IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LEVELING AND STRAIGHTENING SHEET AND PLATE METAL
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOSEPH WILLIAM BRITTON of Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America,
Iron Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention' for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LEVELING AND STRAIGHTENING SHEET
AND PLATE METAL," 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 accompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in
which
:
J
Figure 1 represents a plan view of the machine or apparatus aforesaid.
Figure 2 is a side view thereof.
Figures 3 and 4 are detached sections.
Like letters of reference denote like parts in the drawing.
In the manufacture of sheet and plate metal, said sheets and plates are more or
less warped or buckled, and otherwise affected by kinks, sometimes covering the
entire surface of the sheets; in this condition they are not fit for some purposes,
nor can they be closely packed in bundles for transportation as their warped state
and form prevents them from lying evenly and smoothly when used, or upon each.
other in a package or bundles.
Heretofore this defect in the sheets has been partly removed by the hammer, by.
which the short places in the sheet are stretched. to equal the length of the swells
or buckles, this manipulation of the sheet although it smooths and flattens it, injures
the, fibre of the metal, especially if the plate is much warped or buckled.
Rolls are also used for the said purpose, through which the sheets or plates are
passed, but this does not wholly accomplish the desired end.
Rolling cold galvanized plate or sheet metal is ordinarily impracticable for the
iron if drawn or compressed in the operation, the zinc coating. is stripped off or
cracked, thereby rendering the sheet unfit for some special work.
The object of this invention is to avoid these objections, and to render the sheets,
or plates of iron, steel, brass, copper and other like material straight, smooth, and
free from kinks and bulges.
To this end the following described mechanism and method are employed....
In the drawings A represents a rectangular frame made of any suitable material
and size for the purpose specified. The ends B and C, of the frame project above

page_text: the sides thereof as seen in the drawings. Through the end C, pass freely the stay
rods D, E, in which are key holes aa, to receive the keys F. To the inner ends of
said rods is secured a retaining head G, extending transversely across the frame
and resting upon the sides thereof whereon it 'slides. Longitudinally in the side of
the head and extending through its entire length is a deep groove forming a tubular
like shell or head, as shown in the drawings. In said head is a pair of clamping
jaws b, c, arranged to open toward the back of the head; a detached view of one
of the jaws is shown in Figure 3. Each jaw is of the length of the head and the
upper edge of the one, and the lower edge of the other are adapted to fit in a groove
as seen at a Figure 4, forming an articulation of the jaws in the head, which are
sustained in connection therewith by links H, respectively.
One end of each link is secured to the ends of the head, and in the opposite ends
of the links are pivoted the jaws by the stud e, Figure 3, projecting therefrom into
the links in which the jaws vibrate when opening and closing the same. On the
opposite end of the frame is a head I, constructed substantially as the head G and
provided with a pair of jaws corresponding to the jaws in the head G, the two
heads and jaws are duplicates and co-operate for clamping a sheet or sheets of
metal as hereinafter shown.
To the head I, are connected a pair of draw rods J. J. passing through the ends
of the frame and terminating in a cross head K, to which they are made fast by
the nuts m. Between the end B of the frame and the clamping head I, is a spring L,
(or a spring may be coiled around each of the draw rods) for a purpose presently
manifest. Between the draw rods J J, and secured to the ends of the frame A, is
a cylinder M, provided with a piston N, connected with the cross head K, said
cylinder is attached to a hydrostatic pump (not shown in the drawings) for operating
the apparatus, other suitable power may be used instead of a pump, a pump
however, is preferred, a too well known power to require further notice in this
case,
The practical operation of the machine above described is as follows.
Cold, one or more warped or buckled plates or sheets of metal O, an edge view
of which is shown in Figures 2 and 4, is placed between the two clamping heads G
and I, and the ends thereof respectively inserted in the clamping jaws as shown
in Figures 2 and 4. The head G is retained at its end of the frame by the keys F,
while the power of the pump is applied to the movable clamping bead I, which
draws said head towards the B end of the frame and a consequent stretching of the
sheets or sheet O, in that direction. The tensile strain thus exerted upon the sheet
lengthens it just enough between the kinks and bulges to take out the buckle and
swells therefrom, leaving the sheet or plate when taken froin the machine free of
kinks or warpings, the buckle being entirely taken out, so that the sheet has an
even uniform smooth flat surface, with the fibre of the metal uninjured.
It will be obvious that the clamping jaws are so arranged, that their hold upon
the sheet is all the more firm as the power applied to it may be increased, and free
to release their hold when the strain upon the sheet is released, at which time the
head I, is moved back by the resiliency of the spring L, for loosening the grip of
the clamping jaws, that the sheet may be removed therefrom, to be replaced by
others. Several sheets may be operated upon at once, or separately as aforesaid.
The head G, is adjustable to adapt the machine to sheets and plates of different
lengths, and which may be retained in position by other means than by the keys
above alluded to. Sheets or plates of metal are treated as before described, namely,
subjecting them to a tensile strain without their being heated for that purpose, and
more or less of them together treated at the same time, when cold as herein before
set forth.
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. In a machine or apparatus for taking the kinks or buckle out of sheet and
plate metal, the frame A having arranged thereon a retaining head G. provided

page_text: with a pair of clamping jaws, stay rods and keys, adjusted in relation to, and
co-operating with a movable clamping head I, and clamping jaws corresponding to
the clamping retaining head G, and its respective jaws, draw rods J, J, spring and
cross head, constructed and arranged to operate in combination with a hydrostatic
pump or other suitable sufficient power, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Second. For taking kinks or buckles out of sheet and plate metal, a pair of
clamping heads provided with clamping jaws adapted to clamp respectively the
ends of a sheet or plate of metal and arranged on a suitable frame so as to face each
other, one being adjustable but stationary while in use, and the other movable for
co-operating there with for clamping and stretching the sheets or plates; for the
purpose specified in combination with a hydrostatic pump or other suitable power
substantially as herein set forth.
Third. In the manufacture of sheet and plate metal, the herein described method
of leveling and flattening the swells, bulges, or buckles of the sheet or plate by
securing transversely the end of one or more of said sheets or plates in clamping
heads and while cold subjecting the sheet or sheets to a tensile strain by which are
stretched the short places thereof and a flattening and a leveling down of the
swells and bulges, attended by an elongation of the entire sheet or sheets more or
less, thereby obtaining to said sheets an evenly flat uniform surface substantially
as and in the manner set forth.