US1870260A - Apparatus for bending sheet metal - Google Patents

Description

Aug., 9, 1932.

A. N. MERRYMAN 1,879,250

AFPARATUS FOR BENDNG SHEET METAL Filed Nov. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1932. A. N. MERRYMAN APPARATUS FOR BENDING SHEET METAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1929 Patented ug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEA SETTS ARTHUR N. MERRYMAN, OF WOBURN', MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHENEY COMPANY, OF -WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU APPARATUS ron BENDING SHEETMETAL Application led November 14, 1929. Serial No. 407,107.

This invention relates to an apparatus for bending sheet metal, and particularly to an apparatus for forming dove-tail shaped grooves and ridges upon said metal.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of simple construction which may be employed for the purpose of forming dove-tail shaped grooves and ridges, or grooves and ridges' having' under-cut side portions and approximating a dove-tail shaped form upon strips of sheet metal without stretching or otherwise weakening the metal during the bending operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a means for positioning the sheet material in order that aside portion of certain of the dove-tail shaped grooves may be formed at an angle to the opposite side'portion of said groove.

The invention consists of an apparatus for bending sheet material as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring' to the drawings:

Figure 1 `represents a vertical section through the cooperating die members of an apparatus embodying` my invention, together with the adjacent portions of a. press upon which the die members are mounted and by means of which they are actuated, the die members being illustrated in their open positions.

F ig. 2 is a plan view of the lower die member and positioning means for the sheet material, together with portions of the press upon which said die member is mounted, the intermediate portion of the die member being broken away to save space in the drawings.

F ig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. l but illustrating the die members in their closed positions. Y

F ig. l is a perspective view of a strip of sheet material after it has been operated upon by the apparatus of this invention to produce the dove-tail shaped grooves and ridges thereon. l

Like numerals refer to like parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents the side frames of a press of well known form, 6 is the bed of said press and 7 is the press slide which is mounted in vertical guideways 8 formed in the side frames 5 and is adapted to have a vertical reciprocatory motion imparted thereto in a well known manner. Rigidly secured to the inner face of each side frame 5 is an angle bar 9 which, in effect, forms a part of said side frame, and said bars constitute shelves to support end bearings 10 for a lower die member 11, the latter having a trunnion portion l2 formed at each end thereof by means of which it is pivotally mounted in the bearings 10.

The die member 11 embodies therein a detachable die plate 13. Projecting laterally from the die member 11 adjacent to one end thereof is an arm 14, and the die member 11 is normally held in a raised position, at which time the arm 14 engages a stop 15, by means of a spring 16, one end of which is connected to the outer portion of the arm 14, and the other end of said spring being secured in any suitable manner (not shown) to a side frame 5.

Detachably secured to the under side of the slide 7 is an upper die member 17 which embodies therein a die plate 18. The working faces of the die plates 13 and 18 are formed to co-operate with each other to form an under-cut bent portion a constituting a side portion of a dove-tail shaped groove upon a strip of sheet material A, see Fig. 4.

Detaohably fastened to the bed 6 of the press is a support 19 which constitutes a stop to limit the downward movement of the lower die member 11. Secured to the front surface of the die member 11 adjacent to one end thereof is an angular member 20 constituting an abutment, and secured to the front face of the slide 7 directly above said abutment 2O is an actuating member 21 which is adapted to engage the abutment during the downward movement of the slide 7 and impart a rocking movement to the lower die member 11. The member 21 is so positioned upon the slide 7 that during the downward movement of said slide the lower extremity of said member will engage the upper surface of the abutment 20 at the same time that the lower surface of the die plate 18 engages the upper surface of the sheet material A, so Ythat during the rocking movement of the lower die member 11, the pressure that is eXerted by the slide 7 to rock the die member 11 will be transmitted from said slide to the die member through the actuated member 21 and abutment 20 and there will be no tendency for the die plate 18 to wrinkle or otherwise misform the sheet material during the downward and lateral movement of the die Vmember 11.

rlwo separate and distinct positioning means are provided for the purpose of positioning the sheet metal A in order that the bent portions a maybe correctly positioned thereon as follows 1-Secured to the front face of the lower die member 11 upon one side portion thereof are angle bars 22 constituting supports for a positioning bar 23, the latter being adjustably secured to the supports 22 by bolts 24 which extend through the bar 23 and through slots 25 provided in the supports 22. The bar 23 extends parallel to the front edge of the die member 11 and is spaced apart from said front edge in accordance with the spacing that is desired between the bent portions a of the sheet material.

Also secured to the front face of the lower die member 11 upon the other side portion thereof is a support 26 for a positioning bar 27 which is'pivotally attached at 28 to the support 26. Stop pins 29 project upwardly yfrom the support 26 at opposite sides thereof in a manner to limitv the rocking movement that can be imparted to the positioning bar 27, one extreme position of which is illustrated in full lines, and the other extreme position being illustrated in dotted lines in Fig.Y 2.

Whenever it is desired to form a bend across the strip of sheet material A at a predeter mined angle to a side edge of said sheet may terial, either the front edge of the material or a previously formed bent portion is moved into engagement with the edge of the bai-V27 and the latter is rocked until it is moved into engagement with the desired stop pin 29, at which time the sheet material will be properly positioned to have a bent portion formed thereon at the angle desired.

The general operation of the 'apparatus hereinbefore specically described is as fol'- lows z-The apparatus is preferably attended by two operatives, one of whom stands Iat the front and side of each positioning means for a strip of sheet material and pulls the 'latter between the die members to receive the successive bending operations, positioning theA strip of 'sheet material prior to each bending operation. The operative who is stationed to the front and left hand side of Fig. 2 grasps the sheet material at its opposite longitudinal edges andV pulls the same across the upper surface of the die member 11 until the front edge of the Lsheet material abuts `against the rear edge of the positioning member 23, after which the press is started in operation in a well known manner to operate the press slide 7.

r1`he slide 7 descends until the lower surface of the die plate 18 contacts lightly with the upper surface of the sheet material A, at which time the lower extremity of the actuating member 21 abuts against the upper surface of the abutment 20, and a continued downward movement of the slide 7 will cause the pivoted die membery 11 to be rocked downwardly against the tension of the spring 16 until the lower side of said die member contacts with the upper surface of the support 19, at which time the die plates 13 and 18 will have engaged the sheet material A in a manner to fbrm an undercut bentk portion a upon the sheet material A, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

As the die members again open, the strip of sheet material A is pulled forwardly beneath the positioning member 23 until the previously formed bent portion a is brought into Contact with the rear edge yof thepositioning member 23 and the press is again operated to form another bent portion upon the sheet material. After the entire ystrip of material A has been passed between the die members, the strip is reversed and passed to the attendant at the other side of the press and he, in turn, positions the strip of material by abutting previously formed bent portions successively against the rear edge of the positioning member 27 at the same time rocking said positioning member until the latter contacts with one or another of the pins 29, at which time the sheet material will be positioned. to have a bent portion formed thereon oppositely to the previously formed bent portion, but also at a slight angle thereto and to the longitudinal edges of the sheet material. Two attendants for the machine work simultaneously and two strips of sheet material are, therefore, operated upon simultaneously to receive the bent portions. The finished product will have alternately arranged grooves and ridges formed thereon as illustrated in Fig. 4.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a frame, a

vdie member pivotally mounted upon said frame, another die member slidably mounted upon the frame, means to move the slidable die member into engagement with sheet material resting upon the pivoted die member and thereafter impart a downward and lateral rocking movement to the latter through pressure exerted against the sheet material by the slidable die member, whereby said die 'members will co-operate with each other to bend the sheet material to'form an under-,cut portion thereon, and a positioning member adapted to be engaged by successive bent portions of the sheet material and thereby position the latter to receive successive bending operations.

2. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a frame, a die member yieldably mounted upon said frame, another die member slidably mounted upon the frame, means to move the slidable die member into engagement with a sheet of material resting upon the yielding die member and thereafter impart a downward and lateral movement to the latter, whereby said die members will co-operate with each other to bend the sheet material to form an undercut portion thereon, positioning means for the sheet material, and means to vary the position of said last-named means whereby the angle of the bent portion across the sheet may be varied with relation to the opposite longitudinal edges thereof.

3. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a frame, a die member pivotally mounted upon said trame, an arm projecting laterally from said die member, a spring attached to said arm, an abutment projecting laterally from said diev member, another die member slidably mounted upon the fram-e, an actuator fasl tened thereto, and means to move the slidable die member into engagement with a sheet of material resting upon the pivoted die member and the actuator into engagement with the abutment and. thereafter impart a rocking movement to the pivoted die member against the tension of said spring, whereby said die members will co-operate with each other to bend the sheet material and form an under-cut portion thereon.

4L. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a frame, a die member pivotally mounted upon said frame, yielding means to normally hold said pivoted die member in a raised position, another di-e member slidably mounted upon the frame, means to move the slidable die member into engagement with sheet material resting upon the pivoted die member and thereafter impart a rocking movement to the latter against the action of said spring, whereby said die members will co-operate with each other to bend the sheet material to form an under-cut portion thereof, supports projecting laterally from the pivoted die member, and a positioning member for the sheet material adjustably mounted upon said supports.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR N. MERRYMAN.

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