A Method of and Apparatus for Bending and Shaping Metal Plates, the said Invention being specially applicable for the Construction of Metal Barrels and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1893-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1893
• PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Bending and Shaping Metal
Plates, the said Invention being specially applicable for the
Construction of Metal Barrels and the like.
We, EDWARD REDMAN, of 30 Eldon Place, Woodhouse, Leeds, Engineer,
DAVID CARD of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad Street in the City of London,
Merchant, THE KEROSENE COMPANY LIMITED of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad
Street in the City of London and THE TANK STORAGE AND CARRIAGE
COMPANY LIMITED also of 3 Crown Courr,' Old Broad Street in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a method of and apparatus for bending and shaping
metal plates, the said invention being specially applicable for the construction of
metal barrels and the like, by means of which certain advantages are obtained.
In practising our invention we take a sheet of metal cut to a suitable shape,
square or rectangular for example, and we pass this between a pair of cylindrical
rolls to curve it or bend it in the direction of its movement through the said
rolls. Thereafter we feed the said sheet to a machine which we shall now briefly
describe.
This machine consists of two curved nesting rolls the one concave and the other
convex. In front of these rolls is a device which we term the feeding guide and
which consists of two plates or the like placed parallel to one another and bent or
curved so as to correspond with the meeting line of the two rolls, that is to say,
assuming that the convex roll is placed above the concave roll the space between
the plates of the feeding guide will be concave when looked at from above in a
direction from side to side, the curve being the same as that of the said meeting
line or in other words of the concavity of the lower roll or of the convexity of the
upper roll, the space between the two plates of the feeding guide being opposite the
said meeting line of the rolls. Although the space between the feeding guides is
curved from side to side it is not curved from back to front. On the other side of
the rolls is a rear guide or former of the kind technically known as a wiper. This
wiper is curved in the same direction as the circumference of the convex roll but
with a considerably larger radius and with a different centre. It has also a curve
at right angles to the line of curve just mentioned which corresponds with the
curve originally given to the metal sheet or in other words is similar to the
convexity of the convex roller or the concavity of the concave roller. The wiper
extends from close to the meeting line of the two rolls outwards or backwards.
The metal plate already bent to correspond with the space between the plates of
the feeding guide is now inserted between the said plates of the feeding guide and
clamped therein by means of screws or other adjusting devices for enabling the
metal plate to be tightly gripped in the said guide. The metal plate having thus
been gripped in the feeding guide is fed up to the rolls between which it is gripped
and drawn and thereafter is passed along the inner surface of the wiper so as
to cause the plate to be bent round in the direction of its travel into a' more or less
cylindrical form. The said plate is now curved in two directions at right angles to
one another and when the front and rear edges (by 'the front edge we mean
the edge first fed to the rolls and by the rear edge the edge by which the plate
leaves the rolls) meet, it has the shape of a barrel the ends of which have been
removed.
We have spoken of the plates of the feeding guide being parallel and of the
meeting line between the concave and the convex rolls as though such rolls nested
together accurately. In practice however we prefer not to have the plates of the

page_text: feeding guide quite parallel and not to have the curve of the concave and convex
rolls quite the same. We prefer to have the plates of the feeding guide sufficiently
out of the parallel to enable the plate to, be gripped between them more tightly at
the sides than at the centre and we prefer that the two rolls should not nest
exactly but that the curvature of the concave roll should have a slightly larger
radius than that of the convex so that the metal plate when between them shall be.
gripped more tightly at the centre than at the sides. In practice we find it'
important that the rear edge of the feeding guide and the front edge of the wiper
should come as close up to the meeting line of the rolls as possible and for this
purpose we bevel away the said edges of the feeding guide and of the wiper. We
generally find it convenient to insert packing between the two plates of the feeding
guide.
As an alternative way of practising our invention we may, instead of passing the
metal plate between cylindrical rolls for the purpose of giving the said plate its first
curve as before mentioned, attach to our machine, and in front of the feeding guide,
a pair of nesting rolls hereinafter for the purpose of description termed the primary
rolls, and similar to those already mentioned and we may rely upon these rolls for
pushing the plate, after curving it in a direction from side to side, through the
feeding guide and then on to the main nesting rolls before mentioned.
After the plate has emerged from the machine properly bent and shaped we may
trim the edges by means of any of the well known tools for such purpose before
they are united for the purpose of making barrels or other articles.
In some cases we find it convenient to use built rolls instead of rolls constructed
of a single piece.
It will be seen that the essence of our invention in so far as it relates to the
method consists in first bending or curving the sheet in one direction between a pair
of rolls and then passing it through a feeding guide then between a pair of curved
rolls and then over a wiper thus bending or curving the metal plate in a second
direction, this second line of curve being in a direction at right angles to that of
the former curve, and in so gripping the metal plate in the feeding guide and after-
wards in the main rolls that whereas in the feeding guide the gripping pressure
increases from the centre towards the sides the pressure of the grip between the
main rolls increases from the sides towards the centre.
It will also be seen that in so far as our invention relates to the apparatus it con-
sists in the combination with curved nesting rolls of a feeding guide and of a wiper
such as have been hereinbefore mentioned and that either with or without primary
rolls.
J. G. LORRAIN, M. Inst. E.E., M. Inst. M.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Bending and Shaping Metal
Plates, the said Invention being specially applicable for the
Construction of Metal Barrels and the like.
We, EDWARD, REDMAN, of 30 Eldon Place, Woodhouse, Leeds, Engineer,
DAVID CAIRD, of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, THE KEROSENE COMPANY LIMITED, of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad
Street, in the City of London, and THE TANK STORAGE AND CARRIAGE
COMPANY LIMITED also of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention relates to a method of and apparatus for bending and shaping

page_text: metal plates, the said invention being specially applicable for the construction of
metal barrels and the like, by means of which certain advantages are obtained.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we will describe by the
aid of the accompanying drawings one form of machine, constructed in accordance
with our invention.
Figure 1 is a transverse section through the rolls, wiper and feed guides, showing
(diagrammatically) a plate being fed through and bent by them.
Figure 2 is a front elevation showing (diagrammatically) the convex and
concave rolls.
Figure 3 is an end clevation of our machine.
Figure 4 is a front elevation thereof.
Figure 5 is a transverse section of the same through the rolls wiper and feed
guides.
Figure 6 is a plan.
Figure 7 is a front elevation showing a modified and preferred device for
tightening the feed guides.
Figure 8 is a part side elevation showing more fully than in Figures 3, 5 and 6,
a portion of the device provided for the adjustment of the pressure between the
rolls, and also showing a side view of the feed guides.
In these figures similar letters of reference indicate similar or analogous parts.
In practising our invention we take a sheet of metal cut to suitable dimensions
and shape, square or rectangular for example, and we pass this between a pair of
cylindrical rolls to curve it or bend it in the direction of its movement through the
said rolls. Thereafter we feed the said curved sheet to a machine arranged
substantially as follows.
66
This machine consists of two curved nesting rolls, A convex and the other
B concave. In front or at the feed side of these rolls is a device which we term
the feeding guides," and which consists of two plates or castings or the like
ce placed parallel to one another or as hereinafter set forth and bent or curved
to correspond with the meeting line of the two rolls A and B, that is to say,
assuming that the convex roll A is placed above the concave roll B the space
between the acting surfaces of the feeding guide will be concave when looked
at from above in a direction from side to side, the curve being the same as that
of the said meeting line, or in other words of the concavity of the lower roll B
or of the convexity of the upper roll A, the space between the two platesc c
of the feeding guide being opposite the said meeting line of the rolls. Although
the space between the feeding guides is curved from side to side it is not curved
from back to front. The function of these guide plates is to keep the material
even and flat and to prevent as far as possible the formation of buckles or corru-
gations, at or about its lateral margins, which have hitherto caused trouble by
preventing the passage of the sheet through the rolls A and B. On the other side
of the rolls A and B is a rear guide or former D of the kind technically known
as and hereinafter termed a wiper." This wiper has a double curved face one
curve being in the same direction as the circumference of the convex roll A but
with a considerably larger radius and with a different centre, and the other being
at, or about at right angles to the line of curve just mentioned that is to say being
in the same direction as the horizontal curvature of the convex roll. The wiper D
extends from close to the meeting line of the two rolls A and B outwards or
rearwards.
Referring to the drawings: the function of the wiper is to compress the margins
or edges of the plates which have just previously been expanded by the nesting
rolls.
His a bed plate supporting the frames I, I', M and N. In suitable bearings in
these frame I, I', is fitted a shaft on which are mounted fast and loose pulleys J, K,
and a gear wheel o. L is a belt-shifting gear. In suitable bearings in the
frames M, N, is fitted a shaft carrying the concave roller B and to each end of

page_text: the said shaft are fitted the roller gear wheels oo, and the shaft is driven through
suitable intermediate gearing,as, illustrated at o', 02, 03. To each end of the shaft
of the roller A are fitted the roller gear, wheels of, o, through, which, the said shaft
is driven.
The bearings of the shaft of the roller A are carried by the bent levers P, P,
centered at pp in the brackets C, C, and fitted with suitable counterpoises P1, P
Shese hinged levers P, P, are held in normal position by the superimposed plates
or levers which are also,hinged at e, e, and have extensions Q, Q, behind said,
hinges e, e, provided with counterweights Q1, Q', and locking bolts or devices g, g...
For adjusting the pressure upon the, bearings of the upper, roll, A,, the said
plates are fitted with adjusting screws m, m, adapted to operate upon the
bearings of the, roller A, and actuated by pawls n, n, and radial ratchet wheels r, r,
connected by levers s, &, and link rod t, shown best in Figures 5 and 6.
Between the flanges a, a, a', a', fitted on the frames M and N, is the feed-guide c, c',
and clamping screws or bolts d, d, Figure 4, are fitted for the purpose of adjusting
the pressure between the two feed-guides.
A modified arrangement of pressure device (which we prefer to use in lieu of
adjusting screws d, d,) is shown in Figure 7. In lieu of the screws d, d, Figure 4,
we provide pressing pins h, h, which bear on the upper part e of the feed-guide.
Cams k, k, pivotted at w bear on the pins h, h. These cams are operated by links i, i,
which are pivotted at j. j to pieces 7, 7, one of which pieces has a right hand and the
other a left hand thread. These two pieces are connected by a shaft . Each end
of this shaft is threaded,, the one end to fit one of the pieces and the other end to
fit the other piece, and E is a hand operating wheel keyed on the shaft...
By turning this wheel E in one direction the cams k, k, are operated through the..
pieces 1, 1, and links i, i, so as to apply any required pressure to the upper part e of
the feed guide through the pressing pins h, h. By turning the wheel in the opposite,
direction the feed guide is relieved from pressure and springs y, y, serve to lift the
upper part c.
The wiper D aforesaid is fitted to the side frames M and N on flanges u, U.,
forming part of the said frames, and means of adjustment such as the screws,e, u,
are provided for setting the wiper D up to the line of meeting of the rolls A
and B, and accurately regulating its position.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
The metal plate already bert to correspond with the space, between the
plates c, c', of the feeding guide is inserted between the said plates of the
feeding guide c, d, and pressed up to the,rolls A and B and then clamped by
the, above described means. The metal plate having thus, been suitably gripped
by the rolls and feeding guide is drawn up by the rolls A and B, between
which it is gripped and drawn, and thereafter is passed along the inner surface,
of the wiper D so as to cause the, plate, to be bent round in the direction of
its travel into a more or less cylindrical form. The said plate is now. curved
in two directions at right angles to one another; and when the front, and
rear, edges meet it has the shape of a barrel the ends, of which have been
removed...
"
In Figure this operation is shown diagrammatically, the plate being shown
partially bent a part still remaining in the guides.
When the front and the rear edges of the plate meet and it has assumed the
shape of a barrel body, it is taken from the machine in the following manner;;
1:
J.
The locking bolts g, g, are unlocked and, the plates, raised upon, two
pivots, e, to the position shown, by dotted lines, and the levers P, P,..are,
thrown into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, carrying with them,,
the rollerA and the curved plate or barrel body, F., The parts of the
levers immediately adjacent, to the, roll, bearings are reduced as far as is
consistent with strength as shown at p so as to admit of the front, and rear.edges,
of the plate, being sprung apart as shown in Figure 5 in order that the

page_text: |curved plate may be drawn straight off the roll. This is important as in the
manufacture of articles of small diameter any considerable degree of springing
apart of the plates is undesirable and liable to strain the metal.
We have spoken of the plates of the feeding guide,, as being parallel and
of the meeting line between the concave and the convex rolls A, B, as though such
rolls nested together accurately. In practice however we prefer not to have the
plates of the feeding guide quite parallel and not to have the curves of the concave
and convex rolls quite the same. We prefer to have the plates of the feeding
guide sufficiently out of the parallel to enable the plate to be gripped, or pressed
upon, between them more tightly at its sides than at its centre part, so as to prevent
marginal buckling as above explained, and we prefer that the two rolls should not
nest exactly but that the curvature of the concave roll should have a slightly larger
radius than that of the convex roll. In other words the gripping configuration of
the guide plates is the same as that of the rolls. By this arrangement the metal
plate when between them.is gripped or pressed upon more tightly at the centre than
at the sides. In practice we find it important that the rear edge of the feeding
guide c, c, and the front edge of the wiper D should come as close up to the
meeting line of the rolls A and B as practicable and for this purpose we find it
advantageous to bevel away the adjacent edges. of the feeding guide and of the
wiper, as shown in Figures 1 and 5 more or less.
We generally find it convenient to insert packing pieces such as G, G. between
the two plates c, c¹, of the feeding guide to act as guides to the sides of the plates
fed therethrough.
As an alternative way of conveniently practising our invention we may, instead
of passing the metal plate between cylindrical rolls for the purpose of giving the
said plate its first or preliminary curve as before mentioned, attach to our machine
and in front of the feeding guide, a pair of nesting rolls hereinafter for the purpose
of description termed the "primary rolls," and similar to those already mentioned,
and we may rely upon these rolls for pushing the plate after curving it in a
direction from side to side, through the feeding guide and then on to the main
nesting rolls and wiper before mentioned.
After the plate has emerged from the machine properly bent and shaped we may
trim the edges by means of any of the well known tools for such purposes, before
they are united for the purpose of making barrels or other articles.
In some cases we find it convenient to use built rolls instead of rolls constructed
of a single piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; we declare that what
we claim is
1. The hereinabove described method of bending and shaping metal plates which
consists in passing the said plates (previously bent or curved in one direction) first
through a feeding guide, such as c, c', and next between a pair of curved rolls, such
as A and B, and then over a wiper, such as D, thus bending or curving the metal
plate in a second direction, the second line of curve being at right angles to that of
the first curve, and in so gripping or pressing upon the metal plate in the feeding
guide and afterwards in the main rolls that whereas in the feeding guide the grip or
pressure increases from the centre towards the sides, the pressure or grip between
the main rolls increases from the sides towards the centre substantially as and for
the purposes above set forth.
2. The combination with the curved nesting rolls A and B of a wiper D, con-
structed with double curves and so arranged in regard to the said rolls as to
compress the ends of the sheet which the rolls have expanded or pressed outwardly
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the curved nesting and expanding rolls A and B and
wiper D arranged as set forth, of the feed guide c, c¹, constructed and disposed
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinabove fully set forth.

page_text: 4. In a machine for bending and shaping metal plates such as above described.
the combination with the upper roll, such as A, of the mechanism for regulating
and adjusting the pressure thereupon consisting of screws m, ratchets r, pawls n,
and levers s, and link rod t substantially as described.
5. The arrangement of mechanism for adjusting the grip or pressure of the upper
part of the feed guide c, c', upon the sheet pressing therethrough substantially as
described and illustrated in Figure 7.
6. In a machine for bending & shaping metal plates such as above described the
arrangement of mechanism for lifting the upper roll, with the curved plate thereupon,
consisting of the hinged plates or levers f, f, with counterbalanced extensions Q, Q',
and locking devices g, combined with hinged counterpoised levers P, P, with the
reduced parts p² for removing the article from the roll substantially as set forth.
Dated thin 5th day of June 1902
J. G. LORRAIN, Mem. Inst. E.E., Mem. Inst. M.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Per A. P. W.