OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edgar Isaac Henry Edward
Whitehouse and Joseph Trubshaw Whitehouse at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd April 1882.
EDGAR ISAAC HENRY EDWARD WHITEHOUSE of Tipton in the County of
Stafford Manufacturer and JOSEPH TRUBSHAW WHITEHOUSE of Tipton aforesaid
Mining Engineer NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
WASHERS
"
Our said invention consists of machinery, the parts of which are constructed and
arranged in the manner hereinafter described; which said machinery is especially
applicable to the manufacture of metallic washers, but may also be applied to the
manufacture of washers of non metallic materials.
We will describe our invention in connection with the manufacture of washers
from strips of sheet iron The strips from which the washers are to be cut, are fed
into the machine by means of a feeder to which a backward and forward motion is
given, the feeder having a period of rest after each motion. This feeder is worked
from the main shaft of the machine by means of, a crank and crank rod
giving motion to another crank which is geared by means of connecting rods to
the feeder.
The feeder is so connected to the connecting rods that by means of screws carried
by the latter, the range of motion of the feeder can be regulated so as to suit the size
of the washer being manufactured. The feeder in its advance motion grips and
carries forward the strips of iron, but on its return motion slips upon them without
moving them.
The strips are fed onto the bed of the machine between adjustable guides by
which the motion of the strips is accurately directed. In the bed of the machine
are several rows of dies capable of removal and replacement Tbe dies of the first
row have holes of the size of the hole in the smallest washer to be made. The
dies of the second row have holes of the size of the exterior of the first
washers to be made, the dies of each succeeding row having holes of progressive
increasing sizes and corresponding to the exteriors of the different sized washers
to be made.
Over the bed plate and a short distance above it is a guide plate having rows of
holes over the rows of holes in the dies on the bed of the machine.

page_text: Through these holes in the guide plate rows of punches simultaneously descend.
These punches form with the holes in the dies on the bed of the machine, cutting
tools. The first row of punches on their descent cuts out of the strips of iron, dises
having the size of the interior of the smallest washer to be made. The other
punches are of sizes corresponding to the several sizes of the washers to be made
and on their descent cut out rings or washers of progressively increasing diameter.
Thus as the ends of the strips are fed into the machine and come to rest under the
first row of punches, the descent of. the said punches cuts holes in them. After
the strips have advanced and again come to rest, the second row of punches cut
out rings or washers around the holes formed by the first row of punches the
first row of punches at the same time punching holes in another portion of each
strip. After the strips have been still further advanced and brought to rest, the
third set of punches cuts out rings or washers of a larger size and so on to any
desired extent. All the rows of punches descend simultaneously, each row excepting
the first, cutting out washers of different sizes. The washers thus cut out fall
through the dies on the bed of the machine and are received in inclined channels
by which they are conducted to separate receptacles and the different sizes
prevented from being mixed together.
The punches are fixed by set screws in a bolt or slide to which a rising and
falling motion is given by a crank on the principal shaft. This crank works in a
horizontal recess in the bolt or slide, the said recess having a width equal to the
throw of the crank, but a depth: equal only to the depth of the bearing through which
the said crank passes: On the rotation of the shaft, the required rising and falling
motion is given to the punches.
The feeding arrangement described is applied to the back as well as to the front
of the machine so that as soon as the advancing ends of the strips have reached
the back of the machine, they are operated upon by mechanism essentially the
same as the feeding mechanism herein before described. The strips being thus
taken bold of at two points when moved perform their motions with great certainty
and accuracy.
The machine may be made with one set of tools for cutting washers from one
strip of metal or with two or more sets of tools for simultaneously cutting washers
from several strips of metal.