US1313960A - Shear - Google Patents

Description

H. C. SMITH.

SHEAR.

AFILICAIION FILED JAN. 21. 1919.

1,313,960. Patented .26, 1919.

3 SH -SHEET 1.

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H. C. SMITH.

SHEAR.

APPLICA'HON FILED JAN. 2] l9l9- Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HENRY COLLIER SMITH, OF ST. MARYS, OHIO.

SHEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed January 27, 1919. Serial No. 273,299.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY COLLIER SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St/Marys, in the county of Auglaize and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Shear, of which the following is a specification.

In the use of rotary shears designed to operate on long metal sheets, it was customary heretofore for the workman at the end of the sheet to either himself watch the feeding of the sheet into the machine and to 'swing it to the right or left as might be needed to keep the cutters true to line, or to take directions by word of mouth or by motion of the hand of an operator stationed close up to the machine. This procedure is wasteful in the matter of time and leads to inaccuracy in the work.

According to the present invention, the operator at the machine keeps a pointer or needle constantly on the line of the desired cut, which is scribed or marked on the material, and by so doing controls an indicator within view of the workman at the end of the sheet; any angular departure of the marked line from the position it should occupy to insure the proper cutting action is thus constantly shown and the workman has. therefore only to watch the indicator and to shift the sheet to the right or left as may be necessary to position the indicator arm or its equivalent at a predetermined point, corresponding to the proper position of the line. That is, the operator watches the marking line and holds the pointer thereon and need pay no attention to the cutters once the sheet is properly entered, and the workman pays no attention to either the cutters or the operator, but keeps his eyes on the indicator and shifts the end of the moving sheet just enough to hold the indicator true to its neutral position. The process is thus continuous and has in practice proved decidedly advantageous both m quality and quantity of the output.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a well known type of shear equipped with a preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevation corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the indicator wire drum or segment. Fig. 5 is a front elevation corresponding thereto, the wires and certain other related parts being shown. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view showing the pointer holder. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. (3. Fig. 8 is a section on the line S-8 of Fig. 1. Figs. 9 and 10 are sections on the lines 99 and 101O of Fig. 8. Figs. 11 and 12 are, respectively a plan view and an elevation showing the relation of the shifter head to the shifter bar for the pointer.

1 and 2, Figs. 1 and 2, indicate rotary power driven cutters which form the working elements of the machine tool 3, in this instance a shear adapted to out long sheet metal or other material 4 as the latter is drawn through it by the rotation of the cutters. The supporting table appears at 5 and the presser whereby the sheet is held down is shown at (3. It will be understood that the invention is applicable to substantially any machine of the general type, say, for example, to punches as well as to shears.

In the use of such machines, it is customary to scribe or mark upon the sheet the line 7 along which the cut or operation is to be made, and a workman stationed at the end of the sheet swings the latter, usually at the direction of the operator standing adjacent the working element, horizontally from time to time as may be necessary to insure the proper action.

It is evident that the direction and amount which the sheet must be swung at a given instant in order that it may be brought into proper relation to the cutters is measured by the angular displacement of the line 7 horizontally from the line perpendicular to the plane of the cutter shafts at the point where the edges of the cutters coincide, that is, perpendicular to the plane of the paper (Fig. 2) at the meeting point of the cutters.

10 designates apointer or equivalent element arranged to be shifted manually back and forth across the line 7, or, more strictly, in the plane of the sheet I, and the movements of the pointer are communicated to the hand or other indicating element 1.1 of an indicator 12 positioned at a point within view of the workman who manipulates the end of the sheet. While various means may be employed to shift the pointer so as to keep it on the line 7, and while the means for connecting the pointer to the indicator may be anything suitable, I prefer that shown, wliicli consists in a shifter shaft or bar 1.4: guided for movement longitudinally of its own axis in bearings 15 in a bracket 16, the latter being in this instance mounted on the upper arm of the shear by stud bolts 17'. The bracket also carries a hand lever shaft 18, positioned at right'angles to the shaft or bar 14 and actuated by the hand lever 19, the upper end of which sweeps over the semi-circular are or surface 20 on the bracket. Keyed to the shaft 18 is a segi'nent or member 21 adapted to receive the flexible wires 22-23 (Fig. 5), the ends: of which are secured thereto as by clamps 24C. The shifter bar 14 passes through and is rotatable in respect to a shifter head 26,

Figs. 11 and 12, that'hasvupon its rear side a pin or stud 28 adapted to bear in a block 29. Fig. 5. which is arranged to slide on radial guides in the member 21. As a matter of convenience in the assembling of the parts, one of the guides 30, (F 5) is formed integral with the segment 21, whereas the other is in the form ofv a detachable gib '32, and the block 29 is divided into halves. Thus, upon sliding the head 26 longitudinally one of the halves of the block may be lowered into place until the stud28 is seated into the bearing; the other half of the block may then be placed in position; and the gib finally lowered and-attached by the screw 33. The shaft 14:, as stated before, is swingable about its own axis and also in respect to the head 26, and may be adjustedlongitudinally of the latteras by' means of the collars 34:35 and the set screws 86. The pointer 10 may be secured to the shaft 14 in any suitable way, as by means of a holder 38 attached to the shaft by a set screw 39 and itself forming a guide in which the-pointer may be held at'any desired position of longitudinal adjustment by means of the knurled screw 40.

In order to provide for the ready. take up of wear in:the bearings 15, the bracket is preferably arranged to receive the brass plugs 4.1 which may be adjusted axially of the shaft .14 by screws42 that are in turn held in adjusted position by set screws 43 (Fig. accurately to rectil near. movement. 1

The wires 22 23 are slidable in tubes 50, the lower ends of which are clamped to the bracket '16 and are bent at 5152 toprop erly direct the wires to the segment 21. The tubes terminate in proximity to the indicator and are connected to the operating shaft 53 thereof (Fig; 9). by means of the short chain 54 which is wound around the spirals of. a worm drum 55 on the lower end of the shaft and preferably inclosed by a suitable housing 56. The shaft 58 carries a bevel gear 57 in mesh with. a similar gear 58 fixed to the indicator shaft 59 which .cut is about half completed and is thereafter by the hand 62; and should it The shaft 14' is thus confinedcarryinga hand 62 which is visible from the rear side of the machine; and the gears 5860 together mesh with a gear 63 on a third shaft 64; at right angles to the shafts 5961 and itself carrying a hand 65 (Fig. i

8) visible from the side of the machine. By mounting one end of the shaft 6 1- in a detachable plate 66 all parts are rendered readily accessible.

Evidently, a movement of the pointer in a given direction will cause movements of the several hands .in the same apparent direction, that is, to the particular workman to whom a given hand is visible its direction ofv movement from a vertical initial position will always be either toward the right or the left (depending on the manner of winding the chain on the drum) fora 11101 61116111} of the slide bar in a given direction. This relation is of decided advantage as the indications thus all correspond to the .movement whiclrmust be given the sheet, in

order to correct its position, by the workman to whom the particular indicator is visible.

Operation: Assuming that the pointer is in proper adjustment and that it is desired to out the sheet, the, latter isentered into the cutters on the desired marked line and 'a short out, say one-quarter of an inch, is made. The machine is then stopped to give the helper an opportunity to swing the sheet around (the operator keeping the pointer 0n the'line constantly) until the'indicator hand points up, if that be its selected neutral position. The machine is then again started, and the operator has only to hold the pointer on the line, and the helper to guide the sheet so that. the indicator hand keeps at the neutral point, in order to insure a straight out, the cutters serving not only to shear the sheet but also to draw it along. In the event only two men are operating the shear, the helper passes around to. the rear when the guided bedesired to cut the end of the sheet, the latter is arranged at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1. and the workman takes his directions from the hand 65.

i The pointer' may be quickly raised. when putting the sheet in, by loosening the set screw 40' and thereafter tilting it, when clamped, over against the shear, and the reverse operation suflices for lowering. The

exact setting of the pointer, so far as dis tance away from the cutter is concerned, depends on how far the cut is being made from the edge of the sheet. If the cut is being made, say the thickness of the metal from the edge of the sheet, or very near the edge, it is desirable to have the point of the pointer within one and onehalf inches of the cutting point of the cutters, but it the cut is one or two inches from the edge, then the pointer may be positioned three or four inches from the cutting point, and it the cut is more than two inches from the edge the pointer may be placed say six to ten inches from the cutters. It is naturally desirable to keep the pointer as far back from the cutters as possible in view of the more accurate indications thus attained.

The details of construction may be widely changed otherwise than as pointed out heretofore, without departing from the spirit of the invention; and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. In combination with a machine tool adapted to operate along a predetermined line on material passing the tool, a pointer shiftable transversely of said line, and indicating means responsive to the movement OTE said pointer and visible to a workman who manipulates the material.

2. In combination with a machine tool adapted to ope ate on sheet material as the latter is moved through the tool, an element movable in the plane of the sheet transversely of the line of movement of the material and adapted to be held in' close proximity to the line on which the tool is to work, manually operable means for shifting said element across the sheet whereby it may be kept substantially on said line of work, and indicating means responsive to the movement of said element and visible to a workman handling the end of the sheet.

3. In a shear, rotary cutters adapted to operate on sheet material or the like along a desired line, a pointer positioned adjacent said cutters and arranged to be held manually substantially in registration with said line, and indicating mechanism associated therewith for showing departures ot' the material from the position necessary to present it to said cutters along said line.

a. In combination with a machine including a working tool adapted to operate on long sheet material along a desired line marked on the sheet, an element swingable about a horizontal axis and positioned adj acent said working tool and adapted to register with said line, manuallyoperable means for shifting the element transversely of said line whereby it may be held substantially in registration therewith throughout slight angular movements oi? the sheet, and means controlled by the element and visible from the end of the sheet for showing departures of the line from its proper position with reference to the tool.

5. In a rotary shear, a pointer positioned close to the shearing elements an d swingable about a horizontal axis along which it may also be shifted longitudinally, the parts being so arranged that the pointer is shiiltable transversely of the line along which the shearing elements are adapted to work, and indicating means movable with the pointer and visible from a distance.

(i. In combination with a machine tool adapted to operate on a long sheet of material along a line lengthwise of said sheet, an element shiftable transversely of said line whereby it may be made to substantially follow said line throughout a limited angular movement of the sheet substantially in a horizontal plane, and indicating mechanism responsive to movement of said element and visible to a workman.

7. A rotary shear adapted to cut sheet material moving through the shear from front to rear, a pointer inclined downwardly and in the direction of movement 01 the material and adapted to ride on the upper sin-ta e thereof. means for shifting the pointer to cause it to follow a line on the material, and indicating means visible to a workman manipulating the sheet, whereby the displacement of said line from a neutral line may be made clear to said workman.

S. In combimition with a machine tool having a working element adapted to operate on sheet material along a desired line marked on the sheet. a pointer positioned close to said working element and movable across the upper Face of the sheet whereby it may be made to follow a line marked thereon, and indicator means responsive to the movement of the pointer "for showing the displacement oi the pointer "from a neutral position, said means being so construced and arranged as to give the same appar ent indication, for a given movement of the pointer, when viewed from either end oi the sheet.

9. In a machine tool adapted to operate on moving material, means for indicating angular displacements of the material with reference to the tool, said means including two elements, each visible to a worlmianhandling a corresponding end of the material, said elements being arranged to give absolute indications of opposite nature for angular displacement of the material in a particular direction.

10. In a machine tool adapted to operate on moving material, means for indicating angular displacements of the material with reference to the tool, said means including three movable elements, one visible from in front 01 the machine, the second visible from the rear of the machine, and the third visihle from the side of the machine, the move ment of the first and third elements being in the same direction and that of the second element being in the opposite direction.

11. In a machine tool of the class described, a movable element positioned close to moving material on which the tool works, manually operable means for shifting the element across said material to keep-it sub stantially in registration with a line marked thereon, said means including a support, a rotatable bar carried thereby and itself supporting said element, a head through which said bar passes and in i espect to which it is rotatable, means for shifting the head, and means for adjusting said head along the bar.

12. In combination with a machine tool having a Working element adapted to operate on sheet-like material successively along different points of a desired line thereon, a

device manually movable transversely of i' .-ate on sheet-like materlal along a'line said line and also adjustable along said line toward and from said working element, and indicating means movable with the first named movement of said device and Visible to a workman who manipulates the material.

13. In combination wlth a machine tool having a working element adapted to operate on sheet-like material successively along different points of a desired line thereon, a pointer manually movable transversely of said line and adjustable toward and from the plane of the material, and indicating means movable with the first named movetransversely of said line some distance from the working element and also adjustable in the same general direction independently of said transverse movement, and indicating means movable with'the first named move ment of said device and visible from a distance.

15. In-combination with a machine tool having a Working element adapted to opermarked'thereon, a pointer, manually operable means for shifting the pointer transversely of said line so that it may be held thereon as the sheet swings slightly, an indicator visible to, a Workman whomanipulates the material, and'means for actuating the indicator simultaneously With the pointer, said means including aflexibleele ment and a pipe in which said flexible element is received and guided.

HENRY COLLIER SMITH.

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

WashingtozQD. G. i

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