IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR FORMING SHEET METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS INTO VARIOUS SHAPES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Royall Minns, of 5, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVED METHOD OF
AND MACHINERY FOR FORMING SHEET METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS INTO
VARIOUS SHAPES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Royall Minns at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th December 1880.
HENRY ROYALL MINNS, of 5, Southampton Buildings, 'in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED METHOD OF AND MACHINERY FOR FORMING SHEET METAL AND OTHER
MATERIALS INTO VARIOUS SHAPES."
This Invention has for its object improved method of and machinery for forming
sheet metal, card, or leather board, leather, and other materials into shapes and
various forms such as hollowing, curving, and flanging such material, which may be
done according to this Invention at one operation, and by this Invention the same
machine may be used for a heavy material as is used for a light one, for instance,
sheet iron, brass, or other plate metal may be curved, hollowed, and flanged in the
same machine as card board or other like material.
In order to effect the above I construct machinery substantially as follows :-
To a bed plate I fix four or more upright standards through which works in
suitable bearings the main shaft; on this shaft is fixed one or more rollers which
may be plain, corrugated, or of other desired form in section according to the shape
or shapes it is desired to give to the material to be operated upon, but for sake of
example I will describe a machine suitable for curving and flanging at one operation,
in which case the said roller or rollers would have a slight flange at either end
above the said roller or rollers, and in a vertical line therewith is another shaft on
which is also fixed one or more rollers capable of revolving between the flanges of
the roller; on the main shaft behind these two sets of rollers is another set also
slightly flanged; these three sets of rollers are actuated by suitable gearing
by means of a pulley keyed on to the main shaft. These two first named sets run
in opposite directions and the third or back set in the same direction as the aforesaid
top set; above all is another set working freely on a shaft. All these sets of rollers

page_text: excepting those on main shaft are capable of adjustment so that they may be
brought nearer to or withdrawn further from one another. This I propose to effect
by making the shafts of such adjustable rollers work in bearings capable of sliding
in the standards of the machine, such bearings being adjusted by means of bolts
and nuts; by this means one or other of the sets of wheels may also be thrown out
of gear when required. These rollers may also be thrown out of gear by means of
a quadrant to which the shafts are connected, the said quadrant being actuated by
a rack or otherwise. The sliding bearings are also acted upon by adjustable springs,
so that the power of such springs may be varied at will. This I effect by having
flat steel springs, one end coming against the sliding bearings and the other end
working loosely on a pin fixed to a piece on the standards of the machine, and
having a bolt passing through it and the spring, so that upon screwing a nut on the
said bolt more or less against the said spring the power thereof may be regulated
to a nicety for regulating the pressure of the rollers either for delicate or heavy
work. The main shaft and the shaft carrying the second set of rollers above same
are adjustable horizontally, so that by steel set screws screwing against the faces of
the hardened steel shafts shall be capable of moving the said shafts horizontally in
their bearings, in order to give the desired horizontal pressure to the flange of the
material operated upon. In order to retain a flange when once formed on the
material I fix adjustable cheeks to each side of the machine; these cheeks are
regulated by means of screws and springs, so as to screw them up as near as
required to the ends of the rollers above the main shaft; I also fix guides to the bed
plate of the machine, which consists of upright pillars of proper height having a
grooved flange at top for sliding the material to be operated upon to the rollers.
These guides also regulate the depth of flange required. I would here remark the
rollers may be calenders where heating is required.
The operation of a machine constructed as above is as follows:-
Supposing a piece of sheet metal is to be flanged, hollowed, and curved, the
adjustable springs must be set so as to exert sufficient power on the rollers, and
the third and top set of rollers adjusted either nearer to or further from the other
rollers according to the sweep of curve required and the cheek piece suitably
adjusted as before described. The machine is then set in motion and the sheet of
metal pushed into the guides first passes between the two sets of rollers first
mentioned, by means of which it is hollowed and flanged, the aforesaid adjustable
cheeks retaining the flanges; it then passes between the back rollers and those
immediately above the ones on the main shaft, and finally under the top rollers
which form the desired curve. By altering the pressure of the spring, a strip of
card board may be flanged and curved in order to form it into a round or oval
suitable for making into a box, for example, which may be done by simply
sticking the two ends together, and sticking the bottom on to the flange.
According to a modification I suitably hinge a number of spring levers fitting
the contour of the roller so that said levers may be kept in contact with said rollers.
This modification is particularly adapted for operating upon materials which are
not of a uniform thickness throughout, as the different spring levers will yield
according to the varying thickness of material.
The above described machinery is particularly adapted for forming stiffeners for
boots and shoes, in which case I pass material of which the stiffener is to be made
through my improved machinery to be curved, hollowed, and flanged; I then put
it on a die formed exactly similar to the back of a last of the required size;
this die is fixed to a plunger, which is brought down by any suitable power into
a corresponding female die, by which means a stiffener is formed of the exact
conformation of the back of the foot.
I do not intend to limit myself to the precise number of sets of rollers
above described as the same may be varied according to circumstances.

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation of machinery constructed according to my said
Invention.
Figure 2, a side elevation, and
Figure 3, a part plan of same. The machinery consists of two side frames A, A,
one of which has a fixed bearing a therein to receive the shaft of the main or
shaping roller or rollers B, B, which are driven by fast and loose pulleys E.
The other end of the main shaft is provided with a toothed wheel C gearing
into another wheel G of the same diameter, which drives the top pair of rolls D
corresponding to or nearly to the shape of the rolls B, which latter are provided
with a flange by which both the curving and flanging is effected at one operation.
The rollers B and D and their spindles are adjustable sideways by the set screws
e, e, and ff; g, g, are springs pressing on lugs d² on the top vertically sliding
bearings a carrying the shaft of the top rollers D; g¹ is a spring connected to the
cross piece h, and at the other end provided with a piece d bearing on a circum-
ferential groove in the rollers D, for example, midway of its length. The con-
nection of the springs to the cross bar h is by pivots g², and the tension of the
springs for a greater or less pressure is effected by the set screws g³. The vertical
play of the rollers D is limited by the set screws d³, thus by the assistance of the
springs and also of the set screws it is adapted for either heavy or delicate rolling
or shaping. Behind these pair of rollers B and D is a roller F slightly flanged, as
may be required, and geared by the wheel H to the wheel G (which latter gears
with the wheel C.) In order to suit and adapt itself to various thicknesses of
material as well as for comparatively thin material, the play of the roller F and
bearing b in the diagonal slot c is limited by means of the screw bolt d. When it
is required to roll straight bars the roll or rollers F must be removed or lowered
out of the way; this I propose to effect by means of the fixed toothed quadrants I
into which gears the pinion J mounted on the axis of the roller F, as shewn at
Figure 4; the toothed quadrant I is part of the framing A on each side of the
machine, and the axis of the roller F is contained in arms K on each side of the
apparatus which are caused to rise and fall in the following manner: is a
ratchet wheel on the one side of one pinion J, and k is a pawl engaging therewith.
When it is desired to lower the roller F the pawl k is released and the roller
lowered out of the way, but when it is desired to roll curved and shaped bars the

page_text: roller can be raised to any required height or position dependent upon the curve
or sweep required, and at the same time be in gear by means of the toothed
wheel and m. At the upper part of the machinery are mounted loose rollers L
which are free to slide longitudinally, as may be required, shewn in Figure 2, by
the arms working through the guides 2 for effecting the various required
curvatures. The bosses on the arms carrying the spindle of the rollers L
being free to slide in a slot in the framing A.; M, M, are adjustable cheeks
on each side of the machine, which may be moved nearer to or further from
the rollers as may be required for the flanging of the material to be rolled;
such adjustment of the cheeks is effected by the projecting upper ends of
the cheeks, plates M being provided with slots w for their transverse adjust-
ment, and each or either secured by one or more set screws x; N and O are
guide standards with a ploughed groove at the upper part for feeding the
material between the rollers. These standards are also capable of transverse
adjustment by means of slot y and set screws y'; Figure 5 shews section of a pair
of rollers for forming beading, for example, for the panels of doors. Various
patterns may be on one or more rolls B and D for various required sections which
would not necessitate the frequent change of rolls. In this case the back roller F
would be removed or lowered out of the way unless the beading or shaped metal
or material is required to be curved. The operation of a machine constructed as
above is as follows-A piece of sheet metal or other material to be flanged,
hollowed, and curved, the springs g, g', must be set so as to exert sufficient power
on to the rollers D, and the third and top set of rollers F and L adjusted either
nearer to or further from the other rollers B and D as the radius necessitates; the
cheek pieces M. are also suitably adjusted. The machine is set in motion, and
the sheet metal or material placed edgewise in the guide standard or standards N
and O, and passes and is drawn between the two sets of rollers B and D, the
adjustable cheeks M retaining the flange. The metal or material passes between
the back rollers F and the rollers D, and finally under the top rollers L strips of
card may be suitably formed and shaped with a flange suitable for being made into
a box, for example, which may be effected by securing the ends together and
sticking the bottom on the flange. According to a modification I suitably
pivot a number of spring bearing on the contour form of the roller, so that the
levers may be kept constantly in contact therewith; Figure 6 shews in sectional
elevation, and Figure 7 in cross section such an arrangement of machinery. This
modification is particularly adapted for operating upon material of unequal and
varying thicknesses whereby the spring levers will yield consequent on the varying
thicknesses of material. The above arrangement is particularly adapted for curving
stiffeners for boots and shoes; the leather or material for this purpose is passed
between a pair of rolls B and D, and the springs N' continually press on the
levers P bearing and exerting friction on the material after first passing between
the rolls B and D. The stiffener is afterwards completed by placing it on a die or
the back part of a last of the required size, which is attached to a plunger or any
convenient device to bring down the material to be shaped into a corresponding
female die, thus forming the stiffener of the exact conformation of the back of the
heel. The rollers in all cases may be calenders, as the work to be done may
require.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would remark in
conclusion that I do not wish to confine myself to the precise details described and
shewn, but what I consider novel and therefore claim as my Invention is,―
First. Constructing machinery with adjustable rolls or rollers so that such
machinery may be adapted for forming metals and other materials into various
shapes at one operation, and especially the method of adjusting the back roller
marked F in the Drawing, substantially as set forth.
Second. The adjustable springs so that the power thereof may be altered at will,
in order that the said machinery may be employed for heavy or delicate work,
substantially as set forth.

page_text: Third. The adjustable cheeks for retaining a flange when formed, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The arrangement of spring levers or their equivalent embracing the
contour of the rolls or rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth with
reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Royall Minns, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
H. ROYALL MINNS. (L.S.)