IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS OR OTHER HARD SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS OR OTHER HARD
SUBSTANCES."-A communication.
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 18th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1857.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lanc,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS OR OTHER
HARD SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
In rotary shears as heretofore constructed there are two defects which
operate against their perfect action; first, the beam over the stationary shear
blade is in the way when cutting large sheets of metal, and the sheets cannot
be conveniently turned or handled on this account; second, there has been
no way of regulating the amount of draw and traversing motion of the rotary
blade or shear, and the consequence is, that much power is expended in pro-
ducing no advantageous result, for it is obvious that the amount of draw
given to the rotating cutter should vary with the thickness of the sheet to be
cut, or that for thick plates the rotating shear should have less motion on its
axis in proportion to its travelling motion along the table than with thin
sheets.

page_text: The object of the present improvements is to obviate these defects, and this
is effected by dispensing with the top beam, and in place thereof the carriage
on which the moveable blade is mounted is supported entirely on the lower
frame that contains the stationary blades. The carriage with the moveable or
rotary shear blade is actuated by toothed gearing, in such a manner that the
relative velocities of the parts can be changed or modified, so as to produce
the amount of drawing cut requisite for the machine to work to the best
advantage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for 1erself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING METALS OR OTHER HARD SUBSTANCES," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):―

page_text: In rotary shears as heretofore constructed, there are two defects which
operate against their perfect action; first, the beam over the stationary shear
blade is in the way when cutting large sheets of metal, and the sheets cannot
be conveniently turned or handled on this account; second, there has been
no way of regulating the amount of draw and traversing motion of the rotary
blade or shear, and the consequence is, that much power is expended in pro-
ducing no advantageous result, for it is obvious, that the amount of draw
given to the rotating cutter should vary with the thickness of the sheet to be
cut, or that for thick plates the rotating shear should have less motion on its
axis in proportion to its travelling motion along the table than with thin sheets.
Now, the object of the present Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent is to obviate these defects. This is effected by
dispensing with the top beam, and supporting the carriage on which the
moveable blade is mounted entirely on the frame that contains the stationary
blade, and by so gearing the carriage and rotary shcar blade in it, that their
relative velocities can be changed to produce the amount of drawing cut
requisite for the machine to work to the best advantage.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the
improved machine, fitted with a suitable clamp for holding the sheet metal to
be cut; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 a transverse section, and Fig. 4 a
plan view of the same; and Fig. 5 shews in perspective view a modified form
of table and clamp.
In the general views, C is a beam upon which the carriage B is made to
slide in a horizontal direction, by means of a pinion D attached to the shaft L
(supported by the carriage B), engaging with the rack E affixed to tho
beam C. In a direct line under the cutting edge of the knives G and A, is a
bearing surface m, against which the movable carriage B is pressed by the
resistance of the metal that is being divided and meets the vertical strain.
F is another bearing surface on the beam C, against which the carriage B
presses during the act of cutting, and which meets the lateral strain produced
by the resistance offered; N, N', are lips upon the beam C, whose office is to
keep the carriage B in its place, and prevent any vibration to its horizontal
motion. The movable carriage B supports the shaft J, on which is mounted
the rotary knife A, and the spur wheel H, which gears into the pinion K
attached to the shaft L. Upon the upper edge of the beam C is the long
straight knife G. The rotary knife A is adjusted in a perpendicular line
over the straight knife G, by means of the screws O, O'. The advantages of
this position of the bearing surfaces and the gearing, as described, arc, first,
that the beam C allows of no deflection from the resistance offered by the

page_text: metal under the shears, as is experienced upon the machines now in use,
which permits of a machine being built for cutting sheets of any length
without an upper beam; secondly, by revolving the shaft L, upon which is the
pinion D, engaging with the rack E, attached to the beam C; the carriage B
is made to move horizontally along the beam C, and at the same time the
rotary knife A is made to revolve by the spur wheel H attached to the shaft J
engaging with the pinion K attached to the shaft L, and the relative velocity.
of the cutting periphery of the rotary knife A to its horizontal velocity, can
be regulated by the ratio made to exist between the wheel II and the
pinion K.
:
A modification of this machine can be made by the movable carriage
receiving its horizontal motion by cog wheels engaging into a rack attached to
a beam suspended over the carriage; or, by the carriage B resting upon
another beam to supply the office of the bearing surface F; or the carriage
may be so hung or suspended, that it can have its bearing surfaces on one or
on both sides of the beam C; but this would be the same principle, as it
merely changes the position of the bearing surface to meet the lateral strain,.
and the beam suspendel over the carriage would only serve the office of
holding the rack from which the horizontal motion is received. For the
purpse of holding the sheets of metal to be trimmed, there is applied to the
machine a table a, which is furnished with undercut grooves a³, to receive the
shank of the clamp. The jaw of this clamp is made adjustable to accord
with the thickness of the sheet metal, by means of the screw is, and is held
down by the excentric f*, operated by the handle g².
In Fig. 5 is represented another form of table and clamp employed for
trimming sheets of boiler iron, sheathing copper, or other metal requiring to
be brought to prescribed dimensions. *, is the table; the clamp, which is
raised by the springs m³, and depressed by the treddle 12; this treddle is con-
nected with the clamp by rods or cords o³, which pass up through slots in the
table; are guide pins or stops which pass through the clamp, and are held
down by springs s², but yield when the clamp is brought down upon the table;
the lower ends of these pins are chamferred upon one side, so that a sheet of
metal may be readily forced beneath them.
OPERATION.
A shect of metal p as it comes from the rolling mill is forced beneath the
clamp, its rough edge being allowed to project over the edge of the table,
the knife represented by then takes off this rough projecting edge. The

page_text: pins n, which, upon this side are not chamferred, so that they serve as stops;
that portion of the sheet which projects over the table being taken off by the
knife. The sheet having thus its two long sides cut parallel to each other, is
taken to the entension T of the table, one of its long edges being placed
against the straight edge W², in which position it is clamped by the first
described clamp. The knife now takes off the projecting end, and the sheet
being turned, the other end is trimmed in like manner. The clamp 1³ is made
adjustable in position to accommodate it to cutting sheets of definite widths.
It may be made adjustable (like the one first described) in undercut grooves,
in which case the lower bar of the clamp will be held stationary, while the
other one y plays through it, and is operated by the treddle. The lower part
a of the clamp also serves as a guide to the operator, as he can slide the
rough sheet of metal beneath it until he sees a sufficient quantity of metal
beyond the outer edge of it to make a clean cut, then, when he has made the
first cut and reversed the plate, he will be sure to have enough metal when he
cuts the second side to make a smooth edge.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improved machinery
for cutting metals or other hard substances, as communicated to me from
abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood, that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,
dispensing with the top beam or support as commonly used, and supporting
the carriage on the lower beam to which the straight knife is attached, ns
herein set forth, by which means the expense of and objection to a top beam
is avoided; I also claim the use of the revolving circular knife when operated
by two or more driving wheels, that can be regulated so as to give any
amount of drawing cut that may be required.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFatt,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)