into an axis Al, on which is a lever 5, actuated at the proper interval by the lever or claw 4, on the main axis A, into which it is screwed ; and can therefore he readily adjusted in length, to operate more or less upon the lever 5, by which it cuts off the wire at the point, where it emerges from the end f of the dies f. The length of wire which is advanced through the dies, before it is cut off, is measured by the end of the wire coming up to the flat head of a screw 10, sup ported by a bracket 1, ; hut the instant the wire reaches this, the upper roller D is lifted up, so as to relieve the pressure upon the wire. This is done by a cam I, which
has a part of the frame I projecting over it, and at the end or it is a tooth or knob, fastened by the square nut. This tooth is lifted by the cam 1, which is a circle, hav ing a deep notch cut in it, and thus relieves the wire when the circular part of the cam comes beneath it ; and though the motion of the rollers continue, the wire remains stationary, but in turning the notch presents itself beneath tne tooth of 1. The spring k now presses the upper roller upon the wire, which is then pushed forwards until the proper measure is advanced, when the upper roller will be again lifted up by the cam, as before mentioned. This movement is, therefore, devot ed to measuring the wire ; the rollers and dies e f to straightening it ; and the shears, or cutter g, to cutting it off into the lengths measured by the other. We have now to explain the mechanism for doubling and bending. These parts are in the drawing shewn of their real size, to render them distinct, though all the other parts are only one half the full size. The wire, when advanced by the rollers, is introduced between two pieces of metal g t, r s. These arc shown in all the figures. In Figs. '2 and 3, they arc only represented by small squares; hut Figs. 4 and 5, show them to be the ends of levers q and r, moveable on one common axis, hut independent of each other. They are called the back and front blades of the pliers; their axis of motion is parallel io the main axis A ; and is suspended between the points of screws, supported by the standards Cam(;. This forms the axis of the lever r, z•s shown in Fig. 4, which only represents the moving parts. The axis of the lever q, marked 15, IS, swings between the points of centre screws attached to a part of the lever r, but exactly in a line with the two fixed centre screws on which r r itself moves. 'llitts both blades of the pliers move on the same central line, but independently ; they have there fore a motion directly to and from the main axis, bur no other. The two levers q and r, have a small spring 19 (Figs. 4 and 5,) between them, which always tends to separate them and open the pliers. The axis 15 of q has a short tail or lever 18 rising from it, which stops against the point of an adjusting screw 16, (Fig. 5,) and determines the quantity of approach which the end of the blade q (Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) shall make towards the main axis ; 17 is a spring of a semicircular form, always drawing the tail 18 towards the screw 16 ; and con sequently urging the blade q towards the main axis; the spring 19, also urges the front blade t r a, (Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) towards the axis, till the arm 11 screwed to it, rests upon the outside of the axis.—A cam 9 is fixed on the axis at this part ; and when it comes round, arts upon 1 I, and by it forces the blade t r 8 away from the main axis, till t comes in contact with the wire a a, (Figs. 2 and 4, and shewn in Fig. 5 by a small black dot sur rounded by a white circle,) and presses it against the blade g ; thus holding it in the manner of a pair of pliers, or a linger and thumb, while the shears cut it off. All this time the blade g may be considered as stationary ; the spring 17, (Fig. 5,) which opposes its retreat from the main axis, being so much stronger than 19, which opens the pliers ;' but as the cam 9 turns farther round, it continues to press upon 11, and the front blade with it, against the wire, and by this against the other blade so as to force the pliers back altogether on their common axis of motion, into the position Fig. 3.