GB116996A - Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Cutting and Shaping of Spoons. - Google Patents

Abstract

116,996. Jackson, W. J. Mellersh-, (Sanispoon Co.). Oct. 2, 1917. Cupping or forming.-Relates to a machine for making spoons particularly of vulcanized or hard fibre or paper composition. The spoons are cut from a blank and pressed into shape in one cycle of operations of the machine. To impart strength to the spoon, the shank 50, Fig. 9, is made of convex section and is connected to the bowl 49 by a grooved rib 51<a>. The machine comprises a stationary lower cutting and forming die 23, Fig. 1, and an upper cutting and forming die 20 carried by a vertically reciprocating cross-head 17 operated by a crank-shaft 14. The blank is fed between the dies 23, 20 by feed-rollers 168, 169 operated intermittingly by ratchet mechanism and linkage from the shaft 14. The lower die 23, secured to a plate 36 mounted in a recess in a base-plate 35 is provided with a cutting edge 38, a bowl-forming part 40, a shank-forming part 41, Fig. 8, and a handle-forming part 46, Fig. 7. The handle part 46 is provided with recesses 47 and a central rib 48 of rectangular section, and the shank part 41 is provided with recess 42 and a slot in which is mounted a rib 48 having a rounded upper edge and normally pressed upwards by springs 44, Fig. 3. An inclined part 4 of the rib 43 projects into the bowl-forming part 40. The upper die 20, secured to a holder 24, is provided with a female cutting member 25, a convex bowl-forming part 27, a shank-forming part 9, and a handle-forming part 8. The handle part 8 is provided with lips 34, Fig. 7, and a recess 33 to co-operate with the recesses 47 and rib 48 respectively of the lower die part 46, and the shank part 9 is provided with lips 28, 29 to cooperate with the recesses 42 of the die part 41, and a slot in which is mounted a rib 30 having a concave lower edge to co-operate with the rib 43. The rib 30 is normally pressed downwards by springs 31. To prevent jamming of and injury to the shank and handle parts of the spoon, the recesses 42 and 47 are provided with bevelled edges 80 and the upper surfaces of the ribs 43 and 48 are located slightly above the cutting edge 38 so that, when the dies are brought together, the blank is curved as shown in Fig. 8 before being severed by the cutting members, and the edges then move easily over the bevelled edges 80 during the subsequent pressing. During this pressing operation, the rib 30 is forced upwardly against the action of the springs 31, and the pressure of the rib upon the line of bend of the shank part 50 of the spoon prevents cracking of the material along this line. When the dies are separated, the spoon is prevented from remaining on the lower die by a spring-pressed pin 53 projecting through the bowl part 40 of this die, and remains in contact with the upper die until at a predetermined time it is released by the following means. The rib 30 when pressed upwardly during the spoon shaping operation, is retained in its raised position by a latch device comprising four quadrantal blocks 65 pressed together by a circular coil spring 70 so as to snap into a groove 57 in a rod 58 secured to the rib 30. When the die is raised, the end of the rod 58 engages an adjustable stop block 169 and inclined edges on the latch blocks 65 co-operate with an inclined edge of the groove 57 to force the blocks 65 out of the groove and permit the springs 31 to press the rib 30 downwards and push the spoon off the die, this separation of the spoon being assisted by a spring-pressed pin 95 passing through the handle part 8 of the die. The stop block 160 is suspended on springs 161, Fig. 1, and is adapted to engage adjustable stops 162. The separated spoons are blown clear of the dies by an air blast supplied from a pipe 64, Fig. 1. A spring-pressed plate 173, Figs. 1 and 3, surrounding the die 23 strips the uncut part of the blank from this die and allows it to be fed forward by the feed-rollers 168, 169, By providing a number of pairs of dies 20, 23, a number of spoons may be made simultaneously.