Improvements in the Dies or Tools Employed in connection with the Shaping of Various Articles, Principally from Sheet Metal.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in the Dies or Tools Employed in connection with the
Shaping of Various Articles, Principally from Sheet Metal.
I, HUGH MCCLELLAND, of the Firm of McClelland Brothers, of Cambridge
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Merchant and Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention has reference to the dies or tools employed in connection with the
shaping of various articles, principally made from sheet metal, such as jelly,
pudding, blanc-mange and analogous moulds having corrugations, beadings,
reedings or like patterns or ornamentations, and is applicable principally to the
production of moulds and like articles of an oval or elongated figure.
My invention consists in progressively or gradually acting upon the sheet
blanks to be fashioned, by making up the' dies of alternate fixed and movable
sections or parts in such a manner that the movable parts normally extend beyond
the position which they assume when acting to give figure to the article under
operation, that is to say, the extending movable sections or elements of the die
come into play upon, or make contact with the blank in advance of the stationary
elements, so that the striking up of the corrugated figure or shape of the article
is done progressively as the blank is being pulled through, or gathered in.
In carrying out one form of my improvements, I take a she die having, for
instance, corrugated inside walls, with the convexities of the corrugations made
to form the movable elements whilst the cavities are stationary or made fast
with the body of the die. The movable elements advance or extend themselves
inwards towards the centre of the die to any desired extent, so that when the male die,
which may be the same shape as the inside configuration of the article to be
made, advances upon the blank, the said blank is then first nipped between the
said he die and the advanced movable parts of the she die, and as the he die further
advances, the material or blank being shaped is then gradually or successively
creased and pressed against the he-die or pulled through or drawn, or partly
shaped or drawn, during which the movable sections of the she die are gradually
forced back until their outer ends come against suitably disposed stops, at which
point, they register with the fixed segments and thus complete the pattern or
then carried out.
corrugations of the she die, when the final shaping
I propose to carry the movable sections or elements at the inner ends of arms
or lever turning upon fulcra or joints and having weighted, or india-rubber
cushioned or spring controlled outer ends, so that the constant tendency is to force
the whole of the movable elements inwards towards the centre of the die.
Instead of making the she die of alternating fixed and movable sections as
described, the he-die may be made upon the same principle.
My invention is particularly applicable to the making of articles from tinned

page_text: iron and other coated metal, as by the employment of tools so constructed, the
coating metal is not burst, bucked or otherwise disturbed during the process of
shaping the blank.
Dated this 13th day of November 1897
Improvements in the Dies or Tools Employed in connection with the
Shaping of Various Articles, Principally from Sheet Metal.
I, HUGH MCCLELLAND, of the Firm' of McClelland. Brothers, of Cambridge
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Merchant and Manufacturer, 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:-
-
This invention has reference to the dies or tools employed in connection with the
shaping of various articles, principally made from sheet metal, such as. jelly,
pudding, blanc-mange and analogous moulds, having corrugations, beadings,
reedings or like patterns or ornamentations. and is applicable principally to the
production of moulds and like articles of an oval or elongated figure.
My invention consists in progressively or gradually acting upon the sheet blanks
to be fashioned,, through the medium of dies made up of a series of hinged or
jointed sections, arranged in such a manner that their acting parts normally
extend radially inwards towards the centre of the die, and beyond the position
which they are caused to assume when acting to give figure to the article under
operation.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an elevation of a bottom
or female die, constructed according to one form of my invention and designed
for the production of oval corrugated pudding or like moulds from a sheet metal
blank.
Figure 2 is a topside plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a cross section of the said die, also showing the sheet metal
blank in position prior to being forced through the she-die and gathered around
and into the corrugations of the top or he die, which is also represented in the said
figure.
Figure 4 is a like sectional view as Figure 3, but showing the position of the
parts after the he-die has completed its downward stroke. In these figures,
some of the springs arranged in connection with the sections of the she-die are
removed.
Figure 5. is a cross section of Figure 4 upon the dotted line.
Figure 6 is a side elevation and Figure 7 a topside plan of the upper or he
die separately and Figure 8 is an underside plan thereof.
Figure 9 is a side elevation and Figure 10 a plan of a pudding or jelly mould
produced from a sheet metal blank by my improved tools.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
4
In this form of my invention, the she die a, is made up of a series of acting
sections or creasing blades a¹, which are each of a triangular section arranged with
the knife or acting edge upwards and tapering from the shank a³, to a point at the
inner end. These creasing sections are pivoted at b, to the upper edge b', of an
oval shaped fulcrum frame or die body 62, with the undersides of the shanks of 5

page_text: the acting sections having bearing pockets at a³, which take over the said edge
or beading b¹, thus constituting removable joints whereon the creasers section turn
and by which they are detachably connected to the fixed body of the die. The
blades are normally maintained in the positions represented in Figures 1 and 3,
extending inwards towards the centre of the die, by carrying them at the inner
ends of spring drawn arms or levers c, which turn with the said blades upon
the joints b, and have at their outer ends c¹, vertical stops or supports c², whose
bottom ends rest upon the die plate 6. Strong spiral springs f, have their ends
connected respectively to the said bed plate and the outer portions of the levering
. arms, whilst the acting sections are preserved in their proper position and pre-
vented from being raised; above the plane shown in Figure 3, by the lower ends
of the stops, resting upon the tops of the die plate.
The sheet metal blank d, which is of an oval figure and may be previously dished
to give it the shape represented in section in Figure 3, is placed upon the blades,
with the parts thereof which are to be gathered into the recesses or concavities e¹,
of the he die or force e, lying upon and being supported by the knife or acting
edges at, of the creaser sections.
On the he die or force, which is of the same shape as the inside configuration
of the mould to be produced, now commencing to make its descending stroke,
the said blank is first nipped between the said he die and the innermost or
advanced parts of the movable blades, and as the forcing die further descends,
the material or blank being shaped is gradually or progressively gathered inwards
and creased into the concavities and drawn around the convex parts of the said
he die or force and is at the same time, forced or drawn through, during which
process, the power exercised by the force in descending overcomes the downward
pull of the springs upon the levers and the she-die is caused to expand by the
creaser blades being carried downwards and towards the inside walls of the die
body as represented in Figure 4, at which stage the gathering up of the blank into
the desired configuration is completed, the further descent of the force being
prevented by suitably arranged stops.
draw or
If necessary, the levering arms may be provided with additional counterpoise
weights, or with other supplementary means, the constant tendency of which is to
bring the whole of the movable die sections inwards towards the centre
of the die, whilst the shape or cross section of the acting blades of the she die
and the configuration of the force or he die may be varied according to the
character of the work to be produced.
As a modification of my invention, I may make up the bottom die of alternate
fixed and movable sections, with the fixed parts coming at the concavities whilst
the convexities are represented by hinged creaser blades or acting sections
similar to those previously described, and which are forced inwards by the descent
of the he-die in drawing through the blank until they register with the fixed parts,
which latter parts are not necessarily operative.
Instead of making the she dies as described, the upper or he die may be con-
structed in like manner, in which case the she dies would be of the ordinary fixed
construction.
My invention is particularly applicable to the making of articles from tinned
iron and other coated metal, as by the employment of tools so constructed the
coating metal remains practically intact, and is not burst or buckled during the
process of shaping the blank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First Tools for the shaping of various articles, consisting of an expanding
and contracting or sectional die made of a series of hinged or jointed acting
blades or creasers, operating in conjunction with a non-expanding and contract-
ing or solid die, substantially as described and set forth.

page_text: Secondly: An expanding and contracting or sectional she-die for the shaping
of various articles, made up of a series of radially arranged blades or creasers
hinged upon suitable fulcra and brought to their normal positions or held up,
if necessary, by springs counterpoising levers, or equivalent means, substantially
as described and set forth.
Thirdly An expanding and contracting or sectional die for the shaping of
various articles, made up of alternately arranged fixed and movable sections, the
latter being normally held up by springs, counterpoised levers or equivalent
means, substantially as herein described.
Fourthly: An expanding and contracting she die, with the parts constructed,
arranged and combined, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 9th day of July 1898.
HUGH MCCLELLAND,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.