Tensioning spring for brick cutter wires
AssigneeBasic Machinery Co., Inc.
InventorHarold J. Milholen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cutter frame for cutting unfired brick material is provided with a tensioning leaf spring having a lateral mounting portion. A cutter wire end loop is positioned over the mounting projection and is placed in substantial tension by such spring. The mounting projection is deformed by plastic deformation to provide a fully curved cutter wire loop support surface. Since the support surface for the cutter wire is curved, sharp corners are eliminated and fatigue failures in the cutter wire are substantially reduced. Further, the smooth support surface allows the wire to automatically position itself to equalize the tension in each leg of the loop.
Claims5
A cutter frame for cutting unfired brick material, comprising first and second spaced supports, a mounting pin mounted on said first support, metal wire tensioning leaf spring mounted on said second support, said leaf spring providing a projecting mounting portion, and a cutter wire formed with closed loops on each end, one loop of said wire encircling an associated one of said projecting portion and the other loop of each wire encircling said mounting pin, said leaf spring operating to apply substantial tension to said wire, said leaf spring and projecting mounting portion being formed of spring metal having a predetermined thickness, said projecting mounting portion being deformed to provide a smoothly curved substantially semicircular cutter wire support surface having a chordal thickness greater than said predetermined thickness, said semicircular surface engaging the associated cutter wire loop to apply tension thereto without producing sharp bends tending to cause stress concentration failures in the associated loop, said cutter wire operating to cut unfired brick material when said wire is passed through said unfired brick material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.