Improvements in Presses for Cutting Out Leather and for other purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses for Cutting Out Leather and for other
purposes.
We, JAMES DANIEL COLOMY and WILLIAM HENRY ALBEE, of Brookfield,
in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
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 a die press adapted to the usual purposes for which a
die press is employed, but especially designed by us for the purposes of cutting
leather and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter
set forth. In the following description of the nature of our invention and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings and to the reference letters marked thereon, like letters indicating like
parts in the different views.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of the machine, part being shown in sectional
view in order to disclose the method of adjusting the sliding plunger and a portion
of the cutting die having been broken away.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine with a portion of the supporting frame-
work broken away in order to disclose the sliding spring-actuated pin, which
engages the actuating cam.
Referring to the drawings, A denotes the supporting bed-plate upon which
the frame-work is mounted, and which consists of the blocks A', in which the
main shaft B is journalled, and an arm A³ supporting the trunnion C of the
rocking lever C¹, and containing a bearing at its end for the vertically sliding
plunger D.
The main shaft B carries the tight and loose pulleys E and E¹
(Fig. 2) and the balance wheel E³, and between the journal bearings A³, A³
is a cam F having a connection with a shaft B by means of the spline a, causing the
cam to rotate with the shaft, but allowing it to slide longitudinally thereon.
The cam F is provided with a groove F¹, which is engaged by a pin F' held
in the frame-work of the machine, but capable of a longitudinal movement and
having a spring F³, contained in a chamber in the frame-work with its tension
applied to the inner end of the sliding pin F³, to force it toward the cam and
carry its end F into the cam groove F. The groove F' is so shaped that,
when it is engaged by the end of the sliding pin F', a reciprocating sliding
motion is imparted to the cam F along the shaft B, alternately carrying the cam
from its position shown in Fig. 2 to the position indicated by the broken lines F³,
Fig. 2 and back again.
The bottom of the groove F¹ is eccentric for a portion of its circumference,
forming a cam acting radially against the end F4 of the sliding pin, so that, as the
point b, (Fig. 1), passes the pin F, the pin will be pushed out of the groove F',
compressing the spring F and allowing the pin c, projecting from the side of the
pin F, and sliding in a slot D, to be caught by the shoulder e of an upwardly
sliding latch, which is actuated by a spring g, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1.
G denotes the hub of the cam F provided with a wing G', which, when the cam F.
is in the position shown in Fig. 2, is in the plane of the rocking lever C³. The
groove F, wing G¹ and the eccentric portion 6 of the groove F¹ are arranged
to act in the following: the wing G₁ will be brought beneath the rocking
lever C¹, raising the end H and, during the next quarter revolution of the main
shaft B, the cam F will be moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position
indicated by the broken lines F, bringing the eccentric portion b against the end.
of the sliding pin F' and pushing it out of the groove F¹ until the pin c is

page_text: engaged by the latch f, so the pin F2 will be prevented from re-engaging the cam.
The longitudinal sliding movement of the cam F upon the shaft B as above
described will carry the wing G out of the plane of the rocking lever C¹
allowing the end H to rest upon the cylindrical face G of the hub G, so the
rotation of the shaft B, and wing G¹ will not actuate the rocking lever.
Connected with the latch fis.a pitman rod h, which is preferably pivoted to a
foot treadle at the floor in the usual and well known manner, but not shown in the
drawings, whereby the latch of is drawn downward compressing the spring gland
releasing the sliding pin F', which will be forced forward by the spring F
carrying the end F of the pin F into the cam groove F, whenever the cam
groove is brought into suitable position by the rotation of the shaft B.
The re-engagement of the cam groove F1 by the pin F will cause the cam to
be moved on the shaft B, from the position indicated by the broken lines F to
the position shown in Fig. 2, bringing the wing G' into the plane of the rocking
lever C, when the action of the wing G¹, cam groove F¹ and eccentric portion b,
as already described, will be consecutively repeated.
The face of the cam upon one side of the groove F' projects, as at i, beyond
the face of the cam upon the opposite side of the groove, as at j, which acts
as a flange and when the pin F is released from the latch the end F will
bear against the edge k, holding the cam groove in position to receive the end of
the pin F as it is pushed forward by the action of the spring F³.
In the free end of the arm A is placed a vertically sliding plunger D having
at its lower end a flanged head I, to the under side of which is attached a follower
plate 1, preferably made of raw hide, or a soft metal, which will not turn the
edge of the hollow steel cutting die J, resting upon the shoulders J' of the
parallel bars J, which are adjustably attached to the bed A by bolts J³ passing
through the slots m.
The upper end of the plunger D is screw threaded to receive the screw threaded
bolt 13, provided with a head I³, having bolts to receive a spanner by which the
bolt Is is vertically adjusted within the plunger D, in order to determine the
position of the plate I¹ with reference to the cutting die J. The bolt I* is held
in position by a check nut 'I' and beneath the head is a washer 15 provided
with radially projecting pins I', which rest upon the free ends of blade springs I'
attached to the arm A by screws 18.
The hollow steel cutting die J is adjusted by moving it along the shoulders J',
and the parallel bars J' are also adjustable upon the bed A. The operation of
the machine is as follows: The article to be cut is placed upon the upper, or
cutting, edge of the hollow die J, the latch is withdrawn releasing the pin F³,
which is pushed toward the cam F by the spring F³, and, as the cam rotates, the
edge bearing against the end F of the sliding pin will secure the proper
relative position of the cam and serve as a guicing wall to conduct the end of the
pin into that portion of the groove F1 rotating in the plane of the pin. When
the pin F has entered the cam groove F¹ the continued rotation of the cam will
cause it to slide upon the shaft B, bringing it into the position represented in
Fig. 2 with the wing G¹ in the plane of the rocking lever C¹, causing it to
raise the end H of the lever and push the plunger D downward bringing the
follower plate I' in contact with the cutting edge of the die J and forcing it
through the article to be cut; the several operating parts then assuming the
position represented in the accompanying drawings.
The next quarter revolution of the shaft B will carry the wing G₁ from under
the end of the rocking lever allowing the plunger D to be raised and the motion of
the lever Cto be reversed by the action of the blade springs I', while the cam F
is simultaneously moved into the position indicated by the broken lines F. The
pin F is pushed out of the cam groove by the action of the eccentric cam b.and
is engaged by 'the spring actuated latch f, allowing the cam to rotate without
actuating the lever 'C and upon the release of the pin F the next succeeding
revolution of the shaft B, will cause the operation of the machine to be repeated.

page_text: 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:
1. The combination with a die, of a reciprocating sliding plunger provided with
a follower plate, a rocking lever having one end operatively connected with said
plunger, a rotating cam actuating the opposite end of said rocking lever and
springs by which the motion of said plunger and said rocking lever, as actuated by
said rotating cam, is reversed.
2. The combination with a sliding plunger and a bed supporting a die, of the die,
parallel bars resting on said bed and provided with shoulders upon which said die
rests and upon which it is capable of lateral adjustment, said bars being provided
with slots at right angles to said shoulders, and attaching bolts passing through
said slots, by which the bars are attached to the bed.
3. The combination of the die, a sliding piunger, a screw threaded bolt held in
said plunger, a rocking lever acting upon the end of said screw threaded bolt, a
cam actuating said rocking lever and springs applied to said plunger to reverse its
action.
4. The combination of a stationary die, a plunger acting conjointly with said
die, a rocking lever operatively connected with said plunger, a rotating shaft, a
cam carried on said shaft and provided with a wing, by which said lever is actuated
and having a cam groove, and a pin held in the frame-work of the machine and
engaging said cam groove to slide the cam longitudinally on said shaft.
5. The combination of a stationary die, a reciprocating plunger acting conjointly
with said die, an actuating cam operatively connected with said plunger and provided
with a cam groove, a sliding pin held in the frame-work and arranged to engage
said cam groove and a cam acting on said pin to push it out of engagement with
said cam groove as described.
6. The combination with a reciprocating plunger, of a cam F, capable of a
rotating and sliding motion provided with a wing G¹ by which said plunger is
actuated and with a cam groove F', cam b, sliding pin F and a retaining latch
arranged to engage said pin as described.
7. The combination with a reciprocating plunger, of an actuating cam operatively
connected with said plunger, a rotating shaft carrying said cam and having a spline
connection therewith, and connecting actuating mechanism, by which said cam is
moved longitudinally on said shaft.
8. The combination with a reciprocating plunger, of a cam operatively connected
with said plunger, a rotating shaft carrying said cam and having a spline connection
therewith, said cam having a groove F¹, a sliding pin held in the frame-work, a
spring applied to force said pin into the cam groove, and a retaining latch, by which
said pin is held against the tension of said spring as described.
Dated this Sixth day of April 1899
JAMES DANIEL COLOMY.
WILLIAM HENRY ALBEE.
W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.