Improvements relating to the Eending of Sheet Metal.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Eending of Sheet Metal.
I, FERDINAND PHILIPS, of 505, North Twenty-first Street, in the City and
County of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, one of the 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for bending sheet metal and
is especially designed for bending metal plates into a T shape adapted to be used
in the manufacture of wheel and pulley rims, though adapted also for other uses.
My new pulley rim is made from a two-ply T shaped construction formed by
folding sheet metal along parallel longitudinal lines to form a two ply head
either with or without edge flanges, but in all cases with an intermediate longi-
tudinal flange forming the web of the T. My method of folding this form from
sheet metal consists in first bending up the edges of the metal sheet for a width
equal to the designed heighth of the web of the T and then along parallel longi-
tudinal lines bending the plate down and under to form the two ply head and
cause the upwardly bent flanges to extend downwardly parallel to each other and
form the web of the T; preferably the flanges forming the web are abutted
together so as to form a two-ply web.
The mechanical features of my invention will be best understood as described
in connection with the drawings in which they are illustrated and in which
drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my plate bending machine.
Figure an enlarged elevation showing the means by which the clamp is
secured to the movable table.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine viewed from the right hand side
of Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation showing the construction of the roller supporting
standard, such as is indicated at C and D in Fig. 1 the view being taken from
the left hand side of said figure.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of this standard taken on the section line 5-5
of Fig. 4.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the same taken on the section line 6-6 of Fig. 5.
Figure is a sectional elevation taken through the machine on the line 7-7
of Fig. 1 looking toward the left.
Figure 8 a similar sectional elevation taken on the section line 8-8 of Fig. 1.
Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of the standard F partly in section as on the
line 9-9 of Fig. 8.
Figures 10 and 11 are sectional views of rolls adapted for forming the first
fold in the plate said rolls not forming part of the machine illustrated in the
other drawings.
Figure 12 is an end view showing the operation of the rollers C in my
machine.
Figure 13 is a view showing the operation of the rollers D14 in my machine.
Figure 14 is a view showing the operation of the rollers E¼ in my machine..
Figure 15 is a view showing the operation of the roller F14.

page_text: Figure 16 is a sectional view of my sheet metal structural form and
Figure 17 a similar view showing a modification of said structural form.
A. A indicate intermediate supporting frames of my machine, AA end sup-
porting frames; A2 A2 indicate eye-beams supported on the frames A A and A3 A3
an intermediate centrally lying eyebeam supported on both the terminal and inter-
mediate frames, A*A* indicating clamping irons conveniently used for securing
the eyebeams in place, as best shown in Fig. 3. B is a stationary guide table
supported as shown on the eyebeam A³ and having a longitudinal slit or groove
formed in its head B₁ over the edges of which groove extend longitudinal guide
and clamping bars, as indicated at 66, these bars being secured in place by bolts
as indicated. B2 B32 indicate laterally extending supports the outer ends of which
are sustained by the eyebeams A² and each of which is formed
with a T shaped slot as indicated at 62, said slot running at right angles
to the groove in the table B B. CDE and F are adjustable standards or sup-
ports for the bending rolls, each movable along one of the lateral table exten-
sions B2 for which purpose they are made with flab faces as-CD etc., from which
extend webs C2 12 etc., fitting in the upper part of the T shaped slot 62 and each
formed with a perforation as indicated at CD etc., through which passes
bolt C10 D10 etc., the head situated in the lower and broader part of the slot b²,
while the bolt extends upward through the perforation C3 and through the bottom
plate of the standard so that a clamping nut will screw upon it to hold the stan-
dard in any desired position. The two standards C and D are alike in con-
struction and it will suffice to describe the standard C, as shown in Figs. 4, 5
and 6. It is formed with a groove, as indicated at C, on its front face through
the back of which is formed a slot C across the top of the standard and over
the groove is secured a plate C having a slot cut in it from its front edge, as
indicated at c, for the easy insertion of the adjusting screw. C is a plate to
the front of which are secured bearings, as indicated at C8 C8, and from the rear
of which extends a guide head C fitting in the groove C of the standard and
having a dove-tailed recess formed near its centre, as indicated at e, while a
threaded perforation runs through it from top to bottom. C is an adjusting
screw the threaded portion of which screws into the perforation in the head C
and to the top of which is secured a handwheel c¹ between the hub of which
and the collar secured on the screw is left a space which fits into a groove co
in the plate C by which the adjusting screw is supported. C2 is a clamping
bolt having an angular head fitting in the dovetailed mortice C, the bolt extend-
ing through the slot C and having a clamping nut and washer as indicated at (13
for securing it in place. c is a stud bearing secured in the bearing C8 and upon
which is journalled the bending roller C14.
The standard E, while shorter than the standards C and D is substantially like
them in construction and its parts need not therefore be described in detail
except to point out that the stud bearing, here indicated at es, has formed at its
end a fork E5 which supports the vertical bearing e upon which the horizontal
groove roller E" is journalled. The standard F and parts co-acting with it, see
Figs. 1, 8 and 9, are of somewhat different construction. In place of having a
guide slot in its front it is formed with a horizontal circular opening, as indicated
at F4, Fig. 9, and a plain face f4, Figs. 1 and 9, surrounding this opening.
Against this plain face fits the plate formed with a rearwardly extending
circular hub F, Fig. 9, said hub fitting in the circular perforation 1 and being
formed with a bolt hole fº terminating in a front recess for the head of the bolt.
Bearings F are secured to the front of the plate F7 and the bolt F12 extends
through the perforations f and through a locking washer F13 fitting on the back
of the standard, a clamping nut f13 screwing on the end of the bolt supported by
the bearings F8 F8. f4 is the bearing shaft upon which the bending rollers Fi
are journalled and has for convenience in adjusting the angle of the rollers, 5
handles F15 extending out from its other end. G indicates a sliding work holding
table supported and moving in the longitudinal groove in the table BB. As

page_text: shown it is made up of an upright web G2 having a T shaped head G³ and angle
irons G¹G¹ secured to each side of the web and lying in the groove of table 131
below the flanges b¹. g3 g³ indicate the parallel edges of the head of the table.
G4 is a link secured to the front edge of the table G and to which in turn is
secured a chain H winding on a winding drum H¹, Fig. 1. G5 indicates a swivel
bolt passing through the web G of the table G and upon the ends of which is
pivotally secured the U shaped saddle piece G6 having preferably, as shown, a
rounded recess g6 on its under side. G is a clamping jaw having at or near its
centre a projection g fitting in the recess g and at one end a jaw G8 and at the
opposite end a threaded perforation G³. Go is a clamping screw the threads of
which are engaged with the threads of the perforation G and the end of which
presses against the top of the table G³. I is a clamping plate which is placed
upon the sheet of metal lying on the table G and clamped down upon it by means
of clamping jaws at each end such as has been described. With reference to the
front of the table J and J' Fig. 10, are rolls having the general conformation
illustrated and by means of which the edges of a flat plate L are bent down as
indicated at L. K and K' Fig. 11 are rolls having the conformation illustrated
and by means of which the bent edge or flange L' is further bent to or nearly to a
right angle to the body of the plate L.
A plate such as L having been passed through rolls JJ and K K has its edges
flanged or bont in in the direction which, with reference to the further bends.
afterwards made in the opposite direction, I will call upward, and I will further
explain that the length of the fold or flanges L' is that determined upon for the
depth of the web of the T to be formed on the T shaped bar made from the
plate. Having been brought to this form the plate with the flanges I turned
upward, is clamped between the head G³ of the table G and the clamping bar I
with its edges projecting over the lateral edges of the table, the breadth of
which determines the head of the T to be formed, the table with the plate
clamped upon it, is then drawn, by means of the drum H and chain H, along
the grooved guide table B1 and so that the rolls C D E and F4 act succes-
sively on the projecting edges of the plate L. The action of the roll C is shown
in Fig. 12, its function being to bend down a flange or fold L2 of the plate along
a line; the action of the roller D simply carries this bending further so as to
bring the partially bent plate into proper relationship to the rolls E" which,
as shown, in Fig. 14, press the fold Linward under the table G³ while the
rolls F, as shown in Fig. 15, carry on this upward folding of the plate to or
nearly to the under face of the table G³. By a single passage through the
machine the plate is brought to the form indicated in Fig. 15 which shows but
one of the symmetrical halves of the plate and by the action of further
mechanism, not shown and not forming part of my present invention, the plate is
further bent to the form indicated in Fig. 16 or, if desired, to that indicated in
Fig. 17. I have not illustrated mechanism for finishing the bends because the
further bending of the plate from the form shown in Fig. 15 can be accom-
plished either by hand or mechanism, and if mechanism is used, by many dif-
ferent kinds of mechanism.
Where, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, and as I prefer to make my structural
sheet iron forms, the flanges L'L' are brought together to form a two-ply web for
the T, the folds should be formed at a distance from the fold equal to one
quarter of the distance beween the folds 11. If however a filling piece is to be
inserted between the folds, L'L' as may sometimes be desirable, the distance
between the fold lines and 2 will of course be less than a quarter of the ‹lis-
tance between the fold lines ll.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:—

page_text: bending upward the edges of the metal plate along longitudinal lines and then
bending the plate down and under along parallel longitudinal lines so as to form
two ply edges to the head of the T and downwardly extending flanges.
2. The method of making a T shaped section of sheet metal which consists in
bending up the edges of the sheet metal plate each for a width equal to the
designed height of the web of the T section and then bending the plate down
and under along lines parallel with the first bends and distant from them one
quarter of the distance between the first bends.
3. In a machine for bending sheet metal, a fixed table as B¹, having a longi-
tudinal guide way formed in it in combination with a series of bending devices
secured on the sides of the guideway and a longitudinally movable work holding
table, as G³, arranged to move in the guideway of the fixed table B¹ and with
the edges of which the bending devices co-act.
4. In a machine for bending sheet metal, a fixed table, as B', having a longi-
tudinal guideway formed in it in combination with a series of laterally adjustable
bending devices secured on the sides of the guideway and a longitudinally
movable work holding table, as G³, arranged to move in the guideway of the fixed
table B and with the edges g3 of which the bending devices co-act.
5. In a machine for bending sheet metal, a fixed table, as B', having a longi-
tudinal guideway formed in it in combination with a series of bending devices
secured on the sides of the guideway, a longitudinally movable work holding table,
as G³, arranged to move in the guideway of the fixed table B and with the
edges of which the bending devices co-act, a clamping bar, as I, adapted to
hold the sheet metal between it and the top of the work holding table G³ and
means for clamping said bars in place on said table.
G. In a machine for bending sheet metal, a fixed table, as B', having a longi-
tudinal guideway formed in it in combination with a series of laterally adjustable
bending roll supports secured on the sides of the guideway, one or more pairs of
convex edged substantially vertical rolls, as C14 vertically adjustable in their
supporting frames, a pair of concave edged substantially horizontal rolls, as E¹¹,
also vertically adjustable in their supporting frames, a pair of angularly inclined
rollers, as F14, adjustable about a centre in their supporting frames and a longi-
tudinally adjustable work holding table, as G3, arranged to move in the guideway
of the fixed table B and with the edges of which the bending rolls aforesaid
co-act in bending the sheet metal.
7. In a machine for bending sheet metal a fixed table, as B', having a longi-
tudinal guideway formed in it and a series of transverse slotted extensions, as 132,
in combination with a work holding table longitudinally movable in the guide-
way of the fixed table B¹ and a series of bending device holders, as C, D, E
and F, adjustable in the slots of the transverse extensions B2, aforesaid.
Dated this 19th day of December 1899.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.