Machine for Forming and Seaming Sheet-metal Cylinders.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Forming and Seaming Sheet-metal Cylinders.
I, EDWARD SMALL, of No. 21 South Gay Street, Baltimore, Maryland, United
States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a machine for forming and seaming sheet-metal cylinders.
The object being to provide for taking a flat sheet-metal blank and first forming it
into a cylinder on the mandrel, and then while the cylinder is still on the mandrel
seaming it longitudinally for the purpose of making cans, boxes or pipes, all as
hereinafter set forth.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,—
Figure 1 is a side view of the mandrel and the mechanism immediately connected
with it, the frame of the machine being omitted as unimportant.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same parts.
Figure 3 is a view of the seam-stay and a section of the guide therefor.
Figure is a top view of the bracket which supports the guide.
Figure 5 is a section view showing part of the drive-wheels and the intermittent
gear.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the mandrel.
Figure 7 is a side view of the mandrel.
Figures 8 and 9 are side and end views, respectively, of the tool-bar and
push-springs.
Figures 10 and 11 are views of the seaming-tool.
Figure 12 is a cross-section of the mandrel and the rollers, and a side-view of
the seam-stay, all of these parts being in the position they occupy when the
seaming-tool is at work on the sheet-metal cylinder.
Figure 13 is a cross-section of the mandrel at line 13-13.
Figures 14 to 17 are views of the sheet-metal blank and the cylinder formed
therefrom.
The letter, A, designates the mandrel which is to be suitably mounted in ordinary
bearings on a suitable frame (not shown here because well-known to mechanics)
which will support it and allow it to turn.
The mandrel has a pinion, , by which it is turned and is provided with a
longitudinal groove, c, which is occupied by the tool-bar, C. This tool-bar carries
the seaming-tool. As contemplated here, the longitudinal seam is formed on the
inner side of the sheet-metal cylinder. My present invention, however, is not
limited to a machine for forming an inner-side seam, as my combination may form
a seam outside of the sheet-metal cylinder.
The tool-bar, C, fits in the mandrel-groove, c, and is movable back and forth
endwise therein; in order that this reciprocating movement may be imparted to
the tool-bar, it is provided on one side with two friction rollers, e, which are
separated from each other by a space,, to receive the flange, of a cam-wheel, F.
While the mandrel, A, with the tool-bar, C, in it has an intermittent rotary move-
ment, as hereinafter explained, the tool-bar, C, also has a reciprocating movement
in the groove in the mandrel. The sheet-metal cylinder that is to be formed, see
Figures 14 to 17, will be wrapped around the end, g, of the mandrel, seen at the
left-hand side in the drawings. The tool-bar, C, has push-springs, 9', which may
be attached by one end in any suitable way; these springs, in the present instance,
are straight bars and are attached first to a semi-circular collar, h, large enough to
D

page_text: fit half
way about the mandrel and which is inade fast to the tool-bar by a screw, h³,
or any other suitable means. In the present instance two push-springs, g', are
employed and are deemed sufficient though more than two may be used; the said
springs, ', extend parallel with the tool-bar and their free ends are yielding, and
each spring occupies a straight groove gå, formed in the side of the mandrel, A,
and is Hush with the outer surface thereof. When the tool-bar, C, is retracted or
drawn back toward the right hand, from the position it occupies in the drawing,
the free extremities, 3, of the push-springs will be released from the sheet-metal
body and will spring outward and then the catch on each extremity will bear on
the end of the sheet-metal cylinder which may be about the forming-end g, of the
mandrel, and when the tool-bar, C, is moved forward toward the left-hand, these
spring-catches will push the said cylinder endwise off the mandrel.
Two rollers, G, are employed in connection with the mandrel, g, to form the flat
sheet-metal blanks into a cylinder. These rollers have their journalled ends resting
in bearings in a vertically-movable frame, H, and have position below the mandrel-
end, g; the roller-frame, H, is guided by a bracket, I, which is secured to a table
or other suitable stationary support, J. The said bracket, I, has four flanges, i, which
form two vertical grooves, j, on opposite sides; it also has a central hole, or bore, k',
between the two grooves. The roller-frame, H, has two legs, j, which fit and work
up-and-down in the vertical grooves, j, of the bracket; each leg has a friction-
roller, l, against which bears the cams, l', which are mounted on a shaft, L; when
the shaft revolves the cams, 11, have the effect to raise and lower the roller-frame, H.
When the two rollers, G, are raised so as to be close to or in contact with the
mandrel-end, g, as shown in Figure 12, a flat sheet-metal blank, m, may be inserted
between the said rollers and mandrel and thereby formed into a cylinder which will
wrap or coil about the said mandrel. The flat blank, m, has at each of two
opposite ends an upturned edge, m', and when this blank has been wrapped about
the mandrel and thereby forms a cylinder, the said two upturned edges are curled
or coiled together on the inner side of the said cylinder, as seen in Figure 16, by
the action of the reciprocating seaming-tool, d; the upturned-edges of the blank,
therefore, are formed into a coiled seam of the sheet-metal cylinder. The seaming-
tool, d, in the form of a rectangular block having a curved face in which is a
tapering groove, ; the largest part of this groove forms a partly-circular
opening,, at one end of the block and the smallest part forms a small opening, a,
at the other end; on the face of the block one side of this groove has a straight
line edge, e, parallel with the two sides of the block, and a lip-edge, e, which
finishes the coiling or curling of the seam. In forming a seam the large opening of
the tool advances foremost, and the two upturned edges, m', of the sheet-metal enter
said large opening; as the tool advances the said sheet-metal edges are forced to
coil and as the coiled edges reach the small part of the tapered groove they are
tightened or compressed so that the longer edge, m', completely interlocks the
smaller edge and thus forms the seam shown in Figure 16.
The sheet-metal blanks are fed to the machine and inserted as follows: the flat
blanks, m, are presented, with one of the up-turned edges foremost, to a position
between the mandrel, A, and one of the rollers, G, as shown in Figure 12; if no
sheet-metal cylinder is on the mandrel, the said foremost upturned edge may be
gently pressed against the revolving mandrel, and so held until, by the revolution
of the mandrel, the longitudinal groove, e, takes the said upturned edge in, where-
upon the sheet-metal blank will be drawn between the mandrel and rollers and at
once wrapped about the mandrel, bringing the said upturned edges close together
and pointing them inward. The tool, d, then reciprocates and coils the said two
edges of the sheet-metal into a seam, as already described.
By lowering the two rollers, G, from the mandrel, the sheet-metal cylinder
about the mandrel may be pushed off.
A seam-stay bar, N, is employed to press longitudinally against the exterior of
the sheet-metal cylinder, while the latter is on the mandrel-end, y, and by such
exterior pressure sustain the seam-parts of the cylinder while the seaming-tool, d,

page_text: is at work on the inner side of the cylinder. The seam-stay, N, is mounted on the
upper end of a shank or rod, k, which passes freely through the roller-frame, H,
and also through the central bore, k, in the bracket, I, which latter serves as a
guide; the seam-stay is vertically-movable independent of the roller-frame, H.
The lower end of the seam-stay shank, ', has a friction-roller, n, against which
bears a cam, n, mounted on the shaft, L, between the two roller-cams, '. The
cam, n, is so shaped and placed on the shaft as to raise the seam-stay, N, at a
particular juncture, to wit; just after a sheet-metal blank, m, has been wrapped
about the mandrel-end, g, and during one of the intermissions or pauses in the
revolution of the mandrel, at which time, also, the tool-bar, C, and tool, d, when
arranged as shown in the drawing, moves from left to right.
The cam-wheel, F, is keyed fast to the shaft, L, and, as already stated, imparts
a reciprocating movement to the tool-bar, C. The gear-wheel, O, is loose on the
shaft, L, and gears with the pinion, b, on the mandrel; a second gear-wheel, P, is
keyed fast to the shaft, L, alongside of the loose wheel, O, and constitutes the
driver; it receives motion from another wheel not shown. Any suitable mechanism
that is known to mechanics for producing an intermittent rotary movement of the
mandrel may be employed. Such mechanism connects the loose wheel, O, and the
fast wheel, P. The shaft, L, has bearing in a stationary standard, 7, to which also
a cam-plate,, is secured.
The fast-wheel, P, carries a pawl, s, and a rock-shaft, ; the pawl is at the
side of the fast wheel, P, which adjoins the loose wheel, O, and its position takes
close to the rim of said loose wheel. An arm, t, is on the pawl-shaft, s', at the
other side of the fast wheel; this arm has a friction roller, t, and its position is
such that its path of rotation brings it against the stationary cam-plate, r.
loose wheel, O, has on the inner side of its rim adjoining the fast-wheel, l',
a lug, v.
The
A spiral spring, u, connects the pawl-arm, t, with the rim of the fast-wheel, P,
and normally has the effect to turn the said arm to a radial position where the
pawl, s, would not engage with the lug, v, on the loose-wheel; at such times the
loose-wheel, O, will not revolve and the mandrel, A, will be at a stand-still. But
when by the revolution of the fast-wheel, the pawl-arm, t, comes in contact with
the cam-plate,, as in Figures 1 and 2, the effect of the said cam-plate is to turn
the pawl-arm and bring the pawl, s, where it will engage with the lug,
thus engaged the loose wheel, 0, will revolve and so will the mandrel.
when
In the present instance, the mandrel-end, y, has a bevelled ring or annular
flange, w, and the rollers, G, have a corresponding bevel ou one end. This device
is to form on the end of the sheet-metal cylinder a flare or outward flange, w², see
Figure 17, to which a bottom may be readily attached for making cans.
It will be obvious to a mechanic skilled in this class of machines that the
construction of many of the parts here shown and described may be modified and
changed from the way they are illustrated in the drawings, without departing
from my invention; I do not therefore, limit my claims to the construction
shown.
It will be obvious that the shape of the mandrel is not limited to the cylindrical
shape shown, as sheet-metal bodies other than those which are "cylindric" may be
made by this mechanism.
It is also obvious that a flat sheet-metal blank, formed into a cylindric shape by
any suitable means other than the "mandrel "here shown, may, after so formed
be placed on a mandrel having a groove and there held while the longitudinal seam
is formed by the tool,-in this case the mandrel would not serve as the "forming
device but merely as a support or holder for the sheet-metal cylinder.
27
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
clain is:
1. The combination of a mandrel to support a sheet-metal cylinder and having a

page_text: longitudinal groove; a seaming-tool to reciprocate in said groove; and a stay to
sustain the seam-parts of the cylinder while the seam is being made.
2. The combination of a revoluble mandrel; rollers operating in connection
with the mandrel to form sheet-metal cylinders; and a seaming tool which
reciprocates lengthwise of the mandrel for interlocking the longitudinal edges of
the cylinder.
3. The combination of a mandrel for forming sheet-metal cylinders and provided
with a longitudinal groove rollers to form the sheet-metal cylinders on the
mandrel; a seam-stay bar to press on the exterior of the cylinder; and a reciprocating
seaming-tool occupying, the said mandrel groove.
4. The combination of a mandrel for forming sheet-metal cylinders and mounted
to revolve a seaming-tool for interlocking the longitudinal edges of the cylinder
and reciprocating lengthwise of the mandrel; and intermittent gear for producing
an intermittent rotary movement of the mandrel.
5. The combination of a mandrel for forming sheet-metal cylinders and mounted
to revolve; a seaming-tool for interlocking the longitudinal edges of the cylinder
and reciprocating lengthwise of the mandrel; intermittent gear for producing an
intermittent rotary movement of the mandrel; and a cam for imparting a
reciprocating movement to the seaming-tool.
6. The combination of a maudrel for forming sheet-metal cylinders and mounted
to revolve a seaming-tool for interlocking the longitudinal edges of the cylinder
and reciprocating lengthwise of the mandrel; and a pusher to remove the
cylinder from the mandrel.
7. The combination of a mandrel for forming sheet-metal cylinders and provided
with a longitudinal groove c, and side grooves, g²; a bar, C, movable in the
longitudinal groove; a seaming-tool attached to the bar; and push-springs, g',
attached to the said bar and occupying the side grooves.
Dated this 13th day of November 1893.
EDWARD SMALL.