Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
I, JOSEPH BARROW of the firm of Thomas Shanks and Coy., Union Iron Works,
Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer and Toolmaker do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement or construction of vertical
plate bending machines.
In that class of plate bending machines for bending heavy iron and steel plates,
where the driving rolls have keyed to them large spur wheels, one over the top of
the framing and the other below it, which spur wheels are driven by spur and.
bevil gearing in the usual way. It is sometimes necessary to so construct the
machine that after a plate is bent to a complete circle, the third roll may be lifted
clear of the work so that it may be taken away from the machine. This has
heretofore been done by lifting the third roll through and between the arms of the
top spur wheel and it has been found that in bending very heavy plates, the spur
wheel is so weakened by the necessary space between the arms that it is liable to break
and fall to the great danger of the workmen's lives.
According to the present Invention, the journals of the third roll are carried in
blocks which act as nuts into which the screws are fitted which regulate the distance
apart of the rolls for bending the plates to the desired circle all in the ordinary way.
A rack is attached to the bottom block and a pinion is provided to gear into it-The
top framing is arranged so as to allow the top block free exit and re-entrance-The
foundation plate where the lower block is fitted is extended-From this arrangement
it results that after a plate has been bent to a complete circle, the two adjusting screws
can be screwed out of the nuts, the motion of the roll which has its centre of gravity

page_text: in a vertical position can be continued easily and steadily by means of the rack and
pinion until it is clear of any obstruction and the roll can be either lifted clear of the
work, or the work itself can be taken away leaving the roll standing-To place the roll
again in position it is moved back and the lower screw is engaged with the nut of the
lower block-This screw is made a little longer for that purpose and as soon as the
upper screw is ready to enter the nut a lever is brought into action to press forward
the block until both screws are entered when the roll is again in connection with the
machine for the purposes of bending plates.
ST. JOHN V. DAY,
12, Rothesay Place, Edinburgh,
Petitioner's Agent.

page_text: Plate Bending Machines.
I, JOSEPH BARROW of the firm of Thomas Shanks and Company, Union Iron
Works, Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer and
Toolmaker 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 :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement or construction of vertical
plate bending machines.
In that class of plate bending machines for bending heavy iron and steel plates,
where the driving rolls have keyed to them large spur wheels, one over the top of the
framing and the other below it, which spur wheels are driven by spur and bevil.
gearing in the usual way. It is sometimes necessary to so construct the machine
that after a plate is bent to a complete circle, the third roll may be capable of being
lifted. clear of the work (that is to say, the plate which has been bent) so that it may
be removed from the machine. This has heretofore been effected by lifting the third
roll up through and between the arms of the aforesaid top spur wheel, and it has been
found that in machines for bending very heavy plates, the spur wheel is so weakened
by the necessary space between the arms to admit of the passage of the roll up through
it that such wheel is not only liable to break but the broken pieces fall to the great
danger of the attendant workmen's lives.
According to the present Invention, the journals of the third roll are carried in‘
blocks which act as nuts into which screws are fitted which regulate the distance apart.
of the rolls for bending the plates to the desired circle, in the ordinary way.
A rack
is attached to the botton block and a pinion is provided to gear into it. The top
framing is arranged so as to allow the top block free exit from and reentrance thereinto.
The foundation plate where the lower block is fitted is extended. From this arrange-
ment it results that a plate has been hent to a complete circle; the two adjusting
screws can be screwed out of the nuts thus moving the third roll and the bent plate
surrounding it outwards and this outward motion of the roll is continued easily and
steadily further outwards by means of the rack and pinion, until it is clear of any
obstruction, and the roll can then be either lifted clear of the work, or the work itself
can be taken away by being lifted clear of the roll, thus leaving the roll in readiness
to be returned to its working position. To place the roll again in working position it
is moved back by the rack and pinion and the lower screw is engaged with the nut
of the lower block. This screw is made a little longer for that purpose and so soon as
the upper screw is ready to enter the upper nut, a lever is brought into action to press.
forward the block until both screws are entered when the roll is again in connection
with the machine for the purposes of bending plates.

page_text: In order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I have hereunto appended four explanatory sheets of drawings corresponding
parts of which are marked with the same letters of reference, that is to say, Figure 1,
is a front elevation of a vertical plate bending machine constructed in accordance
with my said improvements.
Figure 2, is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3, a plan; and Figure 4 a part side elevation corresponding to Figure 2,
shewing in dotted lines the third or shifting roll moved to its outer position, in this
position this roll is clear either for itself being lifted without interference of the spur
driving wheel above, or the plate which has been rolled into a tube is in this position
capable of being lifted freely upwards off the said roll.
As several parts of the vertical plate bending rolls shewn upon the annexed drawings
are similar or analogous to plate bending rolls of this class well-known and in use they
need not for this reason be herein referred to in detail.
The framing of the vertical rolls shewn on the annexed drawings is marked A, and
it consists of the lower table A, wherein are arranged the fixed bearings for the two side
rolls B, and B', whose journals are carried in these bearings in the upper and lower
portions of the framing A. The side rolls B, B', are driven by the large spur wheels C,
and D, respectively, the spur wheel C, being attached to the upper end of the roll B,
and the spur wheel D, to the lower end of the roll B¹. On the vertical shaft E, at the
back of the machine is fitted at its upper and lower ends the spur pinions G, and H.
These spur pinions G, and H, respectively gear with and drive the spur wheels C,
and D, they being actuated by the bevil wheel I, also carried upon the shaft E, which
is driven by the bevil pinion J, on the shaft K¹, actuated by the driving gear shewn
at Figures 1, 2 and 3, this gear being actuated by open and cross belts for reversing
the direction of motion when required and provided with belt forks for shifting the
said belt from the fast to the loose pulleys and vice versa, and also with clutch arrange-
ments for varying the speed of the rolls and the leverage used for driving them. With
regard to this driving gear, I would here remark that I have shewn in the drawings
a system of driving gear which is well understood but any other system of driving a
gear adapted for actuating vertical rolls may be substituted for that which I have shown
or the rolls may be directly driven by an engine.
The roll marked K, is the roll capable of being slid outwards and it is mounted so
as to be in other respects operated in accordance with my present improvements.
The journals of the roll K, are mounted in moveable bearings L, fitted so as to be a
capable of sliding backwards and forwards in the parallel slides M, formed in the
upper and lower parts of the framing A. As will be observed from Figures 2, 3,
and 4 of the drawings the lower slide M, has attached to it a part M', which constitutes
a prolongation of the lower slide M, to some distance beyond the upper slide M, and it
is on this prolongation of the lower slide M, that the roll K, rests when drawn to its
outer position as shewn at Figure 4, for the purpose of being either removed from the
work, (that is to say, the plate which the vertical rolls have bent into the form of a
tube), or of allowing the said tube or work to be removed from it; the bearings L,
are formed with projections O, at their back or inner parts as more particularly seen
at Figure 4. These projections are of such a size as to slide into hollows formed to 4
accomodate them in the upper and lower parts of the framing A. The projections O,
are also hollow and the hollow portion of each has a screwed thread cut in it so that
they constitute nuts whereinto the screws P, at the upper and lower parts of the machine
engage for the purpose of drawing the roll K, with any requisite degree of pressure
against the plate or work being bent. The screws P, are each provided with a worm
wheel Q, with which two tangent screws on the horizontal shafts R, and S, respectively
engage. At the ends of the shafts R, and S, are bevil pinions T, which gear with
corresponding bevil pinions T¹, on the vertical shaft T. On the vertical shaft T²,
there is also the spur pinion T3, which is driven by the spur pinion T, on the vertical
shaft T. This vertical shaft T³, carries at its lower end another bevil pinion T, which 5
is actuated by the bevil pinion T7, on the horizontal shaft U, fitted with the hand
wheels V. By turning the hand wheel V, in either direction it is obvious that the

page_text: screws P, are correspondingly rotated and therefore draw the nuts O, either on to or
off them and therefore move the roll K, either closer to or further from the rolls B,
and B¹. When the screws are thus rotated in the direction which moves the nuts O,
completely off them, it is obvious that the roll K, cannot be moved further outwards
by means of the screws P, therefore with the view of enabling such further outward
movement of the roll K, to take place to put itself and the work or plate which has
been bent in a position clear in a vertical direction from being interfered with by the
spur wheels C, the lower bearing L, has the toothed rack W, attached to it by bolts
as shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 4. In the outer part of the projection M', a toothed
pinion X, shewn in dotted lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3, is carried. This pinion X, gears
with the horizontal toothed rack W, and on being turned by means of a lever or hand
wheel applied to the square upper end of its shaft, this pinion moves the horizontal
rack W, upwards and therefore draws with it the vertical roll K, and the tubular work
or bent plate surrounding the said roll into the outermost position thereof, that is to
say, in the position shewn in dotted lines at Figure 4, wherein either the roll K, or the
bent plate or work are capable of being readily removed. When it is desired to return
the roll K, to the position for bending another plate, the pinion ✗, is rotated in the
opposite direction until it brings the projection O, on the lower bearing L, again into
contact with the lower screw P, when that screw engages with the screw thread in the
projection O, and draws it together with the roll K, inwards. It is here explained
that the lower screw P, is made a little longer than the upper screw P, so as to allow
the lower screw and bearing block L, to engage with the lower block L, prior to the
upper screw P, engaging with the upper block L. So soon as the lower screw P, has
drawn the roll K, and the blocks L, into that position when the upper screw P, and
the upper nut 0, are ready to engage with each other, the attendant applies the lever Y,
to the upper bearing block L, and presses against it so as to force the block L, forwards
until the upper screw is engaged with the nut O, in the upper bearing block in which
condition the roll K, is again in connection with the machine for the purposes of
bending plates as hereinbefore described.
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 :-
In vertical plate bending machines the arranging of one of the rolls in bearings
fitted in horizontal slides in the upper and lower parts of the framing of the said
machine, and so that the roll itself so fitted and the plate or work bent into a tub
thereon may be removed sufficiently far outwards for being lifted vertically upwards
clear of the gearing of the plate bending machine, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn upon the annexed sheets of drawings.
Dad of
1000
ST. JOHN V. DAY,
Applicant's Agent.