Improvements in Notching Machines as applied to the Manufacture of Sheet Metal Travelling Trunks, Coal Vases, Cash and Deed Boxes, and other Receptacles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Notching Machines as applied to the Manufacture
of Sheet Metal Travelling Trunks, Coal Vases, Cash and Deed
Boxes, and other Receptacles.
DANIEL SMITH Junior Raglan Street Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is the construction of a multiple press or notching
machine for the purpose of punching or cutting out at one operation most of the
corner notches, hinge, moulding or other spaces that are generally cut into the
sheet metal parts used in the manufacture of travelling trunks, coal vases, boxes
and other receptacles. Notching machines as at present used consist chiefly of a
bed on which the lower tools rest, and a bar sliding vertically carries the upper
tools. In this machine the tools are made so as to cut in a given line. Its general
defects for the production of sheet metal trunks etc. are as follows: in moving
pair of tools along the bed they become unset, requiring skill and considerable time
to reset them in their new position.
a
Backward and forward adjustment of a single pair of tools in them is entirely
impracticable and can only be accomplished by the use of liners and packing,
involving great loss of time and requiring expert mechanical skill to accomplish
the readjustments and when several-say four notches are being cut along the
edge of a sheet, and it is desirable to cut the second and third notches deeper, it
is necessary to remove the second and third pair of tools in question and cut the
first and fourth notch at one process, then replace and reset the second and third
tools and remove the first and fourth tools, cutting out the second and third notches
as a second process, thus going over the parts twice, where with a more convenient
machine one operation would suffice. In order to obviate these and other defects
which for brevity are not mentioned, and to meet the great variety in depth, shape
and position of the notches used, it is important that the proposed machine should
answer to the following conditions viz. -First that the number of cutting out
presses or cutting tools may be any number equivalent to the number of desired
notches or spaces. Secondly any one or more notches may be omitted, increased
or diminished in depth without affecting the depth of adjacent notches or spaces.
Thirdly that each press or cutting tool should be capable of a ready longitudinal
and transverse adjustment without disturbing the relation of the upper tool with
the lower, thereby obviating all resetting of tools incidental on changing their.
position. Fourthly that all adjustments should be quite independent of each other
and not affect or be affected by the driving mechanism giving motion to the tools.
In order to secure these conditions I construct the machine as follows;-I take
a bed of suitable length, on each end thereof, I form standards carrying a shaft
partly rotated by a lever for a hand machine or driven by a band wheel, fitted
with suitable stop or clutch motion, capable of arresting the motion of each punch
at the top of its stroke in the case of a power driven machine. Each press or
cutting tool consists of a slide (carrying the upper tool) caused to move vertically
in suitable guides over and into the lower tool by an eccentric, the latter rotating
between cheeks forming the upper part of each press also embracing the shaft
within the eccentric thereby preventing its deflection also being available for
causing the eccentric to slide along the shaft during the longitudinal motion of each
press on the bed. Each press is made as narrow as it is practicable in order to
cut notches or spaces as close as possible.
In order to secure a backward and forward or transverse adjustment of each set

page_text: of cutting tools i.e. to enable the depth of notches or spaces to be varied or
omitted conform the base of each press to the arc of a circle, the centre of its
radius being that of the driving shaft carrying the eccentric. This curved base is
received by a shoe part, formed to the same radius but attached to and resting on
the bed. Each press being capable of a pendulum motion on the driving shaft,
swinging as it were within the shoe referred to and by means of a tangent screw
rotating within the shoe, gearing into teeth formed within the convex base of each
press, this transverse swinging motion is restricted and regulated so as to either
bring the cutting tools forward to increase the depth of notches, or take them
backwards to diminish the depth or if desired to omit any notch or space. On the
lower side of the shoe I form projections that engage in slots formed along the
bed which prevent transverse movement of the shoe and to these projections by
suitable bolts I attach glands which bed against the underside of the bed and so
prevent each press and shoe from tilting, rising or binding when being caused to
slide longitudinally along the bed, the latter motion being affected as follows;
Through the shoe I pass a spindle on which rotates the tangent screw previously
referred to, on this spindle I fix a pinion that gears into a rack along the bed, this
spindle projects preferably forwards to the front of the machine, or nearest the
working position of the operator, and on the rotation of this spindle it will be seen
that its respective press (with its cutting tools) will be caused to travel along the
bed and can thereby be set in any desired position. This longitudinal motion of
the presses on the bed is independent of the transverse one previously described,
while neither affect or are affected by the driving mechanism that operates the
tools. Each set of tools is kept in working order notwithstanding the changes or
readjustments it is frequently necessary to make. I may modify the driving
mechanism and operate the press slides by levers worked by a suitable cam or
eccentric. And as a means of omitting any notch or space I may fit each press or
press slide with an independent stop motion. For the adjustment of the sheets I
affix suitable guages and to the clutch motion a convenient treadle arrangement
extending along the full length of the machine.
Dated this Nineteenth day of August 1890.
DANIEL SMITH, JUNR.,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Notching Machines as applied to the Manufacture
of Sheet Metal Travelling Trunks, Coal Vases, Cash and Deed
Boxes, and other Receptacles.
DANIEL SMITH Junior 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 the construction of a multiple press or notching
machine for the purpose of punching or cutting out at one operation most of the
corner notches, hinge, moulding or other spaces that are generally cut into the
sheet metal parts used in the manufacture of travelling trunks, coal vases, boxes
and other receptacles. Notching machines as at present used consist chiefly of a
bed on which the lower tools rest and a bar sliding vertically carries the upper
tools. In this machine the tools are made so as to cut in a given line. Its
generally defects for the production of sheet metal trunks etc. are as follows: in
moving a pair of tools along the bed they become unset, requiring skill and con-
siderable time to reset them in their new position.
Backward and forward adjustment of a single pair of tools in them is entirely
impracticable and can only be accomplished by the use of liners and packing,
involving great loss of time and requiring expert mechanical skill to accomplish the

page_text: readjustments when several-say four notches-are being cut along the edge of a
sheet, and it is desirable to cut the second and third notches deeper, it is necessary
to remove the second and third pair of tools in question and cut the first and fourth
notch at one process, then replace and reset the second and third tools and remove
the first and fourth tools, cutting out the second and third notches as a second
process, thus going over the parts twice, where with a more convenient machine one
operation would suffice. In order to obviate these and other defects which for
brevity are not mentioned and to meet the great variety in depth, shape and
position of the notches used, it is important that the proposed machine should
answer to the following conditions viz. ;-First that the number of cutting out
presses or cutting tools may be any number equivalent to the number of desired
notches or spaces.
Secondly any one or more notches may be omitted, increased
or diminished in depth without affecting the depth of adjacent notches or spaces.
Thirdly that each press or cutting tool should be capable of a ready longitudinal
and transverse adjustment without disturbing the relation of the upper tool with
the lower, thereby obviating all resetting of tools incidental on changing their
position. Fourthly that all adjustments should be quite independent of each other
and not affect or be affected by the driving mechanism giving motion to the tools.
In order to secure these conditions I construct the machine as follows; having
reference to the accompanying drawings. The same letters occurring on one or
more views of the accompanying drawings denote corresponding parts.
I will describe the machine firstly as one to be driven by power.
Fig. 1. represents front elevation.
Fig. 2 is an elevation (part sectional) through the line a. b. in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. is a sectional elevation through the line c. d. e. f. in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5. represents part of the lid of a trunk with the usual notches 1. 2. 3. 4
cut therein.
A. is the bed. B. B. are standards in which the shaft C rotates, when driven
by band on the fly or driving wheel D' fitted with an automatic disengaging clutch
to be herein after described that causes the shaft C to always stop in one position.
E. E. E. E. are four presses each consisting of a slide F carrying the upper tool G,
caused to move vertically within the guide H. Over and into the lower tool I by
an eccentric J. the latter rotating between the cheeks n. n. forming the upper part
of each press, also embracing the shaft C thereby preventing its deflection and
causing the eccentrics J shown most clearly by broken lines in Figs. 2. & 3 to slide
along the shaft C during the longitudinal motion of each press on the bed A.
Each press is made as narrow as possible in order to cut the notches or spaces as
close as possible if desired. On purpose to secure a backward and forward or
transverse adjustment to the cutting tools G and I that is to enable the depth of
the notches say 1 and 4 Fig. 5. to be varied or notches 2 and 3 omitted or varied,
I conform the base K. K. K. of each press E to the arc of a circle the centre of
its radius being the centre of the shaft C. The curved base K. K. K. is dovetailed
and is received by a shoe part L similarly dovetailed formed to the same radius
but attached to the bed A, and by means of the tangent screw M rotating freely
on the spindle O within the shoe L and gearing into the teeth on K. K. K., the
press E is caused to move forwards to increase the depth of the notches or back-
wards to diminish the depth of a notch or if desired to omit any notch or space as
shown in the sheet on Fig. 5. On the lower side of the shoe L I form projec-
tions P. P. that engage in slots in the bed A. which prevent the transverse
movement of the shoe L and to these projections P. P. by suitable bolts I attach
glands X. X. against the underside of the bed A. and thereby prevent each
combined press and shoe parts E and L from tilting, rising or locking when being
made to slide longitudinally along the bed A. Through the shoe part L I pass a
spindle O on which is keyed a pinion Y that gears into the rack Z on the bed A
and by means of a suitable key the rotation of the spindle O will cause its respective
press E to travel along the bed A and can thereby be set or fixed in any desired

page_text: position according to the length or space between the notches to be cut or notched.
It will be seen that the longitudinal motion of the presses along the bed A is
quite independent of the transverse one previously described. Each set of tools I
and G is kept in working order notwithstanding the changes or readjustments it is
frequently necessary to make. Since the press parts E. E. E. E. are made as
narrow as possible to cut notches close together in order to better prevent them
tilting, or locking as they are moved along the bed A by the rotation of the
pinion Y I make the glands X about three times the width of the base of the shoe
part L and to prevent the excessive length of the glands X from keeping the press
parts E. E. E. E. from being put close together I make the one extremity of the
glands X pointed and the other extremity concave or V shape to correspond or
receive it as shown in Fig. 4. The slide F is connected to the eccentric J by
means of the connecting rod c³ into which screws the ball part a² this serves the
purpose of raising or lowering the slide F or top tool Ġ as the latter wears
shorter also for the purpose of adjusting the upper tools in such relation to each
other that they do not all strike or cut together thereby distributing the work in a
series of successive or alternating cuts. The set pins i are for the purpose of
setting up the lower tool I or to prevent its receding from the tool G. V2 Fig. 1
and 4 are arms to carry the cross bars V³ along which are adjusted the guages Q. Q
that regulate the depth the notch is cut into the sheet. The bars V3 have a slot
along them as shown and the guages QQ have a dovetailed groove into which
fits the pins u u Fig. 1. on to which screws a handle h; when this handle is
slackened the guages Q Q are free to be moved in any direction to suit the position
of the presses or determine the position of the sheet to be cut or notched. It
will be seen that if the guages Q Q are adjusted to suit the outside or end
presses E Fig. 1 and the depth of the notches 1 and 4 Fig. 5 then the two central
presses can be readily adjusted to cut the spaces 2 and 3. Fig. 5. or set back
sufficiently to omit them. The ends of the guages are hook shape the upper or
hook portion keeping the sheet down and guiding it into the tools. The adjustable
end guage d² Fig. 1 and 4. is used for determining the width of the end notch 1
Fig. 5 the right hand end press being subsequently adjusted. The clutch motion
within the fly wheel D' consists of a sliding key having an incline on its outer
extremity Z¹ Fig. 6. that strikes against another incline on the upper end of the
bar f, this draws the key out of the recess within the boss of the wheel,D' arresting
the motion of the shaft C. On the treadle T¹ being depressed the bar f1 is drawn
down and a suitable spring draws the key Z¹ into the recess within the boss of the
wheel D and causes the machine to make another revolution. By screwing up
the thumb screws against the sliding key Z¹ it is prevented from engaging with
the fly wheel making it possible for the shaft C to be rotated by means of the
hand wheel m¹ without throwing off the band used to drive the machine on the
wheel D' which is convenient when setting or trying tools. There are several
ways of modifying the construction of this machine in addition to the way already
described.
Modification 1. I may dispense with the curve K. K. K. at the base of the
presses E. Fig. 2 making it straight and the shoe part L to correspond thereto
then by making the hole through which the shaft C passes elongated to the extent
of the transverse motion required it would be possible to move the tools backwards
and forwards as in the curved arrangement previously described.
Modification 2. To the part E I may attach a lever to work the top tool G such
lever being operated by a cam on a shaft rotated or partly rotated in the back part
of the shoe L. This would admit of a transverse motion for adjustment as in the
previous arrangement.
Modification 3. I may suspend and operate the upper tool G from a vertically
sliding bar the top tool G having a leg or supporting part engaging into the lower
tool I for the purpose of keeping thein set or in working relation to each other,
so that as the lower tool I is moved backwards and forwards in the transverse
adjustments the top tool G is caused to follow it.

page_text: Reference has been made to the dove-tail shape of the base K K K this is shown
in Fig. 1 at R. R. the bolts W. W. Fig. 2 are for the purpose of closing in the
sides of the shoe part L and causing them to firmly grip the sides of the curved
base K. K. K. or taking up any play that may arise.
In order to work the machine by manual labour instead of using the wheel D₁
to rotate the shaft C I use a lever worked by hand or connected by suitable rods
to a treadle arrangement similar to that shown at T¹ to work the stop motion,
balanced either by weights or springs to cause it to raise the upper tools G on the
foot or hand being taken off the treadle or hand lever as the case may be.
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 ;
Claim 1. The construction of a notching, cutting or pressing machine as herein
described and shown having reference to the accompanying drawings as applied to
the cutting or notching of sheet iron, steel or metal parts used in the manufacture
of such articles as mentioned in the title, inclusive of the Modifications 1. 2 and 3
herein described having reference in part to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 2. The press E in combination with the shoe part L for the purpose of
obtaining a transverse motion of the combined tools G and I with regard to the
bed A as herein described and shown by the accompanying drawings.
Claim 3. The combination of similar parts to E and L as described in Modifica-
tions 1 to 3 inclusive for the purpose of obtaining a transverse adjustment of the
combined tools G and I with regard to the bed A.
Claim 4. The arc base KKK struck from the centre of the shaft C Fig. 2 and 3.
so as to move within or on the shoe part L for the purpose of obtaining the transverse
or swinging motion of the press part E containing the tools G and I.
Claim 5. The shoe L containing the spindle O with the tangent screw M gearing
into the base K. K. K. of the press for the purpose of imparting a transverse
motion to the combined tools G and I.
Claim 6. The shoe part L with the projecting parts P P free to slide in slots
formed within the bed A for the purpose of guiding and keeping shoe part L and
likewise the press E from twisting as they are made to slide along the bed A or
their equivalent in the form of outer flanges embracing the bed A.
Claim 7. The spindle O and the pinion Y gearing into the rack Z on the
bed A for the purpose of imparting a longitudinal motion to the shoe part L and
the press part E.
Claim 8. The combination of the spindle O and pinion Y and the tangent
screw M the latter being free to rotate without giving motion to the spindle O
making the transverse motion of the press E independent of the longitudinal
motion along the bed A.
Claim 9. The form given to the extremities of the glands X X Fig. 4 to allow
them being made of a length greater than the width of the shoe part L for the
purpose as herein described.
Claim 10. The combinations of the parts E. L. O. M. Y. Z. P and X for the
purposes herein stated.
Claim 11. The dovetail R. R. Fig. 1 or its equivalent serving to join the base
of the press E to the shoc part L and the pins W. W Fig. 2 and 3 to close the
shoe part L laterally on to the base of the press E.
Claim 12. The cheeks n. n. Fig. 1 and 4 of the press E for the purpose of con-
veying the eccentric J along the shaft C.
Claim 13. The guages QQ with dovetail along the underside and the bars V³
with slots along so as to admit of a wide range of adjustment.
Claim 14. The extremity of the guage Q being turned up and bent over in the
direction of the arrow a Fig. 4 for the purpose of guiding the sheets under the
upper tool G.

page_text: Claim 15. The thumb screws for the purpose of retaining the sliding key from
engaging into the recess or recesses formed within the boss of the wheel D¹.
Claim 16. The modification with lever and treadle arrangement described
for making the machine so that it can be operated by manual labour, i.e., foot or
hand power.
Dated this Nineteenth day of May 1891
DANIEL SMITH, JUNIOR,
Applicant.