IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KEY-BLANKS, AND IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1884

page_text: I, EDMUND PHILLIPS, of Walsall Road, Willenhall, in the county of Stafford,
key stamper, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF KEY-BLANKS, AND IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly'
described and ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had
to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon (that is
to say):-
This invention has for its object, to cheapen the cost of manufacturing key-
blanks, by lessening the amount of labour necessary to produce a given quantity
and reducing the waste of material, and also to insure a greater uniformity in
quality.
Hitherto key-blanks have been stamped singly from a bar, and in order to provide
sufficient metal for forming the key-bit, and also avoid unnecessary waste of material
in forming the shank, it has been customary to turn over and weld upon itself one
end of the bar to thicken it up for the bit, and then to draw the metal between
the parts from which it is intended to form the bit and bow so as to reduce the
part for the shank. This turning over of one end of the bar, unless very carefully
performed, is liable to produce faulty places in the key-bit, owing to imperfect
welding on account of the intrusion of scale or dirt between the surfaces.
Now the object of this invention is to stamp two key-blanks at one operation
from a bar and avoid thereby both welding and drawing down, or reducing, the
metal of such bar.
The manner in which this is accomplished is illustrated by figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings. The curved dotted lines represent the end of a bar from
which two key-blanks are to be stamped at one operation, such end of the bar
being bent to the shape shewn in order to distribute the metal to the best
advantage for the several parts of the intended blanks. This bar is shewn by
dotted lines in end elevation figure 2. The dies for forming the blanks A A¹ are
sunk so as to produce such blanks in the relative position to one another shewn
by figure 1. The general configuration of the fin is shewn by the irregular
line B B etc., and the blanks are of course cut out from such fin in the usual
manner and either singly or both at one operation. It will be seen by figure 1
that the end of the bar is bent out in the direction of each key-bit to provide
sufficient metal from which to form such bits. It will be seen also that according
to this invention it is not necessary to double over the end of the bar or to draw

page_text: down or reduce it for any part of its length, but simply to bend the end to
(approximately) the shape shewn.
>
The end of the bar may be bent to the shape shewn by dotted lines figure 1 by
means of the curved surfaces C C¹ on the tools D D¹ illustrated to a reduced scale
by figures 3, 4 and 5, which are respectively a plan of the bottom tool, a section
through both the tools, taken on line xx, and a vertical section on line y y. These
tools act also as the dies for stamping the blanks A A', having the parts to form
such blanks sunk in their faces as shewn. The end of the curved surface C₁ acts
as a stop or gauge to fix the endway position of the bar. The end E of the bar is
first bent by holding it edgeways between the curved surfaces C. C³, and is then
laid flat between the sunk faces of the dies, which stamp out the key-blanks.
Tools having curved surfaces C C¹ may be formed separate from the dies D D' if
desired, but in this case also it is preferred to carry them in the same stamp.
The curved surfaces C C¹ may be recessed in both tools instead of being
partially projected from one tool, if desired, but in such case the flat faces of the
tools will come closer together as the end of the bar is being bent, and the general
direction of the curved parts will be horizontal instead of inclining upwards' as
shewn.
I consider the arrangement of blanks shewn by figure 1 to be the best for the
purpose of this invention, but the arrangement may be modified if desired in
the manner illustrated by figure 6, the end of the bar being in this case bent,
(approximately) as shewn by dotted lines in the same figure.
Having now stated the nature of my said invention and particularly described
and ascertained the manner of performing the same, I declare that what I claim
as my invention and desire to secure by letters patent. is:
1. The method of stamping two key-blanks at one operation from one bar,
substantially as herein described and for the purpose set forth.
2. The method of stamping two key-blanks at one operation from a bar without
previously doubling over the end of such bar, substantially as herein described and
for the purpose set forth.
3. The method of stamping two key-blanks at one operation from a bar without
previously drawing down or reducing any part of such bar, substantially as herein
described and for the purpose set forth.
4. The method of preparing the end of a bar, previously to stamping two key
blanks therefrom at one operation, by simply bending such end, without doubling
it over or drawing it down, so as to distribute the metal to the best advantage for
the several parts of the intended blanks, substantially as herein described and for
the purpose set forth.
5. The stamping dies D D¹, having curved surfaces C C¹ formed thereon to bend
or set the end E of the bar, in addition to the sinkings for forming the key-blanks,
substantially as herein described and for the purpose set forth.
6. The combination of curved tools for bending or setting the end E of the bar
with separate dies for stamping the key-blanks, both sets of tools or dies being
operated in the same stamp, substantially as herein described and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this twenty-fourth day of January 1884.