Improvements in Apparatus for Punching or Shearing Weldless Chains or other Articles of Metal.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Punching or Shearing Weldless
Chains or other Articles of Metal.
I, JOHN WILLIAM WAILES, of 8, Marine Avenue, Whitley, in the County of
Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
_
This invention relates more particularly to rolled weldless chains in which
webs of metal have to be removed both from the interior and exterior of each
link but it is also applicable for removing webs of metal from or punching holes
in other articles such as girders.
Hitherto it has been impossible to remove the webs or fins of metal from the
links of rolled chains in an economical manner because dies which would properly
support the metal can not be applied at the point where the metal is to be cut
there being in consequence of the curve on the sides of the links, only space for
a fine edge therefore the metal is drawn out instead of being cut clean and a
ragged edge is left; also the cutting edges of the punches are quickly destroyed.
Now the object of my invention is to provide apparatus whereby webs or fins
of metal may be readily and clearly removed from positions where it is not
possible to apply the usual form of dies and at the same time to preserve the
cutting edges of the punches.
For these purposes I employ a pair of punches one on each side of the web.
These punches are of such size as that the edges are close to the sides of the
link and such punches are caused to hold the web firmly between them and at the
same time the cutting edges of the punches are mutually. supported so that such
cutting edges are not readily blunted or destroyed. While the web is thus held
the pair of punches are caused to move downwards together thus clearly removing
the web from the link without leaving any or but little rugged edges.
The link is suitably supported while the web is being removed. Convenient
apparatus for giving the desired motion to the punches consists of a hydraulic
cylinder to which the top punch is secured. This cylinder is secured to a slide
which also carries another hydraulic cylinder the ram of which supports the
lower punch.
A communication is made between the two cylinders. A ram in the upper
cylinder is operated by excentric or other power and when forced down presses
the upper punch against the top of the web. At the same time by means of the
communication between the cylinders the bottom punch is pressed upwards against
the underside of the web. The web is thus held firmly between the punches and
there being by the continued motion of the excentric a superior pressure on the
top punch the web is gradually and cleanly detached from the link and carried
down.
In another arrangement the excentric operates by means of rods on one end of
levers carried on a slide which slide also carries the top punch the lower punch

page_text: is operated by the other ends of the levers. The action is the same as under the
first arrangement.
Further, two hydraulic rams might be used to operate the punches one ram
being of superior power to the other.
Improvements in Apparatus for Punching or Shearing Weldless
Chains or other Articles of Metal.
I, JOHN WILLIAM WAILES, of 8, Marine Avenue, Whitley, in the County of
Northumberland, Engineer, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings:-
This invention relates more particularly to rolled weldless chains in which
webs or fins of metal have to be removed both from the interior and exterior of
each link but it is also applicable for removing webs of metal from or punching
holes in other articles such as girders where a thin web has to be removed close
to the side of a thicker body of metal.
Hitherto it has been impossible to remove the webs or fins of metal from the
links of rolled chains in an economical manner because dies which would properly
support the metal cannot be applied at the point where the metal is to be cut,
there being in consequence of the curve on the sides of the links only space for
a fine edge therefore the metal is drawn out instead of being cut clean and a
ragged edge is left; also the cutting edges of the punches are quickly destroyed.
Now the object of my invention is to provide apparatus whereby webs or fins
of metal may be readily and cleanly removed from positions where it is not
possible to apply the usual form of dies and at the same time to preserve the
cutting edges of the punches.
On the drawings Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 a side view of a machine
constructed according to my invention for punching chains resembling stud
link chains. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view to an enlarged scale of punches under
my invention closed on the webs of a link. Fig. 4 is a cross section at inc
line A A on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but showing the webs
punched or sheared out of the link. Fig. 6 is a cross section at the line B3 Bon
Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view of the faces or cutting edges of the punches. 22" are
punches or nippers on each side of the webs 3 of the link 4 of a chain. Two pairs
of punches are used so as to leave a piece of metal 5 as a stud joining the sides of
each link. The punches are of such size as that the edges are close to the sides
of the link and such punches are caused to hold the webs 3 firmly between them
as hereinafter described thereby mutually supporting the cutting edges of the
punches so that such edges are not readily blunted or destroyed.
The top
punches 2 are fitted into a block 6 carried on a hydraulic cylinder attached to
a slide 8. The lower punches or pressers 2 are fitted into a block 6ª carried on
a ram 9 working in a hydraulic cylinder 10 also attached to the slide 8. A
ram 11 is carried by the head 12 of the main frame 13 and the cylinder 7 can
move up and down around the ram 11, the slide 8 and cylinder 10 moving with
it in vertical guides in the frame 13. 14 is a pipe or passage forming a com-
munication between the two cylinders 7 and 10. A pipe 15 supplies fluid under

page_text: The
pressure to the cylinder 7 and from thence by the passage 14 to the cylinder 10.
Bearers 16 support the links while the webs are being punched out.
bearers 16 allow free passage of the punches and are carried on. brackets 17
attached to the framing 13. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Fluid
under pressure is admitted through the pipe 15 to the cylinder 7 forcing it and
the upper punches 2 down till they rest on the tops of the webs 3. At the same
time by means of the communication 14 between the cylinders 7 and 10 the fluid
passes to the cylinder 10 and raises the ram 9 so that the bottom punches or
pressers 2 are pressed upwards against the underside of the webs 3. While the
web is thus firmly held between the punches. the pressure of fluid forces the
cylinder still further down carrying with it the slide 8, cylinder 10, ram 9, and
punches 2 and 2" and gradually and cleanly detaching or shearing out the webs
from the link 4 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 without leaving any, or but little,
ragged edges at the points 4" of the links, the gripping of the webs 3 between the
punches preventing any dragging of the metal at 4".. The pressure in the
cylinders is now released so as to separate the punches 2 and 2ª and the parts are
raised into normal position say by a small ram 18 working in a cylinder 19
attached to the frame 13 the ram bearing against a projection 20 attached to the
cylinder 7 or slide 8; or any other convenient means may be used for restoring
the parts to normal position.
In open link chains the two punches 2 would of course be in one and of such
shape as to fit close to the sides of the link; also the punches 2" would be in one.
The fins on the outside of rolled chains may also be readily removed in the
above described manner the punches being shaped to fit the outside of the links.
Instead of using a fixed ram 11 and an independent supply of fluid under pres-
sure as described under Figs. 1 and 2 an arrangement as shown in side view in
Fig. 8 may be used. Here the fluid in the cylinders 7 and 10 in a fixed quantity,
there is no external supply; and the ram 11 is attached to a slide 11" and is
caused to move up or down by an excentric 24 on a shaft 25. The other parts
are the same as in Figs. 1 to 7. As the ram 11 moves downwards the cylinder 7
presses the top punch against the top of the webs of the link: further motion of
the ram 11 forces some of the fluid from the top cylinder 7 into the bottom
cylinder and the bottom punch is thus pressed against the webs; still further
downward motion of the ram 11 forces both cylinders, slide and punches down
and shears out the webs as before described. The ram 11 is then raised by the
excentric 24 and the parts are restored to normal position as before described.
Fig. 9 is a side view of another arrangement operated by an excentric. In
this arrangement the action of the punches 2, 2" is the same as in Figs. 1 to 6
except that they are operated by mechanical means. The top punches 2 in the
block 6 are carried in a head 7" attached to the slide 8. The bottom punches 2"
and block 6" are carried on a slide 9 movable in a guide 10 secured to the slide 8.
A lever 21 is carried on the slide 8 by a pivot at 22. One end 21" of the lever
bears against the slide 9" to operate the lower punches, the other end 21h is
operated by means of a rod or rods 23 from an excentric 24 on a shaft 25. As the
excentric rotates, the slide 8 descends until the punches 2 rest on the webs of
the links, the lever 21 then raises the slide 9ª and punches 2ª. Further rotation
of the excentric forces the lever 21, slide 8 and punches down and shears out
the webs as before described. Continued rotation of the excentric restores the
parts to normal position again.
Instead of the faces of the punches being flat they may be recessed as shown in
Fig. 10 at 2b so as to give a sharper cutting edge. This allows of considerable
indentation of the webs at the point of separation and reduces the power necessary
for complete shearing and is of advantage especially where it may not be
convenient to roll the webs very thin.
I do not confine myself to the particular arrangements of parts for operating the
punches above set forth as it will be obvious that various other arrangements may
be devised according to circumstances, for instance two separate hydraulic rams
'

page_text: might be used to operate the punches one ram being of superior power to the
other.
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: -
First. The combination with two or more punches or equivalent devices capable
of being pressed towards each other on each side of a web of metal, of means for
traversing or moving such punches together in one direction whilst pressed
against the web of metal substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination with a punch of a second punch or presser to support
the punching and the cutting edges of the punch, and means for operating the
punch whilst supported by the presser substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Third. In apparatus for shearing or punching thin webs or sections of metal
from thicker sections of metal the combination of a punch carried at one end of
a slide, a second punch or presser movably supported at the other end of the
slide, means for moving the second punch or presser relatively to the first punch
and means for moving both punches, or the punch and presser, and slide in a
direction transverse to the thicker section of metal substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fourth. In apparatus for shearing or punching thin webs of metal from thicker
sections of metal the combination of a punch carried on a slide, a presser carried
on the same slide, means for operating the punch and means for holding the
presser against the web of metal while such web of metal is being sheared, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of February 1900
W. B. JOHNSON,
4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, Agent.