Improvements in Machinery for Shearing or Cutting Metallic Plates or Sheets and for other like Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Shearing or Cutting Metallic Plates
or Sheets and for other like Purposes.
I, HUBERT SPENCE THOMAS, of The Cottage, Lydbrook, in the County of
Gloucester, Tin Plate Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in machinery
for shearing or cutting rolled black plates and other like metallic plates into
sheets or pieces and for other like purposes; and my said invention has for its
object to effect cutting of all the sides but one of the sheets or pieces at one
operation. I wish it to be understood that by shearing or cutting I include the
cutting operation commonly called punching." My invention is especially
useful in the dividing of black-plates into sheets or pieces to be used in the
manufacture of tin plates and other like metal coated plates.
«
I will describe my invention in connection with the shearing or cutting of a
blackplate into rectangular sheets or plates.
In constructing a shearing machine according to my invention I arrange and
fix on the bed or table of the machine a series of three knives or shearing blades
the cutting edges of which are upturned and presented inwards. One of the said
knives which I will hereinafter call the front knife is preferably parallel with
the front of the machine and the other or side knives are arranged at the
rear of the said front knife and preferably at right angles thereto.
The side parallel knives are adjustable on the bed or table of the machine so
as to fit them to cut sheets of varying width. I employ in conjunction with the
said fixed knives three upper movable knives having their cutting edges down-
wards and turned outwards and adjusted so as to fit and work against the cutting
edges of the lower or fixed knives. The junction of the upper side knives with
the upper front knife may be bevelled or inclined so that by adjusting the upper
side knives with respect to the upper front knife the adjustment of the width or
distance apart of the side knives is effected. Or the upper front knife may be
made in two or more parts having inclined meeting faces by the sliding of which
on one another the length of the upper front knife and consequent width of the
sheet to be cut may adjusted.
The machinery constituting my invention is used as follows. The rolled black-
plate to be cut or sheared into sheets or pieces is advanced between the upper
and lower front knives so that on the descent of the upper knives the front
irregular edge of the black-plate is removed leaving two horns at the opposite
sides of the front edge of the black-plate. The black-plate with its front edge
thus trimmed is advanced further into the machine against fixed or movable stops
which determine the length of the sheet to be cut. On the descent of the upper
or movable knives, a sheet is obtained from the black-plate having its edges
trimmed and its sides true or at right angles to each other. The black-plate is

page_text: further and similarly operated upon so as to obtain a second and third sheet
until the whole or nearly the whole of the black plate is divided into sheets.
Although I have only described my invention in connection with the obtaining
of rectangular sheets, I wish it to be understood that it may be used for the
obtaining of polygonal or other shaped sheets and by the use of curved that is
concave, convex or corrugated knives it may be used in the obtaining of sheets
with curved sides and ends provided in all cases the front and back edges of the
cut pieces are parallel.
Dated this Twenty-second day of February 1898.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machinery for Shearing or Cutting Metallic Plates
or Sheets and for other like Purposes.
I, HUBERT SPENCE THOMAS, of The Cottage, Lydbrook, in the County of
Gloucester, Tin Plate Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in machinery
for shearing or cutting rolled black plates and other like metallic plates into
sheets or pieces and for other like purposes; and my said invention has for its
object to effect the cutting of all the sides but one of the sheets or pieces at one
operation, the fourth side being one of the sides already cut. I wish it to be
understood that by shearing or cutting I include the cutting operation commonly
called "punching." My invention is especially useful in the dividing of black
plates into sheets or pieces to be used in the manufacture of tin plates and other
like metal coated plates.
I will describe my invention in connection with the shearing or cutting of a
black plate into rectangular sheets or plates.
In constructing a shearing machine according to my invention I arrange and
fix on the bed or table of the machine a series of three knives or shearing blades
the cutting edges of which are upturned and presented inwards. One of the said
knives, which I will hereinafter call the front knife, is preferably parallel with
the front of the machine and the other or side knives are arranged at the
rear of the said front knife and preferably at right angles thereto. The side 3
parallel knives are adjustable on the bed or table of the machine so as to render
them capable of cutting sheets of varying width. I employ, in conjunction with
the said fixed knives, three upper movable knives having their cutting edges
downwards and turned outwards and adjusted so as to fit and work against the
cutting edges of the lower or fixed knives. Or the upper front knife may be 4
made in two or more parts having inclined meeting faces by the sliding of which
on one another the length of the upper front knife and consequent width of the
sheet to be cut may be adjusted.
The machinery constituting my invention is used as follows:-The rolled black
plate to be cut or sheared into sheets or pieces is advanced between the upper
and lower front knives so that on the descent of the upper knives the front
irregular edge of the black plate is sheared off leaving two horns at the opposite
sides of the front edge of the black plate. The black plate with its front edge
thus trimmed is advanced further into the machine against fixed or movable
4

page_text: stops which determine the length of the sheet to be cut. On the descent of the
upper or movable knives, a sheet is obtained from the black plate having its
edges trimmed and its sides true or at right angles to each other. The black
plate is further and similarly operated upon so as to obtain a second and third
sheet until the whole or nearly the whole of the black plate is divided into sheets.
Although I have only described my invention in connection with the obtaining
of rectangular sheets, I wish it to be understood that it may be used for the
obtaining of polygonal or other shaped sheets and by the use of curved, that is,
concave, convex or corrugated knives it may be used in the obtaining of sheets
with curved sides and ends provided in all cases the front and back edges of the
cut pieces are parallel.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent in front and side
elevation respectively, machinery for shearing or cutting metallic plates or
sheets constructed according to my invention; Figure 3 is a plan of the table
of the machine showing the lower knives in position thereon, and Figure 4 is a
plan of underside of the upper shear block and knives carried by the same;
Figure 5 illustrates a method by which the length of the front knives may be
adjusted, shown as applied to the upper front knife, and Figure 6 illustrates
another or modified method by which the length of the front knives may be
adjusted, shown as applied to the lower front knife. Either method may be
applied to either upper or lower front knives.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
a is the bottom shear block shown resting upon the anvil A and B is the moving
slide to which the upper shear block b is attached. To the bottom shear block a
three knives or shear blades a¹, a², a³ are bolted, the inner or cutting edges of
the said knives or blades having in plan the outline of three sides of the rectan-
gular plates or sheets to be cut. The front knife a¹ is fixed to and is situated
preferably parallel with the front of the bottom shear block a and the side
knives a², a³ are adjustably fixed at right angles to the front knife a¹, the cutting
edges of the three knives a¹, a², a3 being presented inwards. At the back of the
bottom shear block a of the machine are adjustable stops c, c.
The upper or movable shear block b carries three knives or shear blades 1, 2, 3
the cutting edges of which are turned outwards and work on the descent of the
slide B, against the inwardly turned cutting edges of the lower knives a¹, a², a".
It will be seen by an examination of Figures 1 and 2 that the cutting edges of
the upper knives b¹, 62, 63 are inclined in the direction of their length to the
lower knives so as to effect on the descent of the said upper knives a shearing
action, the angle of inclination being preferably the same as that of the bevel
or rake of the edge of the upper knife adjacent thereto to form the cutting edge
of the said adjacent knife. And the cutting edge of each knife is preferably in
the plane of the bevel or rake of the knife at right angles to it. The front corners
of the upper knives are preferably lowest.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The long rolled plate to be divided into smaller plates or sheets has the irregular
edge first introduced into the machine trimmed, that is, made straight in the
following manner. The said irregular edge is passed only so far into the machine
that on the descent of the upper movable shear block b and its knives b1, b², 63
a strip is removed from the plate extending nearly from side to side of the said
plate, a horn being left at each side of the front straight edge or end thus pro-
duced. The plate is advanced into the machine until the said front straight edge
bears against the stops c, c, when by the descent of the upper shear block ba
plate or sheet of the required size is cut, by the pairs of shearing blades a¹, b¹;
a², 62; a3, 63, from the long rolled plate, the three sides of the sheet constituting
with the straight edge first produced, the rectangular sheet so that after the
first or trimming cut each sheet is cut at one operation. The long rolled plate is

page_text: again advanced into the machine until the edge last produced by the pair of
front knives a¹, b¹ bears against the stops c, c, when by the descent of the upper
knives again a second sheet or plate is cut the operation being repeated until the
whole of the long rolled plate has been divided into smaller plates or sheets.
The side knives a², a3 are adjustable, that is, are capable of being moved from
or towards one another so as to enable the machine to cut sheets of varying width.
The said adjustment of the side knives also permits of compensation for wear
due to regrinding of the said knives which is necessary from time to time. The
front knife may be divided, that is, made in two or more parts as illustrated in
Figures 5 and 6 so as to be adjustable in length.
In Figure 5 the upper knife is made in three parts the middle part being wedge
shaped and filling the space between the two end parts. When it is desired to
slightly lengthen the knife the middle wedge piece of an upper knife is set down
so as to force outwards the two end parts to the desired extent, the protruding
part of the middle wedge piece being ground off so that its cutting edge forms a
continuation of the cutting edges of the end parts. Or the middle wedge piece
may be removed and replaced by a wedge piece of a greater or smaller size.
In Figure 6 the lower front knife a is divided by an inclined division at or
about its middle. By the sliding of the inclines of the two parts on one another
the lengthening or shortening of the knife is effected, the protruding part of one
being ground off so as to bring the cutting edges of both parts on the same level.
Where the sheets to be cut are to have a polygonal figure, say for example a
hexagonal figure, five knives are employed on the table of the machine and on
the shear block in place of the three represented in the drawings; that is to say,
each series of knives or shear blades is of a number one less than the number of
sides of the polygonal figure of the sheet to be cut, the said series of knives
having an open sided figure in plan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention :,—
First; In a machine for shearing or cutting metallic and other plates or sheets
into smaller plates or sheets, arranging on the bottom shear block of the machine
a series of knives and a stop or stops and on the upper shear block situated above
the said table a corresponding series of knives so that the cutting edges of the
said series of knives have in plan a figure similar to that of the sheet to be cut
excepting that one of the sides of the said figure is open, that is, is unprovided
with a knife, substantially as herein set forth and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly; A machine for shearing or cutting metallic and other plates or
sheets into smaller plates or sheets consisting essentially of a fixed bottom shear
block and a rising and falling upper shear block each carrying three knives or
shear blades so arranged that the cutting edges have a figure in plan correspond-
ing to the front and side edges of the sheet to be cut and a stop or stops at the
back for limiting the distance to which the plate to be cut can be fed into the
machine, substantially as herein set forth and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Thirdly; A machine for shearing or cutting metallic and other plates or
sheets into smaller plates or sheets consisting essentially of a pair of shearing or
punching blocks each having three knives or shearing blades so arranged that
the descent of the upper knives or shearing blades three sides of the
rectangular sheet are simultaneously cut, the two side or parallel knives being
adjustable substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
on
Fourthly; A machine for cutting or shearing metallic and other plates or
sheets into smaller plates or sheets consisting essentially of two series of knives

page_text: or shear blades carried respectively by an upper and lower block each series of
knives being so arranged as to form an open sided figure in plan the cutting
edges of one series of knives being inclined lengthwise to the cutting edges of
the other series of knives substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly A machine, for cutting or shearing metallic and other plates or
sheets into smaller plates or sheets, consisting essentially of a fixed block and a
movable block each carrying three or a series of knives the cutting edges of
which work against each other on the motion of the movable block, the cutting.
edges of the knives of the movable block being inclined lengthwise to the
cutting edges of the knives of the fixed block the angle of inclination of each
knife of the movable block being the same as that of the bevel or rake of the
cutting edge of the adjoining knife substantially as herein set forth and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly In machinery for cutting or shearing metallic and other plates or
sheets into smaller plates or sheets, the use of knives or shear blades in two or
more parts and joined so as to permit of the lengthening or shortening of the said
knives substantially as herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Thirty-first day of October 1898.
HUBERT SPENCE THOMAS.