Improvements in and connected with Metallic Lathing.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Metallic Lathing.
I, MATTHEW HILTON, Manufacturer, of the Reform Club, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of metallic laths from sheet metal
strips.
In a previous application for l'atent No. 10664 dated 20th May 1899, I have
described the utilization of scrap obtained from the manufacture of chain links
or washers by punching round, oblong or otherwise shaped blanks out of a
strip of sheet metal.
If such strips are laid flat across the wooden joints, they leave no room
for the mortar to penetrate between the metal and the joist, in consequence of
which the mortar will not adhere sufficiently to the flat surface.
In order to avoid this defect, I produce instead of punched holes, one or
more series of punctures or slots by means of an edge tool, which instead of
punching out a portion of the metal, raises a burr on the reverse side, and I
apply the laths so that the burrs are facing the wood, and allow plaster or
mortar to penetrate between the lath and the wooden joists.
The said punctures have preferably the shape of longitudinal slots placed
a short distance apart, and forming one or more rows.
The length of the slots is preferably about one inch, the width ¾½ inch,
and the distance between the consecutive slots of the same row about half an
inch. The punctures may, however, be triangular, or of any other convenient
shape.
The laths are fixed to the joists by means of suitable nails, staples or screws
driven through the punctures or along the edge of the lath. If the laths are
placed close together, the nails or staples may be driven in between the edges
of the adjoining laths, and made of such a shape, that the same staple serves
for fixing two laths.
The tools used for piercing or punching such laths may be similar to those
hitherto employed for similar purposes, except that the position of the two
halves is reversed, that is to say, the edge tool is situated at the bottom, while
the matrix is moveable and situated at the top.
The upper half or matrix descends first, until it nearly makes contact, then
the edge tool ascends, so as to penetrate the metal; after which the matrix
ascends again, and thereby clears itself of the metal strip, and the edge tool
descends into its starting position. The motions are preferably produced auto-
matically by means of two parallel shafts, carrying cams or excentrics and
toothwheels.
The slots mentioned above may be arranged in pairs, either longitudinally,
or transversely, or at any convenient angle to the strip, so that the piece of
metal left between any pair of slots can be bulged forward or backward with
very slight pressure.

page_text: The two parallel slots forming a pair may be produced simultaneously by
means of a die having two parallel cutting edges, and if the sheet metal strip
rests on a yielding base, the portion situated between a pair of slots will be
bulged out by the pressure of the cutting tool.
Instead of making the slots of each pair straight and parallel to each other,
they may form an angle or two symmetric curves, and instead of having two
slots completely separated from each other, they may be joined together at one
end, so as to form a tongue with straight or curved edge.
Dated this 25th day of October 1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, MATTHEW HILTON, Manufacturer, of the Reform Club, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed and be particularly described in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of metallic laths from sheet metal
strips.
In a previous application for Patent No. 10664 dated 20th May 1899, I have
described the utilization of scrap obtained from the manufacture of chain links
or washers by punching round, oblong or otherwise shaped blanks out of a
strip of sheet metal.
If such strips are laid flat across the wooden joists, it may occur, that they
leave no room for the mortar to penetrate between the metal and the joist,
in consequence of which the mortar will not adhere sufficiently to the flat surface.
In order to avoid this defect, I produce instead of punched holes, one or
more series of punctures or slots by means of an edged tool, which instead of
punching out a portion of the metal, raises a burr on the reverse side, and I
apply the laths so that the burrs are facing the wood, and allow plaster or
mortar to penetrate between the lath and the wooden joists.
The said punctures have preferably the shape of longitudinal slots placed
a short distance apart, and forming one or more rows.
The length of the slots is preferably about one inch, the width 3, inch,
and the distance between the consecutive slots of the same row about half an
inch. The punctures may, however, be triangular, or of any other convenient
shape.
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 represent pieces of slotted
laths embodying my invention. Figs. 3 and 6 are transverse sections of the
same. Figs. 7 and 8 represent a lath having parallel cuts, made so as to form
narrow strips which are bent out of the plane of the lath.
Figures 9 and 10 represent a lath provided with angular tongues. Figures 11
and 12 represent a modification of the same.
Figures 13 and 14 are sections of a press or slotting machine for providing
laths with rectangular slots.
Figures 15 and 16 represent the die and matrix of a cutting and bending
machine.
The laths are fixed to the joists by means of suitable nails, staples or screws
driven through the punctures or along the edge of the lath. If the laths are
placed close together, the nails or staples may be driven in between the edges

page_text: of the adjoining laths, and made of such a shape, that the same staple serves
for fixing two laths.
The tools used for piercing or punching such laths may be similar to those
hitherto employed for similar purposes, or the position of the two halves may
be reversed, that is to say, the edge tool may be situated at the bottom, while
the matrix is moveable and situated at the top.
The slotting machine represented by Figures 13 and 14 is provided with an
ejector consisting of a pair of lifting bars m, m attached at their lower ends
to a cross barn, connected with the head a¹ of the die a, by a pair of bars o, o.
When the die a has made a slot and reascends, the lifting bars m, m' ascend
with it and lift the lath, which is lying on the matrix or anvil b, so as to get
quite clear of the same. In this position the feed mechanism (not shewn
in the drawing) may act on the lath without hindrance.
The slots mentioned above may be arranged in pairs, either longitudinally,
or transversely, or at any convenient angle to the strip, so that the piece of metal
left between any pair of slots can be bulged forward or backward with very
slight pressure.
In the machine represented by Figures 15 and 16 the cutting edges of the die c
and of the anvil or matrix d form convex curves, and the narrow strip of metal
situated between the parallel cutting edges of the die will be bent downward
into the recess of the anvil by the pressure of the die, in consequence of which
the lath will assume the shape represented by Figure 7 and 8.
Instead of making the slots of each pair straight and parallel to each other,
they may form an angle or two symmetric curves, and instead of having two
slots completely separated from each other, they may be joined together at one
end, so as to form a tongue with straight or curved sides.
I am aware, that iron or steelplates having punctures or parallel slots forming
strips bent out of their place have been used as a support for plaster for building
purposes, and I do not claim such sheets or plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Metallic lathing composed of narrow sheet metal strips having punctures or
slots, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.*
2. Apparatus for slotting sheet metal laths, substantially as described and
illustrated by Figures 13 and 14.
3. Apparatus for slotting and bending sheet metal laths, substantially as
described and illustrated by Figures 15, and 16.
Doted this 24th day of July 1900