Improvements in and Connected with Cutting out and Punching Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Cutting out and Punching
Machines.
I THOMAS THOMPSON, of 40 Milton Street, New Town Row. Birmingham, in the
county of Warwick Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the arrangement of cutting out and piercing tools with
their feed mechanism, by which the feeding of the strip metal from which the work
is produced, is intermittently brought to a definate stop at each stroke of the machine,
while the feed motion is continuous, and which is primarily intended for the cutting
out and piercing of umbrella parts.
I will describe the arrangement as applied to the cutting out of say three such
parts or blanks at each stroke, which said blanks have also one or more holes pierced
out of their middle part.
I provide a die or bed, preferably of three parts, so that in case of accident with
one part, the whole is not destroyed or useless. These parts are firmly secured in a
box or frame. This box or frame is shaped or grooved upon its upper part to allow
the strip of metal to pass through, over the tops of the lies.
To accomodate the variation which often occurs in the width of the said strips. I
provide one side of the groove loose, with set up pins, and further provide upon its
edge next to the metal strip, a spring which shall always tend to keep the metal up
against the opposite side of the groove, and thus preserve steadiness of motion.
A top punch bed is provided to carry the punches in such order as to suit the
dies, and in this case they would be arranged in a zig zag or step fashion.
In addition
to the usual number and arrangement of punches and dies, I provide an extra one of
the following description, and for the following purpose, which 1 term the stop
punch.
This punch is carried in the same bed as are the others, and the die is also formed
in the same die bed as the other dies, but their particular shape and position is
imnontond

page_text: A cutting portion is provided whereby upon the down stroke of the machine, the
portion of metal left between the last two blanks is cut away.
Below the cutting portion of the stop punch I extend it for some length, but set
back some distance, so that the front part of the next left portion, butts against it,
while the next stroke of the cutting out of the blanks and piercings takes place, the
cutting edge of the stop punch following and removing the mid or left portion ready
for the next movement forward of the metal strip.
A continuous feed motion is provided by means of a rotary spindle at the
back of the machine, being driven by a band (or other equivalent) from the main
shaft.
Upon this spindle I provide a fixed collar, and at a little distance therefrom, I
place a pulley having no keyway, but which is free to revolve upon the spindle,
and between the pulley and the fixed collar I mount a spiral spring upon the
spindle.
The end of the spindle, that is, upon the outer side of the pulley, is screwed to
receive two lock screw nuts for the purpose of adjusting the pulley up against the
pressure of the spring, so that the said pulley is driven by reason of the frictional
pressure of the spring. Suitable provision is made upon the rim of the pulley by
which the one end of the waste strip may be fastened thereto. This may be done
preferably by cutting away a portion of the rim of the pulley and forming a dove-
tailed groove into which a wedge may be driven, having first turned the end of the
strip therein.
Thus the waste strip is wound upon the pulley, which said pulley is always
pulling the strip through the tools until checked by the stop punch, when the friction
springs yields, allowing the spindle to rotate without the pulley.
When the strip is finished, the waste coil is readily removed from the pulley, being
then in a compact form for remitting or other uses.
Dated this 25th day of May 1888.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12 Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Connected with Cutting out and Punching
Machines.
I THOMAS THOMPSON, of 40 Milton Street, New Town Row, Birmingham, in the
county of Warwick Tool Maker, 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 the arrangement of cutting out and piercing tools with
their feed mechanism, by which the feeding of the strip metal from which the work
is produced, is intermittently brought to a definate stop at each stroke of the machine,
while the feed motion is continuous, and which is primarily intended for the cutting
out and piercing of umbrella parts.
I will describe the arrangement as applied to the cutting out, of say three such
parts or blanks at each stroke, which said blanks have also one or more holes
pierced out of their middle part.
I provide a die or bed, preferably of three parts, so that in case of accident with
one part, the whole is not destroyed or useless. These parts are firmly secured in
a box or frame. This box or frame is shaped or grooved upon its upper part to
allow the strip of metal to pass through, over the top of the dies.
To accomodate the variation which often occurs in the width of the said strips, I
provide one side of the groove loose, with set up pins, and further provide upon its
edge next to the metal strip, a spring which shall always tend to keep the metal up
against the opposite side of the groove, and thus preserve steadiness of motion.
A top punch bed is provided to carry the punches in such order, as to suit the
dies, and in this case they would be arranged in a zig zag or step fashion.
In addition to the usual number and arrangement of punches and dies, I provide
an extra one of the following description, and for the following purpose, which I
term the stop punch.
This punch is carried in the same bed as are the others, and the die is also formed
in the same die bed as the other dies, but their particular shape and position is
important.
A cutting portion is provided, whereby upon the down stroke of the machine, the
portion of metal left between the last two blanks is cut away.
Below the cutting portion of the stop punch 1 extend it for some length, but set
back some distance, so that the front part of the next left portion, butts against it
while the next stroke of the cutting out of the blanks and piercings takes place; the
cutting edge of the stop punch following and removing the mid or left portion, ready
for the next movement forward of the metal strip.
A continuous feed motion is provided by means of a rotary spindle at the back
of the machine, being driven by a band (or other equivalent) from the main shaft.
Upon this spindle I provide a fixed collar, and at a little distance therefrom, I place
a pulley or drum having no keyway, but which is free to revolve upon the spindle,
and between the drum and the fixed collar 1 mount a spiral spring upon the spindle.

page_text: The end of the spindle, (that is, upon the outer side of the drum), is screwed to
receive two lock screw nuts, for the purpose of adjusting the drum up against the
pressure of the spring, so that the said drum is driven by reason of the frictional
pressure of the spring. Suitable provision is made upon the rim of the drum by
which the one end of the waste strip may be fastened thereto. This may be done
preferably by cutting away a portion of the rim of the drum, and forming a dove-
tailed groove into which the end of the strip may be bent and secured.
Thus the waste strip is wound upon the drum, which said drum is always pulling
the strip through the tools, until checked by the stop punch, when the friction
spring yields, allowing the spindle to rotate without the drum.
When the strip is finished, the waste coil is readily removed from the drum, being
then in a compact form for re-melting or other uses.
Having now described the nature of this my said invention, I will now proceed
to more particularly explain how it is to be performed, having reference to the
accompanying illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters of
reference, like letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing or
part.
Fig. 1 shews in sectional elevation the relative position of the cutting out punches,
stop punch, and the dies &c.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 upon line A B, with the punches removed.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shews in part sectional elevation, the winding or feed drum.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the feed motion.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the scissel or metal from which the blanks are in progress of
being pierced.
Fig. 7 is a plan of a blank as cut out by the tools illustrated.
Fig. 8 is an inverted plan of the stop punch.
a, is a die or bed, preferably made in three parts 1, 2 & 3, so that in case of
accident with one part, such damaged part may be replaced without loss of the others.
These parts constituting the die are firmly secured in the box or frame b.
c, care guide pieces secured upon the box, between which the metal from which
the blanks are to be cut, passes, upon the surface of the die. To accomodate the
variation in the width of the metal I provide that e' shall be loose and set up to the
required width by set pins d, d', and further provide for such variations that are only
slight, a spring e, so that the strip shall be steadily held against the opposite side of
the passage, thus preserving steadiness of motion.
A top punch bed is provided to carry the punches in such order as to suit the
dies, and in this case it will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2 that the punches and
dies are arranged in a zig zag or step form as is ordinarily done, in order to allow
strength of metal between the cutting surfaces of the dies.
It will be seen that the punches g, g', first pierce the small holes in the blank,
while punches h, h, cut out the blank itself.
In addition however to the ordinary punches, I provide an extra punch i, which I
term the stop punch. This punch as will be seen is carried in the same bed as are the
.others, and its die is also formed in the die bed u. The shape, position, and function
of this punch and die however, is very important. At a cutting surface is provided
(see also Fig. 8) around three of its sides. Below this cutting portion the punch is
extended downwards some distance, by means of the extension part k, which said
extension is not raised above the surface of the die, even when the punches are at the
top of their stroke.
The purpose of this stop punch is as follows:-Its cutting edge is for the purpose of
cutting away the middle bit or bar of metal, which is left in the scissel between the
blank piercings, while its extended part k, forms a stop against which the metal rests,
for, or, during the cutting operation of the blanks and piercings.
Thus for instance as seen in Fig. 6, at m, m, the middle portion has been so cut
away, white in the next downward stroke, see Fig. 1, the middle portion / would be
removed.

page_text: Previous to the descent of the punches however, this extension part serves as a stop
for the metal. A continuous feed motion is imparted to the metal as hereinafter
explained, so that there is a continual pull of the metal through the die.
By arranging however, that the distance from the front of the extension part of the
stop punch to the centre of the next blank punch, shall be equal to the distance from
the front edge of the middle portion of the scissel to the next blank punch, it follows,
that as seen in Fig. 1, the scissel is hold firmly against the stop punch during the
descent of the cutting punches, and at the same stroke, the portion which served as a
stop in this instance is cut away, clearing a path or course for the scissel to pass
forward until the next middle portion rests against the stop, when the process is
repeated.
By these means it is only necessary to provide a very simple method of feed motion
after the following manner :-
In Figs. 4 and 5 is a continuous rotary pulley driving the spindle o. p is a
fixed collar upon which is formed a frictional surface, answering to a similar surface
upon the druin " which latter is loose upon the spindle. The end of the spindle is
screwed to receive the two lock nuts ss; is a sliding collar upon the boss of the
drum " but incapable of a rotary motion independent of the drum r.
Between this collar and the body of the drum is a spring u, which is adjusted in
compression by the lock nuts s, s.
It will now be seen, that according to the degree of compression of the spring ",
the drum r, will be rotated by reason of its contact with the collar p; but if a greater
resistance be applied to the drum, than that of the frictional contact, the drum will
cease to rotate.
Provision is made upon the drum whereby the end of the strip may be attached
thereto, as seen for instance in Fig. 4. A gap is made across the rim of the drum,
and the end of the metal bent around it, when the feed would be continued, coiling at
the same time the scissel upon the drum, which, at the end of the strip, the coil formed
thereby, may be readily removed endwise from off the drum.
Although I have illustrated this my invention by means of the particular form of
blank shown, still it will be clearly seen that this my improved arrangement may be
employed in the cutting out of very many forms of blanks, obviating the use of
intermitient feed motions, which are more or less non positive in their action.
Also I do not wish to claim the method of forming the parts constituting the punch
bed or die bed, frame &c., but have described them, to illustrate the arrangement and
purpose of the combined cutting out and stop punch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
In cutting out and piercing tools, the combination and arrangement of a stop punch
or fence, being provided immediately behind the cutting out punch, whereby the
blanks are cut out consecutively immediately adjoining each other, substantially as
herein-described and illustrated upon the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of Santember 1888