Improvements in Machines for Bending Electrotype, Stereotype, and other Metallic Plates.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Bending Electrotype, Stereotype,
and other Metallic Plates.
I, WALTER SCOTT, of No. 130 East Front Street, Plainfield, in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Plates that are used in printing presses are generally flat when first made by electro-
type or stereotype processes, and hence they are not adapted to use in a rotary
printing-press having the printing surface in a cylindrical form. Efforts have been
made to bend up such flat plates into the segment of a cylinder, but the fine lines of
the plate are liable to injury, and difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a
perfect curvature in consequence of the unequal thicknesses at the different parts of
the plate.
Now, according to my invention I make use of a cylinder or cylindrical segment of
slightly less diameter than the cylinder or segment upon which the printing plate is to
set so as to compensate the slight spring of the bent plate, and I overlay the flat plate
which is to be bent with a thick sheet of paper, cardboard, or similar yielding
material, and a comparatively thin sheet of metal, preferably steel, and turn the
segment so as to carry the plate and sheet within a stationary segmental shell, or
concave, there being, by preference, a belt formed of a range of parallel rolls
between the outer surface of the covering sheet of steel, or other metal, and the inner
face of the concave so as to bend the stereotype or electrotype plate with accuracy.
The belt of small rollers rolling on the respective surfaces lessens the friction and
applies a uniform bending force progressively and successively to the plate, and the
intervening paper protects the fine lines by such lines becoming embedded in the paper,
and the pressure is thereby transferred to the indented surfaces of the plate, so that the
lines are not flattened or injured. The concave is adjustable to suit different thickness
of plates, and the rollers of the belt are united by link bearings at their ends, and there
are switch bars or guides on the frame of the machine at the ends of the rolls, and
counterweights and cords to return the belt of rollers to the normal position.
The machine is capable of use for bending metal plates of any kind, with or without
the covering sheet of steel and paper.
Dated this 96th day of November 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Bending Electrotype, Stereotype,
and other Metallic Plates.
I, WALTER SCOTT, of No. 130 East Front Street, Plainfield in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
Plates that are used in printing presses are generally flat when first made by electro-
type or stereotype processes, and hence they are not adapted to use in a rotary printing
press having the printing surface in a cylindrical form. Efforts have been made to
bend up such flat plates into the segment of a cylinder but the fine lines of the plate
are liable to injury and difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a perfect curvature
in consequence of the unequal thicknesses at the different parts of the plate.
I make use of a cylinder or cylindrical segment of slightly less diameter than the

page_text: cylinder or segment upon which the printing plate is to set, so as to compensate the
slight spring of the bent plate, and I overlay the flat plate with a thick sheet of paper
cardboard or similar yielding material and a comparatively thin sheet of metal
preferably steel, and turn the segment so as to carry the plate and sheet within a
stationary segmental shell or concave there being by preference a belt formed of a
range of parallel rolls between the outer surface of the covering sheet of steel or other
metal and the inner face of the concave so as to bend the stereotype or electrotype
plate with accuracy. The belt of small rollers rolling on the respective surfaces lessens
the friction and applies a uniform bending force progressively and successively to the
plate, and the intervening paper protects the fine lines by such lines becoming
imbedded in the paper and the pressure is thereby transferred to the indented surfaces
of the plate, so that the lines are not flattened or injured. The concave is adjustable
to suit different thickness of plates, and the rollers of the belt are united by link
bearings at their ends and there are switch bars or guides on the frame of the machine
at the ends of the rolls and counter weights and cords to return the belt of rollers to
the normal position. The machine is capable of use for bending metal plates of any
kind, with or without the covering sheet of steel and paper.
In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the machine: Fig. 2 is an end view of
the same, and Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the apparatus specially designed for
bending plates that are a half circle or nearly so in their form.
The frames A K of the machine are of the desired shape, so as to be adapted to the
reception of the other parts of the machine. The cross shaft B is supported upon these
frames and it is to be revolved by suitable gearing. I have shown the cross shaft C
pinion D and gear wheel E in Fig. 2 as the means for revolving the shaft B but the
wheel E and screw pinion D' may be made use of as shown in Fig. 3 for rotating
the shaft B or partially rotating the same as required in performing the bending
operation.
The cylinder or segment of a cylinder G is to be of the proper diameter but smaller
than the interior surface of the bent plate so that such electrotype or other plate corre-
sponds to the diameter of the cylinder in the printing press that is to receive the bent
plate or else it corresponds to the diameter of the shell or blocking placed upon such
cylinder for the reception of the thin stereotype or electrotype.
At one edge of the segment G a plate H, preferably of sheet steel, is attached by
means of an inclined cross bar 2 and screws or other convenient devices whereby the
attaching mechanism will be within the are of a circle coinciding with and extending
beyond the surface of the bent stereotype, so that the devices for attaching the plate H
will not come in contact with the bending rolls, and the plate H should be sufficiently
thin not to receive a permanent set or bend during the operation of bending the stereo-
type plate, in order that said plate H may spring out into a flat or nearly flat condition
after the bending operation has been performed in order that the bent plate may be
thereby exposed for removal.
The auxiliary frames K above the frames A receive between them a concave L and
this concave is connected to the frames by bolts 3 that pass through slots, and this
concave is accurately adjustable by the screws 4 passing through lugs 5 on the
frames K.
The rolls N are preferably of steel and comparatively small in diameter and they
extend across the machine and are longer than the width of the plate to be bent, and at
the ends of the rolls I have shown journals connected by the links O that form chains
that unite the rollers in the form of a belt and it is preferable to provide the roller
switch bars P upon the interior surfaces of the auxiliary frames K and these switch
bars are of a shape to properly support the chains O and the rollers carried by the
same, so that such rolls may pass in between the stationary concave L and the plate H
as the cylinder or segment G and its shaft B are turned gradually; and the belt of
rolls N, in the normal position, will be supported out of the way while the stereotype
plate 2 is being introduced as seen in Fig. 1. I also provide a shaft Q with pulleys 8
and belts or straps 9 to the end links O and there is a rope wheel R at one end of the
shaft and a weight S connected to the rope T passing to such wheel R and this rope

page_text: wheel is preferably a snail or volute so that the weight will have sufficient leverage for
drawing up the chain of rolls N when not otherwise acted upon and the leverage of the
weight will diminish as such belt of rolls is drawn up, in order that the weight may
offer but little resistance to the movement of the belt of rollers by the contact there-
with of the plate H as the bending operation is commenced.
The operation of this machine is as follows:-The stereotype, electrotype or other
plate 2 is to be placed upon the surface of the cylinder or segment G with one edge
resting against the cross bar 2 and by preference a sheet of thick paper or paste
board his introduced between the plate H and the letters or surface of the stereotype
and then the cylinder or segment Gis revolved and the plate H is brought into contact
with the belt of rolls N and such rolls act to bend the stereotype plate h² as the move-
ment progresses, the rolls travelling against the concave surface of the shell L and also
upon the exterior surface of the plate H. After the stereotype plate has been bent the
movement of the shaft C may be reversed so as to bring the segment or cylinder G
back to the position represented in Fig. i or the rotation of the cylinder or segment
may be continued until the plate H is clear of the belt of rolls N so as to allow for the
removal of the bent stereotype plate and the insertion of another plate. In either
instance the weight S restores or aids in the restoration of the belts O to the normal
position indicated in Fig. 1.
The adjustment of the concave L by the screws 4 provides for any variation that
may be necessary from the introduction of a thicker or thinner plate to be bent or
sheet of paper or card board thereon so that the proper pressure may be applied to the
surface of the plate without the risk of injury to the printing surface.
preferable to round the edge of the concave where the rolls enter, as seen in Fig. 3 so
that the bending operation may commence more gradually as the parts roll into the
concave.
And it is
The machine represented in Fig. 3 is adapted to bending an electrotype or other plate
that is nearly a half circle. In this instance I have represented larger number of
rolls in the belt and have shown the concave L as extending below the cylinder G
and without the adjusting screws 4 and bolts 3, otherwise the construction and mode
of operation correspond to the machine before described, the same letters of reference
being placed upon the respective parts.
I do not limit myself to the mechanism shown for revolving the bending cylinder
or segment, and the bending operation will be the same if the bending cylinder
remains stationary and the concave is revolved.
Where an ordinary metallic plate is being bent it will not always be necessary
to employ the steel plate H as the rolls can act directly on the plate to be bent
and where there are not links to unite the roll into a chain or belt, such rolls are
to be placed in position successively by hand.
By describing the two curved surfaces of the bending cylinder shown in Fig. 1
with different lengths of radius the bending cylinder will be adapted to thicker
plates at one side than the other, and by changing the belt of rolls for another
belt with rollers of smaller or larger diameter the bending machine may be adapted
to different thicknesses of plates.
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,
First. The combination with the cylinder or segment G shaft B and mechanism
for rotating the same, of the plate H of thin sheet metal attached at one edge to
the cylinder or segment, the stationary concave L and the belt of bending rolls N
having links O that connect such rollers together to form the belt, substantially
as set forth.
Second. The combination with the cylinder or segment G shaft B and mechanism
for partially rotating such cylinder or segment, of the concave L the frame of the
machine, the bolts 3 passing through slotted holes in the frame and the set screws 4
for attaching and holding the concave, the range of rolls N links O for connecting

page_text: the same together to form a belt, the shaft Q pulleys 8 and straps 9 connected to
the links and the counter weight S rope T and rope wheel R substantially as
set forth.
Third. The combination with the bending cylinder or segment G shaft B and
frame for supporting the same, of the stationary concave L the plate H and cross
bar 2 connected to the bending cylinder or segment, a range of rolls N connected
together by the links () to form a belt between the concave L and the plate H
and the switch bars P connected to the frame of the machine and serving to hold
the belt of rolls away from the bending cylinder when the parts are in position
for receiving the straight plate to be bent substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a bending cylinder, of a concave partially around
the same and a series of rolls rolling upon the inner surface of the concave and
acting upon a plate of metal or other material to bend the same against the cylinder,
substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination with a bending cylinder and a covering sheet of metal,
of a concave at one side of the bending cylinder and a train of rolls rolling upon
the inner surface of the concave and against the covering sheet, whereby a plate
is bent by the rolls and against the cylinder and protected by the sheet, substantially
as specified.
Sixth. The combination with a bending cylinder, of a sheet metal plate and card
board or similar material between the plate to be bent and the bending plate, a
train of rolls and a concave against which the rolls move whereby a plate intro-
duced between the card board and cylinder is bent against such cylinder, substantially
as specified.
Seventh. The combination with the bending cylinder and a belt or range of
rollers, of the concave having a rounded edge where the rollers enter so that the
bending operation is gradual, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the bending segment having a cylindrical surface
and the concave, of a sheet of metal attached at one edge to the cylinder and a
sheet of card board or similar material between the stereotype or electrotype to be
bent and the sheet of metal, substantially as specified.
Ninth. The combination with the concave and the bending segment and mechanism
for partially revolving the cylinder, of screws to vary the position of the concave
to the bending cylinder as set forth.
Tenth. The combination with a bending cylinder, of a concave partially around
the same, and a series of rolls rolling upon the inner surface of the concave and
acting upon a plate of metal or other material to bend the same against the cylinder,
and screws for adjusting the position of the concave, substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of July 1900.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.