Improvements in Dies for Use in Finishing the Spokes of Pulleys.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES A. BRINLEY, of 247, South Fifteenth
Street, in the City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
of America, Engineer.]
Improvements in Dies for Use in Finishing the Spokes of Pulleys.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 my invention is to provide suitable devices for punching and
shearing, either or both, the outer ends of spoke arms when formed of sheet
metal, and preferably constituting a single blank. In the manufacture of sheet
metal pulleys, in which the spokes or arms are formed of sheet metal united into
an integral structure adjacent to the center of radiation by a hub or curved.
portion, it is essential that the ends of the arms shall be uniform and shall be
punched with rivet or bolt holes adjacent to said ends so that the assembling
of the several parts making up the complete article may be speedily and efficiently
accomplished. My improvements embodied in this application are specially
designed for shearing and punching the ends of the spoke arms and thereby
securing the above results.
In carrying out my invention I provide a set of dies in which one part
thereof, preferably the lower, is furnished with one or more die plates preferably
adjustable, and a suitable clamping device for holding the spoke arm in position.
Where several punching die plates are employed, the adjustment thereof is made.
in radial lines from the clamping devices, and said latter are arranged to act
upon the hub portion of the blank. The other portion of the dies is provided
with corresponding guide or guides in which are adjustably secured suitable
punches adapted to operate in connection with the punch plates of the lower
die. I further prefer that the two parts of these dies shall be provided respec-
tively with the blades of a suitable shear which blades or cutters are preferably
slightly curved and adapted to shear the extreme outer ends of the spoke arms,
so that the said arms from the hub portion are absolutely of the same length,
not only in the same blank but in any series of blanks treated in the same
dies. From this it is seen that any spoke blank of a given size will fit any
rim of the same corresponding size of pulley and ensure an absolutely true
pulley being the result.
My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings:
Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the upper die;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower die;
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line y-y of Fig.
both dies when properly arranged one above the other;
Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line x-x of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the spoke blank.
and taken through

page_text: A is the base plate of the lower die and is provided with a central stationary
semi-circular clamping jaw C having an internal curvature corresponding to the
curvature of the hub portion Q of the blank (Fig. 5). This jaw is made removable
from the body plate A and is fitted thereon in a recess or socket c, so that other
sizes of jaws may be substituted to fit different diameters of hubs. E is a remov-
able clamping jaw connected to a reciprocating bar F guided in suitable guides e
and adapted to be moved to or from the stationary jaw C. The jaw E corresponds
to the curvature of the jaw C allowing for the thickness of the metal of the
hub portion, and said jaw E is provided with two lateral shoulders clearly
shown in Fig. 2 to receive the edges of the blank and force the curved hub portion
evenly into the jaw C. The movable jaw and its bar F is reciprocated by a hand
lever G and link g. The proportion of these parts is such that when the lever G
is thrown through 180° the jaw E clamps the blank and becomes locked.
The base plate A is furthermore provided with radial guides B, B, B, arranged
at 60° apart, but I do not confine myself to any particular number or angular
arrangements of these guides. In each of these guides is arranged an adjustable
block D which is movable to or from the clamping jaw C and may be locked
in any one of numerous positions by means of the spring actuated plugs h operat-
ing in connection with the fixed perforated plate H secured to the frame A. By
employing two of these plugs a greater possible adjustment is secured with a
limited number of holes in the perforated plate. I do not confine myself, however,
to any special method of adjustment for the blocks D). It is evident that, if
desired, in place of the plugs h and I, the blocks D and K might be clamped in
adjustable positions by simply tightening the screws in the guides B and N
(shown more particularly in Figures 1, 2 and 4,) or by radially arranged adjusting
screws which may be carried by the base plates A and J and connected with the
blocks. D and K so as to move them into different positions by turning said
screws. In fact there are numerous ways for adjusting the blocks in the radial
guides.
The upper portions of these blocks are provided with a punch plate d, which is
also provided with a rectangular or substantially rectangular aperture, and the
edge of which adjacent to the punch holes to receive the punches constitutes
one blade of a shear I. The block D has a vertical aperture through it which
permits the piece of metal sheared from the arms to fall down and escape through
an aperture AI in the base plate or frame A. As shown in the drawings the
punch plate has provision for receiving two punches to enable two holes
to be punched in the end of each arm, but this is not essential, as a single hole
might be employed if so desired. It will be understood that each of the blocks D
corresponding to the several guides B is independently adjustable and may be
adjusted to suit the radial length of the spokes so that the one set of dies
will answer for a number of spokes of different diameters of pulleys.
Referring now to the upper die, we have the base plate or frame J provided
with radial guides N, N, N, corresponding to the radial guides B of the lower
die structure. In each of these guides N a block K is adjustably secured and
may be held in adjusted position by spring actuated locking plugs 1, and a
perforated plate L corresponding to the similar parts h, H on the lower die
structure. The block K is further provided with sockets which receive the
punches k, the same being clamped in position by the set screws ① and are
adapted to operate in conjunction with the holes in the punch plate d, as clearly
shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Secured to the block K immediately to the rear of the
punches is the shear blade i constituting the
upper blade of the
shear I. The cutting edges of the shear I are made curved
as indi-
cated in Fig. 1 and 2 to correspond to the peripherial curve at the outer
ends of the rim, though this is not essential. The block K is further provided
with a downwardly extending portion which moves within the opening of the
die plated and holds the shear blade up to its lower member as indicated
in Fig. 3.

page_text: The blank P to be operated upon is indicated in Fig. 5 and constitutes the
hub portion Q and the radial arms p. When this spoke blank is inserted
between the dies it takes the position indicated in dotted lines at P in Fig. 3,
and is perforated and sheared at the ends of the arms as indicated by dotted lines
at R in Fig. 3. A stripper plate M is attached to the die plate d so as to strip
the ends of the arms from the punches when the latter are receding.
lateral space between the stripper M and the die plate d may be provided with
guide plugs S, S, held in place by suitable pins as indicated in Fig. 4, and between
which the spoke arms are guided. These plugs S, S, may be changed to suit
different widths of spoke arms.
The
I do not confine myself to the specific details of construction as these parts
may be greatly modified without departing from the principles of my invention,
and hence they may be modified or changed so long as the characteristic features
of the die structures are not eliminated. It is also evident that, broadly con-
sidered. my invention is not confined to the employment of two or more radially
disposed guides and punching and shearing devices, as a single set of said devices
may be employed if so desired. It is furthermore to be understood that while
I prefer to simultaneously punch and shear the ends of the arms, either of said
operations may be omitted and the corresponding portion eliminated from the
lie structure as here shown, without departing from the generic features of
my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
-
1. The punching devices for punching the spoke arms of sheet metal pulleys
substantially as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. The shearing devices for shearing the spoke arms of sheet metal pulleys,
substantially as herein described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The punching device and shearing devices as herein described when com-
bined substantially as set forth for simultaneously shearing and punching the
ends of the spoke arms of sheet metal pulleys.
4. The means for adjusting the punching devices radially to and from the
clamping devices, consisting of radially adjustable blocks carrying the punching
devices adapted to be adjusted upon the main base plates and locked in various
positions thereon.
5. The means for adjusting the shearing devices radially to and from the
clamping devices, consisting of radially adjustable blocks carrying the shearing
devices adapted to be adjusted upon the main base plates and locked in various
positions thereon.
Dated this 25th day of July 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.