provements in Work-sets for Tools and Machinery.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Work-sets for Tools and Machinery.
I, JOHN LEVICK, of Alma Street, Aston, near the City of Birmingham, Maru-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to work sets, principally for power and other presses
where ordinary sunken sets for determining the positions of the blanks relative
to the dies or tools are not admissible. The said sets are particularly applicable
for use in connection with drawing-through presses, dies, tools and other
machinery in which pressure plates are employed for preventing puckering of the
metal blanks during the operations of shaping, raising, drawing-through, cutting-
out or the like, although the same may be also employed in connection with tools
for cutting out and shaping metals generally, in which no pressure plates are used.
The principal object of my invention is to provide a yielding or contracting
and expanding work-set, which facilitates the setting of the blank relative to the
tools, and then on the descent of the pressure plate or tools, as the case may be,
is forced or made to retire out of the range of the said tools and the blank.
In carrying out one form of my improved work-set in connection with a draw-
ing-through press having a pressure plate and circular dies, with the descending
punch taking into a matrix in the lower die, as usual, the said die is stepped or
formed with an annular channel or sinking, and is encircled by a vertically-
vielding or spring organized ring having an upright flange which encircles the
hub of the die with the upper edge normally extending just above the level of the
flat face or bed, thus forming an annular set for ensuring that the blank placed
within it shall register exactly with the upper and lower tools.
When the press is in operation, the pressure plate comes upon the edge of the
set flange and forces the same down into the plane of the face or bed of the die,
thus admitting of the said blank being gripped between the top die and the pres-
sure plate as usual, but on the said plate and top tool again retiring the ring
expands and lifts the vertical or upright flange into the proper position for form-
ing the set for the next blank to be operated upon. Or instead of a completa
flange or set rim, three or more upstanding points or spurs may extend upwards
from the yielding or contracting and expanding ring.
The said ring may be constructed in a variety of ways, such for instance of a
horizontally-disposed V section and be made of two or more ring sections with
the vertical set flange proceeding from the innermost edge of the uppermost
washer like ring. The V sectioned ring thus forms a kind of yielding metallic
gusset which is collapsed or flattened or caused to deflect vertically when pressure
comes upon it, to admit of the set flange or points being depressed into the level
of the face of the die. When made in two ring-like sections, the parts may be
placed loosely together and their relative positions preserved by a flange on the
outside of the lower one, or they may be secured together by turning the edge of
the one member over that of the other.
Or the yielding set ring may consist of a vertical flange with an inclined or

page_text: cambered circumferential foot or base which yields or is flattened out on the
descent of the pressure plate.
Or I may arrange within a suitable setting in the bed, a ring or frame having
a set flange or points surrounding the hub, and kept up by a series of spiral or
other springs located (if necessary) within suitable holes in the said bed and I
wish it to be understood that the ring or carrier of the set flange may be of any
construction so long as it is of a spring organization.
When separated setting points or spurs are employed they may be adjustably
arranged upon a suitable spring-organized carrier or frame, so as to admit of
being adjusted to dies and blanks of varying sizes.
As a modified arrangement, the setting attachment may be adjustable without
being spring-organized. The setting points or fingers may be radially adjustable
upon a frame, but in the case of such non-yielding sets, the same, when not in
come out of the path of the tools.
use,
I, JOHN LEVICK, of Alma Street, Aston, near the City of Birmingham, Manu-
facturer, 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:-
This invention relates to work sets, principally for power and other presses
where ordinary sunken sets for determining the positions of the blanks relative
to the dies or tools are not admissible. The said sets are particularly applicable
for use in connection with drawing-through presses, dies, tools and other
machinery in which pressure plates are employed for preventing puckering of the
metal blanks during the operations of shaping, raising, drawing-through, cutting-
out or the like, although the same may be also employed in connection with tools
for cutting-out and shaping metals and other materials generally, in which no
pressure plates are used.
The principal object of my invention is to provide a vertically-yielding or con-
tracting and expanding work-set, which facilitates the setting of the blank rela-
tive to the tools, and then, on the descent of the pressure plate or tools, as the case
may be, is forced or made to retire out of the range of the said tools and the blank.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an elevation of one form
of yielding or spring work-set constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the said device and Figure 3 is
a topside plan of the same.
Figure 4 and 5 represent the said setting device applied to a power press pro-
vided with a pressure plate, the one view representing the relative positions of the
set, blank and tools prior to the descent of the pressure plate and upper die,
whilst the other view shows the several parts in the positions they assume after
the said pressure plate and top tool have descended.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figures 1
to 5 of the drawings.
This form of my improved work-set is shown in use in connection with a cup-
ping press having a pressure plate a, and circular dies b, with the descending

page_text: punch or upper die b, taking into a matrix in the lower die c, as usual, which said
die c, is stepped or formed with an annular shoulder c', and is encircled by the
work-set d, which consists of a vertically-yielding or spring organized ring d',
having an upright flange d², which encircles the hub c of the die with the upper
edge normally extending just above the level of the flat face or bed c, thus
forming an annular set for ensuring that the blank e, placed within the said set
and upon the bed shall register exactly with the upper and lower tools.
When the press is operated the pressure plate descends and comes upon the
edge of the set flange d, and forces the same down into the plane of the face
or bed of the die, thus admitting of the blank e being gripped between the
bottom die and the pressure plate in advance of the descending movement of the
punch or upper tool as usual, but on the said plate and top tool again retiring,
the spring organized ring expands and lifts the vertical or upright flange into
the proper position for forming the set for the next blank to be operated upon.
The said yielding ring may be constructed in a variety of ways, but the form
represented in the said Figures 1 to 5 is of a horizontally-disposed V section and
is made of two ring sections d, & secured together by turning and closing the
outer edge of the one over the adjacent edge of the other, or in any other desired
manner, whilst the vertical set flange ³, proceeds from the inner edge of the
uppermost washer-like ring d³. The sectioned ring thus forms a kind of
yielding metallic gusset which is collapsed to deflect vertically when pressure
comes upon it, to admit of the set flange being depressed into the level of the face
of the die.
Instead of securing the sections of the spring or yielding set to one another as
above described, the two ring-like parts d, ds, may be placed loosely together
around the hub of the lower die, in which case their relative positions are pre-
served by a flange 7%, on the outer edge of the lower section d³, as represented in
Figure 6.
Instead of providing the setting device with a continuous flange or rim for
retaining the blank in the proper position, I may provide the same, as repre-
sented in Figure 7, with a series of three or more upstanding points or stops
extending vertically from the top edge of the resilient ring and serving the same
purpose as the flange d, in the previously described arrangements.
Figure 8 represents a transverse vertical section and Figure 9 a topside plan
of a modification of my invention in which the set ring d, consists of a vertical
flange d with an inclined or cambered circumferential foot or base d³ which
yields or is flattened out on the descent of the pressure plate. The resilience of
the base may be enhanced by gapping or cutting away the metal at separated
points, such as d³, although, if desired, the said base may be continuous.
As another modification, I may arrange for the setting ring to be kept in its
raised position by a series of coiled springs f, located as represented in Figure 10
-between a foot flange d of the ring d, (which is provided either with a con-
tinuous vertical set flange d², as shown, or with a series of separated set points)
and suitable sinkings such as e, in the shoulder c¹, of the hub ca, which is sur-
rounded by the said ring. The upper ends of the springs f may take onto depend-
ing studs on the underside of the foot flange, or other suitable means may be
provided for connecting the springs with the set ring.
Or instead of employing a series of several small spiral springs in connection
with the setting device, I may employ a single large spring of suitable strength,
which is arranged to encircle the hub of the lower tool with the lower coil resting
on the shoulder of the said hub whilst the upper coil bears against the underside
of the setting ring. The metal from which the spring is fashioned may be of any
suitable section, and when flat metal is employed, both the setting ring and its
spring may be fashioned from one continuous strip coiled helically into the
desired form. Such an arrangement as this latter is represented in Figure 11,
in which d is the setting ring part of the coil, and e the spring portion. The
former is provided with a setting flange d³, or with a number of setting points,

page_text: which may either be formed integrally with the ring coil, or be attached thereto
in any desired way.
I wish it to be understood that the ring or carrier of the set flange may be of
any construction so long as it is of a spring organization.
When separated setting points or spurs are employed they may be adjustably
arranged upon a suitable spring-organized carrier or frame, so as to admit of
being adjusted to dies and blanks of varying sizes.
Where separated work-setting points or stops are used, instead of mounting
or arranging the whole upon a common spring-organized foot or carrier encir-
cling the die, I may provide each separate setting stop with an independent
spring or spring mounting, arranged around the hub of the die, or let into recesses
in the face of the same. The various other forms of work set herein described may
be located within sinkings or circumferential channels in the face of the die instead
of resting upon a shoulder or step surrounding the hub.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
First A work-set for use in connection with machinery or tools for working
metals and other materials, consisting of a spring-organized or yielding ring, or
a series of spring-organized or yielding points or stops, located around or within
the die or bed upon which the blank to be worked placed, which said ring or
stops normally extend above the face of the die for setting a blank but are depressed
to or below the plane of the said die when the machine or tool is operated.
Secondly-A work-set for use in connection with machinery or tools for work-
ing metals and other materials, consisting of a ring, or a series of separated
points or stops, located around the die or bed upon which the blank to be worked
is placed, and having a spring-organized or yielding base, foot or carrier, with the
said ring or sets normally extending above the face of the die for setting a blank
relative to the tools, but being depressed to or below the plane of the said die
when the machine is operated, substantially as herein described, and also as set
forth in the accompanying drawings.