IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEET METAL BODIES FOR BUCKETS, AND IN APPARATUS OR TOOLS THEREFOR
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLE
DIVIFICATION
I, ALFRED BRATT, of the firm of J. and A. Bratt, of Clarence Street, Wolver-
hampton in the County of Stafford, hardware merchants, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEET METAL
BODIES FOR BUCKETS, AND IN APPARATUS OR TOOLS THEREFOR, 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:-
The object of this, invention is to so construct the bodies named in the title that
they may be made of a thinner gauge of metal than is usual, and may be, not-
withstanding, as strong or stronger than bodies made of the usual thickness.
According to this invention, the sheet metal of which the bodies are to be
formed is corrugated or fluted, so that when the bodies are made up, the corru-
gations or flutes are vertical, or approximately so, around the buckets.
"
The corrugations or flutes are formed by means of tools carried in a stamp, the
upper tool or
force" being preferably cast upon the lower tool, as is usual with
such tools for stamping metals. The tools may be formed so as to completely
corrugate a single flat sheet metal blank of a size to form an entire body or part
thereof; and the corrugations are formed to die out into the sheet metal at their
ends so as not to interfere with the making up of the articles. Several or any
desired widths of blanks, that is for different sizes of buckets, may be corrugated
or fluted by one pair of tools, but in this case the corrugations will be carried to
the side edges of the blanks for all but the largest sizes, and such edges must be
afterwards flattened down to enable the body to be made up.
I prefer, however, to curve the tools so as to stamp each separate blank into the
curved form of a half body ready for making up. In this case the corrugations
or flutes nearest to each side edge have the metal set back so as to form the
corrugations open towards such edges, that the "force," or top tool may enter and
withdraw therefrom; and the metal so set back is afterwards seamed into the
opposite half body to form the joint.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan of the top of a bottom tool for
corrugating a sheet metal blank for one half of a bucket, and figure 2 is a section
taken on the line x x of figure 1. In these views a a etc. are the corrugations or
flutes sunk in the face of the tool. bb are plain margins on the face of the tool
for the plain parts of the sheet metal to form, respectively, the upper and lower
edges of the body which are afterwards wheeled and jointed in the ordinary
manner; and c c are corresponding margins at the sides, for the parts of the blank
which are afterwards to be seamed to form the joints with the opposite half body.
The upper tool or die is, preferably, formed as an ordinary "force," by being
cast upon the lower tool, in the usual manner with such tools for raising sheet
metal.
The tool illustrated may be employed to corrugate or flute a blank shorter than
itself, that is to say a blank to form a half body for a bucket of lesser diameter
than when a blank of the full length of the tool is used. In this case, the
corrugations will be carried to the side edges, and such edges must consequently
be afterwards flattened down for seaming. The margins 66 may be of any
convenient width to allow of varying depths of blanks. Or, the tool may be made
to corrugate or flute a single blank to form an entire body.
The blanks which have been corrugated by these tools must, of course, be
afterwards bent into shape before being made up into, bodies.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, are, respectively, a plan, a section on line y y of figure 3,
and a section on line zz of figure 3, of a bottom tool for corrugating or fluting,
and curving ready for putting together, a sheet metal blank to form a half body
for a bucket. In these views a¹ a¹ etc. are the corrugations or flutes formed in the
hollowed face of the tool, as shewn. 6¹ is a plain margin for the bottom edge of
the blank, and 6" a corresponding margin for the top of the blank. d is a part
inclining outwards from the surface 611 to give an initial outward bend to the
edge of the blank, so that such edge may be more readily wired when the halves
of a body are put together. The corrugations all all are formed somewhat different
in shape to the other corrugations as shewn, so as to give a lead for the "force"
or upper tool. The parts c¹ cl may. be formed as half corrugations as shewn, and
the metal kept flattened back so as to give a lead to the "force" or top tool, or
the sides of the bottom tool at these parts may be kept flat from the upper edges
of the corrugations a" a", and in either case a sufficient margin is formed along
the parts cc to allow for seaming the joints in making up a body. The part e
is for the purpose of strengthening the tool. In this case, also, the top tool is
preferably cast upon the bottom tool, as before described.
It will be seen that with both the descriptions of tools illustrated the corrugations
or flutes die out at each end into the plain face of the metal.
Figure 6 illustrates in elevation a bucket made in the manner herein before
described, according to which it will be seen that the corrugations or flutes a a etc.
extend from nearly the bottom of the body to nearly the top thereof.
Sheet metal bodies corrugated or fluted, as above described, are much stronger
than those made in the ordinary way, and may therefore be made of a thinner
gauge of metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The herein before described improvements in the construction of sheet metal
bodies for buckets, according to which the metal for such bodies is corrugated or
fluted by means of stamping tools previously to being made up, substantially as
and for the purpose herein described.
2. The apparatus or tools for corrugating or fluting sheet metal for the bodies of
buckets, substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and shown by the
drawings herewith

page_text: 3. The tools for corrugating or fluting sheet metal for the bodies of buckets,
substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the drawings
herewith, and for the purpose set forth.
4. The tools for corrugating or fluting sheet metal for the bodies of buckets,
substantially as herein described with reference to figures 3, 4, and 5 of the
drawings herewith, and for the purpose set forth.
noted thin bornate thing dh of Tun 100%
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton,
Agent for the Applicant.