Patent GB-130450-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the Cutting of Metals and the like by the Oxy-acetylene Process or similar methods.
Inventor: GODFREY ALFRED
IPC: B23K7/00
Filed: 1918-07-27
Abstract: 130,450. Godfrey, A. July 27, 1918. Dividing by fusion. -- A machine for cutting metals by an uxy-acetyleile or other gas burner is constructed so as to be capable of cutting patterns, rows of circles, or rings of circles, or a series of straight lines inclined to one another at adjustable angles, .e.g. to cut polygonal figures of varying number of sides, and capable of great variation, the cutting-burner being carried in a pivotal frame mounted on a vertical column, and the templet, slide, or the like for guiding the burner being mounted above the work. The work may be mounted on a baseplate in a vice having a fixed upper jaw, or in an angularly adjustable holder capable of being raised and lowered by pedal mechanism. The burner can be raised out of operative position by means of a weighted handle the actuation of which cuts off the gas supply to the burner. The burner is of the kind in which a supply of acetylene and oxygen is supplied at the start, but subsequently oxygen only is supplied. A distance-piece may control the distance of the cutter from the work, and this may act as a tracer for tracing out a design on the work over which the burner is subsequently guided by hand. The work 20, Fig. 1, is clamped in a vice formed with a fixed upper jaw 17, and a lower screw-operated jaw 19 carried by an adjustable slide 15 mounted in a rotatable holder 13 carried by a support 12 which is mounted on a work-bed 10. For cutting rods, a notched block 22 may be mounted in a bracket 21 formed integral with the jaw 19. The cutting-burner 132 is supported from a column 24, arranged at the corner of the base-plate 10, by means of a frame 28 pivoted by means of steel centres 27 to a frame 26 which is pivoted between steel centres carried by lugs on a vertically adjustable collar mounted on the column 24. The burner 132 is raised from the work by operating a weighted lever 137, Figs. 1 and 10, on a shaft 136 geared to a rack 78, Fig. 12, winch, through a lug 85, spring 82, end plunger 84, raises a sleeve 76 integral with the burner, this sleeve being integral with other sleeves 75, 77, which respectively guide the rack 78 and serve for receiving a spring plunger 88 to which is attached a guide-pin 50 arranged in connexion with a templet 45, Fig. 1, or a shoe 37 moving in a guide 38 for guiding the burner. A pin 89 moving in a slot 90 controls the movement of the plunger 88. Both the templet 45 and the slide 37 are mounted on a head 32 carried by an arm 31 at the top of the column 24. The slide 37 is mounted on a slide 36, and it can be set at any distance along the slide 36. The slide 36 can be set to any required angular position by rotating the head 32, and it cam be set and held in position by a detent 33 which can be caused to engage one series of holes arranged 30 degrees apart, or a second lower series which are 45 degrees apart. The templet is secured to a wooden support 44 by means of nails, and a distancepiece 46 is arranged between the parts 44, 45. An angular adjustment similar to that shown for the head 32 may be employed for a work-support which is arranged to be raised into cutting position by treadle mechanism. In place of a straightline motion for the burner, it can be moved in a series of circles, the centres of which lie in a straight line or in a ring. For this purpose, the follower 50 may be secured to a slide 165, Fig. 6, which can be set at a distance equal to the radius of the circle to be cut, from a vertical shaft which is mounted in a slide carriage 159, which is adjustable along a guideway 161 by means of an horizontal screw. The guideway 161 is also mounted in a slide 152 which can be adjusted along a guide 154 in a direction at right-angles to the carriage 159, and the whole is mounted from an adjustable head, so that the mechanism permits of a great variation of movements to the cutter. 'The tracer pins 50 may be of various sizes to permit of operation on work of various thicknesses without change of templet, and the tracer may be connected to a shoe as 38, Fig. 14, by means of a sliding member 138 with a circular aperture 139 for the pin to pass through, the sides of which aperture engage a notch in the tracer when the member 138 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 14. In a modification, Fig. 8, the burner is guided by a rotary templet arranged above the work, and the work-carrier is geared to the driving-mechanism of the templet and is provided with a conical flame-deflector 68 for protecting the base-plate, The frame 28 may carry a distance-piece 144, Fig. 12, for regulating the distance of the flame from the work, the piece being carried by a sleeve 142 and arm 143. The distance-piece is normally out of the path of the flame, but the arm 143 is recessed at 145 so that it may receive the burner before it is lighted in order to trace out a design for the work prior to cutting out the metal to the design. The burner is of a known type in which oxygen and acetylene are supplied for the heating by pipes 96, 94 respectively, the oxygen supply being divided into two streams, one of which is used alone for the burning operation, and may be cut off by a spring valve the stem 101 of which is pressed inwards to vary the supply of oxygen, and it may be operated to cut off the supply altogether. The gas supply is controlled by levers 107, 108, which are moved to operate toothed sectors 105, 106 geared to pinions on cocks which control the acetylene and oxygen supply respectively, the degree to which the cocks can be opened being determined by adjusting stops 109, 110 in the slots of graduated segmental guide-brackets 111, 112. Cams 113 return the arms 107, 108 to zero position when the shaft 136 is turned to raise the cutting-burner. The spring valve 101 which controls the burning oxygen is arranged to be depressed by a cam-surface 122 on the end of a lever 119 provided with an operating-handle 125 which can be operated to open the valve to an extent which is regulated by an adjustable stop set with the aid of an indicating-scale. A cam 117 on a shaft 136 automatically closes the valve 101 by engaging a roller 118 on an arm fixed to the lever 119. According to the Provisional Specification, the burner may be stationary and the work guided by templets or slides in the manner described for the burner.