IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIE BUCKLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson King, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF TIE BUCKLES." A communication from abroad by Henry W. Oliver, junior,
of Pittsburgh, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1876.
$
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIE BUCKLES." A communication
from abroad by Henry W. Oliver, junior, of Pittsburgh, in the United States of
America.
In the manufacture of that class of tie buckles for use in baling cotton and other
articles having a set-up lip to permit the easy insertion of the bale band it has been
customary to put the buckle through two distinct manipulations; first, the iron
was punched cold to form the slot; and, second, the lip was set up by a stamp
while cold. This method, which has been regarded as necessary in making these
articles, required the use of a very high quality of iron, because the great strain to
which the thin plate or blank was put would either break off the lip when being
bent, or weaken it greatly so that it was liable to break at any time.
My Invention enables me to dispense with one of these machines, obviates the
necessity of the second operation, and permits me to use with a better result an
inferior and much cheaper quality of iron, thereby saving time, labour, and expense.
It consists in making the buckle and setting up the lip while hot at one operation
by the use of suitable dies.
The cams operate in the yokes f, f; the cams c and d cause the sliding frame g,
which carries and operates the punch h and female die i, to advance, and the cams
c¹ and d cause it to retire. The eccentric e works in the yoke k, and thereby
actuates the reciprocating slide which being recessed on the under side in the
part works upon the bed m as a guide.
The slide operates the die n, and, by means of the rods p, p, the stripping
plate q. The die n has an open chamber n¹ in the rear for the discharge of the

page_text: punchings. One of the lips of the die n is raised, as shown at r, while the cor-
responding portion of the die i is sunken. This is to effect the setting up of the
lip of the buckle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thomson King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1877.
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TIE BUCKLES." A communication
from abroad by Henry W. Oliver, junior, of Pittsburgh, in the United States of
America.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine, by means of which my Invention is carried
into practice.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are views of the dies and punch.
Figs. 6 and 7 are side and edge views of a tie buckle made on my machine.
Like letters indicate like parts in each.
In the manufacture of that class of tie buckles for use in baling cotton and other
articles having a set-up lip to permit the easy insertion of the bale band it has been
customary to put the buckle through two distinct manipulations; first, the iron
was punched cold to form the slot; and, second, the lip was set up by a stamp
while cold. This method, which has been regarded as necessary in making these
articles, required the use of a very high quality of iron, because the great strain to
which the thin plate or blank was put would either break off the lip when being
bent or weaken it greatly so that it was liable to break at any time.
My Invention enables me to dispense with one of these machines, obviates the
necessity of the second operation, and permits me to use with a better result an
inferior and much cheaper quality of iron, thereby saving time, labour, and
expense. It consists in making the buckle and setting up the lip while hot at one
operation by the use of suitable dies.
The cams operate in the yokes ff; the cams c and d cause the sliding frame g,
which carries and operates the punch h and female die i to advance, and the cams c¹
and d¹ cause it to retire. The eccentric e works in the yoke k, and thereby actuates
the reciprocating slide 1, which being recessed on the under side in the part works
upon the bed m as a guide.
The slide operates the die n, and by means of the rods p, p, the stripping
plate q. The die n has an open chamber n¹ in the rear for the discharge of the
punchings. One of the lips of the die n is raised, as shown at r, while the cor-
responding portion of the die i is sunken. This is to effect the setting up of the lip
of the buckle.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-A bar of suitable shape being first
properly heated is fed into the machine through the opening 8 against the stop t;
the die n then advances, and forces it against the die i, and into the surrounding
die box u, against the edge of which the blank is cut off from the bar. Then while
it is held between the two dies the punch h advances, working through die i, and
punches the slot or opening v. During the last part of the advance of the punch
the die ȧ being caught by an enlargement or key on the punch shaft h¹ is caused
to advance also, and to compress the blank between the dies, and to set up the
lip v¹.
The further rotations of the shaft 6 causes the retraction of the dies and the punch,
while the stripper plate q being drawn forward by the backward motion of the
slide encounters the die i, and carries it forward, thereby stripping the buckle off
of the punch, and permitting it to fall to the floor. By this means I am enabled to
combine the heretofore separate operation of punching the buckle and setting up the

page_text: lip in one operation, thereby avoiding the use and expense of a second machine and
operation.
In addition to a large saving of time, labor, and expense of machinery I obtain a
more uniform and better product. In the previous method, although a much better
quality of iron was necessarily used, the buckles were often broken by the setting
up of the lip, and frequently after being attached to the band were broken when
used, entailing a great hardship on the user. This is entirely obviated by my improve-
ment, as the iron being in a fractory condition submits to the operations of punching
and setting up without being unduly strained, instead of the violent strain which
was formerly put on it in both the two operations. For this reason I am enabled to use
with better and more satifactory result to both manufacturer and user a much
inferior grade of metal. I find by experience that I can use with the above result
iron of at least twenty per cent. lower grade than that formerly used in the manu-
facture of these articles. This is a large and constant saving resulting from my
Invention.
Having now described and illustrated my said Invention in such manner that
others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect I claim,―
First. As an improvement in the manufacture of slotted tie buckles punching the
slot and setting up the lip at one operation while the blank is in a heated condition,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. The combination of the punch h, the dies i and n, one having a projection
and the other a corresponding depression, for the purpose of forming in the operation
of punching the buckle, the free lip and of setting up as described.
Third. In combination with the hollow die n having a projection r, the die ¿
having a corresponding depression, the die box u and punch h operating substan-
tially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. T. KING. (L.S.)