US2455346A - Welder for wire mesh fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30,` 1948. c. c. wlcKwlRE WELDER FOR WIREMESH lFABRICS nvetor Charles C.Wi.ckwre Filed July 2o, 1948 Patented Nov. 30, 1948 WELDER FOR WIRE, MESH FABRICS Charles C. Wickwre, Cortland, N. `Y., assgnor to Wickwire Brothers, Inc., Cortland, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 20, 1948, Serial No. 39,785

This invention relates to machines for welding square meshed fabrics, and provides a machine which lays a continuous weft wire back and forth on a warp and welds it to the warp wires as it is laid.

The operation of the machine here disclosed is similar to that of the machine described and claimed in my allowed application Serial No. 618,461, filed September 25, 1945, now Patent No. 2,451,423 dated October 12, 1948. In the machine of the allowed application an elongated rectangular frame embraced the warp and carried two pairs of roller electrodes which were energized alternately as the frame moved in opposite directions, so that only the trailing pair was energized. The weft wire was led between the upper two electrodes, so asto be rolled down on the warp and welded by the trailing electrodes.

Thus the signicant aspect of the allowed application is the characteristic of welding the weft wire as it is laid. The present application covers `a similar apparatus having the same characteristlc.

According to the present invention the two lower roller electrodes are eliminated in favor of a copper electrode bar which extends transversely under the warp and supports the warp throughout its width. The two upper rollers cooperate electrically with the bar in alternation as the frame reciprocates and carries them back and forth across the warp. Only the trailing roller electrode is energized.

Since the present invention diiers from that of the allowed application only in the electrode mechanism the illustration is conned to that feature. The warp spool stand, warp tension devices, the cloth beam and the take up are conventional or show in the prior application, and so need not be illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation oi the mechanism which supports the electrode bar and supports and guides the roller electrodes in cooperative relation therewith. p

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the roller electrode mechanism, viewed from the back, relatively to Fig. 1 and drawn on Aa slightly larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brush mechanism and the detent used to latch the switch which controls energization of the roller electrodes.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wire guide bar and conductor bar assembly.

The supporting structure comprises longitudinal side frames 6 connected by cross frames one 6 Claims. (Cl. 219-4) ,springs I6.

2 of which appears at 'I in Fig 1. Offset outward from side frames 6 and carried thereby are uprights 8. 'Ihese carry at their upper ends, and insulated from the uprights, a horizontal conductor bar 9 through which electric current is supplied to the roller electrodes. One lead from the generator is connected to the bar but is not illustrated.

Fixed to uprights 8 are four guide members II in which a horizontally elongated rectangular frame I2 is guided to reciprocate in a horizontal direction.` The frame in the form here illustrated encircles the warp, hereinafter described, and its internal length is more than twice the Width of the warp so that reciprocation of the frame can carry electrodes mounted at midlength of the frame over a path longer than the entire width of the warp. In Fig. l portions of the frame are broken out to reduce the width of the gure.

A conductor bar I5 which serves as the lower electrode is mounted at its ends in insulating verticalguide brackets I3 and its vertical position at each end may be adjusted by stop screws I4 against which the ends of the bar are held by In this way the bar is accurately positioned under conditions which permit it to yield downward on occasion. The adjustment is such that the springs assure adequate clamping of the warp and weft by the electrodes.

Attached to bar I5 is a bar I'I having uniformly spaced holes for guiding wires in positions tangent to the top of bar I5. Each hole guides a warp wire W, so that the bar I1 has aspects of similarityto the reed commonly used in looms. Its eiect is to hold the warp wires properly spaced and in contact with bar I5, which is the lower welding electrode of the machine. In practice the other lead from the generator is connected to bar I5 but this lead also is omitted from thedrawing.

Mounted on the upper member of frame I 2 and projecting upward therefrom are frame members I8 which carry a housing I9, in which brushes 2| are yieldingly mounted so as to be forced firmly against conductor bar 9.

Below frames I8 and projecting downward from the upper member of frame I2 are two conducting brackets 23 on which are journaled the roller electrodes 22. The rollers are equal in size, spaced only a short distance apart and are positioned immediately above electrode bar I5. They may have shallow peripheral grooves to aline the filling (weft) wire which enters between them.` To guide and coni-lne the wire, flat insulating plates 24, spaced apart a little more than the diameter of wire F, are freely fitted to the peripheral contour of the rollers and fill the interval between the two rollers. They denne a slot in which the wire may swing into engagement with one or the other electrode as the frame I2 reverses direction.

Pivoted at 2B to frame I2 and electrically insulated from brackets 213 is a switch yoke 25. The yoke has a pendant nger clearly visible in 2 which strikes a stop and shifts the switch yoke at each limit of travel of frame I2. `The yoke -2-5 carries a bowed spring member .which aor-,dstwo switch contractors 21. 'Ihese selectivelyengage corresponding brackets 23 as the yoke I25 is reversely tilted.

To hold the contacts rmlyin theirirespective circuit-closing positions a rather long insulated detent arm 28 is fixed to yoke 25 and is impositively held in its two opposite positions by ydetent grooves in plate 2-9. Theyplate isfmounted below 'box IS andlloaded-by bow spring Adinstable switch .trips '.32..are mounted on uprights -8 in position to engage the pendant finger en yoke and lreverse the switch v.asIra-me I2 arrives at one yor the other .o-:its limiting positions A'cable .3'3 connects brush boxdzS and consequentlyqbar with the switch contact member 2T. Asythe frame reverses .the 'trailing .electrode is energized ljust before the -wireswings against it.

To vreciprocate frame -I2 :use is made of Ytwo horizontally spaced :parallel sprocket shafts/ 34, `one of whichisdriven La tfuniformgspeed. The other. is nsuallyan idler. 4rIhese turn in bearings andcarry sprockets T36. Af-chain .3l -ru-nson the sprockets Iand carries e. roller lug whichlis confined 4in .a `slotted yoke .39,.-pendant vfromy the lower member of frame I2.

`This mechanism reciprocates the lrame .I2.-at uniform speed except at reversal when themetion is harmonic and .consequently-favonable to smooth reversal.

The mechanism for supplying-the lwarpwires, and :feeding them a ,uniform distance at each Ireversalof the frameY I2 `is not involved asfavfnovel feature in the present invention and :sois-not here illustrated. Any warpieedor take-upthat will feeda desired .distance .leach time-frame I2 reverses may be used and many are known. lThe arrangement shown inmy prior applicationis used with only minor changes.

The frame or carriage I2 reciprocates v.and carries the rollerelectrodesone trailing 4the other in a path parallel with the bar I5. The warp wires are guided in parallel .paths so rasato be on top .of bar i5. The warp is fed forward onewe-ft interval each time the carriage I2 lreversesits motion.

The weft wire leads between the rollers and is rolled down on thewarpwires by-t-heytrai-lingone of the two electrode rollers. The vvelectrode iban-t5 is so adjusted vertically .that rthe trailing roller holds the 'weft wire against the .warp .wires .with just the .right pressure to eiect welds. `'Ifhere is no weft wire beneath the vleading electrode .roller, so this moves idly. Reversal of @direction draws `the weft wire against the new :trailing-(former .adjacent `bar I 'I assure. the :most :precise-spacing of thewarp wires.

The :bar I5 .can .be adjusted werticallyewhile .the

`maelsiine fis in .operation This facilitatesprecise setting. Adjustment of the lower (rollerl electrodes in the prior machines required the machine to be at rest.

Since only the upper electrodes move, the electrode carrier can be variously designed. I prefer the rectangular frame encircling the warp, because it can .be accurately guided and easily driven, but its use inthis machine has not the importance it had in my prior machine.

.. The drive for the reciprocating frame is extremely simple and has excellent motion characteristics.

I claim:

1. In a fabric-welding machine including a w-eldingcircuit, the combination of a bar electrode forming part of said circuit; means for 4.positioning .a `warp made up of a plurality of wires in a chosen spaced relation on said electrode with :the warp wires extending transversely of the electrode; a movable electrode carrier; means for guiding .saidy carneriny a .path parallel .with .said bar .electrode and .spaced therefrom; means for reciprocating .said carrier in said path `.with .an 4anflplitude somewhat .exceeding thewidthofisaid warp; a pair of spaced, alined 'rollerelectrlodes yjournaled on .parallel axeson said ycarrier sothat vtheir .rolling peripliieries. 4are opposed. to .said .bar ,electr-.ode and are spaced therefrom suiciently .to pass over the .supported .by the .b ar electrode;means-tor-supplying a continuous weft wire to the. interval between .said roller electrodes, so .that it .will vbe engaged .bythe trailing .onepf .saidroller electrodesand progressively rolled into contact with .successive .warp wires; .switching means for selectively interposing said V,roller l.electrodes Vin said welding circuit; .and means effective .as v an.incidentto reversal-of. motion of said..carrier to shift .said switch means, the arrangement beingsuch .that the .trailing .eletrode is interposedinthe. circuit and .seri/.esto weld the weft to the .wiarp .as it rolls itfinto positlnn `.therecn 2. The combination defined in claim 1 in .which yielding means are :providedto induceapproach 4,of .the bar. electrode and roller electrodes toward one ,another and stop. means serve to limit such approach.

3. lThe combinatioi-rdened in claim l in which the-,har .electrode is- ,yieldingly mounted .at each vend and biased .to movetoward the path `ofthe .roller ...electrodes and independently Aidj'llstable stops are provided at ,each end to limit motion 4.ofthe ,bar .electrode in response'tosaidbias.

.4. lThe combination de'inedin claim 1 Vin which Hthe meansior vpositioning thewarp comprises a wire guiding bar ,adjacent the bar electrode and provided .with a row of spaced holes each of .which guides a corresponding warp .Wire into tangency with the working f ace .of the electrode bar.

.5. The-.combination dened in claim lin which the bar .electrodeis yieldingly mounted at each end and biased to move toward the path of the roller electrodes, and vindependently adjustable .stops areprovided at each end 'to-limit motion `01"..the bar electrode 1in response to said bias and the means 'for positioning the warpcomprises a wire guiding b ar Iprovided witha row of spaced holes each of whiCh guides a corresponding 'warp wire into .tangency with the working lface of the electrode bar, said wire guiding bar being at- .itachedto4 the felectrode bar4 .and `adjustable therewith.

. 6 combinationdened in .claiml in which .the .electrode .b ar .is adjustable andthe meansior 2,455,346 i s i e positioning the Warp comprises a wire guiding bar REFERENCES CITED attached directly to the electrode bar so as to be adjustabletherewith the wire guiding .bar having lrhf fgmgtgeferences are of record m the spaced holes each of which guides a, corresponding warp wire into tangency with the working 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS face of the electrode bar. Number Name Date CHARLES C- WCKWIRE- 2,234,403 Marquart May 26, 1942

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