Improvements in Power Presses or similar Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 16th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power Presses or similar Machines.
I REGINALD WILLIAM JAMES of 75 Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley, in the County of
Kent Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of machines generally used for the purpose of
pressing stamping, punching, or shearing of materials, such as iron, steel or other
similar materials and has for its object the construction. and arrangement of such a
machine that shall embody the special advantages belonging to an ordinary
reciprocating power press and those of the hydraulic press without entailing the
disadvantages of either system. When using an ordinary mechanical power press
actuated by rotatory motion which I may here call a dead distance machine, it is
obvious that under ordinary conditions that the tools can only be so situated upon the
different parts of the press that they can merely work within a dead distance of one
another, and if a stamped article is to be produced in quantity considerable difficulty
is experienced in such production by the variation in the section and weight of the
material by which the machine is fed. Now such variation is very difficult to
remedy in the case of rolled bars of iron and steel so that should the section be light
the article to be pressed does not have a sufficient amount of work put upon it, to
properly bring up any essential part pressed upon it, which may be desirable. If the
section is heavy a considerable excess of work is expended over and above that
required, consequently throwing very heavy and unnecessary strains on tho
machinery which may consequently cause a break down and of necessity the quality
of the work turned out is not as good as it might be. One advantage obtained in
using the above machine is that as it is actuated by rotative means a considerable
speed of manufacture is attained. The other class of machine often used for the
hereinbefore mentioned operations is that of the hydraulic ram which in the case of
pressing or stamping exerts a pressure upon the article until it can be pressed no
further, or until means are provided to prevent further pressure. It can therefore
make little or no difference should the material with which the machine is fed be of
light section as the resulting stamped article will have the essential points pressed
inio prominence.
This class of machine has a very great disadvantage in consequence of the
enormous waste of nergy which is entailed in bringing the tools upon the machine in
proximity with one another, before any work is put upon the article to be pressed,
and the operation is very slow and limits to a great extent any considerable speed of
manufacture being attained. In order to combine the advantages of these two
systems without entailing their disadvantages, I arrange an hydraulic ram within a
cylinder upon the lower part of an ordinary reciprocating press or machine which
part generally forms the rigid resistance upon which the lower tools are fixed, the
upper tools being reciprocated by ordinary rotative means such as by a cam, crank,
or other convenient method of producing reciprocation. This cylinder is subjected
to any convenient head of water or where it is impracticable to obtain sufficient
head, I employ a second hydraulic ram within a cylinder the said ram being loaded
with dead weights so that it shall form what is generally known as an accumulator,
one of the advantages of this is that the load or weight that is to be put upon the
article to be pressed can be regulated as desired either by reducing or increasing the
head of water
When the tool upon
the load upon the accumulator.
or
the reciprocating part of the press omes in contact with the article placed upon the
lower tool at any point within the stroke that may be desired exerting a pressure on
it and depressing the ram upon the head of which the bottom tools are mounted and

page_text: so forcing up the accumulator or displacing some of the water in the cylinder up into
the cistern supplying the head of water. The object of the lengthened period in
which the tools are in proximity to one another with the full load on, is that, an
appreciable time is allowed in which to effect the pressing of the article in question
and distributing the work that is performed over a considerable period of the stroke
of the machine, and so relieving the machine of the excessive strains which take,
place in the ordinary power press, where the work is performed during a very small
portion of the stroke, namely when the crank or cam of the rotatory motion is passing
the bottom centre.
It is very obvious that there will be no expenditure of water at a high pressure as
in an hydraulic press except such as might leak from the working parts and this
could be provided for by means of a small pump worked from the rotatory motion of
the machine or by any other equivalent means.
:
Thus in my improved system of press I obtain the advantages of considerable speed
of manufacture by the rotatory motion of the machine and lengthened pressure upon
the articles by means of the hydraulic cushion, without entailing any of the
disadvantages of the two former systems respectively namely bad quality of work
and excessive strains on the machine or the excessive expenditure of the hydraulic
power without equivalent return duty.- may equivalently use cushions of elastic
material or the application of springs of metal or other similar material in place of
the hydraulic pressure.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power Presses or similar Machines.
1, REGINALD WILLIAM JAMES, of 75, Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley, in the County of
Kent, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to Le performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of machines generally used for the purposes of
pressing, stamping, punching, or shearing of materials such as iron, steel, or other
similar materials, and has for its object the construction and arrangement of such a
machine that shall embody the special advantages belonging to an ordinary
reciprocating power press, and those of the hydraulic press, without entailing the
disadvantages of either system.
When using an ordinary mechanical power press actuated by rotatory motion
(which I may here call a dead distance machine) it is obvious that under ordinary
conditions the tools can only be situated upon the different parts of the press so that
they can merely work within a dead distance of one another.
If a stamped article is to be produced in quantity considerable difficulty is
experienced in such production by variation in the section, and weight of the
material by which the machine is fed.
Now, such variation is very difficult to remedy especially in the case of rolled bars
of iron, and steel, so that should the section he light the article to be pressed does not
have a sufficient amount of work put upon it to properly bring up any essential parts
pressed thereon which may be desirable.
If the section is heavy a considerable excess of work is expended above that
required consequently throwing very heavy, and unnecessary strains
on the
machinery which may thereby cause a break-down, and of necessity the quality of
the work turned out is not as good as it might be.
One advantage obtained in using the above described machine is that as it is
actuated by rotative means considerable speed of manufacture is attained.
The other class of machine often used for the hereinbefore mentioned operations is
that of the hydraulic press, which in the case of pressing, or stamping exerts a

page_text: .
pressure upon the article until it can be pressed no further, or until means are
provided to prevent further pressure.
It can therefore make little, or no difference should the material with which the
machine is fed be of light section as the resulting stamped article will have the
essential parts pressed in prominence.
This class of machine however has a very great disadvantage in consequence of the
enormous waste of energy which is entailed in bringing the tools upon the machine
into proximity with one another before any work is put upon the article to be
pressed.
The operation also is very slow and limits to a great extent any considerable speed
of manufacture being attained.
In order to combine the advantages of these two systems without entailing their
disadvantages I provide an elastic cushion upon that part of an ordinary reciprocating
power press which generally forms a rigid resistance upon which the lower tools are
fixed, the upper tools being reciprocated by the ordinary means of rotation such as a
cam, or crank, or other convenient method of producing reciprocation.
In order that my invention may be the hetter understood now proceed to describe
the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed. Like letters refer to liko
parts throughout the figures.
Figure 1. is a sectional view of an ordinary power press showing one way in
which my invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 2. is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3. shows a modified arrangement of the check valve.
Within the lower part of the frame of the press A 1 arrange a cylinder B,
within which works a ram C. Upon the head of this ram C the tool table a is
situated upon which the bottom dies, or tools are fixed.
The top dies, or tools are attached to the reciprocating slide D which may be
reciprocated to and fro by means of any cam, or crank action E.
The cylinder B is subjected to any convenient head of water which can be led
thereto by the pipe F, or where it is impracticable to obtain sufficient head I employ
a second hydraulic ram within a cylinder, the said ram being loaded with dead
weights so that it shall form what is generally known as an accumulator.
One of the advantages of this arrangement is that the load or weight that is to be
put upon the article to be pressed can be regulated as desired either by reducing, or
increasing the head of water, or the load upon the accumulator.
In order to prevent the ram being forced too far out of its cylinder during the
period that the top tools are travelling through the upper part of their stroke I
provide a shoulder e upon the rum C which abuts against a shoulder around the
internal periphery of the cylinder B.
The operation of my press is as follows:-
When the tool upon the reciprocating slide D comes in contact with the article
placed upon the tool upon the head of the ram C a cortain pressure is exerted upon
it, and the ram is depressed causing the accumulator to be forced up, or some of the
water in the cylinder to be discharged into the cistern supplying the head of
water.
Upon the machine reaching the bottom centre the ram follows the reciprocating
slide forcing it in an upward direction.
The object of the lengthened period in which the tools are in proximity to one
another with the full load on, is that, an appreciable time is allowed in which to
effect the pressing of the article in question, and distributing the work that is
performed over a considerable period of the stroke of the machine so relieving the
machine of the excessive strain which takes place in the ordinary power press where
the work is performed during a very small portion of the stroke viz.: when the crank
or can of the rotatory motion is passing the bottom centre.
It is very obvious that there will be no expenditure of water at a high pressure as in
the hydraulic press except such as might leak from the working parts and this could
be provided for by means of a small pump worked from the rotatory motion of the

page_text: machine or by any other equivalent means. Thus in my improved system of press I
obtain the advantages of considerable speed of manufacture by the rotatory motion
of the machine and lengthened pressure upon the article by means of an elastic
cushion, without entailing any of the following disadvantages of the two systems
respectively viz. the bad quality of work, excessive strains on the machine, or
the excessive expenditure of the hydraulic power without equivalent return duty.
In cases where it is inconvenient to apply a hydraulic ram I may use cushions of
elastic material such as india-rubber or wood. Where sufficient movement is not
obtained by the before mentioned materials I may apply a spring or springs of metal
or other similar material to act in an upward direction upon the lower part of the
tool bed.
It is sometimes necessary to reduce the upward pressure of the ram and bottom
tools against the top tools in the return stroke such as when an auxiliary operation
has to be effected before the article is removed from the tools.
In this case I retard the water or other liquid in returning from the accumutor or
cistern to the cylinder by means of a back check valve the total or partial closing of
which can be regulated from the outside as shown in figure 3.
Or instead of providing means for preventing the total closure of the valve I may
equivalently obtain the same effect by arranging a bye-pass gas shown in figure 1 in
which is inserted a cock or valve h, this cock can be adjusted to allow the water to
pass at any convenient velocity that may be desired.
The valve in either case is so arranged that when the ram of the press is
depressed and displaces the water in the cylinder, the check valve is lifted, allowing
free passage of the water to the accumulator, or the cistern as the case may be.
Upon the return stroke as the direction of the water is reversed and the valve tends
to close, such closing is governed by an adjustable stop & beneath the valve, or by an
adjustable shoulder arranged upon the valve spindle which engages with a convenient
face, or shoulder on the cover through which it passes, or by any other equivalent
means.
It is obvious that the arrangement of the elastic cushion prevents the machine from
being overloaded, thereby ensuring perfect immunity from a break-down from that
cause.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The combination with a reciprocating power press of an elastic support, upon
which one tool or set of tools or dies is mounted, the other tool or set of tools or dies
being carried by the reciprocating part.
2nd. In such a press the combination of a reciprocating head with a hydraulic
press acted upon by liquid pressure substantially as described.
3rd. The method of governing the pressure of the return stroke of the ram by the
retarding of the velocity of the returning liquid substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of April 1890.
R. W. JAMES,
75, Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley.