Improved Process of Manufacturing Cowls and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1888
Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1885
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process of Manufacturing Cowls and Apparatus therefor.
We, HARRY SMITH EDWARDS, JAMES HARRY EDWARDS, and GEORGE STRAKER
FALCK EDWARDS, all of High Docks, South Shields, in the county of Durham,
Graving Dock Owners and Shipbuilders, 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 relates to an improved process of manufacturing curved coned or
bellmouthed cowls such as are used for ventilators chimneys and similar purposes,
the object being to save labour and cheapen production while improving the quality
of the finished article.
In the manufacture of such articles, hitherto the practise has been to hammer the
metal plates to the required shapes and curves with a hand shaping-hammer having a
curved or rounded head block, which process entails considerable time and labour;
according to our improved process we convert the metal sheets to the required forms
with great rapidity by means of suitable dies and stamps formed to the required
contours, and operated by a machine hammer.
This apparatus consists essentially of one or more revolving cams driven either
manually or by mechanical means by which the hammer and stamp are raised through
a certain adjustable distance and then liberated and left free to fall by gravity, and
the force of the blow may be augmented as required by a spring of suitable type or
by added weights or both.
A convenient method of carrying the invention into practise and also the con-
struction and arrangement of our apparatus is illustrated in the drawings which we
will now fully describe. Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section. Figure 2
is a sectional plan on line y. z. of figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan of a die. Similar
letters refer to similar parts in all of these figures.
A is a die having its concavity formed to suit the size and curvatures of the plates
of any required cowl and mounted upon a fixed standard a: B is a stamp fixed to
the hammer with face corresponding to concavity of die A. Between the stamp and
die the plate is introduced and manipulated as required in the usual manner by the
workman.

page_text: The hammer rod b is extended into and through a cylinder C which may conveniently
cast in one with bracket Q and fixed to a wall or standard as illustrated. The rod b
is provided with a cross bar D working in straight vertical guide slots cc formed in
the walls of the cylinder C. A friction roller d is mounted on bar D outside the
cylinder with which engages a revolving cam E. For rapid work we find it
advantageous to use two cams E E as illustrated revolving with the driving pulley P.
The cams may be conveniently made in one with the bush of the pulley P which is
mounted and revolves on a fixed axle T. The axle T, though fixed during working,
is capable of lateral sliding adjustment in a slot t formned in the bracket Q, so that the
lift of the cross bar and hammer will be increased or diminished respectively
according as the axle T is advanced towards or retired from the cross bar D. The
position of axle T and cams being adjusted as required when any given point of
travel is reached the acting cam will slip off the roller d and allow the hammer to
fall by gravity. To increase the force of the blow especially when the stroke is short,
a spring S is used preferably a spiral spring coiled the full bore of the cylinder and
arranged so as to be compressed between the cross bar D and the upper cylinder
cover during the upstroke; further weight may be applied if required to the rod b
above or below the cylinder. On rotation of the pulley twice in each revolution the
cains E E in turn raise the hammer rod and stamp B through the medium of the
cross bar D and slip off at the point of adjustment, allowing the fall and action of
the hammer and stamp upon the plate. By properly proportioning the construction
and adjustment of the various working parts any desired degree of rapidity of
action may be obtained.
Plates for cowls thus formed are rivetted or jointed together in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The process above described for manufacturing cowls by which the metal sheets
are converted to the required forms by means of a die and machine hammer
substantially as set forth.
2. The construction substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings of apparatus for manufacturing cowls, consisting of a die and hammer
stamp raised by revolving cam action through an adjustable distance and released as
specified, the force of the blow being augmented when required by spring action.
Dated this 5th day of October 188s
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.