A New or Improved Cold Plate Flanging, Angle Opening, and Closing and Straightening Machine.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
COMTUMIE DIMITIVATION.
A New or Improved Cold Plate Flanging, Angle Opening, and
Closing and Straightening Machine.
A communication by FITZ A. KIRBY, of Wyandotte, in the County of Wayne
and State of Michigan, United States of America.
I, WILLIAN PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 for its object a cold plate flanging and angle opening and
closing machine, of superior construction and efficiency and it consists of the
construction, combination and arrangement of devices and appliances hereinafter
described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :
Figure 1 is a side elevation.
Figure 2 is an end elevation looking toward the flanging rolls on the left of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view of the opposite end.
Figure 4 is a plan view.
Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical section through the flanging rolls 63 and 67
on the shafts B1 and B 2.
Figure 6 is a detail view in vertical section through one of the nuts of one of the
screw shafts.
Figure 7 is a detail in vertical section through the, bushing of the operating
shaft and adjacent bearing.
This invention is especially adapted and designed to provide an improved flauging
machine for flanging metal plates used in ship-building, although my correspondent
does not limit himself to any definite purpose to which the machine may be applied.
It is well understood that in ship-building, metal plates are required to be flanged
in various ways and in various forms. This invention contemplates a machine
capable of straight plate flanging, also for forming flanges of hollow or rounding
forms, and also by which a flange may be bent at any desired angle, closing or
opening at any desired bevel, and by which the angle can be varied as desired as
the plate passes through the machine.
To these ends, A denotes any suitable supporting frame which may be provided
with stay-rods "a" extending longitudinally of the machine. The frame is
Constructed with housings A1 and A2 in which are shown engaged lower rotatable
sbafts B and B 1 upon each of which are mounted a series of flanging rolls "b," b 1, 62,
between the housings, and flanging rolls 63 on one extremity of each shaft outside
the adjacent housing. The lower shafts are shown immovable vertically. Above
the shafts B, B1 are located corresponding shafts B2 and B3, each provided with
corresponding flanging rolls 4, 65, 66 between the housings, and with a flanging
roll 67 outside the housing, the latter corresponding to the flanging roll 63
therebeneath, one upper shaft with the lower shaft therebeneath provided with the
flanging rolls thereupon form a set, two sets being shown, the one at the right hand.
and the other at the left hand in Figure 2.
The upper and lower shafts are also provided, preferably, at their outer
extremities opposite the flanging rolls 63 and 67, with straightening rolls b8
and 69.

page_text: C is a driving shaft which may be provided with a gear C 1, said gear meshing
with gears B4 and B5 upon the two lower shafts B, B1, respectively. The
gear B5 meshes with a gear B6 on the corresponding upper shaft B3, and
the gear B4 meshes with a gear B7 on the corresponding upper sbaft B2. The
invention is not, however, limited to any specific mechanism for driving the shafts
with their flanging rolls.
The upper shafts B2 and B3, with their flanging rolle, are shown as made
vertically movable. To this end they are each provided with bearings A 3.and A. 4,
at the forward end, and with similar bearings at A5 and A 6-at their opposite
ends, said bearings being vertically movable in suitable elongated orifices al
in the housing. Connected with each of these bearings is a screw threaded
shaft D, D1, D2 and D3 respectively. These screw threaded shafts are provided
toward their upper ends with corresponding nuts "d," d1, d2 and d 3, in which
the corresponding screw threaded shafts work. With the nuts are engaged
corresponding adjusting gears E, E1, E2 and E.3; whereby they may be operated.
To prevent the screw shafts from turning with the nuts, their upper ends may be
formed with annular extremities, as shown at F, F1, F2 and F3. G and G 1
denote wrenches upon the extremities F, F 1, F 2 and F 3, respectively, to hold
the screw shafts from turning. H denotes an adjusting shaft extending longi-
tudinally of the machine, provided with a worm gear toward each end, as shown
at H and H 2, the wormi H 2 in Figure 1 being broken away to show the gear E 2.
The worm gear H 1 meshes with one of the adjusting, gears on the corresponding
nut, which gears mesh one with the other. The worm gear H 2 meshes with one of
the adjusting gears at the opposite end of the machine, which said gears also mesh
the one with the other. The operating shaft H may be provided with a hand
wheel, or other suitable device preferably at each end thereof, as shown at H3.
Obviously, the two screw shafts at each end of the machine will be constructed, the
one with right hand and the other with left hand screw-threads.
By this means the upper set of rolls may be readily adjusted vertically in a
convenient and speedy manner. It will be evident that by removing the
wrenches G. G 1, the screw shafts can be properly adjusted in their corresponding
nuts to suit the work, when the wrenches may be re-applied. By turning one of
the hand wheels H 3, both of the upper sets of flauging rolls may be vertically
adjusted simultaneously. The left hand upper flanging roll, i.e., roll 67 on the
shaft B.3, needs to be turned down a little lower than the corresponding upper roll
in front thereof, in operation, to make the two rolls each do their work successively,
The work will be introduced to the flanging rolls 63, 67, from the right hand of
Figure 2. To throw the operating shaft H and its worm gear out of mesh with
the adjacent adjusting gears upon the nuts "d," d1, d2, d3, the operating shaft
may be provided with a busbing J within the bearing J 1 of said shaft, the bushing
being eccentrically connected with the operating shaft within the bearing. It will
be evident that by turning this buching about on either end of the operating shaft,
either or both corresponding worm gears will be thrown into or out of mesh with
the corresponding adjusting gears. The bushing may be operated for this purpose
in any suitable manner. For example, the bearing J 1 may be constructed with an
elongated are-shaped slot "j" and the bushing be provided with a bar or lever j1
passing through said slot, whereby the bushing may be rotated, the ends of said
slot limiting the rotation of said bushing.
For hollow and round flanging, the two left bund flanging rolls 3 and 67, of
Figure 2, forming one set of rolls, should be loosely mounted upon their
corresponding shafts B1, B3, and constructed to have a longitudinal play thereupon
corresponding to the curve of the flange, as indicated in Figure 5. For straight
flanging, no longitudinal movement is required.
This fanging machine, as above observed, is designed and adapted especially for
flanging metal plate, cold. It is well understood that the heating of such plates
to flange them, injures the plate, and that flanging them cold by hand, in the
ordinary manner, is a very slow process. By this invention, however, the plates

page_text: can be flanged cold in a very efficient and speedy manner. To get the degree of.
flanging required, or the desired angle, it will be necessary to run the plate several
times through the machine, tightening down.the outer upper flanging rolls at each
time the plates are run therethrough.
Usually the plates will be marked on a line at which the flange is to be bent,
and the outer frame may be provided with an indicator finger to facilitate the
guiding of the plate through the rolls on the line so marked.
It will be perceived that the V-rolls are on the lower shafts, as shown in the
drawings, but the arrangement might be reversed within the scope of this invention.
The flanging rolls between the uprights of the frame are designed more particularly..
for shaping angle iron to required forms. While two sets of lower and upper
shafts with their flanging rolls have been shown, the machine would be operative
with a single set of rolls, that is, a single lower shaft with a single upper shaft.
with their corresponding rolls.
It will be perceived that the V-shaped flanging rolls oxert their pressure to
effect the desired flanging on the. line previously laid out, as above described, at
the apex of the angle to be formed. For different thicknesses of plate, it will be
found desirable to substitute, upon the corresponding shafts, flanging rolls of
suitable form in order not to exert too severe a pressure upon the plate. The
outer flanging rolls therefore can be made removable, so that any desired form of
roll may be applied upon the corresponding shaft to suit the work required.
The threaded shafts D, D1, D2 and D 3 are shown constructed with spherical
heads at their lower ends correspondingly seated in the bearings A 3, A4, A5
aud A 6. This forms a ball and socket joint at this point of construction. One
set of flanging rolls is made V-shaped, meshing with the corresponding rolls of
inverted V-shape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A flauging machine having in combination a supporting frame, and a set of
rotatable shafts provided at one of their extremities with corresponding flanging
rolls 63 and 67, one of said shafts made adjustable and said flanging rolls being
free to move longitudinally upon said shafts, substantially as set forth.
2. A flanging machine having in combination a supporting frame, a series of
rotatable shafts provided at one of their extremities with flanging rolls 3 and 7
thereupon, and an additional series of rotatable shafts having corresponding flanging
rolls thereupon, one series of said shafts made adjustable and one set of flanging
rolls being free to move longitudinally upon their corresponding shafts, substantially
.as set forth.
3. A flanging machine having in combination a supporting frame provided with
housings, a lower set of rotatable shafts provided with Hanging rolls at their
extremities outside their housings, and an upper set of rotatable shafts provided
with flanging rolls outside their housings and made adjustable, one set of flanging
rolls being free to move longitudinally upon their corresponding shafts, substantially
as set forth.
4. In a flanging machine, the combination of the supporting frame, the lower set
of rotatable shafts provided with flanging rolls, and an upper set of rotatable shafts.
provided with flanging rolls and made vertically adjustable, one set of said
flanging rolls being free to move longitudinally on their corresponding shafts, said
shafts at one end of their extremities provided with straightening rolls, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a flanging machine, the combination of the supporting frame constructed
with elongated orifices a 1, a lower set of rotatable shafta provided with Hanging
rolls, an upper set of rotatable shafts provided with flanging rolls, bearings for one
set of shafts vertically adjustable in said elongated orifices in the frame, vertical
threaded shafts connected with said bearings, means to prevent said vertical

page_text: threaded shafts from turning, adjusting nuts engaging said threaded shafts,
adjustable gears for adjusting said nuts, and an operating shaft geared with the
adjusting gears, substantially as set forth.
6. In a flanging machine, the combination of the supporting frame, the lower
set of rotatable shafts provided with flanging rolls, an upper set of rotatable shafts
provided with flanging rolls, bearings in which the upper set of shafts are journalled
having a vertical movement in said frame, threaded shafts connected with said
bearings, nuts engaging said threaded shatts, adjusting gears for adjusting said
threaded shafts, and an operating gear geared to the adjusting gears, and means for
throwing said operating shaft out of engagement with the adjusting gears,
substantially as set forth.
7. A flanging machine for cold plate flanging having in combination two sets of
rotatable V-shaped rolls mounted upon their respective shafts and meshing with
correspondingly grooved rotatable rolls, said rolls being adjustable vertically, the
one relative to the other, one of the said V-shaped rolls and its corresponding
grooved roll being free to move longitudinally upon their respective shafts,
substantially as set forth.
8. A flanging machine having in combination a supporting frame, a lower set
of rotatable shafts provided with flanging rolls, an upper set of rotatable shafts
provided with flanging rolls, bearings for one set of said shafts vertically adjustable
in said frame, vertical threaded shafts having a jointed connection with said bearings,
means to prevent the turning of said vertical threaded shafts, adjusting nuts
engaging said threaded shafts, adjusting gear for adjusting said nuts, the shaft of
the adjusting gear provided with a hearing J1 and a bushing J eccentrically
connected to the shaft of the adjusting gear within said bearing, substantially, as
Bet forth.
9. A flanging machine having in combination a supporting frame, a series of
rotatable shafts provided with flanging rolls, and additional series of rotatable
shafts provided with flanging rolls, one series of said shafts made adjustable, and
wrenches to hold the said shafts in adjusted position, substantially as set forth.
10. In a flanging machine, the combination of a supporting frame provided
with housings A 1, A 2, a lower set of rotatable shafts, each provided with flanging
rolls located between said housings, and with a flanging roll at one extremity
outside of said housings, an upper set of rotatable shafts each provided with
flanging rolls located between said housings, and a flanging roll at one extremity
outside the housings, and' means for adjusting one set of said shafts, one of the upper
and one of the lower flanging rolls upon the outer extremities of their respective
shafts being free to move longitudinally thereupon; substantially as set forth..
Dated this Ist day of October 1894.