IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, RAISING, SHAPING, OR DRAWING THROUGH SHEET METAL BY MEANS OF TOOLS AND DIES
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Farmer at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd March
1865.
I, GEORGE FARMER, of Old Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING, PUNCHING, RAISING, SHAPING, OR DRAWING THROUGH
SHEET METAL BY MEANS OF TOOLS AND DIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of machinery for cutting
or punching blanks from strips of sheet metal fed into the machine by suitable
feed apparatus (berein-after described and forming part of my improvements),
the blanks as they are cut from the strip of metal being successively delivered
to suitable tools or dies, by which they are either raised, shaped, or "drawn
through" according to the purpose for which the metal blanks so dealt with
are required.
For the purpose of example I will proceed to describe a machine, arranged
and constructed according to my Invention, suitable for cutting out, shaping,
and raising metal blanks into articles known as "crinoline clips," which may
be made from metal blanks of various forms, the tools and cutters employed
corresponding therewith; at the same time I would remark that the tools
and dies may be suitably and readily arranged in accordance with Invention
my

page_text: for cutting, punching, shaping, raising, or "drawing through" metal blanks of
various forms and sizes, such as shells for buttons, washers, or percussion caps,
and a variety of other articles.
In carrying out my improvements I first cut or slit up the sheet metal by
circular shears or slitters into strips, by preference of a width suitable for
cutting out a crinoline clip or other article with as little waste in scrap as
possible. The "feeder" consists of a slide and connecting rod actuated by a
slotted cam and crank motion, so as to feed the strip of metal forward into or
between the operating tools and dies by a step-by-step movement. When
the metal has been fed forward between the tools and dies to be cut and
shaped, it is securely held by the end of a pressing lever actuated by a cam
on the main shaft or axis of the machine. The feeder and instrument for
holding the metal (whilst a blank is being cut off the end and shaped or
drawn through) is fitted with guides which prevent the metal from bending.
The end of the strip of metal when it is fed forward is conducted under a
covering guide and rests upon a bed, the covering guide exposing those
portions only of the metal which are to be first cut or punched out by a punch
of suitable form in order to form the outline of the intended blank. The
blank thus far formed on the end of the strip of metal by the next movement
of the feeder is carried over the bed of the drawing through tool, and when
the punch again descends the blank upon the end of the strip is cut off by a
cutter combined with the punch before referred to, which at the same time
cuts out the parts to form another blank. When the blank is cut off it falls
on to and is forced through the "drawing through" opening in the bed by a
slide, which turns up or raises the sides of the blanks ready for being used as a
crinoline clip for connecting the ends of crinoline steel, as is well understood.
The drawing through tools are furnished with suitable stops and guides to
control the position and movement of the blank whilst being operated upon.
The punch cutter and drawing or forcing through tools or instruments are
carried by slides mounted in a box or guides, the slides being connected to
levers which are actuated by cams or eccentrics on the main cam shaft of the
machine.
For some purposes the blank when cut off is delivered on to a moveable
slide actuated by a cam or eccentric, which slide carries the blank to the
drawing through tools or to suitable dies for being raised, pierced, or punched
as may be required for finishing the blank.
By means of the above-described arrangements of machinery much less
scrap metal is made than by the ordinary method employed for punching out

page_text: blanks from sheet metal in the manufacture of crinoline clips, shells for.
buttons, and other articles made from sheet metal, much time and labour being
also saved thereby.