Improvements in Appliances for Use in Shearing Metal Plates.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Use in Shearing Metal Plates.
We, JOSEPH HARTLEY WICKSTEED of Well House Foundry, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, CHARLES JOHN BAGLEY, General Manager, Moor
Steel and Iron Company Limited, Stockton-on-Tees, and LLEWELYN ROBERTS,
Moor Iron Works Stockton-on-Tees, Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates particularly to improved means of supporting metal plates,
before, during, and after the operation of shearing, in such a manner that the
plates, or severed portions of them, are maintained or restored to a constant level,
which facilitates the manipulation of the plates and enables them to be fed in from
either the front or the back of the shearing machine, and the method of supporting
the plate while the cut is taking place, prevents the severed portion of the plate
from being unduly bent, twisted, or cut to a bevel edge.
These improvements are effected by means of a depressing table placed in the
mouth or jaws of a plate shearing machine, and counterbalanced and supported
normally at or about the level of the upper edge of the lower shear blade, by means
of fluid pressure, in such a way that, by the use of a cataract, or a self acting and
a hand regulating valve, the table aforesaid is depressed by the descent of the
upper shear slide, and can be regulated to rise as slowly or as rapidly as may be
desired, or allowed to remain depressed, or can be lowered by operating the hand
valve.
The depressing table itself preferably carries a series of rollers, each of these
rollers being free to rotate in a vertical plane and being carried excentrically in a
circular plate or frame, which plate or frame is free to rotate in a horizontal plane
on a circular path or race of balls; the arrangement of rollers thus being such that
each roller adjusts itself automatically to whatever direction the plate resting
thereon may tend. Similar swivelling rollers are arranged at the front or back, or
both front and back of the plate shearing machine, at convenient distances apart
and all at such a height as to support the plates being operated ou, at or about the
level of the top of the lower shear blade.
Dated this Fifteenth day of January 1895.
JOSEPH HARTLEY WICKSTEED.
CHARLES JOHN. BAGLEY.
LLEWELYN ROBERTS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Use in Shearing Metal Plates.
We JOSEPH HARTLEY WICKSTEED of Well House Foundry Leeds in the
County of York Engineer, CHARLES JOHN BAGLEY, General Manager Moor
Iron and Steel Company Limited Stockton-on-Tees, and LLEWELYN ROBERTS
Moor Iron Works Stockton-on-Tees, Mill Manager 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 particularly to improved means of supporting metal plates
before during and after the operation of shearing, in such a manner that the

page_text: plates, or severed portions of them are maintained or restored to a constant level,
which facilitates the manipulation of the plates and enables them to be fed in from
either the front or back of the shearing machine, and the method of supporting the
plate while the cut is taking place tends to prevent the severed portion of the plate
from being unduly bent, twisted, or cut to a bevel edge.
These improvements are effected by means of a depressing table placed in the
mouth or jaws of a plate shearing machine, and by means of swivelling rollers or
castors constructed as hereinafter described.
The depressing table aforesaid is counterbalanced and supported normally at or
about the level of the upper edge of the lower shear blade, by means of fluid
pressure in such a way that, by the use of a cataract valve, or a self acting and a
hand regulating valve; the table is depressed by the descent of the upper shear
slide, and can be regulated to rise as slowly or as rapidly as may be desired, or
by the use of a suitable hand valve can be allowed to remain depressed or be
lowered.
+
Swivelling rollers or castors are arranged at the front or back, or both front and
back, of the plate shearing machine at convenient distances apart and all at such a
height as to support the plates at or about the level of the top of the lower shear
blade; the rollers being free to rotate in a vertical plane and being carried in
bearings situate excentrically in a circular plate or cover which plate or cover is
free to rotate in a horizontal plane on a circular path or race of balls, preferably of
hardened steel, the arrangement of rollers or castors thus being such, that each
roller adjusts itself. automatically to whatever direction the plate resting thereon
may tend.
The depressing table itself preferably carries a series of swivelling rollers or
castors similar to those above described.
For the ring or race of balls upon which the plate or cover carrying the roller
rests, may sometimes be substituted a ring of conical rollers.
And in order that our invention may be clearly understood we will proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a front elevation of the depressing table in position in the
jaw of a plate shearing machine, the jaw of the shearing machine and the
cylinder for supporting the depressing table being shown in section.
Fig. 1 Sheet 2 is an end elevation of the depressing table and shows also some of
the swivelling rollers or castors at the front and back of the machine.
Fig. 1 Sheet 3 is a plan view of the depressing table showing swivelling rollers
arranged in the table itself and at the front and the back of the shearing machine.
In Sheet 4. Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations and Fig. 3 is a plan, of one
of the swivelling rollers or castors with its pedestal, which are placed at the front
and back of the shearing machine.
The swivelling rollers shown in the depressing table are similar to those shown
on Sheet 4 but the table itself takes the place of the pedestals.
In Sheet 5. Fig. 1 is a section and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a suitable valve for
controlling the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure to and from the
cylinder which supports one end of the depressing table.
The same letters indicate throughout the same parts.
A is the depressing table hinged at one end on the shaft B, this shaft B being
carried at one end in the trunnion bearing C, and at the other end by a block D,
resting on a compressed spring E.
The other end of the table A is supported by the ram or piston F of the
cylinder G, a ball H and slide block J being interposed between the top of the
ram and the underside of the table A.
The depressing table A instead of being hinged at one end as shown in the
drawings, may be supported at or near each end by a hydraulic or fluid pressure
cylinder, or more than two cylinders may be employed for this purpose.
When a plate is being sheared the table A with the portion of the sheared plate
resting thereon, is depressed by the upper or moving blade K, which blade is

page_text: usually inclined; and as the table is so depressed the ram or piston F is forced into
the cylinder G, displacing therefrom the fluid under pressure which can escape by
lifting the valve L which with its valve box Y is shown to an enlarged scale on
Sheet 5.
When however the pressure of the moving blade K, is on its up stroke
removed from the table A, fluid under pressure Hows into the cylinder G, forces
out the piston F, and so raises the table to its original horizontal position at or
about the level of the top of the lower blade M, but it can only do so at a rate
determined by the rate at which the fluid can flow into the cylinder G, and this
rate can be conveniently regulated by the by-pass valve N shown on Sheet 5.
Fig. 1, and is preferably so regulated that the table A rises somewhat slower than
the upper blade K.
Thus with this arrangement, during the operation of shearing a plate, the
portion of the said plate resting on the table A is supported and held up into close
contact with the descending blade K by the pressure of the ram or piston F, so
that straight and square cutting of the plate is facilitated, and the plates or severed
portions of them are maintained or restored to the level of the top of the lower
blade M, up to which level the table is always returned by the action of the ram
or piston F.
At the front and back of the shearing machine are arranged a number of
swivelling rollers or castors P, arranged after the manner shown in Sheets 2 and 3,
on which overhanging portions of a plate can be supported while the plate is being
cut, and on which a plate can be very easily moved to and from the machine, and
manipulated between successive shearing operations so as to present different edges
or sides to the shear blades; these castors P also enable plates to be fed in or
through from the back as well as from the front of the shearing machine.
We prefer also to insert similar swivelling rollers or castors P in the table A
itself, to further facilitate the easy manipulation of the plates.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 Sheet 4 are views of one of our improved swivelling rollers or
castors, Figs. 1 and 2 being sectional views and in Fig. 2 a portion of a plate is
shown resting on the roller P.
Fig. 3 is a partial plan view.
P is the roller itself upon which the plates rest or travel, the trunnions Q, Q, of
the roller P are carried in the bearings R, R, attached to or formed in the
swivelling coverplate S; the axis of the roller P being 30 situate that it does
not pass through the centre of the coverplate S but is excentric thereto as shown
in Figs. 2 and 3 on Sheet 4.
The swivelling coverplate S has a groove formed on its under side which rests
on a ring of balls T, preferably of hardened steel; the balls T in their turn
rest in a groove formed in the top of the pedestal U. The whole arrangement
being such that the roller P is free to rotate in a vertical plane, while the
swivelling coverplate S is free to rotate in a horizontal plane, so that if a plate
resting on the roller P is caused to move in any horizontal direction the cover-
plate S tends always to swivel round until the plane of rotation of the roller P
coincides with the direction of motion of the plate.
V, V, are screws the heads of which project into the groove W in the pedestal U
and prevent the coverplate S from being pushed or lifted off.
In the case of swivelling rollers in the table A, the ring of balls T rests in a
suitable groove formed in the table itself which then takes the place of the
pedestal Ù.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. The construction, and application to machines for shearing metal plates, of
a depressing table and of swivelling rollers or castors as and for the purpose
described.

page_text: 2. The construction, and application to machines for shearing metal plates, of a
depressing table and of swivelling rollers or castors as and for the purpose
described and as shown on the drawings herewith.
1
1005
J. H. WICKSTEED.
CHAS. J. BAGLEY.
LLEWELYN ROBERTS.