Improvements in Machines for Bending or Setting Steel or Iron Plates.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Bending or Setting Steel or Iron
Plates.
We, HUGH SMITHI, HUGH SMITH Junior, and OSBOURNE SMITII, all of the Firm
of Hugh Smith and Company, Possil Engine Works. Possilpark, in the City of
Glasgow, 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:
Our invention relates to improvements in machines for bending or setting iron
or steel plates, and it consists, 1st. in the means employed for applying the power
or pressure required to bend or set the plate in machines of this class; 2nd. in
the means of adjustment of the operative parts for the purpose of giving the
required amount of bend or set to the plate; and 3rd. in the arrangement for
feeding or traversing the plate through the machine.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention, Figure
sents a side elevation of the machine and Figure 2 a plan of the same.
repre-
In these drawings, A and B represent respectively the beams or dies between
which the plate P is bent. The beam A is stationary and is fixed at the ends to
two main cheeks or housings C, C₁. The beam B is arranged in such a manner
that its ends will slide in the two main cheeks or housings CC, and the said
beam B is actuated in the following manner: A hydraulic cylinder E with
ram G is fixed in the position shown, and when pressure water is admitted to
the cylinder E, the said pressure water causes the ram G to move and act on the
connecting rods H, H¹, which in turn act on links K, K1, K2, and K³, preferably
arranged in pairs to form toggle levers. The links K and K are connected by
pivot joints L, L', to the moving beam B, and the links K and K are similarly
connected to two bushes M, M¹, which bushes are supported by the wedges N, Ni,
from the two main cheeks or housings C, C. The motion of the ram G by
means of the connecting rods H, H', and links K, K', K2, K³, causes the beam B
to move and slide in the two main cheeks or housings C, C, towards the stationary
beam A and consequently causes the plate P to be bent or set between the two
aforesaid beams or dies A and B.
The ram G may be arranged to come up or out to a fixed distance against a
stop or otherwise so that the leverage and power obtained by the links K, K¹, K³,
K³, will always be the same, and for the purpose of adjusting the distance be-
tween the beams A and B to give the required amount of set or bend to the
plate, the wedges N, N', are provided and are arranged to be moved up or down
by means of screwed rods N2, N3, to cause the bushes M, M¹, to move nearer to
or further from the beam B; but in lieu of the wedges other adjusting devices
may be employed.
For the purpose of feeding the plate through the machine we employ four feed
rollers 0, 0, 02, 03, which rollers are adjusted by means of hand wheels and
screws and springs Q are arranged between the said screws and rollers, so that
when the plate is being bent the roller can yield to the plate by compressing the

page_text: springs, or we may fit small hydraulic cylinders in lieu of the springs. The
rollers 0, 02, are revolved by means of racks, spur pinions and mitre wheels, the
racks being actuated by the plungers of small hydraulic cylinders R, as shown;
or any other suitable gear may be employed for revolving the said rollers 0, 0¹,
and for working the rollers 02, 0³.
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 general arrangement or combination of parts constituting the improved
machine for bending or setting iron or steel plates, substantially as described.
2. In a machine for bending or setting iron or steel plates the combination with
the movable beam or die of toggle links or levers connected thereto, and a
hydraulic or like ram arranged to actuate said links and thereby impart move-
ment to the beam.
3. In a machine for bending or setting iron or steel plates the combination
with a movable beam or die actuated by toggle links or levers of wedges or other
means of adjustment situated at rear of abutment bushes at the ends of said links.
4. In a machine for bending or setting iron or steel plates the arrangement of
feed rollers actuated by gearing for feeding or traversing the plate through the
machine.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.