US1279660A - Manufacture of forks. - Google Patents

Description

H. H. COWDERY.

MANUFACTURE OF FORKS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21.71918.

1 ,279,660. PatentedSept. 24,1918.

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; UNITED srmrns PATENT-OFFICE.

ROBERT nfoownnny, 0F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, oHIo, ASSIGNOR some iuvrnnronn FORK AND non COMPANY, OFCLEVELAND, onro, aoonronnrro sror onro.

MANUFACTURE or -r onxs.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. CownnRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland Heights, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Forks, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated to the manufacture of forks, is particularly concerned with an improved method offorming blanks to be worked into heavy forks such as are commonly used in handling vegetables, ensilage, coal and coke, stone and other ballast materials and similar articles. Such forms'are commonly provided with eight or more tines of relatively large size.

At present forks of this character are made by first forming T-shaped blanks, the

projecting portion of the blank serving to form the shank or handle-entering member,

and the other portion of the blank being notched at its center. After this notching operation theblank is formed into the required numberof teeth, each tooth being formed separately in a press. After these teeth are I preliminarily formed by being stamped from the solid bar the bar has to be straightened andthe tines are then rolled in suitable rolling machines for the purpose. The objection to this method of producing forks is that it is slow and expensive, since the tines must be stamped out separately from the original T-shaped blank.

On the forks having-eight or more .tines, it has heretofore been considered impossible to produce all of the tines in a single stamping operation since this relatively large numher of tines cannot be formed on two sides of the head as is customary in the stamping out of four and six-tine forks, in which" half of the tines are formed on one side of the head and the other tines and the handlereceiving member on the other side. My improved method provides a means for forming blanks in which all of the teeth can be formed in a single operation from a strip of stock with very little waste. To the accom lishment of the fore oin and re-' p b b specification of Letters Patent. Patented 1.918;

, Application filed March 21,-191. 'Seria1No. 223,725. 5 V

lated ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth. inndetailone method and one product exemplifyingmy'invention, such disclosed procedure and product constituting, however, but one .of various applications of the principles of my instock can be performed in a suitable heavy press, andit is, notzthought necessary to illustrate either the press or the. die members used therein.- as the general. construction of-each will be familiar to those skilled in the art from; the description of the. blanks.

In orderto avoid waste two blanks" are formed'together. from a single length. of

stock, the blanks facing in opposite direc-.

tions. as they. arecut from the bar and the tines of the two blanks being interposed within each other as will presently be described. The head 2 of. the fork willbe formed for a portion of its length from one outer edge of the stock bar 1 and is then curved inwardly as at'3, this portion 3 be.- ing substantially at the centerof the .head strip. The head strip 2 then extends parallel with the outeredge of the strip l'for a portion 4 of its length, and then again curves outwardly at 5 toward the edge of the bar. Projecting transversely of'the stockbar 1 and inwardly from the head portion 2 are tines 6, all of which are substantially the same size and shape, except the end tines 7 i effect a severance of the formed blanks from r the bar. The exact size and shape of the portions which are to be formed into the tines is immaterial, as these tines are of course subsequently rolled to the proper size and cross section and are then cut off at the same length. r

Projecting outwardly from the center of the head 2 at the point 3 is a strip 9, which is adapted to serve as the shank or handle entering member of the form, and this member 9, asindicated-extends along the edge of the strip 1 and is of sufficient width to .permit it to be subsequently formed into the desired shape, by suitable rolling.

The second blank is formed from theother side of the stock strip 1, opposite to and interlacing or interlocking with: the tines 6, 7 and 8 of the first blank. The portions of this second blank are identical in their construction and in their size and location with the portions of the first blank, the tines of the two being interposed between each other as indicated, so that when one blank is forced downwardly by means of a suitable die, the other blank is forced upwardly'by a co-acting die, and the two are simultaneously severed from each other and from the strip of stock.

After being severed from the stock bar the blanks are straightened so that the portions of the head are in alinement, which automatically brings the tines into substantial parallelism which permits them to be rolled in the usual machine used for this purpose. After rolling they are cut off and the handle receiving member.9 being formed at any desired stage in the manufacture of the fork into a shank to engage a handle. The finished fork is illustrated in Fig. i.

I have found that by forming the blanks in the manner described above there is no more waste than occurred in the usual method of forming T-shaped blanks from a rectangular strip of metal and then notching the same to permit of the individual stamping out of thedifferent tines. The amount of material required in my improved method is therefore no greater than in previous methods, while the saving in labor and in the time of making the tines is considerable, although it necessitates a larger stamping press than did the individuai cutting of the tines in previous methods.

Other forms may be employed embodying the features of my invention instead of the one herein explained, change being made in blanks along opposite sides of such section and with such head inclined away from the edges at one point andthere forming shank members, with tine blanks extending transversely of such section from said head blanks and lying in interlaced relation with each other. r

2. In a method of forming fork blanks,

opposed blanks from a single section of stock by forming the heads of such fork blanks along opposite sides of such section and with such head inclined away from the edges at one point and there forming shank members with tine blanks extending transversely of such section from said head blanks and lying in interlaced relation to each other, with the end tine blanks extending across such stock section. v

3. As a new article of manufacture, a fork blank comprising a head formed of two parallelportions connected by a central portion lying at an obtuse angle to said parallel portions, and having a shank member extending from such central portion parallel with said parallel portions and tines extending from said head portion'at right angles thereto.

4. In a method of forming fork blanks, the step which consists in punching out two opposed, tine interlaced blanksfrom a single section of stock by forming the heads of such fork blanks along opposite edges of such stock section with each head-inclined away from the adjacent edge of said section at one point and with a shank member lying along such adjacent edge adjacent to the inclined portion of said head.

Signed by me, this 18th day of March, 1918.

Bossier H. oownnnv.

Copies of this'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

1 I Washington, D. G.

the step which consists in punching out the

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