Improvements in Machines for Making Metallic Weatherboarding or Clapboarding.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Making Metallic Weatherboarding
or Clapboarding.
I, LONGLEY LEWIS SAGENDORPH, of Cincinnati, Hamilton County State of Ohio,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
The nature of my invention will be apparent from the following specification.
In the accompanying drawings-
Fig. 1, is a front elevation of the machine, with the dies down.
Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the machine with the dies raised.
Fig. 3, is an elevation of the left hand end of the machine, as shown in figure 1.
Fig. 4, a top view of the right hand end of the machine, as shown in figure 1, the
top being removed.
Fig. 5, is a central vertical section of one of the dies.
Fig. 6, is an elevation of the series of cams, taken from the rear of the machine.
Fig. 7, is an elevation of the front cam looking from the rear of the machine.
Fig. 8, is a perspective view of a sheet of metal weatherboarding produced by
my machine.
The machine is supported on a framework consisting of the end pieces A united by
cross-pieces Cat the top, and the bed-plate B at the bottom.
The upper surface of the bed-plate B is provided with parallel angular ridges b which
extend across the entire width of the machine. The shape of the top of the bed-plate
s the same as the shape of the product of the machine, a sheet of metallic weather-
boarding or clapboarding, as shown in fig. 8.
The machine is provided with dies D, preferably five or six, being one less than the
umber of ridges b. The dies lie in juxtaposition, and extend entirely across the
nachine, their ends bearing against the end pieces A, which form the guides for
he dies. The lower face of each die is made to fit in one of the grooves between two
djacent ridges b. The front die is provided with a lip d¹, which fits over the first
idge b, as shown in fig. 3. Each die is separately provided with means for raising
nd lowering it. Each die is provided with one or more,-preferably four-upwardly
[Pins871

page_text: projecting shanks d. These shanks are preferably arranged so that the top of all the
shanks of all the dies, lie in the same horizontal plane. Over each die is a horizontal
bar F, which is hung from the top of the machine by a series of short connecting
bars E', which are pivoted to the top of the machine, and also to the bar F.
connecting bars E attach the horizontal bar F to the shanks d.
Similar
There is provided for each die a series of springs G attached to the die below, and
to the top of the machine above, whose tendency is to raise the dies. There is also
provided for each horizontal bar F a spring H, which is attached to the bar F and
to some part of the frame of the machine, preferably the top, which is to the right
of its attachment on the bar F, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. These springs draw
the bars F to the right, and keep them against the faces of their respective cams,
to be described presently. The combined actions of the springs H and G are to
draw the bars F to the right, and to raise the dies D. The right hand end of
each bar F is provided with a roller, preferably supported as shown in fig. 4.
The cam shaft I extends across the right hand end of the machine, as shown in
figs. 1 and 2, and is supported there in appropriate brackets. This shaft I carries a
series of cams J1, J, J, etc. one for each bar F.
The cam J is shown in fig. 7. The part of the face of this cam is a periphery
of a circle, whose center coincides with the center of the shaft on which the cam is
mounted. At the point j, the face of the cam lies in a radius of the circle, and extends
into the hub of the cam. The circular periphery of the hub j³ forms the face
of the cam for about a quarter of a circle, and the rest of the face of the cam is made
up by the part a gentle curve extending from the edge of the hub j³ to the point.
In the first cam J', the part j preferably extends through a semi-circumference. In
each succeeding cam however, the part is shorter, that is, in each cam the part 4 is
shorter than in the cam preceding it, and longer than in the cam following it. The
cams are arranged upon the shaft I so that the points ; of all the cams lie in the same
radial plane of the shaft. Fig. 6, is an elevation of the whole series of cams taken
from the rear of the machine, and showing the projection of cach cam on the one
preceding it. Any suitable mechanism may be adopted for operating the cam shaft, a
preferred form being shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3. One end of the shaft I is provided
with a spur wheel I', which meshes with a pinion & on a counter shaft K. The counter
shaft K is provided with one or two crank wheels L, each having a handle 1. On the.
front of the bed-plate B, two adjustable stops M are placed. The connecting rods E, E',
are made adjustable in length, and the preferred means of accomplishing this is by a
right and left hand screw, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. The rods E attached to one of
the dies, and the rods E' corresponding thereto, constitute the links of a series of
toggle levers. For convenience, the proximate ends of these levers are pivoted to the
bar F. The movement of the bar F in the general direction of its length will straighten
or flex this joint, and thus depress or raise the die.
The mode of operation is as follows:
k
Starting with the dies raised as shown in fig. 2, the plate of sheet metal to be shaped
is placed on the bed-plate B, with its front edge against the stops M. The cranks L
are now turned so as to move the crank shaft in the direction of the arrow in
fig. 7. The cams at starting are in the positions shown in fig. 6, with reference
to the horizontal bars F, and the latter are in the positions shown in fig. 2. As
the cam shaft rotates, the first cam J¹ strikes against the roller f of its bar F, and
gradually moves this bar to the left until the point of the cam rests against the
roller. When this point is reached, the bar F remains stationary until the point j
of the cam has passed the roller, when the springs G and H attached to this
particular bar F come into play and throw the bar F suddenly to the right, so
that its roller rests against the periphery of the hub of the cam. By reference
to figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that, as the bar F is moved to the left, it gradually
lowers the die D attached to it, and when it has reached the position shown in
fig. 1, it has descended far enough to press the sheet of metal onto the first ridge b
of the bed-plate. As the bar F moves to the right, the springs G raise the die D.
Now, by reference to fig. 6, it will be seen that the dies, commencing with the first,

page_text: are made to descend in regular order, one after the other. As each additional fold
in the sheet of metal is produced, the width of the sheet, that is, from front to rear
of the machine as it lies on the bed-plate, is lessened. If the dies should all descend
at once, the sheet would not have an opportunity to shorten, and would in con-
sequence, be torn. The points ; of all the cams pass the rollers fat the same time,
and consequently the dies are all released at once, and are raised together. The
shaped sheet of metal is now removed, and a new sheet of metal inserted, and the
operation just described, is repeated.
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 :-
:-
(1). In a metal bending machine of the character described, the combination with
the bed-plate having parallel ridges, of the dies D, one less in number than the ridges
on the bed-plate, the front die provided with a lip which fits over the front ridge of the
bed-plate, and a series of cam mechanisms substantially as described, whereby the front
die is first depressed to form and retain the edge of the strip operated on, and the dies
toward the rear are depressed in succession, substantially as set forth.
(2). The combination, in a metal bending machine, of a bed-plate having a series of
ribs, a series of dies above the same, and a set of connecting bars E, E¹, attached
respectively to the frame and to the dies, each bar E, E¹, being extensible in length,
the horizontal bar pivoted to the adjacent ends of bars E, E¹, of each set, and mechanism
for actuating bar F in the direction of its length, substantially as described.
(3). The combination with the bed-plate having the series of ribs, of the series of
dies, each die connected to the frame by a series of independently extensible bars con-
stituting toggle levers, a longitudinal bar connecting the joints of the toggle levers of
each set, a spring connected to each die and to the frame for lifting the dies, a spring
connected to each longitudinal bar and to the frame for withdrawing said bars and
flexing the toggle joints, and a series of cams arranged as described to actuate the
longitudinal bars successively, but to permit their return simultaneously, substantially
as described.
Dated the 20th day of December 1886