Improvements in the Manufacture of Eye Plates for Various Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Eye Plates for Various
Purposes.
1, THOMAS SMIT, Managing Director of Smiths Stamping Company Limited,
of Wharf Street, Aston, near the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of eye plates for shipping and other
purposes, of that type in which the plate or base is disposed at right angles
to the eye, which is preferably round or circular in cross section, and the object
of the invention is to produce the said articles, by drop stamping or similar opera-
tion, in one solid piece and from steel.
In carrying out my invention, I take a blank of the general figure in outline
of the article to be produced, i.c. with an unpierced or solid web or ear pro-
jecting at right angles from and crossing the base plate. This blank is then sub-
jected to the action of a pair of dies, each having a sinking corresponding to
one longitudinal half of the eye to be produced, and at the inner end of each
sinking in the die is a gap of a depth about equal to one half of the plate or
base of the article, but of a breadth considerably greater for the purpose of
admitting of the introduction therein of a loose and slightly tapered clamping
plate, adapted to come between the underside or bottom of the blank plate and
the opposed side of the gap in the dies, so that when a blank in a heated state
is placed between the dies and the wedge plate is driven home, the one die is
then made to approximate to the other by the descent of the stamp and by succes-
sive blows of the centre or punch parts of the dies, the metal base plate of the
eye is driven forward or down and the middle part of the metal which is to form
the eye is made to flow into the half eye sinkings of the respective dies. Any
slight web or fin which may be left in the middle of the eye is afterwards removed
by clipping and the edges dressed by filing or otherwise.
On the ascent of the stamp, the wedge or clamping is knocked out of position
or removed by mechanical means or otherwise, and the shaped or stamped eye
plate taken from the lower die.
As a modification, the clamping plate may be made solid with one of the dies
with an extension of it projecting from the face of the one die and taking or
telescoping into the sinking in the other die, and I wish it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to any particular shape of clamping plate.
100a

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Eye Plates for Various
Purposes.
I, THOMAS SMITH, Managing Director of Smiths Stamping Company Limited,
of Wharf Street, Aston, near the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to the manufacture of eye plates for shipping and other
purposes, of that type in which the plate or base is disposed at right angles
to the eye, which is preferably round or circular in cross section, and the object
of the invention is to produce the said articles, by drop stamping or similar opera-
tion, in one solid piece and from steel.
In carrying out my invention, I first produce a blank of the general figure
in outline of the article to be produced, .c. with an unpierced or solid web or
ear projecting at right angles from and crossing the base plate.
To make this blank, I take a solid rectangular block of steel, such as shown
in end view and side elevation in Figure 1 and marked a, and (when in a heated
and soft state) place the same between a pair of dies such as represented in longi-
tudinal and transverse sections in Figures 2 and 3 whilst Figure 4 shows an
underside plan of the top die. The bottom die bis perfectly flat, but may have
small stops or sets b¹, ior retaining the block of steel in position, whilst the
upper die e, has a matrix c¹, of the ngure of the blank to be made. The top die
is made to descend and deliver a succession of blows upon the top side of the
block a, the metal of which is gradually raised or displaced into the matrix c¹,
until the latter is completely filled as shown by the longitudinally and transverse
sections Figures 5 and 6, whilst the shaped blank d, formed by the said dies is
represented separately and in side elevation in Figure 7, in end elevation. in
Figure 8 and in plan in Figure 9, being the base or bottom plate and d³, the
vertical web standing up at right angles thereto and containing sufficient metal
to make the eye or ring of the finished article. This blank is then subjected to
the action of a pair of dies, each having a sinking corresponding to one longi-
tudinal half of the eye to be produced, and at the inner end of each sinking in
the die is a gap of a depth about equal to one half of the plate or base of the
article, but of a breadth considerably greater for the purpose of admitting of
the introduction therein of a loose and slightly-tapered clamping plate, adapted
to come between the underside or bottom of the blank plate and the opposed side
of the gap in the dies, so that after a blank in a heated state has been placed
within the bottom die and the wedge plate driven home, the top die is made
to deliver a succession of blows, the base plate of the article is gradually driven
downwards and the part of the web which is to form the eye is made to flow into the
half eye sinkings of the respective dies.
Figure 10 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the dies employed in
this stage of the manufacture, showing them separated from one another and the
eye plate blank placed in the bottom die e, with the web ², to be eyed laid
upon the top face e¹ of the same and the bottom part of base plate d, lying in the
cross gap or clearance e², and being there retained by the wedge plate or drift g.
The said bottom die has also a matrix ³, corresponding to one half of the eye
to be formed and the acting face of the top die f, has the other half matrix f³,
and a cross gap f, of sufficient width to take over the projecting parts of the
wedge plate and the base of the blank and of such a depth as to clear the top

page_text: edge of the said plate y, when the faces of the two dies come together. Figure 11
shows a plan of the bottom die with the blank and wedge plate.
After securing the blank (which is preferably in a heated and soft state) in
the position shown in Figures 10 and 11, the top die is caused to act upon the
blank and gradually force the metal of the web into the eye matrices, and at
the same time drive the base plate further down into the bottom gap.
Figure 12 shows a longitudinal vertical section of the shaped eye plate in
position between the brought-together dies, Figure 13 is a transverse vertical
section thereof and Figure 14 a horizontal section upon the dotted line, whilst
Figure 15 is a plan of the bottom die separately.
Un the top die now ascending, the wedge or clamping plate is knocked out
of position, or otherwise removed, this liberates the eye plate, which is taken
from the lower die and the web or fin d, formed in the middle of the eye by
the action of the tools is clipped out and the inside edges dressed by filing or
otherwise as may be necessary.
The finished article is represented in side elevation in Figure 16, in end view
in Figure 17 and in topside plan in Figure 18.
As a modification, the clamping plate may be made solid with one of the dies
as shown in Figure 19, in which the top die has an extension g, projecting from
the bottom face and taking or telescoping into the sinking in the other die, and
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular shape
of clamping plate, and that instead of performing the operations hereindescribed
by drop-stamping processes, they may be conducted by dies and pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: —
First: The manufacture of eye plates for shipping and other purposes, by
dies and pressure, or by a drop-stamping process, consisting in first forming a
blank, such as d, from a solid block of metal and by dies or tools such as repre-
sented in Figures 2 to 6, and subsequently operating upon the projecting body
or web of the said blank, by other tools or dies such as represented in Figures 10
to 15, to form the eye or ring part. substantially as herein described and set
forth.
Secondly: In the manufacture of eye plates by dies and pressure, or by drop
stamping processes, the employment of a pair of dies having matrices or sinkings
to form the eye or ring of the article, and cross gaps or clearances to receive the
base plate or equivalent part of the blank to be shaped, in combination with a
clamping plate or wedge which is driven into one of the said cross gaps,
behind the said base plate and thereby secures the blank or partially-shaped article
to the one die during the formation of the said eye or ring, the process of shaping
by the said tools being conducted substantially in the manner herein-described
and set forth.
1
1
1900
THOMAS SMITH.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.