Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Open or Reticulated Metal Work
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
Date of Application, ogin Jan., 1999
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Open or Reticulated
Metal Work,
I, JOHN FRENCH GOLDING, of 39, Upper Thames Street, in the County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for the manufacture of
open or reticulated metal work of the kind described in the Specification of
a prior Patent No. 14146 granted to me on the 23rd day of July 1894. This
material is commonly known as expanded metal or metallic trellis work and
in accordance with the invention set forth in the specification of a
prior Patent
No. 3692 granted to me on the 18th day of February 1896 was produced by
subjecting a sheet of metal to the action of vertically arranged cutters, one of
which was held stationary and had a plain cutting edge while the other was
arranged to reciprocate vertically and had a cutting edge of sinuous form. The
action of these cutters produced a series or row of slits at each downward stroke
of the reciprocating cutter and at the same time opened or expanded the slits
so formed by bending and stretching downwardly the strands of metal pro-
duced by the slitting operation.
According to my present invention the sinuous cutter is carried by a vertical
reciprocating head operated in an analogous manner to that set forth in the
aforesaid prior Specification No. 3692 of 1896. The plain cutter is rigidly held
in place in a stationary part of the machine by bolts or otherwise and is pro:
vided with a bevelled cutting edge, the bevelling being on the side opposite to
that to which the expanded metal leaves the machine. Immediately behind
the aforesaid bevelled cutter I arrange a table or platform for feeding forward
the metal sheet and supporting it during its passage through the machine.
This table is mounted upon rollers so as to reciprocate to and from the cutters
in a horizontal plane and is provided with a spring or springs suitably disposed
for tending to keep the said table in its rearward position or away from the
cutters. Above the aforesaid feed table I provide a vertically reciprocating
presser bar having at its lower end a loose portion or foot which is capable of
sliding to and fro in the same direction as that of the aforesaid
feed table. At intervals along the said table but independently thereof.
I provide pairs of arms or fingers fixed
some stationary part
of the machine, the free ends of these arms bearing upon the front edge of
the table. The said arms of each pair are arranged one above the other and
the sheet of metal under treatment lies between them. The upper arm is pre-
ferably serrated at its free end where it lies in contact with the sheet of metal
and the lower arm is preferably formed of a flat bar having its thickness
towards the front of the table gradually diminished so that it terminates in a
knife edge. The said loose portion or sliding foot is connected to the presser
bar by means of some resilient form of coupling such as a spring, with rollers
arranged between the parts to enable the foot to freely slide horizontally on
the presser bar. Extending lengthwise of the machine, is a horizontal shaft
to

page_text: provided with tappets that are adapted to act upon the aforesaid sliding foot
by the action of suitable lever mechanism worked from a cam on the main
shaft of the machine. Each time the presser bar descends the sliding foot
grips the sheet of metal between itself and the aforesaid feed table and then
at the proper times the aforesaid tappets press against the sliding foot and by
pushing it forward in a horizontal direction cause the metal sheet and the feed
table to advance the required distance after each cutting action to bring a
fresh part of the metal sheet into position for being acted upon at the next
stroke of the sinuous cutter. When the presser bar ascends again after the
cutters have acted the said sliding foot is brought out of contact with the metal
sheet and the aforesaid springs by which the feed table is controlled draw the
latter rearwardly together with the sliding foot whereby both. of these parts
are thus returned to their normal position ready to effect another feeding stroke.
The aforesaid pairs of stationary arms between which the metal sheet is gripped,
act to resist the return movement of the metal sheet as the feed table retires
to its normal position by its springs as above stated and so prevent the sheet
from becoming displaced. The front edge of the feed table is preferably
bevelled to correspond with the bevelled edge of the stationary cutter so that
the feed movement of the table takes place close up to the cutters and enables
practically the entire metal sheet to be acted upon and expanded as it passes
through the machine. Suitable stops are provided in connection with the feed
table for the purpose of limiting the extent of its stroke, and these stops are
advantageously made adjustable in order that the stroke can be varied in accord-
ance with requirements. The said stationary cutter is likewise preferably pro-
vided with means whereby its position relatively to the sinuous cutter can be
regulated. In order to impart to the sliding foot the necessary movement to
return it to its normal position when the feed table retires, I may connect it
by means of suitable links or otherwise to the feed table so that it will parti-
cipate in the rearward movement of the feed table when the latter is retracted
by its springs.
Instead of providing the presser bar with a sliding foot such as that herein-
before described, the bar itself may be arranged to rock about a suitable pivot
so that the feed movement may be effected thereby without the intervention
of the sliding foot, the rocking of the bar being effected by tappets in an
analogous manner to that already stated. I prefer however in most cases to
employ the sliding foot.
Appropriate means may be provided for enabling the aforesaid tappets to be
thrown out of action by hand when desired, as for instance when the feeding
of the machine is to be temporarily stopped.
The aforesaid sinuous cutters are connected by means of screws or otherwise
with a bar which is adapted to slide horizontally on the vertically reciprocating
head of the machine, so that the said cutters will be shifted laterally, that is
to say in the direction of their length, after each cutting operation, first in one
direction and then in the other. By this means it is not necessary to provide
for shifting the metal sheet laterally as in the machine described in my said
prior Specification No. 3692 of 1896. For the purpose of imparting to the
sinuous cutters their lateral movement I may provide at one end of the bar
that carries them, a vertical pin or roller engaging with a suitably formed cam
driven by bevel or other gearing from the main shaft of the machine. The
formation of the cam and the said pin or roller must be such that they will
not come out of operative engagement during the vertical reciprocating motion
of the head carrying the sliding bar to which the sinuous cutters are connected.
Dated thin 95th dor of Tanu 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant,

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Open or Reticulated
Metal Work,
I, JOHN FRENCH GOLDING, of 39, Upper Thames Street, in the County of
London, 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:--
This invention relates to improvements_in_machines for-the-manufacture-of--
open or reticulated metal work of the kind described in the Specification of
my prior Patent No.. 14146 of 1894. This material is commonly known as
expanded metal or metallic trellis work, and in accordance with the invention
set forth in the Specification of another prior Patent No. 3692 of 1896 granted
to me, is produced by subjecting a sheet of metal to the action of vertically
arranged cutters, one of which has a plain cutting edge and is held stationary,
while the other has a sinuous cutting edge and is arranged to reciprocate verti-
cally. The action of these cutters produces a series or rows of slits at each
downward stroke of the reciprocating cutter and at the same time opens or
expands the slits so formed by bending and stretching downwardly the strands
of metal produced by the slitting operation, the said metal sheet being firmly
held during this operation by a vertically reciprocating piece termed a presser
bar. After the completion of each cutting and expanding operation the sheet
of metal under treatment is drawn forward to bring a fresh surface between
the cutters, the series of slits formed by one cutting operation breaking joint
with those formed at the preceding cutting operation.
The present invention has reference particularly to the feeding of the metal
sheets to the cutters by gripping it between a movable feed table and a movable
portion on the presser bar and then causing it to advance towards the cutters
by imparting movement to the said movable portion of the presser bar by
tappets or other devices operated from suitable contrivance such as a cam
and lever mechanism. After the completion of this advance movement the
presser bar ascends and releases the metal sheet and at the same time the
movable feed table and the movable portion of the presser bar return to their
original position by the action of springs or their equivalents ready to perform
another feeding stroke, the metal sheet being prevented from participating in
this return movement by the action of suitable retaining devices.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a rear elevation of an expanded
metal machine provided with the aforesaid feeding device.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line
scale.
Figure 4 is an end view of the machine.
of Figure 2 on a larger
Figure 5 is a face view of a cam whose purpose will be hereinafter described.
A, A are the end standards of the machine and are parts of the frame sup-
ported by said standards. B is an horizontally sliding bar to which the
sinuous cutter B₁ is attached. This bar is carried by a vertically reciprocating
head C operated by means of eccentrics dd mounted on the shaft D driven from
the counter shaft D by toothed wheels d. The said bar is provided with
a dove-tail groove which engages with and is adapted to slide horizontally
on a correspondingly shaped projection on the head C.
E is the plain cutter rigidly held in place in the parts of the machine-
frame by a plate e and screws ee. This plain cutter E is provided with a

page_text: bevelled cutting edge e*, e2 is a screw fixed to the part a of the frame and
projecting into a recess in the cutter E; by revolving a nut e³ on the screw e
the vertical height of the cutter E may be regulated.
F is the movable table or platform for feeding forward and supporting the
metal sheet G during its passage through the machine. This table has its
front edge bevelled to correspond with the bevelled edge of the cutter E, and
is supported by means of rollers ff on the part a of the frame, so as to be
capable of horizontal movement to and from the cutters. f is a spring which
has its ends respectively attached to the part of the frame and a lug fa
depending from the table F, said spring tending to keep the table F in its
rearward position or away from the cutters. Any suitable number of these
springs may be employed. It will be obvious that instead of springs, levers
and weights may be used.
H is the vertically reciprocating presser bar carried by a head H¹ which
is operated by means of eccentrics d³d mounted on the shaft D. h is the
movable portion at the lower end of the presser bar H, said portion being
capable of horizontal movement independently of said presser bar. This portion
is shewn in the form of a sliding foot connected to the presser bar by a
spring with rollers 22 interposed between the bar and the foot to form a
bearing and to permit of easy movement of the latter. In order that the
said foot and the table F shall be capable of moving the one with the other,
they are coupled together by pins projecting from the table F and
engaging with recesses in the foot h, the length of said pins and recesses being
such that these parts will not become disengaged during the vertical recipro
cations of the presser bar. Any other suitable means may however be employed
for connecting these parts together so that the movement of one of them will
cause a corresponding movement of the other. f is an adjustable screw which
passes through a screw threaded hole in the part of the frame and limits.the
rearward movement of the table F.
i, i, are arms or fingers which are fixed to the part of the frame of the
machine and which have their thickness gradually reduced towards the front
end of the table F so that their free ends terminate in knife edges bearing
on the front edge of the said table. are other arms of fingers fixed to the
part of the frame of the machine and situated vertically above the aforesaid
arms or fingers i, respectively. The free ends of the arms or fingers
have their under sides serrated, such serrated parts bearing on the upper side
of the metal sheet G. The parts i, and thus form two. pairs of arms or
fingers between which the metal sheet G is gripped, so that while the metal
sheet is able to be freely fed forward towards the cutters it will be prevented
by said arms or fingers from moving backward with the feed table when the
latter performs its rearward movement after each feeding stroke.
J is a horizontal shaft extending lengthwise. of the machine and supported
from the part of the frame in suitable bearings. K, K are tappets which
are connected to the shaft J by links and are adapted to act upon the
sliding foot h. L is a crank lever pivoted at 7 to a bracket 2 carried by the
part a of the frame. One arm of the lever L carries a roller which lies
in contact with an eccentric M on the shaft D, and the other arm of the lever L
is provided with a longitudinal slot with which one end of a connecting
rod engages; the opposite end of the connecting rod.0 is pivoted to one end
of a bar o the other end of which is fixed to the shaft J. o is a spring one
end of which is attached to the bracket a² and the opposite end of which is
attached to the bar o. This spring o! tends to keep the roller in contact
with the cam M and the tappets K, K in their rearward position. By varying
the position of the upper end of the connecting rod 0 in the slot the throw
of the tappets K, K, can be varied.
As the shaft D revolves the presser bar H is. caused to rise and fall and each
time it falls the sliding foot h grips the metal sheet G. between itself and the

page_text: table F. The cam M is so arranged that it then moves the lever L so as to
depress the slotted arm thereof, and, through the connecting rod O, bar,
shaft and links k, k, causes the tappets h, K, to press against the sliding
foot and push it, together with the metal sheet G and table F, forward in a
horizontal direction after each cutting action. The extent of this movement
is such that the metal sheet is carried forward the required distance to bring
a fresh part thereof into position for being acted upon at the next down stroke
of the sinuous cutter. After the cutters have acted, the presser bar H ascends;
the sliding foot h is thus brought out of contact with the metal sheet, and the
spring withdraws the tappets K into the position shown in Figure 3, the
roller then engaging with a flattened part or depression on the cam M.
As the sliding foot comes out of contact with the metal sheet, the springs fl
draw the table F, and sliding foot h which is connected thereto by the pins f³ ³,
rearwardly-into-a-position--ready-for-the-next-feeding stroke. When the
table and sliding foot thus retire, the fingers or arms ii and grip the
metal sheet G and resist any tendency thereof to return and so prevent it from
becoming displaced. Owing to the fact that the feed table and cutter E
are bevelled as above described, the front or bevelled edge of the table, can
at each feed stroke, approach the cutters very closely, so that practically the
entire sheet is acted upon in due course and expanded as it passes through
the machine.
and the said bevel
which gears with a
revolves, the shaft P
and the toothed
is an arm extending from the bar B and carrying at its free end a vertical
pin or roller b². This pin engages with a camp fixed to one end of a
vertical rotary shaft P' supported in suitable bearings carried by one of the
standards A. The other end of the shaft l' carries a bevel wheel p¹ which
engages with another bevel wheel mounted on a stud
wheel is formed in a piece with a toothed wheel
toothed wheel carried by the shaft 1). As the shaft 1)
and camp are rotated by means of the bevel wheels
wheels The cam is so constructed that the pin or roller 2 does not
come out of operative engagement therewith during the vertical reciprocating
movement of the head C, and that as it rotates it shifts the bar B and con-
sequently the sinuous cutter in the direction of its length after cach cutting
operation, first in one direction and then in the other. The slits of each row
in the metal sheet thus break joint with the slits in contiguous rows.
The cam represented in the drawings is only one form in which it may be
constructed for the purpose in view. Any other suitable form of cam or other
device for imparting a longitudinal movement to the sinuous cutter after each
cutting operation will serve the purpose.
Instead of providing the presser bar with a sliding foot such as that herein-
before described, the bar itself may be arranged to rock about a suitable pivot,
so that the feed movement may be effected thereby without the intervention
of the sliding foot, the rocking of the bar being obtained by tappets in an
analogous manner to that already stated. I prefer however to employ the sliding
foot.
Appropriate means may be provided for enabling the aforesaid tappets to
be thrown out of action by hand when desired, as for instance when the feeding
of the machine is to be temporarily stopped.
It will be obvious that although I have described the aforesaid sliding foot
and feed table as being moved by tappets acting on the sliding foot, their
movement could be effected by actuating the table instead of the foot.
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 a machine for manufacturing open or reticulated metal work, a feeding
device comprising a horizontal reciprocating table which co-operates with a

page_text: movable portion on a vertically reciprocating presser bar substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with tappets mounted on a shaft extending transversely
across the machine of cam and lever mechanism for actuating said tappets
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The aforesaid movable portion connected to the presser bar by a spring,
with rollers interposed between the said portion and the bar substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with the horizontally reciprocating feed-table of a pair
or pairs of arms between which the sheet of metal is held during its passage
through the machine substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The formation of the said feed-table and of the said stationary cutter with
a bevelled edge substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. A machine for manufacturing open or reticulated metal work, in which
the feeding of the metal sheets through the machine and the longitudinal
shifting of the reciprocating cutter are effected substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings..
Tal 41 01.
f
www
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.