Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
We, ROBERT READ and ALFRED READ, Engineers and FREDERICK JOHN TAYLOR,
Managing Engineer, all of 21 to 27 Bridgewater Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of sheet metal articles, or vessels, such as
buckets, cans, pans, kettles and like sheet metal goods which consist of two, or more
parts, all, or some of which have to be joined together by seams and which also are
provided with wired edges, or rims.
The object of this Invention is to construct, or provide simple, efficient and cheap
machinery for effecting the joining or seaming together of the ends, or bottoms, or
tops of articles such as above specified to their bodies, such bodies being previously
provided with grooves by having their edges turned up and made to stand obliquely
or angularly to the body and their ends, or bottoms, or tops being of dish shape to
correspond. This Invention also has for its object to provide grooves in sheet metal
articles of the type herein described for wiring and in the same machine as the seaming
is effected.
To effect the object of this Invention, the machine is provided and constructed with
tools arranged and set to work in relation to the axis of the article-such as a bucket
and like articles under manufacture obliquely, or angularly to the axis of the article,
in such a manner that its bottom can be joined to the body by a double seam, the body
being previously formed with an angular groove as above stated and the bottom
being made of a dish form to correspond. These formations may be made in any
known, or convenient way. The machine may be arranged and constructed to form
the seams in sheet metal articles of either circular or oval formation of body, or of
square or polysided formation, the difference of construction existing in the two
machines being that for seaming articles of circular, or oval formation of body the
article is caused to revolve upon a mandril and the tools are of the roller type whilst
in the machines for seaming square, or polysided articles the article is stationary and
the tools are fixed to sliding heads. In the machine for seaming circular articles, the

page_text: article, say a bucket is placed upon a mandril mounted upon a head stock and the
loose bottom is put in position and kept in such position by a back centre head plate,
The tools are mounted in a suitable slide rest mounted in the bed of the machine.
Preferably two roller tools are provided in the slide, one for holding up the metal and
the other for bending and lapping the metal round the turned up edge of the body of
the article. After this operation is done, the seam is turned up against the body and
finished. This is effected by a separate roller tool preferably mounted on the same
slide. When it is required to form a groove in the upper part of the article for
wiring a roller tool is mounted and arranged to work parallel, or nearly parallel with
the outside of the article. The roller bearing, or working edge is of concave form
and when pressed upon the edge of the article causes such edge to bead in an outward
direction and to take the form of itself. This bead is prevented from closing up
against the side of the article by applying a roller of the size and form of the groove to
be made against the side of the article in such a manner that the roller comes between the
side of the article and the metal being turned over by the beading or spinning tool.
The opening tool is preferably mounted upon the back centre spindle which works to
and fro in suitable bearings.
The machine for seaming articles having bodies of square, or polysided formation is
provided with fixed tools which are mounted and work obliquely, or angularly to the
axis of the article (as above stated) in sliding heads and may be worked by a treadle
mechanism and levers. The article and bottom, top, or end to be seamed are placed
upon a block having a rim with bevelled edges to correspond with those of the oblique,
or angular turned up edge of the article or end, or bottom. The bottom of the block
is moveable.
When the edge of the bottom or end of the article is to be turned or lapped round
the turned up edge of the body, the bottom of the block is placed below the bevels of
the rims. After this operation is effected the bottom with the article upon it is raised to
such a position that the same tools when again operated bend the seam against the
side of the article and so finish the double seam.
The machines may be of horizontal or vertical type and the articles operated upon
in them may be cylindrical, oval, polysided, prismatic, coned, or tapered.

page_text: We, ROBERT READ and ALFRED READ, Engineers, and FREDERICK JOHN TAYLOR,
Managing Engineer, all of 21 to 27 Bridgewater Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 relates to the manufacture of sheet metal articles, or vessels, such as
buckets, cans, pans, kettles and like sheet metal goods which consist of two, or more
parts, all, or some of which have to be joined together by seams and which also are
provided with wired edges, or rims.
The object of this invention is to construct or provide simple, efficient and cheap
machinery for effecting the joining or seaming together of the ends, or bottoms, or
tops of articles such as above specified, to their bodies, such bodies being previously
provided with grooves having their edges turned up and made to stand obliquely, or
angularly to the body, and their ends, or bottoms, or tops being of dish shape to
correspond. This invention also has for its object to provide grooves in sheet metal
articles of the type herein described, for wiring, and in the same machine as the
seaming is effected.
To effect the object of this invention the machine is provided and constructed with
tools arranged and set to work obliquely in relation to the axis of the article-such as
a bucket, and like articles-under manufacture; that is angularly to the axis of the
article, in such a manner that its bottom can be joined to the body by a double seam,
the body being previously formed with an angular groove as above stated and the
bottom being made in a dish form to correspond. These formations may be made in
any known, or convenient way. The machine may be arranged and constructed to
form the seams in sheet metal articles of either circular, or oval formation of body,
or of square, or polysided formation; the difference of construction existing in the two
machines being, that for seaming articles of circular, or oval formation of body
the article is caused to revolve upon a mindril and the tools are of the roller type,
whilst in the machine for seaming square, or polysided articles the articles is stationary
and the tools are fixed to sliding leads. In the machine for seaming circular articles,
the article, say a bucket, is placed upon a mandril mounted upon a head stock and the
loose bottom is put in position and kept in such position by a back-centre head-
plate. The tools are mounted in a suitable slide rest mounted in the bed of the
machine. Preferably two roller tools are provided in the slide, one for holding up
the metal and the other for bending and lapping the metal round the turned up edge
of the body of the article. After this operation is done, the seam is turned up
against the body and finished. This is effected by a separate roller tool preferably
mounted on the same slide. When it is required to form a groove in the upper part
of the article for wiring, a roller tool is mounted and arranged to work parallel. or
nearly parallel with the outside of the article. The roller bearing, or working edge

page_text: is of concave form and when pressed upon the edge of the article causes such edge to
bead in an outward direction and to take the form of itself. This bead is prevented
from closing up against the side of the article by applying a roller, of the size and
form of the groove to be made, against the side of the article, in such a manner that
the roller comes hetween the side of the article and the metal being turned over by
the beading or spinning tool. The opening tool is preferably mounted upon the back-
centre spindle which works to and fro in suitable bearings.
The machine for seaming articles having bodies of square, or polysided formation is
provided with fixed tools which are mounted and work obliquely, or angularly to the
axis of the article (as above stated) in sliding heads and may be worked by a treadle
mechanism and levers. The article and bottom, top, or end to be seamed are placed
upon a block having a rim or curb with bevelled edges to correspond with those of
the oblique, or angular turned up edge of the article, or end, or bottom. The bottom
of the block is moveable. When the edge of the bottom, or end of the article is to be
turned, or lapped round the turned up edge of the body, the bottom of the block is
placed below the levels of the rims. After this operation is effected, the bottom with
the article upon it is raised to such a position that the same tools, when again
operated, bend the seam against the side of the article, and so finish the double
Beam.
The machines may be of horizontal or vertical type and the articles operated upon
in them may be cylindrical, oval, polysided, prismatic, coned, or tapered.
Having thus specified generally the object and nature of this invention, its
description will first be proceeded with in reference to the Drawings hereto annexed,
by way of explaining more fully the construction of apparatus and operation and
effects according to this invention.
The drawings and the following description of them set forth a special apparatus,
designed to apply the features of construction and operation which has been above
explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine for forming the seams in sheet metal articles
of a circular, or oval formation of body.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the machine.
Figure 3 is a plan of same.
Figure 4 shows in detail the circular tools of the machine, and the formation of the
body flange and the bottom rim prior to seaming, and
Figure 5 shows the tools at other stages of the operation of the machine.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the machine for forming the seams in sheet metal articles
of a square formation of body.
Figure 7 is a plan of same.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 show the tools, and seam of the body of the article in various
stages of manufacture.
With reference in the first instance to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, A designates
the bed of the machine, B the headstock, and C the mandril mounted upon and rotated
by the shaft of the headstock. The article to which the end, or bottom is to be
secured is placed upon the mandrel C, and, it may be assumed in this case, the article
to be made is an ordinary tapered pail, and that the bottom is to be secured to the
body and the rim of the pail is to be provided in the machine with a seam or groove,
ready for wiring. In the drawings, y is the body of the pail and z is the bottom.
The body of the pail is first put on the mandril C which is made of the required size
and shape. The condition of manufacture in which the pail body is put on the
mandril is shown in Figure 4, that is, it is a simple conical tube with the lower
flange already formed upon it and turned up at the angle shown. The bottom z
which is previously provided with a rim w is placed over the flange -as at
Figure 4 and the head-plate D--which is mounted and free to revolve on the
spindle is then drawn up into the position shewn in Figure 1. The parts of the

page_text: pail are now ready to be operated upon, that is, the flange and the rim w are ready
to be seamed together. This is effected as hereinafter described by the roller
tools u, u' and t. These rollers are of the forms shewn, and are mounted in the rest
or holder E. The rollers u, u' and t are mounted on spindles and run freely in their
respective bearings as will be understood. The rest E is set angularly to the axis of
the article and mandril at about the degree shown and is mounted on a pivot e'
secured to a bed F and the rollers u, u¹ and t are brought up to and away from their
work by the lever G which is also mounted on the pivot el on the bed F and is
provided with a slot g' in which works a pin e² secured to the rest E. Thus by
rocking the lever G up or down, the rest E will be rocked up and down upon its
pivot el in the bed F, and with the rocking of the rest of course the rollers u, u',
and the roller t will be brought up to and away from their work. The operation of
seaming is as follows:-The body and bottom of the pail being placed and held
as described and the mandril C. with the body, bottom and plate D revolved
the roller tools u u' are brought into action, namely, the roller u being pressed by the
rocking of the lever G against the rim w works it into the position shown in Figure 5;
that is it laps the rim w round the flange : The roller u¹ serves merely as a means of
keeping the periphery of the bottom in the proper shape and position. The joint
thus far made is shown in Figure 5. To finish the seam the rollers u u! are with-
drawn by rocking the rest E and bringing up the roller t to, and pressing it upon, the
seam. This will finish the seam, bringing it up close against the side of the body of
the pail, as shown in Figure 5.
The plate D is kept up to the bottom of the article by means of the handle H and
the web which is provided with a notch in the front end (see Figure 1). This
notch has an inclined side h² by which when the handle H is pressed down it, it forces
the head D up to its work. The dotted lines in Figure 1 show the spindle d¹ with its
head-plate D and handle H in their non-operative position.
To provide the groove in the edge of the periphery of the pail for reception of the
wire we provide a tool, namely a wheel J, working freely upon a spindle which is
mounted in a slide rest of similar construction to the slide rest of a lathe. is
the handle and the feeding screw of the rest. It will be observed that the rest
is set in line with the taper of the bucket body. The tool wheel J is concaved to the
required shape to form the wire groove and is provided with a flange or ring
guide the metal round when being turned into form. To prevent the groove from
closing up by the action of the roller J we provide a roller k which is mounted on the
end of the arm k¹ and runs in the groove when being made. The groove is
designated and its shape is shewn in Figures 1 and 2. It will be evident that to
to
form the groove, the roller J is worked up to the straight edge of the metal of the
pail by the slide rest wheel it while the pail is being rotated; and it will also be
evident that this may be done before or after the seaming of the bottom to the body
as required.
The machine above described is applicable to double seaming any circular or oval
sheet metal vessels, or articles, of the nature of buckets or pails, packing cases, pans,
kettles and like goods.
With reference to the machine illustrated in Figures 6 to 10 of the Drawings, it
will be observed that the same features of the invention are embodied as set forth with
reference to Figures 1 to 5, namely the seaming tools are brought up to the metal
rim w obliquely to the axis of the article being seamed (see Figure 8) and that after
the first portion of the seaming is completed (as in Figure 9) the double seaming tool
is also brought up to its work at an angle (see Figure 10). By these means the seam
is made to lean and lie towards the body of the article, thus allowing the seam to be
laid closely against the body without the liability of its coming undone, or springing
open.
In this example of machine operating and constructed according to this invention
the tool u is worked by a treadle lever G, being a lever of the second order, the end
of which is connected to the crosshead L by a connecting rod 1, working on a guide
pin L secured to the bed A of the machine. Bell crank levers M communicate

page_text: motion from the crosshead L by links L³, and convey it to the tool holders E by
second links M¹ and levers M of the first order. The operation of the single or first
portion of the seaming is this:-The body y of the article and its bottom z being
placed upon the moveable plate D of the machine, as in Figure 8; the treadle G is
pressed down by the foot thereby bringing the tools u down into the position shewn
in Figure 9, and so lapping the rim w round the flange x. The curbs u are
equivalents of the wheels u¹ (set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5), namely, they
support the seam and bottom of the article while being operated upon. They are
bevelled, as shown, for this purpose.
The plate D is open to move up and down within the curbs u' and the movement is
effected by a wedge H¹ inserted at one corner. The elevation of the plate D, and
with it the article after seaming, as shown in Figure 9, serves in conjunction with a
second depression of the tools u to complete the seaming, and bringing the seam close
up against the side of the body as shown in Figure 10. The operation briefly stated is
thisAfter the single seaming is effected and the article is in the state shown in
Figure 9, the plate D is raised by inserting the wedge H¹ under it, to the position
shewn in Figure 10 and in Figure 6 in dotted lines. The tools u are then brought
against the seam and it is thereby pressed home into the position shown in
Figure 10.
It has been herein stated that the rims w and the flanges of articles of the type
herein described are formed previously to being operated upon in the machines
herein described. We would here state that these provisions or formations may be
done in any known way and that they have no bearing upon this invention beyond
that they must be provided in the form shown and prior to being operated upon
in the herein described machines.
In the foregoing specification we have described what we consider the best type
of machine involving this invention for making articles of the types herein described,
whether of round, oval, or rectilinear figures. We wish it to be understood however,
that we do not limit ourselves to the precise form of machinery or combinations of
parts described, since any merely colourable change may be made without departing
from the spirit or scope of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and the manner in which it is carried out into practical effect, we declare that
what we claim is
First. In machinery for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, effecting the
seaming by tools operating obliquely to the axis of the article, as, or substantially as
set forth.
Second. In machinery for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the seaming
tool u, arranged and operating in combination with a tool u¹, the said tool u being
arranged to operate obliquely to the axis of the articles, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Third. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the combination of
a tool such as u, and a tool such as t, operating substantially in the manner and for
the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the combination
of tools such as u and u¹ and a tool such as t, operating substantially in the manner
and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the combination
of a tool J and a tool k, operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the combination
of seaming tools, such as u and t, and tools such as J and k for forming a wiring
groove, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the tools u and t,
and tool holder E, constructed and operating substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Eighth. The machine consisting chiefly of the headstock B, mandril C, plate-D,

page_text: spindle d', tools u u¹ and t, tool holder E, tools J and k, and rest I, all arranged and
operating as set forth with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings.
Ninth. In a machine for making sheet metal articles, or vessels, the combination of
the tools, tool holders E, curbs u, and plate D, operating substantially as set forth
with reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the drawings.
Tenth. The machine consisting chiefly of the bed A, tools u, tool holders E,
curbs u, plate D, treadle G, crosshead L, arranged, constructed and operating as set
forth with reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the drawings.