Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bending Metal Bars and Plates into Circular and Curved Forms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bending Metal Bars
and Plates into Circular and Curved Forms.
I WILLIAM EDWIN CARY, of the Red Bank Spring and Axle Works, Red
Bank, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Spring and Axle Manufacturer 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 and accompanying drawings:
My said invention relates to machinery or apparatus chiefly intended for bending
circle and wheel plates such for example as are used in the construction of wheels
and vehicles. The invention is applicable to or may be used in conjunction with
tyre bending machines but my improvements relate more particularly to the bending
of plates upon edge so as to form annular rings. In bending such rings or circle
plates it is necessary to support the plate on each side in an upright position as
it is passed through the mechanism so as to prevent it from canting and my
present invention refers to improved means for giving this requisite support to the
plate or bar.
To render my invention more clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same more particularly, reference being had to the annexed sheet
of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a tyre bending machine to which my improve-
ments are applied.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4 a plan to a reduced scale of one of the
removable supporting slotted plates which guide and support the plate or bar which
is to be bent by the machine.
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The machine represented in the drawings is an ordinary tyre bending machine
such as I am accustomed to use. It is composed as shown of two side frames a
connected by standards b. There are two feed rollers c c and a bending
roller d.
The feed rollers receive motion through the gearing e. f. g. from a fly wheel h
operated by a handle or the rollers may be otherwise actuated. The bending
roller d does not require to be driven. When it is desired to use the apparatus for
bending plates on edge into a circular or curved form a grooved bending roller d
similar to that shown in the drawings is placed in the machine and in conjunction
therewith employ the slotted guide plates i which form the subject matter of my
invention. The said guide plates i are placed as shown between the bending
roller and the feed rollers c c¹. The guide plates are formed with slots which
come exactly opposite to the grooves in the bending roller d. The plate which is
to be bent is placed in one of the slots in the plate i for example and as it passes
beneath the bending roller and out at the other end of the machine it passes
through the corresponding slot in the plate j.
In Fig. 1 I show a portion of a plate k in the act of being bent on edge to a curve
or circle. The sides of the slots support and guide the plate k in an upright position
and prevent it from canting or twisting in its progress through the machine. The
plate being supported at the back by the guide plate jas well as at the front by
the guide plate i this double support and guidance not only prevents the plate from
canting but also keeps it constantly in the same plane and prevents all danger of
twisting. In addition to this double guidance and support I bring the guide
plates close up to the bending roller d and thus give the requisite support to the
plate at the position where it is most needed. To hold the guide plates ij in

page_text: position and also to render them easily removable or interchangable I use the
following simple and secure means.
Upon the inner side of each frame casting I form slots or grooves of a width
equal to the thickness of the guide plates. These slots or grooves may be formed
in the thickness of the casting but preferably they are formed by casting strips on
the frames with spaces between to take the plates as most clearly shown at Fig. 4
of the drawings. I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the use of the
slotted guide plate per se for the foregoing purposes as a guide plate of this
description has already been used. This plate was however secured by bolts and
fastenings to the front of the machine and in front of the feed roller. Also one
guide plate only was used. Under the old arrangement however the difficulty
encountered and the time consumed in securing the guide plate to the machine in
addition to its insecurity and distance from the bending roller rendered its use
largely unsatisfactory. Besides these disadvantages one front plate only was used.
The advantages conferred by my improved arrangement may be summed up
as follows:-
1st. The employment of the two guide plates instead of one increases the
usefulness of the machine and improves the quality of the work.
2nd.. Bringing the guide plates closer up to the bending roller thereby supporting
the plate being bent at the point where support is most needed..
3rd. The simple and easy method of placing the guide plates in the machine by
merely inserting them in slots between the frames without the use of any bolts or
fastenings.
If it should be wished to use the apparatus illustrated in the drawings as an
ordinary tyre bending machine all that is necessary is to replace the grooved
roller d by a plain roller and to remove the guide plates ij by withdrawing them
from the slots.
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 I
claim is :-
In apparatus for bending plates or bars into circles or curves the employment of
two slotted guide plates one on each side of the bending roller the said guide plates
being brought closely up to the bending roller and carried in slots or grooves
between the frame castings substantially as herein before described and shown.
Dated this 30th day of June 1891.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.