IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND STAMPING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR APPLYING PRESSURE IN OTHER CASES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING, AND STAMPING METALS AND OTHER
MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR APPLYING PRESSURE IN OTHER CASES."
A communication from abroad by David Brickner, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING,
AND STAMPING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR APPLYING
PRESSURE IN OTHER CASES." [A communication from abroad by David Brickner,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to a machine for punching, shearing, and stamping metals,
which is designed to be operated by hand or by means of a treadle, and it consists
mainly in the combination of a heavily weighted pendulum with the levers and
moving parts of a shearing, punching, and stamping machine, whereby a powerful
and effective action of the shears or punch is secured by the expenditure of a small
amount of force.
The Invention also consists in a novel combination of levers and other parts for
operating the shears and punch, and also in a combination with the swinging weight
and working beam or rod, which actuates the latter, of treadle mechanism organised
to keep said weight in working connection with said beam, but providing for the
ready disengagement and engagement again when required of the beam and
weight.
Although the Invention will be here described as applied to a combined shearing
and punching machine, having shears applicable to cutting bars only, it is equally
[Prins

page_text: applicable to machines designed only for shearing or punching, and not for both,
or to machines applicable to shearing boiler and other plates, and also to machines
for stamping purposes.
According to this Invention the base portion of the main frame of the machine is
made hollow to receive the working mechanism, and supports a slotted goose neck
or upper portion of the frame, which is suitably constructed to carry and receive
within it the working beam or blade of the shears, and a rod connecting said beam
with its operating mechanism below. The upper frame is furthermore constructed
to form the stationary cutting blade of the shears, also to steady and guide the
punch or its mandril. The die in which the punch works is secured on the lower
portion of the main frame by bolts of smaller diameter than the holes through
which they pass in said die, so that on loosening said bolts the die may be readily
adjusted in different directions to bring it in central position with the punch. The
hand lever, by which the machine is worked, may be in front or on one side or both
sides of the machine, and is fast on a rock shaft or spindle having its bearings in
the base portion of the frame. On this rock shaft is secured an arm, which is
attached at its free end by a rod or forked connection with a swinging pendant
above the centre of motion or fulcrum of the latter. Attached to said swinging
weight on one side of its fulcrum is a stud or pin, which is free to enter a notch or
hook in the lower end of the connecting rod of the working beam or blade, and to
engage itself therewith or to be disengaged therefrom by simply moving the rod on
its pivoted attachment with the working beam toward or from the pin of the
swinging weight. When said pin is engaged with the hook the power communicated
by the hand lever to the weight is transmitted through the latter to the working
beam, and said weight as it is vibrated serves to give a powerful and effective action
to the machine, and to keep the machine running with sufficient force to perform
certain amount of work after the operator has ceased to actuate the machine by the
band lever. When the pin however is disengaged from the hook of the rod, then,
although the weight continues to vibrate, the working beam is arrested in its
motion. Such disengagement affords ample opportunity for entering, removing, or
adjusting work to be punched, sheared, or stamped, and which cannot always be
done when the machine is running rapidly.
To make more practically available this engagement and disengagement of the
working beam or its rod with and from the swinging weight I combine with the
rod a treadle mechanism organised to keep said beam and said weight in working
connection, except when the treadle is operated to disengage these devices; thus,
the front portion of the treadle is arranged to project through either side of the
frame of the machine, and within convenient reach by the foot of the operator
controlling the hand lever. This treadle is so connected with the connecting rod of
the working blade or beam, and that so long as the foot portion of the treadle is
kept raised, as, for instance, by a weight or spring applied to the latter, the con-
necting rod remains engaged with the swinging weight, but when the foot is applied
to the treadle to depress it the rod is disengaged by the rod or hook and pin from
the swinging weight, thereby stopping the working beam. On relieving the foot
however from the treadle the latter assumes its normal position again, and the rod
re-engages itself with the swinging weight.
The weighted lever may, if desired, be made of considerable length so as to project
down into and work within a pit, and the lower pendulous weight of the lever be
shifted closer to or farther from the centre of motion of the latter, as circumstances
require.
The Invention is applicable to the punching, shearing, and stamping of metals
and other materials, and may also be used for applying pressure for other

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th June 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PUNCHING, SHEARING,
AND STAMPING METALS AND OTHER MATERIALS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR APPLYING
PRESSURE IN OTHER CASES." A communication from abroad by David Brickner, of
"
the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a machine for punching, shearing, and stamping metals,
which is designed to be operated by hand or by means of a treadle, and it consists
mainly in the combination of a heavily weighted pendulum with the levers and
moving parts of a shearing, punching, and stamping machine, whereby a powerful
and effective action of the shears or punch is secured by the expenditure of a small
amount of force.
The Invention also consists in a novel combination of levers and other parts for
operating the shears and punch, and also in a combination with the swinging weight
and working beam or rod, which actuates the latter, of treadle mechanism organised
to keep said weight in working connection with said beam, but providing for the
ready disengagement and engagement again when required of the beam and
weight.
Although the Invention will here be described as applied to a combined shearing
and punching machine having shears applicable to cutting bars only, it is equally
applicable to machines designed only for shearing or punching, and not for both, or
to inachines applicable to shearing boiler and other plates, and also to machines for
stamping purposes.
The Invention is also applicable to the punching, shearing, and stamping of
other materials besides metals, and may also be used for applying pressure in other
cases.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the machine; and Figure 2, a front elevation.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the base portion of the main frame of the machine, made hollow to receive
the working mechanism, and supporting on it a slotted goose neck or upper portion A¹
of the frame. This upper frame portion A¹ is suitably constructed to carry and receive
within it the working beam or blade B of the shears, and rod C connecting said
beam with its operating mechanism below, and it is furthermore constructed to form
the stationary cutting blade 6 or b¹ of the shears, also to steady and guide the punch
or its mandrel D. The die E, in which the punch works, is secured on the lower
portion A of the main frame by bolts of smaller diameter than the holes through
which they pass in said die, so that on loosening said bolts the die may be readily
adjusted in different directions to bring it in central position with the punch. G is
a hand lever, by which the machine is worked; this hand lever, which may be in
front or on one side or both sides of the machine, is fast on a rock shaft or spindle c
having its bearings in the base portion A of the frame. On this rock shaft is secured
an arm d, which is attached at its free end by a rod or forked connection e with a
swinging pendant H above the centre of motion or fulcrum f of the latter. Attached
to said swinging weight on one side of its fulcrum is a stud or pin g, which is free
to enter a notch or hook h in the lower end of the rod C, and to engage itself there
with or to be disengaged therefrom by simply moving the rod C on its pivoted
attachment with the working beam B toward or from the pin g of the swinging
weight. When said pin g is engaged with the hook h the power communicated by
the hand lever G to the weight H is transmitted through the latter to the working
beam B, and said weight as it is vibrated serves to give a powerful and effective
action to the machine, and to keep the machine running with sufficient force to

page_text: perform a certain amount of work after the operator has ceased to actuate the
machine by the hand lever G. When the pin g however is disengaged froin the
hook h of the rod C, then, although the weight H continues to vibrate, the working
beam B is arrested in its motion. Such disengagement affords ample opportunity
for entering, removing, or adjusting work to be punched, sheared, or stamped, and
which cannot always be done when the machine is running rapidly.
To make more practically available this engagement and disengagement of the
working beam B or its rod C with and from the swinging weight H, I combine with
the rod C a treadle mechanism organised to keep said beam and said weight in
working connection, excepting when the treadle is operated to disengage these
devices; thus, I is the treadle, the front portion i of which is arrranged to project
through either side of the frame of the machine, and within convenient reach by
the foot of the operator controlling the hand lever. This treadle, which has its
fulcrum at k, is connected by a rod 1, bell crank m, and rod n with the rod C, and
so that so long as the foot portion i of the treadle is kept raised, as, for instance, by
a weight or spring applied to the latter, the rod C remains engaged with the
swinging weight H, but when the foot is applied to the treadle I to depress it the
rod C is disengaged by the notch or hook hand pin g from the swinging weight,
thereby stopping the working beam B. On relieving the foot however from the
treadle the latter assumes its normal position again, and the rod C re-engages itself
with the swinging weight.
In Figure 1 the position of the parts when the rod C is engaged with the swinging
weight H is represented by full lines, and when said devices are disengaged, by dotted
lines.
Said lever H may, if desired, be made of considerable length, so as to project
down into and work within a pit, and the lower pendulous weight of the lever be
shifted closer to or farther from the centre of motion of the latter, as circumstances
require.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination of the pendant swinging weight H, the rod C, the working
beam B, and the hand lever G, substantially as specified.
2nd. The combination with the working beam B and its operating rod or con-
nection C of a pendulous swinging weight or weighted vibrating fly lever H,
arranged to transmit the working force or power to said beam, and constructed to
engage itself with and to be disengaged from the rod by shifting the latter, substan-
tially as specified.
3rd. The combination with the swinging weight and the working beam or rod
operating the latter, constructed to admit of the engagement and disengagement of
said weight and said beam, as described, of a treadle mechanism organised to keep
Baid weight in working connection with said beam, but providing for the ready
disengagement and engagement again when required of the beam and weight, sub-
stantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.