Improvements in Presses for Stamping Metals.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses for Stamping Metals.
We, GEORGE TYLER ASTON, WILLIAM HENRY ASTON, and CHARLES
TYLER ASTON, Iron Founders, of 22, Charlotte Street, Great Eastern Street,
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to make a stamping press which shall combine
the objects of solidity simplicity and safety to the persons working the same.
1. In presses where the stamping die is actuated by a crank or eccentric and
a connecting rod, and where it is essential to make the movement of the die exactly
adjustable, this adjustment is usually effected by a screw or wedge in the connecting
rod whereby the same can be lengthened or shortened at pleasure making a break
and consequent weakness in the connecting rod.
2. It is also necessary in such presses to provide means (usually by a clutch) of
throwing the machine out of gear at an exact point, and to also throw it into gear
at only one point. For this purpose the clutch is made with one catch or horn
ouly, thereby throwing an undue strain on one side of the shaft.
3. The treadle by which the operator works the machine usually acts directly
upon the clutch so that when the clutch is forcibly thrown out of gear by another
part of the machine, a shock is communicated to the operator which it is very
desireable to avoid.
4. It is very desireable to provide a means whereby it becomes absolutely
impossible to move the clutch at all so that there is no chance of any injury or
inconvenience, when work is being adjusted &c. in the machine, through an
accidental tread or movement of the treadle.
To remedy all these points we provide the following combination.
1. Instead of a screw or wedge in the connecting rod, we place the bearings of
the crank shaft in eccentrics at each side, working round in the solid framing.
These eccentrics have each a projecting lever by which they can be turned round
in the framing. These levers are connected by a cross bar in which is a swivelling
A screw on which is a hand wheel runs in this mut being attached to the
framing below in a swivelling center. When this screw it turned round, the
eccentries are moved, so that the whole crank shaft is lowered or raised as may be
required.
Init.
The connecting rod therefore remains a solid piece and is much more easily
made and adjusted & more substantial.
2. We make the clutch in two horns opposite to each other, but, seeing that if
they are both in the same circle there would be two points where the clutch could
go into gear, we make one horn work in an exterior and the other in an interior
circle. They can therefore only fall into gear when both are opposite their own
catches and by this means we gel the strain at both sides of the shaft giving an
equal strain on both sides with greater steadiness combined with the power only
to throw the clutch into gear at one point.
3. We make the treadle act not direct on the clutch but on a bell crank, one
arm of this bell crank is connected directly with the treadle and on the other arm
which stands vertical there is a sliding block which works in a slot in the second
bell crank. This slot is in the horizontal limb of the bell crank and is in a
vertical position with a recess at one side large enough to allow the sliding block
to be moved out of the vertical slot into this side recess. The other or vertical
arm of this bell crank actuates the clutch. The treadle moves the sliding block

page_text: sideways out of the recess into the vertical part of the slot and as soon as this is
done a strong double horse shoe shaped spring pulls down the horizontal arm of
this second crank and throws the clutch out of gear a spiral spring may be used.
The clutch is forced out of gear at the proper moment by a cam or other well
known means and the sliding block slips down the slot opposite the recess entering
therein and holding the clutch out of gear till again acted upon by the treadle.
The recess is carried a little below the bottom of the vertical part of the slot and
when by the action of the safety catch or lever about to be described the block is
forced into this part of the slot the treadle will not act till the safety catch is again
liberated.
4. The safety catch or lever above named is a small lever worked on a center and
actuated by a small handle in reach of the operator and placed under the horizontal
part of the upper bell crank. When turnel up it forces the upper bell crank up
so that the sliding block comes into the lower or safety part of the recess and
then the bell crank can not be moved by any force until the handle is again turned.
GEORGE TYLER ASTON.
WILLIAM HENRY ASTON.
CHARLES TYLER ASTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses for Stamping Metals.
We, GEORGE TYLER ASTON, WILLIAM HENRY ASTON, and CHARLES
TYLER ASTON, Iron Founders, of 22 Charlotte Street, Great Eastern Street,
London, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to make a stamping press, which shall combine
the objects of solidity simplicity and safety to the persons working the same.
1. In presses where the stamping die is actuated by a crank or eccentric and a
connecting rod and where it is essential to make the movement of the die exactly
adjustable, this adjustment is usually effected by a screw or wedge in the connecting
rod whereby the same can be lengthened or shortened at pleasure making a break
and consequent weakness in the connecting rod.
2. It is also necessary in such presses to provide means, (usually by a clutch) of
throwing the machine out of gear at an exact point and to also throw it into gear
as only one point. For this purpose the clutch is made with one catch or horn only
thereby throwing an undue strain on one side of the shaft.
3. The treadle by which the operator works the machine usually acts directly
upon the clutch, so that when the clutch is forcibly thrown out of gear by another
part of the machine, a shock is communicated to the operator which it is very
desireable to avoid.
4. It is very desireable to provide a means whereby it becomes absolutely
impossible to move the clutch at all so that there shall be no chance of any
injury or inconvenience when work is being adjusted &c. in the machine through
an accidental tread on, or movement of the treadle.
To remedy all these points we provide the following combination.
1. Instead of a screw or wedge in the connecting rod we place the bearings of
the crank shaft in eccentrics at each side working round in the solid framing.
These eccentrics have each a projecting lever by which they can be turned round in
the framing. These levers are connected by a cross bar in which is a swivelling
mut. A screw on which is fixed a hand wheel runs in this nut, being attached to
the framing below by a swivelling center.
When this screw is turned round, the eccentrics are moved so that the whole
crank shaft is lowered or raised as may be required.

page_text: The connecting rod therefore remains a solid piece and is much more substantial
and easily made and adjusted.
C
In the accompanying drawings Figs. 4 & 5 a. is the main or crank shaft having
on it the eccentric which actuates the connecting rod b. The bearings of this
shaft are not carried directly in the framing but in eccentricsee which have on
them extensions sideways carrying the prolongation levers ƒ ƒ.
These levers turn round the eccentrics in the main framing and in so
doing move the position of the center of the main shaft up or down as may be
required thus adjusting exactly the position of the die at the end of the stroke.
The levers are moved by the screw working in the nut at top and in the
swivelling center i at bottom.
We make the clutch, with two horns opposite to each other, but seeing that if
they are both in the same circle there would be two points where the clutch could
go into gear, we make one horn work in an exterior and the other in an interior
circle. They can therefore only fall into gear when both are opposite their own
catches and by this means we get the strain at opposite sides of the shaft, giving
an equal strain with greater steadiness combined with the power only to throw the
clutch into gear at one point. In the accompanying drawings Fig. 2 the clutch is
shown with the two horns kone in the exterior circle and the other in the interior
circle.
3. We make the treadle to act, not directly on the clutch, but on a bell crank.
through an intermediate shaft carrying two dises. From one of these discs there
proceeds a rod connecting the treadle directly to the bell crank, on the arm which
stands horizontal. The arm which stands vertical, terminates in a square block
working on a pin. This square block works in a slot in the horizontal arm of a
second bell crank, which slot stands in a vertical position. This slot has a recess
at one side large enough to admit the sliding block."
The other or vertical arm of this second bell crank is in a vertical position and
actuates the clutch. The treadle moves the sliding block sideways out of the
recess, into the vertical part of the slot, and as soon as this is done, a strong double
horseshoe shaped, or spiral spring pulls down the horizontal arm of the second bell
crank, and throws the clutch into gear.
In Fig. 3 these parts are shown as follows.
"
square
The rod from the treadle T first draws down the arm of the first bell crank
by the rod acting through the rocking shaft (Fig. 2) this moves the
block from the recess in which it is shown into the vertical part of the slot s.
The second bell crank B is then free to be acted on by the springs and the
clutch a is thrown into gear. After the revolution it is thrown out of gear by
the cam acting against the roller and the sliding block comes opposite
the recess into which it is pulled by the springs te e and there it remains until the
treadle again sets the machine in action the bell crank B being held firmly by
its position in the recess.
The recessed part of the slots is carried a little below the vertical part of the
recess as shown at Fig. 3, and when by the action of the safety catch about to be
described the sliding block is forced into this part of the slot the treadle cannot
again act until the safety catch is again liberated.
4. The safety catch or lever above named is a small lever worked on a center and
actuated by a small bandle in reach of the operator & coming under the hori-
zontal part of the bell crank B.
When turned up it forces this bell crank up so that the sliding block comes
into the lower or safety part of the recess.
Then this bell crank cannot be moved
by any force till the handle is again turned.
In Fig. 3 this lever is shown at y and it will be seen that when raised into a
vertical position the sliding being forced into the lower part of the slot cannot be
moved sideways so as to go into the position that admits the action of the treadle
until this lever is again lowered.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination for the purpose of this machine of the solid connecting rod
adjusted by means of the eccentric bearings.
2. The treadle acting not directly on the clutch but through the two bell
cranks & the sliding block liberating the same so that it is pulled into gear by
springs the whole as set forth.
3. The safety lever as set forth.
4. The clutch made with internal & external horns so arranged that it can only
fall into gear at one point, as set forth.
5. The combination in a machine for this purpose of all or any of these
arrangements.
We are aware that the first of these has been used as in lathes but we claim the
use of it for the purpose of this machine.
Dated this 20th day of December 1890.
G. T. ASTON.
W. H. ASTON.
C. T. ASTON.