IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING OR SHAPING METAL SHEETS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George. Middleton Edwards of N° 54 Gresham Street,
London E.C. in the County of Middlesex-Public Accountant for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING OR
SHAPING METAL SHEETS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Middleton Edwards
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1882.
GEORGE MIDDLETON EDWARDS of N° 54 Gresham Street, London E.C. in the
County of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CORRUGATING. OR SHAPING METAL SHEETS
The usual method of corrugating metal sheet having hitherto chiefly been by
means of rollers, and the corrugations ordinarily formed by such means having
been of a fluted or curved character, the object of my invention is to give increased
facilities for varying the form of corrugations by means of Machinery or
Apparatus adapted for that purpose.
According to my Invention therefore, the corrugations or channels to be formed
in Iron or other Metal Sheets, can be made in the shape of three sides of a square
or parallelogram or of a dovetail, the open end of which shall be less in extent than
the base, thus forming channels, which in the case of the dovetailed formation, shall
be capable of retaining in their grip materials which may be inserted in a plastic
condition but which will afterwards harden or set, or such corrugated metal may
be in other forms and be used for other purposes than that above indicated.
According to part of my Invention the mechanical means for advantageously
obtaining the above named results, consist in the use of a Machine consisting
essentially of a pair of Iron or Steel jaws, of suitable section and of a length equal
to the width of the sheets of metal to be corrugated.
The lower jaw will be capable of turning through a moderate angle, and by
means of levers and radius rods will be connected with the upper jaw, so that as
force is applied to the upper jaw to press it down on the sheet iron, the lower jaw
shall press against the bottom surface of the metal sheet and twist round a
sufficient length of metal to form one aide of the corrugation intended to be
formed.

page_text: By this arrangement the sharp edges of the jaws close on the flat sheet at a
distance apart equal to the depth of a side of a corrugation and sliding of the sharp
edges on the sheet metal is avoided and consequently the wear of the jaws and
power necessary to bend the metal sheet is very small.
When a sheet of iron or other metal is passed through these jaws, it is moved a
suitable distance after each bend before receiving the next. The first time it
passes through the jaws it receives a series of bends in one direction, each of which
forms the half or one side of each channel or corrugation. By then turning the
semi-corrugated sheet round and sending it back through the jaws, the other sides
of the corrugations are formed and the channels completed.
Machines of the above description intended to be worked solely by hand consist
simply of a pair of jaws mounted on frames, a bar, extending from one frame to
the other, being fixed parallel to and at a suitable distance from the jaws― Against
this bar the bends first formed, as above described, are held whilst the following
bends are made so that the feeding may be kept regular.
When however steam or other motive power is to be used, I make the feeding
automatic and use a pair of rollers on one side of the jaws, between which the flat
sheets of iron or other metal will pass and be moved on a suitable distance after
each bend has been formed.
After any required quantity of Metal sheets have been semi-corrugated in the
manner described, the rollers are removed and an arrangement for feeding the
Machine with semi-corrugated sheets is attached to the Machine on the other side
of the jaws.
This arrangement consists of a table with slots in it at the end nearest the
jaws. By the side of these slots are projecting arms which fall into recesses formed
in the lower jaw.
Levers are so arranged that a Cam on the driving shaft of the Machine can raise
them till the ends come about the depth of a corrugation above the surface of this
table, but as they are raised still higher the table also is pushed up. Another Cam
on the driving shaft is used for moving these levers backwards and forwards, and
lastly a third Cam is used to prevent the lower jaw dropping, until the upper one
has been raised a sufficient height, as without this the corrugations after being
formed would be opened and spoilt.
The operation of feeding is performed as follows-As the top jaw rises the levers
come up through the slots at the end furthest from the jaws and pushing up the
table raise the iron off the bottom jaw.
The levers then move forward and by pushing against one of the bends in the
metal sheet, which has been formed by the first process, move the sheet forward-
After this, the table, with the levers, descends and drops the metal sheet on the
bottom jaw in the right position for receiving the next bend, and, while the
bending process is going on, the levers move away from the jaws to their original
position ready to commence operations again.
The Cam used to move the levers backwards and forwards I use also for driving
the rollers when they are in gear, by means of a rocking shaft and ratchet-wheel
and by an ordinary mechanical method the feeding is made adjustable so that the
distance between the bends can be varied as desired.
When any large quantities of iron or other metal sheet have to be treated, I
prefer to make the Machines in pairs, one fitted with rollers only and the other
with the apparatus for feeding with semi-corrugated sheets.
According to another part of, my Invention the Iron or other Metal Sheets are
prepared for corrugation by being passed between suitable cogged rolls, by which
a corrugation is made the open ends of which are wider than the closed ends, and
in order to complete the corrugations to the form of a dovetail or square, the metal
sheets are placed in a Machine which consists of a series of bars of a T section,
which bars by falling into the partly formed corrugations and being subsequently
forced together both by horizontal and vertical pressure crush up the sheet into the
corrugated forin required. By giving however a dovetailed form to the vertical

page_text: stroke of the T section bars, flat sheets may be bent to that corrugated form at one
operation and removed from the Machine by being slid from between the bars.
In some cases the corrugated iron may be required to be curved in the direction
in which the corrugations run.
This I propose to do by means of three rollers having grooves formed in them of
a size corresponding with the corrugations.
The corrugated Sheets after being formed by the processes and machinery already
herein described, will be heated in an ordinary plate furnace and passed through
these rollers, the upper roller being screwed down a suitable amount each time
the sheet is passed through, until the necessary curve is given to the sheet, the
grooves in the rollers preventing the corrugations from being thrown out of shape
during the process,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Middleton Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th June 1883.
GEORGE MIDDLETON EDWARDS of N° 54 Gresham Street, London E.C. in the
County of Middlesex, Public Accountant. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING OR SHAPING METAL SHEETS
The usual method of corrugating metal sheet having hitherto chiefly been by
means of rollers, and the corrugations ordinarily formed by such means having
been of a fluted or curved character, the object of my invention is to give increased
facilities for varying the form of corrugation by means of Machinery or Apparatus
adapted for that purpose. According to my invention therefore the corrugations
or channels to be formed in Iron or other Metal Sheets can be made in the shape of
three sides of a square or parellelogram or of a dovetail, the open end of which shall
be less in extent than the base, thus forming channels, which in the case of the
dovetailed formation shall be capable of retaining in their grip materials which
may be inserted in a plastic condition, but which will afterwards harden or set, or
such corrugated metal may be in other forms and be used for other purposes than
that above indicated.
According to part of my Invention the mechanical means for advantageously
obtaining the above named results, consist in the use of a Machine consisting
essentially of a pair of Iron or Steel Jaws of suitable section, and of a length equal
to the width of the sheets of metal to be corrugated.
The lower jaw will be capable of turning through a moderate angle and, by
means of levers and radius rods, will be connected with the upper jaw so that as
force is applied to the upper jaw to press it down on the sheet iron, the lower jaw
shall press against the bottom surface of the metal sheet and twist round a
sufficient length of metal to form one side of the corrugation intended to be
formed.
By this arrangement the sharp edges of the jaws close on the flat sheet at a
distance apart equal to the depth of a side of a corrugation, and sliding of the sharp
edges on the sheet metal is avoided and consequently the wear of the jaws and
power necessary to bend the metal sheet is very small.
When a sheet of iron or other metal is passed through these jaws it is moved a
suitable distance after each bend before receiving the next.
The first time it passes through the jaws it receives a series of bends in one
direction, each of which forms the half or one side of each channel or corrugation.
By then turning the semi-corrugated sheet round, and sending it back through the
jaws the other sides of the corrugations are formed and the channels completed.
Machines of the above description intended to be worked solely by hand, consist
simply of a pair of jaws mounted on frames, a bar extending from one frame to
the other being fixed parallel to and at a suitable distance from the jaws-Against
this bar the bends first formed, as above described, are held whilst the following
bends are made so that the feeding may be kept regular.
When how ever Steam or other motive power is to be used, I make the feeding
automatic, and use a pair of rollers on one side of the jaws, between which the flat
sheets of iron or other metal will pass and be moved on a suitable distance after
each bend has been formed.
It is sometimes advantageous that the rollers should have a roughened surface
to prevent the metal slipping when passing through or they may be covered with
India rubber for this object,

page_text: After any required quantity of metal sheets have been semi-corrugated in the
manner described, the rollers are removed and an arrangement for feeding the
Machine with semi-corrugated sheets is attached to the Machine on the other side
of the jaws.
This arrangement consists of a table with slots in it at the end nearest the jaws―
By the side of these slots are projecting arms which fall into recesses formed in the
lower jow-Levers are so arranged that a Cam on the driving shaft of the Machine
can raise them till the ends come about the depth of a corrugation above the
surface of this table, but as they are raised still higher the table also is pushed up-
Another Cam on the Driving Shaft is used for moving these levers backwards and
forwards, and lastly a third Cam is used to prevent the lower jaw dropping until
the upper one has been raised a sufficient height, as without this the corrugations
after being formed would be opened and spoilt.
The operation of feeding is performed as follows. As the top jaw rises the levers
come up through the slots at the end furthest from the jaws and pushing up the
table raise the iron sheet off the bottom jaw. The levers then move forward, and
by pushing against one of the bends in the Metal Sheet which has been formed by
the first bending process, move the sheet forward. After this the table, with the
levers, descends and drops the metal sheet on the bottom jaw in the right position
for receiving the next bend and while the bending process is going on, the lovers
move away from the jaws to their original position ready to commence operations
again.
The Cam used to move the levers backwards and forwards I use also for driving
the rollers when they aro in gear, by means of a rocking shaft and ratchet-wheel
and by an ordinary mechanical method the feeding is made adjustable so that the
distance between the bends can be varied as desired.
When any large quantities of iron or other metal sheet have to be treated.;
prefer to make the Machines in pairs, one fitted, with rollers only, and the other
with the apparatus for feeding with semi-corrugated sheets.
According to another part of my Invention the Iron or other Metal Sheets are
prepared for corrugation by being passed between suitable cogged rolls, by which
& corrugation is made, the open ends of which are wider than the closed ends and
in order to complete the corrugations to the form of a dovetail or square, the metal
sheets are placed in a Machine which consists of a series of bars of a T section,
which bars by falling into these corrugations and being subsequently forced
together, both by horizontal and vertical pressure, crush up the sheet into the
corrugated form required.
In some cases the corrugated iron may be required to be curved in the direction
in which the corrugations run-This I propose to do by means of three rollers
having grooves formed in them of a size corresponding with the corrugations.
The corrugated sheets after being formed by the processes and machinery already
herein described, will be heated in an ordinary plate furnace and passed through
these rollers, the upper roller being screwed down a suitable amount each time the
sheet is passed through until the necessary curve is given to the sheet, the grooves
in the rollers preventing the corrugations from being thrown out of shape during
the process.
With respect to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure I, shows one of the forms which is to be given to the sheet iron by the
Machines herein last described.
According to the first method of doing this, rolls of the sectional form shewn in
Figure II, and of a length equal to the width of the sheets to be corrugated, are
used to commence the operation by giving the iron sheet the form shown in the
drawing. This it will be seen differs from the finished form by the open sides of
the corrugations being wider than the closed sides, and in order to complete the
bending I use the Machine of which Figures III, IV, and V are end-elevation
longitudinal section and plan respectively.
On the bed-plate A and the frame B which is raised and lowered by the Screw C.

page_text: cross bars D. D. D are arranged so that they can slide backwards and and forwards,
each set of bars being kept equidistant by the jointed rods E. E. E, and the two
outside bars of the bottom set are tapped to receive the right and left handed
screw G. Along each of the bars D. D. runs a rib, the depth of which is equal to
the depth of the corrugations to be formed and the width of which is the width of
the open side of the corrugations.
The Machine being opened in the way in which it is shewn (Figure IV), a sheet
of iron which has passed through the rolls is placed on the bottom bars, and the
top bars are screwed down till they touch the sheet-The longitudinal screw is
then used to press the bars together, the pressure of the top bars on the sheet being
maintained by screwing down gradually until the sheet is bent to the form shewn
in Figure. I.
Instead of Screws, Hydraulic cylinders and pistons may be used. According to
my other method, the corrugating is effected by jaws constrained to act
simultaneously.
Figures VIII and IX shew sections of these Jaws-The bottom jaw, a, is mounted
so that it can turn through a moderate angle, b, being its centre of motion-
The back levers c are connected with the arms of this jaw, the lower ends of the
levers being controlled by the radius rods, d, and the upper ends connected to the
levers, e, which work the upper jaw, f.
In Figure VIII the jaws are just about to commence forming a bend in the sheet,
in this position the distance between the edges of the two jaws is equal to the
depth of the corrugation, and this distance is maintained through the bending so
that the sharp edges of the jaws do not shift on the iron.
When the pull is exerted on the outer ends of levers, e, the top jaw, f, acts as a
fulcrum and force is transmitted to the arms of the bottom jaw so that it is raised
at the same time that the top jaw is depressed, and the jaws come together and
complete a bend in the sheet. Figure IX shews the position of the jaws when a
bend is finished.
The first time the iron sheet is moved through the Machine, bends forming one
side of the successive corrugations are given to it, as indicated in Figure VIII, and
the second time it is moved through, it passes in the other direction and the opposite
sides of the corrugations are formed, as indicated in Figure IX.
The proportions for the levers and radius rods, I arrange as follows, the arms of
the lower jaw may be any convenient length, and this jaw I arrange to descend
about 15° when the feeding is automatic, but it may conveniently be more for
hand machines. When the jaws are in the position in Figure 1X the joint of the
top and back levers (e and c) is in the perpendicular through the middle of the face
of the lower jaw, line xx being this perpendicular, the joint being in this position
enables the jaws to be separated without the corrugations being destroyed, and
lastly the radius rods, d, are arranged so that in commencing the bend the right
length of sheet iron is taken between the edges of the jaws.
As the amount of bite on the iron when the bend is to be commenced, depends
on the position of the axis of the lower jaw, and the moment of the weight of the
jaw and the rods, the axis must be placed so that there is sufficient bite to prevent
slipping, and for corrugating 27 to 20 Birmingham Wire Guage Iron this, I find,
is prevented when 6 to 8 lbs pressure for each inch in length of the jaws is exerted
before lifting the bottom jaw-This can be calculated by the ordinary principles
of mechanics.
Figures X. XI and XII are end elevation, longitudinal section, and a half plan
of a machine of the above description fitted with automatic feed.
The first time the iron sheet passes through it is fed by the rollers, g g, the
table, h, and lever, ii, being removed during this operation.
When a sufficient number of sheets have been through this process, the rollers
are removed, the semi-corrugated iron has then to be fed through the Machine in
the opposite direction, and to do this it has to be lifted off the jaw, moved on and
laid on the jaw again.

page_text: The Cam, k, communicates a lifting motion to the levers, i ii, and raises them
until their upper ends are a little above the level of the feed table h, when the
cross bar, 1, connecting the levers, ii, lifts the table by means of the rods m m, this
effects the lifting of the iron sheet.
The Cam, o, then begins to move towards the jaws, the levers, i i, and their ends
being above the table, h, come behind one of the bends which have been made in
the iron during the first process of bending, and move the sheet onwards, and the
Cam, k, then allowing the table to descend, the iron sheet is placed ready to receive
another bend, its weight steadying it during the moving, and lastly, to prevent the
lower jaw, a, dropping too soon and spoiling the corrugations after they have been
formed, the Cam, p, is used.
When the feeding is being effected by the rollers, motion is transmitted to them
from the Cam. o. This is effected by turning the rocking shaft, r, half round and
connecting the arms, s, with, t, on the end of the shaft, r, a ratchet wheel u, is
keyed, the spur wheel, v, which is geared into the wheels on the end of the rollers,
is loose on the shaft, r, but a prawl attached to this wheel is driven round by the
ratchet wheel, thus giving motion to the rollers.
The Machine shewn can be worked with jaws to form smaller corrugations, the
length of the feed being regulated by the position of the pin in the arm, 8, the
bolt, z, prevents the bottom jaw dropping too far, and the position of the nuts is
varied to suit the size of the jaws in the inachine.
Figures VI and VII show a hand machine fitted with jaws of this description,
the feeding is regulated by placing a bar across the machine at suitable distance
from the jaws and fastening it by the bolts, y y, and against this the bends first
formed are held so that the following bends may be at the correct distance from
them.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice-I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the exact details hereinbefore described, so long as the novel
features of my Invention are retained, at the same time I do not claim any of the
parts separately which are well known, but I claim as my Invention the arrange-
ments and combinations for the purposes and in the modes herein before described
and illustrated by my Drawings. In Witness whereof I the said George
Middleton Edwards have hereunto set my hand and seal this Fifth day of June
in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
ARADAD
זו- ב-ITH
TOWIDDA