IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR BENDING METAL PLATES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS WILLIAM HELLIWELL of the Royal Horticultural Works Brighouse,
Yorkshire, Horticultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR BENDING METAL PLATES
to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to a new construction and arrangement of machine
for forming or bending upwards at one operation the edges of sheets of zinc or
other material.
For this purpose I employ a stationary bed or table upon which sheets of zinc or
other material are placed; a rectangular frame is employed and placed underneath
the bed or table; and a rectangular die is placed above the stationery bed. Above
this die are two or more cross bars or beams connected to the rectangular frame by
vertical rods or pillars.
Suitable shaped brackets are connected to the moveable die, the outer ends of
such brackets being made with bosses which fit onto the vertical pillars for the
purpose of guiding the die in its upward and downward movement.
Vertical screws pass through nuts formed in the cross bars or beams the bottom
of such screws resting in footsteps on the top of the moveable die, so that when
the screws are operated in one direction, the die is caused to descend until it meets
or bears upon the sheet of zinc resting upon the stationary table, and when it can
descend no further the operation of the screws will draw the rectangular frame
upwards, such upward movement of the said frame bending the edges of the sheet
of zinc, or other material upwards into a die or mould, the corners of such sheets
being so shaped by the moulds as to prevent the necessity of cutting and soldering
as at present. The opposite motion of the screws operates the various parts in the
reverse direction; liberating the sheet which is then removed. The screws may be
connected together by a horizontal shaft and bevil wheels so as to move them
simultaneously, or other mechanical arrangements may be employed for the same
purpose.
By these means the edges of the zinc sheet are expeditiously bent, and at
a small cost.
Although I have referred to this machine as being employed in turning up the
edges of rectangular or square sheets of material, the machine is equally well
adapted for operating upon round or other forms of sheets.
This machine can also be used for Corrugating and other Bending purposes.
Dated this 20th day of April 18S4

page_text: I, THOMAS WILLIAM HELLIWELL of the Royal Horticultural Works, Brighouse,
Yorkshire, Horticultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STAMPING OR BENDING METAL PLATES,"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to a new construction and arrangement of self-
acting machine for forming or bending at one operation the edges of sheets of zinc
or other material, such plates being largely used for covering the roofs and sides of
buildings.
In order that the machine may be properly understood and its manner of
working fully described I herein give reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings wherein Fig 1 is cross section and Fig 2 side view of a machine
constructed according to my invention, which consists of a stationary table A
supported by suitable framework B.
Outside this table and fitting closely thereto is a rectangular frame C provided
with standards or supports C¹ and capable of rising and falling for purposes
hereinafter explained, and D is a rectangular die which is raised up and down by
the screws E.
At suitable distances apart upon the sides of the rectangular frame are fixed
pillars F the tops thereof carrying a cross bar or beam G in the centre of which is
a boss H having a screw thread formed in the inside thereof to receive the screws E.
This rectangular die is kept steady in its up and down movements by means of
bosses which surround the pillars F..
The modus operandi is as follows,
When about to operate upon a metal plate and turn up the edges thereof, the
die D is raised as shewn in Fig 1, and a zinc plate is placed on the stationary table
as indicated in black line, the edges thereof resting in corners a made in the
rectangular frame as will be seen in the drawings.
When this is done the screws are operated so as to bring the die down upon the
metal sheet which is resting upon the stationary table, and as the die can descend
no further it necessarily follows that if the screws continue to revolve that the
nuts H and the cross bars G attached thereto will rise and carry with them the
rectangular table C, in doing which the corners b will bend the edges of the
plates upward as shewn in Fig 4 whereby the edges of the plates will be bent as
required.
The reverse motion of the screws will cause the parts to move in the opposite
direction so that the plate can be removed and another substituted. In bending
upward or downward the square corners of a metal plate there must necessarily be
some spare metal, and this I allow for as will be seen in the plan Fig 3. It will be
observed that in each corner of the rectangular frame I cut out an opening as
shewn at c, in which opening the spare metal is forced by the pressure of die and
frame, the corners of the plates being formed as shewn at d in Fig 5 which is plan

page_text: view of part of a plate, and as these projecting corners are solid they do not
require soldering and therefore are of great advantage when the sheets are employed
for covering the roofs and sides of buildings.
In order that both screws E may be operated simultaneously, so as to give equal
pressure to the die I drive the said screws by bevil wheels J from a horizontal
shaft K caused to rotate by hand wheel L, and to allow for the double purpose of
the screws which not only (whilst rotating in one direction) causes the table to
descend until it reaches the metal plate, but also causes the rectangular frame to
ascend, I arrange that the lower bevil wheel is provided with a key which fits into
a key-bed or groove formed in the screws, such groove being shewn in black line so
that whilst the lower bevil wheel causes the screws to rotate the key and groove
allows the screw to slide up and down in the boss thereof, and as the upper bevil
wheel and horizontal shaft are carried by the bracket M which is attached to the
cross bar as seen in Fig 2 it will be evident that the cross bar will carry the bevil
wheels up and down with it, as it is moved by the rotary screws, one of which is
a right hand screw, and the other a left hand screw.
By the construction of a machine such as is herein shewn and described zinc
sheets are expeditiously bent, and at a small cost.
Although I have referred to this machine as being employed in turning up or
down the edges of rectangular or square sheets of material, the machine is equally
well adapted for operating upon round or other forms of sheets. The machine can
also be used for corrugating, and other bending purposes.
Having now shewn and described my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
a descending die and an ascending rectangular frame as these motions may be
visa versa what therefore I claim is
The employment of the descending die D which on coming into contact with the
stationary table A will through the continued motion of the screws cause the
rectangular frame C to ascend in manner and for purposes as herein shewn and
described.