IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BENDING OR STRAIGHTENING RODS, BARS, BEAMS, FRAMES, AND THE LIKE, AND COMBINED WITH PUNCHING, RIVETTING, OR SHEARING DETAILS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bennie, junior, of Glasgow, in the County.
of Lanark, North Britain, Ironfounder and Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BENDING OR STRAIGHTENING RODS, BARS,
BEAMS, FRAMES, AND THE LIKE, AND COMBINED WITH PUNCHING, RIVETTING, OR
SHEARING DETAILS."
Sealed the 16th September 1864, and dated the 22nd March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bennie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd March 1864.
I, JAMES BENNIE, junior, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Ironfounder and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said:
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BENDING OR STRAIGHTENING RODS, BARS,
BEAMS, FRAMES, AND THE LIKE, AND' COMBINED WITH PUNCHING, RIVETTING, OR
SHEARING DETAILS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for bending or straightening.
rods, bars, beams, frames, and the like, such apparatus being well adapted for
the use of shipbuilders and others, and also comprising, if desired, details for
punching, rivetting, or shearing.
In one modification of the apparatus the bending or straightening is effected.
by means of a central sliding block, which acts on one side of the bar or:
frame, midway between two stationary, but adjustable blocks, against which:

page_text: the bar or frame bears on its other side. A predetermined and uniform travel
is given to the middle block by a revolving eccentric or crank, or by equivalent
means, whilst the degree of bending is determined not by the travel of the
middle block, as in common machines, but by the adjustment of the two side
blocks, which are stationary during the bending action. In a convenient arrange-
ment of the driving gear a large bevil wheel fixed on a short vertical shaft formed
or fitted with the eccentric or crank for actuating the middle block is driven
by a bevil pinion on a horizontal shaft lying under the table or bearing plate
of the machine; and this horizontal shaft is driven by spur. gearing from a
first-motion shaft actuated by a belt and pulleys. The motion is continuous,
which permits of the application of steam power, whilst, if preferred, hand
power may be applied without the disadvantage of having to reverse the
motion of the parts to withdraw the middle block as in common machines. The
two adjustable blocks are, by preference, fitted to slide in grooves, being
adjusted by screws and hand wheels, or there may be a single central hand
wheel to work the screws simultaneously by means of spur wheels. Punching,
rivetting, or shearing details may be fitted to the machine at the end opposite
the bending details, the middle sliding block carrying the punch, rivetting die,
or moving cutter, and the driving gear being thereby rendered available for
punching, rivetting, or shearing when not in use for bending.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Bennie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BENNIE, junior, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Iron-
founder and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Bennie, junior, Her special licence that I, the said James
Bennie, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Bennie, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR BENDING OR STRAIGHTENING RODS, BARS, BEAMS, FRAMES,
AND THE LIKE, AND COMBINED WITH PUNCHING, RIVETTING, OR SHEARING DETAILS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Bennie, junior;
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Bennie, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is'
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus for bending or straight-
ening rods, bars, beams, frames, and the like, such apparatus being well
adapted for the use of shipbuilders and others, and also comprising, if desired,
details for punching, rivetting, or shearing..
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing a-
modification of apparatus embodying my improvements.
Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is a plan; Figure 2 is a transverse
vertical section; and Figure.3 is a side elevation, the same parts being marked.
with the same reference numerals in all the Figures in which they occur.
.
The framing of the machine consists of a massive cast-iron table 1, of a
rectangular form in plan, supported by legs 2 at the four corners upon a base
plate 3. The table 1 is formed with strong guide rils 4 projecting upwards,
and inclined slightly inwards; and between these guile ribs 4 there fits and
works longitudinally a sliding block 5, by means of which the bending or
straightening is effected. Between the sliding block 5, and one of the guide
ribs 4, a fitting piece 6 is introduced, which can be accurately adjusted by
vertical and horizontal screws, and a cover plate 7 is bolted down over the
whole. The sliding block 5 acts on one side of the bar or frame which
is being operated on, and at a point midway between two stationary but.
adjustable blocks 8, against which the bar or frame bears on its other side..
A predetermined and uniform travel is given to the middle block 5 by. a.
revolving eccentric or crank pin 9 (or by equivalent means), whilst the degree

page_text: of bending is determined, not by the travel of the middle block 5, as in
common machines, but by the adjustment of the two side blocks :8, which are:
stationary during the bending action. The arrangement of the driving gear
may be varied, but in the convenient modification shown, a large bevil wheel :10,
fixed on a short-vertical-shaft 11, which is supponted in a footstep hearing on
the base plate 3, and on which is formed or fitted the eccentric or crank pin:9
for actuating the middle block 5, is driven by a bevil pinion 12 on a 'hori-
zontal shaft 13, lying partly under the table 1 of the machine, and this
horizontal shaft 13 is driven by spur gearing 14 from a first-motion shaft 1.5,
actuated by means of a belt and pulleys 16. The motion is continuous, which
permits of the application of steam power, whilst, if preferred, hand power
may be applied without the disadvantage of having to reverse the motion of the
driving parts in order to withdraw the middle block 5, as in common machines.
The eccentric pin 9 is fitted with brasses, which are squared externally to work
in a rectangular slot or opening 17 formed transversely in the middle sliding
block 5 to allow of the lateral play of the eccentric pin 9. The sliding block is
formed or fitted with a projecting nose piece 18, which may be of steel, to bear
on the bar or frame operated on, and such as is indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1, and which rests on rollers 19, supported in bearings formed or fitted
on the table 1. The two adjustable blocks 8 may be arranged in various ways,
but I prefer to fit them as shown, that is, so as to slide in grooves or boxes.20
formed or fixed upon the table 1. These boxes are provided with cover plates,
but only one, 21, is shown in Figure 1, the other being supposed to be removed.
The blocks 8 are adjusted by means of hand wheels 22, which work screws
tapped through end pieces fixed to the blocks. Punching, rivetting, or
shearing details may be fitted to the machine at the end opposite to the
bending details, the middle sliding block 5 carrying the punch 23, as shown,
or the rivetting die, or the moving cutter, and the driving gear and the sliding
block 5 being thereby rendered available for punching, rivetting, or shearing
when not in use for bending. As I do not, under the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, claim any improvements in punching, rivetting, or
shearing details, it is unnecessary for me to describe minutely any of the parts
specially relating to these actions.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I believe
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arranging of apparatus for
bending or straightening, with a movable part having a uniform stroke or

page_text: travel, and with adjustable resisting parts, which are stationary during the
action of the machine, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bennie, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JAMES BENNIE, JUN. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.