IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING SMALL ARTICLES BY STAMPING THEM FROM SHEET METAL, AND IN THE PRE- PARATION OF STRIPS OF SUCH METAL FOR STAMPING
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING
SMALL ARTICLES BY STAMPING THEM FROM SHEET METAL, AND IN THE PRE-
PARATION OF STRIPS OF SUCH METAL FOR STAMPING."-A communication
from abroad by Elisha Dyer, of Providence, Rhode Island, United
States of America.
•
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th June 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANU-
FACTURING SMALL ARTICLES BY STAMPING THEM FROM SHEET METAL, AND IN THE

page_text: PREPARATION OF STRIPS OF SUCH METAL FOR STAMPING,” a communication, to
be as follows :—
My Invention consists in the novel arrangement of a series of male
and female dies, and in combining therewith certain novel feeding
mechanism in a machine to accomplish the complete formation of a
perfect eyelet or other similar article from a strip of sheet metal, and
remove it therefrom without an intermediate annealing of the metal
during the process.
•
My Invention further consists in preparing the strip of metal stock for
use in the machine by removing a portion of the edges of the strip, so as
to leave the remainder of the stock in a series of discs or other desired
forms, sufficiently connected at two of their sides to maintain the
requisite continuity in the strip.
In the following description I will refer only to the manufacture of
eyelets.
For this purpose four dies are arranged upon the main shaft so as to
produce a vertical reciprocating movement all at the same speed and at
the same time. The first is the preliminary forming die, which first
operates upon the metallic strip, making an imperfect cup or blank with
its upper edge slightly flaring. The second is the die which completes
the cup form and the upper flaring edge, the drawing or swaging being
divided between the two dies. The third is a cutting die arranged to
cut away the bottom of the cup. The fourth is the clearing or cutting
die which removes the finished eyelet from the strip. The cutting edges
of the die operate just outside of the upper flaring edge of the eyelet,
which thus finished is forced through the female die and delivered
below.
It is essential that each die should be provided with a separate feeding
device adjustable relatively to it in order to secure the accurate delivery
of the strip to the die. The first feeding device which delivers the stock
to the preliminary forming die consists of a horizontal carriage fitted to
slides arranged on a line corresponding with the line of the male dies or
plungers. In the bed of this carriage is a groove of a proper width and
depth for receiving the strip of metal stock from which the eyelets are to
be formed. The forming or swaging is commenced by the first die,
and completed by the second die, and partially by using a metal strip
especially prepared for the purpose with nicks or notches in the edges.
By making the sheet metal strip of stock to approximate as nearly as

page_text: possible to the form of discs, and yet maintain connection between them,
and retaining the advantages of a continuous strip, the drawing or
swaging is readily accomplished without requiring any intermediate
process of annealing. On the side of the aforesaid carriage is a hori-
zontally acting spring pawl arranged to engage with the nicks in the
edge of the stock.
On the end of the driving shaft of the machine is a cam which
engages with the upper end of a spring lever, the lower end of
which by means of a pivotted joint is attached to the end of a feed bar
extending the whole length of the machine beneath the platform. To
this bar are attached longitudinally adjustable dogs which engage
with pins descending through slots in the platform from the carriage
and the other feeders to which the said pins are attached. By
the longitudinal movement of this feeding bar to and fro the various
carriages are operated. The second feeding carriage delivers the stock
after it has been partially formed to the second die by which the
shaping of the eyelet is fully completed. This carriage is operated like
the first carriage, it is provided with a slot in its bed into and along
which the projections already formed in the stock are conducted. It
is also provided with a vertically acting spring pawl, the finger of which
is arranged to engage with the cavities in the stock made by the first
dies during the forward movement of the carriage. The necessity of
this second feeding device will be readily comprehended when it is
remembered that a strip of metal stock of sufficient length to make, for
instance, ten eyelets becomes shortened by the action of the first die
fully one-fifth of the original length. A third feeding device delivers
the strip to the third die, by which the bottom of the cup, is removed,
thus completing the small end of the eyelet. This feeder is essentially
like the last described with the exception that its forward end laps
over on the female die plate with its upper edge at such a distance.
above the face of the plate as would be equal to the depth of the eyelet
cup already formed in the strip. This carriage has a longitudinal groove
in its bed along which the strip of metal is conducted to the dies, the
edges of the strip extending over and resting upon the edges of the
groove while the eyelet cups are in the groove. Upon reaching the
die the cup is thus held in a vertical position while the cutting is
being effected and secures uniform and desirable results. The necessity
of having a separate feeding device with the third die will be at once
apparent upon consideration of the fact that a strip containing twenty-

page_text: two partly formed eyelet cups as passed through the first dies contains
but twenty-one cups as shaped by the second dies. A fourth feeding
device delivers the strip to the fourth die by which the completed eyelet.
is removed from the strip. Beneath the forming plungers which operate
with the first and second feeders are vertical spring lifters, which
working within the female dies serve as clearers to drive the partially
formed stock upward free from the die and thus admit of its advancement.
On three of the male dies or plungers are holding fingers arranged¸ to
engage with the inside edge of the eyelet cup in the strip next preceding
the cup being operated upon by the dies. They serve to hold the strip
against any possible backward movement as the carriages return to take
a fresh feed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th December 1871,
a
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm.of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her
special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my 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 MANUFACTURING SMALL ARTICLES BY STAMPING
THEM FROM SHEET METAL, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF STRIPS OF SUCH METAL.
FOR STAMPING," a communication to me from abroad by Elisha Dyer,
of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My Invention consists in a novel arrangement of a series of male and
female dies and in combining therewith novel feeding mechanism in
a machine which accomplishes the complete formation and removal of
an eyelet or other similar article from a strip of sheet metal without any
annealing of the metal during the process.
The said Invention further consists in preparing the strips of metal
for the machine by so removing a portion of their edges as to leave a
series of discs or other required forms sufficiently connected to each
other to maintain the continuity of the strip in the machine.
In the following description I will confine myself to the manufacture
of eyelets, but the production of other articles according to my Invention
is accomplished in substantially the same manner, the dies and parts
connected therewith being slightly modified to suit the particular shape
of each of such articles.
VE
T
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine; Figure 2 is
a longitudinal vertical section of the platform of the machine with the
feeding devices; Figure 3 represents a strip of metal prepared for the
machine. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
It will be observed that the machine has four dies. These are so
arranged upon the main shaft- as to produce a vertical reciprocating
movement and they all move at the same speed and at the same time.
No. 1 is the preliminary forming die, which first operates upon the
metallic strip, making an imperfect cup or blank with its upper edge

page_text: slightly flaring. No. 2 is the die which completes the cup form and
the upper flaring edge, the drawing or swaging being thus divided
between the dies 1 and 2. No. 3 is a cutting die arranged to cut
away the bottom of the cup. No. 4 is the clearing or cutting off die
which removes the finished eyelet from the strip. The cutting edges &
of this die operate just outside of the upper flaring edge of the
eyelet, which thus finished is forced through the female die and
delivered below the machine. Strips of sheet metal will not always
draw uniformly; the respective dies should therefore be at such
distances apart as will permit such bending of the strip as may be 1
required to compensate for any inequalities that may occur in the
drawing. And in consequence of this space between the dies and the
inequalities in the drawing of the strip it is essential that each die
should be provided with a separate feeding device so arranged and
adjusted as to secure the accurate delivery of the strip to the die.
A represents the first feeding device which delivers the stock to
the preliminary forming die No. 1. It consists of a horizontal carriage
fitted to slides arranged in a line with the male dies or plungers. In
the bed of this carriage is a groove of proper width and depth for
Я
receiving the strip of metal from which the eyelets are to be formed.
In nearly all former eyelet machines in which dies have been
arranged to more or less gradually form eyelets from a strip of sheet
metal it has been essential that the strip should be annealed at some
point between the dies. This necessity has been obviated in my machine
by having the forming or swaging commenced by the die No. 1 and
completed by the die No. 2, and by using a metal strip especially
prepared for the purpose, as shown in Figure 3. The strip is thus pre-
sented to the machine in the form of a series of discs or planchets
sufficiently united to secure the advantages of the strip form for
feeding while possessing a circular form closely corresponding with
that of the finished eyelet. By making the sheet metal strip as nearly
as possible in the form of a series of connected discs the drawing or
swaging is readily accomplished without requiring any intermediate
process of annealing. On the side of the aforesaid carriage is a
horizontally acting spring pawl arranged to engage with the nicks in
the edge of the stock.
On one end of the driving shaft of the machine is a cam E, which
1

page_text: means of a pivotted joint is attached to the end of a feed bar G extend-
ing the whole length of the machine in hangers beneath the platform; to'.
this bar G are attached longitudinally adjustable dogs H, which engage
with pins descending through slots in the platform from the carriage A,
and the other feeders to which the said pins are attached. By the longi-
tudinal movement of this feeding bar to and fro the various carriages are
operated. B represents, the second feeding carriage. It delivers the
stock after the same has been partially formed to the die No. 2, by
which the shaping of the eyelet is fully completed. This carriage is
operated like the carriage A already described; it is provided with a slot
in its bed, into and along which the projections already formed in the
stock are conducted. It is also provided with a vertically acting spring
pawl arranged to engage with the cavities in the stock made by the
first dies during the forward movement of the carriage. The necessity
of this second feeding device B will be readily comprehended when it is
remembered that a strip of metal stock of sufficient length to make, for
instance, ten eyelets becomes shortened by the action of the die No. 1
fully one-fifth of the original length.
O represents a third feeding device, which delivers the strip to the
die No. 3, by which the bottom of the cup is removed. This feeder O is
essentially like the last, with the exception that its forward end laps over
on the female die plate with its upper edge at a distance above the face
of the plate equal to the depth of the eyelet cup already formed in the
strip. This carriage has a longitudinal groove in its bed, along which
the strip of metal is conducted to the dies, the edges of the strip extend-
ing over and resting upon the edges of the grooves, while the eyelet cups
are in the groove.. Upon reaching the die the cup is thus held in a
vertical position while the cutting is effected. The necessity of having a
separate feeding device with the die No. 3 will be at once apparent upon
consideration of the fact that a length of strip containing twenty-two
partly formed eyelet cups as passed through the dies No. 1 contains but
twenty-one cups as shaped by the dies No. 2.
Although these several feeding devices are operated substantially by
the same movement, and at the same time, and with the same extent of
travel, the arrangement of the spring pawl with the forward inside edge
of the second eyelet cup next before the one being operated upon by the
die will admit of slight variations, as, for example, it might engage with
the top edge in one instance, and the bottom of the cup in another.

page_text: Another advantage in this combination of a feeding device with each
and every die is, that if there should be a flaw in the strip of metal and
between the dies the strip should separate, the work might continue
for a time without danger of clogging and breaking the machine.
D represents a fourth feeding device substantially the same as the one 5
described as feeder B. This feeder D delivers the strip to the die No. 4
by which the completed eyelet is removed from the strip. Beneath the
forming plungers that operate with feeders A and B are vertical spring
lifters L, which, working within the female dies, serve as clearers to
drive the partially formed stock upward free from the die, and thus 1
permit its advancement. On three of the male dies or plungers are
holding fingers K arranged to engage with the inside edge of the eyelet
cup in the strip next preceding the cup being operated upon by the
dies; they serve to hold the strip against any possible backward move-
ment as the carriages return to take a fresh feed.
The operation of my machine is as follows:-The cam E having been
arranged with proper relation to the main shaft and spring lever F, so
that when the plungers or male dies are at their lowest point of descent
the feed bar G will be quickly moved to the left, and also so arranged
that during the upward and downward movement of the plungers the
feed bar G will move towards the dies. The metal strip having been
properly nicked is delivered to the feeder A, which by engaging by its
pawl with the nicks conveys it forward by an intermittent movement
to the die No. 1. The spring lifter L raises the partially formed blank
out of the die, and allows the strip to be set forward nick by nick,
until it arrives at the feeder B, which delivers it to the die No. 2,
where its formation is completed, thence it passes to the feeder C
and the die No. 3, and finally to the feeder D and cutting die No. 4,
which removes the finished article from the strip.
In preparing the machine for operation care should be taken to have
a greater length of strip between the several dies than the actual
distance between them to compensate from time to time for the slight
irregularities which are liable to occur in the swaging as before
explained.
1

page_text: me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same is to be
performed, I claim, —
First. The combination of the swaging dies Nos. 1 and 2, the feed
carriages A and B, and the clearing lifters L as herein described.
Second. The combination with a series of dies and feeding devices
arranged as herein set forth of the cam E, a spring lever F, feed bar G,
and adjustable dogs H, as above described.
Third. In combination with the die No. 3 for removing the bottom
of the blank, the feed carriage C fitted to slide upon the face of the
female die, provided with a longitudinal groove, and arranged to deliver
the blanks in the strip of metal to the cutting die in a vertical position,
as herein described.
Fourth. The improved machine for making eyelets and other similar
articles from sheet metal with the swaging dies Nos. 1 and 2, the cutting
dies Nos. 3 and 4, the feed carriages A, B, C, and D, the lifters L, and
fingers K, combined and operating as herein described.
Fifth. The preparation of sheet metal strips for the manufacture of
eyelets or other similar articles, as herein-described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.