US2624935A

US2624935A - Method of forming name plates

Info

Publication number: US2624935A
Application number: US778997A
Authority: US
Inventors: Penker Ernest
Original assignee: Etched Products Corp
Current assignee: Etched Products Corp
Priority date: 1947-10-10
Filing date: 1947-10-10
Publication date: 1953-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 1970-01-13

Description

Jan. 13, 1953 E. PENKER 2,624,935

METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1947 lwu INVENTOR. Ernesi Fezzker Jan. 13, 1953 E. PENKER 2,624,935

METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES Filed on. 10, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 JIM/g. a M

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 METHOD OF FORMING NAME PLATES Ernest Penker, Queens County, N. Y., assig'nor to Etched Products Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 10, 1947, Serial No. 778,997

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the formation and finishing of ornamental characters, particularly those adapted to be attached as grouped to form the identifying mark for an article of commerce.

Such characters are generally prepared by stamping or die cutting metal strips, followed by plating and/or polishing. The fabricating, including plating and polishing of the characters has hitherto been an expensive and time consuming operation, due to the individual handling of each character. Various means and methods have been proposed to decrease the cost and time of the fabricating plating and polishing operations, but have been generally unsatistained on the strip may be processed much more easily and quickly than could the characters individually, and the individual characters may on completion of processing be maintained in separably connected formation until ready for application as the, or part of the indicia for an article of commerce.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a method for processing from a strip a number of individual characters adapted for use as or part of indicia wherein the characters are formed and maintained in group formation with respect to a reinforcing support therefor during a sequence of operations and put to separation at the time of application to an article of commerce.

This and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metal bar adapted to have ornamental characters formed thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bar as formed with a reinforcing flange according to one method embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bar with a series of characters formed on its surface.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-section of a step in the method.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the strip after another step.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-section of a further step.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the strip after the step shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-section of another method step.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the strip after the step of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-section of a further method step.

Figs. 11 and 13 are plan and elevation views, respectively, of the strip after processing as in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-section of a step in the severing of the characters from each other.

Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional view through the reinforced strip after the step of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is an inverted perspective view of a finished character.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a step in another method of applying the strip reinforcing fiange according to the invention.

The principles of the invention will be best understood by reference to the particular embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 16 in which the character bearing strip is formed with an integral reinforcing flange.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 16, the method starts with a substantially rectangular bar of some suitable base metal such as copper, brass, bronze or the like. Bar 30 is passed through suitable forming rollers which shape it into the form shown in Fig. 2, providing a character bearing cross bar 3| and an integral reinforcing flange 3'2 perpendicular to cross bar 3|.

Bar 30 is then again subjected to die pressure which reduces the thickness of cross bar 3| and increases its width. At the same time, embossings (Fig. 3), which are preliminary formations of ornamental characters, are formed on the outer surface of cross bar 3|. Strip or bar 30 is thus given its preliminary formation.

In the next step of the method, as shown in Fig. 4, flange 32 is subjected to the pressure of laterally

movable dies

31, 31, which reduce the flange thickness and increase its depth. In a similar step-which, to simplify the drawing, has

not been shown, cross bar 3| with characters 35 is reduced in overall thickness. In a typical embodiment, the cross bar thickness is reduced to 0.159.

The weight of metal in flange 32 is then reduced by die punching holes in the flange in alternate longitudinal relation with character formations 35 so that stems are formed substantially centered on formations 35 and interconnected by longitudinal flange strips. As a similar and. the final lattice punching operation is shown in detail in Fig. 6, the just described operation has not been shown on the drawings. Following this step, the edges of character formations35are trimmed by the use of shearing dies (not shown).

The strip 30 is then annealed and pickled to soften the metal. Following such softening, the cross bar 3| and its formations are further reduced in thickness, for example to 0.132". Another die forming operation further reduces the cross bar thickness to a lesser value, such as 0.122", for example, and at the same time sharpens the character detail, as shown in Fig, 5, to form actual characters 45. A shearing die trims the metal from around the character edges as at 4| in Fig. 5.

The strip is now given a second annealing and pickling to soften it, following which cross bar 3! is subjected to die pressure to further reduce its thickness (to 0.107, for example) and to sharpen the character details.

The previously formed openings in flange 32 are now enlarged to form the lattice formation, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. For this purpose, bar 30 is clamped in

dies

42, 43, with flange 32 horizontally overlying a series of holes 44 in die 43. An upper die 56, including shears 41 and aspring biased guide 48, then descends on die 43 so that guide 48 rests on flange 32 and shears 41 punch metal from the flange through holes 4.4 This forms rectangular windows in flange 32, leaving stems 52 uniting each character 45 to a 1ongitudinal strip 53 of flange 32.

The outer edges of characters 45 are then trimmed, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. For this purpose, strip 30 set on a die 56 with flange 32 set in a groove 57. A second die 58 comprising shears BI and a guide 62 then moves toward die 56 so that shears GI and the metal from around the edges of characters 45. By a similar die arrangement, the interiors and edges of such characters E, R and G are trimmed, after which characters such as M, "N and T are trimmed.

In the next step of the method, the metal of cross bar 31 between adjacent characters is removed, as shown in Fig. 10. Bar 30 is placed in a die 66 having longitudinally spaced openings 31 aligned with the metal of cross bar 3| joining adjacent characters. Cross bar 3| rests on a spacer 68 and flange strip 53 rests in a recess 69. A die H including shears i2 and a guide or set 13 moves toward die 65, and shears 12 cut the metal of cross bar 3| from between characters 45. This leaves Characters 45 joined to strip 53 only by therefrom individually for subsequent placement on an article. This step is shown in Fig. 12. The strip is placed on a die 76 with tongues 52 extending over a support '57 so that strip 53 is parallel thereto and rests on a spring biased support 18. An upper die 8| is provided, including a spring biased guide or set 82 having a vertica1 flange 83 equal in width to the length of tongues 52 between strip 53 and characters 45. A bending member 84 is arranged adjacent set 82. Preferably,

members

82 and 83 have interfilling serrations aligned with tongues 52.

As die 88 moves toward die 15, member 84 laterally displaces strip 53 relative to tongues 52 in a shearing action, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, which essentially define a series of offset serrations so that only thin metal sections unite the tongues to strip 53. Thus, when the characters are to be mounted on the article, they may be easily separated from strip 53 by a slight bending movement. A thus separated character is shown in Fig. 16.

In a modification oi the invention shown in Fig. 17. the cross bar 3i, which is shown inverted and the reinforcing flange 32' are provided as separate members, the former being grooved at its rear as at 26, and the latter being in the form of a partially latticed element having stems 52 projecting from a base 53', the reinforcing flange being applied to the cross bar by welding the heads of the stems 52' into the groove 26, with such heads being disposed in alignment and at the rear of the position where the respective letters are to be formed.

The step of attaching the reinforcing flange 32' to the cross bar 3! may be effectuated in lieu of the steps of Figs. 1 and 2 or, the cross bar 3 l may be treated in the preliminary character forming steps of Figs. 3 to 9, and thereafter the reinforcing flange 32 say be applied in the manner aforementioned. By the use of this embodiment of my method, a minimum of metal stock is used and certain working steps in relation to the metal to form the reinforcing flange are eliminated.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, to illustrate the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming ornamental characters comprising reinforcing a relatively thin metal strip by providing a metal flange extending perpendicularly to one surface of said strip; forming a series of characters along the other surface of said strip; punching a series of apertures through said flange in alternate relation with the characters on the strip to form a latticed support for the characters; trimming the strip metal from the longitudinal edges of the characters; removing the metal of said strip between said characters; finishing the processing of the characters while still secured together by said latticed flange; and shearingly serrating and offsetting the base of said latticed flange to leave thin metal sections uniting the base to the characters.

2. The method of forming ornamental characters which comprises reinforcing a relatively thin metal strip by providing a metal flange extending perpendicularly to one surface of said strip; forming a series of characters along the other surface of said strip; reducing the thickness of the flange; reducing the thickness of the strip; punching a series of apertures through said flange in alternate relation with the characters on the strip; trimming the strip metal from the longitudinal edges of the characters; again reducing the thickness of the strip; again trimming the strip metal from the longitudinal edges of the characters; again reducing the thickness of the strip; enlarging such apertures to form transverse strips of flange material uniting each letter to a longitudinal strip of flange material; trimming the strip metal from around the characters; removing the metal of said strip between said characters; plating and polishing the characters while still secured together by said strip of flange material; and serrating and offsetting such longitudinal strip or' flange material to partially sever it from the flange strips projecting from the under surfaces of the characters.

3. The method of forming ornamental characters, for a nameplate or the like, which comprises forming a longitudinal groove centrally of one surface of said strip; securing the ends of the stems of an open latticed flange within said groove, forming a series of characters on the opopsite surface of the metal strip, with each stem substantially centrally aligned with a char- 6 acter, said latticed flange extending perpendicularly to said strip; processing the characters while still secured together by said latticed flange; and shearingly serrating and offsetting the base of said latticed flange at the zone of the stems thereof to partially sever the base from said stems.

ERNEST PENKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS