The specifications of the Davisson patent are as follows: "A series of hollow vertical spindles, A A, having their ends journaled in vertical sliding bearings B B, are mounted on a suitable main frame, C C. Each of said spindles is provided at its upper end with a cogged pinion, a, which is provided with a projecting cylindrical hub having a bearing in a plate, b, secured to frame C. Pinions a are each provided with a square central perforation, and the upper end of each of the spindles is squared and fitted to slide freely through said perforation, the purpose being to revolve the spindle by means of the pinion, and to allow a vertical movement of the spindle through the pinion. Each spindle A is given an intermittent reciprocating motion by means of a cam, D, mounted on the driving-shaft, E, and a lever, F, pivoted at one end to a rod, c, extending across from one side of the main frame to the other, and connected at the free end with the sliding bearing B by means of a short link, d. A friction-roller, e, is adjustably secured to lever F over cam D, there being a cam and a lever for each spindle. Cams D are placed alternately on the driving-shaft, with their flat faces on opposite sides of the shaft and their high portions overlapping, so that at each half-revolution of the driving-shaft each alternate spindle is raised, as seen in Fig. 1; but on account of the overlapping of the high portions of the cams there are two points in each revolution where the spindles are all at their highest point at the same time, for a purpose hereinafter explained. Across the top of each spindle is secured a square cross-bar, f. "G G G G are cylindrical cases formed of sheet metal, having a central hub, g, which has a square central hole which fits over, and is adapted to slide upon the cross-bars f. The cases G are open on one side, and each carries within it a reel, H, which is adapted to turn on hub g. The wire for forming the meshes of the fabric is wound upon said reels, and they are prevented from slipping off the hub by turn-buttons h h, all as clearly shown in Fig. 10. "For the purpose of preventing the wire-reels and their cases from being thrown off from the ends of cross-bars f, a narrow bar, i,, having upturned ends jj, Fig. 6, is placed in a groove in the top edge of cross-bars f, said groove being of such depth that the upturned ends of bar i may be drawn down flush with the top surface of f. Said cross-bar f is centrally secured to the upper end of a tube, I, which slides in spindle A. The interior of spindle A is enlarged at the top to receive a spiral spring, k, which surrounds tube I and forces the upturned ends of bar i above the surface of f. A pin, 1, fastened to the exterior of tube I, projects through a slot in the side of the spindle and stops the upward movement of the tube and the bar i. "J is a rack-bar engaging pinions a a, and adapted to slide forward and backward end wise, and to revolve said pinions and their respective spindles alternately in opposite directions. Rack-bar J is reciprocated by means of a grooved cam, m, on one side of the driving-wheel, (shown clearly in Fig. 5,) a lever, L, pivoted to the main frame at n, and having a pin projecting into grooved cam m, a bell-crank, M, to the short arm of which the free end of lever L is connected, and a rod, N, pivoted to the end of the rack-bar and adjustably connected to the long arm of lever M. "O O are shipper-bars for shifting the wire-reels from one set of spindles to another. Said bars are pivoted at their ends to cross-heads o o, and said cross-heads are rigidly secured at their centers to two upright shafts, pr, which shafts are raised twice in each revolution of the driving-shaft by means of cams s and t, secured on the driving-shaft, and levers u and v, pivoted at one end to the rod e, and connected at the other end with shafts p and r. Shaft r, after being raised, is given a partial revolution by means of camshaped projections w w on the side of cam t, Fig. 2. Said projections engage alternately pins x y on a lever, z, the opposite end of which is forked, and engages a rod, 1, secured to shaft r by means of two short arms, 2 and 3. "P P are reels carrying the wires for forming the edges of the fabric. 45 are guides for said wires. "For the purpose of holding spindles A in position, I secure upon each spindle a dog, 6, and provide a catch-plate, R, which plate is provided with notches 7, adapted to fit over said dogs. Said plate is attached to short arms 8, 9, which are pivoted to brackets attached to the main frame. Arm 9 is extended outward beyond its pivot, and is connected with lever v by a rol, 10. the effect being, when said lever is raised, to throw plate R downward and engage the dogs on the spindles. "For the purpose of taking up the finished fabric, rolls S T are mounted on shafts journaled in the main frame. The bearings of roll T are movable, and the surfaces of the rolls are held in close contact with the fabric by means of a spring, 11, at each end of roll T. A reel, U, for storing the finished fabric, lies in the slotted bearings on the supports rising from the main frame. One turn of the fabric having been taken about said reel and secured thereto, the reel is thereafter revolved by frictional contact with roll T, on which it rests. Roll S is revolved intermittently by means of a ratchetwheel, 12, secured to its shaft, a pawl, 13, and a rod, 14, connected to shaft p. "The operation of my machine is as follows: The wire from reels P P is carried upward through the outside spindles, A A; or, if a narrower fabric is desired, it may be carried through either of the other spindles, and four of the incased reels carrying wire for forming the meshes are placed on alternate spindles, as shown in Fig. 1. The wire is led from each of these reels through an opening in the case, and all of the wires are passed between take-up rolls S T and passed once around reel H, and there secured. Power is now applied to the driving-shaft E, and as it revolves rack J is thrown forward and the spindles A are revolved, making two complete revolutions, and thereby twisting together the wires on the opposite ends of the cross-bar f on the central spindle and passing the wires on the cross-bars of the outside spindles around the straight wires from reels P P. When these revolutions have been accomplished, the intermediate spindles carrying no reels have been raised by their respective cams D and levers F to the level of the spindles carrying the wires, and catch-plate R has engaged dogs 6, at the same time depressing bars i by striking pins 1 downward. At the same time the shafts pr have been raised by cams s t and levers u v, carrying upward the shipper-bars O O till they are level with the cross-bars f, which are now all in line, and the forks of the shipper-bars embrace between them the reelcases G. The cam projection w on one end of cam t now passes between pins x y, engaging y, and lever z, being thereby vibrated and engaging rod 1. partially revolves shaft r, by this means moving the shipper-bars 0 0 endwise, and thereby shifting the cases G and their reels to the intermediate cross-bars, f, which before carried no reels. The spindles first carrying the reels now fall, and those now carrying the reels are revolved by the return of rack J to its first position and a new series of meshes formed. At each upward movement of the upright shaft p pawl 13 engages ratchet-wheel 12, and the finished fabric is drawn upward and wound upon reel U. "When short sections of fabric are to be made as for gates-straight rods may be substituted for the side wires, and the expansible reel removed.” The claims of the above patent relied upon as infringed are the second and third, and appear below: “2. In a machine for making wire fabric, a series of spindles arranged in a line and mounted in bearings on a suitable supporting-frame, and having on each spindle a cross-head carrying reels for wire on opposite sides of the axis of said spindle, substantially as specified. "3. In a machine for making wire fabric, two or more hollow spindles adapted to admit the passage through their axis of wires forming the edges of the fabric, and having on each spindle a cross-head carrying reels for wire on opposite sides of the axis of said spindle, substantially as specified." Fig. 19. Fig. 7. "Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the main frame or casing of my improved wire-fabric machine. "When the apparatus is to be constructed in portable form, so that it is adapted for use in the open field, road, or other place for putting up or constructing fences as the fabric is turned out or manufactured by the same, the carrying-frame A comprises the vertical standards or uprights a a and a', which are arranged parallel with each other and connected and braced by suitable cross or transverse pieces, a2; but the shape of this frame is immaterial, and I would have it understood that I hold myself at liberty to vary and change the same as may be desired. "When the machine is to be transported and used in the open field, it is mounted upon supporting rollers or wheels B and B', which are arranged in pairs at the front and rear ends thereof, respectively. The front rollers or wheels, B, are provided with smooth or plane peripheries and travel on the smooth surface of a board or other suitable track, B3, that is placed on the ground or other place, and the rollers B' are provided with teeth on their peripheries, as clearly shown in the drawings, the said toothed wheels meshing with the racks b, that are arranged at the sides of the board or track B3 and rigidly affixed or secured thereto in any suitable manner. The toothed wheels mesh with the toothed surface of the track, so that when they are rotated by the means which I will presently describe the main frame and the various parts of the operating mechanisms will be drawn along and thus fed at the required or proper rate, and the wheels B, with the smooth peripheries, are arranged comparatively close together, so that they will bear on the track between the racks or toothed surfaces at the sides of the latter, whereby the frame is rendered very steady in its movement. "The toothed supporting wheels are rigidly affixed in any suitable manner to a common shaft, b', so as to rotate or turn therewith, and this shaft is journaled in suitable bearings on the main frame at the lower rear side thereof. One of the ends of this shaft b' is extended beyond the sides of the vertical main frame, and to this extended end is rigidly affixed a ratchet-wheel b2, with the teeth of which engages the pointed or free end of a pawl, b3, that is pivoted on and carried by a hand or operating lever, B4, which is provided with an eye or opening at one end, through which the shaft is passed, so that the lever is supported on the shaft and free to move thereon independently of the same. This ratchet mechanism is designed to be operated by 47 C.C.A.-35 |