Improvements in and in Apparatus for Use in Shearing Metal Plates and Sheets.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Use in Shearing Metal
Plates and Sheets.
I, FRANK ARTHUR WILLIAMS, of Church Road, Albrighton in the County of
Salop, Manager of Tool Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its object to shear opposite sides of a metal plate or thick
sheet, or opposite sides of each of a number of thin metal sheets, parallel with one
another and at one operation; and also to shear plates and sheets each at one
operation into two or more smaller plates or sheets having the sheared edges
parallel with one another.
The shearing is effected, according to this invention, by means of pairs of rotary
cutters; and when opposite edges only of plates or sheets are to be sheared
parallel with one another the apparatus employed consists, according to this
invention, of a pair of upper rotary cutters mounted on a suitable spindle and a
pair of lower rotary cutters mounted on a suitable spindle, and the spindles are
driven by suitable mechanism. The side faces of the upper cutters are, preferably,
towards one another, and the corresponding faces of the lower cutters outwards
from one another, and thus the lower cutters are just inside the upper cutters as seen
looking down upon them from above. Metal plates or thick sheets may be sheared
each singly, and, for this purpose, their ends are entered between the upper and
lower cutters, and as they are sheared they are drawn forward by the cutters, and
the two sides are guided between the side faces of the upper cutters and the edges
thus sheared parallel with one another. In order to start the plate or sheet
straight between the cutters one edge is placed against a straight gauge.
Thin sheets are dealt with exactly as plates and thick sheets, except that two or
more are placed upon one another to form a pack which will give sufficient
thickness to ensure the sheared edges being properly guided along the faces of the
cutters.
The cutters may be adjustable upon their spindles so as to increase or decrease
their width apart to suit different widths of plates and sheets.
The gauge is made adjustable sideways so that it may be moved inwards or
outwards to suit plates or sheets which have more than ordinarily irregular
edges.
A larger number of cutters are used, both on the top and bottom spindles, when
it is desired that a sheet or plate, or pack of sheets, shall not only have two opposite
edges sheared parallel with one another, but shall be cut also in parallel lines into
smaller plates or sheets. In this case, any two adjacent cutters on the same
spindle should have their side faces either both towards one another or both away
from one another; and wheu such is the case one or more of the widths of smaller
plates or sheets will be cut down by one or more pairs of upper cutters which are
inside the corresponding lower cutters and such width or widths be guided between
the faces of such lower cutters.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1893.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for Use in Shearing Metal
Plates and Sheets.
I, FRANK ARTHUR WILLIAMS, of Church Road, Albrighton in the County of
Salop, Manager of Tool Works, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to shear opposite sides of a metal plate or sheet,
or opposite sides of each of a number of thin metal sheets placed together, parallel
with one another and at one operation; and also to shear plates and sheets each at
one operation both along two of their opposite edges and also into two or more
smaller plates or sheets.
The shearing is effected, according to this invention, by means of pairs of rotary
cutters between which the plates or sheets are guided by means of a travelling
guide to which the hinder end of each plate or sheet is fixed.
A machine or apparatus, constructed according to this invention, which may be
used either for shearing the opposite edges only of plates or sheets parallel with
one another, or for shearing plates or sheets along parallel lines both along two of
their opposite edges and also into smaller plates or sheets, is illustrated by the
drawings herewith.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine or apparatus, but shews the
travelling guide hereinafter described, and bar along which it slides, as in transverse
section ;
Figure 2 is an end view of the machine or apparatus with the guide and guide
bar omitted, for convenience of illustration;
Figure 3 is a section thereof taken on line of Figure 1, but shews the guidė
and guide bar in side elevation; and
Figure 4 is an end view of the bar for the travelling guide and of the support
for such bar.
A pair of cutter spindles A A are mounted to be capable of turning.in
bearings B B carried by standards C C which are fixed upon a bed D. The
spindles are geared together by equal spur wheels E E fixed thereto respectively,
and are driven from an engine or other prime mover, through the medium of a
pinion on a shaft G gearing into a wheel H on the upper spindle A, or in other
convenient manner.
Each spindle A carries a number of steel or steel-edged discs forming rotary
cutters a a etc; and the cutters of each spindle, respectively, are distanced apart
by distance-pieces b b etc. The cutters and distance-pieces are slid into place along
the spindles which are each provided with a long key to prevent the cutters
from turning in relation to the spindles, and are then tightened up end ways
between collars c c, formed with the spindles, and nuts d d screwed thereon..
A travelling guide J is mounted to be capable of sliding along a bar K which
is fixed at right-angles, or approximately so, to the cutter spindles. The guide is
formed with a horizontal gap or opening e at its front to receive the hinder end
of a plate or sheet k, or the hinder ends of two or more sheets placed upon one
another; and such hinder end or ends are securely held in the guide by screwing
down a set-pin through the upper part of the guide and on to the plate or
sheet or thickness of sheets. The forward or inner end of the bar K is pivoted,
by means of a pin g, to its support which consists, conveniently, of a girder L
fixed at its ends to the standards C C. The outer end of the bar K rests on
the top of a fixed support M, across which it may be moved sideways a short
distance on either side of the centre by means of a screw h. The ends of the
screw are formed cylindrical and are carried in bearings in the sides of the
support M, and the screwed portion is screwed through a lug i carried by

page_text: the bar K. The screw h has a hand-wheel; by which it may be turned. The
bar may thus be adjusted to make such horizontal angles with the common plane
of the axes of the cutter spindles as may be required to correct any irregularities
of the cutters or spring of the spindles and ensure that the plate, sheet or
thickness of sheets will pass properly through the cutters when the hinder end
is fixed in the guide J and the sheared edges be thus always quite straight and
parallel with one another. The operation of the cutters themselves carries
forward the plate, sheet or thickness of sheets, and consequently draws the guide J
along the bar K. The plate, sheet, or thickness of sheets, must of course be
released from the guide, by slackening back the set-pin f, as the guide comes near
to the cutters.
The machine illustrated may be used to shear the outside edges of a wide
plate, or sheet or thickness of sheets, parallel with one another and at the same
time split the plate, sheet, or thickness of sheets, into a number of smaller plates
or sheets; or it may be used simply to shear the sides of a single plate, or sheet
or thickness of sheets, parallel by subjecting such plate, sheet or thickness of
sheets, to the operation of the two middle pairs of cutters. The sides only of a
plate or sheet, or thickness of sheets, of any desired width may be sheared
parallel by using two pairs of cutters spaced apart on each side of the middle the
required distance; and when a machine is required only for use in shearing at one
operation the opposite edges of a plate or sheet or thickness of sheets placed
together, such machine need not be fitted, of course, with more than two pairs of
rotary cutters.
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 :-
1. Shearing the opposite sides of a metal plate or sheet, or opposite sides of a
number of sheets placed together, parallel with one another and at one operation
by means of two pair of rotary cutters under the operation of which the plate or
sheet, or number of sheets placed together, is guided by a guide sliding along a
fixed guide bar, substantially as described.
2. Shearing plates or sheets, each at one operation, both along two of their
opposite edges and also into two or more smaller plates or sheets, by means of three
or more pairs of rotary cutters under the operation of which a plate or sheet (or
two or more sheets put together) is guided by a guide sliding along a fixed guide
bar, substantially as described.
3. Apparatus for use in shearing the opposite sides of a metal plate or sheet, or
opposite sides of a number of sheets placed together, parallel with one another and
at one operation, or for shearing plates or sheets, each at one operation, both
along two of their opposite edges and also into two or more smaller plates or
sheets, characterized by having a pair of spindles carrying upper and lower rotary
cutters and a travelling guide which slides along a fixed guide bar, all substantially
as described.
4. Apparatus for use in shearing the opposite sides of a metal plate or sheet, or
opposite sides of a number of sheets placed together, parallel with one another and
at one operation, or for shearing plates or sheets, each at one operation, both
along two of their opposite edges and also into two or more smaller plates or
sheets, characterized by having a pair of spindles carrying upper and lower rotary
cutters and a travelling guide which slides along a fixed guide bar which is
combined with means by which its hinder or outer end may be adjusted sideways,
all substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of August 1894.