US1479938A - Spacing device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1924.

F. C. STIENING SPACING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 INVENT OR Wfifik @Zamd A TTORNEY Jan. 8, 1924. 1,479,938

F, c. STIENING SPACING DEVICE.

Filed Aug. 25. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly: 6.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1924..

PATENT OFFICE.

Y FREDERICK c. STIENING, or GLENSHAW, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPACING DEVICE.

Application filed August 25, 1921. Serial No. 495,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. STIEN- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glenshaw, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spacing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic spacing or feeding devices, and more particularly to such devices usedin connection'with cutting or punching metal sheets or'bars. It is an improvement on my invention disclosed in.

my Patent No. 1,185.018, issued May 30, 1.916, wherein it is claimed broadly.

The object of my present invention, in

addition to that in said prior patent, is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of devices of this character,- increasing the accuracy in a practical manner and making the device smoother in its operation. A further object is to facilitate operation on stock close to its ends. Other objects peculiar to the present invention, as well as 'in common with those of said patent, will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of parts of a punching machine with my invention applied thereto, intervening parts being broken away and omitted for lack of space;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the abutment-grip ping mechanism, the view being a section on the vertical plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of part of the machine with my invention applied thereto, the section being on the vertical plane of the line 33 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the dog and templet combination when the dog is disengaged from the templet;

the punching machine.

simultaneously, in pairs, back to back, the punches 2 being arranged in a gang across As is known in the art, after each bar has had one member punched, it is run through the machine with its other member horizontal, for punching this other member. Also, it is well understood in the art, for instance in my said prior patent, how flat sheets are punched; and it likewise will be understood how other shapes, such as Z-bars, Ts, fiat strips, and otherobjects, can be punched or otherwise operated upon in such machines. much of such a machine, therefore, is disclosed, as is necessary to elucidate the application of my invention to such machines.

The carriage 3 is a long narrow structure, with rails 1, to accommodate long plates, sheets, bars or the like; and the bed runs for about the length of the carriage bot-h ways from the main frame 5 that carries the punches 2 and their driving mechanism 6.

Only parts of this bed and carriage near the main frame 5, and remote rear parts thereof, are illustrated herein. This bed, as

here exemplified, comprises pedestals 7 at intervals, with top stringers 8 thereon, supporting large rollers 9 which serve to support the various materials operated upon; these rollers 9 being at intervals across the bed as well as therealong, as is well known in the art. This bed also comprises sills 1O inside the pedestals 7 below the carriage 3, with rollers 11 at intervals, on which the side rails 1 of the carriage 3 bear, for easy travel of the carriage from end to end of the bed, through the main frame 5.

At the advanced end of the carriage 3 is the upstanding gripper pedestal 12 (at the right in Fig.1); Each gripper 13 comprises the long bar 14 and the short bar 15 crossed, and connected by the pivot 16, with jaws. 17 and 18, respectively, toward the punches 2, and the bar 15 projecting forward and pivoted to the lower end of a screw'19 sliding up or down in the long bar .14 by action of a handwheel 20 threaded on the screw 19 above the bar 1 1, to close or open the jaws 17 and 18. The lower jaw has the rearwardly facing shoulder 21.

As here shown, a pair of these grippers is mounted on a single block 22; there being two such blocks, with pairs of grippers, one for each pair of bars 1 being operated upon more or ess of these blocks, or blocks each Only so y ill) operated upon. The mounting of the gripper 13 on the block 22 is by a pivot 23 near the front edge. of the. block, forward to which the long gripper bar 1 1- extends, so the gripper can be swung up and down, as adjusted by a screw 24; near the front edge of the block 22, bearing up against the bot tom of the bar 14. This pro vides. for ad justing thelower jawli' level. with the top ofthe punchingdie, as is required in the well kn'own operation of such devices.

These blocks 22 are gibbed to be adjusted crosswise of the machine on the, gripper bed 25; so that the grippers 13 can beapplied to the stock at suitable places along the front end thereof, accordingto the shape and dimensions of the stock. These details are similar to those of prior devices.

I improve the. gripper arrangement by making the gripper bed 25 movable forward or backward on top of the pedestal 12; this bed being. gibbed to the pedestal top, with a clamp-screw 26 to hold it firm thereon when adjusted to a rear operating position. Racks 27 extend from front to rear along the bottom of this bed 25, meshing downwardlywith pinions 28 fixed on a shaft 29 journaled transversely in the pedestal 12 with squareparts projecting for application of a wrench. Lugs 30 depend from the bed 25 at the front, with, stop-screws 31 bearing back against therfront edge of the pedestal.

top when "the bed is moved backward to operative position.

At the rear end of the carriage 3 is. the rear gripper pedestal 32., similar to thefront pedestal 12, but inversely arranged. lVith the exception of this arrangement, the rear.

grippers are like the front grippers 1.3, and so have their. correspondingparts correspondingly numbered. The blocks 33, however, as here shown, are gibbed directly to the top of the rear pedestal $32, so that the rear grippers do not more fmfwardly or rearwardly, as do the front gri iipers 13. However, should it be desirable to have the rear grippers thus movable, the adaptation of the front block mounting to the rear apparatus will be readily understood.

At least one of the pedestals 12 or 32 is to be movable along the carriage frame. Preferably, both arethus movable, as indicated herein, beingrigidly secured at the side rails 4., Thesepedestals are made to be.

attached to the carriage 3 at different locations, to accommodate stock of different lengths; the approximate location. being thus attained, and then the exact positioning of the grippers being effected by adjustment of these on the pedestal. As here shown, only the front grippers being so adjustable, they would servein this way; if both front and rear grippers were adjustable, either could be so used. It is preferred to have both pedestals 12 and adapted to be located variously along the carriage frame, so that different parts of the length of the carriage and its feeding parts, to be described, can be employed for work shorter than the carriage; thus distributing the wear throughout the length of the carriage, better than if always using the forward end of the carriage, as wouldbenecessary, for instance, if the forward pedestal 12 were not movable.

The carriage 3 is driven. by means of rack 36 fixed along on the bottomsof. theside rails 4, meshing downwardly with pinions 37 fixed on. a. driving. shaft 38 journaled.

transversely ofthe machine in brackets-39 fixed on the. back ofthe. frame 5. The spacer frame 10 is mounted rigidly. on the. outside of the frame .5 (at the leftiin .Fig. 3,) and theshaft 38 extends out through this frame 40 and has its outer end part journaled in abearing on the. upper end ;ofa bracket ll fixed to thebase of the framej. and projecting outward and. upward: The ratchet wheel 42 is keyed, on the shaft38 nearthe bearing in the bracket 4:1, with a hub 43 next to the bearing. Next to the: frame,4l0 a pinion llhas a longhub on the shaft 38. toturnrelativelyto this shaft- The pawl-casinglfi is keyed'on this hub, coaxial with and justv inward from the. ratchet wheel 42, with a rim 46 surrounding; the wheel l2 out therefrom radially, to leave a rather wide annular space around the wheel periphery. In this space a number of pawls 47 are pivoted onthe adjacentface of the casing 45 to engage with the ratchet-- wheel teeth, at intervals around the wheel. In practice, the pawls 47 are so set on the casing that each pawl is. slightly farther from its next ratchet-wheel tooth than the next succeeding pawl is from its nearest tooth; so that at any partial revolutionof the casing -15 over backward, one. of the pawls will fall veryclose to a tooth. For instance, with the twelve pawls shown, thus arranged, one of the pawls, it is immaterial which, will be not more thanone-twelfthof the ratchet .pitch from a tooth; and itwill be this pawl which will drive the ratchet wheel when the casing is rotated over forwardly, with the other pawls idle. Thus there will never be more-lost motionin the pick-up of the ratchet than is equal to onetwelftlnof the ratchet pitch. Such a ratchet and pawl arrangement is well known in.the. art, in a broad sense; beingexplainedhere to facilitate the description of its relation to other parts of the invention. So far as: I am ZLWfiI.G,.hOWQ/VQI, it has not been applied to the driving of the carriage of punching machines of the particular kind herein exemplified.

For pressing the pawls 47 to the ratchet wheel 42 I provide the rim 46 with slots through which studs 48 project from respective pawls 47; and forks 49 slide in lugs 50 on the outside of the rim 46 and are pivoted to the respective studs 48, with springs 51 on the forks 49, compressed between the lugs 50 and nuts 52 on the projecting fork ends. To release the ratchet wheel 42 from the pawls 47 when it is desired to turn the wheel backward for a new feed, each pawl 47 has a pin 53 projecting out parallel with the wheel axis, and the releasing disk 54, mounted on the ratchet-wheel hub 43 to slide therealong but not to turn therewith, has a conical rim that engages all of the pins 53, to draw all of the pawls 47 away from the ratchet-wheel teeth when. the releasing-disk 54 is pressed toward the ratchet wheel 42 by a lever 55 fulcrumed astraddle of the bearing in the bracket 41 and connected to the disk 54 by links 56 at opposite sides of the hearing.

The pinion 44 meshes upwardly with a short rack 57 sliding horizontally forwardly and rearwardly in a guideway 58 on the side of the spacer-frame 40 near its top. A. shank 59 on the rack 57 extends through the rear end of the guideway 58, with nuts 60 outside at the rear, to engage with the guideway end and limit forward movementof this rack 57. l orwardly, the fulcrum-bar 61 slides in the guideway 58, and has a shank 62 proj ecting forwardly through an car 63 at the front end of the guideway 58, with a shoulder 64 forwardly of the ear 63. A cushion spring 65 is coiled around the shank 62 in front of the ear 63, behind nuts 66 on the front end part of the shank 62, and is of such length that it is somewhat compressed when the shoulder meets the ear 63. The lower side of the major rear part of the fulcrum-bar (31 is recessed; and an abutment-engaging block 67, preferably of hardened material,

fixed at the rear end of the recess. Another guideway 68 is formed in the frame 40, below and parallel with the upper guideway 58; and the abutment-bar 69 slides along this guideway 68, with a rack 70 on its bottom for distance back from its front end. The abutment 71, preferably of hardened material, is fixed to the bar 69 and projects upward into the upper guideway 58, into the recess'of the fulcrum-bar 61, in front of the block 67. Back of this abutment 71, the abutment-bar 69 has a longitudinal slot 72 (Fig. 1.)

The gear 73 is fixed on the outer end part of the shaft 74 journaled transversely of the machine in the frame 40 and in a yoke 75 fixed on the nearer one of the lengthwise sills 10 of the machine bed. The ahutmentbar rack 70 meshes downwardly with this gear 73; and the inner end part of the shaft 74 has fixed on it, just in from the yoke 75, a gear 76 which is a duplicate of the gear 73. The yoke 75 has a front-to-rear guideway 77 in its inner side, above the gear 7 6; and the rack-block 78 slides forwardly and rearwardly in this guideway, with its rack meshing downwardly with the gear 76. On top of this rack-block 78 is fixed a fork 79 with upper and lower members 80 and 81 projecting inwardly. The adjacent side bar 4 of the carriage frame is made of a Z-bar, as here shown, with its upper member out and its lower member in, to receive the pedestals 12 and 32; and along its bottom, an angle bar 82 is fixed, with a member projected out at the bottom and traveling under the fork members 80 and 81.

Forward from the fork 79, a bracket 83 is fixed on the top of the yoke 75, projecting inward over the mentioned member of the angle bar 82, with a pair of fingers 84 and 85 projected backward. therealong toward the fork 79, with their ends beveled downward backwardly.

Dogs 86 and 87 slide up and down in the fork members 80 and 81, with upwardly facing shoulders between the members, and springs 88 and 89, respectively, are mounted on these dogs and compressed between the shoulders and the upper member 80. Each dog has in its upper end part two openings 90 and 91, above and below, respectively; and pins 92 and 93, for the respective dogs, can be inserted either in the upper opening of the (log, or in the lower opening thereof, limitingthe downward projection of the dog to a lesser or greater degree. The lower ends of these dogs 86 and 87 are beveled up from their rear sides, and are so located transversely that they will ride up on the fingers 84 and 85, respectively, at the beveled. ends of said fingers, as the rack-block carries the dogs forward; but each dolg will overhang the inner edge of the respective finger some what (Fig. 6.)

The templet 94 is a strip of at least the length of the extent of the bar. plate or other stock that is to be operated upon, to be clamped, bolted, or otherwise suitably fixed along on top of the mentioned member of the angle bar 82, to travel therewith, and, consequently, directly with the carriage 3 and the stock, such as the bars 1, carried thereby; and to travel under the dogs 86 and 87 and the fingers 84 and 85. It has two rows of pins 95 and 96 in it, at such intervals along it as it is required to punch or otherwise operate upon the stock; and these two rows of pins 95 and 96 are so located transversely, and the templet 94 itself is so located transversely, that the pin rows will travel close to the inner edges of the fingers 84 and 85, respectively, where each pin of a row can be engaged'by the overhung part 2 opening of the dog.

If either-dog has the pin in the lower opening 91, that dog will be held too high to engage with its respective templet pins or 96: By this means, one ro'w'of pins 95 can be in as to pins 96 can be arranged as are the holes to be punched in the other members of the bars which members are now vertical, but which would be placed horizontal for their punching, after the present operation has been completed on these bars. Atthat time, the dog 86 would be hooked up by its pin 92, placed'in its lower opening 91, and the dog; 87 would be released for cooperation with the other row of pins 96, by placing the the members of the angle bars 1 shown under operation, their dog 86 being free pin 93 in the upper opening 90 of the dog 37. Thus it is not necessary to disturb the mounting of the fork 79 on the rack-block 78 each time a set of bars is punched, aswo'uld be necessary in my prior patent mentioned, where a single dog is shifted to one or the otherrow of temple't pins.

The gear sector 97 is fixed on ashort shaft 98jo-urnaled in the frame -10, to the rearof and below the outer gear 73 of the mechanism just described, and meshes with this'gear'73 (Figs. 1, t and 5;) beingatits highest point when the dogs 86 and 87 have been carried forward over the iingers S 1 and S5 and up from the templet pins 95 and 96 (Fig. 1.) on this short shaft 98, is the arm 99 having the counter-weight 100 mounted onits outer end part for adjustment toward or away from the shaft 93. Also, between this weight 100 and the shaft 93, this arm 99 has the slotted segment 101.

The-main shaft 102 of the'punchingr ma chine, operating the punches 2 up and down, has hired on it, where it projects outof the main frame at this near side of the machine, a nranka 1 103 with a cam-slot 104 in its inner face, in which rides a rollenpin 105 mounted on a cross-hetul 106 sliding up and down in a guideway 107 onthe side of the frame5, to the lower end of which is pivoted a connecting-rod 108 that extends down and has a fork 109 straddling the segment 101 of the arm 99, with a pin through the segment slot. The cam-slot 10st con1- prises a part 110 at a material angle to the radius of the disk103, a part 111 of about 180 extent from the outer end of this part 110 substantially concentric with the disk,

and the remainder 112, around to the inner endof the part 110, substantially a spiral.

On the outer face of the disk 103 is the arranged as are the holes to be punched operate (Fig. 6;) and the otherrow of Just inside this fran1e'4t0,tixed wrist 113, on which is a pitman 11 1, extending down with-a fork onits lower end astraddle of the adjacent ends of two links 115 and 116, with a pin through the fork and both links. One of these links 115 extends'to the rear (Fig; 1) and is pivoted to the rear end part of the short rack 57 and the other link 116 extends forward'and is pivoted to the front end part of the fulcrun1- bar 61.

Between the disk 103 and the frame 5 (Fig. 3,) is the raised segment 117 onthe shaft 102 2;) and a lever 118 is ful crumed on the frame 5 back of the shaft 102,'with a' roller 119 bearing on the shaft 102 to ride up on the segment 117 as the shaft rotates. A connecting-rod 120 is pivoted to the front end'part of this lever 113 and extends down and has its lower end pivoted to the inwardly extended arm of a bell-crank 121 pivoted in the spacer-frame 10 to swing in a transverse plane, with an other arm extendingdown inst inside the frame 40 and having the gripper-rod 122 pivoted to it to extend out through an opening in the frame 10 and through the slot 72 of the abutmcntbar 69. A bracket 123 extends outward and upward from the frame 10, under this rod 122, embracing the rod, and a gripper-head 12st is fixed on this rod 122 between the embracing part' of the bracket 123 and the abutment-bar '69.' 'Outside the bracket, a spring 125 is coiled around the rod 122 and compressed between the bracket and two nuts 126 on the end part of the rod.

The inner end of the inclined part 110 of the cam-slot 10 l'is substantially diametrically opposite the wrist 113; and the advanced end of the segment 117, considering that the machine shaft 102 turns over to the right in Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrow, is somewhat less than 415 behind the wrist 113, and. the leaving end of this segment 117 is about coincident with said inner end of the inclined ca1nslot part110. The wrist 113 is about 90 behind the eccentrics that operate the pui'iches 2; so that, seen in l igs. 1 and 3, when the wrist 113 is highest, the punches 2 are about midway of their downward stroke. At this time, the feed has just. been completed, with the operative dog" 86 just having: been raised onto the finger 8 1 (Fig. l.) Broadly, the principle of operation is the same in my prior patent mentioned; but I have eliminated many of the intervening parts of that invention. The car (33, or stop, corresponds to what. is termed an abutment, and the abutment member 69 corresponds to what is termed the stop member, in'that patent. Herein, the

members (31 and 69 engage their parts 67 and i 71 directly, eliminating several intervening parts of that invention; and the abutment member 09 is more directly connected with l (it) the templet 94, than is the stop member with the templet in the prior device, in addition to having the templet 94 directly on the carriage instead of being driven by a distinct set of mechanism, as is the templet in my prior patent.

The maximum feed is accomplished if the fulcrum or free member 61 is not allowed to move forward at all, imparting all of the movement to the ratchet-operating member 57, to set it backward. If the member 61 be allowed its full forward movement, leaving no movement to the rack 57, backward, there will be no setting of the ratchet members, and no feed at all. It is the function of the mechanism intervening between these parts and the templet 94, and the controlling con nections thereof with the main shaft or operating means 102, to vary the proportion of movement allowed. to the members 57 and 61, according to the spacing of the templet-pins or detents 95 or 96, and thus to cause various lengths of feed or spacings, between'the maximum feed and no feed just explained.

Continuing from the stage illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the punches 2 descend into the stock 1 while the pitman 114 descends through an angle of about 90.

This slides the fulcrum member 61 forward without sliding the ratchet-operating member 57 backward; the friction on the member 61 being less than that on this member 57 and the connected pawl casing and attached parts. At the same time, the gear sector 97 drops as permitted in the inclined cam part 110, permitting the do 86 to re turn off the finger 84, in anti-fee.ing direction, from the position of Figs, 1 to 4 to that of Fig. 5, against the next detent 95. The farther back this goes, the farther can the gears 76 and 73 turn backward, and the farther can they allow the abutment-bar 69 to move its abutment 71 backward toward the block 67 of the bar 61, to stop the forwardtravel of this bar 61.- ,After this stoppage, further descent of the rod 108 is idle, in the slot of the segment 101.

In the meantime, the segment 117 on the main shaft 102 acts through the rod 120 and bell-crank 121 to move the gripper-head 124 toward the abutment-bar 69, gripping this bar tightly after the dog 86 has engaged. the

. nextpin 95 as just described. The abutmentbar 69 now will be held firmly stationary by this gripping device, as well as by the resistance of the counter-weight 100; and when the fulcrum-bar 61 engages its fulcrumblock 67 with the abutment 71 of the bar 69, further forward travel of the fulcrum-bar 1 will be prevented. This will overcome the resistance on the rack 57, and the rack 57 will be moved backward, turning the pawl-casing 45 backward and setting the pawls 47 back around the ratchet wheel 42 during the remainderof the descent of the pitman 114 to its lowest point. In the latter 90 of this descent, the punches 2 will have ascended out of the stock. having punched the holes therein; and when the pitinan 11.4 reaches its lowest point, the punches 2 will be about midway f their ascent. I

Now, as the pitman 114 starts up to the rear, the pawl 47 nearest a tooth of the ratchet wheel 42 will engage with that tooth; but the ratchet wheel offers all of the resistance of the carriage 3 and its load, while the fulcrum-bar 61 is free to move back from the engagement with the abutment-bar 69. This backward movement of the fulcrum-bar 61 will continue until the shoulder 64 engages with the car 63 at the front end of the guideway 58. Now the resistance of the carriage 3 and its load will be overcome due to this positive engagement of the shoulder 64 of the fulcrum-bar 61 with the ear 63, which is a part of the fixed frame of the machine, and the next feed will begin. The spring 65 first engages the ear 63, however, before the shoulder 64 does, and by its compression there is a cushioning effect resulting in the shoulder 64 engaging the car 63' without too heavy impact.

The feed will be completed during the as cent of the pitman 114, with the fulcrum-bar 61 affording a positive fulcrum; and during this time, the punches will ascend to their highest point and descend again through the first half of their downward travel, to the position shown in the drawings, after which the next operation will be a repetition of that which has been described. During the feed just described, the templet 94, fixed on the carriage 3, has been carried forward the distance of the feed, and the eccentric part 112 of the cam slot 104 has carried the dog 86 forward the same distance, without strain on the templet pin or detent 95. Since the distance of this feed is the distance forward to the rear inclined end of the finger 64, the dog 86 will ride up on this finger at the end of the feed, again being as seen in Figs; 1, 3 and 4. As the pitman 114 started up,-the segment 117 of the main shaft 102 went down forward from under the roller 119, allowing the gripper-head 124 to be withdrawn from the abutmentbar 69 by the spring 125; so that soon as the dog- 86 is raised out of engagen'icnt with the templet-pin .95, the counterweight 100 will. act through the gears 76 and 725 to throw the dog 86 and the abutment-bar 69 back until the dog engages the next templet-pin 95 to the rear. Thus, the extent of the next feed, to be prepared for-during the punching now about to occur, is predetermined as this distance back to this next templet-pin or detent- 95. v I

It will be seen, therefore, that during each punching, the iiawl-casmg 45 is set back the required distance to effect the next feed; and

provide for, due to the stretching. Where it is unnecessary to use the rear grippers, the initial setting of the templet, with the first piece of stock, will be understood from the foregoing; merely omitting the precautions involved with the use of the rear grippers. In any case, the shoulder 21 of the gripper 18, front or rear, acts as the gauge for setting each successive. piece of stock correctly relatively to the templet. When the front grippers have their position disturbed by running their bed 25 forward for any reason, the stop-screws 31 serve as a gauge for the return of the grippers to correct position. 7

The various provisions may be otherwise combined, or some of them may be eliminated, or varied as found in my prior patent, or otherwise, depending upon circumstances, or the type of mechanism required. Therefore, while certain constructional details are deemed preferable in connection with my invention, and I have shown and described these rather specifically in elucidating the construction and use of my invention, as is required, I do notv wish to be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description, but having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object,a carriage for said object,

intermittently and positively acting feeding mechanism for said carriage, a templet fed directly with said carriage by said carriage feeding mechanism, and means whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism.

2. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage for said object, positively acting feeding mechanism for said carriage, a templet fed directly with said carriage by said carriage feeding mechanism, and means whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism.

3. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, intermittently and positively acting templct-controlled feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, and means to grip a part of said mechanism during the templet-conti'olling action.

at. In. a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, intermittently and positively acting templet-controlled feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, and means for cushioning the action of said mechanism prior to its positive action.

5. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, intermittently and positively acting templet-controlled feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, means to grip a part of said mechanism during the templetcontrolling action, and means for cushioning the action of saidmechanism prior to its positive action.

6. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, comprising a ratchet element and a plurality of pawls variously spaced from the respective teeth of said element, a templet, means whereby said feeding mechanism directly feeds said templet, and means whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism.

7. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the objectoperated upon, comprising a ratchet element and a plurality of pawls variously spaced from the respective teeth of said element, a templet, means whereby said feeding mechanism directly feeds said templet, means whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism, and meansto grip a part of said mechanism during the templet-controlling action.

8. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, comprising a ratchet element and a plurality of pawls variously spaced from the respective teeth of said element, a templet, means whereby said feeding mechanism directly feeds said tem plet, means whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism, means to grip apart of said mechanism during the templet controlling action, and means for cushioning the action. of said mechanism prior tov its positive action.

9. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mecha nism for the object operated upon, a templet with detents thereon, fed directly by said feeding mechanism, positively acting mechanism comprising means engaging with said detents, whereby said templet positively controls saidfeeding mechanism, and means actuated by said operating means to maintain the engagement with said detents during the templet-controlling action.

10. In a spacing device, in combination with operating meansto repeatedly operate upon an object, templet-controlled feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, and means to grip and hold stationary a part of said mechanism during the templetcontrolling action.

11. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object-operated upon, a templet with detents thereon, and positively acting mechanism comprising means gradually moving,toward said detents under the control of said operating means,to engage with said detents whereby said templet positively controls said feeding mechanism.

12. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, a templet with detents thereon, positively act ing mechanism comprising means gradually movingtoward said detents under the control of said operating means, to engage with said detents whereby said templetpositively controls said feeding mechanism, and means actuatedby said operating means to maintain the engagement with said detents during the templet-controlling action.

1? In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object operated upon to operatively act after each operation of said operating means, and means comprising a templet fed directly by said feedingmechanism, fondetermining, during each-operation of said operating means, the extent of the next operative action of said feeding mechanism.

14. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, positively acting feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, repeatedly equally rapidly driven to opera tively act after each operation of said operating means, and means comprising a templet fed directly by said feeding mechanism, for determining, during each operation of said operating means, the extent of the next operative action of said feeding mechanism.

15. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, and a relatively wide frame for the operating means, and a carriagefor carrying the object, and a relatively narrow and long bed extending through said frame for the carriage to travel upon, feeding mechanism for said carriage mounted in said frame and extending from said bed therein out to one side of said frame, operative connection 011 said side of said frame from said operating means to said carriagefeeding mechanism, a templet mounted on said carriage to travel directly therewith through said frame, and means extending from said templet out to said side of said frame and to said operative coimection, wherereby said templet controls the action of said operative connect-ion upon said feeding mechanism.

16. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchethavinga preliminary movement and a movement to feed said object, operative connect-ion moved by said operating means, a link connected to said operative connection and to said ratchet, another link connected to said operative connection with a free end reciprocated by said operative connection, means whereby the relative movements of said links may vary'in extent, but whereby the sum' of the extents of'their movements is constant, a movable abutment for stopping the movement of said free end in one direction, forming a fulcrum to give said ratchet its preliminary movement, stopping means for stopping said free end during returnyforming a fulcrum to cause said ratchet to feed said object to be operated upon, means to vary the position of said abutment, and means actuated by said operating means-to clamp said abutment in its various positions.

17. In a spacing device, in con'ibination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet having a preliminarymovement and a movement tofeed said object, operative connection comprising a crank rotated by said operating means, a pitm-an connected to said crank, links pivoted directly to said pitman, one of said links being connected to said ratchet means, and the other link having a free end reciprocated by said pitman, a movable abutment for stopping said free end in one direction, forming a fulcrum to give said ratchet means its preliminary movement, means for stopping-said free end during return, forming a fulcrum to cause said ratchet to feed said object to be operated upon, and means to vary the position of said abutment.

18. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet having a preliminary .ll'lOVQlllOiIil and a movement to feed said object, operative connection moved by said operating means, a link connected to said operative connection and to said ratchet, another link connected to said operative connection with a free end reciprocated by said operative connection, means whereby the relative movements of said links may vary in extent, but whereby the sum of the extents of their movements is constant, a movable abutment for stopping the movement of said free end in, one direction, forming a fulcrum to give said ratchet its preliminary inovehiient, stopping means for stopping said free end (linking return, forming a fulcrum to cause said ratchet to feed said ol'vjcct to be operated upon, means to vary the position of said abutment, and means for cushioning said stopping means prior to its stopping action.

19. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet to feed said object, a ratchct-operating link, a free link, operative connection from said links to said open ating means, a fulcrum-member connected to said free link, a fixed stop for said fulcrum-member to form a ratchet-driving fulto limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchet-operating link.

v 20. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet to feed said object, a ratchet-operating link, a free link, operative connection from said links to said operating means, a fulcrum member connected to said free link, a fixed stop for said fulcrum member to form a ratchet-driving fulcrum for said ratchet-operating link, a movable ten1plet-controlled abutment ent gaging directly with said fulcrum member,

to limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchet operating link, and means for cushioning the stoppage of said fulcrum member by said fixed stop.

21.. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, feeding mechanism for feed ing said object after each operation of said operating means, operative connection to said operating means having movement of "repeatedly equal extent, a ratchet to operate said feeding mechanism, a connecting element from said operative connection to sa1d ratchet, an ad usta|ole stopmember, connec tion between said stop member and said operative connection, whereby the extent of operation of said ratchet depends upon the position of said stop member, a templet directly connected to saidfeeding mechanism to befed directly with said object, and operative connection from said templet to said stop member, whereby said templet controls the adjustment of said stop member.

22. In a spacing device, in combination "with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet and means whereby said ratchet feeds said object, a ratchetoperating member, a fulcrum member, operative connection from said operating means to said ratchet-operating member and to said fulcrum member, to cause alternate recession and approach of said members from and toward each other, a stop engaged by said fulcrum member during said approach, a

movable abutment engaged by said fulcrum member during said recession, a templet, and means whereby said templet variably positions said movable abutment.

23. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage for said object, a ratchet and means whereby said ratchet feeds said carriage, a ratchet-operating member, a fulcrum member, operative connection from said operating means to said ratchet-operating member and to sa1d fulcrum member, to-cause alternate recession ment.

24. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet to feed said object, a ratchet-operating member, a ,free member, operative connection from said members to said operating means, a fixed stop for said free member to form a ratchetdriving fulcrum for said ratchet-operating member, a movable abutment engaging with said free member to limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchet-operating member, a templet fed by said ratchet directly with said object, a dog engageable with said templet, a carrier for said dog, moved in feeding direction after said dog engages with said templet, means to disengage said dog from said templet at the end of each feed, means to return said dog and its carrier in anti-feeding direction along said templet, and means whereby said movable abutment moves in either direction with said carrier.

25. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet to feed said object, a ratchet-operating member, a free member, operative connection from said members to said operating means, a fixed stop for said free member to form a ratchetdriving fulcrum for said ratchet-operating member, a movable abutment having a rack and engaging with said free member to limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchetoperating member, a templet fed by said ratchet directly with said object, a dog engageable with said templet, a carrier for said dog having a rack and moved in feed ing direction after said dog engages said templet, means to disengage said dog from said templet at the end of each feed, means to return said dog and its carrier in antifeeding direction along said templet, and gears coaxially turning together and meshing respectively with said movable-abutment rack and with said dog-carrier rack.

26. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet and means whereby said ratchet feeds said object, a ratchetoperating member, a fulcrum member, operative connection from said members to said operating means, a fixed stop for said fulcrum member to form a ratchet-driving fulcrum forsaid ratchet-operating member, a movable abutment engaging with said ful crum member to limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchetoperating memher, a templet, means whereby said templet variably positions said movable abutment, a gripper for said movable abutment, andv operative connection from said gripper to said operating means, to cause said gripper to grip said abutment after positioning thereof by said templet.

27. In a spacing device, in combination with operating meansto repeatedly operate upon an object, a ratchet andmeans where by said ratchet feeds saidobject, a ratchet-v operating member, a fulcrum member, opierative connection from said members to said operating means, a. fixed stop for said, fulcrum member to form a ratchet-driving fulcrum for said ratchet-operating member,

a spring compressed. by said fulcrum inember prior to stoppage of said fulcrummemher by. said stop, and templet-controlled means engaging with said fulcrum member to limit the ratchet-setting movement of said ratchet-operating member. I

28. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon anobject, a, ratchet to feed said object, a ratchet-operating member,a free member, operative connectionfrom said members to said operating means, a fixed stop. for; said free member to form a ratchet-driving fu l crum for said ratchet-operating member,v a movable abutment engaging with said free member to limit the ratchet-setting move- -ment of said ratchet-operating,member,v

templet fed by said ratchet directly with said object, a dog engageable with. said templet, a carrier for said dog, moved,. in feeding direction after saidv dog engages with said templet, means to disengage said: dog from said templet at the end of each feed, to return in anti-feeding direction along saidtemplet, means wherebyv said; movable abutment moves in either direction, with said carrier, a cam rotated bysaid operating means, having a part with a mate" rial inclinationto its radius, a substantiallvv concentric part, and an eccentric part, and means operatively connected to said carrier. and movable abutment andengaging, succes sively, withsaid cam parts, to control" the return of said dog, detain said dog, and then control the movement, of'said. dog in feeding. direction.

29. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a spacer framehaving .a guide'way, a. ratchet; near saidv guideway means-whereby siad ratchet feeds said object, a ratchet-operating member, a fulcrum member guided in said guideway, operative connection from said operating means to said members, to cause alternaterecession and approach of said members fromand toward each other, a'stop on said frame near the end ofsaid-fulcrum member remote from said ratchet, a'shank" on said fulcrum, mem

ber, extending past said stop, a spring on said shank to engage said stop during ap-' and means to. adjust said abutment on. said frame.

30. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, feeding mechanism for feeding said object after each operation of said operating means, operative connection from said operating means to said feeding mechanism, and means for determining, during each operation of the operating means, the extent of the next action of said operative connection on said feeding mechanism, comprising a templet traveling with said object and having detents arrranged longitudinally thereon, a member comprised in said operative connection and reciprocated longitudinally of said templet, a dog on said reciprocated member to engage with saiddetents and slidable to disengage from said detents, and disengaging means alongside of which said detents travel, said dog partly overhanging said detents and partly overhanging said disengaging means, for engaging said disengaging means, to be slid from its engaged detent at the end. of each feed and to engage the next succeeding detent of said templet.

31. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon anobject, feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, a templet with detents arranged thereon in distinct series, mechanism comprising a plurality of engaging means engaging the detents of the respective series, whereby said templet controls said feeding mechanism, and means to cause either one of said engaging means to engage with or disengage from the detents of the respective series.

32. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, feeding mechanism for the object operated upon, a templet with detents arranged thereon in distinct series, mechanism whereby said templet. controls said feeding mechanism, bracket extending close to said detents, dogs slidable in said bracket toengage with or disengage from the detents of the respective series, and means on each dog to engage with said bracket and hold the dog out of engagement with the detents' 33. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending in comprising a i advance of and back of said operating means, means for holding said object, on said carriage in advance of said operating means, an additional means for holding said object, on said carriage back of said operating means, and intermittently and positively acting templet controlled feeding mechanism for said carriage.

34. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending in advance of and back of said operating means, means for holding said object, on said carriage in advance of said operating means, an additional means for holding said object, on said carriage back of said operating means, positively acting feeding mechanism for said carriage, to operatively act after each operation of said operating means, and means for determining, during each operation of the operating means, the extent of the next operative action of said feeding mechanism.

35. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending in advance of and back of said operating means, means for holding said object, on said carriage in advance ofsaid operating means, an additional means for holding said object, on said carriage back of said operating means, and means for feeding said carriage.

36. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending in advance of and back of said operating means, means for holding said object, mounted for adjustment toward or from said operating means, on said carriage in advance of said operating means, an additional means for holding said object, on said carriage back of said operating means, and

back of said operating means, and means for feeding said carriage.

38. In a spacing device, in'combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said'operating means, extending in advance of and back of said operating means, means for holding said object, mounted for adjustment toward or from said operating means, on said carriage in advance of said operating means, an additional means for holding said object, mounted for adjustment toward or from said operating means, on said carriage back of said operating means, and means for feeding said carriage.

39. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending inadvance of and back of said operatadvance of said operating means, holding means mounted'on said pedestal for adjustment toward or from said operating means, and an additional holding means on said carriage back of said operating means, either one of said holding means being adapted to hold an adjacent part of said object, and means for feeding said carriage.

40. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage to be fed relatively to said operating means, extending in advance of and back of said operating means, pedestals on said carriage, respectively in advance of and back of said oper ating means, holding means on the respec tive pedestals, to hold respective adjacent parts of said object, one of said holding means being adjustable on its pedestal toward or away from said operating means, and means for feeding said carriage.

41. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, feeding means comprising a holder for the object in advance of said operating means, adjustable toward and from said operating means, and an auxiliary holding means for the object back of said operating means to hold said object when it is to be operated upon by said means too near to the advanced end'of said object for use of the advanced holder, which is then adjusted away from said operating means.

42. In a spacing device, in combination with operating means to repeatedly operate upon an object, a carriage, a gripper mounted on said carriage for adjustment in spacing direction or transversely to spacing di rection, to hold one end of an object to be operated upon by said operating mechanism, an auxiliary holder to hold the opposite end of said object, and intermittently and positively acting templet-controlled feeding mechanism for said carriage.

FREDERICK C. STIENING.

ing means, a pedestal on said carriage in

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