Mounting arrangement for a knot brush

Abstract

A knot brush with a knot plate having a plurality of perforations disposed circumferentially about the plate near an outer rim. A plurality of mounting holes are formed through the knot plate and are spaced apart from one another. Each mounting hole is located at a radial position that is inward from the perforations. A plurality of wire bundles are attached to the knot plate. Each wire bundle includes a center portion extending through a perforation and two end portions twisted together securing the bundle to the knot plate. Two side plates are attached to the knot plate. Each side plate includes protrusions extending out from the side plate and into the mounting holes. One side plate is punched into a protrusion on the other side plate forming an interlocking button that extends from the surface of the side plate and locking the side plates together.

1 . A knot brush comprising:
 a knot plate having a plurality of perforations formed through the knot plate, the perforations being disposed circumferentially about the plate near a radially outer rim of the knot plate, and a plurality of mounting holes formed through the knot plate, the mounting holes being spaced apart from one another on the knot plate, each mounting hole located at a radial position inward from the perforations;   a plurality of wire bundles attached to the knot plate, each wire bundle including two opposed end portions with a center portion extending through an associated perforation in the knot plate, the end portions being at least partially twisted together so as to secure the bundle to the knot plate;   first and second side plates attached to the knot plate, each side plate including an annular central portion and curved support rim, the curved support rim adapted to assist in supporting the wire bundles, each side plate including at least two protrusions extending out from the surface of the annular portion, the protrusions being spaced apart from one another and forming a recess on the opposite surface of the side plate, each protrusion being located at a radial position relative to the center of the side plate such that each protrusion extends into an associated mounting hole; and   at least one interlocking button protruding from an outer facing surface of at least the first side plate and formed by a portion of the second side plate being deformed into the first side plate so as to mechanically interlock the two side plates and protrude from the outer facing surface of that side plate.   
   
   
       2 . A knot brush according to  claim 1  wherein the button is formed in one of the protrusions and extends into the recess associated with that protrusion. 
   
   
       3 . A knot brush according to  claim 2  wherein there are multiple buttons, each one formed in one of the protrusions. 
   
   
       4 . A knot brush according to  claim 2  wherein the knot plate has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of each side plate, wherein the perforations are slotted holes formed in the knot plate, the perforations being spaced substantially equally apart from one another and located at a common radial position from the center of the knot plate, and wherein each side plate includes half as many protrusions as there are mounting holes in the knot plate. 
   
   
       5 . A knot brush according to  claim 2  wherein there are six mounting holes substantially equally spaced circumferentially on the knot plate; and wherein there are three protrusions on each side plate substantially equally spaced circumferentially on the side plate, the side plates being substantially identical except that the protrusions on one side plate are offset from the protrusions on the other side plate by 60 degrees when the side plates are mounted to the knot plate. 
   
   
       6 . A knot brush according to  claim 4  wherein each slotted hole has a length of about 0.200 inches and a width of about 0.125 inches. 
   
   
       7 . A knot brush according to  claim 6  wherein the knot plate has a diameter of about 4.38 inches and a thickness of about 0.110 inches, and wherein there are at least 76 perforations formed in the knot plate, each perforation centered about 1.984 inches from the center of the knot plate. 
   
   
       8 . A knot brush according to  claim 5  wherein each side plate preferably has a diameter of about 4.72 inches and a thickness of about 0.05 inches, the central portion being substantially planar is shape, wherein the knot plate has a diameter of about 4.38 inches and a thickness of about 0.110 inches, and wherein there are at least 76 perforations formed in the knot plate, each perforation centered about 1.984 inches from the center of the knot plate. 
   
   
       9 . A knot brush according to  claim 5  wherein the protrusions are substantially circular in shape with an outer diameter of about 0.571 inches and protrude from the central portion of the side plate by about 0.105 inches, and wherein the protrusions are spaced approximately 120 degrees apart from one another. 
   
   
       10 . A knot brush according to  claim 5  wherein the centers of the mounting holes are located about 1.496 inches from the center of the knot plate, and wherein each mounting hole has a diameter of about 0.610 inches and is located 60 degrees from an adjacent mounting hole. 
   
   
       11 . A knot brush comprising:
 a knot plate having a plurality of perforations formed through the knot plate, the perforations being disposed circumferentially about the plate near a radially outer rim of the knot plate, and a plurality of mounting holes formed through the knot plate, the mounting holes being spaced apart from one another on the knot plate, each mounting hole located at a radial position inward from the perforations;   a plurality of wire bundles are attached to the knot plate, each wire bundle including two opposed end portions and a center portion extending through an associated perforation in the knot plate, the end portions being at least partially twisted together so as to secure the bundle to the knot plate;   two side plates attached to the knot plate, the side plates being substantially identical to one another and including an annular central portion and curved support rim, the curved support rim adapted to assist in supporting the wire bundles, each side plate including at least three protrusions extending out from a surface of the annular portion, each protrusion forming a recess on the opposite surface of the side plate, the protrusions being spaced apart from one another on each side plate, each protrusion being located on the side plate such that each protrusion on a side plate extends into an associated mounting hole in the knot plate but is not aligned with any protrusions on the other side plate; and   a plurality of interlocking buttons protruding out from a surface of a side plate, each button located in one of the recesses on a side plate, each interlocking button formed by a portion of the one side plate being deformed into the other side plate so as to mechanically interlock the two side plates and protrude from the outer facing surface of the other side plate.   
   
   
       12 . A method of forming a knot brush comprising the steps of:
 forming a plurality of perforations through a knot plate, the perforations being disposed circumferentially about the plate near a radially outer rim of the knot plate;   forming a plurality of mounting holes in the knot plate, the mounting holes being spaced apart from one another on the knot plate, each mounting hole being located at a radial position inward from the radial location of the perforations;   providing a plurality of wire bundles, each wire bundle having two opposed end portions,   inserting one end portion of each wire bundle through an associated perforation in the knot plate;   twisting the two end portions at least partially along their length so as to secure the bundle to the knot plate;   forming first and second side plates, each side plate having an annular central portion and curved support rim, the curved support rim adapted to assist in supporting the wire bundles;   forming at least two protrusions on each side plate, the protrusions extending out from the surface of the annular portion, the protrusions being spaced apart from one another;   placing the first side plate on one side of the knot plate so that each protrusion on the side plate is aligned with one mounting hole on the knot plate;   placing the second side plate on the opposite side of the knot plate so that each protrusion on the second side plate is aligned with one mounting hole on the knot plate; and   punching a portion of one side plate into a protrusion on the other side plate so as to force the punched materials on both side plates to deform and form an interlocking button on the opposite surface of the other side plate, the interlocking button of material locking the side plates to each other and retaining the knot plate.   
   
   
       13 . A method of forming a knot brush according to  claim 12  wherein the two side plates are formed so as to be substantially identical, and wherein prior to the step of placing the second side plate on the knot plate, the method involves orienting the second side plate so that the protrusions on the second side plate are not aligned with the protrusions on the first side plate. 
   
   
       14 . A method of forming a knot brush according to  claim 13  wherein each side plate includes three protrusions and the knot plate includes six mounting holes; and wherein the step of orienting the second side plate results in the protrusions on the second side plate being offset by 60 degrees from the protrusions on the first side plate. 
   
   
       15 . A method of forming a knot brush comprising the steps of:
 forming a knot plate having a plurality of perforations extending through the knot plate, the perforations being disposed circumferentially about the plate near a radially outer rim of the knot plate, the knot plate having a plurality of mounting holes spaced apart from one another, each mounting hole being at a radial position inward from the radial location of the perforations;   attaching a plurality of wire bundles to the knot plate, each wire bundle being attached to an associated perforation by inserting one end portion of the wire bundle through the perforation in the knot plate and twisting the end portion of the wire bundle to an opposite end portion of the wire bundle so as to secure the bundle to the knot plate;   forming first and second side plates, each side plate having an annular central portion and curved support rim, the curved support rim adapted to assist in supporting the wire bundles, each side plate having at least two protrusions extending out from a surface of the annular portion, the protrusions being spaced apart from one another;   placing the first side plate on one side of the knot plate so that each protrusion on the side plate is aligned with one mounting hole on the knot plate;   placing the second side plate on the opposite side of the knot plate so that each protrusion on the second side plate is aligned with one mounting hole on the knot plate while being offset from the protrusions on the first side plate; and   punching a portion of the first side plate into a protrusion on the second side plate so as to force the punched materials on both side plates to deform and form an interlocking button on the opposite surface of the second side plate, the interlocking button of material locking the side plates to each other and retaining the knot plate.