IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING OR FORMING ARTICLES OF SHEET METAL
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey; for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING OR FORMING ARTICLES OF SHEET METAL."-A
communication from abroad by Mellen Bray, residing at Haverhill
Street, Boston, United States of America.
Sealed the 15th June 1866, and dated the 22nd December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd December 1865.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in-the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING OR FORMING ARTICLES OF SHEET
METAL," to be-as follows:-
Heretofore such articles have been manufactured by means of a drop press,
so called, and each separate article is subjected to the operation of the press
from four to ten times before it is completed and ready for the market. The
mode of operation by the drop press is as follows:-A female die is made of
cast iron of a suitable form to give the desired shape to the article to be
manufactured. This die being placed in position on the press is now filled
%, or full (the amount of filling depending upon

page_text: the depth of the die). This having been done, the drop weight to which
the male die is to be attached is placed in position over the female die, and
a force or male die is cast by pouring melted lead and antimony into the
female die and around a suitable collar or head on the drop block or weight.
When the metal has cooled and become hard the machine is ready for
operation. The operator now places his foot in a stirrup attached to a strap
which passes over a pulley, and the other end of which is attached to the drop
block or weight. By throwing his foot down and backwards he raises the
weight to a suitable height, when he places the tin blank (previously cut from
the sheet to the proper form) in position on the face of the female die, and
suddenly bringing his foot forward allows the weight to drop upon the blank
and force it into the female die as far as the face or male die will go. When
he has run the lot of articles that is in process of manufacture through the
press once the force or male die has to be melted up and a new force cast
entering the female die a little farther, when all the articles have to be run
through the press again, striking the dish a little deeper than the first time.
The process of melting and recasting the force each time a little deeper has
to be repeated 'till the article conforms to the shape of the female die or
mould, the number of operations varying with and depending upon the depth
öf the dish being made.
The sketch Figure 1 represents a die to be used on a drop press for the
manufacture of lemon cake dishes, the lower die being shown in section, and
the force or male die in elevation and about the depth that it would be for
the first operation. In forcing the tin into the cavity of the female die the
effect is to cause the tin to wrinkle on the sides and top of the die, but the
weight striking upon the tin at (6) removes the wrinkles at each successive
operation, and thus leaves the dish comparatively smooth. It must be evident
to all that this process is a very laborious as well as expensive one, and
that if a machine could be made that would complete the article at one
operation, or even at two, they might be made very much cheaper than at
present, and the labor of the operation be made very much lighter. To gain
this desirable end is the object of the Invention.
The nature of the Invention consists, first, in so arranging dies and plungers
in connection with automatic machinery that the sheets of tin may be fed
into the machine, and at each revolution of the driving shaft a blank will be
cut from the sheet and formed into a dish completed and ready for the
market.
Second, in holding the outer edge of the blank after it is cut and while it
is being formed to the desired shape to prevent it from wrinkling so much as

page_text: to form a lap or fuld, and at the same time cause the plunger or male dié to
stretch the tin as it is forced into the female, die.
Thirdly, in giving to the holding surface a relieving motion, and thereby
adjusting the pressure on the edge of the blank to the strength of the tin, and
thereby prevent the tin from being pulled asunder' while being forced into the
.female die.
The sketch Figure 2 is a representation of the improved dies. A is the
plunger that carries the male forming die E, and which has its bearing in the
shell or moveable cross head B, which in its turn carries the female cutting
and holding die and has its bearings on slides on the columns of the frame.
The male cutting and holding die and female forming die D are made in one
piece and attached firmly to the fixed cross head. The plunger A is
worked by a toggle joint operated by a connecting rod and vibrating lever
or crank on the main or cam shaft, but not made fast to said shaft, the two
together forming a secondary toggle. The crank pin is made adjustable to
or from the centre of the shaft, and the connecting rod is made adjustable by
means of a long nut on its centre, and a right left hand screw on the two
parts of the connecting rod. These adjustments are for the purpose of
adjusting the movement of the plunger A to the depth of the dish to be struck,
and must be so made that when the crank is thrown down so as to be in line
with the connecting rod the toggle- under the plunger shall be straight, and
the top of the male die E must be on a level with the holding surface (c)
when the shell B is in its lowest position, and fill the female forming die when
the plunger has completed its upward movement. The shell or moveable
cross head is moved by means of toggles connected by links to a sliding frame,
which in its turn is moved by vibrating cams keyed on the vibrating shaft
and moving through only a portion of the revolution. These cans are con-
structed with two operating sides, so that they act upon a roll on the sliding
frame both in front and in the rear of the cams. They also have a clutch on
the same shaft, and which
the side next to the vibrating lever or crank on
carries a corresponding clutch. A portion of the acting surface of said cams
on each side is hung or jointed on a pin, and may be adjusted to or from the
centre of the shaft by means of a wedge and screw. This portion of the
cams is used to give the relief to the pressure on the edge of the blank as it is
being formed by the male die E. The vibrating shaft is driven by means of a
connecting rod and crank on the fly wheel shaft. The height to which the
toggles shall throw the plunger and shell is easily adjusted by means of the
wedges and screws under the toggles.
The operation of the machine is as follows: The parts being in such

page_text: position that the plunger and shell are both at their extreme lowest position,
with the crank pin and connecting rod adjusted to give the required movement
to the plunger, the tin is placed on the surface of the lower cutting die, and
the fly wheel being rotated the shell carrying the female cutting and holding
die is moved up by the action of the cams on the sliding frame and through
the links upon the toggles until the tin is cut and the surfaces of the holding
dies press upon the tin, when the motion of the shell in that direction ceases.
In the meantime the clutches on the hubs of the cams have come in contact
with the clutches on the hub of the crank, and carried it around so far as to
bring the end of the male forming die to bear on the tin. A continuation
of the motion of the fly wheel through the continued motion of the crank
and toggles carries the male forming die upward, carrying the tin with
it and forming it to the shape of the recess in the female die, while the
adjustable portion of the cams is working upon the sliding frame and thereby
relieving the pressure on the edge of the tin. When the fly wheel has made
a half revolution and completed the vibratory motion of the cam shaft in one
direction and commences upon the return motion, the shell is again forced up
until the holding surfaces assume the same position they held when the
forming die first commenced to act upon the tin, and thereby remove any
wrinkles that may have formed in the edge of the tin. A continuation of the
motion withdraws both the shell and the plunger to their original position,
when the dish is removed and the sheet of tin placed in position to cut
another blank..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I,
the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RAISING
OR FORMING ARTICLES OF SHEET METAL," a communication to me from abroad
by Mellen Bray, a person resident at Haverhill Street, Boston, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
i
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Heretofore such articles have been largely manufactured by means of a drop
press, so called, and each separate article is subjected to the operation of
the press from four to ten times before it is completed and ready for the
market. The mode of operation by the drop press is as follows:-A female die
is made of cast iron of a suitable form to give the desired shape to the article
to be manufactured. This die being placed in position on the press is now
filled,,,,,,,, or full (the amount of filling depending upon
the depth of the die). This having been done, the drop weight to which the
male die is to be attached is placed in position over the female die, and a force
or male die is cast by pouring melted lead and antimony into the female die
and around a suitable collar or head on the drop block or weight. When the
metal has cooled and become hard the machine is ready for operation. The
operator now places his foot in a stirrup attached to a strap which passes over
a pulley, and the other end of which is attached to the drop block or weight.
By throwing his foot down and backwards he raises the weight to a suitable
height, when he places the tin blank (previously cut from the sheet to the
proper form) in position on the face of the female die, and suddenly bringing
his foot forward allows the weight to drop upon the blank and force it into the
female die as far as the force or male die will go. When he has run the lot
of articles that is in process of manufacture through the press once the
force or male die has to be melted up and a. new force cast entering the.

page_text: female die a little farther, when all the articles have to be run through
.the press again, striking the dish a little deeper than the first time. The
process of melting and recasting the force each time a little deeper has to be
<repeated till the article conforms to the shape of the female die or mould, the
number of operations varying with and depending upon the depth of the dish
.being made.
The sketch Figure 1 represents a die to be used on a drop press for the
manufacture of lemon cake dishes, the lower die being shewn in section, and
the force or male die in elevation and about the depth that it would be for
the first operation. In forcing the tin into the cavity of the female die the
effect is to cause the tin to wrinkle on the sides and top of the die, but the
weight. striking upon the tin at 6 removes the wrinkles at each successive
operation, and thus leaves the dish comparatively smooth. It must be evident
to all that this process is a very laborious as well as expensive one, and that
if a machine could be made that would complete the article at one operation,
or even at two, they might be made very much cheaper than at present, and
the labor of the operation be made very much lighter. To gain this desirable
end is the object of the Invention.
:
The nature of the Invention communicated to me consists, firstly, in so
arranging dies and plungers in connection with automatic machinery that the
sheets of tin may be fed into the machine, and at each revolution of the
driving shaft a blank will be cut from the sheet and formed into a dish com-
pleted and ready for the market.
Secondly, in holding the outer edge of the blank after-it is cut and while it
is being formed to the desired shape to prevent it from wrinkling so much as to
form a lap or fold, and at the same time cause the plunger or male die to stretch
the tin as it is forced into the female die.
Thirdly, in giving to the holding surface a relieving motion, and thereby
adjusting the pressure on the edge of the blank to the strength of the tin, and
thereby prevent the tin from being pulled asunder while being forced into the
female die.
The sketch Figure 2 is a representation of the improved dies. A is the
plunger that carries the male forming die E, and which has its bearing in the
shell or moveable cross head B, which in its turn carries the female cutting
and holding die and has its bearings on slides on the columns of the frame.
Figure 3 shows a side elevation; Figure 4 shows a front elevation; Figure 5
shows a vertical section on line a, b, Figures 4 and 6; Figure 6 shows a
plan; Figure 7 shows a sectional elevation of column; Figure 8 shows an
elevation of middle portion of column; Figure 9 shows a plan of bed;

page_text: Figure 10 shows a section of shell on line c, d, Figure.4. The male cutting.
and holding die and female forming die D are made in one piece and attached.
firmly to the fixed cross-head. The plunger A is worked by a toggle joint F,.
operated by a connecting rod G and vibrating lever or crank on the main or.
cam shaft H, but not made fast to said shaft, the two together forming.
a secondary toggle. The crank pin I is made adjustable to or from the
centre of the shaft, and the connecting rod G is made adjustable by,
means of .a. long nut on its centre.and a right and left hand screw on the.
two parts of the connecting rod. These adjustments are for the purpose
of adjusting the movement of the plunger .A to the depth of the dish to
be struck, and must be so made that when the crank is thrown down
so as to be in line with the connecting rod the toggle under the plunger.
shall be straight, and the top of the male die E must be on a level with
the holding surface C when the shell B is in its lowest position, and reach and
fill the female forming die when the plunger has completed its upward move-
inment. The shell or moveable cross head B is moved by means of toggles
connected by links to a sliding frame, which in its turn is moved by vibrating.
cams keyed on the vibrating shaft and moving through only a portion of the
revolution. These cams are constructed with two operating sides, so that they.
act upon a roll on the sliding frame both in front and in the rear of the.cams.
They also have a clutch on the side next to the vibrating lever or crank.on
the same shaft, and which carries a corresponding clutch. A portion of the
acting surface of the said cams on each side is hung or jointed on a pin,.and
may be adjusted to or from the centre of the shaft by means of a wedge and
screw. This portion of the cams is used to give the relief to the pressure on
the edge of the blank as it is being formed by the male die E. The vibrating.
shaft is driven-by means of a connecting rod and crank on the fly wheel shaft.
The height to which the toggles shall throw the plunger and shell is easily,
adjusted by means of the wedges and screws under the toggles.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The parts being in such
position that the plunger and shell are both at their extreme lowest position,
with the crank pin and connecting rod adjusted to give the required movement
to the plunger, 'the tin is placed on the surface of the lower cutting die and
the fly wheel being rotated the shell carrying the female cutting and holding
die is moved up by the action of the cams on the sliding frame and through
the links upon the toggles until the 'tin is cut and the surfaces of the holding
dies press upon the tin, when the motion of the shell in that direction ceases.
In the meantime the clutches on the hubs of the cams have come in contact
with the clutches on the hub of the crank and carried it-around so far as to

page_text: bring the end of the male forming die to bear on the tin. A continuation of
the motion of the fly wheel through the continued motion of the crank and
toggles carries the male. forming die upward, carrying the tin with it and
forming it to the shape of the recess in the female die, while the adjustable
portion of the cam is working upon the sliding frame and thereby relieving
the pressure on the edge of the tin. When the fly wheel has made a half
revolution and completed the vibratory motion of the cam shaft in one direction
and commences upon the return motion, the shell is again forced up until the
holding surfaces assume the same position they held when the forming die
first commenced to act upon the tin, and thereby remove any wrinkles that
may have formed in the edge of the tin. A continuation of the motion
withdraws both the shell and the plunger to their original position, when
the dish is removed and the sheet of tin placed in position to cut another
blank.
**What I claim is as follows:-
r
First, holding, as herein described, the edge of the blank while it is being
formed to shape in the forming dies.
Second, giving, as herein described, to the holding surfaces a relief motion
to prevent the increasing thickness of the tin caused by being drawn in
by the forming dies from increasing the pressure and thereby tearing the tin
asunder.
Third, the vibrating cams with the adjustable surfaces when used for the
purposes specified.
Fourth, the intermittent vibratory crank, the adjustable crank pin, and the
adjustable connecting rod; or their mechanical equivalents, when used for the
purpose specified.
Fifth, the combination of the plunger A, shell B, dies C, D, and E with
the automatic machinery represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In: witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)