Nov. 1, 1960 W. P. SHAW EIAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREADING PERFORATED ARTICLES Filed Oct. 4. 1956 A Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS WALTER P. SHAW BY RODERICK w LINK Q il l ATTORNEY Nov. 1, 1960 w. P. SHAW ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREADING PERFORATED ARTICLES Filed Oct. 4. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov 1, 190 W. P. $HAW ET AL 2,953,126

US FOR THREADING PERFORATED ARTICLES METHOD AND APPARAT Filed Oct. 4.: 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 1, 1960 W. P. sHAw ET AL 2,958,126

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREADING PERFORATE'D ARTICLES Filed Oct. 4. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 9

United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREADING PERFORATED ARTICLES Walter P. Shaw, Wappingers Falls, and Roderick W. Link, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 4, 1956, Set. N0. 613,985

'8 Claims. 01. 29-433 This invention relates to a device for threading pierced articles on a line and more particularly to a device in which the line is threaded by means of a hollow needlelike tube.

. In the past the operation of threading wires through magnetic cores has been largely a manual operation where the wires are fed through individual cores using tweezers. Aligned rows of cores have been threaded by passing a hooked needle through the cores and then withdrawing it with a wire attached or by attaching a wire first and then passing the needle through the cores and drawing the wire through after the needle.

The known methods of threading wires through cores are too slow and tedious and subject to error. The present device is designed to obviate some of the difiiculties previously encountered in the threading of perforated articles.

In accordance with the foregoing observations, the main, object of this invention is to provide an improved method and device for inserting wires in rows of pierced articles, for example, magnetic cores.

I Another object of the invention is to provide a device for simultaneously inserting a plurality of wires into a plurality of parallel rows of pierced articles.

- Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for first inserting one or more sets of wires into cores aligned in rows in one direction and then inserting one or more wires into rows of the cores aligned in another direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a core threading device utilizing hollow needles by means of which the needles are threaded through cores after which the wires are driven through the needles andheld while the needles are withdrawn thereby leaving the cores threaded by wires.

I Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away to show 7 details.

Figs. 3-7 are fragmentary views illustrating various stages of operation of the device.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along line 8-8 in Fig. 2, and illustrates details of a core holder.

Fig. 9 is a view of a wire cutter.

,Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises generally, a vacuum box and core support unit 10 and a needle unit 12 both mounted on a base plate 14. The unit 10 comprises a turntable 16 pivotally mounted on the base plate 14 by a spindle 18.

' Notches 20 and 22 are provided in the turntable 16, ninety degrees apart, for locking the turntable selectively intwo positions by means of a detent 24 slidably mounted on a bracket 26 fixed to the base plate 14 by screws 28 and biased into engagement with a notch 20 or 22 by a spring (not shown). The detent 24 is operated by a handle 30.

A vacuum box 32 is fixed in a centered position on the turntable 16, and is connected to a vacuum producing device (not shown) by a hose 34. A flange 36 is provided on the box 32 to receive and hold a core support member 38. Suitable material, for example sponge rubber, may be placed between the flange 36 and the support member 38 to provide a suitable vacuum seal.

Referring to Fig. 8, which is a section view taken along the line 8-8 Fig. 2, the details of the core support member 38 are illustrated. Six cavities 40 are shown, four of which contain magnetic cores 42. Each cavity has a vacuum port 44 extending from its lowermost point through a support 38 to the bottom side. The support 38 forms a lid for the vacuum box 32 and the vacuum is applied to the ports 44- and serves to hold the cores 42 within their respective cavities 40. A sheet of transparent electrostatic material (not shown) of the type commonly used as a self-sealing wrapper for foods and other items, may be placed over the cores in the support 38 to be acted upon by the vacuum and aid in holding the cores in place. Grooves 46, intersecting rows of cavities 40 in one direction only are provided as shown in Figs. 2 and 8. In Fig. 2, the support member 38 is shown partially filled with cores 42 which, it will be noted, are arranged at angles of ninety degrees to adjacent cores. A few vacuum ports 44 are indicated in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the cavities 40 with their ports 44 are uniformly distributed over the core support member 38, but, for ease of illustration, some have been omitted in Fig. 2.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, a spring biased wire gripper 48 is mounted on the base plate 14 by a bracket 50. The gripper 48 may be latched in an open position by a latch member 52 mounted on the bracket 50 and engageable with the gripper 48 at a point designated 54. To close the gripper 48, it is necessary only to release the latch 52.

The needle unit 12, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, includes a plate 59 pivoted at 60 on a frame member 62 which is slidably mounted in ways 64 fixed to the base plate 14 by screws 66. A bracket 68 fixed to the plate 59 by screws 70 (one shown) rotatably supports a plurality of wire spools 72 on shafts 74 and 76.

The needle feeding mechanism is mounted on a bracket 78 fixed to the plate 59 by screws 80 (one shown). The needle feeding mechanism is shown in greater detail in the sectional view, Fig. 3. A T-shaped bracket 82 is fixed to the bracket 78 by screws 84 (one shown). The upper surface of the bracket 82 contains a plurality of parallel grooves 86 for receiving hollow needles 88 through which wires 90 from the spools 72 are threaded. A transparent plate 92, for example Lucite, is fixed to the T-bracket 82 by screws 94 to retain the needles 88 in the grooves 86 and to permit viewing the needles for a purpose described hereinafter.

A pair of adjusting screws 96 (one shown in Fig. 3) are provided in the T-bracket 82 for adjusting the needle unit 12 for vertical alignment with the cores 42 in the core support member 3 8.

A roller 100 is rotatably mounted in the bracket 78 and a roller 102 is mounted thereabove by brackets 104 and screws 106 and is made vertically adjustable by adjusting the screws 108. The rollers 160 and 102 are operated by an operating knob 110 (Fig. 2) fixed to the shaft of the roller 10 2. A braking roller 112 is rotatably mounted in a pair of blocks 113 (Fig. 3) slidably mounted in brackets 114 fixed to the T-bracket 82 by screws 115. A shaft 116, Figs. 2 and 3, carries eccentric cams 117, Fig. 3, engaging the blocks 113. A brake handle 118 is" fixed to one end of the shaft 116, and when moved to the position of Fig. 4, cams the roller 112 into driving engagement with the needles 88; when further moved to the position of Fig. 5, the roller 112 is camrned into a position where the needles are locked against the T-bracket 82'.

Referring to Fig. l, a brake is shown mounted on the bracket 68 by means of a bracket 119. The brake includes a brake shoe 120 which may be rubber or any suitable material. The bracket 119 is fixed to the bracket 68 by screws 121 and slots 122 (one each shown in Fig. 1). By adjustment of the bracket 119 on the bracket 68, the shoe 120 may be set to clear the spools 72 or to engage them depending upon whether braking of the spools is desired. The shoe 120 may be adjusted to engage the wire spools 72 with sufficient friction to hold the wires while the needles are fed by the rollers 100 and 102. The needles may be fed without braking the spools if the ends of the wires 90 do not protrude from the leading ends of the needles 88. This may be accomplished by retracting the wires inside the needles by manipulation of spools 72.

A wire cutting device, best shown in Figs. 7 and 9, is generally designated 130 and comprises a knife blade 132 having an operating handle 134. The blade 132 fits slidably in a bracket 136 having a flange 138, Fig. 7, by which the bracket 136 is affixed to the T-bracket 82 by the bolts 139. The blade 132 is retained in a raised position by springs 140 and 142 connected with the blade 132 and the bracket 136. The knife blade 132 cooperates with an edge 144 of the T-bracket 82 for cutting the wires 90.

Operation A complete operation including the threading of coordinate wires in two directions through the cores in the core support will now be described.

A core support member 38 completely filled with cores 42 (for example, 4096 cores comprising 64 rows by 64 rows) and preferably covered with the aforementioned transparent electrostatic sheet, is inserted in the vacuum box 32 and vacuum is applied thereto through the hose 34. The turntable 16, initially is rotated ninety degrees clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 2 and is latched in that position by the detent 24 and the notch 20. The brake arm 118 is in the released position of Fig. 3 and the gripper 48 is latched open.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the upper portion of the needle unit 12 is pivoted clockwise about the pivot 60 and is moved toward the vacuum unit on the ways 64. The needle unit is lowered onto the vacuum unit with a notch 150, Fig. 3, engaging a step 152 and with the vertical adjusting screw 96 resting on a surface 154 of the support member 38. The needle grooves 86 are horizontally aligned with the rows of cores 42 and are vertically aligned for the needles 88 to clear the top surface of the support member 38. The knob 110, Fig. 2, is rotated clockwise and the needles 88 are fed from a position where the left ends of the needles are just inside the needle grooves 86 to a position where the right ends of the needles are observed to be passing under the roller 102. During this feeding operation, the spools 72 are braked as described hereinbefore and the needles are fed through the rollers 100-102. Full feeding of the needles leaves the ends of the wires inside the needles 88 through which they may then be fed as described hereinafter. An alternative method is to remove the effect of the brake shoe 120 whereby there is sufficient friction between the wires and the needles that the wires unwind from their respective spools under the pull exerted by the needles.

Before the needles 88 are fed from between the rollers 100-102, the brake arm 118 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which position the roller 112 is brought into engagement with the needles 88 to apply a slight braking effect to stop the needles immediately after they pass from between the rollers 100102. But for the brake, the needles 88 might be fed further than desired due to the frictional connection between the wires and the needles and the driving effect of the rollers 100102 on the wires 90 when the needles 88 leave the rollers. The needles 88 are then fed beyond the rollers 102. After the needles leave the rollers, the brake arm 118 is rotated to the locking position (Fig. 5) moving the roller 112 to a position where the needles are locked against the T-bracket 82. The wires 90 at this time are in engagement with the rollers 100 and 102. The clockwise rotation of the knob is continued and the wires 90 are fed through the needles 88 whereby they protrude from the left ends of the needles and into the jaws of gripper 48. The gripper 48 is released to grip the wires 90 as shown in Fig. 5. The brake handle 118 is returned to the slight braking position and a knob 156 fixed to the shaft 116, Fig. 2, is rotated counterclockwise to feed the needles 88 back under the roller 102. The knob 110 is then rotated counterclockwise to retract the needles to their original positions (Fig. 6) while the gripped wires 90 remain in their threaded position in the rows of cores. When the needles 88 have been fully retracted, the needle unit 12 is moved on its ways 64 away from the vacuum unit 10 (Fig. 7) thereby paying out more wire. The wire cutter is operated to clip the wires 90 off at the cutting edge 144. The gripper 48 is released; the detent 24 is Withdrawn from the notch 20; the turntable 16 is rotated ninety degrees and the detent 24 is engaged with the notch 22. It is necessary to move the unit 12 away from the unit 10 to provide clearance for rotation of the turntable 16.

The needle unit 12 is again moved toward the vacuum unit 10 on the ways 64 and lowered into place upon the support member 38. The needle grooves 86 and needles 88 must be vertically and horizontally aligned with the grooves 46 in the support member 38. The vertical alignment may be accomplished by having the step 152 and surface 154 at a slightly lower level on the side adjacent the needles in the rotated position of the turntable 16 or by adjustment of the adjusting screws 96.

With the units 10 and 12 so aligned, the needle and wire feeding procedure described hereinbefore is repeated, feeding wires 90 through the grooves 46, under the first inserted wires 90 and at ninety degrees thereto. After the needles have been retracted and the wires 90 clipped off, the core support member 38 is removed from the vacuum box 32 andthe ends of the wires 90, now threaded through the rows of cores, may be secured to any suitable support and terminals. After such securing and removal of the cores, the support member 38 may be refilled with cores for repeated use.

Following the described procedure, several parallel wires may be inserted, one at a time, in each row of cores.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for threading coordinate filaments in an array of perforated elements comprising, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in first parallel rows and in second parallel rows intersecting said first parallel rows, each said element being common to two said intersecting rows and said perforation of each said element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows, a plurality of tubular elements, one for each said first parallel rows, alignable with said first parallel rows, means for rotating said support means for aligning said second parallel rows with said tubular elements, means for supplying a continuous filament corresponding to each said tubular element, having one end frictionally engaged therein, a pair of first rollers initially engaging said tubular elements and operable for feeding said tubular elements, together with said filaments, completely through said first rollers into said parallel rows of aligned perforations, operable for thereafter feeding said filaments through said tubular elements and for thereafter retracting said tubular elements, a second roller lockable for holding said tubular elements and operable for thereafter retracting said tubular elements into said first rollers, a brake for locking said second roller against saidtubular elements, means for holding said filaments, during said retracting operation and means for cutting said filaments intermediate said support means and said rollers.

2. A method of threading coordinate filaments in an array of perforated elements comprising the steps of supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in at least two intersecting rows, one said element being common to said two intersecting rows and said perforation in said one element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows, aligning a tubular element containing one end of a filament and a first one of said intersecting rows of elements, feeding said tubular element together with said filament into said aligned perforations, feeding said filament to project the end of said filament from said tubular element, holding said filament end, retracting said tubular element, severing said filament near the end of said retracted tubular element, aligning said tubular element and a second one of said intersecting rows, feeding said tubular element together with said filament into said aligned perforations of said intersecting row, again feeding said filament to project the end of said filament from said tubular element, holding said filament end, retracting said second tubular element and severing said filament near the end of said tubular element.

3. A device for threading coordinate wires in an array of perforated elements comprising, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in first parallel rows and in second parallel rows intersecting said first parallel rows, each said element being common to two said intersecting rows, said perforation of each said element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows and said support means containing grooves in alignment with said openings of said second rows, a plurality of hollow needles, one for each said first parallel row, alignable with said perforations of said first parallel rows, means for rotating said support means for aligning said grooves and aligned perforations of said second rows with said needles, means for supplying a continuous wire corresponding to each said needle, one end of said wire being frictionally engaged within a corresponding one of said hollow needles, a pair of first rollers initially engaging said needles and operable for feeding said needles, together with said engaged Wires completely through said first rollers into said parallel rows of aligned perforations, operable for thereafter feeding said wires through said needles, and for thereafter retracting said needles, means for operating said first rollers selectively in either direction, a second roller lockable for holding said needles and operable for thereafter retracting said needles into said first rollers, a brake for locking said second roller against said needles, means for holding said wires during said retracting operation and means for cutting said wires intermediate said support means and said rollers.

4. A device for threading coordinate filaments in an array of perforated elements comprising, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in first parallel rows and in second parallel rows intersecting said first parallel rows, each said element being common to two said intersecting rows and said perforation of each said element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows, a plurality of tubular elements, one for each said first parallel rows, alignable with said first parallel rows, means for rotating said support means for aligning said second parallel rows with said tubular elements, means to supply a continuous filament corresponding to each said tubular element, having one end inserted in said corresponding tubular element, a pair of first rollers initially engaging said tubular elements and operable for feeding said tubular elements completely through said first rollers into said parallel rows of aligned perforations, for thereafter feeding said filaments through said tubular elements and for thereafter retracting said tubular elements, a second roller lockable for holding said tubular elements after they are fed through said first rollers and operable thereafter for retracting said tubular elements into said first rollers, a brake for locking said second roller against said tubular elements, means for holding said filament during said retracting operation and means for cutting said filaments intermediate said support means and said rollers.

5. A device: for threading coordinate filaments in an array of perforated elements comprising, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in at least two intersecting rows, one said element being common to said two intersecting rows and said perforation of said one core being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows, at least one tubular element alignable successively with said intersecting rows, means for rotating said support means for successively aligning said intersecting rows with said tubular element, means to supply a continuous filament corresponding to each said tubular element, having one end inserted in said corresponding tubular element, means for feeding said tubular element into said aligned perforations, for thereafter feeding said filament through said tubular element, means for thereafter retracting said tubular element, means for retarding said filament during said tubular element feeding, means for holding said filament during said retracting, and means for cutting said filament.

6. A method of threading coordinate filaments in an array of perforated elements comprising the steps supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in at least two intersecting rows, one said element being common to said two intersecting rows and said perforation in said one element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows, aligning a tubular element containing one end of a filament and a first one of said intersecting rows of elements, retaining the filament within said tubular element, feeding said tubular element into said aligned perforations, feeding said filament to project the end of said filament from said tubular element, holding said filament end, retracting said tubular element, severing said filament near the end of said retracted tubular element, aligning said tubular element and a second one of said intersecting rows, retaining the filament within said tubular element, feeding said tubular element into said aligned perforations of said second intersecting row again feeding said filament to project the end of said filament from said tubular element, holding said filament end, retracting said tubular element and severing said filament near the end of said tubular element.

7. A device for threading coordinate wires in an array of perforated elements comprising, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of said elements aligned in first parallel rows and in second parallel rows intersecting said first parallel rows, each said element being common to two said intersecting rows, said perforation of each said element being aligned with all perforations of both said common rows and said support means containing grooves in alignment with said openings of said second rows, a plurality of hollow needles, one for each said first parallel row, alignable with said perforations of said first parallel rows, means for rotating said support means for aligning said grooves and aligned perforations of said second rows with said' needles, means to supply a continuous wire corresponding to each said hollow needle, so that the wire ends are threaded into the respective hollow needles, a pair of first rollers initially engaging said needles and operable for feeding said needles completely through said first rollers into said parallel rows of aligned perforations, operable for thereafter feeding said wires through said needles, and thereafter for retracting said needles, means for operating said first rollers selectively in either direction, a second roller lockable for holding said needles after they are fed through said first rollers and operable thereafter for retracting said needles into said first rollers, a brake for locking said second roller against said needles, means for holding said wires during said retracting operations and means for cutting said wires intermediate said support means and said rollers.

8. A device for threading successive sets of perforated elements with Wire from a continuous supply comprising, in combination, means for supporting a set of said elements in a row with said perforations in alignment, a tubular element having an outside diameter smaller than the perforations in said perforated elements threaded with said Wire, first roller means initially engaging said tubular element and operable for feeding said tubular element completely through said first roller means and into said perforations, said first roller means being then adapted to engage the wire behind said tubular element, whereby said wire can be fed through said tubular element by continued rotation of said first roller means, a second roller means engaging said tubular element and operable for retracting said tubular element into said first roller means, said first roller means being adapted to be reversely operated to thereafter retract said tubular element from said row of perforated elements, means for grasping the end of said Wire during said retractions and means for cutting said wire between the end of the tubular element and the set of perforated elements after retracting said tubular element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,024,124 Dietz Apr. 23, 1912 1,949,965 Kelly Mar. 6, 1934 2,351,116 Frankwich et al June 13, 1944 2,362,596 Trattler Nov. 14, 1944 2,386,145 Ruysdael Oct. 2, 1945 2,536,677 Bruner et al. Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 530,224 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE @ERTIFICATE EUH Patent N0) 2958, 126 November l 1960 Walter P, Shaw et all It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed. specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column S line 38 strike out "second and insert the same after said in line 55 same column Signed and sealed this 25th day of April 1961 (SEAL) Ame-a:

Attesting Oflicer I Commissioner of Patents