Patent GB-456064-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the finishing of edges of sheet material
IPC: C14B11/00
Filed: 1935-04-01
Abstract: 456,064. Finishing the edges of sheet material. UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 140, Federal Street, Boston, U.S.A.-(Assignees of Doulette, H. T. ; Brockton, and Hooper, F. E. ; Swampscott, both in Massachusetts, U.S.A.) April 1, 1935, No. 10043. Convention date, Sept. 28, 1934. [Class 42 (i)] In a machine adapted for finishing edges of sheet material such as leather by shrinking by heat there is provided a support for the workpiece, a shrinking-tool having a workcontacting portion extending substantially parallel to an edge of the workpiece, a burner positioned to direct a flame against the workcontacting portion on the side thereof remote from the workpiece to heat the shrinking-tool sufficiently to cause the edge of the workpiece to curl, and means for causing relative movement between the workpiece and the shrinking- tool to subject successive portions of the margin of the workpiece to the action of the shrinking tool. A hammer provided for beating the shrunken edge of the workpiece has setting-means actuable whilst the machine is in operation to produce a change in the location of the path along which the hammer moves towards the workpiece to perform its beating action. The base 10 of the machine is hollow and integral with a hollow overhanging arm 12. A circular work-supporting table 14 near the end of the base 10 has a central removable ribbed plate 16 therein which is apertured to allow a supporting feed roll 18 to project therethrough. The workpiece, a piece of leather for example, is fed continuously by the roll 18 and an upper roll 20, both positively driven, so that the edge thereof is curled by a plough or turning- post 22, treated by means of a shrinking-tool 28 and also an intensely hot oxy-acetylene flame, and subsequently hammered by a rapidly oscillating hammer 30. The main drive shaft 40 is connected by skew gears to a transverse shaft 46 which is connected by means of worm gears to a countershaft 50 having a pinion in mesh with a large gear secured to the lower feed roll 18. The upper feed roll 20 is a thin annular disc attached to a bevel gear mounted on thrust ball bearings, the gear meshing with a further bevel gear secured to a stub shaft connected through a shaft having universal joints 70, 72 to an intermediate shaft 74, and thence to a short shaft 76 driven from the transverse shaft 46. A single bracket 66 carries the upper feed roll 20 and the bevel gears therefor, and this bracket is mounted on a sub-frame 80 for adjustment along the axis of the roll and at right angles thereto. The sub-frame 80 is also mounted on the arm 12 for adjustment in a direction parallel to the axis of the feed roll. The bracket 66 is mounted on a block secured to a hollow carrier rod resiliently mounted for vertical movement in the subframe 80. The shrinking-tool 28, which may be an alloy of nickel and chromium, is also mounted in a block adjustable in a direction parallel to the axis of the feed roll 20 and at right angles thereto, and is also mounted on a hollow carrier rod resiliently mounted in the sub-frame 80 for vertical movement therein. The two carrier rods are arranged so that when a finger-piece 32 is depressed, for introducing a new workpiece into the machine, the shrinking-tool 28 and the upper feed roll 20 are both moved upwardly, the arrangement being such that the tool 28 is moved away first and descends last, thereby ensuring that the tool is not in contact with a stationary workpiece. The shrinking-tool, owing to the pressure applied thereto, and the fact that it is intensely hot, is firmly supported in a block 120, Fig. 10. The tool is substantially U-shaped, the work-engaging bar 154 sloping downwardly towards the direction of feeding movement, and the legs 156, 158 are gripped in an opening in the block 120 by means of a clamp 164 and screw 166. The clamp has lugs thereon to prevent inwardly bending movements of the legs and bodily movement of the tool. The burner 26, from which the flame issues, is mounted on the sub-frame 80, and comprises a nozzle, and a mixing chamber 180 supplied with oxygen and acetylene from a needle-valve controlled chamber 236. The mixing chamber is so mounted that it can be moved by screw means angularly, vertically, and horizontally on the sub-frame 80; it can also be moved vertically by means of a treadle acting through a rod 39, lever 38, rod 36, and lever 34. The hammer 30 oscillating close to the side of the turning-post 22, has its operating surface serrated, and delivers a resilient blow. It has a depending shank adjustably secured to the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever, the other arm of the latter being pivotally connected to a connecting rod 254 at one end of which is mounted a boss 256 surrounding an eccentric 258 upon a stub shaft driven from the cross - shaft 46 by a gear and pinion'. The rod 254 has two parts, an inner solid rod, and an outer sleeve 266 one end of which is threaded on a stud secured to the eccentric boss 256. The other end of the sleeve has threaded therein a tube 270 to provide an abutment for a spring 272 surrounding the inner solid rod and acting upon a nut secured at the free end of that rod. The tension of the spring may be adjusted by a nut 276. The connecting rod 254 as a whole passes through a protecting sleeve 278. The spring 272 may be replaced by simply unscrewing the tube .270. The length of the connecting rod is adjustable to vary the position of the operative face of the hammer, and the latter may be bodily adjusted vertically to a certain extent by adjustment on the bell-crank lever 252. To enable the machine to accommodate workpieces which vary considerably in thickness, the pivot point of the bell-crank lever 252 may be raised or lowered to move the hammer 30 vertically, even when the machine is in operation. The pivot point is positioned at the end of the horizontal arm of another and longer bell-crank lever 280 which is pivotally supported in a casting 282 attached to the base 10 of the machine. The depending arm of the bell-crank lever 280 is held by means of a strong spring 286 against the curved surface of a pivoted abutment which can be swung about its pivot through screw means by turning a graduated handwheel 298. A notched disc co-operating with a spring pawl is provided on the screw means. Provision for ensuring that the joints between the bell-crank levers and associated parts of the hammer are lubricated comprises oil wells situated in the casting 282 into which the ends of wicks dip, the wicks passing through passages bored in the members to the joints to be oiled. The plough or turning-post 22 has a channel through which fumes are drawn into a passage in the hollow arm 12 by a suction apparatus which may be embodied in or be separate from the machine. A fine mesh screen at the entrance to the arm 12 prevents sparks passing therein. The turning- post is part of a relatively massive metal piece adjustable in the direction of feed of the workpiece by screw means ; the metal piece is mounted on a bracket which is adjustable vertically. Specifications 193,936, [Class 16], and 357,646, [Group XV], are referred to.