US1221881A - Mechanism for feeding sheet metal to punching-machines. - Google Patents

Description

H. LYSHOLIVI.

`MECHANISM FOR FEEDING SHEET METAL T0 PUNCHING MACHINES.

` PPLCATON FILED MR. L 191G- V LQLL Patented Apr. l0, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

H. LYSHOLIVI.

NIECHANlSM FUR FEEDiNG SHEET METAL T0 PUNCHING MACHlNES.

APPLICAHON FILED MAR, zr. 191e.

1,2219881 Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

baarn srarns rar onirica.,

ENRY LYSHOLM, OF WOODBURY, NEUW JERSEY.

MEGHANSM FOR FEEDXNG SHEET METAL'TO PUNCHNG-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern: Be 1t known that l, HENRY Lrsrromr, a

Vcitizen of the United States, and resident of chine or other means for performing Work uponv the sheet along its lengthT More particularly, my invention has special utility in' feeding long sheet steel, such as used in ship building, to the punching machine lfor punching rivet holes therein along its length d transversely to the length, according to requirements; and whereby the manipula tion of the plates may be easily and accurately accomplished by a single operator.

The general construction ot my invention comprehendsA a long sheet' supporting carriage adapted to run upon tracks or guides in a direction transversely to the length of the sheet supported thereby and arranged to have its movements controlled by theJ operator, who preferably standsor sits upon the carriage and remains in position inv front of the punching machine, the said carriage provided With means for supporting the long sheets to be punched and 'feeding the Same longitudinally of the carriage and in the direction of their length; further, in an organized machine of the character above stated, when provided with manually controlled means for insuring the proper positioning of the sheet under the punching die; and in addition to the above defined features, a further improvement having capacity tor raising and lowering the sheet in re-z spect to the punching devices under the control of the'` operator.

invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with 'the fea'- tures above set out, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which z- Figure l is a 'liront elevation of a machine embodying my invention, With portions broken away; Fig. 2 is a-plan ,view of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same taken on line fai-m otFig. 2; Figs 4 isa perspective 'viewof a portion. ot' the machine for controllingr the timeof operation Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 10, i917.

Application filed March 17, 1916. Serial No, 84.775.

ot' the punching machine; Fig. 5 is a sectional vicwot' the punch. stripper and sheet about to be punched; Fig. is an elevation ot a modified construction of my invention; and Fig. T is a sectional view of a portion of the saine.

2, 2, are guide tracks, respectivel)y at each side ot' the punching machine A; and 3, 3,

are additional guide tracks, parallel to the tracks 2, and widely spaced to support the distant portions ot the carriage i., The guide tracks 2, 2, are provided with racks 2, which are engaged by teeth S about the supporting and guide wheels by which the middle porw tion ot the carriage is sustained. The remaining guide Wheels G are arranged near the ends oi the carriage and are groovcd to run upon the guide rails s shown. the

carriage l has i'our ot the guide wheels 7l and `tour of the guide Wheels (i, the former by reason oil their teeth engaging the racks.l insuring an equal and uniform movement of both ends of the carriage, and in this Way properly controlling the presentation of the sheet being punched to the punching machine. f

T he carriage -l consists of tvvo main girder sections made up of the side gir-ders 4.a and. the connecting bracing parts lb, said sections united by the operators platform 5 providinga gap 5a in the continuity of the carriage for permitting the carriage sections to pass upon either side of the punching machine A, as Will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2. As indicated, a seat 21 is provided upon the platform for the operator in front oit the punching machine A.

immediately to each side of the punching machine and journaied upon the vsections et of the carrizuge` are shafts 9. each carrying a plurality of feeding Wheels l2, said shafts and wheels being coupled to rotate in unison by means of the longitudinal shaft l5 and i tent and yieldingly hold it horizontal. In

this way, a sheet resting upon the Wheels 12 will be supported at a proper height to enter between the dies of the press A and be fed longitudinally with a. step-by-step inotion to position it each time a hole is to be punched. As the sheets are very long and require more support and moreover, as the sheet has, at the start of the punching operthe length of each of the sections 4, 4, of the carriage, as is clearly shown.

To insure .more feeding friction upon the plate to be punched, I prefer that the two shafts 9, next to the. punching machine and `on each of the sections of the carriage, shall be niechanically connected so as to rotate in unison, and this I accomplish by a chain and sprocket wheel drive, as shown at 13. In this inanner, the sheet is supported upon the various supporting and feed wheels 12 of one section Ll of the carr1age, and by proper manipulation of the lever 1S, may be fed forward Vlongitudinally of its length to positions suitable for punching by-the press A. As theA sheet 'passes on, its end Will be received upon the supporting and feed Wheels 12 .upon the other section 4 of the carriage; and finally, when the whole length of the sheet has been punched, it will have left the Wheels 12 upon which it was first supported and rest upon the wheels 12 at the opposite side of lthe press. The extent of feeding of the sheet at any moment is governed. by the distance be# tween the holes to be punched and the manner of determining this will be explained later on in the specification.

The movements of the carriage upon the guiding tracks to adjust the sheet to be punched transversely to the length of the sheet is accomplished as follows: Toothed Wheels 7 of veach of the tracks 2, 2, are connected together by a shaft 29 whereby they i are caused to rotate in unison, and said shaft is provided with manually controlled means for rotatingit, said means comprising a y notched wheel 19 loosely journaled upon the 15 and provided with a detent 4device to engage thev notchesof thewheel. This lever 2O may be counterbalanced by a spqriiig20a to Y hold it yieldingly in horizontal position,

similarly to What is yshown in Fig. 3 in' respect to llever 18. In this manner the operator may impart a rotation to the shaft 29 in either direction and thereby shift the carriage as a-Whole. upon the Vguide tracks when 4through which it passes.

y stripthe p .it is desired to punch a'series of holes in the sheet transversely to the length of the sheet. In this operation, it is manifest that, as the sheet must be fully shifted back through the overhang of the press A to insure punching the holes near the edge of the sheet nearest the operator, the carriage will have capacity for being moved back relatively to the punching machine for a corresponding distance and will require the opening 5 fioin the rear to receive the punching machine to permit such operation. Because of thenccessity of this break in the continuity of the carriage in the direction of its length, the platform 5 acts as a joinder of the sections 4, 4f, and is projected to an extent to give ample strength and space upon which 'to arrange the operative parts for` controlling the, movements ofthe ycarriage and the sheet feeding mechanism. thereof.

As it is essential that the operator shall control theti-ineof action of the punching machine A, a' suitable controlling device therefromlto the operators platform 5 is provided, and thisadevice may be made in the form sli-own. This mechanism comprises a shaft 30 journaled on the platform 5 and provided with a' foot treadle 31. This shaft extends backward parallel to the rails 2, and is guided in suitable bearings 32 on the punching machine base, and may be square in cross section to operate a trip arm B Any other suitable means for putting the punching machine into operation may be employed in lieu of that shown and I do not limit myself in this respect.

1n the foregoingdescription I have re`` ferred lto the means for moving the sheet -carryingdeviees in a horizontal plane to position the sheet at definite places under' the punching die of the punching machine, and I lwill now describe the means for adjusting the'sheet transversely to the plane of its surface to insure proper engagement of the punch With indented portions of the plate surface. Referring to Fig. 5, it will` be seen that the surface of the sheet or plate E is depressed or center punched as at F, there being one of these depressions at every into alinement, as shown. In practice the,

punch C is held in the machine with slight vertical freedom of play s o that it may rest upon the sheet and its point drop into the recess when the sheet is properly moved underA it. is the stripper to remove 'or chedfsheet from the punch after l` .spot Where a hole is to be` punched. These l' iso Las-1,8m

the hole has been made and the punch is being withdrawn. To insure cojieration between the sheet and the punch. in positioning the former to the latter, it is necessary to provide means for raisingand lowering the sheet. This is accomplished by providing hinged frames in which the shafts 9, 9, next to the jnmching machine are journaled and en'iploying means under the control of the operator to move said frames about their hinges 23 to raise or lower the shafts 9 and their feeding and supporting wheels 1Q, This means comprises a shaft 2l at each side of the platform 5 and respectively journaled in the side frames of the two sections l, et, of the carriage. rThese shafts il have arms 25 whose outer ends are connected by links QG with thc hinged frames `The shafts 2l are each provided with a hand lever 27 for rocking them, said lever having a detent to engage the notched segment secured to the platliorm. ln this way the operator may n'ianipulate either hand lever Q7 as desired to raise or lower the sheet supporting wheels l2 and the sheet carried thereby; Then the wheels l2 adjacent to the punching machine have been raised so that the sheet l just supports the punch C, theshafts 2l are locked. Then when the levers 1H and 20 are manipulated to shift the sheet the conical projection on the bottom of the) punch will find the depressions F in the sheet when brought to alinement; and when this is done, the operator will know the fact by the feeh and he then presses the treadle 31 and operates the punching machine to drive down the punch die C. It will be understood that this vertical adjustment of the feeding wheelsl)J and their supporting frames is very slight and hence may be accomplished without disturbing the operative relation of the miter gears 1l. llllien the vertical adjustment has been made to suit any given thickness of sheet, it may ordinarily be maintained; but in some cases, at starting to punch the sagn ging end of a relatively thin sheet, it may be that the sheet will be required to be specially adjusted as to height at that end and the same requirement may be equally neces* sary when finishing the punching at the vother end 0f the sheet, but when the sheet is supported by the guide wheels 'l2 at both sides of the punching machine at the. same time the vertical adjustment first stated may be wholly relied upon.

Instead'of adjusting the wheels 12 at each side of the punching machine vertically to properly level the plate to cooperate with the punching die, the same result may be accomplished as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.' In this case, the sections Ll, fl, of the carriage are. hinged at 32 to the sides of the l platform 5C; and the bearings 33 for the supporting and propelling shaft 29 are eccentric and journaled in thebearings Si of the carriage sections as will be understood by reference to Fig. T. rl`he eccentric bearings 33 each have an arm 35 which is connected by a link 36 with the rocker arm and shaftV 24; shown in the other figures. The handles 27a (Fig.

6) may be adjusted to adjust the eccentric, bearings to raise or lower the adjacent ends; of the carriage sections l, fl, upon their guide and supporting wheels 7. The sections 4, 4l,

may be adjusted on all of the supporting wheels 7 in the same manne' and each sec-Y tion may be adjusted separately, thereby following the general plan of adjustment previously explained.

l do not conlinemyself to the details de-V scribed for imparting the various movements to the parts, but have shown and described means which are excellently suited for the several requirements and they are by way of example and not as restriction.

It will now be apparent that l have de-r vised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while lt have in the present instance shoivnA and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been Jfound in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the details, 95

as the same are susceptible of modification `in various particulars without. departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure `by Letters Patent, is

l. A machine for operating upon sheet metal, and a plurality of parallel guide tracks part of which are arranged at one side of the machine and part at the other side, combined with a unitary carriage having supporting wheels guided upon the plo.-

rality of tracks and having a gap atV one side to litaround the machine, a plurality of parallel shafts upon the carriage at each side 13,0

of the machine, a plurality of parallel narrow feeding wheels. secured to each shaft for supporting the sheet to be operated upon, manually controlled means on the carriage for rotating the shafts and wheels which are immediately at each side of the machine, and manually controlled means also on the carriage for feeding the carriage along the guide tracks, the-entire operative means for the wheels and shafts and also forfeeding 1,20

ot' the carriage being upon and moving with the carriage itself.I i h 2. A 4machine for operating upon sheet metal, and a plurality of parallel guide tracks part of which are arranged .at one 12 side of the machine and part at the other side, combined with a carriage having supporting wheels guided upon the plurality of tracks, said carriage having a gap at its side to l'it around the machine', a' plurality'of 13,0

' parallel i shafts-.upon the carriage at each side of Ithe machine, a plurality of .parallel narrow feeding Wheels secured t-o-each shaft `for supporting the sheet to be operated upon'7 manually controlled means on the carriage for rotating the shafts and wheels which are immediately at each side ofthe machine manually controlled means on the carriaO'e for raising and lowering the rotated shafts and wheels which are adjacent tothe machine for adjusting the level 'of the sheet supported by the Wheels, and manually con-,f

trolledgmeans on the'carriage for feeding the carriage along the guide tracks, the entire operative means for the .Wheels and shafts and also for feeding the carriage being upon and moving with the carriage itself.

` 3. A machine for operating upon sheet metal, and a plurality lof parallel guide tracks part of which are arranged at one rside of the\machine and part at the other side, combined with a carriage having supporting'wheels guided upon the plurality of tracks, al' plurality of parallel shafts upon the-carriage at each side of the machine, a`

plurality of feeding Wheels secured to each shaft for supporting the sheet to be operated upon, manually controlled means on the car- 4.riage for rotating-the shafts and' Wheels which are immediately at each side ofthe machine,' lmanually controlled means for feeding the carriage, along 'the guide tracks,

and Ameans forming a connection between the -carriage and machine whereby the time of action of' the latter may be under thek control of the operator on the carriage.

` 4.' A machine for operating upon sheet vmetal, and a plurality of parallel guide riage fr rotating .the shafts and wheels which are-immediately at each side of the machine, manually controlled means for feeding the carriage along the guide tracks, manually controlled means for raising and lowering the feeding and guide wheels at each side ofthe machine, and an operators platform carried by the carriage in front of the .machine and upon .which all of the vmanually controlledmeansl are grouped so as to be Within easy reach of the operator withlontmaterially shifting his position.

5. A machine for operating upon sheet metal anda plurality of parallel guide tracks part of 'which are arranged at one 's ide of the machine and part at the other vside, in combination with a carriage supported and traveling upon said guide tracks and extending on each side of the machine, the carriage having a gap in its side approximately midway of its length by which it is enabled to straddle the machine, a plurality of parallel shafts journaled, on the carriageat each side of its gap, a plurality of narrow supporting wheels upon each of` v shafts next to the gap in the carriage while leaving the remaining shafts and their wheels at the normal level.

6. A machine for operating upon sheet'l meta-1,1' anda 'plurality of parallel guide tracks part of `which are arranged' at one side of the ,machine and part at the other side, combined with a carriage having supporting wheels guided upon the plurality of tracks, a plurality of parallel shafts upon the carriage at each side of the machine, a plurality of feeding wheels secured to'each shaft for supporting the sheet to be operated upon, manually controlled means on the carriage for rotating the shafts and wheels which are immediately at each side of the machine consisting of a shaft longitudinally of the carriage, gearing between the said shaft and th-e shafts ofthe manually controlled feeding wheels, a-toothed wheel secured to the longitudinal shaft, and a hand lever and detent device. for engaging the toothed wheel for rotating it in either direc tion with a step-by-step motion, and manually controlled means for feeding the car-y riage `along the guide tracks.

7; A machine for operating upon sheet metal, and a plurality of parallel guide tracks part of which are arranged at one side of the machine and part at the other side, combined with a carriage having supporting wheels guided. upon the plurality of tracks, a plurality of parallel shafts upon the carriage at each side of the machine, a plurality of feeding wheels secured to each shaft for supporting the sheet to be operated upon, manually controlled means on the carriage for rotating the shafts andv Wheels which are immediately at each side of the machine, manually controlled means for raising and lowering .the rotated shafts and Wheels which are adjacent to the machine for adjusting the level of the sheet supported by. the wheels, said means consisting of pivoted arms inwhich the rotatable shaft is journaled, a rocking shaft, connection between the rocking shaft and the pivoted arms,.a stationary rackp having teeth, and a lever and detentdevice for rocking the rock shaft andholding it in adjusted position,

'and manually controlled vmeans for feeding the carriage along the guide tracks.

8. A machine for operating upon sheet metal, and a plurality of parallel guide tracks part of which are arranged at one side of the machine and part at the other side, combined with a carriage having supporting wheels guided upon the plurality of tracks, a plurality of parallel shaftsjupon the carriage at each side of the machine, a plurality of feeding wheels secured to each shaft for supporting the sheet to be operated upon, manually control-ledmeans on the carriage for rotating the shafts and wheels which are immediately at each side -of the machine, and manually controlled means for feeding the carriage along the guide tracks, said means for feeding` the car- :fiage consisting of atransverse shaft forrotating the supporting wheels, a notched ywheel connected -to rotate the rotatable vsha-ft, a'handleverand detent for engagingI the notched Wheel and rotating in either direction with a step-hy-step motion. 9. 'A machine for operating upon Vsheet metal, and a plurality of parallel .guide tracks part of which are arranged. at one side of the machine and part at the other side, in combination with a long carriage structurel extending laterally upon both l sides of the machine and consisting of two girder sections connected by a. platform section located out of direct alinenient .with the girder sections so as to provide a gap between the two said Sections, supporting and guide wheels for one girder section for sus-,- taining itlupon two of the tracks at one side of the machine, separate supporting" and guiding wheels for the othersectien for supportingjit upon the tracks on the other side of the machine, .feedingdevices upon the two girder sections for feeding asheet of metal longitudinally .in a direction from .one girder 4section to the other girder sec` tion, and manually controlled means-4 extending' tojthe platform forfoperating vbothth'e: feeding means, forithe sheetand ,also for, propelling the --two .girder sections and plat' .form simultaneously. lalong the guide tmc'lls whereby thsh'et may be fed transversely'to .the machine andthe carriage structure fed I .to and from'the machine ina direction the carriage.

transversely to the feeding ofthe sheetupon 10. vAI nachine-ffor operatimgv upon sheet metal, anda" plurality oli-parallel guide tracks part of. which are arranged at one s ideof the'machinea'nd part at the other side, in "combination with a long carriage structure extending.. laterally' upon both sides'ofthe machine -and consisting of two `girde-r sections connected by a platform sec- 4 .tion located out of direct alinement with 65 the girder sections so as to provide a gap tracks' part of which side of the machin-e and part at the other ing means for the sheet and also forproto the platform foroperating both the feed# pellingthe twoigirder sections and plat-form i simultaneously along thc .guide tracks, whereby the sheet may be'fed transversely Ato the machine andtheucarriage structure,

fed to and from the machine lin a direction transversely 'to the. feeding of the sheet upon the carriage', .and manually controlled means for adjustingthe'sheet feeding means vertically whereby the level ofthe lsheet in vrespect tothe machine may be 'slightly varied.

IL 'A machine for .operating upon sheet nieta-l, and a plurality of parallel ,guide tracks'part'of which are arranged at one side 'of the'inachine and part -at the'other' side, in. combination with a long continuous carriage structure extending upon each side Y of the machine and supported tli'ereat on the guide tracks said carriageihaying a vgap to lit around the machine-'and provided with an operators platform, manually controlledv ing the carriage transversely of vits length upon .the guideft'racks, means-at each side of the-gap of t'he machine'and carried by the longcarriagefor supporting `a long sheet of 4means at the operatos' platform for adjust metal, manually controlled'dm'ices on and 'niovingwith the carriage and located at the -operators'platform for feeding the sheet llongitudinally vof the length of the carriage a-cross the? machine,- and means extending fromrthe operators platform for controlling the operation of the machine which operates upon the sheet metal irrespective of the position of the carriage relatively to themachine. j'

12. A machinefor operating upon sheet metal, and .a plurality of vparallel guide are arranged at one side, in combination with a long` carriage structure extending upon each side of the' machine and supported thereat on the guide tracks said carriage having a gap at its side to `fit about the machine, manually controlled means for adjusting the carriage transversely of its length uponv the guide tracks, a plurality of wheels at each side of ythe machine and carried by the long carriage in fixed bearings for supporting a long sheet of metal, manually controlled devices on the carriage for feeding the sheet longi tudinally of the length of the carriage across the machine, and manually' controlled In testimony of which invention; I hereineans to Vary the leveli1 of the heet Where it unto set my hand passes across the mac ine sai l means comprising additional feeding Wheels supported HENRY LYSHOLM 5 upon the carriage at each side of' the gap Witnesses;

thereof and, devices for imparting slight R. M. HUNTER, 'vertical adjustments to said. Wheels. FLORENCE DEACON.

Copies of-ths patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ptents,

` Washington, D. C.

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