IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING AND CUTTING METAL
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Horsfall, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS FOR SHEARING AND CUTTING METAL."
Sealed the 15th July 1879, and dated the 27th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Horsfall at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1879.
"
IM-
JAMES HORSFALL, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING AND CUTTING
METAL."
My Invention consists, first, in an improved machine composed of one or more
circular blades of equal or of different sizes combined with a lever or a wheel,
one of which blades is carried upon the same supporting pin as the lever or the
wheel, which pin is carried by a suitable framework or bearing.
The other blade is carried by another supporting pin attached to the side of the
lever or of the wheel, so that the adjacent faces of the blades shall lie in the same
plane and their edges slightly overlap.
The blades, or the lever, or the wheel may be fitted with eccentric bearings.
A suitable rest for holding in position the work to be cut is fixed to the frame,
and an adjustable stop may also be provided.
Secondly. My Invention may be modified by the removal of one of the blades
and the substitution of a suitable holder for retaining in position the work to be
cut.
Thirdly. Another modification consists in making the supporting pin (which
carries the lever or the wheel and the blade) hollow to receive the work to be cut,
and placing the hollow portion in an eccentric position with regard to the centre of
the supporting pin. The position of the blade and the hollow portion of the pin is
so adjusted that the material to be operated upon shall be cut through during a
partial or a total revolution of the lever or the wheel. If desirable a support may
be applied to the back of the blade.
Fourthly. Another arrangement, specially adapted for cutting wire, is the placing
of a circular blade in or on one of the jaws of an ordinary pair of pliers or pincers,
and providing in the other jaw a suitable notch or notches for receiving the wire
to be cut, and also a recess or a slot to receive the blade when the pliers are
closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Horsfall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd August
1879.
2.
JAMES HORSFALL, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
<< IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING AND CUTTING
METAL."
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement and construction of machinery,
worked either by hand or power, and used for shearing and cutting bars, shafts,
rails, rods, wire, or special sections of iron or other metal, and to the operating of
the blades, its object being that the metal shall be sheared or cut with slight
expenditure of power, and with slight wear and tear upon any part of the
machine.
My Invention consists, first, in an improved machine composed of one or more
circular blades of equal or of different sizes combined with a lever or a wheel, one
of which blades is carried upon the same supporting pin as the lever or the wheel,
which pin is carried by a suitable framework or bearing. The other blade is carried
by another supporting pin attached to the side of the lever or of the wheel, so that
the adjacent faces of the blades shall lie in the same plane and their edges slightly
overlap. A suitable rest for holding in position the work to be cut is fixed to the
frame, and an adjustable stop may be provided. In all cases the circular blades are
free to revolve upon their respective bearings.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several.
Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved bar cutting machine; Fig. 2 is a trans-
verse vertical section; and Fig. 3, a plan. A is the supporting pin, which carries
the lower blade B and the lower end of the lever C. The upper blade D is carried
by another supporting pin E fixed at a suitable height upon the side of the lever C.
The bed or framework F is a light casting of suitable shape, and can be readily
attached to a bench by means of bolts or set screws through the holes G, G. The
lugs H, H, see Fig. 2, that carry the lower supporting pin A rise nearly level with
the top of the lower blade B, bearing against it and the opposite side of the lever C,
thus affording great support where most required to prevent any springing apart of
the blades. The lugs themselves are supported on one side by the head I of the
pin A, and on the other by the nut K. The upper blade is supported by resting
against the side of the lever. By tightening up the nut K the wear of the parts
through which the pin A passes is taken up. L is a rest for holding the work to
be cut; it laps over the frame F, and is attached to it by the set screws M, M. The
adjustable stop N is attached to the outside of the frame by the set screw O, and
can be readily pushed backwards and forwards by hand to accomodate sections of
bar iron of various widths. The lower blade B may, if preferable, be mounted upon
an eccentric bearing for the purpose of taking up the wear of the blades. The bar
to be cut, shewn in section at P, is first placed in the machine, one of its edges lying
upon the lower blade, the other being in contact with the top of the rest L, sec
Fig. 1. The lever O is then pulled forward, causing the upper blade D to advance
upon the bar, thus cutting it and pushing it down the rest L until it reaches the
bottom, by which time the bar will be completely divided.
At the termination of each cut the lower blade B will have revolved a short
distance towards the rest L; the upper blade will have revolved a much greater
distance in the opposite direction. It will be seen that the portions of the blades
which are in contact with each other move in opposite directions at different speeds;
thus the blades have a constant tendency to sharpen each other.
The principal strains in working this machine are thrown upon the lower part of
the lever C, and tend, firstly, to force the centres A, E, Fig. 1, further apart, and

page_text: thus break the lever at the point Q, Fig. 1; and, secondly, to bend it away from the
lower blade at the point R, Fig. 2. These strains are counteracted to some extent
by the following means-Firstly, by attaching the handle or upper part of the
lever to the lower part in such a position (that is, above the pin E, Fig. 1) that
when power is applied it shall tend to force the centres A, E, Fig. 1, nearer together,
thus throwing an almost purely tensile strain upon the jaw Q. Secondly, by placing
the upper part of the lever C in an inclined position, see Fig. 2, so that when power
is applied it shall have a tendency to force the lower part towards the lower blade.
Very little strain is thrown upon the bed F, which can thus be made very light.
It will be observed that the radii of the two circular blades D, B, Fig. 1, acting in
conjunction with the lever C, form a powerful arrangement of the Stanhope lever.
The power thus obtained is brought to bear direct upon the work, the rest L and
adjustable stop N being merely conveniences for holding the work in position while
it is being cut.
Fig. 3* represents a portable apparatus without lever for cutting sheet metal or
other material. The cutters or blades B and D are similar to those above described,
and they are mounted on studs connected to a handle C¹.
Among the advantages of the machine described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
are, that the blades, instead of passively receiving power transmitted through them
to the work to be cut, add very considerably to the power of the machine, equal
power throughout the longest cut. The almost entire absence of any jork at the
beginning and termination of each stroke caused in the usual form of machine by
the too sudden taking up and release of "back-lash." The blades do not notch
each other by always cutting with the same parts of their edges continually
opposite to each other as in the usual method, but rather sharpen each other as they
move round a short distance at each stroke, and present a fresh part of their edges
for the next operation, and the avoidance of the dead pressure generally applied
to force the blades of shearing machines through their work. Many of the
advantges enumerated above apply also to the following adaptations of this
Invention.
Secondly. My Invention may be modified for the purpose of cutting rods of
metal by the addition of a suitable holder for retaining in position the work to be
cut. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section of my
improved rod cutting machine. The upper part of the holder A is pierced by one
or more series of holes or notches B, B, of various sizes for holding the work to be
cut, the lower part of the holder may be held in a vice, or could be arranged
horizontally, so that rods would fall into the machine against a stop, or in a
suitable bracket attached to a bench. C, D, are circular blades carried by supporting
pins E, F, attached to the side of the lever G. The lower end of the lever G is
carried by another supporting pin H, attached to the side of the holder A. The
supporting pins E, F, H, are kept in position by the taper pins I, K, P. A slot L
is cut through the lower end of the lever G, so that any length of rod may be
pushed into the machine and cut by it, or the lower end of the lever might be
shaped similar to C, Fig. 1, and instead of the holes B, B, Fig. 4, a row of notches
might be provided in the upper part of the holder A.; with this arrangement, a
long rod could be divided without the necessity for pushing it through any of the
holes B, B.
An adjustable stop M, Fig. 5, slides through a hole in the lower part of the
bolder A, and can be fixed in any required position by tightening the pinching
screw N. The rod to be cut, O, is pushed through one of the holes B, B, until it
meets the stop M. The lever G is then pulled forward, causing the blades C, D, to
advance upon the rod and cut it. Rods of larger diameter are placed in the lower
row of holes where the leverage is greatest. The blade C advances first and cuts
the rod partly through, leaving the remainder of the cut to be performed by the
other blade D. Rods of smaller diameter are placed in the upper row of holes, and
are completely cut through by the first blade Ċ alone.
Thirdly. Another modification suitable for cutting rails, bars, shafts, angle irons

page_text: and others, consists in making the supporting pin (which carries the lever or the
wheel and the blade) hollow to receive the work to be cut, and placing the hollow
portion in an eccentric position, and out of line with regard to the centre of the
supporting pin. The position of the blade and the hollow portion of the pin is so
adjusted that the material to be operated upon shall be cut through during a partial
or a total revolution of the lever or the wheel.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation, and Fig. 7 a transverse vertical section of my improved
rail cutting machine. A represents the shaft to be cut; B is the circular blade. The
supporting pin C which carries the blade is attached to the large spur wheel D.
Additional support is afforded to the pin C by the plato E, which is lot into the
front of the spur wheel D, and attached to it by bolts F, F, or by other suitable
means. The front end of the supporting pin C takes a firm bearing in the boss G,
placed in a suitable position on the plate E, and is further secured by gland nuts
at H, and by the shoulder I. The spur wheel D revolves upon another supporting
pin K which is made hollow at L, see Fig. 6, to hold the work to be cut. The pin
Kis carried by the frame work M, and is kept in its place by the set screws N, the
gland nuts at O, and by two circular keys P, P, which are tapped half their
diameter into the metal of the pin K, and half into that of the framework M. The
framework M rests upon the bed Q, and is attached to it by bolts or set screws.
The spur wheel D is driven by gearing consisting of the pinion R, the fly wheel S,
and by pulleys T, T, or by other suitable means. The shaft U which carries the
gearing, is supported by solid bushed bearings V, V, upon the underside of the bed
Q. The blade B is prevented from springing away from its work by conical friction
rollers W, see Fig. 8, placed at X, X, upon the boss of the spur wheel D, or by
other suitable means. The hollow pertion L of the supporting pin K is of circular
forin to receive the largest size of shaft the machine will cut, or it may be made
sufficiently large to admit a ferrule Y or Z, see Fig. 9, pierced with a hole of a
shape to receive a smaller shaft, or a rail, angle iron, or any special section of
metal.
Fourthly. Another arrangement especially adapted for cutting wire consists in
placing a circular blade in or on one of the jaws of an ordinary pair of pliers or
pincers, and providing in the other jaw a suitable notch or notches for receiving
the wire to be cut, and also a recess or a slot to receive the blade when the pliers
are closed. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of my improved wire cutter, and Fig. 11 a
sectional plan. A represents the circular blade carried by the pin B, attached to
one of the jaws C of the pliers; a suitable notch or notches D, D, are provided in
the other jaw E for holding the wire to be cut. The jaw E is slotted or recessed
at F to receive the blade A when the pliers are closed; it is also recessed at G to
allow of the descent of the wire as it is being cut. The jaws C and E both project
beyond the front edge of the blade A, so as to be available for either holding or
bending wire in the usual way.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact arrangement and con-
struction of parts shewn, but what I claim is,-
First. The arrangement of a bar cutting machine composed of one or more
circular blades of equal or of 'different diameters combined with a lever or a wheel,
one of which blades is carried upon the same supporting pin as the lever or the
wheel, which pin is carried by a suitable framework. The other blade is carried
by another supporting pin attached to the side of the lever or of the wheel, so that
the adjacent faces of the blades shall lie in the same plane, and their edges slightly
overlap. In all cases the circular blades are free to revolve upon their respective
pins or studs. I also claim the rest and adjustable stop, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly. As a modification of the above, I claim the arrangement shewn in
Figs. 4 and 5, in which the blades act independently of each other.
Thirdly. As another modification, I claim the application of the usual hollow
supporting pin in conjunction with the arrangement described in reference to

page_text: Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9. The hollow portion of the supporting pin is for the purpose of
holding the material to be cut, and is placed in an eccentric position with regard to
the centre of the before mentioned supporting pin. The position of the blade and
the position of the hollow portion of the supporting pin being so adjusted, that the
material to be operated upon shall be cut through during a partial or a total
revolution of the lever or of the wheel to which the circular blade is attached, and
Fourthly. As a further modification of my Invention especially adapted for
cutting wire, I claim the placing of a loose circular blade in or on one of the jaws
of an ordinary pair of pliers or pincers. The other jaw being provided with the
usual notch or notches for the purpose of receiving the wire to be cut, and a slot or
recess to receive the blade when the pliers are closed, and also another slot or recess
to allow of the descent of the wire as it is being cut, as shown and described in
reference to Figs. 10 and 11.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Horsfall, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty second day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine.