Improvements in Machines for Curling and Wiring the Edges of Sheet Metal.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Curling and Wiring the Edges of
Sheet Metal.
DANIEL SMITH, Castle Iron Works, Raglan Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford-
shire, England, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention, is the construction of a machine for bending and
curling the edges of sheet metal, so as to imitate a wired edge; such curl to be
used if desired, for the purpose of inserting a wire during the curling operation
or subsequent there to, the machine to be simple in construction and compara-
tively inexpensive to manufacture. It is necessary to grip the sheet near the
edge to be curled or wired, this I effect by placing it between a pair of toggle
plates whose remote edges are hinged in suitable bearings; after the sheet is
placed between them, they are closed and their adjacent edges grip the sheet,
and the effect of the pressure required to start and curl the sheet, is to still
further close the toggle plates and grip the sheet tighter in greater proportion
than the pressure required to do the starting and curling, this effectually prevents
the sheet from slipping. These combined toggle plates, serve to automatically
grip the sheet without rotating parts or cams. In order that the quadrants or
toggle plates (hereinafter called toggle vice) may work in unison with each
other, I may prefer to form teeth, quadrants or other projections, on their
extremities to engage with each other, so that as they are closed to grip the sheet,
their gripping surfaces or edges will correctly coincide with each other. To
adjust the distance between the centres that carry the toggle plates, so as to suit
different thickness of metal, I may use screws, sliding wedges, or cams.
starting or initial bend is given to the edges of the sheet to be curled by means
of the curling tool, and a starting edge formed on the front of the lower edge
of the top gripping plate; this may be a fixture or removable, so that it can be
changed to produce different sizes of "starts" to suit large or small curls.
The
The curling tool consists of a die having a semicircular grove along one. or
more of its edges, and a projection that serves to go under and support the sheet,
this is made to advance by means of a lever, in the case of small machines,
or racks and pinions, toggle or cam motion, in the case of the larger machines,
the curling tool by its first advance, gives the initial bend or start to the sheet
to be curled, by compressing it between the lower edge of the top gripping die,
usually called the "starting edge"; after this starting operation, the curling
tool is withdrawn against an adjustable stop, and this releases the grip of the
toggle vice; the sheet with its partly bent edge is now pushed against or into
the grove of the curling tool, and the forward motion or re-advance of the
curling tool completes the curling operation.
On the projecting nose of the curling tool, or from the table that carries it,
there are narrow projecting ribs, these pass through corresponding groves, in
the curling tool and, in the top edge of the lower gripping plate of the toggle

page_text: vice, these strips serve to support the sheet, preventing its bending in parts,
other than those required to be. curled; these supporting ribs may also, if
preferred, be secured to the front of the lower gripping plate. or attached to a
'bar in front of same.
The curling tools I may prefer to make in two parts, so that the width of the
curling grove may be varied to make the curl it produces to fit any given
wire, tight or slack.
The lever that operates the curling tool may be made to work between suitable
tappets on the toggle vice, and by the interposition of suitable springs the
working of the curling tool, would open and close the toggle vice.
In the case of larger machines, I may prefer to mount the upper bearings, of
the top part of the toggle vice, in eccentric bushes, the rotation of these would
open the toggle vice, without its swinging more than sufficient to grip the sheet.
In the case of very large machines I may prefer to actuate the toggle vice by
rotating cams or eccentrics.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Curling and Wiring the Edges of
Sheet Metal.
I, DANIEL SMITII, of Castle Iron Works, Raglan Street, Wolverhampton, in
the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, 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 construct a machine for bending and curling
the edges of sheet metal, so as to imitate a wired edge, such curl being used, if
desired for the purpose of inserting a wire during the curling. operation or
subsequent thereto, the machine to be simple in construction and comparatively
inexpensive to manufacture.
My invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings of which Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a front elevation of a machine constructed
according to one modification of my invention. Figure 2 is a vertical section,
Figure 3 an end view, and Figure 4 a plan of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a view to an
enlarged scale of parts of Figure 2. Like parts on these views are similarly
lettered. A A' are the upper and lower plates respectively of the toggle-vice.
The plate A is carried in the bearing brackets B B bolted to the bed C of the
machine. D) is a sliding wedge fitting in an inclined groove on the bed C, and
the toggle-plate A' is carried in a semi-circular groove on its upper side. To
adjust the gripping edges of the toggle-vice it is only necessary to slide the
wedge by means of the screws na. E is a table carrying the curling tool F.
The table E which is pivoted at its foot to the bed of the machine is connected to
an excentric shaft G by means of the links H H. etc., are ribs or fingers
threaded on a wire c carried in a groove in the table E. These ribs pass through
corresponding grooves in the plate A¹ of the toggle-vice and support the sheet
and prevents its bending in parts other than those to be curled. The ribs are
themselves supported in the bottom of the grooves in the toggle plate A¹ as shewn.
I is a hand lever keyed to one end of the shaft G. is a screwed pin passing
through a slot hole in the bed of the machine and pivoted at one end to the
table E. is a nut thereon to adjust the travel of the table to suit the size of
curl required. The curling fool F may be of any convenient shape in cross

page_text: section and has semi-circular grooves in the direction of its length. Eight of
these grooves are shown on the drawings and they may be made of varying sizes
to suit any size of curl required in sheet metal. The curling tool is held to
the table E by means of links e o pivoted to the table at one end and the other
ends fit around the turned down ends of the curling tool. f (see Fig. 5) is a
projection standing up from the table E and fits into one of the grooves in the
eurling tool and prevents same from turning when in use. It will readily be
seen that to change the size of curl it is only necessary to raise the curling tool
clear of the projection f and to turn such tool until the size of groove required
comes opposite the starting plate y in the top toggle-plate A: 1 prefer to
make the starting" plate removable from the top toggle-plate A so that it may
be readily changed to suit different size of starts or initial bends.
*
In order that the plates of the toggle-vice may work in unison with each other
when gripping a sheet to be curled I form teeth or projections on each end of
the top plate A and these engage with corresponding recesses forined in the
lower toggle-plate A. J is an eccentric shaft in the top toggle-plate A and K is
a handle keyed to one end. When it is required to open the toggle-vice for the
withdrawal of a curled sheet it is necessary to partially revolve the handle K
and this raises the toggle-plate A. The teeth are made of sufficient length to
be always within their recesses in the lower toggle-plate when this is done.
LL are toggle arms pivoted to each end of the plate A and their free ends engage
with recesses in the bearing brackets B B, and when the top plate A is closed to
grip the sheet to be curled these arms ensure a positive grip on the sheet and
thus prevent any danger of slipping during the curling..operation.
...
I will now briefly describe the operation of the machine. The sheet to be
curled is passed between the gripping edges of the toggle-rice and against a
suitable gauge or stop adjusted so that the end of the sheet stands forward of
the starting edge of the top toggle-plate A sufficient to form a starting edge on
the sheet. The curling tool is now advanced by means of the hand lever I and
the edge of the sheet is compressed between the lower part of the groove in the
curling tool and the starting edge on the plate g. The curling tool is now with-
drawn and the grip of the toggle-vicé released by means of the handle K, and
the sheet with its partly bent edge is pushed into. the groove of the curling tool.
The toggle-vice is again closed and the further advance of the curling tool.com-
pletes the curling operation. If it is desired to wire the curled edge, the wire
may be inserted after the initial bend is formed and the curl may be formed
there-around, or the wire may be pushed into the finished curl as will be readily
understood.
I will now describe another modification of this invention. Figures 6 and 7
(Sheet 2) are a front view and vertical section corresponding to Figures 1 and 2
respectively. Like parts throughout these views are similarly lettered. In this
arrangement the excentric shaft J is dispensed with and a plain shaft J¹, fastened
to the toggle A substituted. The toggle-vice is automatically opened and closed
by an arrangement now to be described. M M are spindles pivoted to the
toggle-plate A at one end and the other ends pass through the table E and are
held thereagainst by nuts. N N are springs on these spindles and fit against
adjustable collars and the table E. The springs are adjusted so that when
the table E is in its backwards position the toggle-vice is open. When the table
is brought forward by means of the handle the springs close the toggle-vice and
the further advance of the table tends to keep the same closed by the further
compression of the springs.
The plates of the toggle-vice swing through a greater arc in this arrangement
than when the excentric shaft J is used and therefore sufficient teeth must be
formed at the ends of the toggle-plates so that they shall always be in gear when
the toggle-vice is fully open. A plain double sided curling tool is shewn on
Figures 6 and 7 and is adjusted by means of pins one of which is shewn at 0.

page_text: The travel of the table E is adjusted by means of the pins M M as will be readily
understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the toggle-vice
in combination with the arrangements for making the plates thereof work m
unison when closed to grip the sheet substantially as described and shewn.
2. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the toggle-
vice in combination with the sliding wedge adjustment substantially as described
and shewn.
3. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the toggle
arms at each end of the toggle-vice in combination with such toggle-vice sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
4. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the eccentric
shaft in the top toggle-plate in combination with the toggle-vice for the purpose
of opening such toggle-vice sufficient for the withdrawal of the curled sheet
with a minimum of swing of the toggleplates substantially as described and
shewn by Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the projecting
ribs for supporting the sheet so as to prevent such sheet from bending in parts
other than those required to be curled, in combination with the grooves to
receive such ribs in the bottom toggle-plate substantially as described and
shewn.
6. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the curling tool
substantially as described and shewn in Figures to 1 to 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the table for
carrying the curling tool in combination with the arrangements for regulating
the travel to suit the size of curl required substantially as described and shewn
by Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
8. In machines for curling and wiring the edges of sheet metal the table for
carrying the curling tool in combination with the pins M M (pivoted to the
lower-toggle plate A³), springs N N and collars ii for the purpose of opening
and closing the toggle-vice automatically when the table is operated by the handl
lever I, substantially as described and shewn by Figures 6 and 7 of the accom-
panying drawings.
1000