Improvements in the Method of Cutting Out Shovel Plates and in the Cutters for same.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th Feb., 1887.
Improvements in the Method of Cutting Out Shovel Plates and in
the Cutters for same.
We GEORGE CLARK, and WILLIAM HENRY SHEPHARD both of Lancing Steel Works
Sheffield in the County of York, Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CUTTING OUT SHOVEL PLATES
AND IN THE CUTTERS FOR SAME to be as follows:
Our Invention refers to an improved method of cutting out shovel plates from sheet
steel, so as to make the least possible amount of scrap, or waste material; and also to
the construction of the cutters used in carrying out the said process.
The cutters may be made solid, that is each cutter being of one continuous piece of
steel, or steel faced iron, or they may be compound, or made of more than one piece
of material, so that they can be adjusted cut various widths or sizes of plates as
described.
We prefer to use the latter description as being the best adapted for the work, as
well as the most economical, and it will be understood that the cutters are used in
pairs, and are operated by a suitable machine having an alternating vertical motion.
The class of shovel plates to which our invention more particularly refers are
oblong in shape, and have a strap or socket piece projecting from the centre of the
top end.
The cutters are formed to cut down one side of the strap or socket piece, then turn
at right angles to cut the "tread" or top edge of the shovel, and then finally cut
down the side of the plate which is parallel or thereabouts to the first described cut
down the side of the strap.
We preferably make a compound cutter in two pieces, one having the rectangular
cut and the side cut, resembling the letter L, and the other being straight or
nearly so

page_text: The rectangular part of the blade is made sufficiently long to cut the widest shovel
plate the blades are to be used for, and the straight piece is so arranged and fitted that
it can be adjusted in position, according to the required width of the shovel plate.
By the use of cutters shaped or constructed as before described we are enabled to
cut off a shovel plate with strap, at each cut.
We prepare the sheets of steel of double the width of the blade of the plate, and
after the first cut, which forms one side of a complete plate, we turn the sheet over
and push it up to the gauge; the next cut, cuts off a complete plate as does each
subsequent cut, if the sheet is turned over to each side alternately.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Method of Cutting Out Shovel Plates and in
the Cutters for same.
We GEORGE CLARK, and WILLIAM HENRY SHEPHARD, both of Lancing Steel Works
Sheffield in the County of York Manufacturers 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 an improved method of cutting out shovel plates from
sheet steel, in such a manner as to produce the least possible amount of scrap, or
waste material, and also to the construction or arrangement of the cutters used in
carrying out the said process or method.
And in order that our invention may be clearly described and ascertained, we have
annexed a sheet of explanatory drawings which illustrate both the method of cutting
and the construction of the cutters, and in which similar letters of reference, indicate
similar parts, in any of the figures in which they may occur.
Fig. 1, is a perspective drawing of a pair of adjustable cutters in position for
cutting, the sheet of material being represented by the dotted lines.
Fig. 2, is a plan of same.
Fig. 3, represents a sheet of steel, with the cuts marked upon it to illustrate the
method of cutting out the shovel plates, right and left hand alternately.
Fig. 4, a pair of solid blades (not adjustable).
As the configuration of the outline of one side of a shovel blade and strap is a
facsimile of the other, we have taken advantage of this fact to arrange a pair of
cutters or blades, so that when a sheet of material such as steel or iron is passed
between them to arranged marks or gauges, and turned over between each cut, a
shovel plate is separated from the sheet at each cut of the blades.
In carrying out this invention, the cutters may be made either solid as shown in
Fig. 4, or constructed so as to be adjustable to various widths of shovel plates as
shown in Figs. 1 & 2. If made solid, a separate pair of cutters would be required for
each size of plate, whereas if made "adjustable," one set of cutters only will cut out
nearly every size required, therefore we prefer the adjustable cutters, and will confine
our description to them.
We make the cutters of steel or steel faced iron, hardened, tempered and finished in
the usual manner.
We construct each blade in two parts, a straight part A, and an L shaped part B,
clearly shown in Fig. 1; the cutting edges are marked C, and the projections on the
bottom cutters marked D, are merely guides-for the top cutter to bear against.
In practice we make the "shear to commence at the outside edges and finish at
he centre, but we do not bind ourselves to this arrangement.
The cutters so formed are held in the machine by any of the methods well known
o Engineers, and users of such machinery, and so that the position of the end of

page_text: the blade or part A, may be adjusted to any part of the short right angular end of the
part B, which is usually done by means of bolts, set screws, and packing strips in
connection with lugs cast upon or fitted to the machine.
The short end of the parts B, is made of sufficient length to cut one side of the
widest shovel plate usually required.
The method we adopt is to cut out the said shovel plates in alternately reversed
positions, as shown in Fig. 3; this arrangement produces the least possible amount of
waste or scrap material, a matter of great importance in the use of steel. The steel
(or iron) plate E, is rolled to a little more than double the width of the blade of the
shovel, and when the cutters are properly fixed, the cuts F and G are made in
rotation, the cuts F being made on one side of the sheet, and the cuts G being made
on the other side.
Thus at each cut a shovel plate is separated from the sheet, of the shape shown by
the lines in Fig. 3, the ragged or irregular edge of the cutting edge of the blade
being afterwards pared off as shown by the dotted lines, and the strap pointed and
finished in shape also shown by dotted lines.
We wish it to be understood that we do not bind ourselves to any particular
material of which the blades or cutters are to be made, nor to the exact configuration
shown, as that may be altered to suit different patterns of shovel plates; neither do
we claim any particular method of holding and adjusting the cutters, but :-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1-The improved method of cutting out shovel plates as hereinbefore described
and as shown in Fig. 3, in combination with, and by means of, the cutters made and
constructed as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.
2-The construction of adjustable cutters such as shown in Figs. 1. & 2, for the
purpose specified and substantially as described.