US362977A - Sheet-metal-scroll cutter - Google Patents

Description

A, O. KITTREDGE.

SHEET METAL SCROLL GUTTER.

Patented May 17,1887.

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(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSON O. KIITREDGE, OF SLATE HILL, NIl\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE l VULCAN COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHEETMETALSCROLL CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,977, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed September ifi, 1.186. Serial No. 111705.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANSON O. KITTREDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Slate Hill, Orange county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Metal Scroll Cutters with Turning-Knives, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to that class of sheet- Inetal-scroltcutting machines in which a shearing-cutter is sustained at or about the level of the worktable and a similar cutter is'reciprocated in contact therewith, the machine being adapted to cut the metal upon any desired lines when fed thereto by the hands ofthe operator and turned in the required directions.

The object of the improvement is by .means of the operators lower limbs to rotate the two cutters simultaneously in a horizontal plane, so as to move the line ofthe cutting-edgesinto a direction approximating to that ofthe lines which require cutting upon the sheet metal, and to thus avoid the turning of the sheet metal through large angles upon the table. It is especially desirable to thus move the cutters by the operator-s lower limbs, because the turning` ofthe cutters must be effected in practice during the cutting of various curved lines when the operators hands are wholly occnpied'in directing and holding the sheet metal in contact with the cutters.

My invention therefore consists, essentially,

in fitting both the upper and lower cutters into rotary holders geared together and connected with a knee-lever or equivalent device beneath the table, so as to be operated by the knee or foot ot' the operator, and to thus leave his hands enti rely free to manipulate the sheet metal.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine provided with Vmy improvement, the cutter-gearing consisting of toothed sectors, and one of the table-brackets being omitted to expose the lower spindle. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the parts above the line .r .fc in Fig. 1 removed and the table shown only in. dotted lines. FigAis a similar plan,

(No model.)

showing the sectors connected by wire ropes instead of teeth. Fig. 5 is a plan of the kncelever. Fig. (i is a section of the reciprocating cutter-slide, and Fig. 7 is a section of the lower cutter'bearing, both sections being taken on line c.: in Fig. 1, and the rotary spindle ixreach being only sectioned in part where hatched.

A is the bed of the machine, supported on a frame or legs, A', and carryinga goose-neck, B, which supports at its front end a reciprocating cutterslide, C. A shaft, D, is fitted through the goose-neck, and has a crank-pin, c, of short stroke atits front end to vibrate the slide C, and a pulley, D', at its rear end to rotate the shaft continuously when the machine is in use. The slide C carries a vertical cutter-spindle, b, provided with a removable cutter, a, at its lower end, and the front end of the bed is provided with a bearing,j", carryinga cutter-spindle, g, having the lower cutter, e, iitted removably in its upper end.

The table II is fitted around the upper end of the spindle g, and is attached to the bed by brackets h. Toothed sectors l are secured to the adjacent parts of the cutter spindles, and are operated by similarl but longer sectors, k, which are secured toa vertical shaft, I, inserted inside the goose-neck at the rear end of the work-table. rlhis shaft is extended downward through the bed A, and is provided beneath the bed with a lever, J, which is extended toward the front of the machine beneath the table.

The front end of the lever is constructed with a fork, J', to embrace the operators knee, so that the latter may move the lever laterally by the use of his lower limb, while his hands are engaged in shifting the sheet metal and feeding it to the cutters.

The sectors k are made longer than the sectors d, so that a smalllatcral movement ofthe lever H may serve to rotate the cutters through an angle of at least forty-iive degrees each way Vfrom their central position.

In the plan in Fig. 3 the effect of the lever upon the cutters may be seen, the oscillation of the shaft I operating to turn the sectors k several times greaterthan that of the sectors d, to turn the latter and the cutter spindles around several times as much as the shaft I is moved. An oscillation of the knee-lever and shaft I through a few degrees at each side of the central position thus effects the turning of the cutters forty-five degrees, more or less, and brings the line of the cutting-edges into avery favorable position for cutting obliquely without shifting the sheet metal very much upon the work-table H. As the sectors 7c are attached to the same shaft and operate alike upon both the cutter-spindles, any intermediate angular position may be given to the cutters at pleasure; and the operator may thus vset the cuttersin any convenient position,either before or during the cutting operation, the

f shifting being, in thelatter case, effected gradually, when the cutis on a curved line, to bring the cutting-edges into correspondence Awith the varying angle of the cut. By this costruction the operator can work upon large pieces of sheet metal with much less turning of the latter on the table and with a corresponding saving in time and fatigue.

The table H is arranged over the lower pair of sectors, and the sheet metal is thus kept from contact with the same, and both the cutter-spindles are provided with collars, as at b' and g, at their outer ends, to prevent end movement in their bearings. The spindleg is thus' held firmly in the bearing f, except when turning therein, and the spindle I) is reciprocated constantly with the slide C.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated another means of connecting the sectors, to show that it is immaterial to my invention how the cutterspindles are geared together and connected with the operators knee or foot. In this iignre a round disk, d', is secu-red to each of the cutter spindles, and a pair of smooth'sectors,

7c', of larger radius are attached tothe shaft I. y

A wire rope,.Z, is attached to each of the sectors k', and is fastened to the disk d', so as to turn the latter and the attached spindles when the sectors la are rotated.

The rope operates on only a portion of the periphery of the disk d', but such portion being a concentric sector of a circle, the tension of the ropes is unaltered, and the oscillation of theshaft I is conveyed to the cutter-spindles in the most effective manner.

To tighten the ropes or to adjust the cutters in their required relation, the ends of the ropes are attached to the sectors 7c by tighteningbolts m, having nuts u, which can be readily adjusted when required.

Having thus set forth the nature'and operation of my invention,- it will be seen that the essential part of my invention is the gearing of the cutter spindles or holders together and to a lever actuated bythe lower limb of the operator, so as to leave his hands entirelyfree to guide the sheet metal. It is not therefore essential that the cutters should be sustained and rotated precisely as shown herein, provided sueh rotation be effected as I have described.

The lower cutter, although rotary in a horizontal plane, may be regarded as stationary in reference to the upper cutter, which is reciprocated to produce the cut.

It is obviously immaterial whether the upper or lower cutter is reciprocated.

I have not broadly claimed herein the com bination, with a pair of shearing-blades, of means for turning their cuttingedges simultaneously in relation to the sheet metal, as I have claimed the same jointly with F. M. Leavitt in my allowed patent application No. 181,311, filed October 29, 1885, but haverestricted my present claim to the particular arrangement of such means below the table.

Having thus defined my invention, what I claim herein isn 1. In a sheet-metal-scroll cutter, the combination,with horizontally-rotating holders car.- rying, respectively, a stationary and a reciprocating cutter, of means for gearing the said holders together to rotate simultaneously and means beneath the work-table for rotating such holders by the lower limb of the operator.

2. In a sheet-metal-scroll cutter, the combination, with two rotatable vertical spindles, b and g, carrying,respectively, a stationary and a reciprocating cutter, and a vertical shaft, I, mounted in the rear of the work-table and actuated by the lower limb of the operator, of

sectors attached, respectively, to the shaft I and to the spindles b and g, and connected together, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a sheet-metal-scrollcutter, the combination, with a lower cutter, of a reciprocating slide having a rotary spindlejournaled there- .in and carrying an upper cutter in contact with the said lower cutter, as and for the p urpose set forth.

4. In a sheet-metal-scroll cutter, the combination, with the bed A, carrying bearings f andspindle g, of the goose-neck B, carrying IOO IIO

the reciprocating slide C, the slide having the spindle b tted to rotate therein, and the spindles b and g being geared together and to the shaft I, provided with the forked knee-lever J, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in t-he presence of two subscribing wit- IIGSSGS.

ANSON O. KITTREDGE. Vitnesses:

JENNIE VAN WYcK, Trios. S. CRANE.

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