Improvements in Machines for Embossing, Stamping, and Corrugating Sheet Metal.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Embossing, Stamping, and
Corrugating Sheet Metal.
I, CHARLES JOSEPH COLLING, of 76, Harrison Street, Cincinnati, in the County
of Hamilton and State of Ohio, United States of America, Inventor, 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 machines for crimping and corrugating sheet metal, such
as is used for roofing and other building purposes, and it has for its object to con-
struct a machine of this class which shall be simple, durable and efficient and by
means of which the sheets of metal which are being operated upon shall be fed
automatically through the machine.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction
which will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.
Fig. 3 is an end view, partly broken away, taken from the opposite end of the
machine.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of one of the vertical sliding frames carrying the'
endless chains by means of which the sheet metal is fed through the machine.
Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of one of the links of the chain.
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of the operating cams and eccentrics of the
machine.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
The frame of my machine is composed of the longitudinal beams 1, 1, which are
suitably bolted or otherwise secured to the end pieces or uprights 2, 2, which latter
are held from spreading by means of the connecting-rods 3, the ends of which are
extended through perforations in the ends of the end-pieces and provided with
nuts 4.
One of the end pieces or uprights 2 is provided with boxes or bearings for a
transverse shaft 5 carrying the balance-wheels 6 and the drums or band-wheels 7
and &, the former of which is loose while the latter is fixed upon the shaft and adapted
to receive motion from any suitable power. The opposite ends of the shaft 5 carries
a pinion which meshes with a spur wheel 10 upon a transverse shaft 11 which is
journaled in suitable bearings at the upper ends of the uprights or end pieces 2 of the
frame. The shaft 11 has a bevel gear 12 meshing with a bevel gear 13 upon one end
of a longitudinal shaft 14, the ends of which are journaled in suitable boxes or
bearings upon the frame of the machine. The opposite end of the shaft 14 has a
bevel gear 15 meshing with a bevel gear 16 upon one end of a shaft 17 which is
journaled transversely in suitable bearings at the upper end of the upright or frame
piece 2. It will thus be seen that the transverse or counter-shafts I and 17 will,
during the operation of the machine, rotate in unison.
The ends or uprights 2, 2, of the frame are provided with vertical slots in which
are mounted the ends of the vertical sliding plungers 18 and 19, the upper sides of
which are provided near their ends with suitably constructed boxes or bearings 20
in which are mounted the friction rollers 21 and 22 which are adapted to be engaged
by the cams 23 and eccentrics 24 respectively, said cams and eccentrics being mounted
upon the shafts 11 and 17 at the ends of the frame.
The relative arrangements of the cams 23 and eccentrics 24 is such that the
cams 24 shalt first engage the friction rollers 21 to force the plunger 18 in a down-
ward direction, immediately after which the eccentrics 24 will engage the friction

page_text: "
rollers 22 to force the plunger 19 downwardly. The plungers 18 and 19 are forced
upwardly when the cams 23 and eccentrics 24 pass out of engagement with the
friction rollers by the action of the bell-crank levers 25 which are upon transverse
pins or shafts 26 at the ends of the frame; the short arms of said bell-crank levers
bear against the undersides of the plungers 18 and 19 and the outwardly-extending
long arms of said bell-crank levers carrying weights 27 whereby said plungers are
forced in an upward direction.
Suitably arranged longitudinally in the frame is the die 28, the upper side of
which is grooved or corrugated to correspond with the conformation of the under-
sides of the plungers 18 and 19. The grooves or corrugations may be rounded or of
any desired shape in transverse section, and I prefer to mount the said die as well as
the plungers detachably in order that they may be readily exchanged for others of
different construction.
29, 29, designate a pair of frames whicli are mounted to slide vertically in suitable
bearings in the frame of the machine. Said frames are provided at their front and
rear ends with bearings for the transverse shafts 30 and 31 carrying the chain-
wheels 32 over which pass the endless chains 33 Each of these chains is made up
of a series of links 34, the upper sides of which have transverse recesses or corruga-
tions 35 which correspond in size and contour to that of the recesses or corrugations
in the die 28, which latter is provided with transverse slots 28" for the accommodation
of said chains. The front end of each link has a shoulder 36 adapted to support the
lip or lug 37 extending from the link next in front thereof.
It will be observed that while the links travel over the upper sides of the
supporting frames 29, the links are close together, while at the time when the chains
turn the chain-wheels at the ends of the frames the shoulder 36 and lug 37 will be
separated.
The front side of the frame of the machine has a shelf 38 adjacent to which is
arranged an inclined table 39 upon which the sheets of metal that are to be fed into
the machine may be placed one by one. Each sheet as it is placed upon the inclined
table 39 is permitted to slide through the slot 40 between the said table and the
shelf 38 and is thus permitted to enter into the opening between the chain-links
which at the time are passing under said slot.
When the chain links engaging the edge of the metal plate or sheet pass forwardly,
they close together, thus gripping the edge of the metal sheet and carrying it forward
between the die and plunger and through the machine.
At the upper end of the upright 2 of the frame is pivoted a lever 41 the inner end
of which may be provided with a friction roller 42 adapted to be engaged by a
cam 43 mounted upon one end of a transverse shaft 11; the outer end of the lever 41
is connected by a pivoted rod or pitman 44 with the ends of a crank or lever 45
which is secured on a longitudinal shaft 46. The latter is provided with rearwardly-
extending arms 47 adapted to bear against the undersides of the chain-carrying
frames 29 which are mounted as described to slide vertically in slots 64 of the frame
of the machine. It will be seen that when the lever 41 is actuated by the cam 43,
it will force in a downward direction the outer front end of the arm or lever 45 thus
rocking or oscillating the shaft 46 in the bearings and causing the arms 47 of said
rock-shaft to press upwardly against the undersides of the chain-carrying frames 29,
which latter are thus caused to move simultaneously in an upward direction thus
raising or elevating the partially crimped or corrugated sheet of metal which is being
operated upon, above the lever of the die 28 and enabling it to be carried forward
through the machine by the action of the endless carrying-chains.
The endless carrying-chains 33 are operated in the following manner :-One end
of the shaft 30 which latter has bearings in both frames 29 is provided with a
ratchet-wheel 48. Pivoted loosely upon the said shaft adjacent to the ratchet-
wheel 48 is an arm or lever 49 having a pawl 50 that engages said ratchet-wheel.
The arm or lever 49 is connected by a pivoted rod or pitman 51 with a lever 52
pivoted at the upper end of the upright of the frame. The lever 52 is provided
at its inner end with a friction roller 53 lying in the path of a cam-wheel 54

page_text: upon the transverse shaft 17. It will be seen that when the latter revolves and
the cams 54 actuate the lever 52, the latter will, through the medium of connection-
rod 51 and the arm or lever 49. pawl 50 and ratchet-wheel 48 oscillate the
shaft 30 in its bearing thus feeding the endless carrying-chains in a forward
direction for the space of one tooth upon the ratchet-wheel which is equivalent to
the space of one link in the endless chain.
From the foregoing description, the construction and operation of my invention
will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. The
plate or sheet of metal which is to be operated upon, is fed from the inclined
table 39 through the slot 40 to the endless carrying-chains between the links of
which it is grasped and held so as to be carried forward through the machine by
the action of said carrying-chains. Normally, the plungers 18 and 19 are in a
raised position and the chain-carrying frames 29 in a lowered position. The
operation of the parts is so timed that when the sheet of metal passes under the
plungers 18 and 19 it shall be first engaged by the plunger 18 which engages
one of the grooves or corrugations already formed in the plate by the plunger 19,
thus holding the plate securely while the latter plunger 19 descends and forms an
additional groove or corrugation in the sheet of metal.
As soon as the friction rollers at the upper end of the plungers become disengaged
from the cams 23 and eccentrics 24, the said plungers are forced upwardly by the
action of the weighted levers 25. The cams 43 and 54 next pass into engagement
with the levers 41 and 52, thus actuating the rock-shaft 46 to press or force the
chain-carrying frames 29 in an upward direction and immediately afterwards
actuating the shaft 30 to feed the chains forward to the extent of space of one
link, thus moving the sheet or plate of metal into position for repetition of the
operation.
It will be observed that while the front edge of the sheet of metal which is
being operated upon is firmly held and grasped, not only by the link of the
operating chains but also by the action of the plunger 18, the rear edge of the
said sheet is free to move in a forward direction under the action of the crimping
plunger, 19.
While I have in the foregoing described what I consider to be a preferable
construction of my improved sheet-metal crimping or corrugating machine, I would
have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction of details
herein shown and described, but reserve the privilege of making any such changes
and modifications as may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
I also desire to state that while the machine has been described as operating
upon a single sheet of metal, two or even more sheets may be simultaneously
operated upon when desired. Further, I would have it understood that the dies
employed may be used not merely for crimping or corrugating, but for stamping
or embossing sheet metal with a great variety of ornamental patterns.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
1. In a machine for crimping or corrugating sheet metal, the combination of the
frame, a vertically reciprocating plunger and vertically reciprocating endless
carrying-chains to carry the sheet of metal which is being operated upon under
the plunger, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of the reciprocating plunger the vertically reciprocating
endless carrying-chains and the die, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. The combination with the die and the plungers vertically reciprocating endless
carrying-chains-having links adapted to grasp and hold the sheet of metal which
is to be operated upon, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the die and plungers, of the endless carrying-chains

page_text: having links the outer sides of which are provided with recesses corresponding in
size and shape to that of the grooves or corrugations in the die and means for
imparting a vertically reciprocating motion to the said chains, substantially as set
forth.
5. The combination of the die and plungers with the vertically movable frames
having the endless carrying-chains, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
6. The combination of the die, the reciprocating plungers, the vertically movable
frames, the endless carrying-chains mounted on said frames, mechanism for moving
the latter in an upward direction and mechanism for actuating the endless carrying-
chains, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination of the reciprocating plungers mechanism for forcing the said
plungers successively in a downward direction, the vertically movable frames, the
endless chains mounted on chain-wheels upon shafts journaled at the end of said
frames, mechanism for forcing the said frames in an upward direction after the
plungers recede, mechanism for actuating the endless chains and the grooved or
corrugated die, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine of the class described, the endless carrying-chains composed of
links having grooved or recessed outer sides provided at their front ends with
shoulders and at their rear ends with lips or lugs to overlap the shoulders of the
next succeeding links, substantially as set forth.
9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the die, the recipro-
cating plungers, the endless carrying-chains, the links of which are provided with
shoulders and lugs adapted to engage between them the edge of the plate or sheet
of metal which is to be operated upon, the shelf or gauged plate upon the frame
of the machine, and inclined feed table arranged in front of said shelf, between
which and said feed table is formed a slot or opening for the passage of the sheets
to be operated upon, substantially as set forth.
10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the vertically moving
frame having the endless carrying-chains, a rock-shaft having arms adapted to bear
against the undersides of said frames, an arm or lever extending from said rock-
shaft, a pitman connecting said arms with the lever pivoted in the top of the
frame, a cam mounted upon a transverse counter-shaft and adapted to engage the
said lever and suitable operating mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
11. The combination of the frame, the die, the vertically reciprocating plungers
the vertically movable frames having tho endless carrying-chains, the operating
shaft having a ratchet-wheel at one end, a lever journaled loosely upon the shaft
adjacent to said ratchet-wheel and having a pawl engaging the latter and a rod
connecting said lever with a lever pivoted in the top of the frame and lying in
the path of the cam-wheel mounted upon a transverse counter-shaft, substantially
as set forth.
12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the frame, the die,
the vertically reciprocating plungers, the counter-shaft arranged at the ends of the
frames and having cams and eccentrics adapted to actuate said plungers against
the action of weighted levers, the vertically movable frames having the endless
carrying-chains, mechanism for forcing the said frames upwardly immediately when
the plungers recede and mechanism for feeding the chains forward immediately
following the upward movement of the frames substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this h 1
T
1
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.